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From Huggies to Fuzzis: My Reusable Diaper Journey
Giving birth to Benjamin began my journey into motherhood, one
of the most trying experiences of my life. Motherhood meant sleepless
nights, breastfeeding, lots of crying and of course, piles of dirty
diapers. I recall a funny story about how my friend, whose son grew
really fast, gave me a box of Huggies she bought but her son quickly
grew out of. She told me the box would last a couple of days! Little
did I realize that she would be right. Some days Benjamin went through
double digit diaper changes. The dirty diaper pile seemed never
ending.
Fast forward to a year later when I met a cloth diaper advocate
and mother of three. She told me that there are modern diapering
options that didn’t clog the landfills and are convenient
and easy to use – plus she said Benjamin would be happier
and frankly, adorable, in what she called, “new age reusable
diapers.” She introduced me to Fuzzi Bunz. I liked what I
saw. I was intrigued.
I went home that night and did some research. First, I researched
the ill effects of disposable diapers on our society. It made my
head spin. While I never thought of myself an environmentalist,
I did think of myself to be globally conscientious. I care about
being a good steward of the world and want to make it a better place
for Benjamin.
I next researched the world of Fuzzi Bunz. I read user reviews on
the Diaper Pin, where Fuzzi Bunz diapers are top-rated. I investigated
the patented pocket style, the soft microfleece and the removable
absorbent insert – these diapers were ingenious! I wish I
had known about them before the birth of Benjamin.
While I was sold on Fuzzi Bunz, I still wondered if I could actually
make the switch to reusable diapers after using disposable diapers
for so long. Disposables were a part of my routine. They worked
for my family. Could I actually change? Also, I thought back to
how stupidly I reacted when my pregnant neighbor told me she would
be using cloth diapers for her baby. I thought she was crazy. And
now, here I am, considering cloth diapering options too. I guess,
like most mothers, I have the right to change my mind at any time
and about any thing!
So begins my Fuzzi Bunz journey. I ordered 20 Fuzzi Bunz online,
enough to get me through three days. The up-front cost was a lot;
however, I reminded myself that while I will save money in the long
run, I’m not doing it for the money. I’m doing it to
make a difference in the world. In a society of disposable products,
using Fuzzi Bunz was my attempt to make this world a little better
and a little greener for Benjamin. Here are the details of my journey
from Huggies to Fuzzis:
DAY 1
I was excited when my Fuzzi Bunz arrived. I had lots of fun colors
that I couldn’t wait to try on Benjamin (baby blue, sage,
aqua, green, orange, and yellow). My first task was to wash the
diapers before wearing. I read the washing instructions three times
to make sure I did it right. I also didn’t have the recommended
detergent, so I used the brand I had in the house. It seemed to
do the trick. The diapers were in perfect condition after washing.
I could tell that Fuzzi Bunz were quality diapers.
Before bed, I put the baby blue Fuzzi Bunz on Benjamin. He strutted
around the house as if he was a new man with new underwear. The
soft diaper, the cute color and the fun snaps resulted in one happy,
smiley and absolutely adorable baby boy. What a great endorsement
from Benjamin!
Little did I know that our first Fuzzi Bunz would begin Benjamin’s
week long bout with stomach flu. At 3:00 am, he woke up. His crib
was a mess; I was not a happy camper. I quickly put on a disposable
diaper, changed his pajamas and sheets (all which were poopy) and
put him back to bed.
DAY 2
After much contemplation, I decided to continue with the Fuzzi Bunz experiment despite Benjamin’s illness. I thought about how
my grandmother changed my mother’s diaper with pins and plastic
pants. She had no other options. Fuzzi Bunz diapers were nothing
like those old-fashioned options. I was using a modern diaper built
to stand up to anything a 20-pound toddler could put it though.
Benjamin’s explosive poops throughout the day were quite difficult
to manage. While this illness got my Fuzzi Bunz journey off to a
rocky start, I doubted that even my Huggies would hold up to these
explosions.
On Day 2, my husband changed his first Fuzzi Bunz after a quick
tutorial from me. My husband has been very supportive throughout
this transition to reusable diapers. He calls this eco-friendly
test my new cause. I actually think he likes the way Benjamin looks
in the Fuzzi Bunz; plus, my husband is a good steward of this world
too. He understands that we have to sacrifice a bit to make this
world a bit better for Benjamin.
DAY 3
While Benjamin still has the stomach flu, his fever has subsided
and he’s doing much better. This morning we attended a brunch
at our friend’s house. This was the first time we were taking
the Fuzzi Bunz out of the house. I brought two extra diapers with
me and a couple of plastic bags. Benjamin went easy on us that afternoon.
Only a wet diaper; the diaper change was quick and easy. Our friends
looked on with much interest, as they, too, have a young baby. Perhaps
if they see that I can do it, it might inspire them to try it too.
It was okay carrying Benjamin’s dirty diaper back home with
me – but I wondered if I’d feel the same if it was a
poopy diaper. Would I want to stuff that back in my diaper bag for
an afternoon? The question made me wonder if there is a time and
place for disposables in my life.
I did my first “dirty” Fuzzi Bunz wash. No staining.
They looked as good as new! The only gross thing is I found a piece
of food in the washing machine. I need to do a better job of rinsing
the diapers before laundering. Gross!
DAY 4
Benjamin woke up really sad this morning. Because he is still a
bit sick, he woke up with a monster poop in his pants. While all
the poop was contained in the Fuzzi Bunz, which I now call the workhorse
of all diapers, Benjamin managed to soak the diaper so much last
night that the top of the diaper was wet and subsequently, the top
of his PJ pants were wet too.
I put Benjamin in a disposable diaper before daycare (daycare doesn’t
allow reusable diapers). As soon as he came home, I changed him
into his Fuzzi Bunz. He frolicked around the house happy and giddy
in his bright orange Fuzzi Bunz.
DAY 5
Day 5 was our best day yet. Benjamin is feeling better and we’re
getting used to his new underwear. Before bed, I used two inserts
inside the pocket of the Fuzzi Bunz. The diaper was a bit bulky,
but it was fine for sleeping. While he woke up with another surprise
in his pants, everything was contained in the Fuzzi Bunz. There
was not even a drop of leakage in his crib or on his pajamas the
next morning. Whew!
DAY 6
I put Benjamin in a disposable diaper before daycare this morning.
I almost felt guilty for doing so. I started to wonder if Benjamin
was looking forward to coming home to his Fuzzi Bunz. I think that
the disposables are uncomfortable – after all, who likes to
wear paper pants all day? Plus, thinking about how I put my baby’s
bottom in a load of chemicals makes me cringe. I’m excited
for Benjamin to come home and put on his baby blue Fuzzi Bunz!
After daycare, Benjamin and I went to our Wednesday afternoon playgroup
to show off his new duds to his friends. I got a lot of curious
questions from the moms in the group. I think I may have inspired
some of them to consider reusable diapers for their babies too.
DAY 7
I made it through my first week with Fuzzi Bunz. It’s a great
feeling. I saved 56 diapers this week from the landfills.
Today Benjamin and I cuddled on the couch. He has recovered from
the stomach flu. I have to admit that using Fuzzi Bunz diapers gets
easier and easier each day. Just like learning something new, like
breastfeeding, the process of switching to Fuzzi Bunz takes time
and patience.
FOUR WEEKS LATER
I can safely say that four weeks after the start of my Huggies to
Fuzzis experiment, I’m still going strong with Fuzzi Bunz.
And now that Benjamin is healthy, we have absolutely no problems
with leaks.
I guess you could say that I’ve officially “converted”
to Fuzzi Bunz and plan to use them for my next child too. While
I get some strange looks when people realize I’m using a “cloth”
diaper, what I’ve found is that I mostly get a lot of questions
from truly interested (and perhaps, inspired) people.
My best piece of advice is to invest in a mini shower. It can make
your journey into cloth diapers a lot easier, as it makes rinsing
messy diapers (the ones that don’t just plop into the toilet)
a breeze. We spent two weeks at my parent’s house in Colorado
and we were able to hook up the mini shower and continue using Fuzzi
Bunz with no problems. My parents, although a bit skeptical, have
come to respect our decision to use reusable diapers. In fact, my
mother brags about the diapers and has asked me on several occasions
to pull out a diaper to show her friends. A handful of my friends
are seeing how easy it is for me and they, too, are trying Fuzzi
Bunz on their toddlers and newborns. Who knows, maybe reusable diapers
will soon become the norm in our society. I hope so. But for now,
I wouldn’t give up my Fuzzi Bunz for anything in the world.
And, I would venture to guess that Benjamin, who loves to dance
in his Fuzzi Bunz to the tune of “Bust a Move,” wouldn’t
give them up either.
Jennifer Finke is a freelance writer in Chicago.
This article was paid for by Mother of Eden. All information
is of the opinion of Jennifer Finke and not of Mother of Eden.
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