Try Cloth Diapers Risk Free

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Like Tweet

Daddy's Education

As we prepared for the birth of our first child, my husband's view on cloth diapering was of partial acceptance--fine if I want to use them, but don't expect him to deal with them. I began using pre-folds and decided not to push the issue at first even though it really wasn't difficult to use them.
After about a month, I decided to get a few one-size all-in-one diapers to try out, figuring that they would be great daddy diapers and excitedly showed him how easily he could change our daughter's diapers too. He watched (distractedly, I might add), but was not exactly sharing my enthusiasm. A few weeks passed by before he made it to the changing table, but after wards he proudly brought our daughter to me, diapered and freshly dressed in her pajamas, ready for bed. I took her from him and was in the middle of returning the praise he so obviously wanted when I noticed that her diaper felt a little different than I expected. I asked him which kind of diaper he used, and he seemed confused, replying that he used the easy one I had gotten for him.

However, instead of getting the all-in-one diaper, he had actually pulled out a pre-fold (which he swore he would never use because it's too complicated) and figured out how to fold it, fit it to her, and fasten it snuggly on. I was very impressed and let him know that he actually did a great job putting the "hard" diaper on. Apparently he had not paid much attention when I showed the AIO to him...except for the comment about only needing to put one thing on her, not separate pieces, so I realized with a jolt of anxiety that I was holding a baby in an expertly placed cotton prefold without a cover.

Just as I was finishing answering my husband's question about why a cover is necessary, our daughter decided to illustrate the point. We had to laugh before going to change her again--he hasn't forgotten to use a cover over a prefold since. Now he tells other people with pride that we use cloth diapers for our baby (and he really thinks that AIOs are super easy!).

Contributed by Alicia D.

16 comments:

sXenerd said...

That's so cute. DH did not want me to CD but I ordered some anyway. He hasn't cahnged him yet since I got them. He put DS on the changing table and looked confused. He stood there for a while and I asked him if he wanted me to change him. He excitedly said yes LOL. I would love for him to be able to do that.

Stephanie U said...

I have only had my husband go from cloth to disposable so far. But, I am hoping once we switch to cloth at night, he will be able to handle it!

Chantal said...

Hahaha, I just bought an AIO and a diaper cover yesterday and had my husband practice putting them on some stuffed animals. It was pretty cute and he gets it. I am so grateful he's open to CDs!

Caroline Marin said...

My DH keeps asking when we are going to use ''real'' diapers. Since when are disposables the real ones?

I am making the switch to AIOs and pockets. He still doesn't change them, but DH seems pretty interested. Maybe soon...

PotterMama said...

My husband is not a HUGE fan of CD's because he hates having to deal with any kind of poop. He will come around, after a few months of using them with our first he started to like them and I know the same will happen when this one comes along! :) Beautiful baby btw!

Jenna said...

Way to go Dad! :)

The Smith Family said...

What a good daddy! That is too sweet.
My husband doesn't jump up to change diapers by any means- but he is very fine with and actually proud that we use cloth.

Melissa S said...

What a cute story. My DH loves the "easy diapers" (my pockets). It's harder to get him to use the fitteds/covers, but he will when he has to. All in all he has handled the transition to cloth diapering pretty well.

Megan @ Purple Dancing Dahlias said...

All we use is prefolds and covers. Frankly, my DH didn't have choice on whether or not he wanted to be "on board". Cloth is what we do and he changes diapers too, period. I have made some fitteds but he likes the prefolds, he has them figured out and doesn't like switching back and forth.

AllRusty said...

That's so cute! My husband wouldn't touch the diapers for a while either. Once I got something besides prefolds, he became more willing to at least learn, but I think he's only changed 2 diapers in cloth. We used sposies with our first baby, and he barely changed 10 diapers in 2 years on her. :)

Suzy said...

My husband was relucant to cloth at first too. But he has warmed up to it.

Mama Teaching 3 said...

What a sweet post! As a doula and student midwife I am always warmed to my core when a daddy finds his way to something like this! And he did it the "hard" way! Way to go daddy! YAY!

Liz said...

My son is not quite a month old, and I've only switched to cloth in the last week. Dh came up to me the other day and asked me to teach him to use cloth. I pulled out a BG AIO, thinking it would be the easiest thing to start him with. When I told him that was all he needed, he asked about the cover. I explained that only certain ones needed a cover, so he went to the stash and asked specifically which ones. It's so nice to have him on board with cloth, and to stand up to his mom about our choice!

Mom of 5 said...

My hubby has been cloth diapering since day one! He was excited as I was to make the switch... We used disposable diapers with our first 3 kids...

Steph said...

We use pockets, and DH has been all about them from the beginning, he changes DD just as much as I do!

The Up North Writer Mama said...

Aww, that's a sweet story!

I was really surprised when my husband was immediately on-board with cloth diapering. I originally sold him with the cost savings, but once he tried them out he said he liked them way better than disposables... and he likes how cute they look on our son!