You sign up for X number of diapers that they deliver to you each week, taking away the old ones. I used cloth for months with both kids. I just couldn’t get past putting all that plastic in a landfill.
Does that make sense? You put the dirty ones in a pail, and they collect them and replace with clean ones.
It looks like I have several options - both compost diaper services and cloth diaper services. They seem more expensive but I’m willing to splurge as long as it’s not significantly less convenient. Especially since it doesn’t seem like I’m going to be buying much of anything other than formula, wipes, and diapers.
My oldest was potty trained much more quickly than the younger one - I think because the disposable diapers have gotten too comfortable!
We had an amnio for number two and dh asked if they were going to do a karyotype of the chromosomes and of course Mr. Biologist wanted to have a copy. It made it pretty obvious what we were having.
Is there a reason for formula?
We used those thick cotton potty training pants. I agree that disposables including “pull ups” are not good for potty training. Our kids were smart enough to know disposables were for peeing in and they couldn’t feel the wetness as well.
Some of the choice on which type of diaper to use will depend on where baby will be - care at home by parent or caregiver or a group care facility. Many daycares don’t handle cloth diapers.
If you decide to go with cloth diaper service, most have a program where someone can gift you weeks of service.
@bookworm not that I need one but yes there is.
I liked dressing both of my kids in bright colors—a whole rainbow. I thought the baby is your little Jedi. What happened to that endearing nickname?
Your body & baby, your and Mr R’s choices. I respect whatever your collective preferences are. Glad you’re in your 2nd trimester—good job!
When I was pregnant, we used the nickname “munchkin.” We had S1’s name picked out years in advance – named for a grandfather. In Judaism, one names the child for a deceased relative, but there’s also the custom of just using the first initial (and honoring multiple family members). S2 was named in memory of several relatives, all with the same initial. We got the name from a character on a popular TV show at the time.
Yes, the baby universe is extremely gendered. I try to counter it where I can. I’m making an “I Spy” quilt for a new grand-nephew and I have blocks with female scientists and veterinarians. I know my niece-in-law would approve. Her oldest S didn’t want a haircut til he was four. He rocked a serious top knot!
We did cloth diapers til I had two babies 15 mo apart and my skin couldn’t handle 20 diaper changes a day.
Not only does everyone want to tell you what to do, once you are showing, some people will think they have free rein to grope you. Have a plan of action ready!
@HImom they are still my little baby jedi. I use parasite when I’m annoyed with it. Like now when I have a cold and can’t take anything.
@CountingDown and others - so do cloth diapers generally need fewer changes? Or is it just that they’re easier on your skin? I have sensitive skin because of the lupus so that would be another point in cloth’s favor.
I ran the cloth idea past Mr R and he’s on board. He’ll realistically end up doing more diaper changes than I will (look, I have to take advantage of his lack of the sense of smell somehow! Plus he’s got wayyyyyy more experience than me having worked at a daycare for years.)
As of right now, we don’t plan on doing daycare (at least until ~2 years old) unless absolutely necessary. It just don’t make sense for us financially especially since Mr R has had his hours cut. Because all he has is FMLA, he doesn’t plan on taking too much paternity leave time and instead my mom is going to come down and stay with us for a while.
My SILs and sister are all SAHMs who have offered to watch the baby as needed. My one SIL who isn’t having any more children, and whose youngest is turning 1 in December, is already having baby fever for MY baby. I’m very, very lucky to have the support network I have. I helped them both out extensively when their babes were born and there’s not a doubt in my mind they’ll help me with mine. (My SILs at least… my bio sis is another story.) I can always do a combo of disposable and cloth diapers as needed based on the situation any given day.
Cloth diapers actually need to be changed even more - but that’s a good thing IMO. No gels and other unnatural stuff absorbing baby’s pee but also touching baby’s bottom.
So nice you have such a strong family support network close by.
I did cloth, I sewed my own diapers (2 infants and 1 in night time diapers), but frankly, if this creates more work than you can deal with, and you farm out washing etc with a service, it won’t save you money and it of questionable enviro help. For me it was straightforward math/waste/chemicals in diapers. I washed, air dried in the garage/line, this is not for the convenience. If you are reliant on other carers, convenience will overrule. There are factors you won’t have considered, like what happens with the feaces. That doesn’t go in the washer, it does not roll neatly off a cloth diaper either, so that is rinsing of some kind. My DH is very handy so we had a flexible spray hose on the toilet, we lived in a tiny house, so it was all local. I tell you what it does do, is ensures your kids are toilet trained old school way LOL. Mine were all out of day diapers at +/-2 ish. I still cannot hand on heart think modern women will want that extra work. The breastfeeding part is heartbreaking IMO, but cloth diapers have no clear argument if $$, time and convenience are at a premium. Most women I know IRL who did it, chucked it in quickly or used more disposables than cloth.
I’m sorry you feel that way. I don’t. It doesn’t bother me one lick.
I physically can’t do the washing and hanging and all that so it’s either farm it out or do disposables.
Yeah, really it sounds like you could spend your time elsewhere. This is a self flagellation exercise that really won't be of any tangible benefit IMO. You need zero extra stress over trifles.
S1 and DIL are using cloth – well, bamboo! – diapers with their little girl. She’s now nine months old and it’s working out fine. This is what they use:
https://www.amazon.com/Bamboo-Inserts-Diapers-Noras-Nursery/dp/B017WYJEA8
They’re kind of like old-school sanitary napkins.
When necessary – like traveling – they’ll use disposable ones, but mostly they’re using the cloth ones. They attached a hose-type thing to the toilet tank so they can drop the poop in the toilet and then rinse the remaining poop from the bamboo inserts. Then, the used ones go into a special pail with a special cloth liner. Every few days, they wash them all – including the cloth pail liner, of course – and dry them. They really haven’t found it to be terrible burdensome.
I know they made a big investment in $$$ to get this all set up, but they feel they will save money in the long run (they’ll use these for Baby #2) and are very pleased not to be contributing to the landfill problem. I’ve been joking that S1’s disposable diapers are probably still decomposing somewhere, 35 years later.
This made me smile… 
I just caught up on this thread and want to congratulate you and you Mr. R.
Do what you think is best for your baby. When my oldest was born, and he’s about your age, I thought I would use cloth diapers and breastfeed and whatever. Well, I couldn’t deal with cloth diapers because I had to go back to work when he was 6 weeks old, so we used disposables because my MIL, who was watching him, had used cloth for her kids and refused to use them for my son. My choice was to have my son cared for by his grandma. That was more important to me than cloth diapers. My son is almost 30 and he’s fine. As for breastfeeding, that same son turned out to be allergic to my breast milk and I had to wean him and give him soy formula after one month of age. Although I felt sad about it, it was the best for my son.
When my D was born, 14 months after my S, I breastfed her until she was a few months old and then I had a flare-up of my RA, which you and I have discussed, and I had to wean her due to the meds I was taking. I felt sad about it, but we both lived.
You have to do what you think is best. I breastfed because I thought it was healthier, but in all honesty, I never enjoyed it. I so much more enjoyed the cuddling I was able to do when I held my baby and fed him/her a bottle. The formulas nowadays are very healthy and nutritionally balanced, not like when I was growing up and formula consisted of evaporated milk and Karo syrup, so I don’t think there’s a real difference, other than the immunity antibodies.
In any event, enjoy your pregnancy and your life…
DS#1 and DIL are very environementally focused (they compost, recycle as much as possible, installed solar panels, drive electric cars, etc) and had planned to do cloth diapers (or equivalent). But with the amount of travel they do, it just became unwieldy. Do what is best/right for you, @romanigypsyeyes , for all aspects of your child rearing (diapers, feeding, etc) and don’t worry about what others think/say. Its like the “smile and nod” approach to the unsolicited college application/decision comments we talk abbout here 
@VeryHappy - you referenced Child #2. Is there one on the way?? Did I miss something?!?
This is definitely not a criticism of choice, but informationally, if you’re doing cloth for environmental reasons, there’s really not a big difference. My D and SIL both work or worked in the environmental field. Like @jym626 said, their day to day choices reflect that (don’t buy new cars–share one almost 20 year old one and mostly walk, tiny apartment kept cool all winter, compost, grow their own vegetables, have gotten almost every piece of baby equipment used, and eschew unnecessary ones, etc etc.) They made the decision that the one place they’d choose convenience is diapers. But disposables also cut way down on energy costs–both the electricity to wash and dry, and the disposal service if you do pick ups. I mean there isn’t a right or wrong here. Just do whichever works in your life better.
LOL - I love the panda answer. I used to give people a puzzled look and say " A baby?", but I think your answer is better.
Totally agree that you do what works for you, your partner and your baby. I bottle fed and my kids turned out fine. Whatever you do there will be people who will criticize your decision (unfortunately), but as we say here on CC - " Smile and nod".
@romanigypsyeyes I have no practical advice as I got my babygirl via an airplane trip to China when she was 23 months old, but I can offer the observation that I have seen interesting, non-fussy, reasonably priced maternity clothes at Target.