Cloth Diapering in a Nutshell

I stumbled into the world of cloth diapers completely unaware of what I’d find. My discoveries were amazing. There really is a whole cloth diaper subculture! Diapers can be cute! Rinsing poo off of a cloth diaper can be almost fun if you have a spray nozzle thingy!

So here are a few tips to beginners who might be as clueless as I was:

In case you're on the fence about whether you should try cloth diapering, you should know that these are not your mom’s cloth diapers. Gone are the huge squares that require the folding skills of an origami master. They have been replaced by prefolds (very cheap), fitted diapers, pocket diapers and all-in-ones (not very cheap). There are even some hybrids out there! (No they will not save you money on gas). What’s better is that you won’t risk stabbing that wriggling toddler with a diaper pin. There are wonderful elastic, T-shaped things with little claws that keep the diaper together called Snappis. Or better than that, Velcro! Many of the cloth diapers made today have snap or Velcro closures that make diapering your baby a breeze. And once you have the diaper on, you just put on a pretty, waterproof diaper cover. Yes, I said pretty. Covers today come in all sorts of colors and patterns. You won’t want to cover them up!
For a comprehensive explanation of the different types of diapers, go to http://www.diaperjungle.com/

If you’re in this to save some money consider buying used diapers. Yes, used as in already been peed and pooped in. Don’t worry, the baby won’t care. While cloth diapers are much cheaper than disposables, you may be enticed by the beautiful designer diapers that cost a lot. If you’re like me and you really want them but don’t want to pay full price, you’ll find that there are other ways to get your hands on them. Ebay has several auctions for used diapers. There is also a Web site called http://www.babycottonbottoms.com/ that has a bargain basement where moms (or dads) can post their used diapers and accessories. They offer good savings on diapers and they can also let you know how well they worked for their baby’s shape. I began cloth diapering with our second child who is a little chunky. I can already tell that our third baby will take after the first and be skinny for a long time. Because of that I’m going to be selling some of Eva’s diapers to buy ones that will fit my skinny baby better. Selling your old cloth diapers is a great way to recoup some of your initial investment. If only Target would buy back used disposable diapers…

Experiment. This is the best way to find out what will work best for your baby. As I said before, there are so many different kinds of diapers out there; it’s hard to know what your favorite will be unless you try them all. A great way to do this is with a sample package. Many cloth diaper retailers offer a beginner’s package that comes with a combination of prefolds and covers, fitteds and all-in-ones. If you have friends that cloth diaper you can ask if they would lend you some diapers for a couple of days so you can get a feel for them.

If you have good sewing skills (or even not so good sewing skills) you can make your own cloth diapers. There are many patterns and instructions online for making your own diapers. If you’re good at it you could even sell them for some extra cash.

Lastly, and most importantly, get a spray nozzle thingy! “What the heck is she talking about,” you may wonder. I am talking about a nozzle that attaches to your toilet that you use to spray the mess out of the cloth diaper. When I first began cloth diapering I would cringe when I saw Eva grunt and turn various shades of red and purple. “Great,” I thought, “I’ve got to stick my hand in the toilet and swish the diaper around and then move it to the sink because I won’t be able to get it all off. Why did I get into cloth diapering, again?” I was very glad when I went to a friend’s house and used the spray nozzle that was attached to her toilet. Not only does it allow you to get everything off of the diaper, but it’s also fun for those of us who like instant gratification. (I am easily amused). You will have to wring out the diaper before you throw it in the diaper pail, but at least it’s not poopy. Being a parent is messy business.

*Many Web sites carry a spray nozzle for around $35. If that’s out of your price range (it was for me) go the hardware store and get a nozzle for the kitchen sink and you’ll need a few connectors to attach it to your toilet. It’s cheaper. Ask the employees at the hardware store for help if you have no idea what I’m talking about, they’ll just need to know what size you need.