When I had my first child 7 years ago I had rarely heard of anyone who was using cloth diapers. It seemed like an old fashioned, slightly backward way of doing things. I assumed there was a great deal of extra work involved, that it was a messy, stinky, leaky, inefficient way to diaper a baby. Who would want to deal with pins and plastic covers? And buckets full of stinky dirty diapers? I had a lot to learn.
By the time my second child was born 2 years ago the popularity of cloth diapers had skyrocketed and there were new brands and styles coming on the market every year. There are still a lot of misconceptions about cloth diapers out there but most parents are undeterred. They're getting informed the same way I did and making the switch from disposables with a first baby or even with a subsequent child when they consider the environmental and economic benefits.
My journey started quite innocently enough at a local Mom and Baby show where I happened upon a booth belonging to a local Montreal boutique selling cloth diapers. I had read about the benefits of using cloth but I was still hesitant as to the actual process of using them on a daily basis. Then I discovered the hundreds of varieties that were out there and was suckered in by some really cute prints and fabrics. They were too adorable to pass up and I knew if I was going to spend that much money on diapers I better darn well use them!
Poor seven month old L didn't know what he was in for as he became my diaper tester extraordinaire (he is a super wetter, which makes him an excellent candidate). Hours and hours of online research, diaper reviews and home testing and some nasty diaper rashes later I discovered what worked, what didn't, what types of diapers I preferred and which brands held up best over long term use.
Above all I discovered that a hesitant husband could be fairly easily convinced of the benefits of cloth and that reusable diapers were no stinkier or messier than disposables and just as easy to use. The learning curve was actually not bad at all - it's just a new routine to get into. (Then there was also the huge amount of garbage that disappeared from our home because we were no longer creating "diaper genies" full of dirty disposables every day). L still has one of the cutest bums in town in his colourful, adorable cloth diapers with everything from polka dots to panda bears and every colour and fabric you can imagine! I'm actually going to be sad to see the diapers go once he's potty trained. Who can say that for disposable diapers?
