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"For many first-time moms who want to use cloth diapers, what kind of diaper to buy is a big decision. For one, it’s a major expense and it feels like such a permanent decision. You don’t want to invest in a bunch of diapers that you’ll be disappointed with or sorry you bought.

I learned a lot from reading hours and hours of cloth diaper forums and from my own experience. Reading this may save you time and money… and hopefully help you make some good buying decisions.

I decided that I couldn’t plunk down hundreds of dollars based on other people’s experience and advice, so after I narrowed down what I thought were the best choices for me, I bought one of each and waited to try them on my newborn baby. And here’s what I found…

Kissaluvs (Fitted)
– I loved these newborn sized diapers. They have a snap down front which creates a notch for the umbilical cord owwee to poke through. They are super thick which makes them really absorbent, but they take about 2 hours to dry in the dryer (in humid Hawaii climate). What I love most about these is that they never ever leaked! All the runny poop and pee stayed in the diaper! They are a super soft fleece on the baby’s bottom with unbleached cotton next to the skin. I also like the adjustable snap to fit feature. I didn’t buy these in the next size up because they are so thick and bulky which makes it hard to dress the baby and might be more uncomfortable when they start to practice moving their legs. You do need to use a diaper cover over these. I liked the Prowrap because it has a cut-out front for the umbilical cord stump also. After I bought the one Kissaluv Fitted diaper to try ($11.50 each), I bought 9 more Kissaluv Fitteds in a package deal from ThanksMama.com for $99.00 which comes with one free Prowrap diaper cover, a Super Whisper pant or Bio-Soft liners. I went for the newborn size Prowrap cover, but the liners are a great thing to have too (see both below). Again, I think these are ideal for a newborn.
http://www.thanksmama.com/Kissaluvs_Packages_s/56.htm

Kissaluvs (Contoured)
– This is a soft flannel-feeling cotton diaper that is shaped into a sort of hour-glass shape to fit around the baby and there is a sewn in flap down the middle for extra absorbency. You need to use either pins, a “snappi’s” diaper fastener or a diaper cover to keep these wrapped around the baby. I liked that lots of air can flow through keeping diaper rash at bay, but poop can also leak out. And that was a thumbs down for me! Although they are fairly cheap at $5.99 each at ThanksMama.com
http://www.thanksmama.com/Kissaluvs_Contours_p/kis-012.htm
http://www.kissaluvs.com/
http://www.snappi.co.za/

Bamboozle

– I bought this diaper because it is made out of bamboo which makes the fabric super luxuriously soft and naturally anti-bacterial. It looks and feels sorta like a soft long-ish haired stuffed animal in a cream color. It is a fitted diaper that has adjustable snaps. It is so beautiful, the pediatrician was impressed by the looks of it… but when poop started ooozzzing like a volcano out of the sides of the diaper, the doctor looked horrified. It seemed as soon as I put it on, I was changing him again. I could feel wetness through the diaper really quickly. At $18.50 per diaper, this was an expensive once-in-a-while diaper. Now listed for $20.00 at ThanksMama.com
There’s a good picture of the bamboozle at http://www.bummis.com/en/Products/covers/Bamboozle.html

Kushies Classic

–at first touch, I loved this diaper. It is soft cotton flannel on the inside and out with a “waterproof” layer in between and it also has a panel sewn in that you can stuff an extra absorbent layer down the center where you need it. The velcro straps wrap high up around the baby’s waist. And the pattern on the outside was a cute yellow fabric with soft tan animal prints. I almost bought a whole bunch of these, but mistakenly ordered the Kushies Ultra instead. On second thought, I ended up not loving them as much because I could feel wetness very quickly. I thought about getting some doublers to stuff into the panel, but that would be another expense. Although these are pretty inexpensive as far as diapers go, I’d still have to spring for the cost of the doublers… and then there’s the added work of stuffing the doubler into the panel which is somewhat narrow. I saw this as a potential pain in the middle of the night or when you’re in a hurry. I also wouldn’t trust that these would be a good overnight diaper because of the limited amount of absorbency. $8.89 per diaper at ThanksMama.com
http://www.thanksmama.com/Fitted_Diapers_s/23.htm

Kushies Ultra

– these are the diapers that I ordered accidentally. They were much thicker than the Kushies Classic and had a waterproof plastic feeling fabric on the outside. I’m sure they are much more absorbent than the Classic’s, but I didn’t like that plasticy feeling, so I sent them back. They are fairly cheap and came in a five pack deal ($48.99) at Thanks Mama’s website.
http://www.thanksmama.com/Kushies_diapers_s/20.htm

Fuzzi Bunz

– a friend gave me a couple of these to try. I had heard that these were the best and that lots of moms seem to love them (Happy Heiny’s are the same except instead of snaps, there’s velcro). The outside is a soft waterproof, yet breathable fabric called PUL (Polyurethane Laminate) which is a soft polyester knit laminated with a waterproof layer of polyurethane. The inside is a soft synthetic flannel. They call these a pocket diaper because they are made so that you can stuff them with an absorbent “doubler” that you purchase separately. The advantage to these diapers is that they are waterproof, thin, light weight and you decide how much absorbency you need by what type and how many doublers you stuff it with. The more you stuff it, the thicker it gets. (I’ve read hemp is a good fabric choice since it is anti-bacterial and absorbs a lot, but it is pretty stiff) The synthetic inner fabric is supposed to wick wetness away from the baby’s bottom. They are pricey at about $18 and that’s not including the doubler. I personally didn’t love them because the idea of synthetic against my baby’s skin didn’t appeal to me and the idea of stuffing them as well as the cost steered me away from buying them. I’ve heard from other moms that you need to change these about every two hours and that they can leak.

SposoEasy All-In-One Diaper

– I love this diaper! The thing I love about it most is that one day I had it on my baby for 6 hours and it did not leak at all! (I feel like a bad mother when I say that I didn’t change him for that long, but it was one of those days where we were out and then he fell into a deep sleep that I didn’t want to disturb.) It has a soft PUL outer fabric and the inside is a soft cotton with an extra extra absorbent liner sewn in. The liner has six layers of cotton terry cloth inside, but the whole diaper itself is not thick at all! I also love the velcro tabs that act like disposable diaper tabs in the way that they’re stretchy so you get a really comfortable, snug fit. They also make a version with snaps, but I like the velcro one better because it gives a better fit. The only problem with these is that they were in such high demand that they were out of stock when I needed to buy the small size. When my baby graduated to the medium, I bought one of the snap versions which did not fit him as well. This might not be the case with all babies. My baby has the chunkiest legs you’ll ever see on a 3 month old and by that time he was wearing 6-9 month old clothing! If you have a normal sized baby, either snap or velrco probably will work fine. I ended up not buying more because of my boy’s beefy thighs and I began to train him to pee in the potty so I wanted to use a cloth diaper without a waterproof outer so that I could feel when he was wet. I’d highly recommend this diaper for someone who wants an extra absorbent diaper that is not bulky and doesn’t want to deal with stuffing with a doubler or the extra step of using a diaper cover. BTW– they named it SposoEasy because Sposo means spouse in Italian and the maker’s spouse loved that these were so easy to use.
http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/allinone.htm#bluepenguin

Mother-ease One-Size-Fits-All Organic Cotton

– I went back to using these diapers after trying all the rest. One reason is that since I stared doing EC (infant potty training otherwise known as elimination communication) I needed to feel when he was wet and get him to the potty immediately. Since I have been using this diaper the most, I can tell you that despite its bulky size, it is a great diaper and I am so very glad I have 2 dozen of them. If you do decide to buy these, your baby can start to sort of fit them when he or she is in a “small” sized diaper– that’s the next size up from newborn size. The diaper can be folded down in front and snapped in place to make it smaller for a small infant. It is still very bulky though. As your baby grows you can adjust the snaps to fit. Now that my 4 month old baby is 20 lbs. these fit perfectly, but again hard to fit clothes over the bulky bottom. Here’s what I like about this diaper: It is made of a soft terry cloth organic cotton and which is very well made (I love the idea of organic cotton against my baby’s sensitive skin which I believe absorbs chemicals more easily than adults and regular cotton is typically heavily sprayed with pesticides). It holds up to hot water washings and 2 hour drying time every time. The snaps are sturdy and well placed. You can buy snap-in doublers made of the same material that are easy to snap in or not use at all. I actually don’t use them anymore since my boy pees mostly in the potty, but they worked great when I needed them. And the very best thing about this diaper is that it never ever leaks! Even with the biggest liquidy load of poop, this diaper holds it all in. That is a great thing for overnight. Since we are at home most of the time, I use this diaper and I don’t worry about pants not fitting over them. I would recommend having some of these for home use and overnight use. They seem like the kind of diaper that you can use over the years if you plan on having a few children. $14.75 each or package deals starting at $79.95 for 6 diapers, 3 liners and 2 airflow covers or $279.95 for 24 diapers, 12 liners and 4 airflow covers. They are very well made and do not seem like they will fall apart. After all, these end up being my favorite for quality, ease of use and cost efficient since they will grow with my baby from small size through toddlerhood (if he us still wearing diapers then).
http://www.mother-ease.com/

Under the Nile Organic Cotton (Fitted)

– I was very tempted to buy these. I got a chance to touch them at the local health food store and I was impressed by how soft they felt. A friend of mine says that they are soft, but they don’t soak up very much pee. So I’m glad I didn’t end up buying these (but they might be good if you’re ECing with you baby). However I love Under the Nile soft toys because they are made with organic cotton so when my baby chews and sucks on the toys I’m not worried that he’s ingesting pesticides from the cotton. If you are doing EC (infant potty training, aka elimination communication), these might be a good daytime diaper because you can feel when he or she pees right away and the baby can feel that he or she is wet (important when doing EC) $12.95 each at greenmountain.com
http://www.underthenile.com/underthenile/categorybyDept-194.htm
http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/diapers.htm

Unbleached Indian Cotton Prefolds

– These are the old fashioned cloth diapers that your grandmother (or your mom) used to use. They are a flat rectangular cloth that has thicker layers in the middle to soak up more pee. I bought 5 of these to use as burping cloths and as a back up diaper for emergencies (and I did end of needing to use them a few times when the others weren’t washed!) As a diaper, they were not as easy to use as the fitted diapers. I tried folding them underneath a diaper cover with no pins or fastners. I also tried using a snappi diaper fastener. The cloth wriggled around and didn’t seem to stay in place very well, but they do soak up a lot of pee and they are super cheap! Only $2.00 per diaper! If you are on a super tight budget, these could work for you. the great thing about them is that you can always use them as a burping cloth or for cleaning/polishing rags later and you won’t be sorry you have them. If you’re buying it as a burping cloth, I’d get the premium size 14.5 x 22 so that the fabric is long enough to stay on your shoulder. The fabric is super soft, but they are durable enough to stand up to repeated hot water washings and hot dryers. They are so soft that I like to put one under my baby’s head when he sleeps to catch any spit up. I like the fact that they are unbleached knowing that chemicals are not near my baby’s face. They would also be good for ECing infants– when you want to observe them naked, you can lay one of these under them to catch any unsuspecting pee. I got them from ThanksMama.com
http://www.thanksmama.com/Indian_Cotton_Prefolds_p/bbt-002.htm
Note: For Anyone considering to EC your baby… you will want to use a cloth diaper without a cover. That means the pocket diapers like fuzzi bunz or the all-in-one dipaers like the SposoEasy will not be as helpful for you. The reason is because you will need to feel as soon as your baby is wet so that you can take him or her to the potty to see if they have any more pee. I would consider buying some fitted cloth like the Mother-ease diapers for home (it’s also a great nighttime diaper). You can even use the less expensive prefolds during the day because you will be very attunded to when they are about to pee or poop, so you don’t have to worry so much about leaking since you will be changing diapers very often at first before you catch on to their signals… and it’s not as messy before they start walking around. Other fitted diapers that might work well for daytime are the Under the Nile (has snaps), or Kushies Basic (has velcro) because you’ll be able to feel the wetness, but they’re not as huge in size as the Mother-ease and you’ll be able to fit clothes over them. That said, I am still very happy using the Mother-ease at home because when you do EC, all they need to wear is a t-shirt, diapers and baby-legs (a type of leg-warmers for babies)… and they won’t need to wear clothing over their diaper. Still for a newborn, I would recommend Kissaluvs even if you are doing EC because your baby will be peeing and pooping (very liquidy messy poops) in his or her sleep a lot of the time and at this stage of thier life (and in your new-motherhood stage) it is important that you don’t have a mess oozing out of their diaper in their sleep. For ECing moms, I’d say start with the newborn size
Kissaluvs Fitteds (about a dozen if you want to wash diapers every day) and then for the next size up (small) you can buy some other fitteds like Under the Nile, Kushies Basic or even Bamboozle. Then when your baby is into the medium size diapers, the Mother-ease will fit a little better and last through when he is a size large. By then you might even be switching over to training pants. BTW– my favorite training pants so far are the Imse Vimse Organic Training Pants because they have enough absorbing ability to soak up one missed pee and there is a PUL liner that’ll help when you’re out and about.
If you are on a super budget and planning on doing EC, I’d buy (5) of the less expensive prefolds, (5) kissaluvs fitted and (2) prowrap diaper covers for your newborn. You can use the prefolds during the day and the kissaluvs at night. Then when your baby grows out of newborn sized diapers, I’d go for (5) SposoEasy’s and the Mother-ease package deal of 6 with liners and covers included. You’d use the Sposo’s to go out during the day, switch off between the prefolds and Mother-ease during the day and Mother-ease at night. You can use the Sposo at night too if you are not concerned with feeling wetness to take your baby to the potty during the night. You’ll have to wash every day, but that is what you could get by with.

Diaper Covers:

Mother-ease Airflow Cover
– If you’re going to use Mother-ease diapers, you will need to use these specific diaper covers. No other cover fits over Mother-ease because they are so big. But these are a great cover. They are a soft this PUL fabric with side snaps and very well made. They come in white or fun, cute prints. Mother-ease has a 4-pack special for $37.95 or $10.50 each.
http://www.mother-ease.com

Prowrap
– This cover is perfect to go with the Kissaluv Fitteds for a newborn. It has a cut-out that dips down in front for the umbilical cord stump. I also love that it has an inner gusset that gathers the fabric around the legs so that it fits really snuggly over the fitted diaper– that means no leaks! (You need to make sure you pull the gussets over the cloth diaper covering it completely otherwise you’ll have wetness wicking off the cloth diaper onto you baby’s clothes.) It’s easy to use with the wide wrap-around flaps that velcro close. The fabric feels more plasticy than the other PUL type covers, but I really liked it alot for a newborn because of the snug gusseted fit. And they are cheaper than the others at $6.59 each at ThanksMama.com
http://www.thanksmama.com/Prorap_Classic_Diaper_Covers_p/pro-001.htm

Bummis Super Whisper Wrap
– This diaper cover is a great one too. It doesn’t have the umbilical cord cut out, but you only will need that for a couple of weeks max. The Whisper Wrap fabric is fairly soft made with a waterproof laminate “sandwiched” in between a soft polyester knit. The PUL makes it a little stiffer than the Mother-ease Airflow cover, but I didn’t mind the minimal stiffness. It has gathered gusseted legs which does hold in major wetness. It is very well constructed and will stand up to repeated washings and drying. The velcro type tabs work well, but somehow seemed to scratch me more than the prowrap cover. It is more expensive at $11.00 each at ThanksMama.com. If I had to chose one newborn cover, I’d go with the Prowrap. But I did like having the Whisper Wrap as a second cover because it was slightly larger and fit my baby for a longer period of time. http://www.thanksmama.com/Bummis_Super_Whisper_Wrap_p/bms-001.htm
http://www.bummis.com/en/Products/covers/SuperWhisperWrap.html

Disposables:

All the disposables listed here are chlorine-free. If you didn’t know, the commonly used diapers contain dioxin a byproduct of chlorine and lots of other harmful chemicals which have been linked to cancer, reproductive disorders and birth defects, just to name a few. Here is a few good articles about the harmful affects of disposables to your baby and the environment.
http://www.mothering.com/articles/new_baby/diapers/joy-of-cloth.html
http://www.ecobaby.com/cloth.htm
http://www.nickisdiapers.com/pages/HealthConcerns.php

G-Diaper
– I really like the concept of this diaper. It is a flushable or compostable diaper so you don’t have to feel guilty about adding to the environmental problems with landfills! It is a cross between a cloth diaper and a disposable. The outer cover is made of a soft cotton knit (with a cute little “g” on the butt) that fastens with velcro tabs. The flushable insert fits inside of a snap-in soft plastic liner. All you have to do is take out the flushable insert, tear it open, swish it around in the toilet and flush. You can place a clean flushable refill into the plastic liner and velrco it back up. It makes so much sense when you are on the go. No stinky diapers to carry around. The only problem for me was that the plastic liner that sits in the leg crease kept some wetness against my baby’s skin and it started to get red and raw. It could be that he has big chunky legs so that air doesn’t get to that area very well, but when I switched to all cloth diapers the problem went away. A starter kit is fairly inexpensive at $26.99, that’s for 2 little “g” pants, 10 flushable refills and 2 plastic snap-in liners. Not a bad price to see if they work for you. You can always use the “g” pants as a cover for cloth diapers.
http://www.gdiapers.com/shop/

Mother Nature
–I loved mother nature diapers because they are so thin to carry in the diaper bag, but they are discontinuing them. The company also makes tender care and tushies.

Tender Care
–I didn’t like these at all. They are thicker than the mother nature diapers and they don’t have that stretchy kind of tape that fastens the diaper, so it is not as easy to adjust around the baby’s waist. They use a tape that feels kinda cheap, like a shiny masking tape. However, a friend of mine said they do hold up as an all night diaper. There is something to be said about that for a disposable.
Seventh Generation
–These are my favorite in the disposable category. They are not as thin as the Mother Natures, but not too thick either. They have that stretchy tab that seems to stick really well and stretchy gathers around the legs so the fit is really good. They seems to soak up a lot of pee, but since I have only been using them occasionally and since I am doing EC, my baby has not had an occasion to pee very much in his diaper. I only had one occasion where my baby pooped while I was driving in the car and it leaked out of the top in back but not anywhere else. I’d say they’re the one to get if you’re going with disposables. All of my mom friends seem to like them too.

*Note about disposable diapers– they all contain sodium polyacrylate gel crystals to soak up the pee. You may sometimes see these gel crystals on your baby’s skin. I have noticed that the skin of my baby’s penis and testicles are shriveled after he wears the disposables and this is because of those drying crystals. After noticing this, I thought this can’t be good for my baby’s skin and I decided not to use disposable diapers at all. Besides it’s better for the environment.

Accessories:

Diaper Sprayer
– This is a crucial tool for cloth diapering! It makes cleaning a poopy diaper so much easier, especially since breast milk poop is really runny. It soaks into the cloth and it’s not like you can really scrape it all off. The sprayer is just like a kitchen sink sprayer but it also has lever to adjust the strength of the spray. It is easy to attach to your toilet plumbing, literally a five minute set up. Cost ranges from $35- $39 depending on the site. The bumGenius brand claims to be “anti-drip” which is worth a few extra dollars. I wish I would have bought that one. You can find it at cottonbabies.com.
Good Toliet Set Up Diagram– http://www.kellyscloset.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=139
http://www.tinytush.com/mini_shower.htm
http://baby-belle-bottoms.stores.yahoo.net/diapersprayer.html

Diaper Pail
–I have the Diaper Champ. I bought it because I think it will contain smells well. I think it will really be great when my baby starts eating solids and the poop gets really stinky. The diapers fit into a small well in the top of the “pail”. A lever turns the well upside down which dumps down into the pail without allowing air to escape. Since doing EC, I only have diapers with pee on them and they aren’t very stinky. But so far I am happy with this pail. The two draw backs are that it is a little small, so it will only contain about 10 large sized Mother-ease cloth diapers (but probably about 15 or 16 normal sized cloth diapers). And it is a little bit short so you have to bend down to open the pail container. I bought it on Amazon.com for about $35.

*Note– since I haven’t really had to clean a poopy diapers since my baby was about 6 & 1/2 weeks old, I probably could just use a simple “step to open” garbage can with a cloth pail liner since pee diapers don’t really smell very strong.
Diaper Pail Liner Bag
–Having a diaper pail liner bag not only saves the environment from more plastic bags in landfills, but it is so much easier to transport your dirty diapers to the washing machine. All you have to do is turn the bag over and inside out and toss the bag into the washing machine with the diapers… all without touching a dirty diaper. Most of them are made of a waterproof, yet breathable PUL fabric. I have the SwaddleBees diaper bag. I chose this bag because the outside of the bag fabric has a matte fisnish to the fabric as opposed to being shiny. It’ll be nicer to use as a beach bag or to transport swim clothes once my babies are out of diapers. It has an elastic gathered top that fits over the average pail. It also has a swatch of fabric that you can dab with essential oils to keep everything smelling fresh.
Bio-soft flushable liners
– These make cleaning poopy diapers easier. Place one where the poop would land on the diaper and when your baby poops, you can lift most of it up that’s on the liner and toss it in the toilet. (Some of the liqiudy poop seeps through to the diaper though.) They feel super soft next to your baby’s bottom. I used them religiously and when I ran out, I felt at a loss without them. I still recommend the diaper sprayer, but these do help save time and make cleaning up much less of a pain.
http://www.bummis.com/en/Products/covers/BioLiner.html

Joey Bunz Hemp Doublers

– I ordered these because ThanksMama.com recommended them to use with fuzzi bunz diapers. I was planning to try them in the couple of fuzzi bunz I had and also use them as a doubler with other diapers. Once I received them I sent them back because I thought they were too stiff and not soft enough to put against my baby’s bottom. But I did not wash them, so it is possible that they would soften up some, but I couldn’t imagine putting that kind of roughness next to my baby’s skin. They probably are fine to stuff into the fuzzi bunz and they are probably super absorbent, but they weren’t going to work for what I wanted to use them for. That said, they are supposedly the best stuffing for fuzzi bunz. You can get them at
ThanksMama.com

Snappi’s Diaper Fasteners
– The snappi diaper fastener is a really good idea. You use them instead of diaper pins if you are using prefolds or any diaper that doesn’t have snap or velcro fasteners (like kissaluv contours). They are made of a stretchy plastic that looks like the letter “Y” that catches on the fabric in three spots. One on each side of the diaper where there might be a fastener and the third on the front of the diaper low on the crotch. This is supposed to keep the fabric in place. When I used them, there was always one side that would come loose. And the part that catches is pretty pokey, so I was worried that it would come off and puncture my baby’s skin. It never did, but I still didn’t like how they didn’t stay in place. Some moms love them. I can see how they are easier to use than the old fashioned diaper pins.
http://www.snappi.co.za/

Wet Bag
–This is a great thing if you plan to use cloth diapers even when you are on the go. It is a cloth bag that is lined with PUL fabric. It is breathable, yet somehow it contains all the smells! The great thing about it also is that once you’ve filled the bag with dirty diapers, you can just turn it inside out and dump the bag and all into the washing machine (you do have to spray off any poop of course before it goes into the washer). I have one that zips close. It will hold about five of my Mother-ease diapers, so it would probably hold a few more of any other cloth diaper brand. I got a cute dragonfly print from a hyena cart site called SMJAE which stands for Sewing Mom Just Accessories Etc for about $15.00.

Cleaning:

For cleaning… I spray the poopy diapers and the spray the stains with Bac-Out made by Bio-Kleen. Then I do the diapers in a cold rinse in the washer with a tiny bit of Bio-Kleen powder detergent. The cold rinse dislodges more of the poop (hot will set the stain) and the powder Bio-Kleen is better for the diapers than liquid Bio-Kleen. Lots of detergents actually make the diaper less absorbent by leaving a residue on the diaper… so this one is supposed to be a good one that doesn’t. There are others like Charlie’s Soap and Allen’s but they don’t carry them in Maui. Then I dry the diapers in the dryer. It takes about 2 hours to get them completely dry in Maui. If there are still stains, I put the diaper on a hanging rack to bleach out in the sun. It’s amazing how the sun really works to bleach out major stains.

Bio-Kleen Powdered Laundry Detergent
–I love that it contains grapefruit seed and orange peel extracts, both have anti-bacterial properties. You don’t have to use very much detergent at all for a whole load. I use less than a half a scoop for about a dozen diapers. Again, using too mcu soap will make your diapers less absorbent.
Bac-out by Bio-Kleen
– this is better than “Spray and Wash” because it’s made from natural enzymes, like lime extract which is easier on cotton and the environment. My friend Adam told me that they use natural enzymes in sewer plants to break down sewer stuff, so it must be pretty powerful! It smells good and is chemical-free!

Things To Consider:
Okay, so after reading all that, some of you will still be on the fence about using cloth diapers. The following are the usual factors to consider:

1. Is using cloth diapers more work than using disposables?

For those that have not used cloth before, the thought of it seems daunting. I think that’s because we’ve heard that it is a chore. I can only speak from my experience and for me it is really pretty easy. I do about one wash load a day and add any other clothes that can withstand hot water and two hours of drying time. Cloth diapers these days are just as simple to use as disposables because they have snaps or velcro and are gathered around the legs just like disposables.

2. Aren’t disposable diapers more convenient to use when you’re not at home?
For me, even when I am out and about it doesn’t seem that much harder. Instead of throwing away a diaper, I just roll it up and pop it in my wet bag, zip up the wet bag and we are smell-free. Then when I get home I throw it into the wash that I was going to do anyway. Of course, if it is a poopy diaper, you have to spray it off into the toilet (with your diaper sprayer) when you get home, so that may take a little more time than just tossing a disposable in the trash. I would say that and the fact that cloth is not as compact as disposables are the only two drawbacks that I’ve come across. But that said, I am willing to be slightly inconvenienced for the many benefits that I see in cloth diapering.

3. Is it healthier to use cloth diapers than disposables?
I believe it is. And when it come to the health of my baby, I’m willing to be inconvenienced even if the health benefit is slight. With cloth, I tend to change him sooner than if he were in a disposable which soaks up more pee. I believe that leads to healthier skin and less diaper rash. My baby has not had diaper rash since I stopped using disposables altogether. Urine is acidic and the longer your baby’s skin is in contact with that acidic liquid, the more chance for your baby’s tender skin to react to that acidic environment. Also, bacteria tends to grow in moist, warm places and that can contribute to the diaper rash. And when your baby’s poop sits on his skin, that acidic paste will quickly eat away at his/her skin. So it is really best to change the baby’s diaper as soon as he poops and fairly soon after she pees. Another thing to consider– when we use disposables, we’re not as aware that our babies have just pooped or peed. Since they are typically not as breathable as cloth diapers, we can’t smell it as easily. I just think about how it would feel to be sitting in urine or feces soaked underwear for any length of time– yuck!

4. Which saves you more money cloth or disposable diapers?
If you are trying to save money– cloth diapering is cheaper in the long run. Here is a link to a great article that says with cloth diapering for 3 years, you’ll spend about $900.00 including washing and drying vs. paying about $3,000-$4,000 for disposables. And if you’re having more than one child, double that for the next child if you’re using disposables!
http://www.diaperpin.com/clothdiapers/article_howtosave.asp

Here’s another article from Mother-ease and the breakdown of cost on washing cloth diapers: http://www.mother-ease.com/infoC.html

5. How much does it really affect the environment?

Here are some articles on the affects on the environement:

http://www.mothering.com/articles/new_baby/diapers/joy-of-cloth.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/135776/cloth_diapers_better_for_the_environment.html

Here’s one on the “eco-friendly diapers”: http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2004/04/63182And environmentally,

The bottom line is that by using cloth diapers, we are keeping the planet healthier for our children and our grandchildren.

6. Does using cloth lead to earlier potty training?

From my experience I can say that using cloth diapers helps me as a mom to be quicker to respond to when my baby is wet. And when my baby feels wetness from his cotton cloth diaper, he is uncomfortable and starts to complain. That leads me to believe that he is aware of when he pees and ultimately awareness is the first step to potty training and bladder control. I do believe it is a good thing for a baby to acknowledge wetness, so some of the “wicking away” fabric cloth diapers in my opinion inhibit this. Some of my mom friends say, “My baby can stay all day in a wet or poopy diaper and not complain.” I think this is because they are either in disposables or these wicking fabrics and the baby can’t feel the wetness, so it may take the baby a little longer to get in touch with bladder or sphincter control. If you are using one of these wicking cloth diapers or disposables and want to encourage earlier potty training, just keep your baby naked for part of the day. It can be as little as an hour a day to make a difference. In that hour your baby will be more aware of when he or she is peeing (and pooping if it happens then) and be able to stay in touch with that sensation of pressure to eliminate and then letting go. If your baby is not moving around yet, you can lay him/her on an open diaper or cloth that you can wash. Under that I lay down a puddle resistant wool blanket or a PUL lined fleece blanket to protect the bed or wherever you want to lay them down. (If you’re interested in learning more about potty training your baby, read my “Infant Potty Training Works” post.)

Now that I’ve told you just about everything that I considered before taking the plunge into cloth diapering, I hope the information will encourage you and help you to make a more informed decision in what to buy. If you are still confused and don’t know what to do, send me a comment and I’ll email you back with my opinion for your particular situation.

Good luck and remember to always trust your intuition for what is best for your baby and yourself. Your intuition will always lead you to the right choice."

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

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