Stocked up on gDiapers for our little Bean!

Another plus for surfing Craigslist... A soon-to-be mother of three just posted a really great coupon code for gDiapers. If you recall, we are planing to try these diapers and hoping they work out! They feature a cloth outer shell and eco-friendly flushable liners!

The coupon code is "g829Romano" and it saves $30 off of each purchase of the everyday g's six pack, which is a package of three vanilla bean diapers (pictured) and three orange diapers, six liners and a swish stick. Since this pack usually sells for $70, being able to buy it for only $40 is a real deal! 

So, to stock up, I ordered three sets, one in each size: Small, Medium and Large. Saved $90! 

I also e-mailed the mother who posted the code to thank her, and to ask how gDiapers worked out for her. She wrote back, with many positive things to say!

I have two boys (almost 5 and almost 3) and I have used gDiapers since they first became available. I really like them a lot and have used them in conjunction with cloth (because when my second was born, I just couldn't commit completely to cloth diapering). I am now expecting my third baby--literally any day now--and plan to cloth and gDiaper exclusively. I love that the gDiapers are really convenient for being out and about (where you'd typically want something more "disposable"). The inserts can easily be flushed, and/or you can just use the cloth inserts. 

My almost 3 year old has been "potty trained" for quite some time now--both of my boys trained early (18-20 months old) and I think it has a lot to do with NOT using disposables. Disposable diapers give babies/toddlers a false sense of being too dry, so they never get the jist that they need to use the potty. I found that using cloth and gDiapers helped speed the transition along. I continued to use a large size gDiaper on my youngest son at night up until a few months ago when he finally started making it through the night dry. SUCH a savings over disposable "Pull-ups". 

The flushable liners also make great addition to compost, and the fluff from inside works great in flower pots to keep moisture in (an unexpected bonus).

FREE SAMPLE - Huggies' Pure & Natural diapers!

So you all remember how many diapers we will need, right? 

More than TWO THOUSAND for Lima Bean's first year of life! That comes out to more than EIGHT changes per day! 

Well, here is how YOU can help us diaper our little girl -- at no cost to yourself! 

Huggies, one of the leading makers of disposable diapers, has just introduced it's new Pure & Natural line diapers made from eco-friendly, organic materials. 

Click here to find out more about the line. 

Sounds great, right? What's even better is that Huggies is offering a FREE SAMPLE of their diapers through their Web site. All you have to do is sign up and they mail you some FREE diapers! 

Click here to sign up for the free sample.

The offer is good for one per family (or one per computer). So we have already signed up for our free sample. But that got me thinking... If all of you also singed up also, then that would be a lot of free diapers we could end up with! 

Might as well give it a try, right? Choose either a newborn size or size 1. Have it delivered to your home and then bring it with you when you come see Lima Bean (or the next time you visit us.) 

If this works right, we'll have a steady supply of diapers rolling in! 

About Diapers . . .

This is a tough one. A big decision. Huge. Monumental. Do we go cloth or disposable?

The great diaper debate is a long and complicated one. Which is cheaper? Which is better for the environment? Which is better for the baby? Which one is -- dare we say -- more convenient?

According to my trusty Baby Bargains book, the average baby will go through 2,300 diaper changes in their first year of life. Let me repeat that: TWO THOUSAND AND THREE HUNDRED CHANGES! Good, you got it. And that's just for the first year. Diapers will be a part of our lives until Lima Bean is three or four years old.

Let's take a quick look at each before I make the big reveal of what our decision is.

Cloth Diapers

I wore cloth diapers when I was a baby. I don't know for sure, but I would venture a guess that Papa Bean did too. That's what was used back then. (No! Papa Bean's mom used disposable diapers! They had just come out a few years earlier and she says they were all the rage.) They were regular white pre-folds and typically secured with safety ins and then worn under a pair of plastic bubble pants.

Pros: Babies had less diaper rash and toilet trained faster. Plus, they are reusable and don't end up in landfills.

Cons: Some are not as absorbent. And, of course, do you wash them at home or hire a laundry service? Plus, not all day care centers accept them.

Flash forward to today's more modern diapers. Many are much more absorbent. They now have fancy (cute even) diaper covers instead of the plastic pants. And laundry service is still available.

Some popular options: bumGenius , Bumpkins , Kushies, Swaddlebees or FuzziBunz. Also popular: PinStripes and PolkaDots or Niki's Diapers.

For more on cloth diapers, check out Diaper Pin. Read a mother's rave review here.

Disposable Diapers

First introduced in 1961, these suckers now hold an impressive lead over cloth diapers. More than 95% of all households who have kids in diapers use them.

Pros: Today's disposable diapers have super-absorbent gels and, let's face it, they're cheaper and easier to use.

Cons: All that super absorbency means babies are in no rush to potty train. Plus, they could lead to higher trash costs. And, of course, you are taking up significant space in a landfill somewhere where your babies diapers will be decomposing until they graduate college, or later.

So which costs more?

It depends. Cloth diapers have a higher up-front cost (cloth diapers, diaper covers, different sizes as your baby grows) but then don't cost much if you continue using them. Disposable diapers, on the other hand, are far cheaper per diaper but remember, you'll need 2,300 of them in the first year. The bottom line comes down to whether you are willing to wash the cloth diapers yourself - or whether you hire a laundry service, which averages about $750/year.

According to my Baby Bargains book, cloth diapers for the first year, using a laundry service, would likely run $800-$1,200. Disposable diapers could run as high as $650-750 if you buy them at grocery stores or $400-500 if you buy them at discount stores.

Bottom Line, according to my book: "The cheapest way to go is cloth diapers laundered at home. The next best is disposables. Finally, cloth diapers from a diaper service are the most expensive."

Will we go cloth or disposable?

We're going to try a hybrid solution, called gDiapers! These diapers use a washable outer shell with a disposable inner lining that can be flushed down the toilet or composted in the back yard. To be fair, I have heard mixed reviews about these. Some moms love them and others say they leak and don't fit as well. Well, we love how eco-friendly they are and think the concept is a good one. So, we're willing to give them a try!

HINT: The gDiapers Shower Gift would be fabulous to receive! It includes a Starter Set, case of small refills and an extra gPant. Check out how cute these pants are! (Our favorites: Good Earth, Girly Girl Ruffle, Good Vibe Girl, Grasshopper Green, Gaga Pink and Got Chocolate Brown)

I have a feeling that the answer to the great diaper debate is not a one-size-fits-all solution. There may be some trial and error involved. So here's our plan: We'll give the gDiapers a go. I like the concept, so I am hoping they work! (Actress Julia Roberts uses them!)

We also plan to try some of the eco-friendly disposable diapers out there: Tushies, Seventh Generation or Nature Babycare.

HINT: For a $2 coupon off Seventh Generation, create an account on their Web site here.

Here is a great review of gDiapers as well as other eco-friendly disposable diapers, like Seventh Generation.

In fact, many moms suggest using gDiapers during the day and switching to disposables at night to protect from leaks.

Finally, if none of the above work to our satisfaction, you'll find us at our local COSTCO or grocery store buying Huggies or Pampers in bulk.

UPDATE: Huggies now offers a new Pure and Natural Line of diapers. You can order 3 free samples on their Web site! They are per household (or computer) so go on ya'all and order away. We can always use extra diapers... Remember we'll need 2,300 in the first year alone!