Conversion Points for Grandma

I live in “remote” Alaska. In my case this means zero immediate access to stores or mail, and any groceries and supplies I need have to be preordered without a known delivery date, or picked up in bulk while “in town”. Going to “town” requires a 2 hour boat ride and good weather, or an expensive chartered flight, and also good weather. Needless to say, we are pretty good at planning ahead!

When we found out we were expecting our first child, we started thinking about all the things we would need to have on hand. Being new to parenting, this is tough! How were we supposed to know how many of what size diapers we were to need well in advance? We are big-time warehouse shoppers, and buying in bulk certainly cuts costs, but doesn’t assure us the right numbers of diapers per size! The fleeting idea of cloth disgusted me quite frankly. I babysit a fair amount in my preteen years, and memories of sagging, soggy, stinky diapers and wet pails still haunt me. However, in all practicality, I knew that I needed to have something on hand for emergencies. I mentioned this to my mom, and promptly put it out of my mind.

One day in early third trimester, mom called me. She was SOOO excited about these 2 adorable Bumgenius diapers she had just gotten in the mail, and wanted to know when our next mail delivery would be so she could send them out. She had done her research before ordering, was certain she had the best possible option, and she just couldn’t wait for me to see them. I, on the other hand, was more than a bit skeptical. This was something I was doing out of necessity, not out of desire.

Finally, the diapers arrived. They were absolutely nothing like I had imagined! I called mom, admitting how cute they were. She tried to persuade me to make more of a commitment, regretting the use of disposables on her own kids. I was hesitant, but did decide that to truly be “safe” I would need more than two diapers. I promptly got 6 more headed my way.

Fast forward a few months to the birth of the cutest baby boy ever! We were in town a month prior to his birth, and lucky enough to be house-sitting for friends while we waited. I didn’t even consider using cloth while there, in spite of the homeowners being the “greenest” people I know. I was in no hurry to test out this adventure, and certainly not without the comforts of home. When baby was two weeks old we were given the go ahead, and by way of a long boat ride, we headed home. It took a little while to get through the chaos and fatigue of those first few weeks, and I wasn’t about to throw cloth laundry in the mix. However, like many parents, we did our share of “blowout” laundry and quickly got used to handling our angel’s poop.

Finally curiosity got the best of me. I broke out my 8 diapers, picked the perfect day, and put that first one on my boy…and the second, and the third, etc. All diapers used, laundry done, and no blowouts! We rinsed the poopy ones back then, my husband even helped. Not knowing better, we soaked them in a wet bathroom trash can too! Nonetheless, after those first 8 changes, I was SOLD! We promptly ordered another 6 diapers, and though 14 wasn’t really enough, we fought through the constant laundry to keep our boy in cloth as much as possible. Those diapers took a beating! (I still have and use them though)

We are now parents to our second boy, who has been in cloth since his second diaper. We are also both big-time cloth advocates! When my sister got pregnant she (being a minimalist by nature) asked what our top 5 “must-haves” would be. I clearly remember my husband’s #1 response…Bumgenius diapers! I have tried many varieties of diapers since those first 14 BG’s (a discussion for another day), but BG remains my favorite. We now share diapers and advice with anyone who will listen, and our own stash has grown to possibly excessive. I have now discovered Kellyscloset and it is a fight to resist a good deal, so my “excess” supply goes to my mom (to give as gifts)and my pregnant friends, along with a list of my top ten reasons to love cloth…

Thanks mom!!!

Lynnette Wright lives in remote Alaska, and is the lucky stay-at-home momma of boys ages 2 and 2 months. An originally reluctant convert to cloth, when not being entertained by her two boys, she likes to research new tricks and find deals on new diapers to “test” so that she can be a more fully educated advocate of cloth to others!