Why We Use Cloth Diapers

 

I love cloth diapers

Better for Baby:

• Baby is less likely to suffer from irritation or rashes when using cloth diapers.  We used disposable diapers for the first couple weeks but as soon as we switched to cloth Eli’s diaper rash disappeared.  He has been almost completely rash free for a year.  It is great not to have to slather yucky Desitin all over his behind each diaper change!
• Disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin which is a hormone disrupting chemical and pollutant.  The part of the diaper that gels and gets squishy when wet is sodium polyacrylate.  A similar substance was banned from tampons because it was linked to toxic shock syndrome.  Bleach diapers (most disposable diapers are bleached) contain dioxin a by-product of the bleaching process.  The Enviromental Protection Agency recognizes it as the most toxic carcinogen.  Why would I want my sweet baby exposed to such toxic chemicals so closely to his skin?
• The Archives of Disease in Childhood published research in 2000 that revealed that the scrotal temperature in boys is increased when they are wearing disposable diapers.  Continued use of disposable diapers could abolish the physiological testicular cooling mechanism which is important for normal spermatogenesis.  Basically this could affect your sons fertility one day.
• Disposable diapers have also been linked to asthma.
• I also wonder about other potential dangers which have not yet been studied.  To my knowledge there have not yet been any studies which questioned the safety of disposable diapers in regards to close proximity to the skin and genitals.

Better for the Family:

• The economic advantages to cloth diapering are substantial enough without every other reason.  On average it cost $80-100 a month for disposable diapers.  The estimated cost to cloth diaper one child from birth to potty training is $2300.   We estimate that by the time Eli is potty trained we will have spent $300.  Not only will we have saved a ton of money but we also will have a complete stash of diapers for the next baby.  If you weren’t planning on having a second baby you can easily resell your diapers.  They maintain much of their worth and should be seen as an investment.  
• Cloth Diapers are surprisingly convenient.  I never have to make my sweet husband run to KMart late at night because I realized I am almost out of diapers.  Instead I just throw the diapers into the washer, dry them and we are ready to go.  Cloth only means a couple extra loads of laundry a week which isn’t inconvenient at all.  It would be much more inconvenient to have to load up Eli, go to the store, get Eli out, shop for diapers, put Eli back into his car seat, and drive home.   

Better for the World:

• Did you know that 4% of the garbage in landfills is disposable diapers?  For a household that includes a baby disposable diapers account for 50% of their trash. 
• The poop in diapers is supposed to be flushed down the toilet so that it can be properly treated by the sewer system, but most people don’t do that.  Instead landfills are full of untreated waste which can leak into the ground water. 

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