Friday, September 17, 2010

The Cloth Diaper Journey Begins

Cloth diapering seemed to whisper its way into my conscious with Baby Number Two. I never really investigated cloth diapering the first time around. With Baby Number One I returned to work when he was seven months old and was completely overwhelmed by working full time and trying to be a good mommy. I sidestepped articles about cloth diapering and ignored references to it. I heard that you had to wash cloth diapers a ridiculous number of times, so I told myself that that was justification enough. I was saving water by using disposables, wasn't I? That was reason enough, wasn't it? Boy, was I duped.

Somehow cloth diapering did continue to pop up the second time around, and I guess I was open to it. I am so glad I made the switch. So what did prompt me to make the change? I guess the first disclosure I have to make is that I am now home full time. My husband and I took the one pay check plunge. No longer working (outside of the home, although I am still so geeked to be a SAHM, I can hardly call what I do working,) and eliminating my daily hour drive back and forth to work, I felt I had more time to on my hands. I started hanging clothes on the line and thought, hey I could do this with diapers, couldn't I?

It seemed all of the mothers in our Mommy and Me Yoga class used cloth too. From time to time I'd see a bright green diaper and I guess I took note. 

Then there were so many references in my Mothering magazine. I still barely read the articles about cloth diapering. I skimmed them because I wanted to stay ignorant of all of the chemicals sitting so close to my little ones bottoms. I guess those hippies over at Mothering know better than to leave us alone.

A good friend also told me that she always flushed solids when changing her daughter's diapers and how important it was to do that. I started flushing the solids too, mostly because I learned that was a helpful pre-potty training step. My son was extremely interested in seeing his poop and flushing it. With this step becoming a part of our routine, I told myself that cloth diapering couldn't be that much more difficult.

Then I guess the last straw was when our yoga instructor mentioned that a local store No Pins Required offered free classes on cloth diapering, I knew I couldn't hold out any longer. I talked to the instructor about cloth diapering and then hit the Internet. In the two weeks prior to going to my cloth diapering 101 class, I became completely obsessed with cloth diapers. By the time I went to the class, I felt like I had already done tons of research. I was happy I took the class, believe me, but I already had a pretty good idea about what diapers I wanted to try.

I became so obsessed that after my last box of disposables ran out and before my first shipment of diapers arrived, I frantically sewed as many fitted diapers as I possibly could so as to never put a disposable on my boys again. It seemed impossible to justify spending twenty buck on any amount of disposables when twenty bucks could buy one more super cute diaper.

I touted cloth diapering as a money saving endeavor to my husband. I researched different styles, brands and systems to find the most economical deal. I think I did an awesome job doing this, but there is this one little problem. Although I have a decent stash now, I continue to investigate cloth diapering and still feel a bit of a compulsion to buy more. I am desperately trying to fight this demon, (note guilt in writing because I bought a diaper today at above mentioned diaper store when I told myself and my husband I was just buying detergent) but they are so cute. I still think I am way ahead of the disposable game, even if I have had to buy cloth diaper detergent and the occasional diaper. I've spent under five hundred bucks and I have outfitted two kids. Pin It Now!

1 comment:

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