Cloth Diaper Confessional, What skeletons are in your FLUFFY closet?

Do you get those looks of raised eyebrows when you mention that you use cloth diapers? That look that says, “Oh wow, you do it all, don’t you?” And with that look comes this unspoken assumption that you think you’re a better mother, a better woman than the rest out there.

You and I both know that’s not the case. At least I sincerely hope that you agree with me that you don’t think you’re all that and a bag of chips because you use cloth diapers. Here’s my cloth diapering confessional, perhaps yours is the same too:

Confession #1 – I didn’t choose to cloth diaper because I wanted to save the planet. I wasn’t trying to be green or trendy. In fact it wasn’t my idea. It was my husband’s and we chose to cloth diaper as a means of saving money in the long run. I do have to say that when I was younger I watched the Nickelodeon TV show Clarissa Explains It All. I loved the globe dangling earrings that Clarissa wore so much that I also purchased them. I also thought that I could single-handedly save the Earth just like Clarissa.

Confession #2 – I don’t have any cows or chickens in my backyard nor am I able to grow all of the fruits and vegetables that my family consumes. I often feel like the minute that I tell someone I use cloth diapers I’m automatically put into a crunchy category that places me with people who are able to live the kind of lifestyle that is all fresh, all organic and home grown everything. That’s not the case for me. I do wish it was but the truth is that it isn’t.

Confession #3 – My stash of fluff isn’t always tucked away neatly in a creative storage space. Often times it’s still sitting in the laundry basket and will stay there until the next time I have to wash diapers. That’s right I put my diapers together while I’m changing my baby’s diaper.

Confession #4 – Sometimes my baby wears disposables *gasp!* - especially in the beginning. When I started using cloth diapers on my son in 2008 I was a new mom and the world of cloth diapering was relatively small and kind of confusing to try to navigate. I didn’t start using cloth diapers until my son was a little over eight weeks old and I was more than okay about using disposables when the going got tough. Even with my youngest daughter who was born this past summer, I again waited until she was about eight weeks old before I put her into cloth. Why? Lack of confidence and experience. I’m going to start using cloth diapers right off the bat with my next one. (And no, I’m not pregnant.)

Confession #5 – I’m not Super Woman and sometimes the last thing I want to think about is dealing with those diapers! Yes, I do get a little tired of doing anything that has to do with cloth diapers. I sometimes see that the pail is getting full and I think to myself, Crap, I have to wash these again. I feel that way about a lot of the things that I have to do as a mom though and I’m sure you do too. It’s the same feeling you get when you finish lunch for everyone and you see the mess in the kitchen. Sometimes the last thing I want to do is put the dishes away and the only thing I want to do is sit on the couch and figure out what’s happening in the world of General Hospital.

My point in writing this little confessional is to show you that I’m normal. I’m not some amazing woman who is too good to use a disposable diaper or feed her children McDonald’s french fries. I’m just trying to save a buck to help my family, make a good decision to preserve the land my kids are going to live in after I’m gone and give them something soft to sit in until they’re able to relieve themselves on their own in a toilet. Cloth diapering for me has opened my eyes to a greener way of living and yes, in my opinion, a better way of living. That doesn’t mean though that I think I’m better than those who don’t use cloth diapers. I’m passionate about the things that I like and care about. I like cloth diapers. I like the way they’ve helped my family save money and helped afford to have me stay at home. I like how gentle they’ve been on my kids’ skin. I even like that they helped my son want to get out of diapers faster. It’s because of my fondness of cloth diapers that I talk about them passionately. I like them. I want those I come in contact with to like them too and to realize that it really isn’t as much work as you might think it is.

So those are my confessions, what are yours?

Elizabeth (aka Bert) Anderson married her college sweetheart in 2005, and started her journey into motherhood in 2008 with the birth of her son.  She started blogging in 2009 as a way to keep track of her thoughts on being a first time mom, especially her struggle with postpartum depression, and as a way of reaching out to other moms who are struggling with the same things.  This June, Bert had another first in her motherhood travels - a little girl!  Even though she's newly a mother of two, Bert maintains that no matter how many children you have you will always be a "first time mom" because there's a first time for everything!  Visit her blog, at FTM. Bert is a contributor for She Thinks Media.