I became interested in cloth diapers for one simple reason: to save money.

Benjamin was our third child and money was getting tight. One day, while browsing through the ads in the back of my baby magazine, I saw an offer for a free fitted diaper. It was a no-strings-attached offer. If it didn’t work, I could send it back. The idea of trying any free baby product seemed fun to me. So I filled out the form and received my free fitted about a week later.

There was a long list of instructions that came with the diaper. What to do. What not to do. How to wash it, and how not to wash. It needed a separate cover. In short, the whole process seemed quite complicated. Feeling a bit shell-shocked after looking up what it would cost to thoroughly outfit Benjamin with a full-time collection, and put off by the bulky, puffy fit of the diaper, I eventually mailed it back. Oh well, I had given cloth a try.

But there were a few things I had liked about that diaper. The fabric was soft and cozy. Compared to a stiff plastic diaper….well, there was no comparison. And the fact that it could be washed and re-used over and over and over again did not escape my frugal side. Yes, maybe I even found a little bit of pleasure imagining myself like Ma Ingalls hanging up fresh white diapers on the line while my skirts billowed in the Kansas breeze. There were definitely some benefits.

All of those thoughts led me to try cloth once more about six months later. But here again I hit some snags.

After finding Gerber prefolds at Walmart and dirt cheap Dappi covers I thought “Now THIS we can afford!” This simple and frugal system looked very much like the diapers my mother had used on my little brother (I was young at the time, but do have some random memories).

But after using the prefolds for a few weeks, we started having leaks. Come to find out, there was synthetic padding in the middle layer and the cotton layers were very thin. The Dappi covers had a cotton component that shrank considerably in the dryer. Nor was the velcro strong enough, and it would come undone, snagging other laundry and causing fabric damage in the wash. I also got really tired of poking myself with sharp diaper pins!

With two failures under my belt, I was definitely disheartened. But there’s a stubborn streak in me that wants to finish what I start. There had to be something that would work for us. After all, the cloth diapering “movement” really seemed to have momentum and veteran mothers regularly raved about it. So I decided to ask for help (imagine that).

I called Karen from Green Mountain Diapers. Her family has been selling cloth products for many years. When I shared my experience with the Gerbers and Dappis, her reply was “Get some real prefolds.”

So I I went shopping! My first successful system consisted of Chinese prefolds and a mix of Bummis and Thirsties diaper covers. I loved that my diapers were all cotton and that the PUL was easy to wash and quick to dry. I used this system for Benjamin until he was more than a year old. And my next baby, Samuel, got to wear all of Benjamin’s stuff. I finally experienced the satisfaction of successfully diapering a baby AND saving hundreds of dollars. It wasn’t long before I was sharing my experiences (and giving away free diapers) at my blog.

Over the years we’ve explored all the options – hemp, bamboo, pockets, all-in-ones and even hand-sewn diapers. So many choices!I sold my cotton prefolds years later for a good prize and they were still usable shape. I guess those investments really do pay off. Update: I’ve now reviewed over 150 different diapers and accessories AND more than 40 newborn cloth diapers.

Cloth diapering can be part time or full time. It can start with failure and end with the glow of success. Give it a try and enjoy the process! There are so many choices out there, for all different kinds of budgets, that a mother can truly find something to love if she’ll stick with it.

Tell me about your cloth diapering experience. And feel free to ask any questions if you are confused like I was!