The POSITIVES of POOP

 

One of the biggest concerns people have about cloth diapers (and probably the biggest reason people choose not to use cloth diapers) is having to deal with the poop.  I tell people all the time that it isn’t really that big of a deal, that you really don’t end up touching poop that often and that thankfully it’s all washable, but still the concerns persist.  A few weeks ago as I was spraying a diaper and I started thinking about all of the positive things that come because I have to “deal with the poop”.  Here are 5 positives to consider:

 

1.  I know my kids are healthy/ know how many times they have pooped

Having to take a few more steps to clean up dirty diapers really leaves an impression in one’s mind and therefore it’s easier to keep track of the number of times your baby has pooped.  This also helps me keep track of when their last poop was because it’s kind of hard to forget when they pooped in my favorite diaper. Lastly you can really tell the health of your child based on what their poop looks like, I won’t go into it, you know what I mean ;).

 

2.  I can tell what my kids actually ate

As you are spraying out diapers, especially messy diapers, you really get to see what is making its way through the digestive track and therefore actually made it into their mouth.  My husband and I will frequently marvel over how different foods change the color, consistency, etc of our kids “output”, which brings us to…

 

3.      It gives you something to talk about with your spouse

When we used disposable diapers I don’t remember talking about poop nearly as much but since switching to cloth 18 months ago it makes up a semi-regular conversation topic between me and my husband. 

Amazement: “You should have seen this HUGE poop?”

Concern: “What did you feed the girls, that diaper was disgusting?”

Wonderment: “I can’t believe the diaper held all of that mess!”

Questioning: “Did you spray out that diaper or leave it for me?”

Caution: “Don’t put the baby in my new SoftBums, she’s about to poop!”

 

4.      You get to experience the excitement over the different stages of poop

 

Disposable diaper users don’t get to experience the highs and lows that come with your child’s transition through the different stages of poop.  It starts out on a high; exclusively breastfed baby poop doesn’t require any rinsing.  Then comes the pre first food dread of actually having to clean out a diaper.  Followed by the low of having to deal with messy transition poop.  Then comes the much anticipated “plopable poop” stage that again requires very little work or personal interaction.  A cloth diaper parent gets to experience so many more milestones than one that uses disposable diapers!

 

5.      A great cure for constipation

Almost any cloth diapering mom will tell you about the “myth” of a prized cloth diaper curing their baby’s constipation.  If you have a baby that hasn’t pooped in a while (see #1) you can cure it almost instantly by putting a new, hard to find, or prized cloth diaper on them.  If your favorite diaper that has never been pooped in or brand new fluff mail touches your baby’s bum - they will immediately poop.  Sometimes you just have to sacrifice the Jules you have been hoarding for your baby’s comfort.  Alternatively you can start doing your cloth diaper laundry and your baby will poop right about the time you can’t add anything else to the cycle.  Problem solved!

 

So maybe as cloth diaper parents we need to start talking more about the positives of all that come from dealing with poop!

 

What are some of the things you see as positives of poop?