Raise your hand if you were cloth diapered as a baby. *raises hand* I was born in 1982 and, yup, I was cloth diapered in the traditional "flats-and-prefolds-and-safety pins-and-rubber pants" sort of way. It could have been because we had very little money. It could have been simply because my mother was an economical fiend (in a good way). It could have been because it was how my mother was taught to do things. It also might have been because I was the last of four and my mother wasn't about to change up her system at that point.
Back then, it wasn't a hip trend to CD since the only diaper color available, as far as I know, was, um, white. (I still have an affinity for a cute, white-fluffed bum.) Although, seriously, haven't they come a long way? It wasn't really done to save the planet, either, although they were helping in that respect. Luckily, it's definitely still an economical way to make it through babyhood (although, the price may be shocking today for those old-school prefolds-only mamas). But, for coolness factor? If you could afford disposables, you were cool. Off the charts far out.
It's funny how things change. One hundred years ago, it was the only method of diapering. Fifty years ago, it was still the only real method to speak of. As time went on and disposables became known, it seemed that the people who could afford it took the disposable route (all while the other mamas diligently continued CDing). Even many hospitals continued chugging along on the cloth diaper train, if you can imagine, into the early '80s. Today, the vast majority of parents choose disposables. It is we, the CD fans, who are the odd persons out. In a world of debating (aka full-on, no holds barred fighting) anything and everything in an online forum, somehow CDs have become yet another topic up for sometimes offensive conversation. Just today, I saw a post going off on the (inaccurate) reasons not to cloth diaper, seemingly written just to rile up plenty of upset parents. Really? If something doesn't affect you in the slightest, you must take to the streets and shout about why you're against it? Old stigmas die hard, I guess, huh? The thought that cloth can break a washing machine...wow. Just wow. But, I see the pendulum swinging, and I like the trend. From hashtags promoting the positives of cloth to incredible resources and support groups, we see more and more moms and dads trying out (and falling in love with) cloth. Others see the adorable fluff on your child's bum and start to ask questions, and the curiosity brings them to trying some out on their own. And on and on it goes. This is how good things happen and the word gets out: YOU. If you've had success, share it! If you've had challenges, share those, too! We can all learn from each other, and we often can't solve our problems until we're open about them (and often hear that we're not the only one who have had issues). And, when I hear those silly negative comments, I'll just remind myself: I was cloth diapered, myself. "What's good for the goose is good for the gander."
