Why we use cloth

I have had mixed reactions from people when they find out we cloth diaper. The reactions range from pure disgust to interest to excitement and everything in between. So why do we use cloth? There are lots of reasons!

• It is cheaper! Cloth diapers range in price from $20 for a dozen prefolds to $50 or $60 or even more for a single diaper, so I guess it isn't always cheaper, but for the most part it is. Our stash consists of roughly 25 BumGenius pockets, 5 or 6 pockets I have made myself, a random (but cute!) Happy Heiney pocket, 4 made by me fitteds, a dozen infant prefolds and 3 covers. In all I have spent about $200 on my stash. Now, that might sound like a lot of money for diapers, and all at once it was BUT I was spending $50-60 a MONTH on disposables, so in the 3 1/2 months we were using disposables, I spent the same amount as I spent on diapers for the rest of my child's diapered years, and I'll be keeping them for the next baby too.
  
• They don't go in a landfill! Disposable diapers take up to 500 YEARS to decompose in landfills, not to mention the fact that you are putting human waste into ladfills as well, blech!
• Earlier potty training! Babies who are cloth diapered tend to potty train sooner. It seems that disposables can make babies feel too dry, they don't learn to feel wet and learn to tell when they have to go as early as cloth diapered babies because well, they never feel wet. Along with the little bit of EC we do, I'm hoping Carson will be completely out of diapers day and night by 2, hopefully closer to 18-20 mos.
  
• No chemicals! Babies have sensitive skin, my little boy has allergies to a lot of disposables, so it is nice to have a solution to diapering that is chemical free.
  
• Cloth diapers are soft and squishy and comfy! Would you rather wear cloth undies or papery plasticy depends? I know I'd rather wear cotton panties, thank you very much!
• There is nothing cuter than a soft squishy cloth covered bum! For real, its just flat out cute, and there are so many prints and colors and patterns to choose from.

Cloth may not be right for everyone, and I get that, but it is right for us and it is SO vastly different than the traditional square flat diapers and rubber pants of the past (although those do still exist and people do use them) There are pockets and All in Ones that are completely comperable to disposables when it comes to ease of use!