Cloth and Daycare

I think one of the biggest concerns I had about using cloth diapers was the fact that I'd be going back to work.  I didn't think I would be able to find a daycare that would use cloth diapers.  Was I wrong or what!

Now, to be clear, most daycares aren't going to publicize that they take cloth diapers.  And many might try and dance around the topic and make you think they won't let you use them.  It's all about how you broach the topic.

Bring a diaper with you to your intro meeting to show the format that you're using.

1. Take out the diaper and nicely share that these are the types of diapers you're using - ask if that will be a problem.
2. Before the question comes up about what they would do with the dirty diapers, volunteer that you will bring a bag and pail for them to put the diapers in.  You will then bring them home with you at the end of each day. 
3. Reiterate that from the provider's perspective, there won't be anything different from a disposable diaper besides the different pail to put them in. 

We're at a center at my workplace (very corporate), and we're using cloth.  The director was very discouraging about the idea, but never said no.  I was confident about the fact that these were the diapers we would be using and very agreeable about the requirements she established (I'd have to talk to the health nurse (which never happened), bring in my own pail, and there could be NO leaks). 

I brought up the concept with other daycares and most were agreable.  The fact that there was no extra work for them made it a pretty easy sell.  Some of the home daycares even mentioned that the state included how to handle cloth diapers in their licensing information.

So, it CAN be done.  And, here's my routine...note, I'm part time which is helpful.  Any full-time moms want to comment on their routine?

Sunday night:

*Wash diapers in pail, put together, put six in bag for daycare.

Monday night:

*Bring home dirty diapers, dump in pail, pull out clean diapers and put six in bag for daycare

Tuesday night:

*Bring home dirty diapers, dump in pail, start a load of dirty diapers, put six clean ones in a bag for daycare

Wednesday night:

*Bring home dirty diapers, dump in pail, put together clean diapers from Tuesday's load - ready for the rest of the week

It totally works.  And (per my fuzzibunz post earlier) we've been using disposables these past couple weeks and I HATE having to buy more diapers to bring to daycare!  I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm addicted to cloth.  :o)