pamper me

So maybe it doesn't make sense to follow a blog post about the stress of parenting with a blog post about using cloth diapers. After all, what about cloth diapers are going to make your life easier? Weren't disposable diapers invented to make your life as a parent less of a burden?

Many people greeted our declaration to attempt using cloth diapers with skepticism. The nicer ones simply nodded but looked mildly concerned. Some more vocal parent friends indicated that there was no way we would ever be able to do it. Admittedly, we have faced parenting challenges that we never knew would exist. But, surprisingly, transitioning to cloth diapers, which we've done this past week, was not one of them. If anything, the whole system is a lot easier than we ever anticipated - especially with the help of our trusty friend the Internet.

We decided to use disposable when Baby Beeton was little because, on some level, those vocal parent friends were right. Adjusting to life with baby was hard enough without an added complication. But, this past week, we decided to switch over to cloth diapers because we're on (a little) firmer ground as parents and because Baby Beeton has grown in size and fits into the cloth diapers much better. It helped, too, that most of the moms in the mom group I started attending use cloth diapers, so we've got a built in support system of other parents who share such tips like which are the best diapers to buy (Blueberry) and which laundry detergents work without fail (Charlie's Soap).

My initial inspiration to use cloth diapers came from this post that I read on one of my favorite blogs Young House Love. Like us, these bloggers were initially motivated by money (a motivating factor for us when it came to breastfeeding as well); they are thrifty and love a bargain (also like us), so they did some calculations and realized that cloth diapering could save them in the long run. And, they seemed to find cloth diapering to be rather simple, so we thought, upon reading, what the heck. Let's try it.

We had put twelve cloth diapers from Bum Genius on our baby registry. We got six from friends and family at various showers, and after experimenting with those six, we decided we'd take the plunge and buy six more. We also bought a hanging diaper bag from FuzziBunz (in chocolate brown to match Baby Beeton's room... I never did post nursery pictures, did I? I'll add that to my ever-growing "To Do" list). This purchase was suggested by our friends from Savannah, K&D, have a little girl just a few months older than Baby Beeton; they are in our cloth diapering support group as well and found the bag to be super useful. It unzips at the bottom so you just throw it (and the diapers) in the laundry when you are ready to go. I've been relying on this site for information about washing, detergents to use, etc. It's been very helpful. So now, during the week, when we are home, we use the cloth diapers. We still use disposable at night and when we travel, but we've cut down considerably.

I have to admit that my impetus for cloth diapering is a vain one. They are just so darn cute - as you can see from this picture (I don't usually post in color, but how adorable is he in this one - color "Ribbit").


But, I've found that I like them for a lot of other reasons, too. They seem softer and more comfortable; they do help with the environment. And, since I like doing laundry, I don't find the whole cleaning thing onerous (the tips from the site listed above work really well... they have come out clean - i.e. not stained - each and every time so far). Of course, if I were back at work (did I mention I have until Fall 2012 off!!!), this would be a whole different story (in fact, a lot of things would be different... the little Prince would take a bottle, I'd be even more of a nervous wreck, the house would be even more messy), but for now, I have the time to indulge myself in a little over-the-top, stay-at-home mothering.

I got an email the other day with a link to this article and found that quite a few of the "things" really resonate with me. Of course, not the part about your dog being just a dog now that you have a baby. Never.

Keep sweeping, Martha

Finished reading Stranger Here Below by Joyce Hinnefeld.