The ‘gross’ factor.

While I never experienced the gross factor prior to starting out, this seems to be a common fear from those new to cloth diapering to those hearing about it for the first time.

Usually after someone sees one of my babys’ very bright diaper (and fluffy bum) I get the “is that a cloth diaper??” question quickly followed by, “Isn’t that gross?”

Before I had my kids I was very opposed to all things gross. Dirt? No thank you. I hated walking in the grass because I could get stains on my very-important shoes. I hated doing the dishes because the dishes were dirty and I didn’t want to touch them. Rubber gloves helped but I still ended up washing my hands every other dish I put into the dish washer.

God help us if I had to actually wash dishes by hand.

I was a very prissy girl.

When Boaz was born that all ended within 3 days. After being spit-up on, pooped-on, peed-on and sneezed over, I realized my life was never going to be the same. I could either not adapt and try to hold my baby like a bomb with my arms stretched as far as they could go in front of me or get over my fear of the gross factor that is babies.

Obviously, I got over it.

I do not feel that cloth is any more or less gross than changing any other diaper. There is bodily fluid, you dispose of it, then you put the diaper in a bag. Viola! For those “omghowcouldthathavecomeoutofmybaby” poos I just throw the diaper in the toilet and take it out later (with gloves of steel on). But those don’t happen too often.

When Boaz was in disposables during our yeast-decontamination period I felt he leaked more and I ended up handling all things gross on a bihourly basis. More crib-sheet changes, more outfit changes, more me touching something I didn’t want to touch.

The bottom line: where there is a baby bottom, there is the gross factor but you learn, adapt and work it out. Cloth is no more gross than any other diaper and I would argue that it has less of a gross factor than it’s disposable counterpart.