After my first experience cloth diapering, with my then 18 month old, it’s a wonder I was willing to try again.  They were an impulse buy.  Strolling through a major department store’s baby section one day, I happened upon a package of flannel fitteds.  They looked simple enough – no pins or folding.  So I bought them, went home, washed them once, and threw one on my daughter.  She leaked.  Thinking the cover wasn’t on tight enough, we tried another one. When she again had wet pants shortly after, I was done.  We had tried, failed, and that was it.  We were using disposables – and that was ok, because I could confidently say “been there, done that, not for us”. 

3 yrs later, with our 3^rd baby, we were having blowouts with every disposable diaper we tried. A friend was having great success with cloth, so I had her show me hers – which were like nothing I had ever seen before.  They were cute, trim, and easy to use.  I spent hours researching – everything from types of diapers and their materials, to washing routines and problems that can creep up on you.  There is a wealth of information out there – including diapering review sites, and chat forums dedicated to cloth diapering.  

The benefits to using cloth amazed me.  We would easily save money.  The amount of waste we were sending to the landfill would be drastically reduced. I would no longer be exposing my baby constantly to the chemicals and dyes contained in disposables. My baby might potty train earlier since cloth diapers tend to let them feel the wetness more than disposables.  It really seemed like switching to cloth was a good idea. 

We made the switch, and have been cloth diapering full-time ever since.  Our only regret is that we didn’t start sooner. Laundry is more than manageable, and we’ve solved our leak problems. 

We have a little bit of everything – pockets, AIOs (All-in-ones), fitteds, prefolds and covers.  I love my pockets for their quick drying time. AIO’s are just about the easiest diaper ever, but will take a little longer to dry.  My fitteds are much like an AIO, and for shorter periods, I don’t need a cover.  Prefolds can be trifolded into a cover, and make for absorbent inserts in pockets.  Flushable liners make handling soiled diapers a breeze.   

There are a number of popular materials used for cloth diapers, and what you choose generally comes down to personal preference – both yours, and your baby’s.  A baby’s skin may be more sensitive to one material over another; you may like natural fibers more than synthetic.  Price may also be a factor.  

When considering cloth, do your research.  Don’t commit yourself to any one type or system, and be open trying a few things to see what is best for you and your baby.  What works for one, doesn’t always work for another.  Cloth diapering will be a great, rewarding experience if done right, from the start.