Why Use Cloth Diapers?
By Tine Reese
November 6, 2009Cloth diapers are the healthiest choice both for your baby and for the environment. They are also cheaper than disposables and easier than ever to use. Gone are the days of flat, bulky cloth diapers that have to be folded, pinned and covered with plastic pants. Today there are cloth diapers that are elasticized so that they are fitted and snug, waterproof in many instances, breathable, and manageable with velcro-like closures or snaps. I have tried both prefolds with covers as well as all-in-ones (diaper and cover combined) and can say that the latter is a great choice for making cloth diapering a simple task…something reluctant users will appreciate.
The Diaper Jungle sums it up pretty well. “Most parents go through 6 to 8 thousand diapers per child, from birth to about age three. If we take an average of what those diapers cost, that equates to between $2000 and $3000 per baby.” Yikes! I myself have used both cloth and disposable and I can tell you this is no lie. Diaper Jungle goes on to say, “In comparison, enough cloth diapers to last for three years will usually cost between $300 to $800. At a minimum that is about a $1200 savings. But wait! Consider, too, that those cloth diapers may last for one or more successive children and your savings doubles and even triples.”
- To start, you change cloth diapers more often which means babies are less likely to develop diaper rash and other skin problems.
- Cloth diapers are free of the many toxic chemicals contained in disposable diapers that can cause skin irritation and have been linked to far more serious health problems in humans. Dioxin, a toxic carcinogen, is used in the bleaching of paper products used to make most disposable diapers.
- Because toddlers in cloth diapers can feel wetness, they tend to toilet-train younger and faster.
- Cloth diapers don’t require hundreds of thousands of trees to manufacture and they don’t sit in landfills for hundreds of years possibly contaminating the ground water supply.
Chick & Savvy Mamas Local doula and natural parenting consultant MacKenzie Monroe has information on cloth diapering and more.
The Diaper Jungle: Adventures in Cloth Diapering The web’s most comprehensive resource for cloth diapering parents.
Healthy Child, Healthy World Igniting a movement that inspires parents to protect young children from harmful chemicals.
BabyBunz & Co. Cloth diaper basics and natural baby products.
I’m a proponent of buying locally or regionally whenever possible. Mothers Haven in Coeur d’Alene is a great place to shop for cloth diapers and accessories. If you can’t get out to the store, BabyBunz, out of Lynden, WA, has a fantastic online store featuring all types of cloth diapers as well as natural baby care products, clothing and toys. BabyBunz has created a special offer for Bloom readers. $5 off orders of $50 or more by entering the coupon code “BSK5″ at checkout.
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