Prior to giving birth to my daughter, I had no thoughts on whether I'd use cloth diapers or disposable diapers. As a matter of fact, I had a pretty good stash of disposable diapers at the ready. A couple months after she was born, I realized that if I let her go a little longer between wet diaper changes, I could save a few bucks on diapers. After all, the moisture was being wicked away from her skin. After that decision, I noticed the occasional soiled diaper smelled a bit like ammonia. "Yuck! What the heck is causing that?" It was at that time that I started doing a bit of research. There are countless articles out there that will give you this information. However, I am going to share it with you from my very simple point of view:
• Cotton is breathable. Therefore, air is able to circulate within a cotton diaper, unlike in a plastic-covered disposable diaper. With no air circulating, there is a buildup of heat in the diaper, causing unnecessary stress on the skin. Ever go for long hike or walk on a hot day, in the wrong underpants?
• Because cotton diapers are breathable, they also provide an escape path for ammonia that's formed after a baby wets. Rather than trapping this potential irritant on or near baby's skin, the cotton helps ammonia evaporate.
• Eventually a baby will realize the difference between being wet and dry. Statistics show that on average, babies who are diapered in cloth potty train sooner than babies diapered in disposables. On average, a year earlier. I definitely saw the advantage in that fact!
• Typically babies wearing cloth diapers, experience less diaper rash than those wearing disposables. Why? Because disposable diaper wearers, tend to go longer between diaper changes. Because the outer layer of the diaper appears to be dry, bacteria from the urine is still present in the baby's diaper. The cloth diaper wearer is has his or her bottom cleaned more often. Imagine what your bottom would feel like if you sat for even a few minutes in a wet and poopy diaper.
• Toxic chemicals are present on disposable diapers. Dioxin, which in various forms has been shown to cause cancer, birth defects, liver damage, and skin diseases, is a by-product of the paper-bleaching process used in manufacturing disposable diapers, and trace quantities may exist in the diapers themselves.
• There is a threat of contamination from disposable diapers, because of human sewage going into landfills. Disposing of human waste in residential garbage is prohibited, and instructions on the disposable diaper packages recommend that you shakeout the fecal matter into the toilet before disposing of it. Most people don't read the fine print. Live viruses in the feces, such as the polio vaccine, can live in landfills for a long period, and if there were ever any leakage, could potentially contaminate the community's drinking water.
• Ever notice the beads of clear gel on your baby's genitals after a diaper change? "Super Absorbent" diapers contain polyacrylate, which absorbs up to 100 times its weight in water. This is the same substance that was removed from tampons in 1985 because of its link to toxic shock syndrome. No studies have been done on the long-tern effects of this chemical being in contact with a baby's reproductive organs 24 hours a day for upwards of two years.
• 18 billion diapers are thrown into landfills each year. They take as many as 500 years to decompose.
• I only added an additional 2 loads of laundry per week, to my pile. That was nothing, and honestly, I didn't notice the difference.
• There is a significant money savings in using cloth over disposable diapers. You can expect to spend $1,500.00 - $2,000.00 on disposable diapers, from birth to potty training. Depending on the diapering system(s) you choose, and the level of care you take, you could spend as little as $200.00 to diaper your child from birth to potty training... and you can use them on multiple children!
• Changes on the go only took a minor adjustment on my part. After a few outings, and optional, flushable diaper liners, it was as easy as changing a disposable diaper away from home.
The fact that it was healthier for my baby, healthier for the environment and would save me money... made it a no-brainer!
When you consider diapering your most precious bundle, take into consideration all of the factors.
