I first thought about using cloth diapers when we were expecting our first child. But it seemed the more I mentioned this idea to other seasoned moms, the more discouraged I got.
Everyone seemed to have a negative reaction, wondering why in the world I would hassle with cloth diapers when we could afford disposables? Then I heard lots of stories about how "so and so" used to use them and their house always smelled, or they were always poking themselves in the middle of the night with saftety pins, etc.
Plus, I had my own hang-ups...like what do you do with the POOP????
Looking back, I didn't talk to anyone who WAS using cloth diapers, just people who had HEARD about them.
Then I met MOMYS :) and *I* was the oddball for not using cloth diapers! So I started asking questions and researching...
As I've said before, I've been using them for almost 3 years and I love them!
Good for the environment? Yes! Good for my children's health? Yes! Less expensive? Yes!
Misunderstood? Yes! :) (Poor cloth diapers!)
Here are just a few myths I was tricked by...
#1--Cloth diapering makes you a tree-loving hippy, or worse, a backwoods hillbilly!
Well, sure, they kinda are kinda hippy/hillbilly, but just be aware that they have so many new choices now.
http://www.cottonbabies.com/ is a great place to check out your options!
These days cloth diapering is fashionable and they are easy to use--it ain't your momma's cloth diapers anymore!
#2--Dealing with poop in cloth diapers is disgusting and messy.
Poop is always disgusting--cloth or disposable diaper. There's no getting around that. Unless you can figure out how to get your kid to not poop, it's just a part of life. :)
With cloth diapers, I actually think poop is easier to deal with...
~The poop "sticks" to the cloth diaper, so there is less mess on the bum.
~Newborn poop is the easiest, you just throw the cloth dipe in the washer and let it run through one cycle before washing it with detergent.
~For more solid poop, you just plop it right into the toilet. And there are actual sprayers that you can purchase that attach to your toilet to rinse it before washing, but I don't have one and have never felt I needed one.
Still, there is an easier solution! My sister uses flushable liners that can be removed from the diaper and go right into the toilet. They are pretty cheap (about $12 for 250 liners) and Target sells these!
#3--They will always smell like urine.
Not true! If you're worried about this, there are a lot of things you can do to prevent stinky diapers.
I use a splash of vinegar in my pre-rinse which takes away any ammonia/urine smell in the cloth dipes.
Also, small bit of bleach (used once per month) in the hot water cycle will eradicate any stink.
#4--Once they are stained, they are stained forever.
The good ol' fashioned SUN does wonders for stains. It's amazing! Just hang them up outside in the sun or lay them on your lawn wet and stain up (and watch your neighbors stare) then rewash and the stains will be G-O-N-E!
#5--Washing cloth diapers is time consuming and inconvenient.
I really don't notice myself doing any more laundry than I did before, even though I know I do. It's just that it's pretty easy and they are a breeze to fold (this is Trusten's job now-he loves to help)! I usually do 2 loads of cloth diapers a week.
I wash on cold with just a dash of vinegar and detergent (the cold is to remove any left over yuck).
Then I wash the load again on hot to sanitize.
Usually I run one last rinse on them to make sure the detergent is totally gone.
Next, throw them in dryer!
For laundromat's, look HERE.
#6--Your baby will have a "bubble butt".
Welp, this one is true...especially if you use prefolds. Some of the fancier diapers are just like disposables (in bulkiness) but if you use prefolds, it's inevitable...your baby will have a big rump!
But there are benefits to this...
~They will never crawl out of their pants again! Pants will stay on securly thanks to the extra fluff offered by cloth diapers!
~Their fall will be cushioned when they're learning to walk! Extra padding prevents tears!
Any other questions/concerns may be addressed here.
Any other cloth diapering Momma's wanna help dispel any myths??? Feel free to chime in!!!
7 comments:
I've learned to never ask the "regular" moms anything...they always think I'm weird! Great article- I am SUPER excited to get mine...WAYYY more excited than I probably should be. LOL
This is a great post! Yeah, we definitely don't have many of our family members on board with our decision, but it works SO WELL for us! No last minute runs b/c we're out of diapers (this happened one time when Carter first came home b/c we weren't cd-ing yet...it was a pain).
I agree with you on the laundry thing. I wash every other day and it is just part of my routine. I post the order in which I wash (cold rinse, hot with detergent, and final cold rinse) by the machine and my hubby will usually run the 2nd/3rd cycle for me while I'm doing dishes at night.
I also had a lot of people tell me that I wouldn't save any money b/c we wouldn't do it long term...WRONG! We also cd on the cheap (prefolds/snappis/dappis mostly) and it saves us a lot of money every month.
The other myth I got was that our son would ALWAYS have diaper rash. Couldn't be farther from the truth. I have super super sensitive skin and my son does also. Disposables give him diaper rash something terrible. I have started cloth diapering him at night b/c he is sleeping for 10-12 hours at a time. Disposables will guarantee he wakes with a diaper rash. I use bumgenius one sizes at night (bought as "damaged" on cotton babies for cheap) and use mechanics microfiber towels for the liner (from Sam's club). Doesn't touch his skin so we don't have to worry about it drying him out, but they absorb great. Total price for those diapers (including liners) is probably about $10-12 depending on the sale on the BG's. He can go all night w/o a diaper change and doesn't have diaper rash in the morning.
Rachel~ I'm excited FOR you! Brianah (the comment below yours) is another fan of the Bum Genius, so I'm sure they'll be a great fit for your littles!
Bri~That's a good point about how people say you won't save money...that is pretty far from the truth! Plus, the re-sale of cloth dipes is almost just as good as the original price!...if you take good care of them!
I NEVER thought I would cloth dipaer, but I'm really enjoying cding. Hudson is the first one (he's my 4th) I've done it with, but after 10 months we're still going strong! We used prefolds when he was really little, but now we're using the Flip system and I LOVE them. They also have a disposable insert option which is great for road trips or overnights in a hotel. My best tip for being successful is finding somebody that is knowledgeable about it! There is a local woman where I live that has been very helpful to me. Check out www.punkerdoopsdiapers.com.
Just wanted to add...be sure to check out my friend Shelby's blog at http://sewshelby.blogspot.com/
for super cute diaper and wipes bags, burp cloths, clothes...and all sorts of other accessories!
What a great post! Thanks for sharing. I had really considered cloth diapering, but ended up not doing it...mostly because Dave was home with Aila in the beginning a lot, and I don't know if he would have appreciated it! :) PLUS...I probably wouldn't have appreciated the clean up when I got home!!! Anyway, you've given some great info and advice for later down the road!
I had never been around kids until I had one and am probably the least likely person to use cloth. But, I am a huge fan of cloth diapers! All my friends and family thought I was nuts for wanting to use them but I got over that pretty fast.
You gave a great description! It's true about the big bum though. That's my least favorite part. I think if I had a girl it wouldn't be that big of deal b/c she would probably wear dresses. But, I do have to buy bigger bottom for my son.
Another benefit of using cloth is the fact that you don't have to worry about buying them at the store all the time. I live in a tiny place and storage is an issue. Even so, I'm a fan of stocking up so I like that I can just have my 20 Bum Genius and not worry about finding a place to store other diapers.
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