Keeping your cool in cloth!

It’s pretty hot here in Louisiana (where I live) and we’ve been spending a lot of time at the beach, which has me thinking a lot about staying cool in warm weather.

First, let me dispel a common myth: I’ve heard people say that disposables are cooler than cloth, so they choose disposables in the summer. Maybe it’s an excuse to throw their money away and fill our landfills, but to the best of my knowledge, it doesn’t make sense. Material used to make cloth diapers, like FuzziBunz, were chosen very deliberately. These fabrics, like the polar fleece in FuzziBunz (did you know FuzziBunz was the first cloth diaper to use fleece?), wicks away the moisture from a baby’s bottom, which actually aids in keeping babies dry and cool. In other words, urine passes through the fleece and is absorbed by the insert, leaving a dry fleece outer layer against baby’s behind.

Okay, so now that I’ve dispelled this myth, I’d like to offer a couple more tips for keeping babies cool when the temperatures soar:

• Let them go clothes-free! I think all us cloth diapering mamas agree that cloth diapers are meant to be shown! Just don’t forget the sunblock!
• Wear loose fitting clothing. If your baby absolutely must wear clothes, dress her in loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing made from sweat-absorbing fabrics like cotton. Something that will blow in the breeze and won’t cling to them is best.
• Keep the air flowing. While your baby might like hanging out in the car seat the rest of the year, summer isn’t the time to snuggle in close with fabrics. Lay her out on a blanket in the shade where there is a breeze or fan blowing.
• Stay hydrated – this goes for you too, mom! Keep baby well hydrated in hot weather. Depending on your baby’s age, determine if you need to nurse more or offer alterative beverages to help them beat the heat.
• Get outside when it’s not so hot! Plan outdoor activities in the early morning or late afternoon when it’s not as hot. Babies will appreciate a cool nap inside when the sun is blazing!
  

I’m not an expert on this topic, but I think any mom can appreciate learning from my experiences. Have a wonderful summer – what’s left of it of course! – and stay cool!

Known as the “Mother of the Modern Cloth Diaper,” Tereson Dupuy invented the cloth diaper that started the entire modern cloth diapering movement more than a decade ago. She later turned her invention into what is known today as FuzziBunz cloth diapers, a popular brand of cloth diapers since 1999. As an inventor, business owner and mom to three, Tereson has many years of personal and professional experience in the cloth diaper industry, and she's excited to work with The Cloth Diaper Whisperer to offer her perspective on cloth diapering trends and insights.

By Tereson Dupuy