Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Big-Bummed Babies

I was the sixth of eight babies born to cloth-diapering parents. I still remember the diaper pail that was part of the décor in the first floor bathroom. I remember my confusion the first time I changed a disposable diaper. I didn’t know what to do without pins or folds or diaper covers. After the youngest grew out of diapers, they continued to be a part of our everyday lives as we used them for cleaning rags. Now that I am married, and have my first child, we are continuing the tradition. When people ask why, I tell them that cloth diapering (or CD) is not only cost effective, and environmentally friendly, but also happens to be the most organic way to keep a baby’s bum clean and dry. Once considered a necessity only for the financially struggling, cloth diapers have taken on a new image as the hip mom’s newest baby accessory. It isn’t hard to pick out a CD baby as they squirm across the floor, with their behinds high in the air, twice the size of their head, or the clumsy new walker who’s every fall is absorbed by the abundant fluffiness of their tush pillow. However good these reasons may be to CD, I must admit that I take a certain delight in watching people squirm when they try to envision themselves washing used diapers. As determined I am to save money, recycle, and integrate more natural habits into our everyday lives, having the ability to push people out of their comfort zones and break old stereotypes, remain my motivation for staying the course and doing my part to bring back the big- bummed babies.

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