Why Cloth Diapers?

For the first few weeks of Isaac's life, we almost exclusively used disposable diapers, for two reasons: We had been given two packages of them at our baby shower, and I didn't want to deal with the extra laundry created by cloth diapers during those first few weeks postpartum. Then a couple of things happened: I started to feel much better, and we realized we were almost out of disposable diapers! Since then we have almost exclusively used cloth diapers. A lot of people have seemed to think that it's really strange to use cloth diapers, so I thought I'd provide a little information about why we would choose to do such a seemingly odd thing (other than, of course, the fact that we are seemingly odd people). ;)

1. Cloth diapers are better for the environment. I read recently that "roughly 5 million tons of untreated waste and a total of 2 billion tons of urine, feces, plastic and paper are added to landfills annually. It takes around 80,000 pounds of plastic and over 200,000 trees a year to manufacture the disposable diapers for American babies alone. Although some disposables are said to be biodegradable; in order for these diapers to decompose, they must be exposed to air (oxygen) and sun. Since this is highly unlikely, it can take several hundred years for the decomposition of disposables to take place, with some of the plastic material never decomposing." Meanwhile, cloth diapers are made of, well, cloth. And they can be washed and reused many times over.

2. Cloth diapers are better for babies. Have you ever stopped to think about what disposable diapers have in them? If not, let me tell you. "Some concerns about disposable diapers have been about dyes, sodium polyacrylate (the super absorbent gel), and dioxin, which is a by-product of bleaching paper. Sodium polyacrylate has been linked in the past to toxic shock syndrome, allergic reactions and is very harmful and potentially lethal to pets. Some dyes and dioxin according to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is known to cause damage to the central nervous system, kidneys, and liver. The (FDA) Food & Drug Administration has received reports that fragrances in disposables caused headaches, dizziness and rashes. Problems reported to the Consumer Protection Agency regarding disposables include, chemical burns, noxious chemical and insecticide odors, babies pulling disposables apart and putting pieces of plastic into their noses and mouth, choking on tab papers and linings, plastic melting onto the skin, and ink staining the skin. Plastic tabs can also tear skin if the diaper is not properly put on the baby." Wow.

3. Cloth diapers are better for our budget. Think about it for a minute. How much sense does it make to spend your hard-earned money on something that is going to be worn once and thrown away? And how much sense does it make to literally throw that money away over and over and over for 2-3 years of your child's life? Cloth diapers do involve the initial investment, but once you've bought them, you can wash and reuse them over and over until your baby outgrows them. I like seeing our money put to better use, especially when I also consider how much better cloth diapers are for my baby and the environment!

4. Cloth diapers are convenient. I think that when most people think of cloth diapers, they think of old-fashioned flat diapers that have to be folded over and over, then pinned. Not necessarily the case! There are several different kinds. Some do require some folding and a separate waterproof cover; some have velcro tabs that fasten easily; some are all in one piece with the diaper and cover sewn together (these are my favorites, personally, because they're so easy to use, but we mostly use prefold diapers with a separate cover because they're cheaper). And even the prefolds don't necessarily require pins. We use a lovely little item called a Snappi, which is much more convenient than pins in my opinion.

So, when I considered all those things, it wasn't hard for me to make the decision to use cloth diapers. I definitely recommend them if you are planning to have children or if you already have children who are still in diapers.