The Real Reason Why I Cloth Diaper

When my fiancé suggested we try cloth diapering as a way to save some money, my first reaction was the stereotypical response "Yuck, no way am I washing gross, poopy diapers." Since I was pregnant and grumpy, he didn't bring it up again. Then, as a couple of weeks went by and I saw how much money we were spending to prepare for our first child, I reconsidered and told him I might be willing to give it a try.

As I started doing some research, I saw the significant savings that come with using cloth diapers. I saw that it takes about five hundred years for disposable diapers to break down in landfills. I watched all kinds of reviews and tutorials on YouTube as I researched laundry routines and storage suggestions to see how much extra work it would realistically be. I saw the affordability of inserts and covers, the customizability of pockets, and the ease of all in ones. I loved the idea that you would basically be diapering a second child for free, or the thought of getting back a portion of your investment with the amazing resale value of used diapers. And somewhere in the middle of it all it started getting pretty interesting. At this point it had become completely my project, and totally out of my fiancé's hands. I had read somewhere that if you buy a basic cloth diaper stash it costs about the same as diapering in disposables for three months, so that was my plan to start, I figured if I could make myself do it for at least three months at least I wouldn't have lost any money. So, I picked a brand that I thought would work well for us, and bought enough for our experiment. We started our diapering trial and, hey, it wasn't bad; in fact, it was pretty easy. This was something I could see as working for us in the long term.

Then we realized that the system I had so carefully chosen- a two part system with an insert and a reusable cover, wouldn't work for daycare, where they would only use an extremely user friendly diaper like a pre-stuffed pocket or AIO; and that's where I got in trouble. There were so many options. Everyone suggested trying different brands and types of diapers because different ones are better for different body types and situations. I don't know how I avoided this pitfall the first time around, but I was in for it now. All the colors and patterns, the variety of closures and adjustments, the differing opinions every where you looked, I just had to try them all for myself. That's when I realized, cloth diapering is fun! I started using cloth diapers to save money, but now it is a hobby and an addiction. If you are a fellow hobbyist you will know the feeling, the excitement when you get a new diaper in the mail, the real love of the adorable diapers you have so carefully chosen, and the new urge to share this new interest and change the minds of the people who say the same thing you once did- "Yuck, poop!"

Bio: Rebecca Azer is a working mom to one daughter. She started cloth diapering to save money, and ended up an addict!


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The Real Reason Why I Cloth Diaper

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Why Do We Love Cloth Diapers

There is something about cloth diapers that gets parents in somewhat of a craze. Cloth diapers have created an enormous amount of buzz and spurred forums, groups, blogs, and some serious cloth diapering fanatics. Are parents buzzing about cloth diapers because they are saving so much money? While saving money is certainly a major aspect about cloth diapers, many families own more diapers than they need to cloth diaper their children. Parents are entering into the arena of "collecting" cloth diapers. So why is it that people feel such a need to grab up unique prints or to want to try every variety of cloth diaper they can get their hands on?

Some of our love of cloth diapers could be psychological. If we look at new mothers, we see that they are much more likely to make purchases for their children than for themselves. However, things like baby clothing, books, and toys are not receiving the type of hype that surrounds cloth diapers. If we compare giveaways for cloth diapers versus those for other baby-related items, typically cloth diaper giveaways will gain more entrants and generate more buzz. One of the major reasons that cloth diapers gain so much support, is that they represent a transient stage in a child's life. Childhood passes quickly, and babies are soon no longer babies. Moving away from cloth diapers means transitioning to the next stage of parenting: a stage that is often difficult. While babies are always adorable, perhaps they are even more adorable in cloth diapers.

I think many parents want to preserve the short period of a child's life that is made up of the diapering years. I recall having some conflicting sentiments when our older child potty trained: I was excited to be done with diapers, but I was sad she was no longer a baby. I think there are many reasons to love cloth diapers and a few of those reasons may be related to our emotions as new parents.

Bio: Nissa is a researcher and writer working in the life sciences. In her free time, she enjoys writing about natural parenting, cloth diapering, and eco-friendly living at Cloth Diaper Guru.


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Why Do We Love Cloth Diapers

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How I Went from Skeptic to Enthusiast

My husband was actually the one to suggest we look into cloth diapering when we found out we were expecting our little bundle of joy. From what I have heard, it is usually the wife who gets into the cloth diapering world, and eventually her husband reluctantly climbs onto the bandwagon. Here is how the conversation went, though, in our house: We were discussing a couple we knew who had just decided to cloth diaper their baby boy.

"I think they're crazy," I said. "Don't you think so?"

I was expecting immediate assent, but to my surprise, my husband was quiet for a moment. I repeated my question, to which he finally responded, "I don't know. I mean I've been thinking about it... and it sounds like it would save an awful lot of money. Maybe it is something we should look into."

I would like to say I responded calmly and considerately that we could research it and figure out if it is a good option for us, but that was not what happened. In my defense, I was at that stage of pregnancy when you feel rather overwhelmed by every little impending change that seems to be bearing down on you, from the unrecognizable body you are inhabiting that prevents you from being able to tie your own shoes to the realization that you will never again be able to have an impromptu date night after baby is born. So I flipped out a little. I might have cried. I have tried to block out my overly-emotional response to his perfectly legitimate idea-- along with all my other unreasonable moments while pregnant (this actually leaves me with very few real memories of my pregnancy, but that's another story).

But skipping ahead a bit, I am glad to say I DID eventually come around after deciding I would research cloth diapering a bit (my initial purpose was to find evidence to convince him this was a crazy idea). Over the course of about a week of reading The Cloth Diaper Whisperer Blog, perusing Kelly's Closet, and watching Kim Rosas cloth diaper review videos on dirtydiaperlaundry.com, I suddenly and unexpectedly found myself completely addicted to reading about and looking at cloth diapers. In fact, I could hardly wait to use them on our baby girl. And unlike some families who decide to do disposables until their babies can fit into one-size diapers, I was determined to start with the newborn stage (mostly, I admit, because the newborn cloth diapers are ADORABLE.)

My husband was actually a bit worried about my sudden enthusiasm for this idea that I initially so vehemently rejected, but he encouraged me since he knew it would save us gobs of money. (By the way, by this time, we both had learned the other great reasons to cloth diaper as well: like how it is a much more planet-friendly way to deal with your kid's inevitable poop, how much nicer it is to your little one's skin, and, as I mentioned before, how vastly cuter cloth diapers are than their disposable counterparts.) I am glad that I got so excited about researching cloth diapers because I ended up feeling very confident in the diaper purchases we made before my daughter was born, and I wasn't intimidated to begin cloth diapering since I understood pretty well the different kinds of diapers I had and what would be required of me in using them. I have even had the opportunity to share my cloth diapering excitement when a few people along the way have noticed my cute girl's cloth and began asking questions. In fact, my sister-in-law recently bought a few used cloth diapers at a consignment sale after talking to me about my cloth love, and she has enjoyed using them on her 6-month-old girl during the day.

I have tried not to be an obnoxious cheerleader about cloth diapers, but it is hard not to be overly-enthusiastic when I see how adorable my baby girl is in her cloth!!

BIO: Rachel is a stay-at-home mom of a wonderful baby girl. She is loving motherhood and enjoys looking for ways to keep a sense of humor about parenting, pregnancy, cloth diapers, and life in general.

How I Went from Skeptic to Enthusiast

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Reason Number 496 Why I Like Cloth Diapers

I love cloth diapers. My husband is on board with them now too. It took some time for us to get them, since the start up cost was a little daunting. One of my mommy friends was really nice and lent us some prefolds and covers and from that moment on I was hooked. I recently returned her diapers so she'll have them when she and her husband decide to have another child.

I love so much about cloth diapers (and wipes!) First off, I love the money savings, that was one of the main reasons that I wanted to cloth diaper in the first place. I love the cute colors on my baby's butt. I love the fluffy butt look when I slap a new diaper on him. I love that I always have diapers. I enjoy the fact that while my water bill when up about $3.00 a month from all the laundry, I'm not buying $30 dollars worth of diapers. I strongly enjoy the cloth diaper community. I love the fact that I have never had to clean up a “blow-out” on my son. Another great thing is that it is so good for my son and the environment. I feel good about not putting chemicals on my son's bottom and that I'm not helping to fill up the landfills.

Those are a few of the reasons that I use cloth diapers. Last night I thought of another one.

Every once in awhile a friend of ours goes out of town and asks us to watch her dog Morgan. We happily take Morgan in when we can. She's a great dog and is great with our son. He loves to climb on her and she doesn't react to his climbing at all. I never, of course, leave them alone together for obvious reasons. We'd love to have a dog of our own, but the costs of dog ownership are a bit much for us and we would insist on being responsible dog owners and keeping up to date with her vet appointments and registration.

Anyway, in addition to our visiting dog guest, I also babysit every weekday for my handsome little nephew. He's adorable and loves animals. It's really a great mix to have my son, my nephew, and Morgan in the house with me. Well, until night falls. Last night Morgan was nowhere to be seen. We called to her, we whistled, and finally my husband went downstairs to find her enjoying a little diaper salad from the garbage can. You see, while my son is cloth diapered, my nephew is not and his diapers need to go somewhere.

I usually dump what waste I can from the diaper to the toilet, but I can't actually dunk it, so there is often waste still on the diaper when it gets thrown into the garbage where it is easy pickings for an ambitious dog like Morgan. I know what you are thinking... just empty the garbage before you go upstairs. Well, I didn't think of that, because I cloth diaper. Usually I will empty it when my nephew goes home for the weekend because I don't want the garbage to smell over the weekend, but there are usually at least a couple diapers in the trash on Thursday night.

So, reason number 496 why I like cloth diapers: No Diaper Salad.

Sarah Brooks is a cloth-diapering stay-at-home mom to her 12 month old son, Quentin. She, her husband Charlie, and Quentin live in northern Vermont.

Reason Number 496 Why I Like Cloth Diapers

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A year in cloth

I'm feeling a bit sentimental on this, the one year anniversary of our cloth diapering adventures. We have two children, and although I had intended to cloth diapering my son (now 8) with some wonderful prefold diapers (which we still own), we never really fell into it except as a part-time solution.

Those diapers still earned their keep (and really, with prefolds, you can't go wrong. They'll almost always earn their keep), which is why my husband and I were willing to re-try cloth diapers on our second child using the newer, modern cloth diapers. In particular, we wanted to try out the one-size pocket diapers. We started out with seven one-size diapers, and it was love at first sight.

Our daughter is now 14 months old, and just passed her one-year mark in cloth diapers. That first diaper was a Happy Heinys One-Size, and it held everything my breastfed daughter could throw at it. You can see her in the picture I proudly posted to Facebook that day with the caption, “2 months old - 1st day in the new cloth diapers. All went well!”

Reaching Stash-isfaction
We really liked our Happy Heinys, but our daughter was (and still is) tiny. The Happy Heinys were almost too big. So when we ordered our overnight diapers (Thirsties Duo Sized 2) and received a free FuzziBunz One Size diaper as part of a Kelly's Closet Promotion, we were ecstatic at the size difference. The FuzziBunz One Size seemed smaller and fit her smaller frame so trimly that we weren't sure they'd last 6 months before being outgrown. Luckily, they do fit a range of sizes and at 14 months, there is still plenty of room to grow.

And this is how we reached stash-isfaction.

Overnight Diapers:
Thirsties Duo Size 2. (5 diapers) Since we never started cloth diapering at night until our daughter was 4 months old, the Size 2 made sense for us. We really like the dual-layers of microfiber and hemp-as-soft-as-your-favorite-tshirt for overnight. And as it turns out, the overnight diaper is the only one we like Aplix closures on.

Around the house:
Flip One Size Covers (5 covers) with homemade inserts (18 inserts). The homemade inserts were made using an hourglass shape. One layer of fleece, 2-3 layers of microfiber, and 3 layers of old tshirt can be zig-zag stiched together or serged for a cute and economical (less thatn $1/insert) insert.
Cloth-Eez Workhorse Diapers (12 diapers). I picked these up at Green Mountain Diapers, and look forward to the day they'll be available at other retailers. You couldn't ask for a more durable and economical fitted diaper.

Out of the house:
FuzziBunz One Size (9 diapers): You can't beat the color selection on these bright and cheerful pocket diapers. I love them for quick changes away from home, and for their unbelievable trimness under jeans. And they look absolutely adorable under dresses.

Quantity-wise we have more than we need (especially counting the homemade inserts) but flexibility-wise, it's just what we want.

What did it take, or what would it take for you to reach stash-isfaction?

By Angie S.

A year in cloth

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What I’ve Learned the Most

In honor of our recent nomination for the Blog Luxe: Blog I’ve Learned the Most From award – I thought it only befitting to write about what I’ve learned the most from cloth diapering.

I’ve learned…

Cloth diapering is a BLAST! I never imagined when I embarked on my cloth diapering journey that I would have as much fun as I have. Of course my drive and passion landed me an awesome gig working to help bring cloth diapering success to others!

How to appreciate the “good old-fashioned” way of doing things. Hanging diapers (and laundry) out in the sun to dry is truly a heart warming and natural feeling; it’s also a wholesome sign to see diapers and laundry swaying in the crisp breeze.

The sun provides more than just warmth but does wonders for killing bacteria, whitening and brightening as well as removing stains. My husbands dress shirts and undershirts look amazingly new again; I have even resuscitated a few of the kids clothes too!

How to appreciate diaper changes and make the most of them, rather than considering them a chore as I used to when we used disposables. I’ve learned to use cloth diapers as a way to teach my children how to live and appreciate a more natural, healthy lifestyle as opposed to the disposable, convenience-based society we live in. Reduce. Recycle. Reuse.

You can teach an old dog new tricks. My family all know how to change a disposable diaper… geez, my mom even knows how to use the prefolds and pins (although she insists on not doing it). However, after enlisting the troops one by one – I’ve got them on board with cloth diapers. Here’s my sister after she changed her first cloth diaper!

Most importantly, I’ve learned there are so many amazing moms and dads out there looking to do the right thing and just looking to connect with someone to help figure it all out. I value being able to help people and look forward to continuing to provide all the help and support I can; one cloth diapered bum at a time!


- By Serena

What I’ve Learned the Most

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I Heart My Stash...Well Most of it

In building my stash for two I had no idea where to start. I jumped in the cloth diaper pool with my eyes closed and wallet open. The first purchase was 2 Fuzzi Bunz, one pink and one blue. When they came in the mail, were washed and snapped on my little ones, I knew right away I needed more of these gems. At the same time I continued to order a few other types from online, and new diapers would show up almost every day! The UPS man was starting to wear a path from his truck to my front door.

I feel like I really was able to try a lot of different kinds whether its pockets, AIOs, or fitteds. We, like most I am sure, have our go-to diapers. Those diapers that you know will hold even if you little one downs a 8oz bottle and takes a 4 hour nap. Today, I still find that Fuzzi Bunz are our favorites but I have also fell in love with Blueberry diapers. And although I prefer the sized Blueberrys I feel most economical when I purchase the one size diapers.

BumGenius one sized pockets are our best friends at night. Our babies are sleeping from 10 to 12 hours and a double stuffed BumGenius keeps us leak free the whole time. Even if someone decides to do more than tinkle at 4am! I would say Happy Heinys are next on the list and after that its a tie for all the other brands that randomly congregate in my diaper storage. I have a few WAHM diapers that my babies still need to grow into and I am very excited to see how well those do in the future for us. And then there are fitteds. These were absolutely my least favorite. I know they have a cult following, but they were not for us. I gotta have my pockets!

Through my journey of finding the holy grail of diapers I realized that I quickly figured out what once intimidated me so. I know now that I prefer snaps over velcros, and that one size diapers make me feel frugal (Maybe not when buying in bulk, LOL!). I no longer feel like a cloth diaper poser who is trying so hard to belong. I figured out the code and it was absolutely worth the embarrassing amount of time I spent researching it all online! And now I find myself recruiting others and whispering down that lane of mothers just how wonderful cloth diapering really can be.

Amanda
Mom to James and Ella (3 1/2 months)

I Heart My Stash...Well Most of it

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5 products The Cloth Diaper Whisperer Loves

1) SuperDo Hemp Terry Insert- Every household has to have at least 2 of these for nighttime diapering. Honestly, I don't think I could cloth diaper at night without this product. I put Riley down around 7 ish in the evening and stuff a pocket diaper with 1-SuperDo Hemp Terry Insert and 1-bumGenius one size insert and he can go 12+hours without being changed. This insert combination is by far the best I have tried. Believe me I have tried all sorts of scenarios.

2) Thirsties Fab Wipes- These are used for so many things than just cloth wipes. Washcloths,spit up cleaners, you name it. They are super soft and clean so well. I also use other wipes but these are by far the softest!

3) Knickernappies Doorknob Diaper Pail- This is a must if you are really confined with storage/space. My laundry area is in my pantry which is super, super tiny. My house is huge but my laundry area is cramped so space is a premium. I use the diaper pail liner actually around a hook instead of a doorknob (see picture)

4) bumGenius diapers- Oh...how I love thee. All three versions! bumGenius one size pocket diapers for nighttime, bumGenius one size organic all in one and bumGenius sized all in one for daytime. It is the brand my daughter and I grab first. Hubby, when he will change a diaper ( i need to work on this!!) will grab a bumGenius aio. He gets SO confused with any snap closing diaper. (see picture of half my stash of BG-the rest is in the Knickernappies Diaper Pail- waiting to be washed)

5) bumGenius bottom cleaner- We just started using this and I absolutely LOVE it. It just freshen's Riley's bottom especially after he has a bowel movement. It has a citrus smell (which I love) and make cleaning up much nicer.

Question asked by Dani... Dont forget to reward yourself with 3 extra entries today.

5 products The Cloth Diaper Whisperer Loves

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Just LOVE!

I just wanted to tell you how much I love your blog. I love cloth diapering. I never in a million years would have thought I would use cloth diapers. I started when my daughter was three months old (she will be 1 on March 25 - sob!). I haven't looked back since. A couple times I have used disposables (a day at the fair, a funeral) and every time I deal with a disposable, I am so glad I don''t use them on a regular basis. And I think I will never use them again, regardless of the circumstances.

Anyway, I love your blog. Every morning when I read it, it just re-affirms that I am not crazy, that I am doing the smartest thing financially, environmentally, etc. Because as much as I like cloth diapering, there are times that I do get thinking why did I decide to be "not normal" and use cloth. And then I log on and see that this is the new normal, but even if it wasn''t, I am reassured that I am doing the right thing. Who would have thought diapering my babies bum would cause such deep thinking!?!?

Now I can spot a cloth diapered bum from miles away and I love that I am the "cool kid" in my MOPS group (Mothers of Preschoolers). When people find out I use cloth, I think they first think I must be some kind of neo-hippie (which maybe I am a little) but then they are intrigued.

Just wanted to say keep up the good work! I can't wait for the economy to turn around so I can start buying more diapers. More likely though, I will just work it into the monthly budget.

- Kelly G.

Just LOVE!

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Why Serena LOVES cloth?

Feeling the LOVE!

Many people consider cloth diapering old-fashioned, out-dated, or just plain icky. My own mother, who cloth diapered my oldest brother, tried convincing me I would hate cloth diapering. “It will make your whole house smell.” My mom knows me well; she knows exactly how much I detest messes and smells. She figured this tactic alone would discourage me from cloth diapering. However, unwavering in my desire and decision to cloth diaper I assured her I was comfortable with my decision. She remained cynical, simply saying, “Okay, we’ll just wait and see.”

Initially, I started cloth diapering with bumGenius One Size Pocket diapers. I also purchased some used prefolds and covers because I wanted to be able to save my pocket diapers from all the excess wear and tear in the early weeks when my little guy would be a mean little poo’ing machine!

Although for the first several weeks I was predominantly using prefolds and Thirsties covers, I most recently starting showing my pocket diapers some much needed love and attention. I love the rainbow of colors and various prints to choose from. If my son is wearing a multiple-blue stripped shirt or romper I can put him in a Blue Blueberry One Size diaper one moment and a Twilight bumGenius One Size Pocket diaper the next. Hot outside? Then he’ll be sporting a white t-shirt with a Cow print Happy Heiny’s One Size diaper and a Monkey print diaper the next. (I’m also looking forward to the new Turtle print Bumwear One Size diapers I ordered after seeing how cute they were on Katrina’s son in last weeks post!)

Having used disposable diapers I can say with certainty, changing a disposable diaper is absolutely no fun. It’s a long standing joke between men and women about who should change the dirty diaper… With cloth diapers, I honestly look forward to the next diaper change! Of course, I’m not doing a happy dance when my little guy poo’s – but I’m certainly not dreading the diaper change! It truly is a lot of fun to decide on which color, print, or even style of diaper I’m going to put on my little man’s bum. Whether I want to take a little more time and put on a prefold and cover or I need to change the diaper in a jiffy and I reach for a pocket diaper – I’ve got plenty of options to keep things interesting!

Additionally, I love having the freedom to change my son as frequently as I want without worrying about tossing money in the trash. I feel ashamed to admit this, but when I used disposables on my daughters I would oftentimes leave them just a little longer because I truly believed (and still do believe) disposables were a waste of money.

I wanted to cloth diaper because I knew deep-down it was more natural and healthier as well as economical. I never imagined I would love it as much as I do. My husband thinks I’m hilarious! With a hearty laugh he asks, “You write about poo?” However, considering he grew up in a country and time when cloth diapering was the only way to diaper, it’s hard for him to understand and appreciate the need for our rapidly growing cloth diapering community.

I genuinely LOVE cloth diapering and clearly, talking about it too! It’s healthy. It’s economical. It’s eco-responsible. Most importantly (to me) it’s a LOT OF FUN!

- By Serena

Why Serena LOVES cloth?

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