I am one of the moms who threw caution and disposable diapers to the wind and went cloth.
After the horror of learning that the cloth diaper delivery service ended its service area four miles short of my home, I regrouped. I did hours of research and decided on all-in-one-pocket diapers. I also decided to go hippy-esque and buy the ultra-urine absorbing hemp inserts. I invested $550 in a set of 24 diapers, 24 cotton inserts and 12 hemp inserts.
Because my baby boy was roughly 300 pounds at birth, he fit into the diapers right away. Many times, one-size cloth diapers are too large for newborns. Once his umbilical stump fell off, he could begin his cloth diaper experience.
No Big Deal?
I must admit, I felt somewhat smug at playgroups when people could see his cloth diapers. “How do you do it?” other parents asked. I felt like Mother Earth and June Cleaver all wrapped up in one. I remarked that it was easy and not that big of a deal.
Oh, but it was.
Before you put the soiled diapers in the bucket, bag or whatever you use, you have to reach into the urine- and poop-filled diaper and separate the pockets before washing them.
I was very “in touch” with my son’s bowel movements.
Sniff Test
You have to use just the right amount of laundry soap. Too much soap and the diapers hold odors. Not enough soap and the diapers aren’t clean enough. After washing, if the wet “clean” diaper passed the smell test, I threw them in the dryer. Once out of the dryer, reinsert the pockets. It took less than an hour a day, but it was a daily task.