Fluffy butts for beginners - Part I

written by Lisa for Tiny TreeHugger

In a previous post on my blog, Conversion story, I wrote about how our family came to choose the cloth diapering option. We were on the fence for a while, and one of the most difficult parts about deciding to switch from disposables was the factor of the unknown. I didn't have any real experience with cloth, and I didn't have any friends who were doing it.  Because of that, disposable diapering was an automatic choice for us in the beginning.  Even when I did consider using cloth I had no real idea what it would be like, and I was afraid we would invest the money, hate it, and hear "I told you so" for the rest of our days.

This is for all those parents who are feeling exactly like that right now. If you can't imagine what the day to day of cloth diapering will look like (and I really had no clue), let me be that 'friend who cloth diapers' for you.  Come spy on our diaper changes, and snoop in my laundry room.  Satisfy your curiousity, and get yourself in a better place to make that choice.

I'd like to start off with a bit of a disclaimer.   There are many ways to cloth diaper.  In our family, we use one-size pocket diapers, and store our diapers in a laundry bag with a waterproof lining, commonly referred to as a wet bag.  If you are reading this as a veteran cloth diaperer, I may describe diapering a little differently than what you may do.  That's cool.  This is what works for us.

So, where to begin?  The first thing to realize about cloth diapering is that once you are using them, diapers are always in a cycle of clean diaper, to baby-wearing-diaper, to dirty diaper, to laundry day. This post describes the first 3 parts of that cycle. Fluffy butts - Part II will talk about laundry, storage, and using your cloth diapers away from home.

We'll start the diaper cycle with clean diapers. I mean, those are the best kind anyway, right? So let's say you have your clean diapers, folded and ready to go, sitting in a laundry basket, and your baby is ready to be diapered.

Diapering your baby

Pocket diapers like I use are easy to diaper with. They go on just like disposables, and close with either velcro or snaps. I like snaps, because the diapers won't "chain" together in the wash, like velcro ones tend to, but velcro is more adjustable, so there are advantages to either choice.

Thanks to my 80's childhood, the classic "My Buddy" is going to be our baby today, just to keep this post as clean as possible. ;-)

Lay baby on top of an open clean diaper,

fold it up and over baby,

and do up the snaps, first the right side and then the left (because the right flap has snap "receivers" so you can make it as tight as you need to).

Voila! One cloth diapered baby, comfy-cozy.

Changing Diapers

During the daytime, I generally change diapers every few hours, or whenever there is a dirty diaper, which I change just as soon as it is discovered. When you go to change a wet diaper, just open the snaps and replace the wet diaper with a clean one.  You can wipe and dry baby, if that is what you are used to. Then turn the diaper so that the opening between the fleece and the waterproof shell points down, and pull the inserts out of the diaper, to get the diaper ready to wash.

This photo shows a diaper with the inserts partially pulled out, so you can get the idea.

Pull the inserts all the way out, and lay them on top of the waterproof shell in your hand (pic on the left). This minimizes the amount that you actually have to touch the wet inserts. Fold the diaper cover shut (pic on the right), and you are ready to store it until laundry day.

"Sure," you might be thinking. "That's wet diapers. If all diapers were just wet, this wouldn't be that difficult of a choice. Get to the disgusting stuff."

Well, with a dirty diaper, there are just a few extra steps, and the first step is not much different from dealing with a dirty disposable. Just like with disposables, you will have to clean baby before replacing the diaper. Cloth diapers usually mean cloth wipes. I use baby washcloths, the cheapest I can find, and just keep a stash of 30 or so folded in a container in my diaper change area.

Make your cloth wipes wet with warm water from the tap, and away you go.  Even babysitters have commented to me that cloth wipes are far better than slippery disposable wipes for wiping away poo, and clean cloths don't leave anything extra on baby's skin (like perfumes or lotions that can irritation).  Still, if you are hooked on disposable wipes, you can use the flushable kind, and toss them into the toilet when you are done.

Once baby is clean and rediapered, you are left with the dirty diapers and wipes.  At this point with a disposable, you tie it up and toss it in the trash until garbage day, when it gets trucked off to the local landfill, along with all the other dirty disposables in your area.  That is a lot of human waste incubating in plastic at our dumps. And people say cloth diapering is gross.

Getting a dirty diaper ready for the laundry pile is really not that bad. Turn the diaper pocket opening down, and pull the inserts out above the toilet. Throw them directly into the laundry, or leave them for a minute in the sink or on your change pad. If you have an older child, another great place for anything dirty is an empty potty. 

When the diaper's waterproof shell is empty, turn it upside down above the toilet. If you fold it in half, dirty side out, you can hold onto just the diaper tabs and your hands never need touch the waste or the toilet water.  Holding onto the top and bottom of the folded diaper, dunk the dirty part of the diaper in the toilet water. Swish the diaper in the water a few times, and most of the waste will fall off into the water, ready to be flushed away. What's left can go into your laundry bag, along with the inserts and cloth wipes from this diaper change.  Wash your hands, and you are all done.

That takes care of everything your babysitter will ever need to know about using cloth diapers. Of course, we know that as the parent there is still the issue of dirty laundry to deal with. Also, some people might feel comfortable cloth diapering at home, but don't know how they will do it with baby at the mall, or at grandma's house. In my next post, I will talk about washing diapers, and diapering on the go.

Tiny TreeHugger Editor's note:  
Most velcro diapers also have laundry tabs to fold over so they don't chain together!  

Some diapers like the AppleCheeks and Sweet Peas are made so the inserts come out with the agitation in the wash! No need to pull the insert out.

Also - exclusively breastfed baby poop is water soluble, so no need to put in the toilet, just make sure there is a first rinse in your wash cycle before the hot wash with soap!  Many don't swish in the toilet, as there are diaper sprayers or flushable liners that can be used...

Thanks Lisa for being our FIRST guest blogger!  If you are interested in contributing to our blog, please email us info at tinytreehuggerdiapers dot com...