No one approves

hopeful104 · August 2012

I knew before I got pregnant I wanted to Cloth Diaper my kids. I have a friend who has a similar medical history to me whom I have grown very close to how does it and Loves it, plus it is just too cute! Anyway, I am due in January and we have slowly begun acquiring some prefolds and covers and my mom is on board because she Cd'd my older sisters and this is good because she is going to be our sitter when i have to go back to work. However, my sisters and about everyone else is just so ANTI it. They try to talk us out of it all the time because it's "gross" and a "hassle" etc. i have VERY sensitive skin and I'm thinking the fewer chemicals on my LO the better (thinking about all the synthetic stuff in disposables) . Anyway, could just use some encouragement and advice if you have it. I am so looking forward to it and hoping that we love it as much as our friends do!

tokenhoser · August 2012

People eventually give it up when you actually do it for a while.

Who cares what they think? They're not the parents of your baby.

erniebufflo · August 2012

You're the mom. Much like so many newbies on this board (and we've all been there) totally overthink this whole cloth diapering thing and think it's going to be way harder than it is, people who are unfamiliar with it overestimate the hassle aspect. It's really just not that big of a deal. Once the folks in your life see you rockin' it, they'll come around. They may not want to change your baby, but hey, that's your job anyway.

hispenguin · August 2012

People just can't resist offering their 2 cents on just about everything parenting related. Like the pp's have mentioned, just ignore them. They'll eventually give up once you have been CDing for awhile, or at least the comments won't bother you as much.

jujeevu · August 2012

Some have approved of it and others just say that is plain gross to me, but then again the one who seems to be voicing her opinion the most is my aunt, and she keeps telling me which formulas are best because I shouldn't BF either. Lol.

Good thing I moved and she can't be there to tell me how gross CDing is or how much a hassle it is, same with BFing.

Just do what you feel comfortable doing. It is YOUR baby.

Kiedis · August 2012

No one really commented when I said we were going to CD. I have had a number of people ask me how it's going, and they loom quite shocked when I say how much we love it. Guess they all thought we would give up. It wouldn't have mattered to me if they voiced this beforehand. My parenting decisions have been very different than most people we know with kids, I'm just getting used to it, and generally just keep things to ourselves unless someone directly asks.

The one thing I did do was buy some simple Velcro pockets, these are reserved for when the grandparents babysit. I just unstuff them afterwards. This way, it's no more difficult than a disposable for them.

kris_kelsey · August 2012

All of us here do it and love it as well. We all have our own reasons, but ultimately the benefit to our children is probably highest on all of our lists. no one else will care for your child like you will, and this is just another way for you to care for your LO in your own way. you will do great and they can just shove it!

Aurora_Borealis · August 2012

Yeah, it really doesn't matter if anyone approves. Especially if your primary baby sitter is on board.

Diapers in general are 'gross' and a 'hassle,' regardless if they are cloth or disposable. The way I see it, though, is that if something is going to be gross and a hassle, I would rather not it cost a fortune (hello, disposables) and would prefer some sort of control over the grossness (with cloth you know the diaper will get poopy; with disposables you increase the likelihood that LO's clothing, carseat, stroller, bedding, etc, will be the final destination of the poo - way more gross).

Good luck and be sure to hang out here and ask questions!

julieklu · August 2012

I am 100% in the same boat as you are. I'm a FTM and I'm new to CD so this whole experience is just overwhelming for me. My family thinks i'm crazy and nobody we know uses CD! It is so very annoying when people who have never done it just completely freak out on you about it. I live very far from my family and my mom was put off when I told her that I didn't want her to visit until the baby was at least a month or two old (instead of like, the second of birth) I really just don't want her around when I'm establishing a CD routine because she will just mess everything up by being a nag. I'm to the point now where I'm done explaining myself to everyone and they can just deal with it!!

ps. I also think that all the naysaying just encourages me to do it more. I'm now of the mindset that even if I hate it, I will suck it up and do it just so they are not "right."

tjkdlhb · August 2012

I didn't say anything much to anybody about it until we tried it and decided we liked it... I knew that since nobody that I knew IRL did it, people wouldn't understand and would be really negative about it. (athough three of four babies I know born at the same time as my LO are ~ it's getting more popular!)

I can't imagine putting her in 'sposies everyday... I had her in them last week for a trip when I didn't have access to a washing machine and she scared herself when she peed and it leaked out all over her pjs. I never heard her scream like that before! The only time her clothes have gotten damp in cloth has been when I didn't notice a liner sticking out or something.

Since she's been born and we have been using them most people haven't said too much about them... a few are actually jealous that the diapers are so much nicer now and sad that they weren't aware of cloth as a viable option when they were diapering their kids. Most people picture plastic pants and pins. One of my favorite things (and there is a list of them!) is that they are a piece of clothing... it's comparable to using plastic forks and paper plates or proper dishes.

Don't flaunt it as a decision right now... just wait and show them when the baby comes how easy and how much better it is... I usually wait until someone notices them and then I start gushing about how great they are!

lizztheo · August 2012

This is very similar to our situation. My mom CDed me as a baby so she was on board especially when she saw how much easier is it now. Everybody else feels the need to tell me that I will give up or hate it. It has helped to have my DH on board and that we say firmly that we are cloth diapering, it's not up for debate. MIL started to say something but I was so proud of DH for sticking to his guns. He even told his friends! I just ignore all the comments because most of them don't even know what they are talking about and they have this idea of what cloth diapering is like and it couldn't be further from reality.

cecilyandgautam · August 2012

There are a lot of parenting decisions that we're making that others are skeptical of until they see it, so I do my best not to talk it up with those not familiar or like minded. When they witness it, if they have questions, I'll talk about it, but otherwise, I don't really engage on the matter. I'm sure once you have your pattern down, they'll be more curious. In the meantime, try to limit your exposure to their discouragement - you want to bolster your confidence, not weaken it before you've even started.

bobbs420 · August 2012

I NEVER thought I would cloth diaper...until I tried it. It's super easy to do, and NBD at all to throw a load of diapers in the wash every other day. We save a TON of money, plus it's better for your baby and the environment! You honestly can't go wrong, and it's as simple as that! Those that disagree don't know what they are missing Wink

k8edgerton · August 2012

tokenhoser:
People eventually give it up when you actually do it for a while.
Who cares what they think? They're not the parents of your baby.

I agree... I got so many "Are you crazy" "What a hassle" --- "Just wait, you will be using disposables in no time" -- I've CD'ed for awhile now and no one is the wiser for I didn't give up and I do not find that its a hassle. Our reason to CD was mainly from a money stand point. We are saving in the long run. Oh, plus keeping disposables out of land fills and keeping horrible chemicals off of my LO's bum.

Stick to your guns about it!

sadsadie · August 2012

Tell your sisters to shove it. You are doing what's right by you, your LO and the planet.

I have a theory that people hate when others take the high road because it makes them feel poorly about themselves. Most people in our society world love it if those of us with higher aspirations would just give it up and join them, slumming it on the couch of the under-achievers. Don't let them drag you down!

pixy_stix · August 2012

Just tell her to shove it.

Honestly, I started getting flak for the cds and shut everyone down so fast their head spun (and I did it nicely). Now I don't get any "helpful" parenting advice.

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