I was fairly sure I knew what to expect when I started cloth diapering. From reading blog posts and manufacturer’s information, watching videos and asking friends, I had the nuts and bolts of the process figured out. Sort of…
But lo and behold, there have been quite a few things along the way that have surprised me. Things I never thought about or maybe the things no one told me. So here is my top ten list of the things that surprised me the most about cloth diapering:
1. Flattened solid poop, when left overnight in the diaper to dry out a bit, peels off nicely into the toilet with almost no residue.
2. The number of moms I meet that admit they “thought about cloth diapering” then changed their mind because they didn’t know anyone else that was doing it. (Sad.)
3. The way a basket full of clean, stuffed and folded diapers can bring me a sense of peace.
4. The important role that water and rinsing play in getting diapers clean.
5. How sticky the inside of some pocket diapers are. Even on FuzziBunz, the PUL is a little different depending on when they were purchased. Some of the inserts slide in no problem and some are like putting clothes on a wet body – stop and go, stop and go.
6. My dislike of disposable liners. I thought these would be great and make the poop situation not-so-bad, but I just find them annoying. When there is no poop on them, I have to peel them off my girl’s bits and pieces (looks uncomfortable) and inevitably, I’ll use them all day and then when I don’t put one on, she poops. Granted, I have not used the cloth ones, which I have heard are better, but I’d rather jiggle, dunk and shake.
7. The joy I get from a diaper that perfectly matches an outfit, even when it will be completely covered (I didn’t think I would care one way or the other).
8. The way my somewhat-skeptical husband has gotten into cloth diapering and become a vocal advocate of the benefits. He’s the first to enthusiastically tell others how it’s saving us money and how easy it is.
9. The fun my three-year-old has picking out diapers (always the blue ones) and “helping” me stuff. He loves his sister fiercely and anything he can do to help her, he’s all over it.
10. That disposable wipes can go through the wash cycle and come out okay on the other end. One or two have snuck into our diaper pail and instead of shredding like I assumed they would, they look similar to a dryer sheet when they come out. Not ideal, but fine.
What surprised you most about cloth diapering?
Sarah is a mom of two and blogs about her adventures in motherhood, cloth diapering and everything in between. Catch her “Cloth Diapering Unwrapped” series on the FuzziBunz blog every Tuesday.
