| |
If you are thinking, "Eeeeewwwww! How gross!" then you need to get educated
about cloth diapering. I thought the same thing when someone first mentioned to
me that they use
cloth diapers. I was very ignorant about them and put up every
argument I could think of: they lead to more rashes, you have to change them
more often, they are as environmentally detrimental as disposables, and way more
inconvenient. Why in the world would I switch? I started doing research, and the
picture in my head of the
old cloth diapers (you know, the ones we use for burp
cloths) and pins quickly faded away. What I found was a slew of mommas out there
who knew WAY more about diapering than I could imagine, and they were making
their own diapers! To quash the arguments I had previously given- here are the
things that I learned:
Myth 1. Rashes. ANY baby who is left in a wet diaper, whether cloth or
disposable is prone to rashes. The fact is, babies are more likely to develop
rashes in disposables because they do not allow the sensitive areas to breathe,
and babies are more likely to react to the chemicals in disposables. Many
moms started cloth diapering BECAUSE their babies were suffering constant
rashes from the chemicals in disposables that we cannot even pronounce.
Myth 2. You have to change them more often. Well, shouldn't we be changing our
babies when they wet or soil their diapers? With disposables we try to get our
money's worth so we leave them on until we can feel the squishiness (you
know what I'm talking about) and sometimes until the gel inside is bursting at
the seams. No matter what diaper you use, your baby should be changed as quickly
as possible after soiling or wetting. Would you want to sit in a wet diaper all
day? Also, if you use a
polyester-lined
diaper, the liner gives the same stay
dry effect as the disposable diaper. The lining of the diaper wicks the wetness away from
baby's body, making it a perfect diaper for night time. They can be used during
the day as well.
Myth 3. They are not environmentally superior to disposables. This is a common
misconception. You would think that using all the water to wash the diapers, and
all that detergent (don't you have to use bleach?) would really lower the
environmental friendliness of cloth diapering. But it doesn't. To make
disposable diapers, MANY trees have to be torn down to make the fluffy wood
pulp, bleaching with chlorine gas gives them the nice white color we all like
(which produces toxic chemicals), and dangerous chemicals (the gel) are added
which has caused many problems for babies. This doesn't even touch on the
non-renewable natural gas needed to make the waterproof backing and packaging;
and THEN they have to be driven to your local store, right? Let's look at cloth.
Even IF cloth diapers were as dangerous to make, because they are used over and
over again, they far outdo disposables in environmental friendliness. You do use
water to wash them, but don't you use water to wash your clothes? You don't have
to use bleach, and as a matter of fact, VERY little detergent is used to get
them clean- 1/2 to 1/4 the recommended amount. Any time you are able to reuse
something instead of throwing it away, you are helping the environment. And
while we're on the topic, have you read your disposable diaper package lately?
Did you know that you are supposed to dump poop from disposables into the potty
before you throw them away? Our landfills are not set up to handle the enormous
amounts of poop that are filling them up, but our water systems are. If you
insist on using disposables, please flush the poop.
Myth 4.
Cloth diapers are not convenient. Well, neither are the rashes your baby
gets, the asthma caused by the chemicals in disposables, driving to the store at
midnight because you just ran out of diapers...for that matter, changing a baby
isn't convenient at all! Take it from me, I have two in diapers as I write this
and I am changing diapers all day long. There is a little more work involved in
cloth diapering, but the benefits far outweigh the extra time. Since we have already established that we are supposed to dump poop with either
disposables or cloth, I will go on to the other things people might find
inconvenient: storing dirty diapers and washing them. I use a regular trash can
with a lid. Nothing special. And the good thing about cloth is that they don't
smell as bad as disposables when they are soiled. Disposable diaper users (I
once was one) search far and wide for a diaper "genie" or some other gizmo that
will get rid of the diaper pail odor. Honestly, we store our cloth in a trash
can in a very small bathroom and you wouldn't know it was in there if I didn't
tell you!
As for the laundry, that was my biggest fear. I hate laundry. But when
considering cloth, I discovered what I hated about laundry was the folding,
hanging, putting away...you don't have to do any of that with the diapers. You
can toss them all in a cute basket and store them that way, and pull them out as
you need them. The machine does all the work!! With a cloth diaper, you remove
it, put it in the pail (dump out any poop), wait until you have enough to wash,
and then wash. And no more lugging out 25 lbs. of soiled diapers every week!
(Tell your husband that and he will love you for it). The only thing I don't
like about using cloth: the sticky poops that don't fall off the diaper. We have
a hose for that, connected to our potty.
Other benefits of using cloth?
- They are MUCH cheaper. You will spend over $2,000 for
disposable wipes and diapers, and only $200 to $600 for cloth. And the best
part: if you hold onto your cloth diapers, you can diaper subsequent children
for FREE! This was nice for us when my husband was between jobs and we didn't
have to worry about that added expense of diapers.
- Baby's comfort. I hated wearing pads during my period-
I certainly don't want my baby (who spends 24/7 in diapers) to feel the same
yucky I felt. Cloth diapers breathe, and are much softer to baby's delicate
skin.
- Potty training is easier. When they can feel the
wetness, toddlers are much more likely to want out of diapers. Cloth diapered
babies are more aware of their eliminating functions because when they wet, they feel it.
- They are more attractive. This benefit was irrelevant
to me until I had been using cloth diapers for a while. A diaper's a diaper,
right? NOT! You can get cloth diapers in so many cute fabrics and colors.
Photographers prefer cloth diapers because they are so much cuter, and I
agree. Disposables are a dime a dozen (don't you wish?!) and it's rare to find
a baby with a cute cloth diaper.
- For more facts and statistics, visit
Real Diaper Association.
Now, if you are thinking, "Eeeeeewww! How gross!" I hope you are thinking
about disposables and not cloth. Because it is YOUR baby's poop (which doesn't
smell, right?), your baby's bottom, and your baby's environment that disposable
diapers are effecting the most. And if you want to do what's best for your baby,
well, I think you'd agree that cloth is the way to go.
WARNING:
It is well known that cloth
diapering is addictive. Once you start, you just can't stop. You will want to
try every kind out there, and have every print you can get your hands on. If
you're like me, you will start making your own so that you can satisfy your
addiction in the comfort of your own home. Don't blame me. I'm a victim, too!
|
