What's Cuter Than A Fluffy Bum?

I'll admit it.  I chose cloth diapers because they're cute.

I spent the last trimester of my pregnancy preparing for the arrival of our first daughter.  Being the Type-A personality than I am, I needed to be 110% prepared for everything that my newborn might need.  I spent hours upon hours, days upon days, shopping for cute clothing, cute nursery decor, and cute toys for my child.  She had to have the cutest of the cute in everything!

In the midst of all of my internet shopping, I saw a picture of a little baby girl in a pink cloth diaper.  "No way," I thought to myself, "diapers can be cute!"  As my mind started spinning, I realized that diapers could be accessories to outfits, like socks or headbands.  They didn't have to be cheap and paper-y feeling, with random cartoon characters printed all over them.  They could be a stand-alone fashion statement.  I had to do more shopping!

I spent a ton of time learning about cloth diapers.  There are so many great resources on the internet.  When I came home from work and just wanted to put my feet up, I grabbed the laptop and read cloth diaper FAQ's.  I think I read "The Cloth Diaper Whisperer" in its entirety.   My husband thought I was crazy.

After I researched the subject thoroughly, I found that there are three general reasons why people choose to use cloth diapers:
    •    The cost aspect - saving money versus using disposables
    •    The eco-friendly aspect - no disposable diapers in landfills for 500 years
    •    The chemical-free aspect - more natural and higher quality materials against baby's skin

These are the reasons that I say aloud whenever people ask about our personal decision to use cloth, even though I am not really a green-living budget-friendly type of gal.  I even cater my response to my audience.  For example, when I wanted to get my husband on board with using cloth diapers, I used the cost aspect.  When my hug-the-planet sister-in-law asked about them, I talked up the eco-friendly aspect.  And I used all three when I told my childcare provider about wanting my daughter to be cloth-diapered at daycare.  I really wanted her to be cloth-diapered at daycare.

Don't get me wrong, I whole-heartedly agree with each of these reasons to cloth diaper.  In fact, I think choosing cloth has made me more eco-friendly in other areas of my life as well.  I recently purchased reusable nursing pads, which I love so far.  They are like my equivalent of using cloth over disposables.  I can't say that I've saved much money (you should see my stash!) but I will in the long run when I can use them for two or three kiddos and then resell them when we're done.  And in the interest of keeping my child as chemical-free as possible, I've started buying organic clothing and all-natural baby toiletries.  I am a much more educated consumer than I was six months ago.

But honestly, every time I put a BumGenius 3.0 in Zinnia, or a Crushed Berries Fuzzibunz, or that adorable Eco-Owl Rumparooz, on my baby's bum, I smile.  Is there anything cuter than a fluffy bum?


By Sara W.  I am a working mommy to Annabelle, 11 weeks, and a newbie to the cloth diapering world.