Extreme Cloth Diapering: What To Do When You Have Zero Money And A Baby To Diaper

So let's talk about contingency planning.  What can you do in an emergency when diapers are not available or when funds are super tight and you really can't afford diapers and are on a very strict budget.  Can you cloth diaper and how do you do it? 

Basically anything in your home that's absorbent can be used as a cloth diaper.  Ideally it'll be something that's cotton or another natural or mostly natural fabric, but really in a pinch, anything absorbent will do. 

Common items that you could grab would be:

• Cotton tea towels or flour sack towels
• Old t-shirts
• Flannel or muslin receiving blankets
• Terry cloth hand towels or facecloths
• Cotton or even disposable heavy duty menstrual pads
• Old cotton pillowcase

Then all you have to do is fold your absorbent item into roughly a long rectangle pad shape and put it into a waterproof cover to use on baby. Covers are easy to fine and are relatively inexpensive.  You can even find them super cheap if you purchase them used. It's a great idea to have a few in the back closet just in case, even if you mostly use disposables.  It's great peace of mind. 

If you have 3 diaper covers and some household items handy, you can cloth diaper your baby amidst diaper shortages, inflation, or even just through a tough financial time and then caring for your baby's bum will be the last thing you have to worry about.