Cloth Diapering Not for Wimps?

I’ve come to the conclusion that cloth diapering is not for wimps. BUT, it’s also not as difficult as it may seem, at first.

When I first started cloth diapering, it was with my first child. I was a nervous mother and I thought everything needed to be perfect. I went through “hell and back” to breastfeed, I read all the books…you know the drill.

I’m also someone who does have a genuine concern for the Earth that God has given us, so the thought of trashing all those disposable diapers wasn’t something I felt good about.

I heard about a stay at home mother who made a business of selling cloth diapers that were similar to disposable diapers, but easy on the environment. “Hmmm,” I thought, “maybe I could do that; save the world and save money at the same time.” Eureka!

So, the first time I tried…I failed – due to false information. I regularly lugged a bucket full of sloshing, soapy water, full of smelly diapers up and down our basement stairs because I read somewhere I had to SOAK my baby’s soiled cloth diapers.

My back hurt, and frankly, the thought of sticking my hand into the toilet to swish another poopy diaper around again was just more than I could, or wanted to, handle.

So, I quit. I sold my stash on eBay (and made quite a good chunk of change, by the way). And, I added some more disposables to our ever-bulging landfills.

On my third baby I resolved AGAIN to save the world.

Now, a more laid-back and experienced mother of a third baby, I once again resolved myself to save the world…one diaper at a time.

The difference this time is I refuse to break my back doing it. Here’s what has made all the difference for me:

• Skip soaking the diapers – put them in a wet bag and wash them every day instead.
• Use disposable liners and skip the toilet swishing (almost all of the time anyway).
• Use diapers that DON’T LEAK!

My Current Cloth Diapering Quest

This is my current quest. I’ve gone through about four different brands of cloth diapers trying to find a good cloth diapering system that doesn’t leak. My newest system, purchased from Diaper Junction, are Indian prefolds with Thirsties Duo Wraps.

Surprisingly, so far so good. I’m learning as I go and trying my hardest to save the Earth (and my child’s bottom) without breaking the bank.

The truth is, I think I’ve kind of started to learn to LIKE doing the diaper laundry, which is a little unsettling isn’t it? But, there’s something about the soothing process of folding all of those clean, white cloth diapers into a neat pile and actually finishing a task! So, for me, I’m not only saving the Earth by cloth diapering, but also saving my sanity a little, one stack of laundry at a time.

GUEST BLOGGER

Bobbi Jepsen holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling and Student Personnel and previously worked at a state university before deciding to stay at home with her three children. She believes strongly in taking care of the resources entrusted to us by our Creator and uses cloth diapering as part of her “Earth friendly” mission.