If you are curious about cloth diapers...

I have been (mostly) using cloth diapers with my little one since before she was three months old. You would think it wouldn't be so weird for me to admit it, but it still kinda is.  

I grew up as the oldest hearing Mom talk about how wonderful it was that disposable diapers were available by the time she started having children. I thought the cloth diaper was as dead as the slide projector. Then, as an adult, I started hearing about the liberal hippies who were going to cloth diaper to save the planet from the disposable diapers that were overwhelming landfills from coast to coast.  It seemed bizarre that anyone would choose not to take advantage of the many benefits of disposable diapers, but it really didn't affect me and I didn't really care what anyone else used on their children's bums (some things never change).  Then I remember reading about how the liberal hippies who were going to save the world with cloth diapers were in a bit of a pickle because they determined they had to use so much water to wash the diapers that it was negating the environmental benefits, but I digress...

So anyway, whenever anyone finds out that I cloth diaper I feel obligated to first explain that I am not, in fact, trying to save the planet (just to be clear, I am all for being responsible occupants of this planet- I just don't consider myself a martyr for cloth diapering).  I actually cloth diaper for one main reason- I have found a way to do it that makes too much financial sense for my family that I would be foolish not to do it. 

That said, it personally bothers me to hear so many people talk about cloth diapering as if it was automatically or always the cheapest option, because there are obscenely expensive ways to do it, and there are extreme couponers who get their disposables practically for free, but again, I digress...

This page is for my favorite cloth diapering introductory resources. When I first started looking into cloth diapers I was so confused. As embarrassing as this is, I could not even begin to understand the first few articles I read that were supposed to be introductions to cloth diapering! That is because it is confusing- especially when you can't really see what people are talking about. Also because there is such an overwhelmingly large variety of types of cloth diapers. That is why if you are just curious about the basics of how they (can) work I recommend you start with the videos below- so you can actually see what she is talking about.  I like the explanations in the videos, but she is somewhat long-winded so the videos are all kinda long, sorry.

 

 

 

This video addresses the "snaps vs velcro" question

 

 Not exactly on topic, but it was very informative

 

I guess that is enough for an introduction.  If you find yourself genuinely considering the cloth option I would be happy to answer any questions you have through private message or if there is a specific topic you would like me to cover I would be happy to write a post by request on the topic- just leave me a comment below!

25 Things That Have Changed Since You Were The New Baby

Occasionally I come up with my own stuff.  Last year I had a baby- the first grand-baby on my side of the family. I had the opportunity to have a lot of great discussions about taking care of babies and what babies need and what the recommendations are for babies with my sweet and wonderful mother. Together we discovered that a few things have changed... and I was inspired to put together this list. 

25 Things That Have Changed Since You Were The New Baby

1. Car seats -The infant car seat base- a total game-changer
2. Car seats- The new [twenty]-five point harness: if your child can move at all it is either too loose or you have done it wrong… again.
3. Car seats- They expire, usually before the second child can outgrow them.
4. Car seat boosters… for 12-year olds 
5. Baby powder is hazardous to your baby’s health 
6. Formula… for breast-fed babies
7. Breast-feeding supplies are now tax-deductable
8. “Baby-led weaning” has almost nothing to do with the common US usage of the word “weaning” 
9. You must get a special mat and a timer and designate “tummy time” to watch your baby flail and scream, but no matter what they must not fall asleep on their stomachs. 
10. Cloth diapers are the hip thing to do
11. People expect YOUR diaper bag to match your BABY’S gender
12. Real people (not just celebrities) buy $200 diaper bags
13. Between the recommendations against crib bumpers, and blankets being labeled a “SIDS risk,” there is no fun to be had in baby bedding.
14. The great crib recall… it’s a miracle you survived your drop-side crib
15. Recalls for “parental stupidity” 
16. The toxins in your baby’s flame retardant clothing are a greater threat than fire
17. Everything is a SIDS risk, but we still don’t know what causes SIDS.
18. If your baby starts solids too early they will get allergies; if your baby starts solids too late they will get allergies; too early is before 4 months… or before 6 months… or before they are demonstrating all the proper physiological signals of readiness… too late is after 4 months… or after 6 months… or….
19. Speaking of starting solids, those “forbidden foods” are no longer a problem (except honey- don’t give your baby honey until after 1 year)
20. No more Vicks VapoRub for sick babies
21. Circumcision is no longer a “given”
22. Scheduled vaccinations from birth to age six in 1983 total 10. Scheduled vaccinations from birth to age six for 2013 total 38.
23. 3D and 4D Ultrasounds
24. Watch your baby (or your neighbor’s baby) with a video baby monitor
25. Names! Unique names are common, gender-benders are in, and the internet gives everyone easy access to the most recent social security name data