Years ago, the sight of cloth
diapers on the clothesline flapping in the breeze was a common sight.
Somehow, throughout the years, the art of cloth diapering has nearly
faded away. Most mothers today choose a chemical-filled, plastic
alternative to the soft, cottony diapers of my infancy. However, there
are now a few women that are trying to bring back the art of using real
diapers, cloth diapers.



There are many reasons that a mother will choose to cloth-diaper her
baby. Some of the most common reasons are environmental concerns,
concerns for the health of the infant, and frugality. Whatever the
motivation for cloth diapering, changing a cloth diaper can be an easy
task, provided a few simple steps are followed.



The first step in changing a cloth diaper is to gather all of the
necessary diapering items. The items needed are a flat surface for a
changing area, something to wipe the baby clean, a clean diaper, a
waterproof diaper cover and a diaper pail. An area where the baby is
safe from falling, such as a changing table or an area on the floor is
a suitable place to change a baby’s diaper. For wiping the baby clean,
there are a couple of options. Dampened washcloths or commercially
manufactured baby wipes both work well in wiping a baby clean. A diaper
will also be necessary. While there are many different types of cloth
diapers available, the easiest to use and most versatile are prefolded
cloth diapers, commonly referred to as prefolds. These
rectangular-shaped diapers are composed of many layers of thin,
gauze-like cotton or hemp fabric. A diaper cover will also need to be
used. The easiest type of diaper cover to work with closes with Velcro;
it is referred to as a diaper wrap. The last item that will be used in
changing a cloth diaper is a diaper pail. Now that all of the items
have been identified and gathered in a central location, it is time to
change the diaper.



The first step is to lay the baby safely down onto his back on the flat
surface. Carefully remove the clothing of the baby from the waist down.
The clothing should be set aside, in a convenient location for easy
retrieval. Now, carefully open the Velcro tabs on the diaper cover.
Once that is done, without removing the diaper, cautiously pull the
diaper and diaper cover from between the baby’s legs and lay it flat.
Do not remove the diaper and diaper cover at this point. It is time to
remove the first wipe from the baby wipe container. Use it to wipe the
baby, wiping from front to rear. If necessary, use more diaper wipes
and continue to wipe until the area is clean. Put the used wipes on top
of soiled diaper. Now that the baby is clean, remove the diaper by
gently lifting the baby and sliding the diaper and cover from
underneath him. Drop the soiled diaper and wipes into the diaper pail.
Hang the diaper cover over the lid of the diaper pail to dry out.



Now that the baby is clean, it is time to put on his clean, dry diaper.
First, take the diaper cover and open it with the Velcro tabs facing
outward. Next, take the prefold and fold it in thirds length-wise. The
now folded diaper now needs to be put inside the diaper cover. Place
one end of the diaper all the way at the back end of the diaper cover.
Now, gently lift the baby up and slide the diaper and cover under the
baby; stop at the waist. Following this, pull the diaper up from
between the baby’s legs. Lift the diaper cover up from between the legs
making sure that all of the diaper is encased inside of the waterproof
cover. Hold it firmly in place on the baby’s belly. It is now time to
fasten the Velcro tabs. Next to each of the baby’s hips are the Velcro
tabs. Secure them to the loop portion on the waist of the diaper cover.
Last, but not least, redress the baby.



Changing a real cloth diaper does not need to be a daunting task. It
can be done in a few, simple steps. Just follow these directions, and
you will be a cloth diaper professional in no time at all.