I have a confession to make:
I don’t cloth diaper.
(The above photo of Seth in a cloth diaper was faked for his baby photo shoot!)
That usually comes as a surprise to people because I do a lot of other crunchy mamma things like drinking raw milk, cleaning my teeth with oil, and home birthing.
But one thing I know about this real food, clean living, crunchy kinda lifestyle is this: it’s a journey, and no one arrives all at once.
I have wanted to cloth diaper for years, but I was overwhelmed with all the options available to the modern cloth diapering parent, and really felt like I needed a live person to coach me through the process of figuring out if cloth diapering was right for me, and how to fit it into my daily routine.
I have an announcement: I’ve found my cloth diapering coach!
I met Erin at the Allume conference last fall. I had baby fever, she had a tiny new baby–we hit it off right away. If I’d known she cloth diapered, I’d have peppered her with questions. A lost opportunity!
But this spring, Erin did something really great: She wrote a whole book on Cloth diapering and it feels like she wrote it just for me. It’s for you, too, if you’ve wanted to figure out if cloth diapering is right for you, and how to start the journey.
Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert is one of the most helpful and enjoyable ebooks I’ve read. It’s both comprehensive and concise, beautifully designed and easy to navigate. It’s a how-to and a reference book, as well as a collection of many real life cloth diapering stories that will help you wade through the options and challenges of becoming a cloth diapering parent.
Can you believe there are 9 different kinds of cloth diapers? Not to mention dozens and dozens of different brands! No wonder I was overwhelmed trying to figure out where to start! When I tried to research on my own, I was derailed by all the abreviations: AIO, PLU, AI2. What??? But reading Erin’s book was like having a guided tour through a well-stocked diapering store–and no wonder, because she actually used to work at one! She walks you through all the options, helping you make an educated decision on what’s right for you and your family, and she even sets aside the commonly used abbreviations to make the book friendly for us newbies. Isn’t that sweet?
By the time I read the whole book, I felt ready. Yes! I’m ready to start cloth diapering. Now all I need is a baby…oh, yeah. We’ve got one scheduled to arrive in October! 😉
Thanks to Erin’s book, I have a clear idea of what I need to collect before baby arrives (and the list is surprisingly short!). I’ve decided I’m going to start with prefolds and covers (a friend has generously bequeathed me her stash) and I need a few wet bags, and some disposable liners for the first few weeks. Oh, and some snappis. I’m so excited, because I didn’t even know what those words meant a month ago!
Thanks to Erin, I feel ready for the next step in this journey.
Wanna join me? Have you wanted to cloth diaper, but felt you needed someone to hold your hand through the process? Or have you tried cloth diapering only to be derailed by stinky diapers, rashes, start-up costs, or leaks? Erin’s book will guide you through all the mess to find what works for you.
Get your copy of “Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert” and we’ll try this thing together!
Hi–just stumbled onto this. I cloth diapered my babies except when going to the mall, church, etc., (because it was more convenient to throw soiled/wet diapers away than carry them around with me). Cloth versus disposable was not a hard choice for me…I just figured if I would rather wear cotton panties (as opposed to paper panties), my babies would probably rather wear cotton on their little tushies. =) Happy diapering!
LOVED LOVED LOVED cloth diapering!!! Did not try it until my 3rd baby but it was so much easier and better than I expected. I used prefolds with covers. The great things were that the new ones are not bulky, no diaper rash for baby, and no smell in the house like with a diaper genie. I worried there would be more odor – but the mess goes in the toilet and if you use a “dry pail” and wash a couple times a week it truly is not bad. I think you will like it and baby will too!! P.S. love your website soooo much!
Soooo glad to see you’re excited about cloth diapering!…I cloth diaper and finally after 5 months have figured it out…and if I could hand on the one quintessential secret to cloth diapering to you, it would be….just buy flour sack cloths from walmart. They wash up quickly…no hot cycle, hot cycle, pre-wash then rinse rinse rinse!(it would take all day to wash diapers), there is almost never stink and when there is, it is so faint….and to top it all off, they dry ridiculously fast. I’m a pretty crunchy mamma but even my patience was put to the test with washing those super thick pre-folds…and I refused to invest in a cauldroon to boil them(haha)…good luck!
Joanna, I appreciate your enthusiasm so much! And love your confirmation of my choice to just go with the traditional flat diapers. Sounds like you’ve got a great system going.
I haven’t read the ebook yet, since I’m already a CD’er. Honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way, even with triplets.
Thanks for your post! I’m just starting the journey of researching all the various “baby options.” I tried the coupon code and no such luck! 🙁 If there’s another code, let me know! Thanks!
Sarah, we’re fixing the problem with the code–I’ll let ya’ll know when it’s good again!
Do you know if the coupon code is working?
I would love to know more about cloth diapering, but don’t know anyone who has done it personally…other than 23 years ago (or longer). Baby #5 on the way, and we’ve always used disposables, but I am in a different place now, too.
Thanks so much,
Cindy, coupon code should be working again, soon! Sorry about that!
I know how you feel–I didn’t know anyone personally who was doing the modern cloth diaper thing–now I do! I’m excited to try this and it will be neat if some of my readers joined me!
Trina! I am so honored by your review…and I am SOOOO excited for you! My second is an October baby. It’s a great month to have a baby! You will be SO missed at Allume!! xoxo
Erin, I love your book. It’s been a delight to share it with my readers. I’ll miss you, too!
I’ve used cloth diapers on my last 3 babies and find it very satisfying. 🙂 I’ve been through several types liking them better with certain babies. I discovered the “best bottom diapers” from Nicki’s Diapers (http://www.nickisdiapers.com/best-bottom.html) with Lilly and they are definitely my favorites. I’m using them with Solomon now. I do still use disposables at night time and sometimes when going out. Lilly was a very heavy wetter at night (she was on continuous feed through her g-tube) and so I added a wool diaper cover on her at night and it worked great. (http://www.abbyslane.com/Disana-Wool-Covers_p_115.html) I think you will like cloth diapering!
Thanks for the encouragement and tips and links, Lisa! I knew ‘coming clean’ about being a cloth diaper newbie was the right thing to do, I just didn’t realize how supportive my blog readers would be! Such a blessing! 😉
Honestly, I don’t think you have to love it or even like it a whole lot… Who likes poo? Sorta like natural child birth… We know it is better so we just do it, despite the pain or annoyance.. I know there are ppl who love to cloth diaper, but that seems a little much for me…I just do what has to be done to feel good about my decisions for my fan…
I love your perspective, Sarah–you’re right. It’s poo! LOL But I am inspired by your can-do attitude.
I remember that baby!! 🙂 I’m sure the new model will be just as cute.
One of these days you are going to have to come and visit. I think you pretty much qualify as an honorary auntie. Yup. You should come.
Aww..thanks. 🙂 Why does NY have to be sooo far away from Oregon?!? 🙁
You ARE on my short list of people I’d love to see IRL. You better believe if I’m ever anywhere NEAR, you are getting a visit!
OOOh, I thought you cloth diapered already, too! I hope you like it. I enjoy it (generally), and I have two in cloth right now. I love the softness that is up against my baby’s skin!
I’m just so encouraged by ya’lls enthusiastic response to my confession! 😉 Excited I won’t be doing this alone!
lol! I am one of those people who assumed you already used cloth diapers. I have a number of friends who use them. When #5 was born in May a few tried to convert me. I like the IDEA of a cloth diaper but I do not like the laundry that comes with it. So, I will stick with what works for me – Pampers knock-offs – and try infant potty training instead. 😀
Oh, I’m with you, Stephanie–I want to try some infant potty training, too! In fact, the gal who is giving me some diapers did that and said it really does make the whole diapering thing less challenging. You will have to let me know how it goes, please?
Oh, that’s great news! Trust me, you’ll never want to go back to disposables… My best tip: a few drops of tea tree essential oil in the diaper pail- not only does it help with the smell (honestly not a big problem), but it also limits bacteria. Don’t hestitate to drop me a line if you have any questions 🙂
I am so excited that I’ve got my very own personal cloth diapering support system here with ya’ll! Love the Essential Oils tip–thanks!
I really like my Baby Beduga pocket diapers. They’re blowing in the breeze on my clothesline right now!
I definitely want to experiment with other diaper types as the budget allows. I do love variety! Thanks for the recommendation, Jessiqua!
Prefolds and covers are my best diaper friends! I tried a bunch of different brands and styles in the beginning and wasn’t too impressed with all in ones or pockets or anything fancy. 🙂 One of these days I’ll finally publish the cloth diapering 101 post that’s been sitting around as a draft for at least six months…
I think you’ll love cloth diapering. 🙂
um, yes, publish that post for me, Claire! I’m taking all the advice I can get!