Not Your Mother's Cloth Diapers!

Often we get mother/daughter customers coming into the store asking for info and exploring possibilities. The opinions vary - some are all for it, telling stories of their own experiences, others are more negative, giving examples of why the new mother will need that extra time (all what, 20 mins a week?) that it takes to do the extra washes. Back about 25-30 yrs ago, when disposable diapers were really beginning to enter the mainstream, they were thought of as a new “freedom” for women, somewhat comparable the bra burning era!

Most mothers’ impressions of cloth are that of diaper pins, pull on pants and wet pails and while some of us still employ these things, we know there are more modern, easy ways to CD as well as safer alternatives to the wet pail. Most cloth diaper manufacturers these days actually specify that a DRY pail be used, explaining that keeping diapers in a wet pail is not only dangerous for children (as a drowning hazard) but also not good for the diapers, they break down faster and the elastics and snaps wear out sooner as well. It often takes quite some discussions to explain to grandmothers-to-be that cloth diapering is a great option and there are so many new ways that things have been made easier and quicker for the modern - often more so than the parents themselves. They are amazed at the different types available – AIOs, pockets, fitteds, one-size diaper, the modern side fastening cover…..too many to remember! We just try and keep it as simple as possible to reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed. Its easy we tell them, and for those of you that love to cloth diaper, you know its true.

So at this time of year where we have just honored our mothers, old and new – try and laugh about those small disagreements! I am reminded of some of the struggles of differing opinions that I have had with my own mother on the subject of child rearing – so funny to think about and great memories I will carry with me.

Cloth diapering on a dime....when money is tight!

Everyone has their own set of reasons for cloth diapering their kiddies, including but not limited to - environmental conservation, cutting back on chemical exposure, vanity and increasingly ever-popular SAVING MONEY!! Over the life of a child, cloth diapering can save thousands upon thousands of dollars, and as many of us can attest to, every penny counts. As a seasoned cloth diapering parent will tell you, there are so many routes one can go when building a cloth diaper stash for either a new baby or as a switchover from disposables. I am going to talk about the most frugal ways that families can cloth diaper on a bare bones budget.

Having many mom and dad friends myself, I can say their personalities and skill sets vary as much as one can imagine and while it would be great to have the skills to sew up your own stash of diapers, many of us just don’t have the time or the sewing experience. For those of us who don’t want to go that route, our best friend in the frugal cloth diapering world would have to be the cotton prefold! They are by far the budget diaperer’s best choice. For around $70 you can have 3 dozen infant size unbleached Indian cotton prefolds which is right around the amount that one would need to successfully diaper a newborn, washing a load of diapers twice a week (give or take of course – as a child gets older the number of diaper you need decreases as a general rule).

Paired with the prefold, one will need some type of cover ranging from wool, to plastic or vinyl – the least expensive being the old fashion Gerber rubber pants that many of our own mothers used diapering us and our siblings (which now have a softer lined leg casing and are chlorine free!) These are a simple pull on style with elastic waist and legs and come in 5 sizes from 8-35 lbs. One step up in my opinion in both ease and cost would be the Prorap wrap style covers with either snap or aplix – they add another element of ease in that they are more like the basic design of disposable diapers where you fasten them on either side with the child laying down without the help of pins or a Snappi to close the prefold since the cover holds it tightly in place when fastened correctly. We recommend having a minimum of 4 covers, depending on your washing preference. When my daughter (now 2) was a small infant I got along fine with 3-4 covers which I rotated hanging on a hook over my changing table (we didn’t go out much). When one either became soiled or very smelly, I would take it into the bathroom and wash it out in the sink with a tiny squirt of soap, wring it out in a hand towel and hang it over my shower to dry. Simple as that – if it was very dirty I might let it soak or even throw it in the diaper pail with the prefolds to go in the washer. Of course the more covers you have, the less you wash – many people like having 6-8 covers allowing them to be washed right in with the prefolds every time.

Other add-ons that are helpful, but not required:
• A small water resistant bag for outings (or you can use a grocery bag, but these are so cute!)
• Wipe solution and flannel/fleece squares (this will save a ton of money in the long run)
• Washable liner bags for the pail (I recommend 2, one in the wash, one in the pail)
• Some type of doubler (micro fiber is usually sufficient for a smaller child, while something more absorbent like hemp or bamboo is better for older children or heavy wetters). I would use the doublers for night diapering or if I was taking a longer car ride and hoped the baby would sleep the whole way without wetting through the clothes onto the car seat cover :)

We have some ready made systems available that make this whole process effortless. Our basic MCDC infant, baby and toddler packages include the prefolds, covers, wipes, solution and bag. We also have an ultra basic preemie package which is simply the preemie prefolds and the preemie covers. Lastly we have the mother of all packages which will take you from birth to potty training - our MCDC Complete package. Of course these are all customizable and we encourage you to contact us if you would like to build your own package or have questions or concerns.

Oh and as always…happy diapering!