I attended a baby shower last year for a mama of one, expecting her second child. This awesome lady has plans for many more little ones in the years to come and I recognized the enormous savings she could experience by using cloth diapers. When we spent time together, she expressed curiosity about my son’s fluffy bum and I, of course, tried to put him in his cutest diapers whenever we spent time together.
When I received an invitation to her shower, I instantly thought of all of the packages of disposable diapers and wipes she would receive. She’d never explicitly told me she wanted to cloth diaper, but I felt if she could see cloth diapers and experience using them for herself, she’d be hooked. I dreaded being that pushy “crunchy” friend, so I asked my less-crunchy husband if he thought a cloth diaper would make a good gift. He said, “Nah. Just do it!” With that little nudge, I enthusiastically searched for the right introduction to cloth.
I thought back to my initial cloth diaper trial and realized this gift needed 5 important elements for introducing a friend to cloth diapers:
1. AIO – The simplest cloth diapering option and now comparable in price to many pockets. I loved my Bum Genius Freetime and decided to make this cute, affordable AIO in a girly Lovelace the centerpiece of my gift.
2. Aplix – I prefer snaps now, but aplix proved a great way to ease into cloth diapering.
3. Flushable Liners – An easy answer to the inevitable question, “But what about the poo?” (I added disposable inserts, but would go with flushable liners next time around!)
4. A simple introduction to cloth basics – For just $7.95, Kelly Wels has created an affordable and attractive introduction to the whys, whats, hows, and how much of cloth diapering with Changing Diapers: A Hip Mom’s Guide to Cloth Diapering.
5. Irresistible Pattern or Color – Because you know that, while we choose cloth diapering for practical reasons, we become addicted to adorable fluffy bums!
I decided to be brave and my gift stood out at the party. Later, she called to ask questions, then she and her husband sat down and spent two hours budgeting the potential savings. They decided to invest in cloth and bought a stash of Freetimes! Be brave. Share the cloth love with your firiends!
Giveaway Closed
Want to win a terrific prize package for your new baby or for an expecting friend? Kelly’s Closet is offering two giveaways to win great prizes! Be sure to Enter the Blogger Blessing Giveaway (click read more) below and visit the Diaper Shops Facebook page for a virtual giveaway! You can also find more great cloth diaper tips and ideas from participating bloggers below.
This post is part of the Cloth Diaper 101 Blog Hop Hosted by Maria at My Cloth Diaper Stash.
Bring food! Preferably things that can be frozen for later!
Clean her house!
I’m trying to be my AOL’s support as she would like to breastfeed and has no one else to give her the info needed.
I’m trying to be my AOL’s support as she would like to breastfeed and has no one else to give her the info needed.
I would clip or print baby related coupons and give them to her 🙂
Offer to babysit once the baby is born (and before if there’s an older sibling!), help prepare the house, show her the best resources I’ve found
Offer to babysit once the baby is born (and before if there’s an older sibling), show her the best resources I’ve found, etc
Bring over meals and babysit baby so mommy can sleep.
“The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding”, a good baby wrap/carrier, cloth diaper gear
Freezer meals! And I would gift cloth diapers 😉
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I would help them with any and all knowledge I know about pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood! And I would make sure they knew ALL the details..you know the ones no one talks about. I have been overwhelmed with the amount of advice, sharing, and generosity that I have been given throughout my pregnancy and I cannot wait to return the favor!
I would help a mom to be by sharing all of the knowledge I know about pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood. Including all of those little details that no one talks about! I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of people throughout my pregnancy and I cannot wait to return the favor 🙂
Neat blog- thanks for sharing!
I encourage new moms by GUSHING over their babies and by doing whatever chores I can find around their house!
Be there to listen, sometmes people just need to talk.
I would invite her to join in my play group (a fabulously encouraging group of BFing/CDing mamas!), the local BFing group, or our FB CD group! I really enjoy just encouraging new mamas, especially if they’re struggling with BFing that they can do it, since I had some struggles of my own.
I am planning to help a mom-to-be by offerng her my maternity clothes after I am done wearing it 🙂
I am planning to help a mom-to-be by giving her my maternity clothes once I give birth to my daughter in April 🙂
Bring food and offer to clean and/or offer to watch the baby so she could shower. Those were the things I wanted most, but didn’t have when I had my first baby.
I always bring one fully cooked, ready to eat meal and few frozen homemade meals, and I held on to all my maternity/baby stuff to pass on to others in need. I’m always offering tips (but only when asked!) and my services in the first couple weeks postpartum. I also put together breastfeeding safe herbal teas for them 🙂
I know when I was a new mama, my mom was here to help me, and my favorite thing was when she would snuggle my new baby and let me sleep! So, I would offer to go over to a new mama’s house and just let her sleep knowing that her precious LO was in good hands.
I would bring her freezer meals!
I would bring coupons for babysitting the older kids so mom and new baby have special time.
I would bring coupons for babysitting the older kids so mom and new baby have special time.
I would offer to sit for her older children to give her a bit of “me” time before the new baby arrived or baby bonding time after…as well as give her any help she might need.
I’d help by offering ready made meals for the family!
I’d offer to made ready made dinners for the family!