TO CLOTH OR NOT TO CLOTH A NEW BORN ???
That is the question I often receive from preggie mommies!
With my first born I didn’t feel very confident about cloth as lots of other moms (my own included!) were quite disparaging about cloth period. I also didn’t’ really understand the savings aspect or realize how real sposie-poo-splosions were or how often I would be changing! So I decided not to hassle until he could comfortably fit into One Size Fits Most. He fortunately reached 5 kilograms around 3 months so we were off to an early start! But boy oh boy! I actually really regret not starting cloth nappies from the first week. Cloth was SO much easier than I anticipated. It is completely different, don’t get me wrong, but totally not what I was expecting and so worth it.
I am now expecting little Grew number two and I must say, I am so excited to start with cloth as soon as I can! I feel so much more confident as a “cloth-mom” this time around and also really understand the function of various types and brands, which has been really helpful. When pursuing new born cloth, I also highly recommend buying the majority of your stash 2nd hand. It saves SO much money and they are generally in great nick as they are used for a much shorter period of time. Here is a break-down of what I have purchased, the cost and the savings for baba no2. The aim is to have 36 nappies and 6-8 covers so I only have to wash every 2nd day. So far I have purchased a mix of things, 2nd hand and new as well as various brands and types. The South African Cloth Nappy Users website has great guides for types of newborn cloth to choose, from old-school flats to super modern All-in-ones and Snap-in-ones!
SECOND HAND:
20 Kanini Hemp snapless fitteds with boosters, fleece liners and 3 fleece covers
R2000 for the lot (can you read bargain?)
2 Blueberry PUL covers
R100 for both
NEW
10 cotton fleece flats
R70ea R700 total
1 Pokkelokkie Cotton fleece fitted
R165
1 TomFips fitted
Gifted
1 Baby Beehinds PUL cover
R140
2 TomFips Fleece covers
R85
TOTAL R3190
As you can see from the above I have purchased a mix of things and for those on a budget you could totally get away with less. The graphic below is from the South African Cloth Nappy Users and is a great way to show you just how much I saved:
With my stash I have saved about R1200 in cash – not to mention what I will save in wipes (cloth wipes I made from receivers cost me R60). When I resell (at least 50-70% resale value) this stash I will easily recur R1500-R2100 of my value totalling a savings of approximately R3000 – therefore essentially costing me R190 to diaper my new born!
Worth it? I would say a big giant yes-splosion!!!
And we haven’t even talked landfills today!
Lots of fluffly love,
Maria xxx