TheHolisticParent.ORG Cloth Diapering

                                         Cloth Diapering

Cloth diapering is back with a vengeance. This is not the old fashioned cloth diaper
popular a few generations ago. This is a whole new ballgame. It’s true. Cloth diapering
can actually be a hobby, for some, an obsession. Researching, purchasing, using,
caring for, and loving cloth diapers is almost an identity of sorts. There are tons of
styles to choose from, awesome gadgets that make using them a breeze, and a
healthier, happier baby because of it. There’s so much info out there; it can be
overwhelming. How do you know which styles to buy and where to buy them from?
When I first started using cloth diapers, I took a cloth diapering class to try to figure it all
out. I thought the class would turn out being about 20-30 minutes. I was wrong. The
class lasted one hour and 45 minutes! There’s obviously a lot to know. I personally
love this topic, so let’s jump right in.

Why would I want to use cloth diapers?

There are three main reasons that come to my mind about why cloth diapering can be
very classy.

1) Cloth diapers are much better for the environment. You don’t have to be a tree
hugger to appreciate how cloth diapers can help our planet. Now, most people aren’t
aware there used to be a debate over if cloth diapers were in actuality better than
disposables. There was a study funded by a large maker of disposable diapers (no
surprise there) that found cloth diapers to be worse for the environment. Do you think it
is possible this study was biased so the disposable diaper company wouldn’t lose
sales? Um, yes!

Let’s admit. Cloth diapers take water to wash. They do not last forever and will probably
end up in a land fill eventually. It takes resources to manufacture them. So, cloth
diapers aren’t perfect. If you want to be super great to the environment, you could
always try something called elimination communication, where it is not necessary to
use any diapers on your baby. This is not practical for everyone however. So, just
because cloth diapers use some resources, don’t run out and buy disposables. Keep
reading.

90% of parents in the United States use disposable diapers on their babies. It’s such
a shame too. Each year, approximately 50 billion, that’s right billion, disposable
diapers end up in a landfill. That number is so large many people have trouble
contemplating how large a number that really is. Where do you think we store all these
diapers? Well, we can’t burn them. So, they keep on piling up. Well, now you might ask.
How long do they take to decompose? One disposable diaper takes 500 years to
decompose. 500 years! So basically if our demand for disposable diapers remains the
same, not even increases, but remains the same, in 500 years we could end up
having 25 trillion diapers on the Earth at one time. Do we really have room to store all
of them? It would be my guess that we don’t and if we do, no one is going to end up
happy about where we store them.

So, how big of a number is 25 trillion exactly? Well, there’s roughly 7 billion people on
good old planet Earth right now. That’s a lot of people. Think about how many people
that really is. Now think about for each of those 7 billion people, there would be over
3500 diapers each. Can you imagine 3500 diapers sitting in your backyard (or
anywhere) for each member of your family? Can you imagine it for every person on this
Earth? It’s outrageous. This is in addition to all the other garbage we accumulate in our
modern society. Disposable diapers are the third largest source of garbage. Can you
imagine there are categories of waste larger than diapers? It’s crazy. If this interests
you, you may want to read our section on eco-friendly living. So, I think it is safe to say,
there may be something to this cloth diapering business, which brings us to our next
reason. (By the way, there are more eco-conscious diapers that are chlorine free,
which still take about 50 years to decompose for those of you interested).

2) Cloth diapers will save you money. Who doesn’t like the sound of that? Some may
question. Really? Yes, it is an initial investment. But overall you may invest $500-$700
or so on cloth diapers, while disposables may end up costing you $2000 before your
child is potty trained. That’s a significant savings. I would say that’s reason enough to
cloth diaper. I wonder why more people don’t cloth diaper? I think buying a stash of
cloth diapers seems like so much money to most people that it’s easier to simply buy
a pack of diapers for $15.00 each week. But if you do the math over the long run you
could save on average over $1000.00. I think the answer speaks for itself.

3) The third reason is my personal favorite. Cloth diapers have less chemicals and
less toxins than disposables. I am very conscious of toxins, so I particularly enjoy this
one. Cloth diapers are more breathable and help decrease diaper rash. Your baby will
have a much happier little bottom. Cloth diapers aren’t necessarily perfect in this
department. There can be some chemicals from pesticides used. Thankfully, there are
organic versions.

Are disposable diapers really that full of toxins? Yes. First of all, there is dioxin in
disposable diapers that results from the bleaching process that is known to cause
cancer, birth defects, liver damage, and skin diseases. Do you really want that on your
baby’s bottom? There’s more. The reason disposable diapers are so absorbent is
because they have a chemical called sodium polyacrylate on them. Did you know this
is the same substance removed from tampons due to toxic shock syndrome? There
have been no studies done on the safety of this chemical for the infant (but my guess
is that it wouldn’t turn out too well in the chemical’s favor). There has also been
contamination in disposable diapers from one of the most toxic substances ever made
called Tributylin. It harms the immune system and interferes with the body's hormones
resulting in possible sterility. A 1998 study also found a link between asthma and
disposable diapers due to children breathing in the chemicals in the disposables.
These are simply the main known chemicals. If your baby wears disposable diapers,
he or she will be exposed to over 48 of them. What these chemicals do is anybody’s
guess. I personally don’t need to take the risk with my baby to find out.

Fecal waste in disposable diapers can also make its way into our water supply by the
way the disposable is disposed of in our landfills. Male infertility has been linked to
disposable diapers because it is thought that disposables heat up the testes in an
unnatural way.   Disposable diapers also increase the incidence of UTI’s in female
babies. I think we’ll stick with our cloth diapers!

How inconvenient is cloth diapering?

Not at all. A little bit more work maybe, but not inconvenient. The cloth diapers of today
are magnificent. There are many different kinds you can choose from.

There are prefolds, which are the white cloth diaper that we think of (but don't buy the
cheap Gerber brand; these are not true prefolds). They require some folding and
assembling- not too much- and then you put a diaper cover over them. These do have
to be washed, which you can do yourself or you can have a diaper service wash them
for you. Diaper services will even pick them up and drop them off at your house! How’s
that for service? If you do choose a diaper service, you may inquire how they wash the
diapers however. Many services aren’t very “green” in the chemicals that they use
(though some are), and diaper services have been known to use chlorine bleach in the
diapers to get rid of stains.

There are diapers that are pocket diapers that you can change just like disposable
diapers, and then just wash the entire diaper. These diapers have a pocket in them
that you do have to stuff with the cloth stuffing, which is a little work, but there’s no
folding.

Then, there’s the all in one diapers that have no stuffing, no work. You simply change
the entire diaper at each diaper change and wash the whole diaper. With this type of
diaper, there’s really no excuse to not to use cloth, but you do have to wash them
yourself. I personally don’t find it too hard to dump a load of diapers in the washing
machine every few days, do you? Seems actually like a little less work than changing
the full trash bag of disposable diapers from say a diaper genie.

What do I need to get started?

First, you’ll need to figure out what kind of diapers you want. I described several
options above, but there are even more considerations.
Do you want to wash the diapers yourself or not? If not, then go the diaper service
route. This choice most likely only includes prefolds with an outer covering. This
means you will have to do some assembling the diaper into the cover.

I personally think just washing them yourself is your best bet because then you have a
lot of other choices of diaper and once you purchase them there is no more fees for the
diaper service and you actually own your diapers (if they’re good ones and hold up, you
can use them for the next baby).

Do you want to buy diapers each time your child grows a new size or do you only
want to buy diapers once?

There are some companies that make a one size diaper that has snaps actually
allowing the diaper to grow with your child. These are very convenient. They may be a
little more money at first, but are a very affordable way to go in the long run. These are
the diapers where you change the entire diaper at each diaper change. They have
pocket diapers of this variety that you have to stuff, and they have no stuff kinds as well.
If you go this route, you should buy about 24 diapers. This is the recommendation of
many diaper manufacturers to help the diapers not wear out too fast.
If you don’t mind buying diapers for every size, then you will have a few choices.

Prefolds- These are the typical white cloth diaper. Don’t get the ones from any old
Target or Walmart. They are not burp cloths. They are sold online or at a specialty
diaper shop. These kind are thicker and much more absorbent. This is necessary if
you don’t want leaks. There are ones that are bleached white and ones that aren’t.
There are ones called Indian prefolds and ones called Chinese prefolds, and to my
knowledge, both are pretty much the same. You should get 24 of these to rotate for
your stash. Then you will need to have a diaper cover over these. (Some people do not
use diaper covers, and there are still the old fashioned pins out there or a new thing
called a snappi diaper fastener that hooks all the pieces in the front, but most people
use covers). Really, any diaper cover is fine. Thirsties or Bum Genius seems to be
popular for these type of diapers. Essentially, you can leave the diaper cover on at each
changing and just change the prefold inside. I found though that in our case, the diaper
cover became soiled more often than I was happy with. For smaller sized babies, you’ll
probably need more diaper covers than when baby is bigger. How many you need to
get depends on how often you want to do laundry and how well you prefold works. This
is the cheapest route to go. If you don’t want to fold, there are fitted diapers that go
inside the diaper cover. This is what most people do for newborn babies who may not
be big enough for other diaper options. The most popular brand for fitted diapers is
Kissaluvs.

All In Ones- There are also diapers that have to be bought for each size, but come in
an all in one variety where there is no stuffing, and the diaper gets changed at each
changing. These are very convenient, but the most expensive and if you have to buy
them for every size, it can get costly. If you do get these, you’ll need about 24 diapers for
each size unless you want to do laundry like crazy (but even then the diapers will wear
out quicker if not rotated enough).

Will I get leaks?

Honestly, sometimes you might. This happens with all diapers, disposables included.
If you leave any diaper on too long, it will leak. If you don’t have the proper size diaper or
proper absorbency for your baby, it will leak. If you don’t have it on right, it will leak. What’
s awesome though is that cloth diapers have made great strides in the leakage
department.

How do we make it through the night without leaks?

You may have to put extra pieces of material in the diaper to help with extra absorbency
overnight. The good news is that there are cloth diaper inserts specifically for this
purpose and make it quite possible to make it through the night. Hemp material is the
most absorbent, and there are hemp inserts easily available. There is also a wool
diaper out there that is expensive, but really worth it. If nothing else works, the wool
diaper will.

Are there diapers to fit all size kids?

If your child is a late pottytrainer or still has night wetting issues at an older age, there
are still cloth diaper options. There is a brand of cloth diapers called Bumkins that
makes extra large sized diapers. They will fit an older child. How old will depend on the
size of your child. If you are using them for the night though, you will absolutely need
inserts as they will most certainly not be absorbent enough. You’ll probably even have
to use more than one insert each night.

What things do I need to make cloth diapering as convenient as possible?

Oh, there’s lots of little goodies these days. The coolest idea I have come across is a
diaper sprayer. Bum Genius makes one. I don’t know of any other brands. Basically,
you easily hook a little device onto your toilet, and then you’re able to spray all the little
poopies down into the toilet. The sprayer is not totally necessary before your baby
starts solids if you breastfeed, but after that, it can be a total lifesaver.

I also like nondisposable baby wipes. Instead of conventional baby wipes, there are
now reusable ones. They are super soft. It is best to get them a little wet before use.
The wipes are similar to baby washcloths, but a bit more durable. I always noticed that
the sides of the washcloths curl up, but the baby wipes don’t do this. You can use
reusable baby wipes even when out somewhere. Many people take a few moist ones
with them. What’s cool to have cloth wipes is that they can be washed right along with
the cloth diapers. You won’t have to worry about a disposable wipe getting caught in
with the cloth diapers and making a mess.

You will need containers for the cloth diapers. They make awesome cloth bags that are
lined to prevent leaks to put the cloth diapers in. You will need a little one for your
diaper bag. You can wash these bags right along with the diaper. We also keep one of
these by the baby changing station. This way we collect a few diapers in it and then we
take it to a little trashcan we have by the washer.

There’s even deodorizer sprays. We personally haven’t used these. There is also
liners that you can put in the diaper that collect poops and then you just take them out
and flush them. I haven’t needed these yet, but they seem really cool. And they're cheap.

How do I take care of my cloth diapers?

Taking care of cloth diapers is relatively simple. Before the diaper reaches full
absorbency, it must be washed somewhere in between 3 to 7 times depending on the
diaper and source. This should help prevent leaks. It is recommended to wash
diapers every other day. That way no diaper stays dirty that long. If you get poop stains
on your diapers, don’t go reach for the bleach. You can lay the diapers out in the sun to
dry, and it should take care of any stains. This should be effective even in a sunny
window.
Diapers can be dried. Some varieties take longer to dry. We have to run our diapers
through two drying cycles. Better yet, lay them outside to dry on a nice day.

Remember, the less detergent used, the better! It seems like it would be better to use
a lot of detergent to get those diapers really clean, but it’s not. The detergent can create
a layer of sorts on the diapers potentially holding in smells and decreasing
absorbency.

It is generally thought that the really natural laundry detergents are not the best for cloth
diapers. I’ve been told to go ahead and use say Tide laundry detergent on them. I don’t
support this because I do not use any harmful chemicals (see our section on toxins to
more about laundry detergent). We make do just fine with our natural laundry
detergent.

If you’re still confused about all this washing diapers business, go to www.
cottonbabies.com. They have an amazing website that explains it quite well. You’ll get
the hang of it.

What do I do if my diapers start to stink?

This is a possibility. It stinks (pun intended). I was horrified when one day I was
changing my daughter’s diaper, and it smelled like a skunk. I was worried what could
be wrong with her! As it turns out, it was the diaper. If this happens, you have too much
detergent buildup on your diapers. You will need to go through a process called
stripping your diapers. You wash your diapers with a bit of liquid dish washing soap in
really hot water. This should take off extra residue.

What do we personally use?

I truly love my cloth diapers. I have found a system that works well for my family. I
personally love the Bum Genius diapers. I splurged and went for organic because I
knew I would be saving money anyway, and my baby’s bottom is worth it. So, the exact
kind I have is the Bum Genius Organic One Size All In Ones. This is like the king (or
queen) of diapers. It is a one size, so I bought 24, and that’s all I’ll need. It’s also an all
in one, so I don’t have to do any stuffing. Now, Bum Genius does not make both of
these things in a diaper unless it is organic. So, I found this was a great fit for me.

They make some cute colors to choose from. The style I have comes in snaps only.
They used to come in velcro also, but our family has found we like the snaps better,
and the velcro has since been discontinued in the organic style. We've had some
diapers in the past with velcro and actually had to enact the one year warranty because
the velcro was pulling off the diaper. Velcro also has to be cleaned out after each
washing. Snaps do take a little longer to adjust, but they are worth it.

We use hemp inserts overnight, which work good most of the time. I will admit no
diaper is perfect though, and I have found myself awoken in a damp puddle of pee
before. Ugh. It’s all in the life of a mom.

I do find an ease of use with these diapers. We don’t use them when traveling
however. I use chlorine free disposables when I travel because I don’t want the
diapers to go too long before washing (and who washes diapers on vacation).

Resources

www.cottonbabies.com Excellent website, original makers of BumGenius.

www.gdiapers.com An interesting concept, good information and works for many
people

www.diaperswappers.com An online community of cloth diaper lovers

www.bumgenius.com My favorite diapers

www.diaperjungle.com/disposable-diapers-exposed.html Very good article, entire
website is an excellent resource

www.eartheasy.com/live_clothdiapers.htm l   Filled with a lot of information and has an
excellent resource section on where to buy cloth diapers

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