Cloth Diapers: What We Do and How We Do It
Cloth diapers are in-style. Who would have thought? Everyone wants to try them! Okay, maybe not everyone, but people are certainly curious because cloth diapering isn’t like our mamas did it. But where do you start?
I have decided that cloth diapering is exactly what you make of it. You can make it as simple as you want or as elaborate as you want. It’s up to you entirely.
We have been using cloth diapers for over three months now. Not long in the grand scheme of things, but long enough to have learned a few things and to live to tell about it. {Update: We have now used cloth diapers with our first child through potty training. He potty trained at 29 months. We are gearing up to cloth diaper Timothy.}
Personally, I prefer cloth diapers to disposable diapers. The hubster has even been found to say:
Cloth diapering is so much easier than disposable. I definitely prefer it.
Now, some may not agree, but like I’ve said a few paragraphs up – cloth diapering is what you make it.
Three Lessons I Have Learned About Cloth Diapers
1. Using cloth diapers is trial and error.
There are so many types of cloth diapering systems out there that you must be willing to experiment. You have to try a few different kinds before you know what works best for you and your baby. What one family prefers may not work for you and yours. Some diapers you try you will hate, but others you will love.
2. You must commit.
It’s hard to just “play around” with cloth diapers. If you don’t commit yourself to a trial period of at least 4-6 weeks, you may never know if cloth diapering is for you. Cloth diapering comes with a learning curve, but once you get into a rhythm you will forget why it was ever so difficult to start. Committing to set time frame of “trying it out” will help you be a successful cloth diapering mama.
3. Buying disposable always makes my stomach drop.
Now that we are pretty much exclusive cloth diaperers, I find it incredibly difficult to shell out the twenty or so dollars that it takes to diaper my baby in disposable diapers for a week. I know that some moms can get great deals on diapers, but for us, Samuel can only wear Luvs. The deals for us are few and far between. And to be honest the time it takes to “find the best deal” isn’t worth it, in our opinion. Therefore, when I do resort to disposable diapers, I dread check out time.
Personally, we love cloth diapering. I have had so many questions as of late regarding what we do and how we do it. Therefore, I want to walk through what’s worked for us and what hasn’t in hopes of helping you on your journey of cloth diapering.
Check out all of our cloth diaper posts below:
Cost of Cloth Diapers vs. Disposable Diapers
Cloth Diapering – What Do You Do When…?
Cloth Diapers: How to Use Prefolds with Covers and One-Size Pocket Diapers
Cloth Diapers: 5 Tips to Get You Started
Trouble Shooting Cloth Diapers – 5 Real Life Cloth Diaper Problems and What I Do to Resolve Them
In the meantime, do you cloth diaper? What is the #1 tip you could give us that has helped you be successful? If you don’t cloth diaper, what is your #1 reason for not doing so?
An eBook I recommend to those looking to cloth diaper:
Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert – Learn more here.
We cloth diapered for almost 6 years with three kids. I loved cloth after I found out about the new covers that are not all that new. We went the hard route with pens and plastic covers with the first child. We moved to underwear very easily after cloth. I did use disposable at night once the kids were big enough to sleep all night long, as with cloth I would have to change several times at night so not to burn their bottoms and I like my sleep.