cloth diapering part one: why i use cloth diapers.

before Isla was born, I read an article in Mothering magazine all about cloth diapers.

some of the things that stood out to me were:

-diaper companies won't disclose all the ingredients in their diapers ... um, what?

"the customer service representative...will tell you that, among other things, the base ingredients in Pampers' Easy Ups, Baby Dry, Swaddlers and Cruisers, as well as all the Luvs product, include: petroleum, poyethylene, processed wood pulp, "absorbent gelling material", polypropylene and perfume" 

-disposable diapers are not environmentally friendly: 

"no one alive today has lived long enough to see a single disposable diaper completely decompose, because it is estimated that each disposable will take hundreds of years to do so"

-plastic on your privates:

"plastic diapers-especially when they're not changed often enough-keep the genital area hotter than nature designed it to be" this is even more important for boys than girls.

"Would you wear plastic underwear all day long?"-Lori Taylor, Real Diaper Association

there was also a 2 page spread called "a cloth diaper compendium" and was a really great visual guide to the what's what of cloth diapers.

the article didn't even really go into long term cost savings, which is another bonus.

But I was still concerned about the short term cost. 

Cloth diapers seem like a initially daunting and expensive investment. 

So, from the advice of my friend Beth, I started to by one or two things with each paycheck when I was about 4 months pregnant, this way it didn't seem like a huge one time money loss, and it allowed me time to look around at different options.

I was very excited to cloth diaper! 

I settled on the least expensive investment and stocked up on Bummis prefolds, and Thirsties size one duo-wraps.

In the end, before Isla was born I had 36 pre-folds and 8 covers.

If you are planning on cloth diapering, you can expect some amount of shock, well-meaning advice against it, or full out laughter and/or disgust.

Most people I told thought that I just didn't really know how much work a newborn would be, so it was a bit of a pipe dream to be adding the extra work of cloth diapering.

Thankfully, I did have a few friends who were already doing it, or planning to as well. I also read lots of online reviews, tips and advice as well as many blogs of people who were cloth diapering.

The plan was in place. I was set and ready to go. 

Or was I?

part 2 coming soon!

* The article I read and the quotations come from Mothering magazine issue #160, May-June 2010, pg: 50-69