FUZZI BUNZ

Because I have had so many inquiries lately regarding our diapering system (as I call it), I have decided to put it on the blog once and for all. Mike and I also feel strongly about being advocates for using cloth diapers and encourage others to use them, and to use us as a resource. So if you have additional questions, please feel free to ask. Here is a summary of our system and some statistics to make you think...

Americans use 40 million disposable diapers per day!!!! It takes at least 500 years for one disposable diaper to start decomposing. That is a very disturbing fact. We can not make enough earth destroying landfills to accomodate the increasing amount of diapers our country alone uses on a daily basis.
It is also very cost effective. Although you have an initial investment with cloth diapers, unlike buying disposables every couple of weeks, you spend much less in the end. To see a more detailed comparison done by the official site of Fuzzi Bunz diapers, click here.
I have to add however, that their price for a Fuzzi Bunz diaper is much more than what I found online, so the overall cost will actually be less than they say.

Initially we were not sure what kind of diapering system we wanted to use, but knew we wanted cloth. We ended up trying five different kinds and then decided on Fuzzi Bunz. To us they are the easiest, the most like disposable diapers, and the brand that seem to grow best with a growing child. However, there are many kinds of cloth diapering systems and we encourage you to find what works best for you. Because we did not start Owen on Fuzzi Bunz until he was about four months old, I can't tell you how many you need to buy for an infant. We have eighteen size large diapers and I wash them every three or four days. One of the advantages to Fuzzi Bunz is that the snaps are so adjustable that we have used these size large for quite a while now on the smallest settings and therefore they will be able to grow with Owen until he is potty trained. Essentially that means we will never have to buy Owen diapers again! We will also be able to use these diapers for our next child. Some websites also have a gently used program where they buy back and sell your used Fuzzi Bunz diapers.

So, what exactly do we use for diapers and our diapering system? The graphic above shows in detail the Fuzzi Bunz diaper and its components. Below you can see what we use and how.

This is a Fuzzi Bunz diaper and the various inserts that can be used in any combination. These inserts are stuffed into the diaper as you see peeking out of the liner in the graphic at the top of the page. We use a rice paper liner between Owen's skin and the fleece of the diaper to catch solids. This way we can easily take the rice paper liner and flush it away with the mess. Rice paper eventually breaks down better than toilet paper, so it should not harm your septic system.

I prestuff all the diapers with this microfleece insert when they come out of the dryer. Essentially this one step makes it ready to go just like a disposable diaper. A babysitter, grandparent, spouse, or sibling can easily take off the dirty diaper and put on the prestuffed diaper. There are other inserts that can be used for different situations in addition to this ready diaper. Fuzzi Bunz diapers should automatically come with this insert, so make sure the website you buy them from offers that.

For example, we use these hemp trifolds for overnight use or long car rides etc. We have never had a leak with one of these in the diapers. They are called Baby Kicks Hemparoo Hemp Fleece Prefolds.

We put these inserts in for basic daily usage of a diaper. It just gives it a little more absorption. This insert is called the Baby Kicks Hemparoo Joey Bunz.

This is a reusable cloth diaper for swimming, which can be purchased at Target or Babies R Us.

Where do we put all these dirty diapers until it is time to wash them you ask? Well, this is the Happy Tushies Wonder Bag. As you can see it is lined with a waterproof material, has a zip top, a loop to hang it from, and an interior pocket for a deodorizer if needed. This is also machine washable and I just throw it in with the diapers.

These two bags fold up nicely into my diaper bag and are used for when we are out in public. They are completely waterproof and easy to clean. You can also buy these at Target.

There are many websites that sell these products. Because they are constantly offering different deals, I encourage you to do a little research for pricing. I know it seems like a lot to deal with, but like anything else once you have a routine, it becomes routine and therefore no big deal. Honestly to me, an extra load of laundry every couple of days is nothing compared to the benefits of using cloth diapers, i.e. not filling landfills, $, and did I mention the rarity of diaper rash from the soft fleece.
If you or anyone you know is interested in using cloth diapers, I applaud you! Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns! We will even let you come over and change a diaper!