Let’s have a show of hands. How many of you had parents who used cloth diapers when you were a baby?
My parents sure did, and it wasn’t because they were concerned about the environment or that my sister and I were allergic to disposable diapers. They used cloth diapers because they were absolutely broke and couldn’t afford even the most inexpensive of disposable diapers. I grew up hearing my parents tell stories of sticking themselves with diaper pins, battling the diaper rash that the plastic pants they used as covers often incurred, and hauling the big, sloppy wet pail full of diapers to the washing machine.
Needless to say, when I became a parent, I didn’t give a single thought to using cloth diapers.
Yet when our oldest daughter was ten months old, I discovered that all but the most expensive disposable diapers caused her to break out in a rash and we were too broke to keep up with diaper costs. It was at that point that I began to give a lot of thought to cloth diapers.
My husband was supportive of the change, but he was also a little surprised. At that time, we were not the stereotypical cloth diapering parents. Believe it or not, five years ago we were what you might call a fairly “mainstream” family. Browsing cloth diapering websites, message boards, and online stores was an entirely new world for me.
Is there a stereotypical cloth diapering family?
