What I Love About Cloth Diapering

Stewardship

many people list good for the environment and good for your budget separately, but to me they are one and the same issue. I am responsible for being wise about the resources I use. I can not justify spending so much of my husband's hard earned money on something that I throw away, nor can I have peace about throwing away something that requires so many non-renewable resources to produce and will spend eternity occupying a space of land that cannot be used for anything else now.

Convenience

This may be the opposite of what you think. Isn't it easier to throw away a messy diaper than to wash it? Yes, but only a little bit, in my opinion. Meanwhile, it is very inconvenient to me to load the boys into the car and go in and out of the store every time I run out of diapers. I am doing laundry most of the time anyway, so one more load makes very little difference.

Special-ness

Most people will list as their final reason "The Cuteness Factor" but with an, "I have to admit..." or something attached, like it's a guilty pleasure, or unnecessary luxury. I've always kind of blown it off as a non-reason, but I've come to realize that it is actually a major reason for me too. But I wouldn't exactly name it cuteness. It is important to me that my babies have the best that I can give them. Why would I put them in something made in a mass assembly factory out of paper and plastic, when I can give them something beautiful, soft and healthy made by a mom to support her family, or at least in a small factory in the U.S. or Canada that pays people a fair wage?

Buying from local sustainable businesses or especially from work at home moms, is so homogeneous with our way of life. It just feels so right to me in so many ways to support small business.

Even more so, however, it is best for my babies. How many hours during pregnancy do we spend choosing the best blankets and pacifiers and bottles (neither of the last two do I even use any more). We want to choose everything. We are so particular about each and every item we buy or register for our babies. Their clothes and toys and books and toiletries ad infinitum. Why, after all that, would I put trash on their bottom?

I guess that has gripped me more than ever lately- the word disposable- what does that mean, but that from the minute it leaves the factory presses it is destined to be trash. Disposable diapers are precious resources created to be thrown away. Yuck. Why would I wrap my baby in that?