4 Reasons Cloth Diapering Rules!

“That diaper is so freakin cute,” I thought as I stared at an image of a multi-colored chevron cloth diaper online. I quickly fell in love with the fun and colorful patterns as they jumped out at me from my computer screen.… I was hooked from Day 1.

But, when did cloth diapers become so incredibly fashionable? I was instantly intrigued and wanted to know more. With a bit of research it became evident that there were countless benefits to using cloth diapers besides the obvious cute factor. I was absolutely determined to make cloth diapering work for our new baby and was extremely excited to hear that my husband was on board. So I spent the next eight months exploring the world of cloth diapering to learn everything I could in preparation for our baby.

Our daughter is now 15 months old and I am happy to announce that cloth diapering has been one of the best decisions that we have made for our family. I have built an emotional attachment to my diapers (yes, I call themMY diapers and I know that’s totally weird but I don’t care) because I love them so much. Here are a few reasons why:

• Style– Modern cloth diapers come in an infinite array of patterns and colors. Call me a geek, but I get excited when I get to choose between a diaper adorned with lobsters, giraffes, rainbow polka dots or a dinosaur on the butt during each diaper change. It somehow makes the fact that I am elbow deep in feces and urine more tolerable. Plus, watching my daughter walk across the room in her fluffy diaper decorated with birds melts my heart…EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Sometimes we will skip putting pants on our daughter and will don fun leg warmers instead to show off her fluffy style. (Check outhttp://www.babylegs.com)

• Laundry– Before I say more I want to clarify that I am not a person that necessarily enjoys doing laundry. But I’ll admit that I do get a thrill when removing my clean diapers from the dryer and they look/smell as good as new. We do a load of diaper laundry once every 3 days or so which really doesn’t feel like much of a burden. We use mostly pocket diapers (a waterproof lined shell with a pocket that is stuffed with an absorbent layer) and there is something strangely calming, almost meditative, about stuffing those clean diapers. The short time it takes to stuff the diapers is enjoyable to both my husband and I….something that neither of us predicted.

• Money- I feel some satisfaction every time I put a freshly washed diaper on my child’s booty because I am not continuously spending money on something that will literally be pooped on and thrown away. Yes, cloth diapering requires more of an initial investment but believe me….it pays off! We are now 7 months pregnant with baby number 2 and we are going to use the same diapers for her (though we will need to buy a few more cloth diapers to tackle diapering 2 at the same time!) It feels darn good to walk right past the boxes of highly priced disposable diapers at Walgreens without even stopping. And it is one less thing to “have to go to the store” for.

• Environment– It’s clear that using cloth diapers is a better option for the environment (especially when using modern energy efficient washers/dryers). Less crap being thrown into landfills (literally). Enough said.

With so many perks to using cloth I would be surprised if it didn’t become more mainstream in the next few years. There is also the option of using a diapering service like Tiny Tots (http://www.tinytots.com, who drop off clean diapers and pick up the dirty ones from your front door. More and more parents are opting for this convenient choice that appears to be the best of both worlds….you get the perks of using cloth and preventing more landfill waste while not having to deal with the extra laundry. So easy, right?? I have several friends who use Tiny Tots and LOVE it.

I admit, I am a bit obsessed with cloth diapering for the aforementioned reasons. I am proud of my family for committing to something that is not a “norm” in our society but is clearly a superior option for countless reasons. I love sharing my passion for cloth diapering with other parents who may be considering this route becausecloth diapering rules!! Just click on the homepage of my personal blog at http://www.ilovefluffybums.com and see one of the first diapers that started our collection. Pretty damn cute, right?

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Lynette Bell is a cloth diapering, breastfeeding and babywearing mama from Boston. She lives in Berkeley with her 15-month-old daughter, Poppy, her husband, Ryan and a bun in the oven (also female) that is due for release in mid-April. Her website,www.Ilovefluffybums.com was built to educate on the multiple benefits and her goal is to show that cloth diapering is easy and fun!