You’ve been decorating the nursery, planning your maternity leave, taking your prenatals and reading your pregnancy books cover to cover, but have you thought about how you will diaper your baby? Most of us assume Pampers will do the trick and never consider the alternatives. But when you weigh in the environmental impact and the cost of disposable diapers, checking out cloth diapers should at least be right up there with picking out nursery furniture.
But aren’t cloth diapers expensive? They can be. Cloth diapering has the potential to save you a ton of money. If you stick to essentials, you can save upwards of $2000 over the first 30 months of your baby’s life. They get expensive when shopping for fancy covers and all-in-one’s becomes a hobby. The cheapest way is to use prefolds and basic covers, washing them at home. A diaper service will still be cheaper than disposables, but not by much.
What about the mess? I don’t think I can deal with scrubbing out poo. These days, you don’t have to. Inexpensive, flushable liners are available. Simply drop the liner and the waste into the toilet and flush. No spraying, dunking or scrubbing involved!
I’m afraid of sticking my baby with a pin. You don’t even have to use pins anymore. There are so many options available. All-in-one diapers are just like disposables and can be fastened with Velcro or snaps. Pocket diapers require you to stuff the cover with an absorbent liner before putting them on the baby, but they are easy to put on and the stuffing can be done straight out of the dryer ahead of time. If you want to use prefolds (the kind you used to pin), you have your option of laying them in a cover, which close up just like an all-in-one or pocket diaper with no stuffing involved, or using Snappis, which keep the diaper snug and fit without the risk of sticking yourself or your baby with a pin. And if you want to use pins, you can.
What about leaks? I heard cloth diapers don’t contain the mess. You heard wrong. When a cloth diaper is properly fit and changed promptly, they are less likely to leak than a disposable. More frequent changes not only prevent leaks, but prevent diaper rash as well.
What are the other benefits of cloth diapering? Because your baby is able to feel when they are wet, they are likely to potty train sooner than if they were in disposables. Cloth diapers allow your baby’s sensitive skin to breathe and they are not as hot and uncomfortable. Cloth diapers do not contain the chemicals found in disposable diapers. Have you ever noticed the warning on a package of disposable diapers that says you should not allow your baby to put the diaper in his or her mouth? Unfortunately, babies cannot read and will eventually get into the diaper bag.