I’m a tree-hugging flower child at heart, but I’m also a modern momma who works full time; so while I want to be as “green" as I can to help save my beloved Mother Earth, sometimes convenience wins out over eco-friendliness. But one decision I’m happy that I’ve made is to cloth diaper my daughter.
When my best friend Anne had her first child, she chose cloth diaper service instead of disposables. Since I hadn’t yet made the leap into motherhood, she was my model (and guinea pig) for everything related to raising a child, so I asked a ton of questions about her choice to use cloth. I became enamored with the idea of cloth diapering, so I started doing some research. What I found was a colorful plethora of adorably fluffy options that made my head spin.
I mostly chose cloth in an effort to decrease the overall volume of waste that my family uses in diapering, and to keep the chemicals from disposables out of our landfills. The cost savings was a factor as well, but ultimately my obsession with cloth was born from my love of our Earth.
Natural parenting and green living are on the rise, and consequently, so is the use of cloth diapers. This has led to an amazing evolution in the types of cloth diapers that are available on the market. Modern cloth diapering is a far cry from prefolds and diaper pins (though, some people still prefer that old school method).
There is truly a type of cloth diaper for everyone these days. While I sometimes use plain cotton prefolds with a waterproof diaper cover, pocket diapers are are easier for my mom to use when she cares for my daughter, so those tend to get used the most.
Both prefolds with diaper covers and pocket diapers are affordable, adjustable in the level of absorbency, easy to clean using eco-friendly cloth diaper detergent, and quick to dry either in the machine or in the sun - the sun kills bacteria, naturally bleaches stains and is free energy! There are cloth diapers on the market that are truly as easy to use as disposables called All In Ones (AIO) – they are fantastic, though they do take longer to dry.
My best advice to someone who is interested in trying cloth diapers is to do your research, read blog reviews, and try more than one style and brand of diaper before you invest in an entire stash. Feel free to contact me at jessica.wildflowersunshine@gmail.com if you have questions!
And have fun! Fluffy cloth diaper tushies are ADORABLE and there are so many colors and patterns! It truly can become an obsession!
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About Jessica Shevlin
Jessica Shevlin is a wife, mother and author of the blog Wildflower Sunshine, which contains recipes, beer tasting and food pairings, craft ideas, stories of parenthood and more. She also writes articles and product reviews for The SIMPLE Moms. Read more at Wildflower Sunshine and The Simple Moms.