Editorial: focus on diapers

Among the many choices facing new parents, how to clothe your baby’s behind might not be top of the list. There are bigger concerns than whether fabric or paper envelops your baby’s bottom. And what about that third choice—diaper free? While this might not be your loftiest parenting concern, it is nonetheless among the decisions new parents must face. But don’t despair. We’re here to help.

Despite what you may imagine before your little one arrives, diapering is not always all chore. It can also be a fun moment of communication and play, as you frequently end up face to face with your little one, engaged and connected. Diapering can also be a time for tummy kisses, massage, peek-a-boo, and playing wheels-on-the-bus with your baby’s feet, or this little piggy with baby’s toes. This can also be a moment of ludicrous shenanigans, when baby learns to roll over and crawl, and can no longer abide lying still for thirty seconds. Here, too, your relationship expands, as you rise to new and creative strategies to keep your little dervish entertained until the deed is done. 

Every parent also has a story or two of their precious darling letting loose the moment the diaper was removed, as if the fresh air on tender parts were an invitation to spray the room. And what parent hasn’t just adorned their little one in fresh and clean apparel, only to have the new linens trigger the excremental explosion of the week. Diapering can invoke tender moments of parent/baby connection, but it can also prompt moments of farcical frustration.

In this issue we explore the four options for enrobing your little one’s derriere: Disposables, Cloth with a diaper service, Cloth with wash-at-home, and Diaper Free. Read some useful tips, some first-hand accounts, and some expert opinions. 

Happy diapering…no matter how you roll or fold.

In this Issue: