7 Secrets of Cloth Diapering
After two boys in disposables, I made the switch to cloth diapers a few months ago with my third baby. Before taking the plunge, I consulted with experienced friends and engaged in some serious internet research. Although I found out a lot of good information via those channels, here are some of the lesser-known tidbits of information that I've gleaned.
1. Don't waste your time the first few weeks. In the beginning, you have things like meconium, umbilical cord stumps and circumcisions to tend to. Plus, it doesn't matter how tightly you fasten the diaper covers -- they will leak. My baby's diapers became much more reliable around the 10-pound mark.
Read More: 7 Reasons to Switch to Cloth Diapers
2. Standard diaper creams aren't good for cloth diapers. They ruin the absorbency, so either order some cloth-safe creams online (I haven't been able to find them in stores) or make your own!
Read More: Cloth Diapering: Worth the Benefits or Too Much Effort?
3. Newborn inserts can be a waste of time. This might not apply to all babies, but my little guy wet through the smaller newborn inserts in about 30 seconds flat, but the regular sized inserts were too big. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't have bought any newborn inserts at all.
Read More: A Poop-o-Phobes Guide to Cloth Diapering: It Really Ain't That Scary
4. Cloth diapers really are better at containing poop blow-outs! This is music to the ears of any parent who has suffered through multiple outfit changes every day for the first few months.
Read More: Tips to Make the Changing Table a Happy Place
5. Diaper rash seems to be a thing of the past. Remember that diaper cream I mentioned earlier? I haven't had to make any because my son hasn't had a day of diaper rash in his short little existence.
6. They're not nearly as difficult to wash as you think they are. Sure, it's more involved than taking them out to the trash, but I got used to washing them very quickly. It takes much less time than driving to the store to buy diapers!
7. They're a little bit bulky. Cloth diapers don't contain all of those chemicals that make disposables so absorbent, so they're naturally bigger and bulkier. As a result, your baby might "outgrow" clothes a little faster.
Did I leave anything off the list? What did you learn from using cloth diapers?
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