If only I knew more about nappies
My cloth diapering journey started years ago with the birth of my first daughter, I never even considered disposables. My mom used cloth nappies with me and my brother, and it felt only natural that I would do the same. But it didn’t exactly go as I had planned to, it felt far too complicated and cumbersome. But now with some trial and error, I have cracked it and now my cloth nappy routine is a breeze.
How my mom cloth diapered
Back in the day that my mom used cloth nappies, she used a plastic cover and a square piece of fabric. The plastic cover wasn’t breathable and could tear when you weren’t careful. It was a flat diaper shaped piece of plastic. You had to tie the sides together and make sure that none of the fabric poked out anywhere. She would fold the cloth nappy differently depending on our age. Then she had to secure it with a safety pin, my mom had the cutest safety pins back then. She had them in all kinds of colours and shapes, like a cute bunny head.
What I did the first time around
My mom taught me how to use cloth nappies, so the first time around I used the same covers and cloths. The only thing that differed was that I only had two cute safety pins, they were the only ones that we still had left from my childhood. While I was still pregnant, I thought that the intricate folding of the cloths would be no problem, but when the baby arrived it quickly became overwhelming. I could not keep up with all the folding that I had to do alongside my new mommy responsibilities. I also got a lot of grief from my mother in law who preferred disposables. Eventually, it all became too much for me and I buckled under all the stress. I stopped using cloth nappies, and started using disposables, I felt incredibly guilty about it but felt like I had no other choice.
Cloth nappies can be easy
What I hadn’t realized the first time with cloth nappies, was that there isn’t just one way to cloth diaper. There are easier ways to use cloth nappies, ways that don’t involve pins, and awkward folding techniques that are then covered with horrible plastic pants. Nowadays we can choose from so many different cloth diaper options. You can have all-in-one nappies which work the same as disposables, apart from the washing. But you can also choose for inserts where you stuff them, they are still super easy but are easier to get clean. And then you have a basic cloth with a cover, they are not as easy to use but are easier to wash than the other two.
Homemade vs shop bought nappies
So if you sew or know someone who sews then you might want to make the nappies yourself. The pattern itself isn’t overly complicated, and if you start while you’re still pregnant you can finish them before the baby comes. But if you prefer to buy them and save yourself the trouble of sewing them, that is perfectly fine. And there are more then enough brands and patterns to choose from if you decide to buy them. Personally, the fact that I could make 10 nappies for the price of 4 shopbought ones, made me decide to make them myself. I actually quite liked making them and found it easier than I had thought it would be.
How I use cloth nappies now
When I got pregnant with my second daughter, I knew I wanted to try to use cloth nappies again. But this time I would get a more user-friendly cloth nappy. So I ended up choosing the same cloths that I used with my first daughter, mainly because they dry so quickly. When the insert dries quickly, washing them is so much less fuss. For the cover, I choose to make my own, it’s a special fabric they call “pul”. It is the best thing since sliced bread. Pul fabric is breathable but still completely waterproof, and it comes in so many cute colours and designs. I choose bright green, it is unisex and I was having a spring baby so green just felt perfect.
Why it works this time
I believe that why it works this time around is for a big part because I choose a cloth nappy type that works for me. Everyone is different and will prefer a different way to cloth diaper. For me, getting rid of the complicated folding and the tying of knots in the cover made a world of difference. I use a disposable liner to catch any nasty business, which saves me so much fuss. And maybe the biggest difference of all, I stopped paying attention to all the people that didn’t agree with me using cloth nappies. Because at the end of the day, you get to raise your child and you get to decide what you think is best for them. Whether that is cloth nappies or disposable ones.
Let me know in the comments what your experience is with cloth diapering or send me a DM on Instagram.
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