If you've followed the blog for a while, you know that I began my obsession with eco-friendly diapering early in my pregnancy. I became enamored with the gDiaper because it was a green alternative to throwing poopy nappies into my washing machine. The flushing aspect made me happy, it meant the nursery wouldn't smell like sour milk poo. And, if I wanted to go fully cloth, I could buy cloth inserts instead of the flushable/biodegradable inserts.
So, how has it gone? I gave it my first try the day after Lola left. I had a lot of leaks out the leg holes of the gpants because either I wasn't fitting it right, or her legs weren't yet chunky enough to make a good seal. I gave it a few more days.
Second day was when Mimi was here. We had a couple leaks here and there, but otherwise had a better fit. However, she had developed a diaper rash (not from the gDipes), and we were changing her so often that it became a bit of a hassle to keep filling the inserts. Okay, I'll try again later, maybe when she quits blowing so much "butt dust" (my term for the tiny little squirts of breastmilk poo that are in pretty much every single diaper).
Yesterday was the third try. And third time's a charm. :) No leaks yesterday, even had one poopie blowout with minimal seepage onto the snap-in liner. I'm still using disposables at night, since they're faster to change and don't wake her up as much as the cloth covers. When she gets bigger and stops clamping her knees together during diaper changes, it will be easier for me to get the fit/seal right around her thighs, and perhaps I'll do gdipes at night then, too.
What's great is that now I can put her in little dresses that match the diaper covers. Before, I didn't want to mess with dresses because it meant I had to pull off the matching bloomers with every diaper change. Now, the gdipe is both stylish and functional. Check out her gbum:
I haven't been flushing the inserts, except for that really poopy one from yesterday. I'm changing too frequently to be flushing all the time. Plus, when I flush, it means that I have to get Maddie situated in her crib first. I've been tossing them in the diaper pail, which is fine, because I know they'll break down and not spend several decades in a landfill. What I need to find now is biodegradable trash bags to line the diaper pail with. Enclosing them in plastic seems to defeat the green purpose.
At changing time, I just change the entire diaper like I would with any cloth or disposable. If the old diaper was only wet, then I toss the insert and put in a new one. The liners that hold the inserts are waterproof but still breathable, so they don't have any dampness, and the inserts soak up to 7x their volume in liquid. If it was poopy, then the liner usually gets some poop on it. So I unsnap the liner from the outer pant and wash it in the sink later. I have an old OxyClean bucket next to the sink that I toss any of her soiled items in, including the snap-in liners, for hand washing at a later time. That system works well. I have a little clippy drying rack in her nursery for drying the liners quickly. Here's a photo of my diaper organization in the top drawer of her changing table:
The center portion of the organizer on the left has a stack of extra inserts. The colorful row on the right are the little g pants that are already loaded with liners and inserts and ready to go on her bum at diaper change time. The white row next to that are the extra snap-in liners that are already loaded with flushable inserts. Elsewhere in a less-used part of the nursery, I have about 8 cloth inserts (called gFlappers) that I got from another gMum along with some of her used small g pants. Maybe someday I'll dabble with those.
On those few covers that I got used from the other gMum, the velcro is shot. Actually, the company just recently changed the brand of hook-and-loop fastener they use. I have one pant that has the new hook-and-loop, it holds great. I bought some Aplix and TouchTape to sew on the old ones, when I get my hands free between Maddie's naptime and laundry loads. Right now she's asleep in the Snugli carrier, she's snoring on my chest. :) So cute...
Oh, and for those of you who will watch Maddie from time to time, if you are intimidated by the system at all, I will always have disposables for you to use. :)
Oops, gotta go. The little bear is stirring.
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