One Year In Cloth

In 2006, we decided to go the cloth diaper route with baby number two (Madeline) and God willing-- subsequent children. The decision to move to cloth diapers was not one I made quickly. I spent hours researching, pondering, and pestering Jonathan with the pros and cons. We eased into the cloth diaper world testing out different styles and manufacturers--purchasing a diaper here and there for Hannah to sleep in . Very pleased with our limited experience (a toddler who rarely wet at night), we set up a cloth diaper registry with Cotton Babies. As they say, the rest is history. I can honestly say I have no regrets and have enjoyed using cloth diapers. Yes, enjoyed. Now, I have used my share of disposables throughout the course of the year-- during family vacations, in the midst of our move, etc., but there is something so very satisfying and even nostalgic about tossing a diaper into a pale, washing it , folding it, and reusing it. Never mind the endless array of cute and user friendly styles of diapers. I wish I had done a better job of tracking money spent on cloth diapers, disposables, and wash cycles, but it is very clear that we have saved money over the course of the year. In addition to the financial and environmental benefits, we later found out that Madeline has some mild eczema issues which were exacerbated by disposables--cloth is the best thing for her.

I would definitely say that cloth diapering requires on the job training. It has taken me a year to perfect my system--washing, figuring out which diapers work best in various scenarios, sizing, shopping for diapers, etc. But one year later, we only use cloth (even Hannah sleeps in a cloth pull up). I am so grateful to my cloth diapering compadres (long distance internet friends and local) who have helped me to trouble shoot, offered tips, and shared their experiences. Gwen--thanks for responding to that e-mail over a year ago!!! You have been a HUGE help!!!