#1 Cloth Diapering is Better for the Environment In the first two years of your baby’s life you will go through thousands of diaper changes. If your kiddo potty trains later (many do) it will be much more. With disposable diapers, those diapers are headed to a landfill where they sadly won’t decompose. Even the eco-friendly disposables are often not exposed to enough air to allow them to compost properly. While it’s true that cloth diapers will require more water to wash them, using an HE machine/and lower water settings, and owning enough diapers to make an efficient load (versus washing each night), this can be reduced. Also, I view disposable diapers like I view plastic silverware and dishes while on vacation or camping. It is a lifesaver. But when I am at home or nearby with access to a washing machine I have no reason not to use something that I don’t have to throw away (and throwing away disposable diapers sure can get stinky). #2 Cloth Diapering is Cheaper than Disposable Diapering Though the math will be different for every family and situation, ultimately, cloth diapering will save you $$. Well unless you end up collecting them, but that’s a story for another day. The average disposable diaper costs $.27 (with couponing getting that lower, but more eco-friendly options running up to $.50 a diaper). Newborns will use 10-12 diapers a day and older children near potting training around 6. Considering most children don’t potty train before age 2 you are looking at several hundreds of dollars on diapers alone (and several hundred dollars more on disposable wipes. When all is said, and done those diapers end up in a landfill. Cloth diapering will cost you at least $150 to start with most families spending closer to $400. If those diapers are used for at least 2 years you are looking at a significant cost savings. If those same diapers are used for an additional year (and sometimes for additional children), the savings are that much greater. That being said if a family is in a financial bind there are several cloth diaper banks that will give or rent you cloth diapers to use, this is a wonderful tool as food stamps and similar programs do not provide diapers. Nobody should have to choose between buying diapers and buying food. #3 Say Goodbye to Blowouts! We’ve all been there…. That horrible wetness in your lap or baby’s car seat. You try to decide if the outfit is worth saving (we promise it is, we have all the stain fighting tips here) and pray you have a spare in the diaper bag. Enter cloth diapers with their super sturdy backs and leg elastics that keep those liquid poops on lock down. While there may be, those truly earth shattering explosions that will be exceptions, but overall our blowout ratio decreased exponentially upon switching to cloth diapers. Don’t want to go all in on cloth diapering but want the benefits of no blowouts? You can use cloth diaper covers over disposable diapers. We especially recommend this to parents who are traveling (because cleaning poop out of a car seat is nobody’s idea of a vacation). #4 Cloth Diapers are Cuter While this reason may seem a bit silly to those unversed in the cloth diaper world, quick browsing on the walls of your local cloth diaper store may change your mind. You can find a cloth diaper in every print you can imagine. Sports teams, holidays, planes, trains, automobiles, flowers, fairies you name it. We also love the good old fashioned solids for under my daughter’s patterned dresses (bonus: no diaper cover needed). Cloth diaper can be the perfect accessory to any outfit. Or they can be the “outfit.” Newborn photo shoot outfit? Check. Birthday cake smash photo shoot outfit? Check. If you cloth diaper, you already have them in your “stash,” (cloth diaper world lingo for the collection of diapers you use on your child). #5 Potty Learning Made Easy If you are cloth diapering with natural fibers (that let kiddo feel wet), they often potty train easier because they are more aware of when they are peeing. There are also many Cloth Diaper brands that make “Training Pants” to hold those accidents that happen as a part of potty learning. If you do have a kiddo who is day trained but still struggles with long term bedwetting, there are awesome cloth options for overnight. Super Undies and Rumparooz both make bedwetting options for larger children (Super Undies actually goes up to adult sizes). Thank you to Boop Baby for this wonderful post! Boop Baby is a natural parenting store in Sandy, UT. They are your number one stop for cloth diapers, baby carriers, gently used maternity clothes, new nursing bras, etc. You can also attend babywearing and cloth diapering classes that they hold to serve the community. They have amazing customer service and want to help you in your natural parenting journey. Be sure to stop by and say hello! |
HollieWife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend. A passionate birth doula and childbirth educator. Archives
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