A word about baby poop.
Like most middle-class North Americans, I was first taught how to change a baby’s diaper using a disposable. The procedure involved removing the wet or dirty diaper, wiping with disposable wipes, and fastening a new diaper on the fresh clean baby. The diaper was then folded up tightly into a nice package and secured with the self-adhesive tabs, then tossed into the garbage can; if the diaper was poopy, it was bagged first. Job done.
My first observation of cloth diapering was with my nephew, more than ten years ago. At that time, cloth diapers were quite bulky, but they were high-tech enough: they had elasticized legs and waist, and self-adhesive tabs just like disposables. My sister chose to use a two-piece system – a cotton diaper with a waterproof cover overtop – which added an extra step to the procedure, but was hardly an inconvenience. As easy as this was, whenever I babysat for her, I used disposables instead.
I didn’t actually use a cloth diaper myself until my own first-born came along. This was six years later, and cloth diapering technology had improved enormously. I chose a two-piece system as well, but mine were made of cotton terrycloth and the waterproof covers were not stiff noisy plastic, but a soft brushed knit polyester. They were secured with snaps instead of tabs. I used disposables occasionally for travel, but I encouraged my sitters to use cloth whenever possible. For the most part, they complied. The funny thing is, I would come home to find one or two smelly diapers sitting on top of the dresser, or in the sink, or in a bag on the counter. These were the ones with poop inside. They would tell me, “I didn’t know what you wanted me to do with the dirty ones.”
If ever I used disposables, or allowed others to do so when I was away, I felt strongly about using a cloth liner inside (no chemmies next to baby’s skin). These were simple little two-ply cotton rectangles I had sewn from scrap fabric I had lying around. I would pre-load a few and stack them up by the change area. I remember coming home once to find that my mother had thrown them out with the diapers. Why? “Because I didn’t know what you wanted me to do with the dirty ones.”
And now we come to it.
Cloth diapering was an education on many different levels, but the one thing I learned that no one had ever told me before, was that if I was going to be washing my own diapers, then I was most certainly going to be emptying the diaper contents into the toilet first. I discovered this on my own. It simply made sense. Poop goes in the potty.
Poop goes in the potty, diaper goes in the pail. Poop goes in the potty, diaper goes in the garbage. Either way, poop goes in the potty. Then I don’t have to bag it, because it won’t smell. Did no one else think of that? Did my own mother not think of that?
My education continued. I soon discovered that the box of disposables actually stated on it: Shake baby soil into the toilet. I was floored.
I decided to ask my sister. Her diapering days were long over, so it seemed moot, but I needed an answer.
“How come you never told me to dump the solids into the toilet before disposing of the diaper?” Her reply: “Well, of course you do that before it goes in the diaper pail.” “But what about disposables?” Her reply: “Oh, I never do that.”
I started to ask around. Cousins, in-laws, numerous friends – all of them said the same thing. They never dump the solids into the toilet before disposing of the diaper. I asked everyone, “Did you know that the manufacturer actually tells you on the package that you should Shake baby soil into the toilet?” Their reply: “Really?” or “Oh, I never do that.”
I was shocked at this phenomenon. But it became clear to me: Poop makes people panic. They can’t think straight. It’s smelly, it’s gross, it’s something they don’t want to deal with. And what it amounts to is a lot of poop moving here, there and everywhere, and not making it into our sewage system. And, incidentally, it amounts to a lot of plastic being used specifically for bagging poop.
Years later, I am diapering my third child and I still always flush before tossing. Is this the norm? Not yet.
I suppose with the new BYOB (bring your own bag) system we have at grocery stores this year, private stocks of plastic bags are going to be dwindling. Perhaps it will be an important incentive for properly disposing of human waste.
Poop goes in the potty!
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