Meet Molly. Mom, cloth diaper expert and owner of my new favorite baby store, Ann Arbor's The Little Seedling.
On Saturday, (after my cliché pregnancy breakfast), Will and I travelled to this unassuming little shop, located on Zeeb Road off of I-94, to attend their free cloth diapering class. I didn't know what to expect and was ecstatically surprised. The store carries a slew of cloth diapers (check out Will by the diaper wall), multiple baby carriers, car seats, toys, furniture, clothing for baby and mom . . . basically, everything you need, and not a lot of what you don't. While my heart races each time I set foot in a big box baby store (the Buy Buy Baby in-person registry experience nearly killed both of us), when I walked into The Little Seedling, my heart sang.
Muffins and fresh strawberries were out for the taking, employee children are welcome (and sometimes, I was told, can be seen napping in the floor model furniture) and the employees themselves are smiling, walking, fountains of baby gear knowledge.
Granted, you won't find a lot of budget gear here. And no primary-color-plastic-bedazzled Fisher Price play mats. So, it's not the perfect fit for every parent. But it did seem to be the perfect fit for Will and I. Though we've already registered at Buy Buy Baby and Amazon.com, and don't want to add another option to the docket, we will undoubtedly be spending some money at The Little Seedling. On diapers, and multiple other items. Anywho, onto the free diaper class. Held the first Saturday of the month, no registration required, Molly walks through the basics of what is truly an overwhelming topic. (I could have saved myself hours of internet reading had I attended this a few months ago.) First, an intro to cloth diapering. Then, a run down of different cloth options and how to care for them, and lastly, what accessories you may need.
Cloth diapering is less expensive than disposable diapering. (For one child, an average family spends $1800-$3000 on disposable diapers. Cloth diapers are $600-$800.) It's heaps better for Mother Earth. Many babies experience little or no diaper rash. And, rumor has it that many cloth diapered babies potty train earlier. (The supposed reason? You change cloth diapers more often. Baby pees, feels wet, you change the diaper. They are regularly exposed to, and possibly learn, cause and effect early in life.)
There are five basic types of cloth diapers. Prefolds (the classic cloth diaper), fitteds, pocket diapers, all-in-ones and hybrid diapers. Prefolds and fitteds require a cover. Pocket diapers and all-in-ones don't - the entire unit is washed each time. Hybrid diapers work much like prefolds – you use a washable or disposable insert and launder the cover every couple changes.
There are a plethora of brands out there – the most prominent being bumGenius (great momtrepreneur story), Kissaluvs, GroVia, Thirsties and Fuzzibunz. The Little Seedling carries all of these, and more. Molly said all of their diapers work for most babies, and if not, they'll help figure out a solution for your child. Will and I know we want to cloth diaper, for all the reasons mentioned above. We're just not sure which “system” is right for us, so we plan to take advantage of the trial program. You can test out different brands and systems before you invest the big bucks. Just return what doesn't work for store credit. (Of course, there are explicit policies, so if you're interested, be sure to contact the store.)
Care sounds pretty easy. Maybe not as easy as tossing a disposable into a diaper genie and grabbing a new one from a pack, but not too gross or complicated. That said, I can't really speak to it yet, so I'll refrain. Accessories are minimal – diaper pail, liner x2, special detergent (no whiteners or brighteners – both of which kill absorbancy – if a diaper is stained, just set it out in the sun and let Lady Nature do the bleaching), wet bags for travel and if you choose, washable wipes. Molly explained, under an hour, what I'd spent hours Googling. It was well worth the trip! And we will definitely be back. I think Grandma Betty would be especially keen on the shop itself.
In addition to the diapering class, Will and I got hands-on tutorials for the two baby carriers we chose – the Ergo Baby Carrier and the Moby Wrap. Stay tuned for pics of Will with the Ergo. Manly shoulders make the “putting on” part a tad more trying.
