Why I do CLOTH

As many of you know, I chose to cloth diaper Eleanor. I chose cloth diapers for SO many reasons. And I don't think some people really understand. Here is what I hear on a regular basis when the topic of cloth diapers come up.

"That's so cool. I've never heard of cloth diapering before"

"Ew, really? That's so gross"

"How do you handle the poop?"

"Its so much more work than disposables."

"Cloth diapering. Like prefolds and rubber pants?"

Lets take this comment by comment.


Yes, I cloth diaper my child. Cloth diapering dates back to the very beginning of time. People needed to catch pee and poop and even those little stone age and bible day babies needed something on their bum.

Gross? How can it be more gross than disposables? every time my little one had a blow out in a disposable, there was ALWAYS leakage. Didn't matter if I waited until E was finished pooping, or changed her at the first sign of poop. there was always a change of clothes or even a bath in her near future. So riddle me this: How is changing a cloth diaper more gross than changing a diaper, changing clothes, and even sheets or blankets if those were in the way when baby pooped? Do you throw a onsie or a pair of pants away if the baby pees or poops in them? No. How is cloth diapering different if soiled linens and clothes go into the wash to be cleaned but its nasty if cloth diapers go in the wash?

How do I handle the poop?
Well, I am a parent. I have a baby. That means there is pretty much no way around it. I am going to handle poop. Its not like those cute little diaper commercials where they drop 2 tablespoons of liquid in a diaper. Those kids SOAK them. And they poop. Big time. Part of being a parent, means you have to handle poop. But if you're asking how I get it out of the cloth diapers, that's also another story. Breastfed baby poo is water-soluble. So there is no need to scrape, dunk or spray that booby poop. :) Once baby is eating real food, you can get a diaper sprayer that sprays the poo away in the toilet. so I really don't have to touch it there either. No more than a 'sposie.

Its so much more work than disposables
The only difference between cloth and disposables, is one more load of laundry every three or four days. Its no more work changing a cloth diaper, than a disposable.  You change a diaper, just like a disposable. Take the diaper off, put it in the pail, wipe baby and put a new cloth diaper on!

Cloth diapering, like rubber pants and prefolds?
Nah, cloth diapering has come a long way since your grandma diapered her kiddos. they have so many different kinds of cloth diapers.. All-in-one, pocket diapers, diaper covers and inserts, and fitted hybrids. Most of these types are just different types that just fit a little differently, depending on the size of your baby, or the preference that you and your family prefer. I'll explain all that later in another post!

So here are the top 5 reasons why I cloth diaper:

1. Disposable diapers have chemicals in their diapers. Those little beady things that absorb all the liquid? Those are special chemicals designed to absorb any and all liquid that it comes in contact with. That means that it can dry out the baby's skin and cause a rash. Also, if the diaper is defective, those little beads can leak out onto the baby and can cause chemical burns. I saw a story once that a mama laid her baby down for a nap and the diaper the babe was wearing a 'sposie. She woke the baby up to find that the diaper leaked all the way down his leg, causing severe second degree burns on the baby's legs. That just broke my heart! As a mama, I would feel AWFUL if that happened to my Pickle.

2. Cost. Diapering a baby in disposables can cost in the upwards of $2000 for 2 years. cloth diapers are more of an upfront cost, but save a TON of money in the long run. So far, I think I have spent about $400 on cloth for baby #1. When baby #2 comes along (which wont be for a LONG time), I can use them again for another few years. If I have a boy, there are Buy/sell/trade sites that I can trade my girly colored or printed diapers for boyish prints. So, if I spent about $500 total (because lets face it, it can be addicting), I will have spent $500 on two kids in cloth, or about $4000 for two kids in disposables. And that's just for two kids. Lots of families have more children than 2.

3.Diaper rash. Or lack thereof. When Eleanor was born, I put her in disposables, just because that's what the hospital prefers. Also, Since Eleanor was a little on the small side, she wouldn't fit into the One Size diapers I got for her (they made newborn diapers, but I didn't invest in any, just because I didn't know how big she would be). from the moment we brought her home from the hospital, she had a diaper rash. Bad. Like raw, bleeding rash. It was awful. I hated that in her first moments of life, she was already hurt. No one wants to see their little squishy baby in pain! :( When Eleanor was big enough, we put her right in cloth. Within a day or two, the rash was gone! Sometimes she gets a little red on her bum, and instead of using diaper rash cream, we put coconut oil and it clears it right up! FYI, you aren't supposed to use the regular diaper rash cream on cloth. Only certain ones are "cloth safe".

4. Cloth diapers make literally no waste. They are used, cleaned and used again. The water that is used, is often cleaned, purified and used again. Even though disposables are "biodegradable", they still take YEARS to decompose. And that's only if the diapers are exposed to air. Most diapers quickly become covered by other trash and can take hundreds of years to decompose.

5. The prints on the diapers are just darling! I can't get over how cute some colors are. And the prints. It just makes my heart so happy to see such a cute little fluffy butt rolling around on the floor. Not some paper diaper that crinkles and isn't pretty to look at. Yes, It is covered most of the time in public, but its just too cute to cover up sometimes.

BUT LOOK HOW CUTE SHE IS!!

 This is Eleanor when she was a bit younger. She was about 4 months here. She is with her cloth friend, Kai. And they matched! Seriously, it doesn't get any cuter than that!

And it doesn't have to be all about prints. My sister came over one day and E just happened to be hanging out in this shirt and dipe. She ended up doing a little Impromptu photo shoot and it turned out so beautifully! Sometimes simple is all you need.

So there you have it. The main reasons why I do cloth. There are some more, but I just thought I would share the top 5. I cant wait to break cloth down even more, soon!