The Cloth Mama Spotlight: Issue #8

A Monthly Newsletter Celebrating All Cloth Diapering Mamas in Singapore

April 2022

Meet The Mama

As a first-time parent, Alyaa had never intended to cloth diaper even though she had heard about it as a university student. Back then, Alyaa was studying in Melbourne when a pregnant family friend confided in her sister that she intended to cloth diaper. She recalled thinking in her head, “Why so troublesome? Already need to care for a baby so why make your life so difficult?”

When this 29-year-old mother was 6-months pregnant, a conversation with a relative, Sharmee, changed her perspectives. Sharmee, a fellow cloth diapering mother, asked if she intended to cloth diaper but Alyaa asked if it was a hassle to wash the diapers in addition to caring for the baby. Sharmee simply replied, “Just use the washing machine!” Alyaa was intrigued and asked a series of “noob” questions.

Shortly, Sharmee invited her to the CDSG Facebook group where there was a tom of information for her to browse through to get quickly acquainted with cloth diapering!

Alyaa is currently a stay-at-home mum. Previously, she was working in Melbourne in the pharmaceutical industry under clinical research for 6 years. She smiled, “It was truly rewarding to work with doctors, patients, coordinators and witness clinical trials making impact on lives.” She finds Melbourne to be similar to Singapore, though things are more slowed down and there is more focus on work-life balance.”

However, a long-distance relationship was taking its toll on both Alyaa and her then boyfriend (now husband), Shahyen, where both of them had to take turns to visit Melbourne or Singapore regularly.

When the lockdown started in March 2020, it was even more challenging for the couple who had just tied the knots. After more than a year of not meeting each other and seeing their families, Alyaa made a calculated decision to move back to Singapore. She said without hesitation, “I definitely miss Melbourne but Singapore is truly home!”

On her husband, Alyaa and Shahyen were childhood sweethearts and met in primary school!

She recalled fondly, “He passed me a note asking ‘Do you like me? Tick yes or no’. I obviously ticked yes. I still have the Valentine’s card he gave me!” They started going out when they were 17 and the rest was history. Alyaa gushed, “He is definitely my best friend and #1 supporter.”

Alyaa is also passionate in her handicraft work such as making polymer clay jewelry, sewing, embroidery, soap making, candle making and many more. She also counts gardening as an activity that she enjoys tremendously, especially back in Melbourne. She is currently working on a cross-stitch of her wedding portrait. She laughs, “It is meant to be a 1-year anniversary present but I reckon it may become a 5th year anniversary present instead.”

A mother of a 4-month-old baby girl, Zahra, Alyaa recalled having a very rough start due to a cesarean section delivery. However, this is all “worth it” when she sees the sweetest smile from her baby every time she wakes up in the morning! Zahra started laughing last month and has been cracking up at the slightest silly noises that they make. She adds, “Zahra is also very particular of who gets to carry her which can be hilarious to watch but not so much when I need that extra pair of helping hands!”

The Cloth Diapering Journey

Alyaa started cloth diapering Zahra when she was 7 weeks old on a part-time basis. The research that she did in her third trimester paid off.

She got really excited when she discovered that cloth diapering is actually very doable all thanks to washing machine! She was equally appalled to learn that cloth diapers that she was wearing as a baby were still sitting in the landfill! She made the conscious decision to try cloth to do her part for the environment. Her husband was equally supportive too! She shares that one of her extended family members use cloth diapers because it just doesn’t fit their lifestyle.

In fact, even her own mother and sister are equally skeptical! Her mother mentioned upfront that she wouldn’t do the washing for her. She claimed that the whole experience of cloth diapering Alyaa’s sister as a newborn was too troublesome.

Her mother-in-law and other relatives were just surprised or even curious as to why some families are into cloth diapering these days!

However, Alyaa has been trying her best to dispel these misconceptions. She informed them that these are modern cloth diapers and one no longer has to fold many times, unless one wishes to. Most importantly, there is always the washing machine to do the thorough cleaning.

Challenges of Cloth Diapering

The biggest hurdle to overcome in cloth diapering was getting started. Alyaa explains, “We started with 9 pocket diapers. We did not want to buy excess as one of our reasons was to save money on diapers. Also, we didn’t want to spend money on a huge stash just in case cloth diapering wasn’t for us.” In fact, the first-time parents wanted to start cloth diaper at the one-month mark.

However, Alyaa was still recovering from the birth and both parents were still quite sleep-deprived. She lamented, “I was just so tired all the time and ready to drop the cloth diapering idea!” They decided to delay for a while.

When Zahra reached 7 weeks, Alyaa was staring at the pile of cloth diapers and remembered Sharmee telling her that “it’s not all or nothing”. That encouragement spurred her on. She said, “I can do this part-time first! And so I did. One diaper at one time!” They took about a week so get the fit right with the help of the CDSG group, especially Eunice, the co-founder of The Nappy Nook. It was a steep learning curve but they finally got into a routine and had never looked back.

Another big reaction that she has received from family members is when they realise that the soiled nappies need to go into the washing machine. “They cried out ‘eewwww’ because they couldn’t stomach the thought of poo in the wash. I must admit that I have the same concern when I was new to this but I know better now.”

She grins, “Now, I quite enjoy doing the laundry.” Over time, her relatives and family members have become more supportive. They would ask her questions on the diaper fit, how she would know if it’s too loose or too tight, and how her experiences are like etc. She beams, “They now ask questions with the perspective of wanting to learn more, which is refreshing!”

Favourite Diaper Systems & Brands

To Alyaa, pockets are the best! She elaborates, “I tried pockets and AIOs but still prefer pockets. Even though pockets have that extra step in stuffing, I find that it’s quite therapeutic so I don’t mind doing it. Now I’m venturing into flats and fitted but find myself going back to pockets! I just find pockets so convenient and trim compared to other systems!”

For pockets, she has tried brands such as Petite Crown, Nora Nursery, Mama Koala and some Chinese brands. She exclaims, “My favourite would have to be Mama Koala!” Some of you may already know that Alyaa is a Mama Koala Brand Rep. So how did she become one? She reveals, “Initially, I started to search for Mama Koala BST groups to build up my stash and came across ‘Mama Koala Diaper Addicts’ group. I joined it and saw that they were searching for brand reps! I participated by taking on-the-bum (OTB) shots and diaper line-up for the day. I couldn’t believe it when I was selected! I was really excited and told my family about it!”

She continues excitedly, “Compared to the other brands, Mama Koala fits my bub better and the elastic doesn’t leave deep ‘sock marks’ like the others. I also like the quality of the stay-dry layer. I find that others tend to get pilly fast. I find it annoying when I have to pick out fluff from my little one’s bum. My Mama Koala pockets do not get pilly even when they are second hand! Mama Koala also has this flap at the back where I can tuck my insert in! I find that this helps a lot when stuffing inserts. With the new and improved 2.0, I like that the wings are stretchier and they give an even better fit! You can say I’m totally sold on Mama Koala!”

Alyaa confesses, “I have 27 cloth diapers and 20 more on its way! The Mama Koala prints are simply irresistible!”

Advice to Newbies

Alyaa shared that the below 4 main concerns from other mummy friends.

#1 They cant keep up with laundry

#2 They find it inconvenient

#3 It’s intimidating and has a steep learning curve

#4 They view cloth diapering as something ‘they can never do’

The advice Alyaa gives to her friends and relatives is the same advice that she has received. “Just try part time. You don’t have to get an entire stash, you don’t have to use cloth diapers all the time. Just start with one diaper at a time. Once they start with one, they can slowly try two diapers a day and so on. Once they get into the swing of it and research more, they will see that cloth has many benefits! Moreover, who can resist the many prints available out there!”

On the future of cloth diapering in Singapore, Alyaa remains optimistic. “I think people are very used to convenience. You can change a diaper, pop it into the bin and be done with it. But now, people are getting more environmentally aware. I think the cloth diapering community will keep growing in Singapore.”