You’ve seen them before. Probably even wore them. But in the case of what’s on the market today, it’s not your mother’s cloth diaper. Gone are the flat white prefolds, pins and plastic pants of the baby boomer generation. In are creations that are easy to use, come in a variety of styles, colors and prints, which appeal on a whole new level. Who knew you could dress your baby’s bottom in pink and purple leopard print diaper?
I grew up around cloth diapers. I have a distinct memory from when I was about 11 years old, of dunking my baby sisters soiled diaper in the toilet and chanting “I will never cloth diaper my baby!” Over ten years later, I rediscovered cloth diapers when I was pregnant with my daughter and was so impressed with the new direction they had taken that I decided it was something I should at least consider for my baby. When I found out that I could buy diapers in fun animals prints and funky colors, I was sold on the idea.
The benefits of using cloth far outnumber the perceived inconvenience. If the visual appeal isn’t enough to have you switching from disposables to cloth, here are some more serious things to consider:
Health: Disposable diapers contain numerous dangerous chemicals. The three main offenders are Dioxin, Tributyl-tin and sodium polyacrylate. Dioxin, one of the more dangerous chemicals, is a toxin that has been labeled by the EPA as the most toxic of all the cancer-linked chemicals. In fact, it’s so dangerous, it’s been banned in most other countries – but not in the U.S. Tribuyl-tin is a chemical that is also present in disposable diapers. It can be absorbed through the skin and has been linked to hormonal problems in humans and animals. Sodium polyacrylate is the chemical that is added to the diapers inner layer to make them absorbent. Ever notice little crystal-like beads sticking to your baby’s bottom? That’s sodium polyacrylate. It’s now illegal for use in tampons because it can cause toxic shock syndrome, a deadly condition, but it’s still legal to use in diapers. There is also research that links disposable diapers with the sharp rise in male infertility over the last 25 years. For more information on the health risks associated with disposable diapers, please visit The Real Diaper Association.
Cost: Unless you plan on creating a stash of hundreds of premium cloth diapers, using cloth will certainly be cheaper than using disposables. The initial investment is a little painful to your purse, but the long term savings are significant, especially if you plan to cloth diaper future children. You could easily diaper your child through the age of two for less than $500. For detailed cost comparisons of cloth vs. disposables, check out Diaper Pin and Diaper Decisions.
Environment: More than 27.4 billion disposable diapers end up in a landfill every year in the U.S. alone. As if that’s not bad enough, consider that disposables take an estimated 250-500 years to decompose. We’re talking about 6,000 diapers you will personally be responsible for dumping in a landfill by the time your child is two. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that the sheer volume of the waste disposable diapers create is reason enough to use cloth. For more information on the environmental concerns created by disposable diapers, please visit The Real Diaper Association.
Many people consider using cloth to be an inconvenient, unnecessary option. Quite to the contrary, using cloth is simply as easy as fastening the diaper on your baby, storing the soiled diapers in a pail and then doing and extra load of laundry every few days. After reviewing the facts, I think that anyone would be forced to agree that it’s not only a healthier choice for our children, but a kinder choice for our planet and our pocketbook. A win-win for everyone!
And really, what baby doesn’t need a leopard print diaper in their wardrobe?
Stay Tuned – Part Two is coming soon!
Molly is a wife, mother and natural living enthusiast who enjoys writing about her adventures in parenting an active toddler. You can follow these adventures and find other tips and ideas for raising healthier, happier families over on her blog, Momma Molly.
{ 1 comment… add one }
Great post!