Genius!

When we  brought our bouncing baby boy home in 2007, it was a rough week for us.  He was jaundiced so while I was trying to "figure out" how to nurse, I was having to follow up with formula to ensure that he was getting the bilirubin out.  He also had a hernia that required a specialist.  I came down with a severe stomach bug after being home less than 24 hours, and shortly thereafter, my husband got it too.  And to make it all even worse, G had an infection in his diaper area caused by, drum roll please, his diapers?!?!  Yes, G was allergic to his diapers.  We switched brands and treated the infection.  However, over the course of the next couple of years, we were constantly battling either a yeast infection or diaper rash of some sort.

When we discovered that we were having another baby, all I could think about was "here we go again."  I just knew that we would have the same battle, so I did a lot of research on diapers well before my due date.  I researched every diaper available, and let me tell you, there are PLENTY out there.  But one thing that kept coming up was the concept of cloth diapers.  Really? The only cloth diaper I was familiar with was the kind my mom used with me: white cloth diaper, safety pins, and plastic pants.  I was not game for that!  But when I researched cloth diapers, I realized that there was a whole new world of cloth diapers!  There are cloth diapers with disposable inserts, with fabric inserts...  Available in cotton, bamboo, wool...  There are so many choices!  I researched for MONTHS and finally I found the one that had great reviews, looked simple to use (IE husband friendly) and relatively inexpensive: bum genius.

Bum genius diapers are just that, genius!  They have a waterproof shell that is lined on the inside making a pocket for an absorbent insert.  The diaper fastens with Velcro and has a series of snaps to adjust as the child grows.  The whole diaper gets thrown in the wash when dirty, the shell gets line dried and the liners get thrown in the dryer.  I wash diapers about every three days and it couldn't be simpler.  I am washing clothes anyway, what is one more load to wash?

We received a handful of diapers as gifts and invested about $300 on our own for a supply.  Considering that a pack of newborn diapers is $10+ for 42 diapers and last a week or so, we will certainly save money in the long run.  Nothing is going in the landfill, so other than the water usage, we are being green.  Reviewers have stated that their children potty trained faster, which is fine by me.  And we have had no diaper rash with bum genius.  Truly genius!