Cloth Diapering: The Good, The Bad, and The Rude

Our adventures in cloth diapering began eight days ago; we had an interesting start, but we seem to have developed a routine, and overall, WE LOVE CLOTH!

Here is the condensed version:

The Good

Price - waaay cheap

Customized fit for every size baby

And....they are ADORABLE

The Bad

Its a little gross...

Its a little more involved...

Its a little smelly at times...

The Rude

People can be extremely condescending and not very supportive when you share your choice to cloth diaper; IGNORE THEM.

Some Advice

Be prepared: have all the supplies on hand BEFORE your child is born.

Buy a diaper sprayer (this IS a necessity).

Opt for a hanging wet bag (way easier to use with a diaper sprayer).

Here is the long-winded version: 

While I was pregnant, we invested in a starter stash of cloth dipes.  One glorious day in mid-January the BumGenius 3.0 dipes were discontinued, and we were able to stock up for less than half price; oh, the savings!  I had hoped that this purchase would take us from the newborn stage through Lucy's three month birthday, as the weight range is 8 lbs - 16 lbs.... Well, sweet baby Lucy was born weighing in at 7 pounds, 1 ounce...  Our awesome BumGenius dipes were totally useless until she hit 8 pounds; we needed something to get us through the newborn stage, something that was cheap, mind you.  Alas, we took the prefold plunge.  (Full disclosure:  we tried disposables for a week, and they were scary expensive; I think we spent over $100 in six days). 

Prefolds can be intimidating; the entire time I was researching cloth diapers, they were the last system I ever considered.  But they've proven to be really great.  I think everyone should use prefolds for newborns, because they can fit any size baby, no matter how skinny their chicken legs may be.  Another reason they're awesome:  they are insanely cheap: $1.50/prefold and $7-13/cover (you only need 4-6 covers).  The one negative, in my opinion, they're a little bulky; but, the bulk is quickly forgotten as soon as you slip on one of those adorable covers!  I suppose one might also find the folding to be more involved, especially at 3 am...but it doesn't bother us.  Diaper changes take no longer, from start to finish, using this system (versus any other system - including disposables).  There are many different ways to fold a prefold; I like "The Jellyroll" best, and Casey is a big fan of "The Twist".

To be completely honest, overall, it is a little gross, and even a little smelly at times.  This is where the diaper sprayer swoops in and saves the day.  You hold your breath, spray the funky-looking poo into the toilet, and then you sanitize like crazy!  When Casey bought a 32 oz bottle of hand sanitizer, I thought, "Geez, that's a bit excessive..."  Three weeks later, and we're more than halfway through the bottle; I will never question his judgment again.  As a new mom, I've seen more bodily fluid in the past three weeks, than ever before in my life; slowly, but surely, my gag reflex is lessening.  Spraying poo off of my little girl's dipes doesn't phase me one bit; so don't let the idea of spraying poo deter you from choosing cloth.  Its really not that bad.


For anyone considering cloth, or for those who are just plain curious, check out this website for more info:  click here.