Cloth Diapering 101
Introduction
(musings from Shannon- founder and owner of Wildflower Diapers)
We've had the pleasure of helping thousands of families get started with cloth diapering. We've seen a wide diversity in reasons to cloth diaper, motivations for making the switch, and expectations of what it will be like. One thread, though, that seems to run through everyone's experience is the feeling of being completely overwhelmed when they start their research. I remember one mama we met that wanted badly to cloth diaper, and would even go as far as going to online cloth diaper stores, fill her cart, then stop short of actually making the purchase...she did this for 18 months before finally visiting our store to really make the switch. This is not uncommon! We understand these feelings, and all of us have been there. We want to de-mystify and simplify your cloth diaper experience. We tell someone almost every day that it is much more work to think about cloth diapering than to actually do it! We have been conditioned in a very short time (less than 30 years) that the normal way to diaper is with paper and plastic that you throw away, so it is understandable that our generation of parents thinks cloth diapers are strange. I think everyone would agree that re-using something is better than throwing it in a landfill. But most of us will only go so far. If choosing a re-usable product means a significant change to our lifestyle, is very labor-intensive, or offers no other benefit than the warm fuzzy feeling of being environmentally conscious, it can be a tough sell. And that is the perception of using cloth diapers- that yes, it is probably better, but it will be too difficult, too messy, too much of burden, etc. Here comes the good news:
Using cloth diapers can truly be just as easy as using throw-away diapers. Really!
The only difference is a few extra loads of laundry each week.
 A funny but thought-provoking question comes to mind. Why don't we throw away our clothes after wearing them? It would be alot easier. No laundry to do, no ironing, no dry cleaning...disposable clothes- what a great idea! But it will never happen, because 1) it is wasteful; 2) paper clothes don't work as well; and 3) paper clothes are uncomfortable! So...how did the "normal" way to diaper become paper diapering?
- We think it is because when disposable diapers were invented, cloth diapers like we have now did not exist. The beautiful and functional fabrics we have now for cloth diapering just simply didn't exist or weren't used. If companies like Bummis, BumGenius, Happy Heinys or Thirsties (or any of our other brands) were around then, we are pretty sure disposable diapers would have flopped!
- People also wanted ease and convenience, and disposables offered that, while the cloth of the 1960's did not. Happily, in the 21st century, modern cloth diapers offer that ease of use, convenience, and functionality that people so desperately wanted.
- Honestly, when disposable diapers were introduced, we didn't think too much about the environmental impact of widespread disposable diaper use. Now, more than 25 billion disposable diapers go into landfills every year in the United States. Even for those who are not concerned with the massive environmental impact, many people are concerned with the massive cost to dispose of this much waste. In 1988, cities, town, and other municipalities spent about $300 million dollars to dispose of the then-18 billion disposable diapers thrown out that year.
- Babies can't express a preference. Going back to the paper clothing analogy, we would never go to paper clothing because we will always choose soft, comfy fibers over paper (ever worn a paper hospital gown?). But babies don't get a choice, and are stuck with whatever it is we choose for them. As a nation, we chose throw-away diapers for convenience, and didn't give too much thought to what was more comfortable for baby. However, ask an articulate toddler what he/she prefers on their bum, and it will be hands-down in favor of cloth. (Ask me about the time we thought of using a couple disposable diapers on a long car trip- 1.5 year old Ella put the kibosh on that the minute the paper diaper touched her bum!)
We also think cloth diapers are just really, really cute. See Ella above right- yes, we are a bit biased on the cuteness of the baby, but check out how cute that diaper is!
Let's get to the nitty-gritty of your introduction to cloth diapering! Below, you will find our library of articles and helpful information that we try to add to as often as possible. If you can't find the answer to your questions here, please let us know!
|
