Cloth Diapering 101: Why We Chose Cloth

With our second baby on the way, I've been sorting through all our baby stuff. I've been thinking about what worked for us, what didn't, and what all we might need this time around. One thing that defiantly worked for our family was our choice to cloth diaper.

Now cloth isn't for everyone. And I have no desire to start some one way to doing this parenting thing is better than another way debate that does nothing but harm. I do want to share why it worked for my family and answer any questions those who are curious about cloth might have.

I'll start out with why we decided to cloth diaper:

1. Cost: When we had Emma, I was in grad school and we were living off one income. We knew part way into her diapering life that I would have to be out of the home for 20 hours a week for an unpaid field placement. We set out in this parenting thing with a thrifty plan in mind. With some saving and the generosity of family and friends, we were able to build up a great stash. It just made so much more sense to spend some up front rather than a ton over the long run.

2. Longevity: We intended to have a few children from the get go. Friends had shared that they were on their second or third kid with the same diapers. This reduced the cost even further!

3. Reliability: Cloth has a reputation of dealing with super pee-ers and blowouts like no one's business. And I can attest to this. We never had a blowout in cloth. When we used disposables {traveling or at daycare}, that certainly wasn't the case. Emma peed like it was her job. The ability to adjust the absorbency of cloth also meant fewer leaks.

During my time with cloth, I discovered:

1. Less Diaper Rash: Emma would rash very quickly in disposables. It didn't matter what kind. If she was in them overnight or more than a day at a time she had a rash. She did get the occasional rash in cloth. But, judging from what other moms said, Emma had far fewer rashes in her cloth compared to disposable diapered babies.

2. Cute Factor: Cloth is just plain cuter. It was fun to match diapers to outfits. No need for a diaper cover when you can just throw a coordinating diaper under a dress. While I doubt this would be a deciding factor for anyone in choosing cloth, it sure is a nice perk!

3. Earlier Potty Training: There's a lot of anecdotal evidence to suggest that cloth wearing kiddos potty train earlier. Emma potty trained right at 25 months. She expressed interest and we ran with it. Who knows if cloth is really the reason she trained at 2. But I do know that she would tell us when she had a wet diaper in cloth. She did not do that when we had her in disposables. I figure that increased awareness is helpful for potty training. That's not to say her skin was wet when I changed her.

I'm going to spend the next couple of weeks sharing tips and tricks for cloth diapering. Have you considered cloth diapering? Are there any questions you want answered?

Here's some places I like to party at:

Nap Time Creations, I Should be Mopping the Floor, Uncommon Designs, Tip Junkie, Living Well Spending Less, Serendipity Now and Tatertots & Jello