Diaper Decision

Today marks a milestone of sorts. My wife and I made a baby-related decision! Chipping away at our to-do list. Sure, the baby won’t have a name by the time we’re wheeled out of the hospital, but at least we’ll know what type of diapers we’ll have waiting at home.

The answer: cloth diapers.

I’ll be honest. When we began our baby journey, I would have never ever (ever) considered using cloth diapers. I just assumed cloth diapers were only for die-hard hippies. It seemed like so much work. And I assumed there’s no way you could beat the price of disposable diapers.

Well, in true Papi Nuevo Fashion, I decided not to leave any researchable-stone untouched. My interest in creating a Toxin-free environment lead me to search for other varieties of diapers that are hopefully less harmful to Peanut’s soon-to-be bottom. I started with the major brands, Pampers, then onto “organic” or “green” brands, like Seventh Generation. And then I fell into the world of cloth diapers. Apparently organic diapers are a gateway diaper to cloth. It’s a slippery slope. (Pun!)

The more I researched, the more sense (and cents– pun #2!) cloth diapers made. In fact, except for the convenience of being able to throw away a diaper wherever you are, I could not find any benefit or advantage of disposable diapers over cloth.

Myth: Cloth diapers are messy. Before becoming Papi Nuevo, I thought cloth diapers meant hand-washing soiled linen in my sink, or in my washing machine. Fact: with modern cloth diaper services, you just throw them in a diaper-pail like disposable diapers, and the diaper company comes and picks up your soiled diapers on a weekly basis, and gives you fresh ones. They do all the work.

Myth: Cloth diapers are much more time-consuming, and harder to fasten. Fact: modern cloth diapers no longer require saftey pins. There are velcro/buttoned outer shells which make fastening diapers a cinch. (a snap? Pun #3!)

Myth: Cloth diapers are more expensive than disposable diapers. Fact: The cloth diaper service near my house charges $20.10 for 80 diapers (per week). That’s about 25¢ per diaper. But that price never changes, no matter the size of the diaper. And that is unlike disposable diapers. See, disposable diapers get more expensive as they get bigger. At Target, a store known to have pretty good prices, disposable diapers (plus tax) for newborns and size 1 diapers (up to 12 pounds) were about 21 or 22¢ each. Size 2 diapers cost 27¢, and the price only goes up from there as the baby gets bigger. So cloth diapers are actually cheaper.

Not to mention that on average, babies using cloth diapers are potty trained about 1 year before non-cloth diapers. (Because they feel the uncomfortable wetness much easier than in disposable diapers.) So factor in the fact that not only are they much cheaper at the potty-training-sizes, you will likely save a year’s worth of diaper costs.

Myth: Cloth diapers aren’t as effective as disposable diapers. Fact: Okay, this one could be true. It depends on what you mean by “effective.” Disposable diapers do a much better job at soaking up urine. But, the problem is, they give parents a fall-sense of security, thinking their baby’s diaper is dry. When in reality, the chemicals and urine are still there, touching the baby’s skin. That’s why babies in disposable diapers are five times as likely to get diaper rash. (In 1955, 100% of babies used cloth diapers, and only 7% experienced rashes. In 1998, 90% of babies used disposable diapers, and the likehood of diaper rash increased to 78%.)

Long story short: the “effectiveness” of disposable diapers are actually more harmful to babies. Plus, cotton diapers breathe better and cause less friction on the baby’s skin. Remember… dry does not equal clean. With a cloth diaper, there is no confusion. Dry = clean.

Each supposed benefit I believed disposable to have over cloth, was… as they say in the NFL… overturned upon further review. So to recap: cloth diapers are cheaper, healthier, and (with the exception of traveling) just as convenient as disposables. And, my cloth diaper service brings the diapers to me, without me having to lift a finger. No rush emergency trips to the grocery store. That’s a convenience you can’t get with disposables.

And this is to say nothing of the other obvious advantages cloth diapers hold over disposables: No use of toxins or chemicals. Lower rate of male infertility than with disposables. No link to asthma as with disposables. And don’t get me started on environmental benefits — of which there are gazillions.

So yeah, we’re choosing cloth. We’ll keep disposables on hand for trips as needed. But we’re proud to choose cloth to do our part to help the environment (and our checkbook). And, to be honest — we fully realize that not every child’s body is amenable to cloth diapers. But we’re going to give it a try. If we have to revert to disposables, so be it. But I feel good to be doing it based on an informed decision, and not just because it was easier. (Heck, it’s easier to just throw our fast food wrappers out the car window, right?)

---

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)