so today i am going to explain why we chose to cloth diaper and why we still are cloth diapering. and then next i will post about what i use and what i have found to be helpful. then i will post about my wash routine. i think these are the two main questions i always get - what do you use? and how do you wash? so that's why i have divided it up like this.
i feel like cloth diapering is kind of like a fun secret club. you don't realize how many people do it until you get started yourself. and when you find someone else who uses them it's like you have an instant connection! i have only been cloth diapering since malachi was 3 months old but i feel like the first several months are when you learn the most. you kind of dive in head first and figure it out as you go! so i have not been cloth diapering for years like some people out there but i still know why i love it! and i hope in a few years i can say why i STILL love it!
and please know, this is not meant to be condemning on anyone that uses disposable diapers. i have used my fair share of disposables (and will continue to guilt free in certain situations which i will discuss later). i do not look down my nose on anyone who has made that choice for their family. but that's exactly what it is, a choice and a preference for your family, not a rule that all people must live by. i just want to share with people who are wading through the choices and options out there why this is the choice for our family.
1. cloth diapering saves SO much money!
2. cloth diapering limits your baby's exposure to icky chemicals.
i don't even want to know what is in a disposable diaper that makes it go from very thin when dry to very puffy when wet. yuck! i can't even imagine... and i can't imagine that would be a good thing to have against your baby's skin constantly for 2+ years. i mean, why do you think diaper rashes are so much less common in babys who wear cloth?
3. cloth diapers are completely customizable.
is that a word? i don't know... but i think you get the point of what i am trying to say. when you buy disposable diapers you get the size for your baby and that's it. if that size doesn't keep in the leaks you move up to the next size. but then what if the next size up is WAY too big? there's not much you can do. but with cloth, you can customize your baby's diaper for his/her needs. you can move up to the next size if you have a one-size diaper, you can add hemp or bamboo inserts for added absorbency, you can add an extra microfiber insert, you can try another material for your insert, etc. etc. the list could go on! there are endless ways that you can change things to find what works for your baby. for instance, when we first started CD'ing malachi he was having trouble getting through the night without leaking up the front since he is a belly sleeper (a common problem for belly sleepers). so i read some stuff and heard great things about hemp inserts. so i bought a few and tried them and we haven't had a nighttime leak since! it's wonderful the way you can change things up to suit your babies specific needs.
4. cloth diapers are so much easier than what people think!
i think this is the biggest misconception out there about cloth diapers. i think people think they are so hard and a lot of extra work. not true friends! no more are the days when "cloth diaper" means an old-fashioned cotton prefold and pull on pants. there are so many options now from the super duper easy all-in-one (which is the most like a disposable, wrap it around your baby and go) to pocket diapers (where you can really customize!) to prefolds and covers (they obviously must be good if they're still around!). in most instances, the only extra "work" is a bit more laundry but really that's minimal as well (i will discuss this in a future post about my washing routine). all that to say, it really is not much harder or more work than going to the store every week to buy a pack of disposable diapers.
5. cloth diapers are WAY cuter than disposables!
like i said, i love cloth diapering. BUT lest you think i am hardcore and encourage others to be hardcore too. there are times when i will use disposables and feel no guilt whatsoever.
- when we are traveling: i have better ways i would like to spend my vacation than washing diapers. plus, when you're flying to california and back suitcase space is valuable and i don't think it would be the wisest use of my space to bring cloth diapers when i could just run to the store when i get there.
- when someone is sick: especially when i am sick. i don't want to have to come up with the energy to wash diapers.
- when we leave malachi with a sitter: in my babysitting days i would not have wanted a parent to impose something i was not comfortable with on me, so i won't do it to our babysitters. it is my choice to cloth diaper, not theirs. so i feel no problem taking that burden off of someone else.
- when we leave malachi in the church nursery: and being in ministry, thats a few times a week. so i always try to have a super easy velcro cloth option and a disposable option in the diaper bag. that way the workers can do whatever they feel comfortable with. but i have to brag on my church, they most always use the cloth option! :)
- in seasons of life when it's just not wise to add one more thing to your life: like after a baby for instance. part of the reason we didn't start malachi in cloth until 3 months is because we moved when he was 4 weeks old and had family visitors for the first 3 months of his life. that makes for a very busy 3 months! so i didn't feel like it would be the best time to add diaper laundry in the midst of all that. and if i am blessed with another baby, i will gladly use disposables on both children in those early weeks after delivery. there is just too much to get used to after a baby is born to worry about diaper laundry. there are other seasons where it would not be wise to add diaper laundry, as well.
my friend Monica just recently had a great post about her 80/20 rule, and why she doesn't feel bad using disposables 20% of the time. i think its a great reminder that there is grace for every season and there are times when what you like to do has to make way for what you need to do. and in those times i will proudly use my disposables and thank God that i live in a time and place where i have the option to do so. but in those other times, when i am able to, i will gladly use my cloth and thank God for the desire to steward our resources in this way.
why do you love cloth? or if you don't, what is the biggest reason you don't? leave me some comment love!
No comments:
Post a Comment