Cloth diapers- the not-so-dirty little secrets

I remember it vividly...

The way my mothers eyes almost bulged out of her head. The look of sheer disbelief. The incredulity oozing from her words.

"Why in God's name would you want to do that?!"

You would think I just told my mother that I intended to go sky-diving at 7 months pregnant, but no. This was the response I received when I told her I was planning on cloth diapering my son. It was the same look I got when I told friends and family that I wanted to have a home birth. Sheer disbelief. I was getting used to that look...

My mother could not understand how her daughter- the same woman who ardently believes in the power of a 6 inch heel, and does not leave the house without a full face on- would choose something so... granola.

The fact is, these are not your granny's cloth diapers. Gone are the days of safety pins, and the dip-and-swish method. Those archaic methods have been replaced with modern marvels like snaps, Velcro, and diaper sprayers. Times have changed. In a fast paced society the modern Eco-conscious parent needed something equally fast-paced, and simple. Thus the modern cloth diaper came to be.

Here's the facts. Cloth diapering is easy. No really, it is... Or at least it can be. In my short time in the mommy club, I've come to discover women have a knack for making things complicated. There are some women who make their own cloth diapers, and that's all well and good- and let's face it- if I didn't work 40 hours a week I would probably do it too.. But, I work full-time...

So here's the deal, I keep it simple. I don't have a fancy cloth diapering pail to let the diapers soak in. I don't dip-and-swish because I do have a gag reflex. I don't use wool because I don't really have a whole lot of time to lanolize, and my son is far to wiggly to hold still to get them on.

Here's what our set-up entails:

  • 2 dozen osocozy prefolds
  • 5 Blueberry one size covers
  • 4 Swaddlebees simplex all-in-ones
  • 1 diaper sprayer
  • 1 Fuzzibunz hanging diaper pail (the zipper bottom is the BEST!)
  • 1 Planet Wise wet bag
  • Charlie's Soap

Clockwise from top left: diaper sprayer and Fuzzibunz hanging diaper pail, Blueberry cover and simplex all-in-one, osocozy prefolds, planet wise wet bag, Simplex all-in-one.

I realize this is not the cheapest setup, but it is way cheaper than disposables and there are ways to make it even cheaper. You can also make it way more expensive if that's what you want...

Now, here's the breakdown, for those of you who are wondering what I'm talking about.

There are tons of different types of diapers. Pre-folds and covers, all-in-ones, pockets, hybrids, woolies, etc. Cloth diapering is not a 'one-size-fits-all' thing. I know families who use exclusively prefolds and covers. I know families who use solely pockets. I know families who only use natural fibers. I know families that use a bit of everything. What works for one family may not work for the next family. And that's totally fine. You have to find what works for you.

When we first started cloth diapering we used exclusively prefolds and covers, and that worked great, until Lukas started sleeping for longer stretches. He would wake up soaked, and pretty soon we were battling some gnarly diaper rash. We tried everything. Finally, my midwife suggested we use a simplex diaper at night. The simplex has a moisture wicking layer to help him feel dry throughout the night. Within a few days of using the simplex diapers Lukas' diaper rash had cleared up. Sometimes you have to adapt a little.


So how does this work?

It's pretty simple actually.

 

 

Start with a cover, a prefold, and a naked baby.

I'm going to go on a quick tangent on the prefolds... You HAVE TO PREWASH! If you don't they will not be absorbent and fluffy. I didn't realize this at the beginning... Luckily, somebody told me this before Lukas was born. We had to wash and dry 5 times to get the diapers to full absorbency before using them.

Take the prefold and fold it into third on the seams. (They've even marked where to fold them... See how easy it is?) Place the folded side down into the cover, and put the diaper one the afore-mentioned naked baby. It's really rocket science.

When the baby needs another diaper change, if the cover is not soiled, just change the prefold. If it is soiled, put on a new prefold, and cover.

If it's just a wet diaper you can put it straight into your diaper pail. If it's dirty, grab your trusty diaper sprayer and hose that diaper into the toilet, and flush away... Then put it in the diaper pail.

At the end of the day take your diaper pail to the washer, unzip the bottom, shake all the diapers in the washer, throw in the bag, and start it up. To prolong the life of the covers, let those air dry. A shower curtain makes an excellent drying rack. Everything else... Throw in the dryer.

If you notice your diapers getting a funky smell, vinegar and super hot water... Or if it is a nice sunny day, let the sun bleach those babies out.

See what a difficult process cloth diapering is... It's really freaking tedious.

Side note... Cloth diapers and standard diaper rash creams do not mix. The creams jack with the absorbency of the diapers... For diaper rash I use breast milk, coconut oil, or this stuff. That salve is absolutely amazing. I used it a ton in the early days of nursing as a nipple cream, and it works wonders. It's all natural and you can get it from the lovely ladies at Terra Tots.

Side note to the other side note... if you are looking for other ways to save money getting set up, and don't want to drop $50 on a diaper sprayer, there are tutorials like this one to DIY for about a third of the price.

Until next time,

Happy Diapering ladybugs!