How I Became THAT Mom..

So even when I say that I cloth diaper, I sometimes just want to roll my eyes. I didn't do it with my first child, and I just didn't understand how people could. It seemed so difficult and so, well, extreme. It's not that I had a bad opinion of those who did it, I just didn't think that it applied to real life somehow.

And then I battled eczema. I learned so many things by having a problem-ridden child like Zoe. She has had continuous skin issues her entire life. We only use very sensitive laundry detergent, we can't use dryer sheets, we have to only use aveeno everything. Even runoff from a regular shampoo will start her itching.

I assumed that I would be facing all the same issues with this baby, so I decided that I was going to get ahead of the problems. Unfortunately, I just couldn't ignore the possibility that cloth diapering might solve a lot of these issues. So I began to do some research and figured out that it might not be all the scary.

First of all, I use a diaper service and this saves a lot of the yuck factor. Washing the wraps regularly makes me honestly consider getting rid of the service anyway, because I think I have got the stomach and time for it. We shall see. I use Seattle Diaper Service, and they have been a wonderful resource. I put out a bag of gross diapers every Tuesday, and a fresh one appears. They provided me with a hamper and a lot of deodorizing disks. Honestly, I rarely smell the diapers and have gotten to the point where when I use a disposable diaper (rarely), I actually find the smell of it much worse.

I had a lot of challenges at first trying to figure out the correct ways to wrap the baby, how to put the wrap on, and even which wraps were best. I consulted a friend of my Aunt Suzy's, who helped a lot by pointing me in the direction of  Birth & Beyond, a baby store here in Seattle.

There have been a lot of unexpected advantages to cloth diapering, such as how absolutely adorable the baby looks in the prints on some of the wraps. I started out with just plain white and totally the wrong brand, but after a lot of experimentation I have fallen in love with Bummis Super Whisper Wraps. These come in some of the cutest patterns, including frogs and zoo and Abigail looks absolutely adorable in them.

And then, there is the obvious benefit of not adding to the pile of nondisinegrating disposable diapers already accumulating in landfills everywhere. I am sure that there is a great deal of carbon emission involved in having the diapers delivered and the laundering, but to be honest, this wasn't really my primary objective, it's just a very nice added benefit.

Abby is four months old tomorrow. Diaper rashes or rashes of any kind? ZERO! Score one for mommy.