Accustomed Chaos™: Guest Post: Our Cloth vs Disposable Compromise

Today is the last scheduled guest post in the infant diapering series. Today we have a family that used a different option - the best of both worlds ... Here is Amber's story in her own words:

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When it comes to diapering, there seems to be two distinct schools of thought. Disposables vs. Cloth.

Unfortunately, quite early in our pregnancy the hubs and I realized we weren't on the same team. The hubs had heard horror stories of leaky, ineffective cloth diapers and he was horrified of prefolds; his friend had been pinned to hers as a child. As an environmentalist, I on the other hand couldn't stomach the thought of disposables filling my garbage can (and the landfill) unnecessarily. I tried to explain that there are oodles of cloth diapering options that don't require the use of pins, but when it all came down to it, the hubs didn't want poop in the washing machine and he didn't want to deal with all the extra loads of laundry. I argued that the laundry wouldn't be an issue, but the hubs wouldn't budge.

It would seem we were at an impasse, but we found a middle ground that we could both agree on. Diaper Service.

I know the hubs was skeptical, but when our pre-birth delivery arrived a week before the boy, he was sold, he kept exclaiming 'who wouldn't want fleece next to their bum?' The diapers themselves have been effective at keeping the messes in and we've literally been using them since the moment we brought the boy home from the hospital. Diaper services generally requires the use of a diaper cover, but you can purchase them yourself or rent them from the company.

For about $26 a week, we get an unlimited number of clean diapers delivered right to our front door. It's easy to budget for and we never have to run out at ridiculous times to buy diapers at exorbitant prices. Diaper service also satisfied the hubs 'no poop in the washing machine' rule, in fact we barely have to deal with the poop at all. When the poops are shakable, we flush them down the toilet, when they're mucky, we drop them in the diaper pail as is, no rinsing required. The poops are literally someone else's problem.

That being said, laundry is still an important consideration when it comes to diaper service. Our diaper service uses a phosphate, surfactant and bleach free process to launder the diapers and also balances the pH of the diapers to minimize potential irritation to tender tushies. Unfortunately, not all diaper services can make these claims, make sure that you ask about the laundering process if you start investigating services in your area. If the wash process is damaging to the environment, your eco-friendly intentions may not be as effective as you'd like.

Although I would have done the extra loads of laundry in order to use cloth diapers, I didn't realize quite how many extra loads a baby already makes, and now that I'm back to work, its hard enough to get all the laundry done and I'm continually thankful that someone else takes care of the diapers for us.

I recognize that diaper service isn't available everywhere and to everyone, but if you live in or near a major city, its worth a little research, especially if there are differing opinions about diapering in your home. The prices and options may vary, but overall I truly feel that diaper service is an option that is not considered often enough. Search around, ask questions, try out your options and find the best diapering fit for your family.

In our house, diaper service IS the best option; I've even heard the hubs recommend it to friends and coworkers, a pretty amazing feat in my books.

Guest post written by Amber an environmentally conscious, full-time working, Gluten-Free Momma to an adorable boy and another baby on the way!

You can find her at www.TheMamaStuffBlog.com
or @MommaStuffBlog