When Bailey Bouwman’s first child was born, he was very wet, and finding the right diaper to prevent leaks was impossible. There is little more humiliating than a parent whose child is wet in public.
Bouwman also lives in Prince George, British Columbia, of course it’s cold. If he doesn’t change his son quickly every time he gets wet, he will definitely get upset, quickly.
But wool diaper covers changed the game. In an instant, the leak was nothing. The soft fleece blankets were absorbent and kept her baby dry and odor free. Moreover, they were not that easy to fit easily work.
Aami Mills turned to wool for a different reason. Her second child had severe eczema, and disposable and cloth diapers did little to help. But wool diaper covers have cracked the code because of their lanolin content, which is a natural oil that sheep extract from the fiber.
“The product worked [my baby] because he needed something to soothe his skin,” he says, “For a child with eczema, lanolin so wet.”
Wool diapers may sound strange at first, but they solve practical, everyday problems for these mothers.
They also offer a potentially less dangerous option amid growing concerns about the toxicity of disposable diapers.
Last year, a study published in Poison found that children who used diapers made from phthalates (synthetic chemicals used as plastics) actually had traces of them in their urine. The underlying concern, the researchers wrote, is that such chemicals can cause DNA damage that puts the baby at risk of chronic diseases.
Cloth diapers are not for the faint of heart, so for decades, it was thought that granola-eating, unique parents with a cupboard full of essential oils were the only ones who used these products.
That’s not the case anymore. Wool diapers have transcended critical status and captured the interest of parents across the political spectrum, from MAHA moms to almost-closet Marxists. Here’s what you need to know about how they work.
Facing the wool mammoth
Wool diapers require a two-part system. There is an insert, usually cotton, that looks like a toilet pad and catches all the baby’s waste. From there, the wool diaper cover holds the cotton in place.
Dr. Sabat Ameen, a senior pediatrician at Henry Ford Health in Michigan, says so
Wool is temporary because it is very clean: When urine comes into contact with lanolin, it breaks down into water and salt. When the parent goes to change the baby in the morning, he can remove the cover of the wool diaper, turn it inside out, and let it dry. Once dry, it is ready to use again.
“It’s one of those weird things… Used underwear is illegal, but used cloth diapers?
Bailey Bowman
Mills says the biggest advantage of the wool diaper cover is that if only the urine comes out of the cotton area, parents can go four weeks without washing the wool diaper cover because it cleans itself.
“Wool fibers are antibacterial and antimicrobial,” says Mills. “You lay it down, or put glue on top, so any wee can evaporate right away.”
However, if the baby has a leaky stool that is soaked in cotton and goes on the wool diaper cover, it’s over. The cover needs to be washed, and being careful in knowing how to do it is important.
There are a number of different woolen weaves used in the diaper market with different washing instructions. Some mixes can be thrown in the washer, while others should be hand washed. If a parent accidentally throws something in the washer and the wool fibers shrink, that premium product may no longer fit the baby – and it takes prayers and conditioner to have a chance to restore the original condition.
As for inserts, there are both disposable and reusable options, the latter of which need to be washed after each use.
Dollars are diapers
The main reason why many parents quietly choose wool diapers is also economic. Cloth diapers aren’t cheap — a single diaper cover can cost $40 to $100 — but you don’t need many.
For example, Lunapaca, which Bouwman calls the Holy Grail of wool diapering retailers, sells a set of birth-to-potty training alpaca diapers for $750 total. One estimate finds that parents spend about $900 a year on disposable diapers, and nearly half of American families can’t afford the cost.
Wool diapers require more money up front, but for parents who have the time and inclination to put in some elbow grease, it’s a good financial choice.
Also, they sell on the secondhand market like hotcakes.
“When wool diapers come into use, they are quickly snapped up,” said Bouwman. “It’s one of those weird things… Used underwear is illegal, but used cloth diapers?
In fact, both Bouwman and Mills say their personal experience using wool diapers resonated so much with local maternal communities that it helped them start their own businesses and become cloth diaper advocates.
In 2020, Mills founded Mimi & Co., a reusable diaper and period care company, which was featured on Shark Tank just three years later. Mills says that in the past year and a half the demand for wool diapers has increased dramatically.
Bouwman’s passion for cloth diapers led to the production of the Cloth Diaper Podcast, where she interviews retailers around the world about their cloth diapering products, and the opening of a baby store called Nest & Sprout.
Bouwman notes that the primary customer base for wool diaper brands tends to be affluent, educated mothers, but trends have changed over the years. When post-COVID inflation was high, the conversation shifted to embracing wool diapers as a way to save money. Now, parents are getting into it because of concerns about plastic exposure.
Snags in fluff
From Ameen’s perspective as a pediatrician, all kinds of parents from all ethnic and religious backgrounds ask about cloth and wool diaper options, but most ask to see if wool diapers are the solution to diaper rash.
She says: “Diaper rash can occur due to prolonged urination in urine and feces,” she said. “If you don’t change a wool diaper regularly, you can still get contact rash.”
This is due to the fact that parents, especially mothers, need adequate support in time and money to learn, clean and manage wool diapers.
As for day care, they vary greatly in their policies on using reusable diaper products. And if they do accept them, parents should invest in multiple products — and be prepared to pick up their child at the end of the day in one arm, with a leaky bag of used cloth diapers in the other.
