3/4/13: The monthly topic of the Change-Diapers cloth diaper blog hop is how we got started with cloth diapering. I recently wrote about this topic for another blog hop so instead of being redundant, I am going to also add the Change-Diapers linky and blog hop button to this post as it was so recent.
And now, how my addiction started . . .
When Red was a baby thirteen years ago I was introduced to cloth diapering for the first time. My friend cloth diapered her daughter with cute covers and trifolded prefolds. I thought they were cute but it wasn’t for me at the time. That was in 1999 so modern cloth diapers were in their infancy and I was still unaware of them. Had I seen them I may have been more open to giving them a try at the time. But they seemed like a lot of work and I had the same excuses that so many people still have today, so Red was a disposable diaper baby.
When I was pregnant with K I thought back to the cute covers and decided that I wanted to try cloth diapers this time, even if it was just at home. Since there is almost eleven years between my kids, I was still unaware of modern cloth diapers. When I decided to look into them this time I became so overwhelmed with the choices. It took me six months to finally purchase my first cloth diapers.
I still wasn’t sure if it was for me so I went to Babies R Us and bought some g-Diapers with the cloth inserts. I liked them okay but decided that I wanted to try the other options out there. Everything I bought at first was wrong for me but I persevered. I was determined now to use these cute modern cloth diapers that I was now aware of.
Which bum is cuter?
Why I started cloth diapering:
In all honesty, the why was superficial. I thought that cloth diapers were cute! I still do love cloth diapering for the cuteness, but now, cost savings and environmental impact aside, I think it’s easier than using disposables. Yes, I said that I think cloth diapers are easier.
How are they easier?
- I never run out of diapers. No running out at night because the few diapers I had left didn’t last as long as I thought they would.
- Cloth diapers contain messes better. No more blow outs up the back of onesies and shirts and trying to get poopy clothes off without getting it everywhere.
- Cloth diapers are more secure. As babies get older they can take disposable diapers off with relative ease. It’s a bit harder for them to get snaps and real velcro off.
- I don’t have a pail of poop in my house. When K poops I rinse the diaper off in my toilet with my handy-dandy diaper sprayer and flush. The diaper then goes in a zippered wet bag that contains odors and wash them every two days. Couldn’t be more simple!
- Disposing of poo (the right way) is easier. Did you know that you are supposed to deposit solid waste from disposable diapers into the toilet before throwing it away? Yup. It’s right there on the package.
So there you have it. Cloth diapers are cuter, more economical (even when you’re an addict), friendlier on the planet, and easier than disposable diapers. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!
I didn’t CD with our first son because I found out about it when he was already almost out of diapers and the cost was prohibitive (we are CDing his little brother, because I was able to research and find some really good deals on his diapers). But I did dump the solids in the potty before disposing of his diapers, because we only have once a week trash collection and I couldn’t stand the smell. I didn’t realize it was recommended on the packaging until much later, when my sister pointed it out to me.
Jennifer G recently posted..The one that got away
I had no idea either while I was using disposables. Now I do on the rare occasions we use disposables. Mostly because we’re just not set up for them anymore and I don’t want poo in my regular garbage but also because I’ve learned so much about human waste from diapers leaching into the ground soil, etc
Regan recently posted..Foodie Friday: Chinese Style Chicken (or Beef) & Broccoli
I definitely fell deeply in love with cloth diapering at first because they are soooo cute. I love being able to coordinate diapers prints & colours with outfits and I confess to packing my cutest diapers for when I am out and about just to “show off”. Lame or fun? Both, probably!
Sara recently posted..Stripping Cloth Diapers with The Laundry Tarts
great post. I never even figured I’d use cloth but it turns out it’s my hobby. Funny how a few years or a random sighting or reading of something changes your mind, attitude, or opinion!
Jill recently posted..Cloth Diaper Blog Hop: Our (getting started) story on cloth diapers
I began cloth diapering when we were diapering 2 babies at once in different sizes I was tired of throwing money in the trash. I was also sick of my house smelling like a dirty diaper because of the trash can. Now I’m hooked I love how cute they are and I love to show them off.