Diaper Change Decisions

What I am about to reveal is an unfiltered, full-strength view of the process by which I choose my daughter’s diapers at each and every diaper change. This is less about the functionality of the different diapers and more about the fun I have with them. Given the details you’re about to read you might think I’d be embarrassed; actually there’s a good chance you will think I should be embarrassed, but in this forum I have no shame. Expose me to the rest of the world and I’m a complete lunatic, but amongst my fellow fluff friends, I’m just one of the girls.

My first revelation is that the outfit my daughter will wear for the day is usually chosen based on which diapers are available for use. Yes, you read it, her diapers dictate her fashion! I usually choose dresses because they provide optimal exposure for the diap. My favorite dresses are multicolored because they allow me the widest variety of diapers to choose. It’s not as simple as matching the outfit to the diaper, however. In fact, I usually don’t “match.” I coordinate. Yes, there is a difference! Stay with me now…I will never put a diaper on that is the same color as the predominant color in the dress, too predictable! I will pull a secondary or tertiary color in the dress and that will be the diaper I choose. For instance, a purple striped dress with yellow flowers and green stems? On go the Butternut or Grasshopper bumGenius One Size diaper. Pink dress with eggplant stripes? The Blackberry Gro Baby is the obvious choice. My favorite is a little navy dress that has so many colors in it that I can use the Blossom, Twilight, Grasshopper or Zinnia Bum Genius, as well as two different colors of SoftBums. I have waaay too much fun with this!

My second determining factor? How much she will be seen, of course! If it’s a high-profile day, which for a 6 month old means shopping, lunching, visiting or the potential for paparazzi (okay so the only paparazzi is her mama, but I do take a lot of pictures) we go with one of her cuter patterned diapers. For these, I don’t like to be too matchy-matchy. I almost like a slight clash to make the diaper stand out. I will do stripes matched with polka dots or flowers with circles. She has the Pink on Chocolate Blueberry Organic Bamboo Velour One Size diaper (we call it her “Fancy” or “Gourmet” diaper) and it looks just so adorable with dresses that have pink stripes or brown flowers. Everyone notices this diaper; it’s just so cute!

Trimness is another very important factor. My Gro Baby or hemp-stuffed bumGenius diapers are the trimmest in our stash. I will always reach for these first when going out. I’ll also put these on with outfits requiring pants so she doesn’t look so bulky. My FuzziBunz Perfect Size diapers are usually my nap or in-the-house-with-a-t-shirt diapers because they’re a little thicker. And they just seem so soft and cozy for naptime. I’ll always save a bumGenius for the end of the day and double stuff it for overnight.

Factors that are always in the back of my head…I have more Blossom and Zinnia in my stash than any other color so I will use those for naps, etc and save my blues, greens, purples, yellows, etc for fun matching opportunities. I will try to coordinate with my Gro Baby when possible if we’re going out because the shells are reusable and I can just throw a couple of snap-ins into my diaper bag. And my poor Happy Heinys One Size diaper, though I truly do love the function of the diaper, rarely sees the light of day or the public eye. It is purely superficial discrimination and very unfair, but the thing is FLOURESCENT PINK! It could be used to guide airplanes or highlight textbooks!

With all of these complicated factors, coordinating colors and contrasting patterns you would think a diaper change would take forever, but, scary as it may sound, this has become second nature for me. I can dress my daughter quicker (and, like most moms, better) than I can dress myself. It is a fine-tuned, carefully honed skill and for right now I have a very compliant little model. Now if only dressing my 4 year old was this easy…

-- By Jennifer G.