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And remember—like all other aspects of EC—it’s certainly not an all-or-nothing situation. You can carry out EC with a combination of mostly disposables and an occasional cloth diaper, or switch to using more cloth (diapers and training pants) as you and your baby get more in harmony with each other and are having so few misses that it makes sense to switch out of expensive disposables. (I’ve met many parents who were full-time disposables users but decided to switch to a bit of cloth after starting EC. The amount of money they would save was highly compelling—especially since they’d frequently find themselves throwing out dry diapers.) You can also use cloth diapers full-time, either ones that you launder yourself or diapers delivered by a local diaper service. Remember, there are a number of options out there—do what feels right for your family.

Cloth diapers with snaps or Velcro fastenings are as easy to use as disposables.

If you’re curious about cloth diapers but have always felt daunted by the thought of using them, I hope this little overview will reassure you that they’re really not all that mysterious or complicated. And using some cloth at least part of the time does help EC for a couple of reasons. First of all, it’s easier to connect with your baby quickly when you are able to immediately tell whether he has gone or not (and this is difficult to ascertain if he’s in a disposable, which is designed to feel dry even after a baby has peed in it). So if you are committed to trying EC once a day, you might consider using a cloth diaper during that time. Cloth diapers or training pants make for a nice transitional bridge; they are a good alternative to going totally diaper-free until you and your baby are ready to take the plunge, or if you have a lot of carpet in the home and really don’t feel your floors can accommodate a diaper-free environment.

Cloth Diapering Systems

As with baby carriers, there is such a huge variety of cloth diaper types available that it could make any parent’s head swim. The following is a quick introduction to some basic types of cloth diapers. If this piques your interest, see the section at the end of the book for additional information on more specific diapering systems and diaper care.

Prefolds and Covers

Prefolds are little rectangular pieces of cotton or hemp fabric sewn together to make a thick layer of cloth. They’re usually thicker in the middle than at the sides. You can buy them in different sizes and in different amounts of layers to meet your needs. When I was using cloth diapers before getting into EC, I bought the most absorbent prefolds I could find so that my baby could go longer without needing to be changed. Once we started EC’ing, however, I found it more useful for our purposes to have on hand the thinnest ones possible, enough to absorb just one pee.

The hands-down favorite among most cloth-diapering aficionados are Chinese or diaper-service quality (DSQ) prefolds. Their simple shape allows them to be used in a variety of ways. While some parents pin them on their babies, others simply fold and lay them inside a diaper cover, which can be made of polyester or nylon, cotton (treated to be water-repellent), fleece, or wool (which is one of the most naturally water-resistant fabrics out there). These covers are simple to use because most of them fasten with Velcro. Unless the cover is actually wet or dirty, it doesn’t need to be washed after every single use—just air it out. It is common to rotate several covers for a while before washing them.

Thick prefolds are great for cloth diaperers, but experienced EC’ers find that they actually prefer thinner ones because, folded up appropriately, they are enough to absorb just one pee, make for less laundry, and dry more quickly. It’s probably a good idea to have some of each—the thinner and the thicker prefolds—on hand to see what works best.

You can also purchase a prefold belt. This is a piece of fleece-wrapped elastic that goes around your baby’s waist and can hold a prefold between her legs without your needing to