When I decided to cloth diaper my first child, I got a lot of weird looks, especially from my family! They thought the idea was totally gross, and really, I can understand that. I’ll be honest, it's not my all-time favorite pastime to get poop off of diapers and into the toilet… But, for me the benefits outweighed that discomfort!
The Monthly Cost of Disposable Diapers
Most babies go through 8 to 12 diapers per day, and with an average cost of about 20 cents per diaper, that’s upwards of $70 to 80 per MONTH on diapers alone, which adds up to roughly $900 per year! That’s diapers alone; we’re not even factoring in the extra cost of wipes here. Cloth diapers, though the up front cost is a little higher saves hundreds of dollars in the long run. The Bump estimates that to cloth diaper a baby for two years cost roughly $800-1,000, as you have to factor in the cost of water and electricity to wash them. However, they can be passed down to siblings and re-used to save even more money. I spent about $300 on a start up set of cloth diapers that lasted me most of my daughter’s diaper life.
Chemicals and Disposable Diapers
Disposable diapers are filled with dyes, gels, and chemicals, some of which, like dioxin, are highly carcinogenic. Another study that exposed lab mice to different types of disposable diapers, resulted in asthma-like symptoms and throat irritation in the mice. No human studies have been done to date, however. Disposable diapers also contribute to a crazy amount of waste, with an average of 27.5 billion disposable diapers thrown away by Americans every year! On the other hand, cloth diapers are chemical free, if using natural, rather than synthetic fibers, and have choices for organic cottons, hemp and bamboo, which are gentle on baby’s sensitive skin. Cloth diapers do use up quite a bit of extra water for laundering, however, which is why there is debate on whether or not they are actually more eco-friendly, so something to consider in your diapering decision!
Reusable wipes are also a great option to consider in eliminating waste and minimizing chemicals on baby’s skin. You can find a pack of 12 to 15 natural, unbleached wipes for about $8-10. Make a cleaning solution with about a cup of warm water, 2-3 pumps of natural baby soap (I love Burt’s Bees baby products), and a tablespoon of olive oil. Mix together as well as you can and soak wipes in mixture until you’re ready to use them. I used an old, plastic wipes container to store my reusable wipes in, and it worked really well for us! You can also use paper towels, though with this, you’re still spending money on paper products and creating more waste. But you do what you gotta do, especially when you haven’t caught up on the laundry…
As a note, if you like the idea of disposables, but are worried about chemicals, consider a more natural diaper brand like Honest Diapers and Eco by Naty.
Rashes and Irritation
This is debatable, and depends on the baby. Because cloth diapers don’t have the dyes and fillers that come with disposable diapers, in general, babies have less diaper rash from the actual material, but can still have irritation from the wet fabric that comes with a dirty cloth diaper. This was unfortunately the case with my son. If I didn’t catch a wet diaper immediately, he would end up with a rash, and we ended up switching him to disposables after a time. Disposable diapers, though they do have chemicals that can irritate baby bums, also have moisture-wicking properties and keep babies dryer than cloth diapers. So, something to think about in your diapering decision, and remember, like most things in parenting, it’s often something we figure out by trial and error. Every baby is so different!
Cloth Diaper Booties are so dang cute!
Have you seen a baby wearing a cloth diaper? Their booties are at least twice the normal size, and in my opinion, just SO dang cute! This is probably not really a factor in your decision to cloth diaper, but I think it’s noteworthy : )
I’m a strong believer there’s a case for both cloth and disposable diapers, and the best decision is what works best for your family and for your baby. Please don’t think you have to be all in one way or the other either. My parents refused to cloth diaper, so when they watched my daughter, her diaper bag was filled with disposable diapers and wipes. If I was out for a long day and didn’t want to tote around a wet bag filled with dirty diapers, I used disposables, and I felt good about that. And like I mentioned earlier, sometimes they just don’t work, like with my son, and that’s ok! We try our best! My general rule in life is to try natural first, and adjust as needed.
If you’re interested in cloth diapering, but unsure where to start, which brands or kinds of diapers to buy (because there are a lot of options out there!), or need tips on how to wash them, look for a cloth diapering class in your area. Often there are classes and/or groups of mamas who can give you lots of tips and tricks, and even tell you where you can get cloth diaper laundering services if the sound of washing them yourself sounds gross, or you don’t have the facilities to do so. You can always send me an email too with any questions. I love to chat all things babies! And whatever you choose, give yourself credit for being the best mom you can be, and trying to give your baby the very best!
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