I’m 3 months into my second pregnancy and I have decided I will definitely do cloth diapers this time. My first pregnancy was 14 years ago and I was a completely different person then. I was 24, still figuring life out and making mistakes. Now, at 38, it’s a new dawn. The new me has done extensive research on toxins and polutants in the environment, in our food, and yes, even our clothing. I did this out of necessesity, because I suffered for over 10 years of migraines. That’s a long story in itsself, but after years of diligent research, tons lifestyle changes from one thing to another to another to another, I have landed on a very healthy and natural lifestyle that has me migraine free.

I did consider cloth diapering when my son was a baby, but at the time it seemed incredibly inconvenient, messy, and honestly overpriced. The cloth diapers I saw at Target back then did not look cost-efficient at all.

I’ve always known how much trash disposable diapers create, but it hits me a lot harder now. These days, I try to recycle everything that comes out of our home. The only things I consider true ‘trash’—the things that actually go into our garbage bin—are dirt, dust, floor debris, lint from the vacuum or dryer, and bathroom waste. Everything else gets reused, recycled, or repurposed.

Did you know a single disposable diaper takes up to 500 years to decompose in a landfill? And that one baby uses over 6,000 disposable diapers between birth and toilet training? And the toxins inside aren’t just bad for our babies — they’re bad for the environment too.

For babies, disposable diapers can expose them to chemicals that are linked to hormone disruption, skin irritation, eczema flare-ups, respiratory irritation, endocrine disruption, headaches, developmental concerns, reproductive system effects, immune suppression, and more.

For the environment, it’s just as bad. Disposable diapers contribute millions of tons of waste every year. The plastics, gels, and chemicals inside them don’t break down. They sit in landfills for centuries, leaching chemical byproducts into the soil and groundwater. Many diapers also contain dioxins (from bleaching), phthalates (from fragrances and plastics), VOCs (from adhesives and inks), and other compounds that are harmful to wildlife and ecosystems. These toxins don’t just disappear — they move through soil, water, and eventually into the larger environment where they affect plants, animals, and even humans.

How Simple (and Natural) Cloth Diapering Really Is

People talk about cloth diapering like it’s some complicated, overwhelming thing… but it’s really not. In fact, once you understand the basics, it’s actually easier than you think — and way more natural.

For most of human history, cloth diapering was the only option. Mothers all over the world used fabric, rinsed it, washed it, hung it in the sun, and repeated. We only shifted to disposables in the last few decades, and honestly, it’s the disposable diaper world that’s the “new experiment,” not cloth.

Today’s cloth diapers are nothing like the ones our grandmothers used. Now we have simple snap closures instead of the old safety pins, waterproof covers that keep everything contained, inserts that are incredibly absorbent, and soft natural fabrics that feel gentle against the baby’s skin. And honestly, the washing routine is easier than ever — the machine does almost all the work, and drying is as simple as tossing them in the dryer or hanging them in the sun. The whole process is so much more modern and user-friendly than people think.

It’s not the hard, messy job people think it is. It’s literally:
use it, wash it, reuse it.
That’s it.

No running out of diapers.
No late-night store trips.
No huge trash bags full of plastic waste.
Just a clean diaper and clean fabric touching your baby’s skin.

When you look at it that way, cloth diapering isn’t some “extra thing to do” — it’s actually the simplest, most natural way to diaper a baby. And it’s the way mothers cared for their babies for generations before disposables even existed.

Lastly, we have to consider cost. How cost-effective is it?
I’ll be breastfeeding — that alone already saves a huge amount of money. And when we introduce solids, it won’t be from jars. It’ll be real food, as organic as possible, cooked and mashed by us.

So the next question is diapers. Because whether we like it or not, diapers are one of the biggest ongoing expenses in the first two years of a child’s life. And depending on whether you choose disposable or cloth, the difference in cost is huge.

Even if I didn’t make a single homemade diaper myself and bought everything ready-made, cloth still wins by a landslide. A full cloth diaper stash can cost anywhere from $150 to $500, depending on the brand and style you choose. And once you buy it, that’s it — you reuse everything, every single day, for years.

Now compare that to disposable diapers: the average family spends $2,000 to $3,000 on disposables per child. And that number climbs fast if you choose ‘eco-friendly’ brands or larger sizes as the baby grows.

So even if I bought every cloth diaper instead of making any, I’d still be saving well over a thousand dollars. And if I decide to make part of my stash at home — even simple inserts or covers — the cost drops even more.

Personally, I’m going to start with the pre-fold method — basically using a large organic kitchen towel or receiving blanket folded into a diaper. There are several folding techniques, and I’ll experiment with them. Then I’ll add an outer layer, which will probably be homemade or secondhand (if I even need it). I’ll adjust my setup as I go to see whether I need clips, snaps, or anything else for convenience. This will be my first time cloth diapering, and honestly, I’m really looking forward to it!!

Thanks for reading! Best of luck on your personal journey!