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

Kelly Wels (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2011

The proud recipient of GOLD in the Mom's Choice Awards!

A PTPA (Parent Tested Parent Approved) Winner!

Finally, a book about modern cloth diapering that covers everything.

Topics covered:
- Why Choose Cloth Diapers?
- Basic Cloth Diaper Talk
- The Back-to-Work and Daycare Diapering Dilemma
- Daddies and Diapers
- Laundry: How to Wash Your Cloth Diapers
- Resources and more

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 her audience grows. She even received a Congressional Award for her work from Olympia Snow. These are not your mother s cloth diapers!

Contents

Acknowledgments
The Poop on Modern Cloth Diapering: An Introduction
- Don't Poo-poo It Until You Know More
- Why Listen to Me?
- Diaper Overload
- Who in the World Cloth Diapers Their Babies These Days?
- Join the Movement

1. Why Choose Cloth Diapers?
- Reason #1: It's Best for Baby
- Reason #2: You Can Save Big Bucks
- Reason #3: You Can Be Eco-Friendly
- Reason #4: Despite What You Think, Cloth Is Convenient
- Reason #5: Yes, Cloth Diapering Is Fun for Many Moms

2. Snappis, Doublers, AIOs, and Pockets: Understanding Basic Cloth Diaper Talk
- Cloth Diapering 101
- What You Need to Know about Cloth Diaper Fabrics

Editorial Reviews

Review

Kelly Wels has been a long-time champion of all things cloth diapering, and Changing Diapers showcases her thorough knowledge and thoughtful approach in an easy-to-read and encouraging way. She shares inspiring stories and lots of great tips and tricks as she guides readers through the basics of diapering duty! This book is a must read for any mom or dad looking to explore the wonderful world of cloth diapering. --Tereson Dupuy, CEO and Inventor, FuzziBunz Diapers LLC
Founder of FuzziBunz Cloth Diapers and Mother of the Modern Cloth Diaper
FuzziBunz.com

In writing Changing Diapers, Kelly Wels has drawn on her years of experience in the cloth diaper industry to create a brilliant resource for any parent interested in cloth diapering their baby. This book is a joy to read, full of "how-tos", detailed illustrations, checklists and beautiful photos. A perfectly written, helpful resource for any parent! --Jennifer Labit, Owner of Cotton Babies
Creator of bumGenius, Flip, and Econobum
CottonBabies.com
Changing Diapers is a recipient of the prestigious Mom's Choice Award. The Mom's Choice Awards honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; and Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of the Mom's Choice Awards. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award. --Mom's Choice Awards

Packed with practical tips and helpful information, Changing Diapers is a must for the first-time cloth diaper user. Extensive tips include how to travel with cloth, how to clean cloth diapers, and what to do if you have twins. Includes clear descriptions of the types of cloth diapers and comprehensive resources on where to find them. Accessible and funny, Changing Diapers makes cloth look as easy as it really is. --Peggy O Mara
Editor-in-Chief, Mothering.com

Changing Diapers is a recipient of the prestigious Mom's Choice Award. The Mom's Choice Awards honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; and Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of the Mom's Choice Awards. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award. --Mom's Choice Awards

Packed with practical tips and helpful information, Changing Diapers is a must for the first-time cloth diaper user. Extensive tips include how to travel with cloth, how to clean cloth diapers, and what to do if you have twins. Includes clear descriptions of the types of cloth diapers and comprehensive resources on where to find them. Accessible and funny, Changing Diapers makes cloth look as easy as it really is. --Peggy O Mara
Editor-in-Chief, Mothering.com

About the Author

Kelly Wels' mission is to share her love for cloth diapers and advocate for diapering change. She believes that through education and knowledge, parents can be empowered to make more positive & eco-friendly diapering choices.

Product Details

• Paperback: 230 pages
• Publisher: Green Team Enterprises; First edition (October 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0983562210
• ISBN-13: 978-0983562214
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 6.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (163 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #59,630 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More 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.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good If You're Still Unsure December 11, 2011

By Becky

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you're still unsure on whether you'd like to cloth diaper, this is an excellent resource for basic information. But, if you've already made up your mind and are looking for a comprehensive guide of specific information, you might be a little disappointed. Way too much of this book is devoted to "why" you should cloth diaper, instead of "how". I was hoping for more real-life tips and advice, and for more specifics. For example, one fold was shown for flat and prefold diapers, and I was hoping a collection of different folds (and advice on why certain folds tend to work better in certain situations) would be shown. I know I can find examples online (like on youtube), but the book promised to be a "definitive guide" that would put everything in one place and hopefully eliminate the need for endless searching. Not exactly, but it's a decent beginning guide.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Short on "How-To" Information April 4, 2012

By Kelly Tee

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you're looking to spend money on a book about cloth diapering, the odds are that you're aleady well aware (or at least marginally aware) of the health, environmental, and other benefits to cloth diapering. I was amazed to receive this book and realize that 90% of the information it contained addresses they WHYs of cloth diapering. Do you really need a bunch of statistics about disposable diapers and landfills, for example? For me, this was all really obvious, and I kept waiting for the book to start. The remaining 10% of the book provides some very, very basic information on the HOWs of cloth diapering--but really doesn't go much further than identifying the types of cloth diapers available (pockets v. AIOs v. prefolds, etc.). Frankly, you can get the same explanation for free at the website of any of the major cloth diaper retailers. I've already committed to cloth diapering, and I bought this book hoping to learn some new prefold techniques. Actually, I bought it hoping to learn ANYTHING. I mean it when I say that you can learn far more about cloth diapering from the internet. This book might be helpful if you were hoping to convince someone--say, a reluctant partner or daycare provider--to cloth diaper. For me, I'm returning it and going back to YouTube videos, which are a great resource once you've gotten over WHETHER to cloth diaper and actually want to get your hands dirty :)

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything You Could Ever Need to Know About Modern Cloth Diapering!! September 14, 2011

By MamaBiehl

Format:Paperback

Every pregnant/expecting mother should read this book.

There are chapters on why cloth diapers are a good choice, choosing the right diapers and styles for your needs, what to do if you are going back to work, cloth diapers in daycare, cloth diapering multiples, how to wash your diapers, what to do if rashes/leaks occur...there's an even a chapter devoted to DAD!

In addition to covering all the information, there's a wealth of extra resources at the end of the book. There are suggestions on how to pack your diaper bag. There's a chart to keep track of what you have and what you need, with regards to cloth diapering. There's an empty log for you to keep track of your "fluffy" purchases. There's even a place for you to take notes!

While you are reading, you'll find fun quotes and tips ("Fluffy Stuff" as she calls it) about cloth diapering, beautiful photos, and helpful diagrams. Additionally, she offers suggestions on several brands on the cloth diapering market. Granted, there are HUNDREDS, so she can't address them all -- but she hits the big ones!

What you WON'T find inside:

Acronyms and abbreviations that make no sense to you.
Someone sounding all "preachy" on why you have to use cloth diapers.
Boring, useless information or shameless product plugs.

--
Most importantly, Kelly writes in a way that feels personal. It's like you are sitting down and having a conversation with one of the leading cloth diaper experts--right there in your living room.

Kelly's book covers it all--and it's right there at your fingertips, no need to search for hours through thousands of cloth diaper websites.

There are so many misconceptions about cloth diapers and the amount of work they require.... This book will give you the real picture.

To Sum It Up:

Easy to read.
Easy to understand.
Informative.
Useful.
NECESSARY. Read more ›

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars I would have Changed diapers sooner If I had this book September 15, 2011

By C. Wilson

Format:Paperback

Kelly Wels, cloth diaper advocate, entrepreneur, member of The Real Diaper Association, blogger extrordanaire, mom, and more has brought us a wonderful and simple guide to modern cloth diapering.

Had I received this book as a shower present my little Lady A would not have spent one second in disposables. Casual mentions of cloth meant nothing to me. I, like multitudes of others could only envision old school plastic pants and misinformation regarding ease of use and rashes.

"Changing Diapers The Hip Mom's Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering" keeps it simple. This is a blessing, in the world of internet research one can become bogged down and overwhelmed with information. Kelly also wisely lays out the path of least resistance, aka keeps the main focus on the easiest diapers for transition from disposables. She keeps the focus on pockets and their ease of use while giving just enough of an overview on the other options. I think this is brilliant. Once your are into cloth diapering you can discover all the amazing, other ways of diapering. But, when you are diapering your newborn and sleep deprived and covered in bodily fluids 24-7 you need easy. Kelly makes it easy.

She includes checklists, which I adore. When you are as big as a house and totally freaking out, about to give birth you need checklists. If some kind and benevolent soul has already made you these lists, Hoorah! One less thing for mama to be to do.

My favorite part of the book are the resources she has included. She gives wonderful contact information for associations that can help you advocate for your use of cloth diapers in the hospital. I WILL be using this information if Lady A winds up having a sibling.... She also gives resource information to help you advocate for cloth diaper use in daycare and country wide lists of all ready cloth diaper friendly daycare centers.

The photos in the book are rich in color and full of adorable fluffy baby bums. Even if you just flipped through the photos you'd be a convert. If you are my friend and you get pregnant anytime in the future expect to find a copy of "Changing Diapers" nestled in with your other shower gifts, even if you are as convinced you will be using disposables as I once was. Read more ›