While you're preparing for baby (or babies) you might be curious about cloth diapering. Maybe you intend to at least try it, or you're in the 'hells no!' camp. Fair enough!
For those of you who are considering or committing to cloth we thought we'd check in with a cloth diapering expert (Anna from Bumbini) to help you weigh your options and navigate the world of reusable.
Tell us about the inspiration for Bumbini! We love a good origin story, where did the idea and motivation come from?
Bumbini is quite near to my heart, as it pays homage to my Italian heritage. The name is a combination of the word “bum” and “bambini” (Italian word for baby).
Our core vision is founded on the principles of quality, convenience, style, comfort and value for your money. We are committed to delivering cloth diaper products that are simple to use, better for you, your baby and the environment, all while making them accessible and affordable to all.
What are some tips you’d offer to an expecting family considering cloth diapering? What diapers to buy?
Gone are the days of stiff fabrics and dreaded safety pins! Today, you have a vast selection in cloth diapers such as fabrics available, colours, designs, and prints.
Cloth diapers have definitely come a long way and are not as complicated as what most parents think.
It's 2018 - we get to stock diapers with beautiful, vibrant colours, the softest cloths and modern designs.
If you're buying cloth diapers new I recommend buying from a retailer who also provides support to cloth diapering parents. Read up on blogs, watch some videos and access workshops to learn about cloth diapering and diaper trial programs.
Perhaps the biggest misconception about cloth diapering is the “ick” factor. How can families who wish to do cloth diapering mitigate this? Or is really a myth?
This is really a myth. Despite public perceptions, cloth diapers do not leak any more than disposable diapers, and are less irritating so babies are less likely to experience diaper rashes. Cloth diapers are also soft, comfortable and made of natural fibres without the chemicals found in disposable diapers.
What positive impact can cloth diapering have on our wallets and planet?
There are many reasons that parents choose to cloth diaper such as environmental, financial and health to name a few.
Did you know that ……………
- A baby goes through more than 7,000 disposable diapers by the age of 18 months, which amounts to roughly one tonne of garbage.
- One disposable diaper takes up to 500 years to decompose and
When you consider a diapering commitment of 2 – 4 years, disposable diapers become very expensive for families, in fact by several thousands of dollars! As the financial cost is spread across the diapering stage, families don't necessarily see how expensive using disposable diapers really become. The time and energy that goes into using disposable diapers soon outweighs the convenience. For instance you will likely spend time watching sales to find the best deals and running out to buy diapers in bulk.
Contrast this to cloth diapers: just 1 cloth diaper replaces 240 disposable diapers! So let’s do a little bit of math to figure out how many cloth diapers that one would need to have for their baby’s entire diaper phase? Also factoring in the calculation of doing laundry every 2 to 3 days, you would only need 26 - 30 cloth diapers for your baby with an upfront investment cost of $400 -$600, as a result, saving a few thousand of dollars for your family.
Unlike disposable, you can reuse cloth diapers with subsequent children, increasing your savings by $4,000 - $6,000. What's more cloth diapers have excellent resale value - you can get as much as half of the money spent on cloth diapers back.
It's also said that children in cloth potty train much earlier and easier, as early as 18 months.
Facilitating potty training? Conserving the environment and your wallet?? Anna has made a pretty good pitch right? If you're sold on cloth diapering and are considering making the investment Bumbini is offering free shipping to Canadians if you spend $75 or more. Thanks Anna!
