Things for baby?

[Irulan]

My DIl uses cloth diapers and wool outer pants. I don't know where you get them, but she does knit the wool pants herself. The lanolin in the wool keeps the outside dry. They're not any harder to deal with than regular diapers, but there is the washing that requires baking soda for the ammonia.

Karen

I never used baking soda, just wash n dry. Is that something you are supposed to do with wool?

[Tuckervill]

I'm sure it depends on how long you go before you wash them. She always had lots of them and only washed them once a week. You know what a diaper pail smells like!

My other friend only started using baking soda after her baby got older and was eating real food. Things change.

Karen

[xeney]

My kid eats real food, and we don't use baking soda except for whatever is in the Arm & Hammer liquid detergent we use. I've never heard of baking soda for diapers -- vinegar is what is usually recommended. And we do use that.

The "real food" issue really isn't one for us. We shake or rinse feces off into the toilet and flush. (We have a sprayer attachment on the toilet for this purpose.) When she was just breastfed we did not bother because breastmilk feces are pretty much entirely water soluble. It's the urine that is most likely to leave long-term smells, and that is definitely a bigger issue now that she's older, but vinegar in the wash takes care of it. Baking soda probably would too.

Since I am home and have laundry on site, cloth diapers are a non-issue in terms of adding extra work, but I don't think they'd be reasonable if you worked full time outside of the home or had to go to a laundromat. Unless you used a service.

[sfa]

I always found cloth diapers way easier than disposable. It's easier to do a load of laundry when you're running low than it is to go to the store for more disposables. My oldest child is nearly ten and we STILL have a pile of the Chinese prefolds around that we use for cleaning things, soaking up messes, mopping floors, etc. I don't know how people live without them. We also used cloth wipes--a stack of cheap baby washcloths dunked in a mixture of water, baby soap, baby oil and a few drops of tea tree oil. When we used disposables, I liked Pampers best, but I've heard that a lot depends on how your baby is shaped--chubby legs do well with some brands and skinny legs do better with others. I can't remember which now, and they've all changed their designs so much that I don't know if it makes a difference anymore.

Boudreux's butt paste is the best diaper ointment I've ever used. Same zinc oxide as the active ingredient like most rash ointments, but much better smell and texture, and it washes out of cloth diapers easily. Makes a great anti-chafe lotion as well.

I liked the book "Super Baby Food"--has lots of instructions for making your own baby food as well as recipes for older babies/toddlers and some kitchen craft ideas.

Sarah