My Life as an African Gypsy

My reason for cloth diapering was solely financial. Sure, like most people, the idea of being 'green' sounds nice, but I am honestly not very motivated by that. You think diapers in America are expensive? They are even more so here in Mozambique, because they have to be imported. UGH!

When I began looking into it, I was suddenly overwhelmed. SO many options, and a lot of them seemed like an expensive start up cost. I began reading reviews to find the best fit for our family.

I ended up ordering 24 Sunbaby one-size pocket diapers with 48 inserts off Ebay from a lady in China for $156 w/o shipping. (US shipping is free, but it was only $30 to have them delivered to my door in Mozambique!) I did double inserts for every diaper, so when she begins wetting heavier, we'll be set. Also, night time can need extra absorbency, if she'd ever sleep through the night! Ha! These diapers are made for babies 7-35lbs, which means no need for small, medium, and large... that would be expensive! Though, I have heard they fit better around 10lbs.

(I will tell you that the seller of Sunbaby diapers on Ebay is currently taking a break, but I hope she will resume her sales soon. I have heard that Coolababy diapers are almost exactly the same, also cheap from Ebay.)

Anticipating some adjustment to having a baby around the house, I chose to wait until 2 months to begin. So now she is at 9wks and I am just getting started. =)

Now I'll introduced to the diaper:

Here is the diaper laid flat. All the snaps are for fitting adjustments.




Largest setting And the smallest

This is the pocket the insert goes into

Like so

I bought a cute soak bucket with a lid to put the diapers in after worn, but before washing, while I wait for a full load.

It is recommended to do one or two washes before use, so I soaked my diapers in water for awhile, then washed them once in the washer with detergent, and dried on the line. (We do all drying on the line, unless it is raining.)

Note the cute colors and patterns!

Some people put the inserts in as they are putting the diaper on, but I prefer to have a drawer full of diapers ready to go, so I've put all the inserts in and snapped them up to the smallest setting. (note: place insert in while diaper is flat, before snapping.)



So I think we're ready to go! I'll update tomorrow and let you know how our first tries went. Hoping for no leaks!

And while you are washing diapers, why not do cloth wipes and save a little more? I've gone with the Bottoms-up Kit mainly because I got a great deal from BabySteals.

Pretty much a pre-cut soft terry cloth wash rag.

Clean and dirty containers that seal nicely to keep smell away, along with little oil drops, which help with the wash and smell. You only need a couple drops per wash period.

A nice mesh wash sack.

And handy waterproof bags for on-the-go.

Okay, there it all is. Reviews and experiences to come...