5 Reasons to Cloth Diaper
The Cost, Health and Environmental Benefits
In these days of modern conveniences when people learn that cloth diapers are still being used, images of white nappies, pins, rubber pants, toilet dunking and poop come to mind. What folks do not realize is that cloth diapers have seen vast improvement and modernization in the past ten years that make them more palatable for the fast-paced lifestyle we enjoy today. The benefits of cloth diapering transcend time and after learning more about it many people decide to make that small sacrifice that ultimately yields great benefit to their family and the environment. Here are the top five reasons people decide to make the sacrifice…
Cost
Cost tends to be the driving factor in many decisions that are made today, and in our current economy it is a very valid point for consideration. People tend to get sticker shock when they start to consider cloth diapering because of the capital outlay, however, when one does the math cloth diapering is the clear winner as it can save you hundreds to thousands of dollars. Consider that, on average, to diaper ones baby from a newborn to a potty-trained toddler with disposable diapers it will cost over $2,000. Meanwhile, a good stash of cloth diapers will cost anywhere from $300 to $700 depending on the system one chooses. And even when the cost of detergent and utilities are added in the expenditure, it is still only about half the cost of disposables over the same period. And what’s even better is, if one ends up having multiple children, the savings are extended even further because there will be no need to buy a whole new set of diapers. As long as cloth diapers are well cared for they can endure multiple children. Cha-ching!
Environment
The awareness in our environment has become tremendous in recent years, and it’s no wonder with all the harm that we as human beings in our quest for convenience are doing to our planet. Nothing highlights this more than disposable diapers. We live in a world where everything seems to be disposable. Americans throw away billions of disposable diapers per year. The big question though is, where does it all go? 2011 marks 50 years since the invention of the disposable diaper, and today all those diapers made with plastics in the past 50 years are still in the landfill where they were disposed of. That’s right, scientists cannot accurately determine how long it will take for disposable diapers to biodegrade (some estimates are 300-500 years), and diapers are the biggest contributor to landfills. Cloth diapers on the other hand are reusable, can be repurposed when their service life is over, and will biodegrade naturally.
Another interesting thing is that most folks don’t dispose of baby’s poop in the city sanitary system, i.e., down your toilet, when they use disposable diapers. Instead, all that excrement sits in a landfill, and leaches into the soil. Let’s hope all these landfills aren’t sitting atop an underground water source. With cloth diapers you merely shake poop into the toilet and flush it all away where it can be properly treated by the city.
Health
Many children suffer from skin allergies and are potentially susceptible to various health issues due to the chemicals that make up disposable diapers leaving parents to eventually seek out cloth diapers. Cloth diapers are made from natural (cotton) and sustainable (hemp, bamboo) fabrics, which are manufactured without the use of harsh chemicals. So all baby feels against their bum is soft smooth natural chemical-free fabric.
Owing to the highly effective chemicals found in disposable diapers that absorb urine and keeps the child from feeling wet, it is no surprise that many children experience an increased incidence of diaper rash. Diaper rash is caused by prolonged exposure to moisture, and though initially the diaper may wick away the moisture, if a baby sits in it for a long period of time, which tends to happen in disposable diapers, then the child is prone to getting uncomfortable rashes. The truth of the matter is that people are so confident in the ability of the disposable diaper to absorb abnormal amounts of moisture that they tend to keep their child in it for much longer than they should. Also, since the diapers tend to be expensive some people may try to get as much life out of it as possible, which is not good for the baby. A cloth diapered baby will feel that they are wet and alert mom and dad to this much sooner which eventually leads to another benefit—earlier potty training when compared to babies diapered in disposables.
Earlier Potty Training
Toddler is more quickly able to gain independence by an increased awareness of what being wet feels like, and not liking that feeling leads to telling mommy and daddy when they need to go potty before they become wet.
Fashionable and Modern
Earlier I mentioned briefly about the images that are conjured up about cloth diapers. People are afraid of poking their child with pins and don’t know what to do with a nappy. It is with great delight that I tell you that no one uses pins anymore, rubber pants have been replaced with light-weight covers, and though the simple square diaper is still the simplest and cheapest option out there, there is now a vast array of options that go on just like a disposable does with Velcro tabs or snap fasteners to secure diaper to baby. Diapers and covers now come in gorgeous color and print options. Accessories such as flushable liners and diaper sprayers lessen the impact of having to deal with poop… though sadly poop and other bodily fluids are a necessary evil for all parents.
Yes, one will either have to do a couple more loads of laundry per week or pay the premium for a diaper laundry service, but in life things that are really good for us often require some extra work. Hopefully this “Top 5” has piqued your curiosity and created another viable option to consider for your baby’s behind.