Whether you are looking to save money, save your baby’s bum from chemicals in diapers, or save the environment, there is an alternative cloth diapering option for you! All of them are great reasons and are healthy for both baby and the environment. Plus with our great resources in the OKC metro, there is something for everyone… even a cleaning service in OKC to wash cloth diapers if that’s just not your thing.
Cloth Diapers
Maybe you are squeamish when someone mentions cloth diapers. Maybe it seems hard, you just think it’s inconvenient, or you think it’s plain gross. But did you know that cloth diapers have evolved drastically in the past 15 years and are not your mother’s cloth diapers? It’s true! My now 13 month old has always been in cloth diapers and I have rarely had to deal with a blow-out, I’ve never run out of diapers or had to make a midnight run, and really, it’s been very easy.
Modern cloth diapers have lots of elastic in them to keep the excrement where it belongs and to make a really cute diaper. Especially with breastfed babies, cloth diapers just get thrown in the washing machine, poo and all and the water soluble mess is swept away with the wash! There are tons of brands and types of cloth diapers to fit everyone’s needs. If the washing them is just too much for you, there is even a local washing service based in Edmond called Savvy Baby!
Elimination Communication
On top of cloth diapering, have you ever heard of Elimination Communication? Many call it EC for short and it is ultimately learning your baby’s cues to help them use the toilet. If your child is like mine, a few grunts and wiggles, and the next bowel movement is in full swing. So the idea of EC is to take your child and hold them over the toilet at the first sign of needing to go. I have done this with my daughter since she was about 8 months old and has been sitting on the toilet every morning since she was about 11 months old. And while they do make split pants for hardcore EC-ers, I have never used them.
Bio-Degradable & Organic
Beyond Cloth Diapering and EC, there are even more options for trying to maintain a low-impact lifestyle but maintain some of the convenience. From Grovia’s bio-liners that go inside of cloth diaper shells to the Honest company’s non-toxic diaper line, there are many options.
Local Places and Services
If you are interested in finding some alternative diapering solutions, we have some great resources here in OKC! Green Bambino and The Changing Table are two local cloth diaper boutiques. They both offer classes on how to cloth diaper, the savings offered by cloth diapering, and more. You can even find Honest diapers at Green Bambino. As mentioned before, Savvy Baby is a local diaper cleaning service; plus there are several diapers that are locally made including Tail Feather Diapers, 4oh5 Fluff, Red Dirt Rumps, and more! If you are just wanting support, you may want to consider joining local groups like Central Oklahoma Cloth Diaper Swappers or Fluffy Bums of Tulsa.
Have you branched out of mainstream diapering? If so what alternative diapering options did you try and did any work for you?
We used cloth with our daughter and i bought most of them used off of diaperswappers.com. Some people think thats gross but i washed them a few times before we used them and now have handed them down to two other babies and they are still going strong! When she started eating solids i found that those liners from green bambino were helpful for the messier diapers. They are flushable but i also think they can be washed and used two or three times.
I bought my diapers used and I loved that. It was cheaper and I didn’t have to prep them! I know my SIL has washed some of the liners when it was just #1 and they stood up a couple of times. I think there are lots of options out there for every mom (and stomach type 😉 )
I’m glad to hear about where I can buy used cloth diapers. It does gross me out a tad…. but currently being pregnant with #3 (and most likely our last), I was hesitant to spend a bunch of money on the upfront cost of cloth. Thanks!
Maria, Both Green Bambino and The Changing Table have Quarterly (I believe) Diaper Swaps where moms can come sell their old diapers and then the Cloth Diaper Swappers Group on FB has a lot of local moms selling what they don’t need. I don’t know if you saw it, but on my own website I did a “Thousand Dollar Baby Budget Challenge” for their first year of life… so it definitely doesn’t have to be expensive, even with the nicer quality diapers.
Is SavvyBaby still in business? I cannot find a working website! I live in Edmond and love the idea of using their service.
Hi Trent! Unfortunately no, they are not. 🙁