Please tell me I can use cloth diapers!

You can do it! Rah! Rah!

A. You most certainly do not have to use a diaper service. I enjoy buying and caring for my diapers. Owning your own diapers gives you much more freedom in how they are cared for (I think the diaper services use way too many chemicals which is one of the reasons I chose to use cloth to begin with) and you can buy diaper prints that reflect your or your childs personality.

B. You may be able to find a childcare provider that will use cloth diapers, it certainly isn't unheard of. And even if you don't you can still enjoy all the benefits of cloth at home.

C. It really isn't that much work. And extra load of laundry. I wash diapers every day to every other day and if I'm really busy they get used out of the dryer/laundry basket instead of folded and put away.

This may sound silly but my diapers bring me joy. I enjoy looking at them, what beautiful fabrics! I enjoy how they feel, this one is smooth, this one is fluffy. And I love knowing there is soft cloth on my dd's little bum. I hope you don't let those nay-sayers sway you. Cloth diapering is a wonderful gift to give your child.

First of all,

Second, congratulations on being

A. Do I HAVE to use a diapler service? Can't I get them properly sanitised at home and rash free?
No. You don't have to use a diaper service. Although if there is one in your area you could give it a try. I don't use a diaper service b/c we don't have one, so I really don't know anything about them. You can properly care for them at home. These mommas have great tips on laundering. Also, read the link at the top of the page. Click here

B. I probably will have to go back to work so I'm planning on daycare. No, they probably won't use them while they're there but can't I at home?
My sitter (not technically a daycare) uses CD's on DS. I also sent him with a pack of sposies just in case but so far she hasn't used any! You might check with your daycare and see what they're willing to do.

C. I really don't think I'll find it that much work. I'm willing to do it! (of course this is coming from someone who has no children except from the one in utero!)
I find it pure joy and not hard work to CD!

Good luck!

i don't see why you couldn't cloth diaper and if you search hard enough you may even find a daycare provider (or center) that will accept cloth if an all in one type diaper. most people that poopoo new moms that wish to cloth diaper don't even have a clue about "modern" cloth diapering. no it's not that much work, and it sure is a pleasure to put something soft and nice smelling on my baby than a stiff crinkly patrolium/perfumed smelling trash bag ok that was a bit extreme, but i'm feeling that mood right now lol.

as for sanitation, yes you can get them clean enough at home : and the sun uv rays or the dryers steam heating will kill what germs are left over. if it's a major concern, make sure the diapers you choose are a quick dry or have snap in soakers so that you know they get cleaned, rinsed and dried well. if you are concerned about your baby's health ect and daycare will only accept sposies, there are some "enviromentally' better diapers like tushies or 7th generation ect.

it really is cheeper than sposie use, unless you slip over to the "dark side" lol and become addicted to buying all the pretty dipes for your baby even so, you can save them for future babies, sell them or even donate if you so desire. Also, show me ONE person that actually LOVES their sposies, will smell them and say ahhhhhhhh, feel them and say soooooooft, look at them and say awwwwwwwwwwww...lol they don't because there really isn't anything really "special" about sposies. I used to dread diaper changes with my other 2 and when I got prego with ds I was so upset because I had for the most part finished up with diapers and was SICK OF THEM, having another baby meant MORE BUTT CHANGES lol I switched when ds was 2 months because I was sick of how much it was costing to sposie dipe. I soon didn't mind changing and actually looked forward to changing diapers

Anyway, if your truely wish to make it work, you CAN make it work. Just avoid locally sold diapers unless you have a mom that makes them near you. Stick around here and tread carefully not to slip over to the side. I'm sure there will be a lot more helpful responses than mine, luck and congrats.

Just wondering, did you by any chance get the idea that you couldn't by reading "What to expect the first year?" This book makes that point, but I have not seen it mentioned ANYWHERE else, and there are an awful lot of moms willing and able to cloth diaper at home for me to quite believe it's true.

I am also looking at cloth diapering with zero experience with kids. I think my mother thinks I am crazy... she cloth diapered me but I guess things weren't quite so easy in 1977, she just can't get over how icky those rubber pants were... but DH is all for it. I think he actually even dreads the poopy aspects less than I do...

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Hi Amy!

I'm using cloth on my first baby, so I don't have any experience with disposables. However, I can tell you that cloth is EASY! It's just an extra load of laundry every other day or so.

Cost is an issue for me, so I'm going the no-frills route with prefolds and covers, and the occasional fitted. I've spent less than $200 on my (her) diapers and what I have I can use for at least a year before investing in large sizes. No way you can spend that little on disposables!

I'm not going back to work, so I can't help much with the daycare question, but I would point out to the provider that you will be eliminating several bags of trash for them a week by using cloth. If they live in an area that charges by the bag to pick up, they may be much more receptive.

You can do it!

It's easy and fun.

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Welcome!

You can do it! Read all you can here, and realize that all of us get nasty negative comments all the time from people who just don't realize how easy it is and how much better it is for babies and the environment.

I do cds in daycare 3 days a week - we use pocket diapers and AIOs, but honestly, I think they would have let me use prefolds if I had wanted. The director is SO supportive of cds and when she saw how cute our dipes are, she's become our biggest fan!

I also work outside the home 4 days a week and have both kiddos in cds - dd full-time and ds about 50-75% (he's still in sposies at daycare - I switched him to cloth just several months ago). It's a few more loads of laundry a week, but is still totally manageable.

Besides, picking out cute diapers for my babes to wear is so much fun!