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Cloth Diapering
Honest Confessions of a Mom Who Loves to Use Disposables--But is Now a Cloth Diaper Convert!!!
by, Jeri

With my first child, I planned on using mostly cloth diapers. My parents paid for diaper service for the first few months of my daughter's life, and someone gave me a bunch of diaper wraps (with diaper wraps you don't have to use pins), so cloth diapering should have been easy.

Even though we told my mother-in-law about our decision to use cloth, she gave us some really nice Pampers for newborns. Her gift surprised me, but we went ahead and used them and got hooked on disposables.

Our baby wore cloth diapers at home, but whenever we went somewhere, we used disposables. I admit that I greatly preferred them to cloth because of their ease of use and slim-fitting look (in cloth, our little baby girl had a huge bottom!), plus they kept our daughter's clothes drier than cloth did.

For diaper wraps, fold a prefolded diaper into thirds and lay in the middle of the diaper wrap. Fold the extra cloth down in the front for a boy. Fold it down in the back for a girl if she will be lying on her back.
After my parents quit paying for diaper service, we used disposables almost exclusively. I tried to start using cloth again when our daughter was one, but that attempt was pathetically short lived. We usually bought the least expensive disposables. We bought some store brand diapers, but mostly bought Drypers because they're pretty cheap and don't have any perfume in them.

So why do I have a page on cloth diapering? When my daughter was about 2 1/2, we successfully switched to cloth diapers. Pretty old to switch to cloth, I know, but it worked great for us. After our little boy's birth, we zealously avoided using any disposables, and I am very happy to say, he has never had a disposable diaper on his cute little bottom. My daughter learned to use the potty a little after she turned three (about a month after the birth of our son).

Why did I switch? Well, though I am not convinced they are as easy as disposables to use (believe it or not, my husband--a father who changes lots of diapers and even uses pins--seems to think they are), I am convinced that most babies and our environment benefit from cloth diapers. Plus, I almost enjoy it using them! I love the softness of cloth diapers and how fresh they look and smell after I wash them. Also, they can save lots of money (this is especially true if you compare cloth to name brand disposable diapers such as Pampers and Huggies and if you use them for more than one child). And with the right cloth diapers and covers they don't have to leak--and some of the covers look adorable. Sure my baby's bottom looks bigger than most other baby's, but I think it's very cute. Yes, it's true, now I'm a cloth diaper convert.

How to Wash Cloth Diapers

Everyone seems to have their own special way of washing cloth diapers. Take a look at these ideas and come up with the plan that works best for you!

How to Wash Cloth Diapers on the Born to Love website
How to Wash Your Own Cloth Diapers on Laura's Cloth Diapering Page

How I wash my newborn's diapers!!

I put dirty diapers in the diaper pail--the pail is dry, by the way. I have a newborn breastfed baby and don't dunk the diapers in the toilet. I also put the diaper covers and cloth wipes in the pail, too.
When the pail gets full or I start running out of diapers or diaper covers, I empty the contents of the pail into the washing machine. I wash just about every other day.
I wash it twice in hot water and detergent... we like to use unsented Arm and Hammer detergent.
Then I take the covers out and let them air-dry and put the diapers and cloth wipes in the dryer.
I then dry the diapers and cloth wipes in the dryer.

A couple hints...

I don't use bleach, but if you are concerned about your diapers being stained, unbleached diapers show stains less. Also, sunshine is great at bleaching out stains on the diapers. Some mothers feel it's best to soak poopy diapers to help avoid getting stains. Some mothers suggest washing poopy diapers first in cold water (so the stain doesn't set) and then in hot water. (I personally don't care if mine have stains, and, yes, they do have them!)
Diaper covers will last longer if you air-dry them. Many covers dry really quickly.
You do not have to use a different diaper cover each time you change a diaper. We use them until they get poopy on them or until wetness soaks through... I admit that we have some old ones that aren't exactly waterproof. The brands of covers that I think are best are Mother-ease (both the velcro and the snap covers are nice), Bummis, and Alexis Feather-lite Nylon Covers.
If you use a diaper cover more than once, try switching back and forth between a couple different diaper covers so the first one can air out and dry between uses. We found this to be very important for our toddler or else the diaper covers really started to stink.
Don't use fabric softener; it will make the diapers less absorbent. If you'd like to you can use 1/3 cup of vinegar in the final rinse to help soften your diapers.
More hints coming soon!!

Diapering Links

MegnKates Place/Cloth Diapering Tips Lots of helpful information including helpful pictures and links to other sites; plus, learn how to make a cloth diaper cake (a neat baby shower gift)! NEW!!!
Diapering by Laura Warren; all about cloth diapers!
Cloth Diaper Guide Pros/Cons; Tips: Buying, Using, Washing; The Quick and Dirty on Cloth Diapers (pun intended); Vendors, Phone Numbers and User Comments
Laura's Cloth Diapering Page Advantages of Cloth Diapering, What Supplies Will I Need?, Where Can I Buy Cloth Diapers?, How to Wash Your Own Cloth Diapers
World-Wide Cloth Diapering Resources on the Born to Love Website
Where to buy cloth diapers Some helpful online resources

Mailing Lists

Natural Diapering Mailing List from the Snugglebaby website
"Cloth Diapers are Natural!" Mailing List from the Born to Love website; when you get to this page, scroll about halfway down the page to find the form to subscribe
The Cloth Diaper List from the Diapering Delight website

Diapering Hints

To help keep baby happy while getting a diaper change, here are some suggestions:

Put a wind chime above the changing table. Move it with your fingers so that it makes a pretty sound. My children both love the sound of the chimes. It makes my infant son smile when I ring our chimes.
Attach a mobile to the changing table.
Put a mirror on the wall beside the changing table; a non-breakable mirror might be best, though we use a regular one. I fastened it very securely to the wall. My son likes to look at me in the mirror while I change his diaper.
Interact and talk with your baby--make it a fun time. Perhaps give him a little massage, count his toes, or blow on his tummy. :)

Baby's first poop, meconium, is very, very sticky--it's like tar. Until baby starts going regular poopy, which isn't as sticky, try putting olive oil all over his bottom to help make the meconium easier to clean off.

Here's a baby wipes "recipe":

Take a roll of Bounty and cut in half. Remove the cardboard core and put it into a cylindrical container which has a lid. You can use a Rubbermaid or Tupperware container, or even an old wipes container. Mix together 2 cups water, 2 tsp baby oil, 2 tsp baby shampoo or baby bath and few drops of tea tree oil. Pour this over the paper towels. The water will eventually migrate through the whole roll. Draw up the sheets from the center.

The gentlest wipe of all is a cotton cloth--a baby wash cloth works well--dampened with warm water! You can keep a supply of small cotton cloths by the sink in the bathroom and pick one (or two) up and dampen it with warm water at the sink on the way to change baby's diaper. (We have our changing table in the laundry room next to a sink; it's great being next to a sink.) Using warm water and cotton cloths is especially good for babies who have sensitive skin and/or who do not like the feel of cold baby wipes. An alternative to this is to keep the cloths and a spray bottle of water by the changing table. You can also use cotton balls instead of cotton cloths, though we found that cotton balls did not work well at all to get meconium off.

More baby wipe recipes (This is a link to another website.)

If you use cloth diapers and fasten them with safety pins, you can make the pins go through the cloth easier by either sticking them in a bar of soap or running the pins through your hair.

Jeri is a happily married, stay-at-home mother with two lovable, spunky children. She has a website called "Kidz are People, Too!!" which is a resource for gentle parenting from conception through the toddler years. She is also is the contributing editor for the topic Infants at Suite101.com.