Cloth Diapers for Beginners

THERE IS SO MUCH CONFUSION WHEN STARTING OUT IN THE CLOTH DIAPER WORLD. I GET IT, I WAS THERE TOO. I HOPE THIS GIVES YOU CONFIDENCE AS YOU START YOUR STASH AND BEGIN TO CLOTH DIAPER YOUR BABY.

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WHY DID WE DECIDE TO CLOTH DIAPER?

Honestly, the biggest reason for us is the cost. We do, however, like the idea of being environmentally responsible in every way that we possibly can.

Upon the realization that we could make a one time purchase of cloth diapers and never have to buy disposable diapers ever, I was sold.

One thing I talk about quite a bit is living on a budget. I’m a firm believer that life on a budget doesn’t have to be boring, you just have to get creative and think outside of the box sometimes. With that said, when we spend money on something, I don’t really want it to be diapers. Especially when their purpose is to be used and thrown away…

The last reason is that I love keeping a natural home, for my family’s sake. Most diapers and wipes have so many unnecessary and potentially harmful ingredients that I don’t want on my baby’s skin, much less in my house. I have the power to make sure that everything that touches my baby’s bottom when cloth diapering is organic, unbleached, all natural, you get the point.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF CLOTH DIAPERING?

Cost is a big one, as I mentioned above.

I used to think it would be inconvenient to cloth diaper, but I’ve realized that it’s actually more convenient to have a never ending stash of diapers in your house (you know, so you don’t have to run to Target at 10pm because you realize you’ve all of a sudden run out of diapers…).

Personally, we’ve only experienced 1 “blowout” with cloth diapers so far, and it quite possibly could’ve been user error. Disposables on the other hand, it seems we have daily blowouts.

One reason that actually surprised me, is that cloth diapers are better for babies hips. It forces them to be wider apart, which seems unnatural to us and like it would be detrimental to them. However, have you ever wondered why babies are so flexible? Because their hips joint and socket aren’t fully formed yet, they’re able to move in ways we couldn’t even begin to move. It’s been said that cloth diapers can help to avoid hip dysplasia, as well, since it keeps their hips spread out.

Don’t forget about being able to control what touches your baby’s skin.

Have I sold you on the benefits of cloth diapering yet?

WHERE DO I START?

This is where I got stuck.

My husband and I made the decision to cloth diaper, but when I went online to look at the options I got completely overwhelmed. There are so many different brands and styles. I had no idea where to even start.

Eventually, I got to the point where I just wanted someone to tell me what to buy. I got a few recommendations from some friends. They all seemed to have a common brand that they loved. I looked into it and gave it a try.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO GET STARTED?

I was prepared to spend hundreds of dollars. From my research, that’s what I thought was necessary. I’ve linked everything that we use below. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how cheaply you can get up and running (and potentially never buy anything to diaper your baby again).

All in all, our entire diaper stash (linked below) cost just under $300. Most people spend almost $100 on diapers a month. That means that in 3-4 months or so, your investment will have paid off.

HERE’S WHAT OUR STASH LOOKS LIKE

Flip cover

Cotton prefolds

Snappi cloth diaper fasteners

Hemp/organic cotton insert

Wet bag for on the go

Wet bag

Reusable wipes

Wipe Solution

Amber spray bottle

Diaper Pail (this one fits a wet bag, instead of a trash bag)

That’s it! Pretty simple.

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