Curious or Confused About Cloth Diapers?
If you are considering cloth diapering, it is first important to “tune out the noise” said Kim Rosas, from Dirty Diaper Laundry at our recent BabyFest expo.
Wise words.
The current sheer volume of information and opinions about cloth diapering can be overwhelming for parents. You have brands telling you different things, let alone public forums and Facebook groups. Then you have all in ones, all in twos, pockets, pre-folds and varying washing rules to get your head around….
It can sometimes feel like another language.
It can feel like people are talking at you and not listening to you.
And more than often, it can feel like another mini parenting battlefield.
For those who are considering cloth, perhaps you’ve heard the following once or twice….or maybe even had these thoughts yourself?
“Oh, the smell is worse!”
“They’re difficult and take hours to wash”
“I’ve heard they’re uncomfortable”
“It’s super expensive”
“Day care won’t allow cloth diapers”
And so on.
The truth is, the cloth diaper landscape has changed so much. A lot of these negative misconceptions are now outdated. We’re not talking about your Grandma’s diapers anymore – cloth diapers are not what they once were. They can be modern, colourful, breathable, effective and practical (think simple snaps or velcro closures), as well as eco-friendly and cost effective.
Rosas was at BabyFest to tackle ongoing misconceptions about cloth. As a passionate advocate for cloth, she was keen to stress that you CAN personalize your own cloth diapering experience. It isn’t a one-size-fits-all kind of system. If you want to do it, you can choose a way that makes YOU comfortable and suits YOUR lifestyle – even if that means doing it part time if your day care won’t do cloth.
Another favorite quote of ours from Rosas at BabyFest was when she spoke about disposables leaking:
“Whether you are using cloth or disposables, you’re dealing with poop anyway. That’s just a fact. With cloth, you get to choose your involvement with poop. But when you use disposable diapers, it chooses you!”
An interesting way to look at it, huh?
Now we don’t preach right or wrong ways at Babies in Bloom – we support YOUR way. We all have our reasons for what suits us and our families’ best. If cloth diapers aren’t for you, no worries. There is no judgement here. But for those who are interested, or those currently feeling a little intimidated or confused by cloth, then why not join our Cloth Diapering 101 class at the Babies in Bloom Boutique?
On the first Saturday of the month at 11am, we connect parents and parents-to-be that want to use cloth, or who are simply cloth curious, with parents who have chosen cloth. It’s your chance to ask the questions and hear real first-hand experiences of different brands and different styles – the good and the bad. This isn’t about a hard product sell. We have one simple goal – to listen and help you make sense of all the “noise”.
Hope to see you there!
