When we learned we were expecting our first son, I went a little crazy researching and learning about all of the “right” things to buy for him – from the organic crib mattress and bedding, to the best, most educational toys to fill our house with. But one area I didn’t think too much about initially was the world of diapering; I pretty much assumed we’d just buy Pampers or Huggies and use those, because that’s just what you do. You need diapers, so you go to the store and buy diapers. Easy.
Yet, somehow or another, I got wrapped up into learning more about the world of cloth diapering. Part of what triggered my interest was learning just how pricey diapers actually are (not a price tag I had checked prior to getting pregnant, I’ll admit!) in combination with how many freaking diapers you need in a given week or month. Then I saw statistics from the Union of Concerned Scientists that said about 18 BILLION diapers end up in landfills each year – and can take decades to breakdown and biodegrade. I decided cloth diapering was at least worth checking out.
And what do we think, 3 and a half years after we’ve started? We love them. Seriously! There are definite pros and cons, but overall I wouldn’t have changed a thing about what we’ve done.
The Realities
It’s Easier Than You Think.
The mechanics of a cloth diaper are essentially the same as using a disposable diaper. Instead of sticky tabs holding the diapers together, cloth diapers are held in place with buttons, snaps or velcro, which means it may take an extra second or two to snap them together than unsticking the tape (though sometimes that tape is seriously hard to grab onto, am I right?) Of course, you can buy cloth diapers that require more work, pinning, etc., but if you’re on the fence about cloth diapering, why add the hassle? Just stick to the ones that are similar to disposable diapers and go.
You’re Doing Laundry Anyway.
One of the biggest reasons people turn away from cloth diapers is because they’re worried about the extra laundry, which is a valid concern. But let’s be totally honest – kids and babies get their cloths dirty CONSTANTLY. I can guarantee you your child will not make it an entire day in ONE outfit; babies spit up and diapers leak. Food gets spilled, or if you’re like my enterprising 22-month-old, shirts are often used as napkins. Clothes get dirty from playing outside, from coloring inside, from running around the playground.
My point? You’re doing laundry all of the time anyway. An extra load of diapers really isn’t THAT much more to have to do – just throw the diapers in the machine and go. Wash, rinse, dry, stuff. Simple!
You Don’t Have to Spend a Fortune.
There are a lot of great cloth diapers available out there, but some brands be a little crazy expensive. Worried about spending too much just to try them out? There ARE cheap cloth diapers out there. My husband and I bought a bunch of Kawaii Diapers when we thought we might want to try cloth diapers, but didn’t want to spend a fortune just in case we didn’t like it or found them to be too much of a hassle.
And how did it go? We’ve never bought any other brand of diapers out there. Uh hello? $7.15 a diaper versus $25.99+? Some people have their brands, and lots of people prefer fancier ones than these, but truthfully, I’ve never looked at or tried a more expensive diaper. Why? These are working fine and what we don’t know won’t hurt us.
Bottom line: you can dip your toe into the world of cloth diapers without having to shell out big bucks. Buy a few cheap ones and see what you think – if you like it, you can explore other brands/types and build a stash accordingly.
You Can Cheat.
We are not exclusive cloth diapering snobs. We use disposable diapers (we love the Honest Co. diapers!) when we’re traveling for more than a day or two. We also use disposable diapers at night, because they are much more absorbent and less likely to wake your baby. You don’t have to throw all of your Pampers away just because you’re cloth diapering – you do what you have to do to make it work! Some people I know can’t cloth diaper during the week because their child care center won’t allow them; but they’ll use them on the weekends. There’s no rule that you have to use them and burn everything else.
They Can Save You Money.
If you only cloth diaper one child, your savings aren’t that significantly higher than just using disposables, once you factor in the cost of water + detergent, etc. But, if you have more than one baby, your savings only grow. We bought a bunch of diapers when expecting our first son, then adding a few more to our collection when baby boy # 2 joined us. Now that our oldest is potty trained and our second is moving that way, we have more than enough for baby # 3, and haven’t had to buy any new ones for at least a year or more.
Done with diapers completely? Cloth diaper inserts make awesome cleaning pads. They’re soft and absorbent and a great small size. Cloth diapers without inserts are also fabulous (and reusable) swim diapers.
They Can Be Really Gross to Clean.
Diapers are gross, period. I know a benefit of disposable diapers is you can just throw them away no matter how gross the contents, while you have to lovingly rinse and flush whatever is in your cloth diapers (although, technically it’s illegal to throw away human waste, so contents of every diaper should be flushed). And maybe all of that rinsing a no-no for you. I can get it. I’ve had a few diapers I’ve contemplated throwing away instead of rinsing off because they were just. so. yucky. But like with everything kid-related, you build up a tolerance for nasty things and after a while, you realize “eh. I’ve dealt with worse.” And if a poopy diaper is the grossest thing you’ve seen…just you wait mama.
They May Not be Best for Newborns.
Cloth diapers don’t necessarily fit as snugly as disposables do, particularly on teeny tiny newborn bums. That’s not to say you CAN’T cloth diaper a newborn – plenty of people do. Just be aware leakage may be a bit more frequent until your babe plumps up a bit. We started our first in cloth diapers when he was around 6 weeks, and our second was about a month when we felt he was bulky enough to fill out the diaper leg holes.
You Have to Change Them More Frequently.
Cloth diapers are just that – diapers made out of cloth. As such, they don’t contain the petrochemicals that disposables do that makes them so absorbent, resulting in diapers that feel wet much more quickly than a disposable might. What does this mean? You have to be more aware about the frequency with which you change diapers. Baby girls tend to have the hardest time with cloth diapers, as they’re more prone to diaper rashes – just be vigilant about changing often. Other issues that may arise from infrequent changes include leaks, fussiness (babes don’t like sitting in wetness!), and just stinky diapers in general.
What do you think mamas? Are you into cloth or disposable?
