#1  One set lasts throughout baby’s diapering.  Pocket diapers like bumGenius and Happy Heiny’s have adjustable snaps that make it possible to use the same diaper for any baby from eight to thirty five pounds.  While prefolds are far cheaper overall, you may have to buy different sizes as baby grows whereas with a few dozen pocket diapers, you’re set! 

#2  They’re easier to put on than prefolds—especially at three in the morning when you’re diapering your colicky baby and haven’t had more than three consecutive hours of sleep for days on end.   All you need to do is snap or Velcro them into place and you’re set to go. 

#3  Once they’re stuffed, you’re set.  After you launder pocket diapers, the inserts just need to be gently tucked into the diapers.  That’s it!  Prefolds have to be folded and then arranged a bit in the cover before they’re on.  It may be just a ten second difference but when you have a squirmy toddler like mine, ten seconds counts!

#4  They’re cuter—hands down.   Even skeptics can’t help but gasp with admiration when they see Roscoe in his cow-print Happy Heiny’s.  For friends and family who are a bit critical of cloth, seeing your baby’s tush in adorable cloth diapers may just win them over.

#5  Less bulk.  Pocket diapers fit more like disposables, which means that your child will fit in their clothes more easily.  I would presume that they’re also more comfortable for baby since they allow more movement and are less binding.

There’s no doubt that breastfeeding is best for everyone involved, but many moms aren’t sure they can stick with it in those early sleep-deprived days.  Since breastfeeding is so healthy for mom, baby, and the environment, we’d love to gather up a few of your stories about breastfeeding your baby.   What were the highlights?  What were the challenges?  How did your friends and family react?  Did you manage to breastfeed despite obstacles like working full time or having to pump all your milk and bottle feed?  Your stories will help so many of our readers as they struggle to nourish their babies, save the planet, and get a few hours of sleep now and then.  Thanks so much for sharing!

You’ll find when you get to the potty training stage that there is a whole new arsenal of gear you just have to have:

• Pull-ups
• Cloth training pants
• Potty Chair
• Singing/talking/laughing potty chair
• Miniature urinal for boys
• Potty Ring
• Travel Potty Ring
• Step stool
• “Incentives” (e.g., candy, stickers, toys)
• A peeing doll
• “How to Toilet Train Your Child” instructional books/ DVDs for you
• “How to Abandon the Diapers” inspirational books/ DVDs for your child
• Underwear
• Waterproof mattress cover
• Extra sheets

So what do you really need? Well, I would like to say I simply took away the diapers and introduced the underwear, and that was that. There’s something to be said for the cold turkey approach to toilet training: the child quickly learns that no diapers = big mess and then takes it upon himself to jump up on the toilet and take care of business.

We ended up buying a little potty before Audrey was two. I like the idea of skipping the potty and letting kids learn on the regular toilet, but she just seemed so little and uncoordinated at the time. What if she fell in and became traumatized forever? She did enjoy sitting on the potty but it did not inspire her to take any action for several months, and we didn’t do much to push her along.

Throughout our potty training adventures, I ended up getting her a few of the listed items above: cloth training pants, a potty ring, incentives in the form of unnatural and not-exactly-organic chocolate candy, and of course underwear. While I’d like to claim that she trained on her own without any help from potty training products, I found everything I bought helpful.

What were your potty training essentials? What can you skip altogether? Help other parents avoid some unnecessary purchases (and save the world from one more singing potty chair).