I Want to Win Babywearing Gear for Great Cloth Diaper Change Malaysia 2012 Contest

I started to fall in love in Cloth Diapers when I first read Farrah Rahim's blog.. That was when I pregnant my 1st son, Arsyad.. But then I didn't prepare any cloth diapers for him since he was born coz I've so many issues after I gave birth to him, c-sect, breast abscess, going back and forth to the hospital make me forgot all about these cloth diapers thing.. But, when he was 4 months old I started to think maybe I should give it a try, eventhough not using it for full time at least I did try and see if I can cope with it.. 

Yeah~ at first I found it was so hard to do coz I didn't have enough knowledge on how to take care of the cloth diapers.. I simply wash it with Nappikleen which I didn't know that it can't be used to wash CD coz it has enzyme in it.. And owh my~ it started to leak and I don't know how to do the stripping.. So at that time I just have 6 cloth diapers for me to rotate.. And I almost give up, but then I keep on googling and reading all the tips and infos from other mommies.. 

Cloth diapering has been a gradual learning process for me.. Probably like some of you, I used to think that the concept of cloth diapering seemed nice but a little too hands and gross for me.. I am quite sensitive to nasty poo smells.. Not that anyone likes dealing with poo, but when the time goes by, I was amazed by myself how quickly I got used to it, and it wasn't a big deal anymore.. I became one with the poo.. Hehe.. Okay maybe not, but it became gradually less disgusting to me..

And now Alhamdulillah I started to fully cloth diapering my 2nd son since he was 2 months old till now.. This is the time I realize that how worthy my investment on the cloth diapers that I bought from my 1st son, which I add on my stash bit by bit.. Its just that for newbies like me few years back, there are few things I wish someone had told me about cloth diapering..

1. That people who use cloth diapers LOVE to talk about cloth diapers - Ask them questions, lots of questions. Ask to see their diapers if possible. You will undoubtedly learn a lot, perhaps more than you thought you needed to know. Nothing beats learning from someone else's first hand experience, you will become more confident and develop a great support network by asking questions. Not sure if you know anyone who uses cloth diapers? Then feel free to join this group Malaysian Cloth Diapering Parents and Cloth Diaper Support Group at facebook. You will receive tons of advice and support from other mommies to help you get started.
2. More and more diaper styles can equal more confusion - Spending minutes or hours trying to figure out 'now how does this one work' can be no fun for you. So before investing in a full laundry rotation trying every version of every style out can lead to frustration, confusion and unnecessary expense. Why not pick 2 or 3 different styles that sound the most likely to work for you, try those, and then settle the one that works best? You can always try something new while your baby is growing up.
3. Don't complicate your diaper washing system until you have a problem - Start with the simplest washing system (pre-wash, wash and dry), don't use vinegar or baking soda, and only use half of the amount of recommended detergent. If you have a problem like diaper rash or smelly diapers, then begin the process of troubleshooting and changing your wash system. By starting simple, washing diapers will be easy to do and troubleshooting problems will be much more straightforward process. Then again, you may never have any problems because you kept the wash process simple and easy to begin with!!
4. There is joy in using cute diapers - We all know the joy of dressing our babies in adorable clothing. But it took me awhile to understand that cloth diapers are actually an extension of baby's wardrobe. Yes, diapers are meant to be functional, but why not make them fun too?? Dressing our son in diaper colors, patterns, and fabrics that appeal to us makes diapering much less stressful and much more enjoyable for me and my husband. :-)
5. You really don't need to know everything to be successful at cloth diapering - Okay, true confessions!! How much time did you put into learning about cloth diapers when you first got started? I must have spent at least 60 - 80 hours online, reading, finding stores to browse, and becoming entirely overwhelmed and confused. My first purchases were poorly planned despite my attempts at education because I was trying to know everything and try everything. Is this necessary?? Absolutely NOT!! My recommendation is to identify your basic diaper style (prefold, fitted, pocket, AIO or AI2) and then talk your choices and options and needs over with a cloth diapering friend or store that feels right to you. This still takes some time but much less than trying to learn everything! Go slow and steady.. :-)
6. Buying quality products makes the entire cloth diapering experience better - Quality does not have to be equal to expensive, but rather the top level products within your price range. Investing in quality products makes the whole cloth diapering process better. Buy the best quality products that you can afford. Not sure which one is the best? Don't be shy to ask other cloth diapers' users or go online and join the cloth diaper group. Cloth diaper users LOVE to talk about cloth diapers.

Cloth diapering to me is the best therapy and the best investment of all - change to cloth diaper to change the world! 

Owh~ btw, this entry is for the contest by Great Cloth Diaper Change (GCDC).. I hope I can win one of those babywearing gears. Mommies~ come and join this contest! if you want them too! Click here for more info about the contest. The last date will be on 20th May 2012 before 11pm. 


You can participate via blog or facebook. Just create a blog post or facebook note with title "I Want to Win Babywearing Gear for Great Cloth Diaper Change Malaysia 2012 Contest" and you must include this sentence and finish it with your own unique meaningful ways, "Cloth diapering to me..." OR "Dunia lampin kain moden buat diriku.." (not more than 30 words of your own words). 

Thanks to all the sponsors Snuggbaby and Big Eyes Shop.

Good Luck~