Today’s post from Shannon addresses an issue a lot of readers face: whether or not they should bother with using cloth diapers when placing their babies in the church nursery.  The author has chosen to widely address readers of all faiths and uses “Place of Worship.”  Even if you are not a church going family this advice would also work for Mother’s Day Out, YMCA Primetime Programs, and other short-term care facilities.   

Let’s be honest, I was nervous leaving my daughter with volunteers in the nursery and about what the volunteers would say about using cloth diapers. To avoid this I kept her with me in worship. At the beginning it worked out fantastic. If I needed to nurse or if she got fussy, I was able to go to the “baby crying room.” However, as she grew it became more difficult so we made the decision to start leaving her with the nursery.

We arrived at the infant room and introduced ourselves to the volunteers. (We had not talked to them prior to showing up one day.) If your place of worship is anything like ours, there are often older ladies in the infant room. When I told them that we were using cloth diapers, they thought I meant cloth diapers from decades ago. I showed them the diapers (Bum Genius 4.0 aplix and snaps). They were in awe of how sophisticated the cloth diapers are in 2012. I explained that they are just like disposables they are used to changing. I said “You can take off the soiled diaper and place it in the wet bag. You do not have to flush or rinse out any poop, I will take care of it when I get home.” I also explained the diaper cream is a stick (eco sprout bottom balm) that you just rub on as needed and that it was important not to use any other type of cream on her. I showed them the wet bag and cream as I was describing them.
When we picked her up, they said they changed her twice. (Of course, she pooped after they changed her.) They flushed the poop for us, an unexpected nice surprise. They were thrilled that we were doing cloth because it made them feel that parents do recognize that the “way they did it” was just fine. They were also happy that it was better for our child, our wallet and the environment.
If you prepare the caregivers by explaining why you use cloth diapers and showing how to use them, they probably will have no problem changing your child once they realize how easy it is for them, economical it is for you, and environmentally good it is for everyone!

Here are a few quick tips on how to use cloth at your place of worship

• Put a clean diaper on right before you drop off your child.
• Use liners if you think that will be easier for you and the volunteers.
• If using snaps, tell them how many to count from the outside of each side to ensure a snug fit.
• Tell them it’s just as easy as disposables except you put it in a wet bag instead of the trash.
• Change your child’s diaper in front of them so they can see how easy it is to use them.

What to pack:
• 2-3 Diapers with absorbent inserts (we used a microfiber and hemp).
• Diaper cream. Explain the importance of using the one you bring instead of another (we used an eco sprout stick-it was a big hit because they didn’t have to put it on their fingers)
• Wet bag (we brought 2 one for diapers and one for clothes)
• Take some disposables, in case they aren’t on board with the cloth. We did not have this problem.

Shannon is a cloth diaper advocate amongst friends, families and anybody else who will listen. Shannon has been cloth diapering now for over a year with her first child. She regularly attends a worship service while her daughter attends the nursery.