Why I Chose Cloth Diapers (Even Though I Hated the Idea at First)

What one mama learned about surrender, simplicity, and sacred messes

I used to think cloth diapering was something crunchy moms did on farms—somewhere between fermenting sourdough and milking goats. I respected it… from a distance. It felt too messy, too complicated, and way too much. I liked the idea of being a natural mama, but not that natural.

So, if you would’ve told me many years ago that I’d have a basket full of all-in-one's next to my my bed and a diaper sprayer hooked up to my toilet, I would’ve laughed. Hard.

But here I am.

And let me tell you… it wasn’t the diapers that changed me. It was what they taught me.

🤎 The Moment Everything Shifted

I had just spent $40 on a bulk box of disposables, the kind with cartoon characters I didn’t love and an ingredient list I couldn’t pronounce. My baby had just developed another rash. And I was standing in my kitchen holding a diaper that didn’t feel like love—it felt like waste. It felt like the opposite of what I was trying to build: a slower, more rooted, more intentional home.

I remember whispering a prayer. Something like,

“God, is this part of the story too?”

And just like that, cloth diapers were no longer the punchline. They were the pause.

🌿 What I Thought Cloth Diapering Would Be:

• Gross

• Time-consuming

• Expensive

• A Pinterest-perfect competition I didn’t want to enter

💡 What It Actually Became:

• A rhythm

• A ritual

• A practice in enoughness

• A way to parent from presence, not pressure

And surprisingly? It’s also been pretty cute. Like, really cute.

🍼 Real Talk: It’s Not Always Perfect

Let me be clear. Cloth diapering is still… diapers. You’ll still have poop situations. You’ll still forget a load in the washer once and question every life choice you’ve ever made. But there’s something holy about choosing the harder thing because it means something to you.

Because one day, they won’t need diapers at all.

And I’ll miss the extra laundry.

✨ If You’re Considering It, Start Here:

• Try 1 brand before investing big. I like Blueberry Simplex AIO's for fit, absorption and ease.

• You don’t need a stash of 40. I started with 10.

• Keep non-bleached clean disposables on hand for travel, nights and grace.

• Get a solid wash routine (I’ll share mine soon).

• Know that perfection isn’t the goal. Connection is.

I chose cloth diapers because I wanted my motherhood to feel rooted. Not performative. Not impossible. Just present. I wanted to be the kind of mama who did things on purpose, even if it took a little more time.

And in a world telling us to outsource everything…

This was my way of saying, “I’m all in.”

🪷 Related Posts:

• Our Cloth Setup for Less Than $150

• How I Built a Diaper Routine Around My Baby’s Natural Rhythm