Cloth Diapering and Going DiaperlessComing soon!! -- Going Diaperless Meanwhile, please visit this website to find out about infant potty training (ipt)... Infant Potty Training
My ThoughtsHonest Confessions of a Mom Who Loves to Use Disposables--But is Now a Cloth Diaper Convert!!!With my first child, I planned on using mostly cloth diapers. My parents paid for diaper service for the first few months of my daughter's life, and someone gave me a bunch of diaper wraps (with diaper wraps you don't have to use pins), so cloth diapering should have been easy.Even though we told my mother-in-law about our decision to use cloth, she gave us some really nice Pampers for newborns. Her gift surprised me, but we went ahead and used them and got hooked on disposables. Our baby wore cloth diapers at home, but whenever we went somewhere, we used disposables. I admit that I greatly preferred them to cloth because of their ease of use and slim-fitting look (in cloth, our little baby girl had a huge bottom!), plus they kept our daughter's clothes drier than cloth did.
So why do I have a page on cloth diapering? When my daughter was about 2 1/2, we successfully switched to cloth diapers. Pretty old to switch to cloth, I know, but it worked great for us. After our little boy's birth, we zealously avoided using any disposables, and I am very happy to say, he has never had a disposable diaper on his cute little bottom. My daughter learned to use the potty a little after she turned three (about a month after the birth of our son). Why did I switch? Well, though I am not convinced they are as easy as disposables to use (believe it or not, my husband--a father who changes lots of diapers and even uses pins--seems to think they are), I am convinced that most babies and our environment benefit from cloth diapers. Plus, I almost enjoy using them! I love the softness of cloth diapers and how fresh they look and smell after I wash them. Also, they can save lots of money (this is especially true if you compare cloth to name brand disposable diapers such as Pampers and Huggies and if you use them for more than one child). And with the right cloth diapers and covers they don't have to leak--and some of the covers look adorable. Sure my baby's bottom looks bigger than most other baby's, but I think it's very cute. Yes, it's true, now I'm a cloth diaper convert.
How to Wash Cloth DiapersEveryone seems to have their own special way of washing cloth diapers. Take a look at these ideas and come up with the plan that works best for you!
How to Wash Cloth Diapers on the Born to Love website
Washing Our Baby's Diapers
Diapering LinksDiapering by Laura Warren; all about cloth diapers!Pros/Cons; Tips: Buying, Using, Washing; The Quick and Dirty on Cloth Diapers (pun intended); Vendors, Phone Numbers and User Comments Laura's Cloth Diapering Page Advantages of Cloth Diapering, What Supplies Will I Need?, Where Can I Buy Cloth Diapers?, How to Wash Your Own Cloth Diapers World-Wide Cloth Diapering Resources on the Born to Love Website Where to buy cloth diapers Some helpful online resources Natural Diapering Mailing List from the Snugglebaby website
More Diapering HintsTo help keep baby happy while getting a diaper change, here are some suggestions:
Before diapering baby, pat him dry with a clean, dry cloth diaper,
especially in the creases! This removes excess moisture from a baby wipe
or damp cleaning cloth which could lead to diaper rash. Keep a few dry
cloth diapers on the changing table for this purpose.
Here's a baby wipes "recipe": Take a roll of Bounty and cut in half. Remove the cardboard core and put it into a cylindrical container which has a lid. You can use a Rubbermaid or Tupperware container, or even an old wipes container. Mix together 2 cups water, 2 tsp baby oil, 2 tsp baby shampoo or baby bath and few drops of tea tree oil. Pour this over the paper towels. The water will eventually migrate through the whole roll. Draw up the sheets from the center. The gentlest wipe of all is a cotton cloth--a baby wash cloth works well--dampened with warm water. You can keep a supply of small cotton cloths by the sink in the bathroom and pick one (or two) up and dampen it with warm water at the sink on the way to change baby's diaper. (We have our changing table in the laundry room next to a sink.) Using warm water and cotton cloths is especially good for babies who have sensitive skin and/or who do not like the feel of cold baby wipes. An alternative is to keep the cloths and a spray bottle of water by the changing table. You can also use cotton balls instead of cotton cloths, though we found that cotton balls did not work well to get meconium off. More baby wipe recipes (This is a link to another website.) To make your diaper pins go through the cloth easier, try sticking them in a bar of soap or running the pins through your hair. The best brand of diaper pin is Dritz.
|
http://www.oocities.org/kidzarepeopletoo/ Copyright 1996-2001 by mykidzmom |