A Crunchy Baby Registry – Diapering: things you NEED (or should make) before baby comes. An alternative baby supply list for frugal moms, hippies, poor people, and mothers of oopsies.
Baby powder
Try this goo: arrowroot powder
You don’t HAVE to have baby powder. But powder eliminates moisture, and moisture is what causes diaper rash. If you use a tiny bit it will help prevent rashes. If your baby is rashy, use it. If your baby doesn’t get rashes you can try going without. You will most likely get some of this in a set of bath goos at the baby shower. Save the bottle and you can refill it with homemade later (or use an old spice bottle). However it is much more expensive to make your own baby powder than to buy it at the store – store bought is $0.08/ounce, when even if you buy the big bag of arrowroot from the whole foods store it is $1.20/ounce.
(http://www.sagediaper.com/blog/2010/06/natural-baby-powder-you-can-make-yourself/ or http://www.simplykristen.com/natural-baby-powder/)
Diaper bag
The diaper bag is very personal and can be any bag. You don’t need to buy a “diaper bag”. Hubby can use a messenger bag and maintain his coolness while toting diapers and wipes. My diaper bag is an actual diaper bag with a vinyl lining, it’s a big duffel type, and it is a gender neutral dark green and blue. There are pockets on each end for a bottle/cup and a water bottle. There are two long side pockets for little things like binkies and diaper rash cream samples.
(Comparison of a bunch: http://tipnut.com/diaper-bags/ or http://frugalandthriving.com.au/2009/45-awesome-free-bag-making-tutorials/;
Patterns: http://www.make-baby-stuff.com/free-diaper-bag-pattern.html or http://amingledyarn.wordpress.com/gallery/tutorial-hip-mama-diaper-bag/ or )
Diaper rash cream
#1 solution: Nakey Butt
Try this goo: Shea Butter
Every night we have tummy time. After bath time everybody little gets naked. I have a towel on my bed to protect from oopsies. Then they get a baby rub (How to baby massage http://www.parents.com/baby/care/newborn/how-to-massage-baby/), ending with baby on her tummy. She does tummy time for as long as she will take it (experts recommend 3-5 minutes, at first she might have made 1 minute, but now she’s happy for much longer). Then she airs out her tush for a while, at least 30 minutes. This usually involves reading stories, some singing, and possibly a wind-down show like Baby Einstein or Baby Songs. This would be a good time to air out the boobies, too. Lazy mom’s nakey butt time can happen when baby falls asleep on the nursing pillow on your lap, open up that diaper and let things dry out.
(http://www.mymerrymessylife.com/2012/07/homemade-diaper-rash-cream-green-non.html or http://www.hippiedippiebebe.com/eco-diapering/make-your-diaper-rash-cream/)
Diaper wallet/clutch
This is a smaller pad that folds up and can hold a couple diapers and a travel size/zip bag of wipes. You may want to stick an extra change of clothes in there, depending on how far away the diaper bag will be. This diaper wallet can fit in your mom purse for any quick runs or other situations where the diaper bag is not ideal. If it will not fit in your purse then you will also need a mom purse. Here’s a scenario: you need to run into the store to pay for gas. You don’t have to tote around the diaper bag for this quick stop. But if that kid has a poopie blow out and the lady behind you in line is holding her nose, it will need to be addressed immediately. You could maybe fit a newborn diaper and a zip bag with a couple wipes in your pocket/purse, but then you get into the restroom and you hopefully have to use the diaper changing table that millions of germy babies have used before. Or you are caught in a gas station restroom or mom and pop store that doesn’t have a changing table, and you have a wet, grimy sink counter to change the kid on. Hence the pad. If you make your own it will be washable as well, or the plastic/vinyl kind wipe easily.
(http://www.diaryofaquilter.com/2009/01/diaper-clutch-tutorial.html or http://melissaesplin.com/2008/06/poopy-clutch/)
Diapers
If you are convinced you just want to disposable diaper, you may want a couple cloth diapers to be prepared, and maybe try out. Diaper banks (like a food pantry, but with nappies) are spreading as people can’t afford more necessities, but if you had cloth diapers you wouldn’t run out. If you are totally broke you need to find the money to invest in cloth diapers, especially if you don’t pay for your water and have a washer and dryer. The average newborn needs 8 diapers a day (up to 12). A big box of generic diapers from the big box store comes to $0.14/diaper, and the nice “green” ones are twice that. That’s $1.12 a day for cheapo disposable diapers, if you’re lucky and it isn’t more diapers per day. $34 a month, or $297 a year! Some of us don’t have $300 a year to toss in the trash. Exclusively breast fed babies produce #2 that is completely water soluble, so you don’t have to totally get the poo off until you start solids around 6 months. This is the best time to give it a try and see if you like it. There are a million kinds of cloth diapers (and some of them are really perty). There are a ton of blogs that cover cloth diapering and are a wealth of information. Read everything you can, remember that it’s totally not complicated, and don’t put all your eggs in one basket (or dollars on a kind of diaper you might hate). You can get cloth diaper covers for about $4 on eBay, and inserts for $1 each. In theory the kid will only soil the insert so you need a ton of those and just a couple covers. I haven’t found this to be true all the time. So for one day you would need three covers for $12 and eight liners for $8 = $20. If you’re lucky a mom will be selling her used diapers on Craigslist for cheap and you can buy the whole set. I cloth diaper but I have a pack of disposables on hand for when we go out, because it’s just freakin’ easier, and in case the power/water goes out and I can’t wash the cloth ones.
(Comparison of three cloth: http://baroquestar.livejournal.com/176873.html;
Patterns: http://handmadebyrita.blogspot.com/2008/02/want-velcroaplix-closing-aio-pocket.html or http://diapersewing.wordpress.com/2006/12/07/sized-diaper-pattern/)
Wipes
You can make your own wipes pretty easily, but you will want disposables on hand for travel or for really special messes. We use wipes all over the house for all kinds of things. You can make cloth wipes, or use paper towels and make your own wipe solution to control the chemicals in your home. Extra Tip: If you live in a really cold climate or can’t afford to keep the house very warm you will want a wipe warmer. There’s nothing like a cold wipe in a cold house to make a baby scream. I got one from eBay.
(Cloth: http://www.myhappycrazylife.com/make-your-own-cloth-wipes/ or http://www.make-baby-stuff.com/cloth-diaper-wipes.html;
DIY paper: http://www.whitehouseblackshutters.com/2010/03/homemade-organic-baby-wipes.html or http://thesensiblemom.com/2012/08/diy-baby-wipes/)
More With Less Mom’s Baby Pinterest Board
In this series: A Crunchy Baby Registry ~ Bathing ~ Bedding ~ Clothing ~ Diapering ~ Feeding ~ Nursery ~ Play ~ Safety ~ Travel ~ Other Stuff
We hope you enjoyed our crunchy baby registry. A baby supply list for frugal moms, hippies, poor people, and mothers of oopsies.
Have you tried cloth diapering? Are you tempted?
* Also see our Baby Songs Cheat Sheet Printables – Lyrics for Play Songs & Lullabies
Photo credits: Baby chewing on bassinette Melissa French (Me!) © creative commons license
Diaper bag: Chateau Sophie
Diaper Clutch: Irene Design
Baby in diaper La Petite Vie
Baby chewing on wipes: Satiata
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