Post contains affiliate links. Have you ever heard the adage “if you want to know if a mom uses cloth diapers, ask. She’ll tell you!”? I can speak from experience. I know this to be true. I AM that momma. Ask me one question, I’ll give you an answer. I will then follow up with an additional 50 answers to questions you never asked.
Take, for example, a recent evening out with my husband and our eight month old daughter. We had just finished dinner at Chili’s and decided to make one of our trips to Buy Buy Baby. This is the place it all began. Realizing I could use the Buy Buy Baby coupons, as well as Bed Bath and Beyond coupons on bumGenius diapers, we began building our stash. Every time we walked in, we were greeted by the front display of beautiful fluff. I loved the rainbow set out in front of me. I would drink in the Sassy, smell the Butternut, lovingly touch the Grasshopper, and long for Lovelace, Clementine, Twilight and Moonbeam. I would gaze with delight at the Mirror, Ribbit, Zinnia, Albert, and Blossom. We would receive a coupon, and purchase a diaper.
This particular night I found myself without a need for a diaper, but with a coupon burning a hole in my android text messages. I felt that little twinge deep down, the twinge that says “you need this Freetime! Your double rainbow is getting so close to complete! You NEED a new diaper! You NEED it!” Incidentally, I did not need the diaper. Truth be told, I had been stashified with my modest 20 some diapers, all in solids, all pockets. I needed a few more to have the two dozen I was told would be a healthy stash for daycare, and washing every other day.
And then it happened. I joined a Cotton Babies Facebook group. I was suddenly surrounded by dozens of pictures of beautiful babies in beautiful diapers I had never seen before. I never even knew they existed! Prints? There were more prints? You mean it’s not just Lovelace and Albert? What was this Audrey they spoke of? And Maathai? Oh, my beautiful Maathai. That did it. I was sucked in. Suddenly my modest 20 some diapers just was not enough. I had to have more. I needed them! I needed my daughter to have the most beautiful fluffy bum to match her gorgeous smile! The Facebook group was a gateway to knowledge, and more. It was accompanied by a need to share the love with others.
This night, I reached for a Clementine Freetime. Such a pretty, soft shade of orange. I held it in my hands, and caressed the fabric, carefully running my hands over the tabs. Next to me, an older woman held a Freetime and a 4.0, one in each hand. I looked at her, smiling. There was a pause, and finally “can you tell me what’s the difference between these two?”
Internally, I smiled. I pulled up my sleeves, and got to work. “Absolutely!” I exclaimed, possibly a little too loudly. “This is a 4.0,” I said picking up a pocket diaper. Carefully I opened the package, and pulled the diaper out. I showed her the the pocket opening, the One Size insert, and the Newborn insert. I explained the rise opening and closing, as well as the adjustment of the One Size insert. “And this,” I said as I opened a second package, “is a Freetime. This is what they call an All in One.” I explained that with the Freetime the inserts are attached, hence the name.
And then it happened. She kept me talking. “Which do you prefer?” I don’t know that she understood what would happen when she kept me talking. By the end of the conversation, 40 minutes later, She had two 4.0 diapers, two Freetime diapers, cloth safe diaper cream, a wet bag, a package of extra inserts, she knew the right washing regimen, how to strip the diapers monthly, and how to store the dirty diapers, and it all began with a question.
As I finally rejoined my husband and daughter, Clementine in hand, we walked towards the front of the store to purchase my beloved bumGenius. “Oh!” I exclaimed. “I forgot to tell her about a diaper sprayer!” My husband took my arm and said “she’ll figure it out,” and pushed me gently towards the counter.
Kathleen has been using cloth diapers for 6 months, and as you can tell, she loves it. Kathleen lives in Grand Rapids, MI with her husband and daughter. She studied music in college, but found her niche in creative writing and is now enjoying being a mom to her 8 month old daughter. She loves watching who she is becoming, all while wearing her beautiful fluff!
Maria wants to live in a world where cloth diapers are the norm and moms can make parenting choices without judgement. When she’s not chasing her 18, 14 and 11-year old kids around, you might find her checking out the latest gadgets, organizing something (again) or exercising in the fresh air. 
I thought I was the only one who loves cloth that much ! I love telling people about cloth.
I feel the same way when I talk to others about cloth. Small world, I live in Otsego, Michigan! We should totally talk cloth 🙂
Kathleen this is great! And so true! I can see this all unfolding and some days I linger at the fluff displays with a smile on my face just waiting for someone to ask me so I too, can answer their questions and so many more they didn’t even realize existed!