Easy? Yes, that's what I said! Set aside your assumptions, and here me out.
Easy New Designs
In your mother's day, it went like this: you folded/wrapped an absorbant cotton diaper around baby, pinned it on, and added "rubber pants" for waterproofing. Not anymore! Of course, the old-fashion style still works, but if you're looking for convenience (yes, please!), there's good news. You can choose cloth diapers that are all one piece and close with velcro just as fast as a disposable!
No More Frequent Changes
Do you have to change cloth diapers more often than disposables? It's a fair question. It's true that the gel in disposables will absorb so much that you could change baby less frequently than the 2-3 hours recommended by the American Pediatrics Society. However, this would be unhealthy as the urine and/or feces are still there and may cause diaper rash and/or infection. So while you may get away with changing disposables less often than cloth, if your priority is your baby's health, there should be no difference in the frequency of that diaper change. There are times when you need the freedom to go longer between changes, such as overnight. In these cases, your modern cloth diaper can accept an extra absorbent insert to significantly extend time between changes, keeping baby dry overnight.
No Dunking!
Did you think you'd have to dunk each soiled diaper? Ew! Today's washing machines are equipped to handle that mess without the pre-rinse. You should tip the diaper over the toilet to plop off whatever will fall, but you can leave the rest. And for those of you who can't resist, a diaper sprayer can attach to your commode to rinse a diaper clean, right into the toilet. By the way, until your baby starts eating solids, you won't even have to do the tip/plop. Breastfed baby poop is water soluble and easy for your machine to clean up!
No Soaking!
Banish all thoughts of a tub or bucket full of soaking diapers! Parents soaked diapers to prevent stains from settling into cotton. You can choose modern diapers lined with microsuede - a soft, stain-repellent fabric that makes soaking unnecessary.
Just Use your Machine
Yes, you will have to wash these diapers yourself (a diaper service negates the savings and many of the environmental benefits - plus you generally have to use old-fashioned, two-part diapers). But, if you own a washing machine, it's really just a matter of pushing the buttons! You should only need to do one small load of diaper laundry every other day, which I've found surprisingly easy to keep up with. In fact, I've found I get some satisfaction out of turning yucky dirty duds into fresh, clean cloth diapers!
A Better Fit
Disposable diapers have a way of leaking, time and time again. If you have the misconception that cloth will be less reliable, think again. Cloth diapers allow for a customized fit with stretchy velcro or snaps. Plus, the high-quality elasticized gussets at the legs and waist fit baby's curves much better than cheap disposable materials. Have you seen the phenomenon of explosive poops (the kind that somehow find their way UP baby's back)? Expect cloth diapers to drastically reduce or entirely eliminate this particular parenting challenge, as the best cloth diapers have elastic at the top of the diaper, something disposables totally lack.
So Much Cuter!
Ok, so cuter doesn't really make it easier, but we can't resist mentioning that cloth diapers are adorable when compared to disposables. Beautiful colors and fluffy behinds far outshine crinkly paper underwear. I'm sure your baby will agree that cloth diapers are much more stylish (and considerably more comfy too!).
Interested now? I thought so. Now let's get serious and Talk about the Savings or skip ahead to What's the Difference: Types of Cloth Diapers.
cart
