Cloth Diaper Basics

The world of cloth diapers has evolved far from safety pins and rubber pants, into a land with myriads of options. They’re cute, reliable, and a lot simpler to tackle. It’s estimated that on average, a child will go through anywhere from four to eight thousand diapers in his or her life. That’s a lot of… uhm… waste! Listen to Heather Holt, as she helps us untangle the offerings, tell us about the benefits to your baby’s health, the environment, and your wallet, and gives us a bunch of great insider tips.

What we talked about:

• How much does it cost?
• Benefits to your baby’s health and the environment
• All-in-ones, pockets, all-in-twos, prefolds, fitted, hybrids: what does it all mean?
• Tips for getting your daycare and extended family on board!
• The nitty gritty: how do you wash the darned things!?
• Eating solids: diaper liners are your friends
• Watch the butt paste! Brands that won’t destroy your cloth diapers or your baby’s bottom
• Newborn sizing vs. one-size-fits-all
• How many will you need?
• Wet bags, toilet spray nozzle, and other accessories

Related resources*:

On the health, environmental and financial benefits:

• The Poop on Eco-Friendly Diaper, Wired
• Scrotal temperature is increased in disposable plastic lined nappies, Disease in Childhood
• The scoop from the RealDiaperAssociation.org
• Reasons to cloth diaper, The Wellness Mama
• Cloth Diapers: Truth, Facts and Benefits for Infant and Family, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

More on cloth diapering 101:

• Cloth diaper primer with awesome diagrams of what the diapers look like
• More cloth diapering 101 from Heather Holt at Luvaboos
• Let others do the washing: locating a diaper service near you

Your “Cloth Diaper YouTube Date Night”:

• Introduction to Cloth Diapers
• Prefold Cloth Diaper Tutorials
• Flat Cloth Diaper Tutorials

Image courtesy of Heather Holt

About Heather Holt

Heather Holt is the founder of Luvaboos, where she’s been helping families with natural parenting options since 2008. Luvaboos was born out of the desire to help families navigate the vast array of unknowns on the journey of parenthood, including the world of cloth diapers. Heather’s desire to teach started many years ago, when she was a dance instructor. Once her second son was born, she dove into cloth diapering with both of her kids and realized how simple it could be… with a little help! So she set out to help others discover the rewards of this simple life change. Since then Heather has expanded her knowledge to baby carriers, maternity bra fittings, and more recently, she trained to become a Lamaze Childbirth Educator. Visit www.luvaboos.com to learn more or to contact Heather.