Cloth Diapering

There is something so refreshing and adorable about seeing babies wearing cloth diapers – especially the fancy new (expensive) cute and colorful ones! We decided to make the switch to cloth diapering right after Selah was born, and Emma was almost a year old. I have to admit that I had some beautiful pictures in my head of my babies with pretty diapers on their bottoms, and beautiful rows of clean diapers swinging in the breeze as they hung to dry outside. My babies’ bottoms do look very pretty sometimes, and occasionally I do have fun as the girls help me hang laundry on the line, but cloth diapering is not all fun and easy!

There are many arguments about the environmental effects of cloth versus disposable diapers. The amount of trash created with disposables really is awful, but cloth diapers have their own set of problems as well – from the materials used to make them, to the frequent washing they require. The primary benefit of using cloth diapers is financial. Even if you spend a lot of money up front on pretty diapers, you will save money in the long run by not buying disposables. If you have more than one child, imagine how much money you could save…buy diapers once, and use them again and again!

But, the reality of cloth diapering is not always so pretty. We have had lots of stinky messes, dirty diapers soaking in buckets, and wet clothes due to leaks. Here are the positives and negatives of cloth diapering, and my recommendations:

The good:

• never run out of diapers (just wash them and they are ready again)
• buy no or very few disposables (we buy some for long outings, and for baby-sitters to use)
• some people say cloth-diapered children potty train earlier, so we are hopeful!
• a good reason to go outside and hang up laundry, which usually is a fun experience
• soft, cute bottoms
• very rare diaper rash
• saving lots of money!

The bad:

• leaks, leaks, leaks (it is such a pain to change a whole outfit because a diaper leaked through the pants)
• overnights may be difficult until you find the right cloth diaper (or use a disposable)
• cloth diapers need to be changed very often, sometimes after just one pee
• pre-folds and some cloth diapers can be very bulky, and make fitting into small clothes a challenge
• big poop messes are not fun to deal with!
• more supplies needed to carry around in the diaper bag

Recommendations:

• once your baby eats solids and has messy poops, buy flushable liners that can be dropped right in the toilet
• put two absorbent pads in a cloth diaper for overnight protection
• always carry a special “wet bag” or plastic bags for carrying soiled diapers home
• try several types of cloth diapers to find the ones that fit best and work well for you and your child

Right now, we are using a combination of ordinary pre-fold cloth diapers (the plain, unbleached rectangle diapers) with plastic covers (white Proraps classic), and Bum Genius all-in-one cloth diapers for overnight and outings. The girls will soon outgrow our plastic covers, so I’m getting ready to order some new products. I will let you know what I choose and how it goes! And, if you use cloth diapers, I would love to get recommendations!

Grammy and Emma hanging diapers on the line!