Cloth Diaper FAQ

Posted at my friend Rehan's request!

"So how are those fancy cloth diapers working out for you?" is a question I get a lot. I have a feeling that most people expect me to answer that indeed they are not working out for us and that we have bought a gross or so of Huggies to make up for it.

I never thought I would be doing something like this. In fact, several years ago, when I heard that some friends of mine were cloth diapering their baby, I thought they were nuts. (Hmmm, I don't think I ever actually told them that...so Beth and Alex, if you're reading this, I know now that you are not nuts!) But now I'm really sold on the idea, or at the worst, addicted.

Here are the pros and cons of the 'way of the cloth':

Pro: The diapers themselves perform very well. They are slightly larger than the size Adam would be wearing now, and thus, are able to contain more mess. They are made with strong elastic around the legs and back, too, which also helps a lot. I've had only one "blow-out" diaper with Adam so far. From speaking with other mothers of similarly aged babies, I either have a very clean baby or a good set of diapers.

Con: The diapers are big. Adam has a little bubble-butt most of the time, which although cute, makes him wear a size-up in pants. Most of the time, his pants are rolled up in the early 90's style. The diapers also take up more room in the diaper bag, so I have a larger bag that I would otherwise carry.

Pro: We don't have to buy diapers all the time. No late-night trips to the store.

Con: The diapers need to be washed. I almost hesitate to list this as a con because it doesn't trouble me too much. I do a lot of laundry anyway, and the diapers make an extra load every three days. And for now, while Adam is exclusively dining on milk, they can be tossed directly into the wash with no special rinsing. Who would have guessed that this kind of poop is water soluble? When we introduce solids sometime after he's 6 months old, the poop will need to be shaken into the toilet first. I can't say I'm looking forward to that, but he'll be pooping a lot less then, hopefully.

Pro: We've spent $400 on diapers so far, and will probably spend another $200 in about 6 months when he grows to the next size . Those diapers should last him until he is potty trained. That's a big shellout, but it's likely the only money we will ever spend on diapering Adam. According to an online calculator, we will break even after 13 months of diapering. Our subsequent children (and we do hope for several more) will basically be diapered for free (the minimal cost of washing the diapers).

Pro: We're reducing landfill waste. Karl and I, though we do feel a calling to steward the earth that God has made, tend to shy away from the environmentalist label. But we are thrifty. We've found that most things that thrifty people do, such as turning off lights when we're not in a room, or driving smaller cars, are also good for the environment. So we're glad to tell our crunchiest of friends that we're doing our part.

Pro & Con: One benefit of the cloth is less diaper rash. Adam has had only one bout of it so far. Once that cleared up, we really haven't seen much of it. Just some redness here and there that clear up with some powder. The con part of this is that diaper rash creams can't be used with the diapers. You see, the creams work by making a protective waterproof barrier on the skin. If that gets on the cloth, the diaper becomes waterproof and no longer works. So if diaper rash does develop, we would have to put him in disposables until it clears up.

Pro: The diapers are cute! They come in a bunch of colors and I have fun matching them to his outfit.

So there you have it. I don't think it's for everybody, but it's working out well for us so far. I'll let you know if we still like it once he starts solids! :)