I know people think we’re crazy, but it is true that we would love to have way more kids than most people think is reasonable. We’re not stuck on a number (since biology certainly gets to weigh an opinion) but we’d be thrilled if we had six or eight. Or nine, really. Or ten. You know, whatever we get :)

I just did the cloth diaper calculation on DiaperPin.com, putting in my own estimates for costs (including the fact that I’m sure I’ll have to replace some diapers with each kid, and compared it to cheap Costco disposables), and it says that we’d save $6,547.84 by using cloth diapers on eight kids. This number has two problems currently - the savings will be slightly less for the first babies (hopefully not TOO many of them) because we have to use a coin-operated machine (we would wash only, and hang dry). The calculation took into account the cost of washing with your own washer (water, energy, and detergent) but not the cost of paying to use a machine. But in the other direction, it only calculates the savings up to age 1 1/2. I don’t care much about trying to potty train early, so I’m sure I’ll be using the diapers for closer to two years or more (and longer for overnight diapers), which could make a significant difference. I’m too lazy to do the math myself to figure that part out, though. 

If someone was truly squicked out by cloth diapers, or really hated doing laundry, I could see them saying, eh, $6,000-7,000 over the span of eight kids still isn’t worth it. But I have never minded cloth diapers (I am about 13 years older than my youngest sister, so I had a lot of cloth diaper experience) nor laundry, so this seems like a no-brainer to me. Plus, I’ve always thought nice squishy cloth diapers were so much nicer, for me and for baby, than plastic and paper diapers filled with that nasty blue gel-like substance.

I have lots of links for cloth diaper information and how-tos. Let me know if you’re interested, and I’ll post some.