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Diaper Basics 101 - Cloth or Disposable?
Filed under: Toddlers Preschoolers, Health & Safety: Babies, Development/Milestones: Babies, Day Care & Education, Baby Essentials, Feeding & Sleeping, Opinions, Baby-sitting, Research Reveals: Babies, Nutrition: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Expert Advice: Babies, Health & Safety: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Development: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Behavior: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Activities: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Gear Guides: Babies, Gear Guides: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Research Reveals: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Expert Advice: Toddlers & Preschoolers
You will change thousands of diapers in baby's first year alone.
Credit: Sellers Patton, Flickr
When deciding which type of diaper to use, you'll find there are pros and cons to each method. From financial and environmental standpoints, cloth diapers are decidedly cheaper and better for the environment. Around $400 is a conservative estimate of the initial cost for purchasing cloth diapers and coverings, and once you've paid for them, you just need to wash and dry them for the next use and next child.
Cloth diapering has become infinitely more easy to use over the years -- bulky baby pins are a thing of the past. Instead, coverings now wrap snugly around the white cloth diapers using Velcro.
But to many parents, disposable diapers are more convenient than cloth. Simply buy them, use them and throw them away. However, when you might be changing more than 3,000 diapers in your baby's first year, the cost -- 16 to 30 cents per diaper -- can add up quickly.
And parents who want to go green do have options with disposable styles: In recent years, a wider selection of environmentally friendly diapers have appeared on the market.
Your diaper selection will also depend on the size of your child. To prevent accidental leaks, a diaper is sold by its size and, as your child grows more active, by its shape and fitting. When potty training becomes an option, for instance, disposable manufacturers have devised diapers and training pants that make access easier for parents and babies.
No matter which diapering method you use, you will probably run into a case (or two) of diaper rash. For the most part, diaper rash is nothing to worry about. The red rash indicates that the skin is irritated by the diaper, making it particularly sensitive. Generally caused by the irritation of the skin due to dampness or urine. If a rash has moved beyond the diaper region or persists for longer than 24 to 48 hours after treatment, check with your physician.
To rid your baby of diaper rash, there are a number of over-the-counter ointments available. Many provide a protective layer between the baby's skin and the diaper. Do not rub the ointment into the skin -- pat gently. Some recommended products include Burt's Bees Diaper Ointment, Boudreaux's Butt Paste or zinc oxide. Although some parents encourage the use of talcum powder to keep a baby's bottom dry, be aware that the powder could be harmful to a young child's lungs.
Don't worry -- after you changing your first 100 or so diapers, you'll be a pro.
Related: Homemade Diapering Products
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 2)
3-18-2010 @ 1:15PM
yifang0933 said...g
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3-18-2010 @ 11:32PM
CLM said...Don't forget diaper services - the best of both worlds. Cloth diapers, which are more environmentally friendly, plus the convenience of not having to wash them yourself! We have twin boys, and our diaper service was a god-send.
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3-21-2010 @ 7:30PM
ginger said...That's exactly what i was going to say! With my first two, we used a great service. I had some disposables for trips out, and away from home, etc. With my third, there was no local diaper service, so I bought some. I think you could get a sufficient number for way less than $400, though.
3-19-2010 @ 4:09AM
Beth SG said...Actually, the "coverings wrapped snugly around the white cloth diapers using Velcro" are now the cumbersome and old-fashioned cloth diapers!
Much simpler (and cuter) options are out there, such as pocket or all-in-one diapers, which basically go on just like a disposable, and fasten either with velcro or snaps.
Reply
3-21-2010 @ 7:51PM
Gigi said...Surprised you did not mention "g-diapers." They are a hybrid between cloth and disposable, are flushable ! or even compostable in some cases and a wonderful alternative to the inconvenience of cloth and the environmentally unfriendly disposable. My daughter uses them on her new baby boy and they are convenient, highly favorable for the environment- and extremely cute! Check out the web site: gdiapers.com
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3-21-2010 @ 8:08PM
Lori said...Does anyone know where I can find diaper pins?
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3-21-2010 @ 8:18PM
bluehawk99 said...Tons of diaper pins can be found on Ebay!!!!
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3-21-2010 @ 8:53PM
Gramma said...Folding diapers washed in am was my relaxation while boys slept in afternoon, while I was watching soaps, wish I was still doing that: BUT at 76 I think not, it aint goin to happen :>) Gramma
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3-21-2010 @ 9:02PM
Grandma said...And old, soft diapers have so many practical uses after you are done with babies.....
3-21-2010 @ 9:01PM
Grandma said...I am wondering how you do the au naturel thingie if you live and/or work indoors......
I can see that with a nomad outdoor lifestyle, but you can't just hold the little one out and let it go on the floor, can you? And you would have to be a real sprinter to make it to a bathroom with a kid that is going "now".....
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3-21-2010 @ 11:46PM
SKL said...I used a hybrid method. Put the kids on the pot as soon as I could, and they would use it. Kept them also in diapers until about age 1.5 when they were reliable about holding it until they got to a proper receptacle. We used a lot fewer diapers than most but didn't have a lot of mess either. I used disposables, only because the people with whom I share the washer absolutely forbade my putting diapers in there. I chose the cheapest brand I could find since it was mainly a backup. Poopy diapers were uncommon, but when they did happen, I sent the poo down the toilet rather than have my house or garage reeking. Fewer diapers - especially foul ones - also cut down on related products such as wipes and ointments. In addition, cheaper diapers are less likely to have chemicals that contribute to diaper rash.
My kids were adopted so I didn't get to find out if it is really feasible for a working mom to go "au naturale" from early infancy. It's probably worth a try, but not worth a lot of stress.
3-21-2010 @ 10:07PM
micky eggs said...i'm the father of 36 year old man and a 35 year old woman. when my son was a newborn we used a diaper service but as summer started the garage was the foulest smelling place i could remember . naturally when my daughter was born she went into pampers or whatever and joined her brother. the mess in the garage went into to the trash can every night and everyone was happy except the racoons. to the young lady who said just throw them in the washer, i have some bad news. i repaired washers and all major appliances. and if there was a turd floating in the water we left and told the customer to call back when the machine was cleaned, the union was behind us 110%. so if you want to go green fine. but you have to clean the present little johnny or jane left you. in today's real time world poop is one of the worst things you may get germwise it's right near the top of the list. myself i would spend the money, everything that goes to the dump from the diaper to the contents came from mother earth. she'll know what to do with it
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3-22-2010 @ 5:06PM
chelle said...You can "just throw them in the washer" if your baby is exclusively breast-fed. The poo is extremely water-soluble, and is already gone by the time the main wash cycle starts. When the baby is on formula or other solids, you dump the poo in the toilet and then wash the diaper. If you found a turd floating in the wash water, it's not the diaper's problem!
Also, people need to realize that if you have a baby in diapers, you WILL deal with poo. It's actually messier in disposables, since blowouts are much more common with them. You'll have poo all over their clothes, seat, etc. Cloth diapers are much better at containing messes.
3-21-2010 @ 11:50PM
JUDY said...I am an old grandma & when I had my first 3 children there were no disposable diapers. By the time I had my fourth there were. I no longer had my hands in a toilet and frankly since I did not have a maid to do it, I was never going back to cloth diapers for the environment or anything ever again!
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3-22-2010 @ 6:17AM
Barbara Loden said...Velcro collects lint. Then it does not stick well. Will stick only in pare ot the velcro leading to the diaper coming undone. Has that happened to you yet. Poop all over the place and in his or her hair.
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3-22-2010 @ 4:36PM
Peggy said...My kids are all in their 20's now and I used cloth/velcro diapers with a waterproof- nylon I think cover attached. I stopped subscribing to a consumer magazine about the time the youngest was diaper free because a study they had claimed disposables were cheaper. I know they can only be cheaper if you don't own a washer/dryer and you have to pay about $5 a load to wash and dry. With my 3rd and last child I had mastered the potty training without stress at 17 months, and the velcro diapers were the easiest things to get off in a hurry- undamaged. When I spotted her start to squat with a purpose, I grabbed her up and sat her on the toilet and she went without complications. I had a bag of M&M's in the refrigerator and gave her 1 right afterwards. I would not recommend giving them to anyone(- choking risks) but I can attest to the effectiveness of the outcome! 4 months later we had to move from Memphis, TN to Fresno, CA. She wore disposables along the way but never soiled or wet them at all and was able to use the rest stops just like the rest of the family. Children were potty trained much earlier without tragic consequences long before disposables showed up. 3 year olds in diapers/pull-ups is unbelievable and a develpmental failure caused by big business and out dated psychology scares.
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3-22-2010 @ 4:41PM
mynaturalbaby said...I always suggest that people try using prefolds and covers first before they drop into more expensive system such as All In Ones or pockets. Real Nappies (www.realnappiesusa.com) has bundle packs that sell everything you need for each stage of baby's development. I found buying one of those was easier than trying to figure out what I needed on my own.
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3-22-2010 @ 4:52PM
Melanie said...Wow people really don't understand the "new" cloth diapers. The house doesn't stink of poopie diapers. As a matter of fact disposables stink up a house much more than cloth. AIO's & pockets make diapering so easy. Everyone should do proper research before they start sprouting nonsense. By proper research I do not mean the article put out by Procter & Gamble (maker of pampers & Luvs).
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3-23-2010 @ 10:38PM
StartingOutSmall said...I was surprised to see that the majority of people said they use cloth diapers. I know when I was a kid my mom said that she used cloth diapers and by the time my younger brother (he is the fourth child) came along, they "invented" disposable diapers.
I like the idea behind cloth diapers, but I like the convenience of disposable, I don't think I will be going the route of cloth, though there are definitely benefits cost-wise and environment wise...I have been using the Huggies Naturals lately and do like these over the Pampers and regular Huggies.
That is about it for now.
Rebecca Barkai/CEO
www.startingoutsmall.com
info@startingoutsmall.com
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3-24-2010 @ 9:46PM
VERA DE RUVO said...Way back in the dark ages, we lived in an apt. house. No drier.
I had to dry the cloth diapers on the radiator, or, on a line on the tar roof.
In the cold winter, i had to actually pull those things apart from the line, unbend them, and then ---the radiator.
They were great for dusting furniture, but not for what they were intended.
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