After cloth diapering for one year, I can say that it has been a journey with both highs and lows! Cloth diapering has so many amazing benefits, but it can also be difficult to navigate at times.
I know that when I decided to cloth diaper my first child, I was intimidated by all the information online and from other moms I talked to. There seemed to be so much information on the topic that instead of it being helpful, it was just overwhelming.
Hopefully sharing my experience here with you will help you feel more confident in how easy and simple cloth diapering can be!
Our family decided to use cloth diapers for our children for the main reason of saving money, and the added bonus of avoiding all the chemicals found in disposable diapers. But, many others also choose cloth diapering because it is better for the environment and to enjoy the fun, adorable colors they come in.
I’ll explain more details below on which cloth diapers we have, how we take care of them and more as you keep reading. Let’s check it out…
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The Start Of The Journey
When I decided to cloth diaper my baby during my pregnancy I had so many friends gift me with used cloth diapers they no longer needed. It was such a blessing, and I actually ended up with more than I needed (the recommended 24ish).
We were also gifted quite a few packs of disposable diapers when our daughter was born, so we used those for about the first month of her life. I would suggest using disposables at least during the first week of your newborn’s life because of the staining meconium can leave behind.
After trying out a few different brands (check out this blog post!) I found that the majority of the ones that were working well for us were BumGenius pocket diapers with adjustable clips for sizing. I never ended up using any newborn-size cloth diapers.
Pocket cloth diapers were the only version we used when we were cloth diapering for one year so I can’t speak to the other styles, like all-in-ones and pre-folds. But, I do love how these ones work for our family! You can stuff them with as many inserts as needed, usually two during the day and three at night, and remove all parts for easy washing.
Related Post: What Really Is The Best Cloth Diaper? My Honest Best Cloth Diapers Review
The Regrets
We cloth diapered full time, meaning all day and all night, and even when we traveled! (Be sure you have a wet/dry bag always in your diaper bag.) The only time I had to use disposables was when my daughter had a diaper rash we couldn’t quite kill.
I regret not changing her diaper more often in the beginning, at the very first sign of a diaper rash. For a long time, I would apply diaper cream and give her diaper-free moments throughout the day. Her diaper rash seemed to be healing; however, at night it would flare up again.
It became so bad at one point that there was no other option but to buy disposables from the store. They helped heal the diaper rash but made it much harder to go back to cloth diapering.
I also regret not adding this sprayer to my baby registry. My daughter was exclusively breastfed for the first six months of her life so it wouldn’t have been necessary until she started eating solids. Now that she is over a year old, it would help so much in cleaning off her poop from the diaper before throwing it in the wash!
At times, when leakage seemed to be higher, I tried to figure out what the issue was and could never nail it down. I think it was just that I hadn’t changed her diaper frequently enough.
But, that’s the hard part of cloth diapering: it can be hard to nail down why they are leaking. It could be that they need to be stripped, they aren’t tight enough or adjusted correctly, they aren’t stuffed enough, or just the liner absorbency is poor.
Lastly, at times I regret not using reusable wipes. We use clean natural wipes from Young Living that I love instead, but I am considering using reusable, homemade wipes for baby number two.
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The Best Parts
One of my favorite parts of cloth diapering is doing it during the summertime. In the summer I can line dry my cloth diapers, allowing the sun to naturally bleach them and strip them. This keeps them fresh longer and easier!
Living in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan means that we have very long winters. It gets tricky cloth diapering for that long in the winter. I find that they build up detergent and other bacteria easier, which also seems to cause more leakage. My cloth diapers get a huge refresh each summer when they are out in the sunshine again!
I also love that cloth diapering for one year has helped us start early potty training with our daughter (elimination communication). After she started eating some solids at six months, we could tell by her facial expressions and sounds when she was starting to push out a poop.
As soon as we heard it we rushed her to the toilet and caught her poops! And that makes one less cloth diaper to clean. Now, whenever we set her on the toilet she will pee or poop. It is such a kind and gentle approach to potty training, and really a joy of motherhood.
Related Post: 12 Powerful Motherhood Lessons I Learned During My First Year
It Really Is Simple
Overall, I found that cloth diapering really was simple. Cloth diapering for one year wasn’t that hard!
My routine is very easy: fold and stuff the diapers when they come out clean from the wash, use them and change them whenever she is wet, take the inserts out, and throw them into a laundry hamper (they really didn’t stink thanks to the breastmilk), throw the load into the wash when we have gone through most of them (I only use Young Living laundry detergent or a homemade option), and line dry them (in the summer). Then repeat the process!
I also used Young Living’s diaper rash cream and never had an issue that I could tell! Also, being gifted with used cloth diapers (or finding your cloth diapers second-hand) saves so much money. And, cloth diapering really doesn’t take that much time or effort, just an extra load of laundry each week.
Just remember to change your cloth diapers often to avoid a diaper rash, line dry them in the sun, and adjust them well to fit your baby to avoid leakage!
Let me know your thoughts on cloth diapering in the comments below! I can’t wait to hear them.
Kelsey at GoodPointGrandma
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