Guest Post by Ashley Capps of Freckleberry Finds

One Mom's Quest to Conquer Her Fears of Cloth Diapering

If you would have told me 5 years ago that I would become a mom that actually washed her kids diapers, I would have thought you were absolutely nuts. Why wouldn’t I want to use regular ol’ disposables? Changing diapers was icky enough, right? You want me to actually launder my kids dipes? Get outta town.

But now, here we are. A little under 5 years after I learned I was pregnant with my first, and I am a full-fledged, cloth diapering, cloth wiping mommy. When I first learned about cloth diapering, I was really interested about the aspects of cloth and all that it entailed. Then I started venturing into forums and blogs that were filled with other moms, panicky about repelling, washing regimes, and stinky dipes. I got a little worried, and to be honest, I totally chickened out. I knew that cloth was so economical, but I was shell-shocked by the seemingly intricate and specific directions when it came to caring for cloth. So I used disposables for my first for the majority of her time in diapers. In the meantime, I had my second child, my son, and I quickly realized how darn expensive disposables for two really were. It felt like I was constantly going to the store to buy diapers, and that I was literally throwing my money away with each diaper change. It was time to reevaluate my cloth diaper hesitation. We took the plunge and bought 12 bumGenius 3.0s when my son was 5 months old. I was nervous, but I armed myself with advice from current cloth diapering moms, washing instructions, and some courage. A week went by, and we were all still alive. My diapers were doing their job, and I hadn’t had to go to the store to buy disposables at all! Why was I so scared?! What was the big fuss about? I was ecstatic! Sure, I had to wash fairly frequently since my oldest was still potty learning, but you know what? I was saving money. That, my friends, was music to my (and my hard-working husband’s) ears.

Now, I’m expecting my third child, and we will continue to cloth diaper. But now, I feel the same anxiety as before since I’ve never cloth diapered a newborn. It feels like I’ve been dropped off in a foreign country and I don’t speak a lick of the native language. My one-size diapers had been my tried and true love, and now I needed something different. But wait! I’d been down this road. I’d had the panicky feelings before, and when I finally just bit the bullet and did it, it worked out beautifully. So I went back to the moms that had cloth diapered their newborns, and asked what worked for them. I researched, read, and learned about all of the different types of cloth diapering, from prefolds and flats to covers and all-in-ones, I read it all. I decided to use 100% cotton prefolds and covers for this little munchkin that is due in May. I might even buy a few covers for my son, who is still in cloth. The road less traveled may be scary, but it’s by no means impossible. I was on the fence for over a year, and once we finally got over our initial fears, we fell in love. Each diapering system is different. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. After all, who doesn’t want to save money and the environment? Not to mention how stinkin’ cute your little one looks with those fluffy bums. So come on in. The water’s fine. Give it a shot--you won’t regret it!

Ashley Capps is the head blogger for Freckleberry Finds, as well as mother to Emma, 4, Micah, 2, and Maisy due in May 2011. She is a lover of many things---cloth diapers, parenting, raising young children, and being a wife. A firm believer in always learning, she is always game to try new things. Juggling her time between being an up-and-coming blog owner and being a full time mom is tough, but she wouldn’t have it any other way!

I'm Curious...

If you cloth diaper, what made you start? If you don't cloth diaper, what's your hesitation?

" When my daughter was born I never even considered cloth diapering. Growing up none of my family did it. Now that I have experienced the cost of disposables, I think I may try it once Baby #2 comes along for us."

- Teddy (I Heart Maternity)