As a new mother, you want to do everything right for this precious bundle of joy. This means choosing between breastfeeding and formula, buying the most comfortable and safe crib, and of course, cloth versus disposable diapers. For diapers, you will hear other parents argue the pros and cons on both sides. Taking this information and your personal situation, your decision can be made.
While choosing the type of diaper used seems like it should be a quick and easy decision, the truth is that a number of factors need to be considered. For starters, the number of diapers used daily will vary depending on cloth or disposable. For instance, babies go through ten cloth diapers on average while the number for disposable diapers is cut by as much as 50%. Considering that a baby from birth to age one would go through an average of 3,500 cloth diapers versus 2,300 disposable, it would seem like an easy choice.
With new technology used in the creation of today’s disposable diapers, you also find them to be more, absorbent over cloth diapers. In fact, most parents using cloth diapers will use two to help with absorbency. While it sounds like disposable diapers would win hands-down, keep in mind that cloth diapers do have some advantages of their own. For one thing, if you are a stay-at-home mom, then you can launder the cloth diapers, saving money. Unfortunately, even the “inexpensive” disposable diapers cost. Therefore, if you do not mind doing laundry, the savings could be significant. In addition, you can simply air dry cloth diapers outside in the summertime or inside during the winter, again cutting back on the cost of operating a dryer.
You will also find that many of the newer cloth diapers now available on the market are made better than those made ten years ago. The result is a thicker, better absorbent diaper to keep the baby’s bottom clean and dry. The bottom line (no pun intended) is that from an energy standpoint, disposable diapers make ore sense. On the other hand, disposable diapers also produce a much higher level of solid waste whereas cloth, produce almost half. In other words, in addition to choosing diapers based on your child’s comfort and sanity, you also want to consider factors such as cost, efficiency, and even environment. Remember, if you try one option and are not satisfied, you can always switch.