What incentive does a modern day mom have in choosing cloth diapers instead of disposables?

They’re a lot of fun, says Lisa Clarke—a local expert on cloth diapering who created greenearthbaby.com a full-scale online diapering store. As more mothers are exploring alternatives to the plastic disposable diapers that have virtually monopolized the business, Lisa has answered the call. If you are lucky enough to live in the Pittsburgh area, you can benefit from one of her in-home instructions that aim to demystify the process. And, demystify it she does. With so many options available nowadays, she will not only explain the choices, but will customize a layette (collection of babywear essentials) to your needs. Lisa is also a certified childbirth educator and mother of two, so she speaks from experience and is simply a great person to know.

I decided to contact Lisa to learn more about diapering my toddler. I knew so little about current trends in cloth diapering that I chose to use disposables the first time around. Now, with my second child well into toddlerhood, I figured better late than never.

I spent the better half of a late summer morning with Lisa as she explained that the current cloth options go well beyond folding and pinning (see cloth diapering 101.) She gave me a complete overview of diapers, tackling everything from pre-folds to “fitteds” to all-in-ones. And, yes, she even gave me a tutorial on how to fold and pin an old-school cotton diaper. We discussed general laundering and care. By the end of the instruction, I was able to confidently buy enough to get me started.

I’ve been using cloth for several weeks. I admit they are a bit more maintenance than disposables, but not unreasonably so. The biggest adjustments were having more direct contact with my toddlers output (to put it politely) and the need to launder her diapers. Lisa’s tips on wash and care were very helpful and made the transition less painful. I have found that I’ve gotten into a rhythm with it and truly wish I had taken the plunge much sooner.

My best advice would be to begin using cloth diapers as early into parenthood as possible. This will be the most cost effective, and you’ll won’t have to change habits and routines midstream like I did.

Yes, Lisa was right. Cloth diapers are cute. And, soft. And, easier than I imagined. If you’d like to learn more about cloth options or to schedule your own private instruction visit greenearthbabycom. You may just find that cloth diapering your baby can be fun and not at all what you expected.

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