I walked into parenthood much the same way I walked into birth, completely unprepared. I read a few books, but I had no peers with children and no amazon reviews or Facebook groups to read reviews or get advice. (Ok, I know. I’m old. Elder Millineal here who had babies young.)
Back in the Stone Age of the early 2000’s the brands around were Pampers, Huggies, Luvs, and that was pretty much it. No cute designs, no organic brands, or anything fancy like Applebees. I didn’t put much thought into how I would diaper my baby. Honestly, I didn’t think there were any choices beyond traditional disposable diapers.
When my oldest was a few weeks old, I met a friend who used cloth diapers. Honestly, at first, I was shooketh. I couldn’t imagine why you’d want to use cloth diapers, (especially when I remember my mother going on and on about what an amazing invention disposable diapers were.) But, as I got to know my friend and cloth diapers, the idea grew on me.
The way it typically goes in my house when I get a wild idea: I excitedly tell my husband, who then has to talk some sense into me or at least some practicality, and then we decide if it’s a good idea or not.
I come home one day and tell my engineer husband how I want to spend a bunch of money on diapers. Oh, and yeah, we have to rinse the poop out and wash them. To his credit, he didn’t poo-poo the idea completely (Punny, right?) but, he sat down and created an excel spreadsheet. He did the math and came up with a way to help us decide. We’d have to use pre-fold diapers and covers (one style of cloth diaper) for nine weeks, exclusively, to make up the money we would’ve been spending on disposables. Thus began our journey into the fluffy butt world of cloth diapers.
Even though I walked into cloth diapering my baby blind, you don’t have to! There are so many ways to diaper your baby in 2021!
Here are just a few of your options:
Pre-folds/Flats– pre-folds and flats are typically the most financially practical options. They are rectangular, have three panels, made with multiple layers of absorbent fabric. Flats are one layer of material and are usually larger squares. Both types of diapers require a cover to protect from moisture transfer. (Covers are where you get to have some fun here with prints and patterns, etc.)
Fitted diapers– are made of various absorbent materials and fitted in some fashion (with snaps or elastic, etc.) around the legs and the waist. They also need to be worn with a waterproof cover.
Pocket Diapers– have a waterproof outside and a liner inside that keeps the baby’s skin dry. There is a pocket to stuff with absorbent liners/pads or even pre-folds. Once “stuffed” (the pre-folds put into the pocket) pocket diapers are easy to put on baby, like a disposable diaper.
All-in-ones– also known as AIO’s in the cloth diaper world, are the most user-friendly. The absorbent layers are sewn directly into the diaper and function most like a disposable diaper. These do take a little longer to dry than other styles of diapers. (These were my personal favorites, but we didn’t have many because they were more expensive.)
AND MANY MORE.
Are you planning to use cloth diapers? What kind do you plan to use? If you used cloth, what were your favorites?
