Cloth Diapers: On the go

One of the main things that seemed daunting to me when beginning cloth diapering was travel. Should I pack everything I need for cloth diapers into a large tote bag? What do I need for holding the dirty ones? What all do I need to pack for cloth diapering? How should I handle people babysitting my child with cloth diapers? I will touch on three things to consider when figuring out whether or not to cloth diaper on-the-go, as well as some tips and tricks that helped me on my travels.

The first thing to consider is the age of your child. I started cloth diapering my first at around 1 month old, and I did cloth diapering with her everywhere. Church, family visits, and other outings were all done in cloth diapers. But when they begin eating solids, cloth diapering becomes a little more complicated. Becuase baby's poop when they eat solids is not water soluble, you have to get it off of the diaper before throwing it in the wash. There are a couple ways to do that, which I will get into in an upcoming blog post. But if you are on the go, it can be difficult to have a toilet nearby to dispose of the waste or a big mess if you put them in wet bags. So it may be easier to cloth diaper on-the-go with an infant rather than an older baby.

The second thing to consider is the amount of diaper bag space you have or bags you are willing to tote around. Let's be honest, cloth diapers take up way more space than disposables, and I found myself packing two wet bags full of clean diapers for just a day away at grandparents, and whatever you use will come back dirty in those bags as well. My diaper bag had a hard time holding all the diapers, but it was do-able. If you are considering doing cloth diapering while on vacation, just know you will likely have to stop at a laundrymat to wash your diapers.

The third thing to consider is the location to which you will be traveling. Will someone be watching your kid for you? How long will you be away? Would it be possible to bring around a large diaper bag? If you are going to the state fair, for example, it will be a lot more of a hassel to do cloth diapering during that trek. Make sure to bring a stroller or backpack so you can tote around the supplies necessary for diapering. If someone is watching your child for you and will be doing diaper changes, make sure they are comfortable with cloth diapers. Take the time to show them how your system works, and if possible, printing off a step-by-step diagram using a doll as a prop can be a very helpful tool for them. Personally, I do not want my parents or friends struggling with the cloth diapers so when they are watching my daughter, I use disposables.

Tips and Tricks

So what do you need in your diaper bag to cloth diaper on-the-go? There are a couple things that I find very important: wet bags, cloth wipes, and a large diaper bag.

First are the wet bags. These are a MUST if you are cloth diapering on-the-go, and are great to have on hand for soiled clothes as well. I have four of them, which allows me time to wash and air-dry them in between uses. The ones linked below are the most affordable brand, and they work so well. They have two zippered pockets and a snapped loop handle, making them super versitile for transporting. I like to hook them on the outside of my diaper bag when they are full of dirty diapers, since even though I know they won't leak I prefer to keep them from floating around in my bag.

ALVABABY 2pcs Cloth Diaper Wet Dry Bags

The second thing I have found super helpful for cloth diapering on-the-go is cloth wipes. While disposable wipes are convenient, you won't always have a garbage can nearby. Also, since you are using cloth diapers, there isn't really a good spot to put the soiled wipes (like how you put your wipes in the dirty disposable diaper before rolling it up and tossing it). I found it easiest to use cloth wipes so I could put them directly in the wet bag with the dirty diapers. For me, bringing dry wipes was most convenient, I would just grab one or two before the diaper change and get a little water on them. That way I avoid mold or mustiness in my wipes.

OsoCozy Flannel Cloth Baby Wipes

The final thing that you need if you are going to be cloth diapering while out and about is a large diaper bag. This one is kind of self-explanitory as cloth diapers are much bulkier than disposables, so you will need a larger bag to hold them all. The one I have barely holds what I need, and I honestly wish I had the larger size. Diaper bags are so fun becuase they are a way to express your personality in the midst of postpartum when you feel like you are rebuilding yourself. I chose a leather tote bag from Portland Leather because I love the quality and I plan on using it as a regular tote bag after it retires from being a diaper bag. There are also canvas tote bags and even backpacks that are large enough to hold several cloth diapers.

Deciding whether you will do cloth diapering on-the-go is such a personal decision for your family. There are so many factors at play and if you are a first-time-mom trying to figure it all out, it may be easier to use disposables when out-and-about. For our first, I used cloth diapers all through 5 months old, with the occasional disposable for longer stays at grandparents. But when my daughter started eating solids, we switched to disposables when out of the house (mainly to save diaper bag space and sanity). Do what you can, but don't keep trying to diaper a certian way if it is leading you to stress and burnout. Being present for your kids the best thing you can do for them, and you can't do that if you are overwhelmed because of their poop.