Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom's Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering

by Kelly Wels

Kelly Wels, a leading authority in the movement toward modern cloth diapering, has pulled the whole industry together to offer the best information on everything from what to buy, how to fit, and how to launder, to the health benefits for baby and the impact of diapers on the environment. Wels is a well-known powerhouse advocate and has become the main voice in the industry. The marketplace for this book is constant, as the US birthrate hovers over 4 million babies born per year, and the word is getting out about the benefits of using modern cloth versus disposables. Wels is a continuous presence on her popular blogs and is often featured by other bloggers in the industry. When Wels talks, her audience listens and responds, and her audience grows. She even received a Congressional Award for her work from Maine Senator Olympia Snow. These are not your mother's cloth diapers!

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Adult, Childrens, How To

215 pages, Paperback

First published September 25, 2011

About the author

Kelly Wels is a leading cloth diaper expert and advocate who has a passion for helping parents make informed decisions when it comes to how they diaper their babies.

In November 2010, Kelly founded Kellywels.com, which she calls her "passion project." Her mission is to share her love for cloth diapers and advocate for diapering change. She says she believes that through education and knowledge, parents can be empowered to make more positive diapering choices. Kelly also is a green living promoter and social media marketer.

Kelly was previously known by her peers as the founder and owner of DiaperShops.com and KellysCloset.com, two popular online cloth diapering stores. In the summer of 2010, Kelly decided to turn her business over to new owners and pursue her advocacy passion full-time, without dealing with the day-to-day pressures of running a multi-million dollar business.

Kelly has personally been honored with a Congressional Award from Maine Senator, Olympia Snowe, who also is a ranking member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. The Congressional Award recognized Kelly for her success as a leading entrepreneur in Maine. Kelly also founded TheClothDiaperWhisperer.com blog, which was recognized as a "finalist" for "Blog of the Year" by the Stevie Awards for Women in Business in 2010.

While Kelly is an advocate for diapering change, she has dedicated a lot of her energy supporting causes important to her cloth diaper passion and to her personal life. She champions awareness for organizations like the Cloth Diaper Foundation, Real Diaper Association, Cloth for the Coast and the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

Most importantly, Kelly is a mom to three children, Olivia, Hanz and Riley. She currently lives in Waterford, Maine, which she says is like stepping back in time with older homes that are nestled in rolling foot hills. Kelly spends her free time working on several cloth diapering advocacy projects, loves gardening, and consults with other entrepreneurs on their social media marketing efforts.

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I checked this out of the library because my husband and I are really starting to think about babies, and I was curious to learn more about cloth diapering because I am interested in doing it with our future little ones. Within a few minutes of reading, I was completely sold on cloth diapering and my husband got on board when I shared the info with him.

This book is great for newbies because it outlines reasons for cloth, types of cloth, caring for cloth, etc. Veteran cloth parents probably won't learn anything new, but I give it five-stars to people reading who are like me!

I jotted down some notes and took to the internet for more information. I quickly learned that the cloth community is like a club with its own lingo and enthusiasts. Can't wait to be part of it! :)

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite interesting (to me, haha) and super informative. This will be a great reference book to have if we go the cloth route, and was and will be really helpful, I think.

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really useful guide to the basics of cloth diapering. It's a book I will use as a reference (especially the appendix with resources). In this format it was a little difficult to envision exactly what each kind of diaper looks like and how exactly to use it (though the pictures aided in that) - but it primed me well for going into a shop and understanding what I was seeing.

Though the author is clearly knowledgeable, there are a few things in the book that are very advice-y. I thought she was an expert until I talked to others about things I had read in the book, and they said plainly, "That didn't work for me." So it helped me take what I learned a little more as one person's view instead of a universal truth (I've never cloth diapered...what do I know?)

Overall, useful. Filled with extra resources I know I will come back to.

[Caitlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a pretty superficial overview of cloth diapering. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I'd read it six months ago when I didn't know anything, but it wasn't at all helpful to a still-novice diaperer already familiar with the kinds of diapers available and some basic care principles. The chapter directed to dads was pretty condescending, and an inordinate amount of the book was devoted to winning over the reader to cloth diapering and extolling its virtues - not really a guide so much as a propaganda campaign (and I am a whole-hearted supporter of cloth diapering).

[jeanmarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

it wasn't as in-depth as i was hoping--it was much more of a broad overview for those who know virtually nothing about cloth diapers. i was looking for something more like a practical guide for those who have decided to diaper and need help getting started. it also feels like there are a lot of unnecessary digs (that don't seem to be well-supported) at disposables (giving examples like 'moms feel like disposables are bad because...')

[Amber Lorraine Grabowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was pretty good and all the testimonials definitely made me feel like I was making the right choice. There’s a lot of good information and resources in there on how to get started cloth diapering, reasons to try it, how to clean them, and troubleshooting issues, however, I wish the writing style was a little bit different. The whole book had a theme of trying to convince you, instead of just providing information. The trying to convince you parts were good at the beginning but became a little bit annoying as I went on, because obviously, if I’m continuing to read the book, it’s because I want more information and I’ve already made my decision to try it. That being said, there were lots of great ideas and lots of information on the different styles and types of cloth diapers out there, and I’m glad I read the book. I feel much more prepared now!

[Erica Lyn Burden · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read that breaks down the reality of using cloth versus disposables and comes with great cost calculators to show what you're saving doing this. It's one of the more accessible titles about it, and definitely brands it as a trend (which is okay, it kind of is, and anyone who cloth diapers can generally tell you about the cult-like following of new prints like it's a fashion show). It's handy for anyone who thinks this is something they want to do but doesn't know where to start (it has some brand ideas based on what you're looking for in there, too).

[Christine Kenney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick, breezy, covers enough of the basics to get you started. The refrain is every baby is different, so this won't help you narrow down a specific brand of diaper or detergent is going to work for your specific situation but will at least give you a consolidated list of decent options. It also seemed geared toward driving traffic to the author's blog, but there was enough content in the book itself and the price point was low enough that this didn't feel like a rip off.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful information for someone with no experience with cloth diapers. First chapter was a little judgemental and wouldn't have otherwise convinced me that cloth diapering was worthwhile had I not already decided to do so. The rest of the book was easy to read and would probably make a useful resource as cloth diapering continues.

[Faith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative but you could also get all of this information via YouTube videos. I had watched a lot of videos before getting the book so there wasn't much new information for me. But if you haven't watched videos or feel like you want a little bit more in depth or a book on hand to reference this could be helpful.

[Annie MacPherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really helpful, encouraging guide for beginning cloth diapering! 4 out of 5 stars because some brand information is outdated and there was not a lot of information about traditional cloth diapering and cleaning methods. That being said, I feel a lot more confident now about how I would like to start this journey thanks to this book!

[Kassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over the past six months my reading selections have really changed. I feel a lot like Jude Law's character in The Holiday when he talks about being the guy who reads cookbooks before bed at night. A great introduction to cloth diapers that looks at the pros of cloth diapering from all aspects, including financial, environmental, and special needs.

[Halley Knigge · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my life now.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

All you need to know about how to start cloth diapering.

[Kelsey Kersting · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a comprehensive guide to modern cloth diapering. I recommend this quick and easy book for anyone considering cloth diapers. It will answer questions you didn’t know you had, and more!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful and informative. Some bits were less accurate - I cross reference with other sources, especially the particular brands of cloth diapers for cleaning instructions, etc.

[Ashton D. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a simplified version of the book Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert that lacked explanation and references. I'd strongly recommend skipping it and reading the other book.

[Mackenzee Klamczynski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read alot of info. I am very much wanting to do cloth diapering!

[Bonnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book starts off annoying. it makes the following assumptions about its readers:
1) you are a woman married to a man
2) you have a good, newer washing machine (and it is yours alone)
3) you have a space outside to line-dry diapers
4) you are terrified by "scary chemicals"
5) you are terrified by sewage (from disposable diapers in modern landfills) getting into groundwater (...has the author not heard of septic tanks?), despite reassurances from the EPA that modern landfills are designed to prevent *anything* getting into groundwater
6) your husband will be unwilling to change *any* diaper, let alone cloth diapers
7) You enjoy a cutesy tone, and perhaps part of why you are reading this book is because you want to be like the cool "Earth Mother" moms whose kids have fun patterns on their diapers and "fluffy butts."
8) Honestly, the one assumption I didn't see her make was that everyone has a car. It might be underlying some of the travel advice, and there's nothing about dealing with changes on planes/trains/subways/busses/in public, apart from one story by the lone dad about how gross changing tables in men's rooms are.

So, it starts off on the wrong foot entirely with me. By the time I got to chapter 3 or so, I was going to chuck it across the room (even tho it's a library book!), but it settled into facts and helpful diagrams shortly after that. Yes, there are still references to 'your husband' being grossed out and things like 'program the following cycle into your washing machine, and remember, don't use the sanitize cycle!', but the descriptions of 'this is an AIO' and the pros and cons of Velcro vs snaps balance it, because there's a shit-ton of conflicting/confusing info out there on the webbernets. There's also good checklists in the back: you need so many diapers for so many days, and you don't want to let them sit for longer than this many days because the stench gets locked in, etc etc. There's also info on how to work with a daycare (OK, another point of privilege) to get them to use cloth.

This book could be a lot better. Once you get past the privilege, heteronormativity, gender roles, scare tactics (disposable diapers have PLASTIC in them!!!!!!111!), and cuteness, it's got some good info, but you have to wade through allllllllllll that nonsense to get there.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend let me borrow this, and I am so glad she did! I want my own copy for my bookshelf now. I've perused the web on multiple occasions and the information out there is overwhelming. This book is very current, 2012, and I'm glad for that. I have a few "crunchy" friends who have shown me their Cloth Diapers, so there was a brand or two of Cloth Diapers not mentioned that I wish would have been.

Her purpose in writing this book was to have a "go to" resource for cloth diapering without having to spend hours upon hours researching online, it's all concise in this book to give you a great *introduction*. Perfect for anyone interested in Cloth Diapering, but unsure where to start. She goes over reasons for CD, testimonials from real mom (and dads!), helps you understand the terminology, basics in how to wash, and even the different types of diapers. Who knew what an "All in One" meant, or a "Pocket Diaper" was? Now I know! She even goes into certain brands. There is even a very extensive resource list in the back of the book, as well as blank charts/graphs to keep up with your CD journey.

One of her best recommendations in the book is to try out a few different brands before spending hundreds of dollars on one type and brand, only to be frustrated, overwhelmed, or hate it. Having options to try out on your baby/toddler will help the transition and help your success.

Very glad I read this. Helped me organize my own stash of CD that friends have given/let me borrow, as well as fill in the blanks for my registry to try a few other types. It's very easy to read (I read it in an hour or so), very full of information, and very worth reading.

[April Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew next to nothing about cloth diapering (maybe even nothing, if I'm being honest) when I picked this up at the library in my first-child first-trimester enthusiasm. It was a quick read, very informational, and I shared it with a girlfriend who is also going to cloth diaper now. Right after reading it (straight through, I wanted all the information), I went to a cloth diapering class offered by a local retailer and was able to ask much better questions and get a lot more out of the class than if I'd walked in with no prior knowledge. I was also able to build a stash of about 30 AIOs & pockets, of about 6 different brands, and am washing them RIGHT NOW... in preparation for baby boy who will be here in about 9 weeks. It's hard to say whether the information/advice was mostly accurate or not, since we haven't actually begun diapering, but I feel very equipped and that is mostly due to this book. Highly recommend for anyone considering cloth diapers.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick and easy overview of modern cloth diapering, heavy on the modern, heavy on how easy it is -- for people who need convincing. It skims the surface regarding different types of cloth diapers (AIOs, AI2s, pockets, prefolds, etc.) but doesn't really go into depth. I actually preferred the older _Diaper Changes_ that is out of print now. Perhaps it's just because I've immersed myself in the culture lately, and there was so much that was missing .... A good introduction for newbies, but not a thorough reference for people like me who enjoy research and options, and who have tried making their own diapers. Cute but fluffy, a little heavy on the cloth diaper companies that helped fund the book, understandably.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was informative but not in the was I was lead to be. The book and title make it seem like you are going to get the 101 on cloth diapers. That's not the case the book should be called _____ many reasons why you should cloth diaper. It is mainly about why you should cloth diaper, and reason why moms cloth diaper. 5 pages are actually about cloth diapers; an extremely vague description as to the type of CDs there are out there and a small paragraph about picking detergents to use on CD. I'd like if Kelly actually took the time to explain cloth diapers, techniques she has used or other moms, guides to clean/ wash them. Information that maybe useful for a mom who is new to the cloth diapering world. Rather than advocating the reasons why to cloth diapers.

[Audra Murzycki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book in two days. It was extremely informative and useful. Although my baby isn't born yet I feel prepared to try cloth diapering. The author provides pros and cons for brands, styles and sizes, as well as necessary instruction on washing. I want to try cloth to help the environment, save money, and protect my baby's skin. As I am not a very earthy-crunchy mom I was annoyed with her trust-your-gut-over-evidence approach and skipped over the many pages of "what a mom says" which all seemed biased. But I am happy to have read this book and will keep it for trouble-shooting.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I did it on my new Nook Tablet and it was a very quick read. Very informative and one of the more recent books out there on cloth diapering. Published in July 2011. Other reviews indicate it has some nice pictures/demos on how to fold some of the types of cloth diapers. Great resources in the back for blogs and websites and even checklists for anyone considering cloth diapers. It's more modern than you think!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're even remotely curious about cloth diapering your next baby, or want more information about a process you already use, this is a great book. Cloth is better for baby, better for the environment, and better for your wallet, and this book spells out how to make an easy process even easier.

If anyone here sees this review and want more info on cloth, message me and ask away - I am very much a fan of cloth, and would love to get more people on board!

[Gina Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very informational book on what cloth diapering has become. Gives you information from why cloth diapers these days are so different from those of our grandparents up to and including how much money you'll save just buy using cloth nappies in place of sposies (disposables). It was great in informing me on what type of cloth nappies I will be using with my son and even gave a resource list of places to buy from.

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. As an expectant, first time mom, and first time at cloth diapering I found this book to be very informative. It really helped me understand the basics. A very well written book and I would definitely recommend all new moms who are new to cloth diapering to read this book!

[Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of cloth diapering. By the time I read it I pretty much already knew all it had to offer from the Internet and forums. But it's a great one-stop-shop of info. I will be recommending it to my friends that are just starting to get curious about cloth diapers.

[Jena · Rating 3 out of 5]

A handy overview of modern cloth diapers. A great resource for those interested in cloth diapers but not quite sure where to start. Those who are already familiar, especially those who read cloth diapering blogs, aren't likely to learn anything new.