An Inconvenient Poop

I'm sure, in my blogging absence, you've been thinking, "I wish Dawn would write about poo again.  It's really been far too long since the last entry about poop."  Well, faithful reader, this one's for you.

Amelia has the worst timing when it comes to poop.  Some of her favorites include, but are not limited to: the beginning of long car rides, whenever we happen to be running late for something, anytime we are no where near running water, when mommy forgets to pack extra diapers (you remember the QFC incident), on airplanes (I'm pretty sure she pooped on all four legs of our flight to and from Florida) and other forms of public transportation, and right after I've started a load of diaper laundry.  

Even so, we continue to use cloth diapers almost exclusively.  What's more, I'm convinced the reason that most people don't use cloth diapers is fear of poop.  But, I'm here to tell you that there's nothing to be afraid of.  Poop really isn't that scary.  Really.

The Newborn Stage (0-6 months)
Believe it or not, newborn poop is the easiest to deal with.  It smells the best too: just like buttered popcorn (I'm not kidding)!  True, it happens frequently, and often explosively, but it's also the simplest to launder.  Remove diaper from baby, place diaper in pail, throw diaper in wash on laundry day.  Yup, it's that simple.  The best part is that when there's a blowout, you can throw in all those poopy clothes, too!

Transition to Solids (7-11 months)
I won't lie, this is not a fun time in your child's poop development.  Once she starts eating solid food, you can no longer just toss the poopy diapers in the pail.  Trust me, I tried it.*  Poops are not as explosive during this stage, but they're still pretty frequent, especially if your daughter decides to get a severe case of diarrhea for a month.  The worst part, though, is that the poop is no where near actually being solid yet, so getting it off the diaper can be kind of tricky.  Some people like to buy things like flushable liners or diaper sprayers to help with this.  But, I prefer the good old-fashioned method of dunk, swish, and rinse.  Dunk and swish most of the poop into the toilet, then rinse the rest out in the utility sink.  A particularly bad one can be left to soak in a bucket until wash day.  It may seem like a lot of work, but really the whole process takes only a few minutes. 

Plopable Poo (12 months up)
Things get a bit easier around the time your child is turning one.  For one thing, her poop becomes more regular and predictable (usually).  And, depending on her diet, it gets a little more solid, too.  This makes things immensely easier.  No more dunking and swishing.  Simply dump turd off of diaper and into toilet.  Toss diaper in pail, and wash on laundry day! 

So, you see, there's no need to fear.  Even if you do happen to have an inconvenient pooper.  And now that I think about it, maybe Amelia doesn't have the worst timing, maybe she actually has the best timing, and this is just her idea of a practical joke.  Obviously she has inherited her father's sense of humor.

*For those who really want to know: You get to pick out sparkling clean pieces of green beans, peas, carrots, and anything else your baby may have eaten from your "clean" load of diapers.