Cloth Diaper Retailer Cooperative: Soft and Cozy Baby, Baltimore MD

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Soft and Cozy Baby, Baltimore MD

I am Bayla, of Soft and Cozy Baby, in Baltimore Maryland. When I was expecting my first child, 2.5 years ago, I knew I wanted to Cloth Diaper. I started doing research and was so overwhelmed by the myriad choices available online. We decided to start with a diaper service. After 2 weeks, I knew I could do it myself. Plus there were so many cuter options out there than prefolds. And all the diaper service offered was white covers. I didnt realize I had other choices!

There was one natural baby store in my area but their selection of diapers was limited. So my baby was only 3 months old when I started talking to my husband about how I would only put in a little money and get a couple diapers... We started out in my living room, then moved to the dining room, then to the basement. We just kept growing and adding more options. We were overwhelmed by how many parents felt this was a necessary resource. We started offering open hours and workshops. We opened in our home Sept 2008.

In April 2010 we opened our storefront. The response has been incredible. There is such a demand in the Baltimore area for cloth diapers, baby carriers and healthy, natural options for babies and families.

We pride ourselves on family oriented, personalized service. We like that people can come in and touch and feel the diapers before choosing their stash. Just today I received a phone call: "What diapers do you recommend?" I really couldnt answer that question. I told the caller that I recommend personalized options depending on the age of the baby, the preferences of the parents and/or caregivers and their lifestyle. Many people do great with prefolds but there are some who would choose disposables before they had to use a 2 step diaper system. And I wouldnt recommend the same diaper for a newborn as a 2 year old.

I started Soft and Cozy Baby as a hobby and as a resource for the community (and because I love cloth diapers!). I also have a "real job" - I'm a nurse-midwife. But realizing the need for a Cloth Diaper store was so vital, our family has rearranged our schedules in order to make it more accessible to more people. We love the business and the people we meet daily. We also love seeing people come back and watching their babies grow. We have begun to feel part of the lives of some of our customers.

We are able to offer classes and workshops in our new space. We have Cloth Diapering workshops twice monthly, Babywearing workshops monthly, Car Seat safety, Breastfeeding, Music and Movement, and more! We are also beginning one of the only out-of-hospital natural childbirth class options in Baltimore City.

Come stop by our store and say hi! We're happy to show you around and answer your questions!