Cloth Diaper Obsession

Cloth diapering moms get really, really excited about their fluff. No surprise there. And for good reason- they are great for the environment, for baby, and the wallet. What’s not to love? I’ve yet to see anyone “oooh” and “aaaah” over a box of pampers at a baby shower, but cloth is always a crowd pleasing gift. Big name brands roll out more and more cute prints and fun colors, even coordinating snaps and liners, bringing out the collecting/hoarding tendencies in many a shopper. However, much criticism has been given to cloth diapering mommies online in nasty articles and blog posts about obsessions.

One of the main criticisms I have seen is that there is a community, almost a subculture of moms, based on cloth diapers. Other than just the actual diapers, I think many who choose cloth are drawn to it, at least in part, because of this. Not just because it’s the trendy thing nowadays, but because countless online support groups, blogs, and even YouTube tutorials make it so easy to learn and feel connected at the same time. I hear many towns also have cloth diaper meet ups and swaps. I seriously doubt they talk about cloth booties the whole time, but I’m sure the convos last much longer than those about disposables would. Saying that you just got a fluff fairy shipment elicits excitement from friends, while saying a box of disposables came in really doesn’t warrant much interesting banter, and certainly not with fun acronyms and slang, like the phrase “fluff mail” which applies to said shipment.

Another criticism I have seen is that cloth diapering mommies shop for cloth diapers like they are collectibles. Yeah, some moms do collect diapers like Liz Taylor collected jewels, and I envy their rainbow colored stacks. Since I can’t buy every single color and print that I so covet (have you seem Bumgenius’s new color, hummingbird?), I love to browse the fun selection at Kelly’s Closet and daydream about the day they are all mine. Maybe we don’t actually need all of those fun options, but we can certainly justify the spending on decorating our babies’ cute bottoms. I think that’s the best reason to be obsessed, or at the least the reason I am becoming obsessed- that it’s the only baby item where you can buy the highest quality and most beautiful products for a fraction of the cost of the run of the mill, boring option. Buying the most expensive teethers or bottles gives you no financial advantage, but buying a stash of even the highest end cloth diapers saves hundreds, possibly thousands if you resale them or use on another baby.

If you have a baby, you are going to buy diapers anyway. You might as well collect the cute ones since it’s such a fun and stylish way to save money. And it’s ok to get excited about such a wise decision…. maybe even a little obsessed!

By Nicholle


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