About 10 years ago I produced a radio talk show where we would have all sorts of interesting people talking about various lifestyle subjects. A local woman came in who was advocating the use the cloth diapers to minimize the effect of disposable diapers in landfills. When she arrived with examples of cloth diapers I was in total shock. These were not your mama’s cloth diapers.
My mother had told me stories of stinky pails on the front porch and wishing they had been able to afford a diaper service. I had pictured white cloth towels that you would need to somehow wrangle onto a squirming baby while holding comically large safety pins in your mouth.
Years later, when I was pregnant with my youngest son, I told my husband I’d like to try cloth diapers. We were met with a lot of eye rolling and general surprise. Here are my tips and information to help you make a decision that’s right for you…and your baby.
What people will say: It doesn’t save that much money.
I don’t have economics degree. Truth be told, I use my phone to figure out how good a 60 percent off sale actually is, but Forbes has done all the heavy lifting here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/annabahney/2014/10/17/money-time-the-environment-what-do-cloth-diapers-really-save/#1b924881491f
We saved additionally in the first year by buying our cloth diapers second-hand. I researched several brands and, once a decision was made, I scoured Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace and bought from other moms. I paid around $8/diaper opposed to $20/diaper.
What people will say: It’s messy.
My favorite reply to this was, “I will never ask you to change or touch a cloth diaper if you don’t want to, so don’t worry about it.” The truth is, babies are messy and I have found myself doing things with bodily fluids I never thought I would do. There are diaper sprayers that attach to toilets and flushable liners that can help. Although (full disclosure) during the great stomach bug of October 2018, we switched to disposable for a week and I said a farewell to one CD that I didn’t trust to ever be fully clean again.
What people will say: It’s not that “green” because of the additional water and energy used.
This one is really up to you. Being green might not be your motivation for cloth diapering, but for those who are doing it to live greener, this is a consideration. Your water and energy consumption might balance out in your mind if you are using a renewable source of energy or have energy-efficient appliances.
What people will say: It’s too much work.
Honestly it’s not! I was secretly worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with it and that I would have to tell my husband, who I had sold on the idea, that I’d thrown in the cloth diaper towel. But it’s so easy! I have enough diapers that I do laundry every three days. The brand I decided on is an All in One which means no folding, no inserts, and no covers.
I’ve been cloth diapering for just over a year and I love it. They are easy and economical. I never have to worry about running out – just remembering to do the laundry. If you have any questions feel free to contact me at [email protected] and I’ll be happy to answer them.
One final tip: Don’t think, if you are using cloth diapers, that you have to use them exclusively. We use disposable at night and on long trips. When it comes to babies, do whatever is best for you. Happy moms are the best moms.
By Rebecca Romo
About Rebecca Romo
