As an expectant mother, the idea of cloth diapers intrigued and terrified me. Here’s where I went wrong and what you can do to get it right.

I come from first-hand experience – my mom used cloth diapers on both my brother and I.  Not to date myself, but disposable diapers were still considered a luxury when I was a babe in the late 60’s and my parents opted for the more affordable, time tested method of cloth diapers.  Cloth diapering makes as much financial sense now as it did back then.

As advocates for greener living and the desire to reduce our son’s carbon butt print, my husband and I liked the idea of not only minimizing the vast amount of waste that plastic disposable diapers create (I mean, nobody alive today will likely live long enough to see a disposable diaper completely decompose. It’s estimated it will take hundreds of years for a single plastic diaper to break down) but also eliminating the exposure to nasty chemicals disposable diapers posed to our newborn son’s delicate skin.  We decided to go for it and buy the best cloth diapers we could find.

Back in the late 90’s there wasn’t nearly the information available as there is now. With the current resources of the internet, cloth diapering support groups and manufacturer’s clear how-to’s, creating a cloth diapering system now is easier than ever.  Back then, I sort of guessed what I needed and proceeded to order diapers and diaper covers.

The package arrived and I soon found myself completely overwhelmed. I had all these organic cotton prefold  cloth diapers laid out in front of me but I was clueless how to use them. I hadn’t organized myself. My patient son laid on the changing table smiling and gurgling as his clueless mom tried haplessly to figure out how to put a cloth diaper on and then how to fit the cover. I had a college degree for goodness sakes – it shouldn’t be that hard!  If only I had the simple video below to refer to. What seemed so confusing at the time is actually one of the simplest, fastest things you’ll ever do in caring for your baby. Seeing how easy it is, I really feel like a bonehead for not figuring it out.

Of course, at the time I became frustrated and consequently gave up.  The good news is – you don’t have to make the same mistake I made!  Watch the video and see how easy it is to use prefold cloth diapers. All you do is fold the prefold, lay inside the diaper cover and then secure around baby. I decided to bring on the Bummis (pronounced bum-eez) brand of cloth diapers and covers at Greenfeet because I believe 100% in the benefits of cloth diapering for baby and really liked the Bummis line. They are affordable organic cotton and the reviews on the covers are great. Moms love how durable they are, how easy they clean up between washings and they dry super fast! They also have leg gussets that fit really well on baby to virtually eliminate leaks – even for super trim babies. 

 I’m still a bit disappointed, and admittedly feel a bit guilty, that I didn’t seek out some assistance before I gave up using prefolds back in the late 90’s. I felt a bit like I was a failure and let my son down. Don’t let yourself fall into the same trap.

First, have the confidence that cloth diapers will work for you and your baby.  Second, arm yourself with knowledge before you buy cloth diapers and get the proper cloth diaper accessories. You don’t need many, but the few you do get are going to make the whole process a lot easier.

1. Pre-fold diapers are purchased based on your baby’s size. You’ll need between 2-4 dozen diapers depending on how often you want to do laundry. Figure your baby will need 6-12 diapers a day depending on the age of your baby.  
2. You’ll want about 3-4 diaper covers to start. You don’t need to wash them every time unless they are soiled.
3. Diaper pail. There’s the choice between a dry pail or wet pail. A lot of cloth diaper experts recommend a 20-24 quart dry pail. Essentially you shake off any excess ‘stuff’ in the diaper and then place in the pail. This size pail only holds about 2 days worth of diapers so it will keep you on track to do laundry. The wet pail option should be used with a secure lid to prevent drowning of another small child. You fill about ¼ of the way with water and add ¼ cup vinegar to help keep the smell down. You can also add 1/4 cup baking soda, a few squirts of bac out odor and stain eliminator (it’s the bomb!) to help pre-treat as well as a few drops of essential oils to help offset any odor.
4. Small tote to take with you for wet diapers on the go. I recommend choosing a washable material such as nylon for easy upkeep.

That’s it! Told ya there wasn’t a whole lot of equipment needed. I’d love your feedback on diapering and how you’ve overcome any pre-diaper anxiety and/or struggles along the way.