Although cloth diapering is the healthiest and greenest diapering option, many new moms assume that going back to work will mean a switch to disposables. Can you fit cloth diapering onto a working mother’s already overloaded to-do list? With a cooperative caregiver, a little organization, and a few supplies, the answer is an emphatic yes.
Find Cloth-Friendly Childcare
Many working mothers assume that daycares can’t accommodate cloth diapers for hygienic and health code issues, but in actuality, cloth diapers are no more or less germy than disposables. They do, however, require different handling than disposable diapers, so it’s important to find a cooperative caregiver. Many childcare centers are open to using cloth diapers once parents assure them that the caregivers won’t be doing the dirty work.
Bring Your Own Supplies
You will basically need all of the supplies a cloth diapering mom would buy, but doubled. In addition, your childcare facility should be supplied with an airtight diaper pail clearly marked with your child’s name. When they change your baby, they will put the used diapers in your pail instead of the communal diaper pail. At the end of each day, you should take the pail home along with your baby and return it empty and clean the next morning. Your childcare workers will also appreciate having at least one day’s worth of extra diapers and covers as well as a few disposables on hand in case of emergencies.
Make Cloth Diapering Part of the Routine
If you decide to use a diaper service, cloth diapering won’t create much extra work. If you decide to launder your diapers at home, rest assured that even this task is possible with a little organization. A good plan is to rinse the day’s cloth diapers and start them in your clothes washer as soon as you arrive home from work, switching them to the dryer or clothesline just before bed. In the morning, throw the dried load of diapers in a bag and deliver them to daycare with your baby and the diaper pail. Folding, ironing, and putting away are all unnecessary with this plan.
Although it seems like a daunting task, rest assured that cloth diapering your little one will feel routine after just a few weeks. Like most environmentally-friendly choices, cloth diapering takes a little more time, but is more than worth it.
Your savings in diaper bills will be one of many tangible rewards, but if you feel discouraged, just think about the landfill full of smelly diapers that won’t be lingering on our planet for the next few millennia thanks to your hard work and good decision-making. Plus, you’ll be a trendsetter, showing childcare workers and mothers alike that cloth is a planet- and baby-friendly option for all families, regardless of how and when they earn a living.
