There are so many great reasons to use cloth diapers. Cloth diapers are not for everyone, but if you are considering it and are curious then keep reading! When I was a nanny/babysitter I was heartbroken whenever I had a kiddo get diaper rash. Some of them looked incredibly painful and took what seemed like forever to heal. When I found out babies with cloth diapers are less likely to develop diaper rash I was 100 percent on board. Preventing diaper rash is my #1 reason for using cloth diapers (more about this later), although #2 is close behind.
#2. Disposable diapers are horrible for the environment. Disposable diapers can take up to 500 years to decompose and on average babies go through 5,000 diapers in their lifetime! Since diapers were invented every single diaper we have used is still in a landfill today. That is a whole lot of diapers sitting in landfills today!
#3. Cloth diapers can stop blow outs! I’ve been using cloth diapers for almost 7 months now. I haven’t had a single blow out in cloth diapers. The only time I had a blow out was when we went to the doctor and had to put on a disposable diaper. At the office we go to you have to undress your baby with only a clean diaper to get weighed. I had her in a clean diaper and put her clothes back on and was waiting for the doctor when all of the sudden she pooped through her diaper, her clothes, and her newly washed blanket! Luckily I always have a second outfit in her diaper bag and just as I got her cleaned up the doctor walked in. Talk about good timing!
#4. The cost of disposable diapers can vary a lot but on average they will run you between $2,000 – $3,000. While the price of cloth diapers can also vary significantly depending on what kind you use but you can buy a lifetime of diapers for your baby for about $200. And the best part is that if you plan on having more than one child then the second child will be pretty much free! You may spend double that if you go with the expensive brands but $400 compared to thousands is still significantly better.
#5. Even though disposable diapers are getting better there is still a risk of toxins. The chemicals that are used to absorb the pee are not natural. If you ever had a diaper break or a baby rip the diaper they are wearing you will see the gel that’s inside diapers. Before you buy disposable diapers I would recommend researching what is in them.
#6. It can help with potty training, even infants! This was probably the reason I was able to get my husband on board. With cloth diapers you can choose different inserts. Some of them baby can feel the wetness, and others not as much. With cotton inserts the baby can feel the wetness and learns cause and effect early on. This can help with potty training as early as birth with elimination communication or infant potty training. (look for future posts for more information)
Back to #1, Preventing diaper rash. Cloth diapers are a lot more breathable than disposable diapers, even with the waterproof cover. Since my baby sleeps through the night anywhere up to 12 hours we do use disposable diapers at nights. I will be honest disposable work better at nights unless you upgrade your cloth diaper with extra liners. We also use disposable sometimes when visit my in-laws for the weekend. Our little one has only had a diaper rash twice in her life. Once was when she was a newborn and was pooping with each diaper change for almost a week, and the other was when we were using only disposable while at my in-laws for the weekend. The second time was minor and when I switched back to cloth it healed very quickly.
I hope I was able to answer some of your questions about cloth diapers. Look for future posts for more information!
