My pediatrician wants me to implicitly trust his advice and advanced problem solving skills, without question, and yet, upon examining my child to find her sporting an adorable cloth diaper, he quaffs, “What’s this?!”
Having owned a natural parenting store in my local town for a few years, I am accustomed to explaining the ins and outs and pros and “pros” of cloth diapers, but I was taken aback when my doctor was dumbfounded at what he saw. Certainly, I couldn’t have been the first cloth diapering mom to enter his exam room. I couldn’t help but wonder if women out there strap a ‘sposie on their child when going to the pediatrician to avoid this kind of situation- As though there is something to be ashamed of by raising our infants to reduce waste, live healthy and be economical.
And so I explained it was a cloth diaper. Aware of his denial and confusion, I demonstrated how different modern cloth is from the cloth we were raised in. I emphasized the health benefits of course. He was very intrigued. I don’t fully understand how a person can specialize in babies, but be unaware of the vast amounts of cloth diapers that began emerging into our society about a decade ago. Just while sitting in HIS office, I read one article and three ads in one of HIS magazines about cloth diapers.
After this long discussion, I was highly amused when he explained to me that they don’t really recommend Tylenol for fevers anymore unless the fever is out of hand. He explained that fevers are our bodies’ way of naturally fighting infection. I smiled at him and thanked him politely, remembering sitting across the hall in another exam room eight years prior with my infant son, suggesting to his partner the same thing… only to be frowned upon.
It won’t be long ladies. In a few more years, women will go for their first office visit with their new child’s pediatrician and he will say, “Oh, by the way, we don’t really recommend using disposables anymore. We’ve found cloth diapers are much healthier for the baby.”
we ran into this same thing! our pedatirition had never before even seen one! we explaned what they were and why we had chose cloth diapering and he just looks at me and goes “i need to get out more” and laughs. he even took my number incase someone wanted to ask me about going cloth, since he really had no answers for them.
my pediatrician said the same thing. “what’s this?” LOL.
I said I’m going green, and laughed. I also said, aren’t they cool, no pins, just velcro. He seemed dumbfounded as well. I think alot of parents probably strap on a disposable just to avoid questions in situations like this. I don’t understand how people can be ashamed to be doing something good for their kids and the planet.
He asked about laundry and i said well its not really a big deal with a 6 year and husband that works on cars I do so much laundry to begin with, whats 2 more loads a week. I also told him how we very rarely use plastic in our house, just glass, that its healthier.
What gets me is how he’s never seen this before either.
Thanks to both of you for the validation. I just don’t get it!
Part of me wonders… perhaps there are other choices that parents are making and so they cover up the ones they can so that they don’t come across as “difficult.” Many cloth moms also are anti-vax, so maybe presenting a more “normal” parenting style as a whole, it feels like they can concentrate on the thing that can’t be covered up?
We have to stop being ashamed of our loving, responsible choices… then maybe the doctors would see JUST how many of us are out there!