Kushies reusable diapers

Before we became parents, we talked about the idea of using reusable diapers to save on the cost of disposable diapers and to help out the planet. It takes a disposable diaper 500 years to decompose after all! When Jean-Louis suggested it, I was game but I also said that I wanted disposable diapers too and we can swap when the washable ones are being cleaned. I liked the idea of saving the planet but I was also looking at it from a practical point of view. We agreed that we would buy a small pack and see how it goes before buying more. I also told him that he would be the one responsible for cleaning them :)

We bought the Kushies reusable diapers for size 10 lbs to 22 lbs and the flushable liners to go with them. It was a pack of 5 and was so adorable! The diapers go for about $50 and the liners are around $10. We started Tristan on them when he was 12 lbs and after completing 2 rolls of liners, we have decided to stop. Phew!

Here is why. As new parents, we had way too much going as is with just changing diapers and throwing them away. Add rinsing them out, soaking them in a baking soda bath, and then washing and hanging them to the mix and we were kind of going mad. After doing it a few times, we were already shaking our heads. Too much work! It was a waste of a laundry load too to wash just 5 diapers. I wanted to at least get our money's worth and use them a bit more. We used them 200 times and frankly, I don't think that did it but I'm throwing in the towel to stop all the complaining. Jean-Louis complains about them more than me but I have actually taken on the responsibility of washing them!

We only used the reusable diapers during the day since they don't absorb as much liquid as the disposable ones. 3 hours is about as long as you can go without having urine leak out. We also don't put them on if we are going out. That would just be a hassle to bring back a dirty one to wash. Once they were all used up, we would do a laundry and then use the disposable diapers while the reusables were hanging dry. Tristan is probably 18 or 19 lbs right now and instead of buying another roll of liner, we're just going to use disposable diapers now. Sorry, we tried :(

After using them, I would say a 10 lb baby is too small to fit the diapers. When Tristan was 12 lbs, we thought it was way too big on him too. It was challenging to fit some of his pants over them. When he was that small, he was being breastfed a lot too and he had many wet poops every day. That was sure messy! Because the diapers didn't fit as snug as the disposable diapers, we had plenty of poop accidents and we had to use a lot of OxiClean Baby spray so that it wouldn't stain. Surprising, even after 40 washes, none of the diapers have stained. Furthermore, the diapers still remain in great condition. Those are all pluses :) However, because they cannot be machine dried, we hung them and they would become crispy dry and a bit uncomfortable I think.

In my opinion, reusable diapers would be better used later after 6 months when the baby is on solids. Why? Because when they are on solids, they don't poop as much and when they do, it is more solid. Their poops will then stick and collect on the liner, which you can then remove and flush down the toilet. Since most of the disgusting stuff is gone, there is no need of a lot of scrubbing and rinsing. Also, at 6 months the baby is bigger and can fit more snugly in the diapers. They also don't grow as rapidly at that point.