Below, I walk you through my initial start-up package of cloth diapers, including all the accessories. Special thanks to Karen Randall of New and Green Baby for all her assistance and helpful info! Broken down into three videos for easy viewing.

Part 1: All-In-One Diapers

Part 2: Pocket Diapers

Part 3: Cloth Diapering Accessories

Key Information Covered

• Overview of all-in-one diapers, pocket diapers and a special hybrid named tini-fit.
• General maintenance and accessories, including detergent, cloth wipes and diaper pail liner

Would love your feedback!

Image provided courtesy of New and Green Baby.

What cloth diapering options are out there these days?

There are many!  And this can be overwhelming for parents, which is why we offer educational support to both teach, encourage and guide parents in choosing a system that will be a good fit for their lifestyle.  There are cloth diapers made for any parent’s lifestyle whether your priorities centre on budget, convenience, natural options or simplicity.  A cross section of what’s available for parents today includes cloth diapers made from natural fibres such as organic cotton, hemp or bamboo, wet-proof cloth diaper covers made of high tech breathable fabrics, one-step cloth diapers with everything integrated and one-size cloth diapers that can be used from birth to potty training.  And the newest invention – a swap in disposable insert that it compatible with your existing cloth diapering system so that when practical life demands something ultra convenient – we have you covered!

What do you say to parents who think cloth diapering is just plain inconvenient?

Changing a diaper can be messy, regardless of the system.  With cloth diapers, you toss them in a pail instead of a garbage can.  Two days later, you take those cloth diapers to the laundry room instead of the curb.  With intuitive designs and easy Velcro closures, it really couldn’t be easier!

What should parents look for when picking their cloth diapers?

It’s important to evaluate what is important to you and to try and imagine your lifestyle.  We find that keeping this in mind helps parents make a selection that they are going to  be most happy with as it aligns with their values and supports their everyday life.

How would you encourage a parent who is considering cloth diapers but isn’t ready to take the plunge?

Consider taking a Cloth Diaper 101 workshop or using a Diaper Tester Kit.  Both of these programs have tentative parents at the outset and have parents leaving the workshop or finishing up with their tester kits saying “I can do this!” or “That was not as hard as I thought it would be!”

What tips do you have for dealing with cloth diapers (i.e. coping with the mess, cleaning up, etc)?

Two words – BioSoft Liners!  These are going to make your dirty diaper duty a breeze.  Lay a liner inside of the diaper.  When your baby does her/his job, the liner and poop is removed and flushed and the rest of the diaper goes in the pail.  There is no swishing or dunking involved and the hand-poop contact is absolutely minimized!

What are some of the myths of cloth diapering and how would you dispel them?

The biggest ones are the anticipation of how difficult it will be, the worry about leaking and the cost.  As we’ve already discussed, the work of cloth diapering is minimal and the cost is surprisingly affordable over the three years of cloth diapering.  Leaking is a fixable issue.  Cloth diapers are engineered to prevent leaks and contain what comes out of your baby.  That being said, there are no chemicals in cloth diapers to make them super absorbent like disposables. To get the best performance from a cloth diaper we suggest the following:  ensure a good fit around the legs and the waist (no gaps), increase absorbency in special situations like at night or long car rides and change your baby every 2-3 hours during the day.  These are simple, yet effective methods to ensure that your cloth diapers do what they are meant to!

New & Green Baby Co.

www.newandgreen.com | Twitter: @newandgreenbaby

Experts in cloth diapering, New & Green Baby Co is an online resource for parents to learn about and trial cloth diapers, and to purchase from a great selection of cloth diapers, accessories and training pants.  Its mission is first to educate and support parents via workshops, community events and groups. “And being available to answer a question – often in the wee hours of the night, too!” adds owner Karen Randall.  “We are fuelled by five cloth diapering moms, all passionate about helping to educate parents and support them in their choices.”  New & Green Baby makes shopping for diapers a nap: parents can research and shop for cloth diapers 24/7 on their schedule without having to haul their kids around. “We offer parents the option of picking up their orders and asking last minute questions or having their order delivered directly to their door,” Karen says.

We asked Karen to share her tips and info about cloth diapering.

What are the pros of cloth diapering?

• Budget: save up to $2000 per child by using cloth diapers.
• Earth Friendly: keep more than 7000 disposable diapers out of landfills – equivalent to one tonne of solid waste per child.
• Easy to use: innovations in recent years have made cloth diapers just as easy to put on and take off.  No more pins and crinkly plastic pants!  And the washing – if you can operate a washing machine you can do this, without getting your hands dirty.
• Reduce exposure to potential toxins: parent’s choosing to use cloth diapers know exactly what is up against their child’s delicate skin 24 hours a day.  Disposible diapers don’t always include full disclosures on their “ingredient” list.
• Promote better skin health: with less chemical exposure in cloth and cloth diapers being changed more often, babies in cloth often have a healthier environment for their skin.
• Earlier Potty Training: Parents using cloth diapers tend to be very aware of their child’s elimination patterns and are able to help them learn in a more efficient manner.  Children that have been diapered in cloth often retain the association with “I pee and I am wet” facilitating earlier and easier learning.

And what are the cons?

• There is an initial investment that is not present with weekly purchases of disposables (many parents use our gift registry to help them get started).
• There is a bit of a learning curve – you need to educate yourself about how to make this system work in your life.
• Without the needed learning, there is a higher rate of families discontinuing cloth diapering due to perceived failure.  We’ve heard these reasons and there were easy ways to remediate them – with the proper educational support!
• There is two to three extra loads of laundry to do each week.  Talk to any mom – you’re doing a heck of a lot of laundry anyway!
• You may get nay-sayers expressing their opinions to you about one more thing!

In an upcoming post, New and Green Baby will dispel some of the myths around cloth diapering and demystify some of the common concerns people have with getting started with cloth diapers.

New & Green Baby Co.

www.newandgreen.com | Twitter: @newandgreenbaby