[ddhuab]

Does anyone out there use cloth diapers? If so, are you glad of that choice?

I am seriously considering using cloth diapers because of basic concerns for the environment (although we would also use disposables about 1/2 the time, I guess for long days out of the house and/or day care, where I assume you MUST have disposables... although I will probably only be using daycare two or three days a week).

My concerns are
1. (main): Diaper rash. My fil says babies with cloth diapers got diaper rash very often. One of my friends and I were talking about this today, too, as her son just got his first very bad case of diaper rash, related to traveling by car and having stomache sickness within the last week. He is 1.5 years old (disposable diapers only) and this is his first diaper rash, really.

2. Would I be making any difference, if I am going to use disposables sometimes, anyway?

3. Gross factor -- Is it really gross? I would think you would put on a rubber glove, dunk the poopy diaper in the toilet, swish and flush (holding diaper) and then put in diaper pail. Are the dirty diaper pails gross, too, though? I remember these from my young childhood days with an infant sibling, but, obviously, I didn't pay too much attention. Note: I think disposable diapers could be gross, too, especially considering our trash in our neighborhood only runs once a week.

4. Expense factor -- again, if I end up using disposables part of the time, would it be worth it to purchase cloth? I read up on this a loooong time ago, and it seems like the verdict was that the cost is about the same, because cloth diapers are so expensive.

We don't even have a baby yet. We are awaiting a referral from Guatemala and hope to bring our baby home any where from 4-9 months old. She will be with a foster mother unti we pick her up, and I am sure she will be using disposable diapers at that time.

Advantage: Don't baby's wearing cloth diapers tend to potty train more easily?

D.

[redhedded]

D, I seriously seriously considered using cloth. My mom wanted to purchase me the service for one year to start. My sister and I, of course, both used cloth diapers and my mom had a diaper service (1960s). I read a lot and talked to other mothers who used cloth and disposable. I opted not to use cloth for several reasons, though it is really a super personal choice.

I decided that it was not nearly sanitary enough for me. Mostly because they leak; yeah, I know about plastic covers and decided it was, in the end, too much.

Apparently my sister and I were potty trained by about 18 months, which I think was the norm in those days; everyone's kid was pt by that time. (I think there was a stigma if you were not.) Probably they really pushed it because the diapering using cloth was a pain in the ***.

You do not have to convince me about your friend and the diaper rash; I believe it. My dd never had a diaper rash, not even close. NEVER and I have never used any ointment or preventative product on her bum, not one single time. Same goes for my son. I did not really worry about rash or skin integrity if I had opted for cloth, because I changed/change both of my babes every time they go, even just a bit of dampness. (though I was at home with them and did not utilize day care.)

My dd was fully potty trained before two, day and night, though we had some issue with the public toilet. She continued to wear pull ups at the park and storytime until shortly after two, because she refused the public toilet. The big problem with diapers is that because they are so absorbent, unlike cloth, children get accustomed to NOT feeling the wetness and maybe have little interest in training. If you wear cloth, you probably quickly become super aware of being wet and the unpleasantness associated with that. Though I think with pull ups, the actual training, which is fast, is easier. I just think all kids are different.

There is so much debate about this issue and so much information, though there some agreement on both sides that there is no clear winner in the environment race. They are each equally taxing to our planet. One uses more raw product to make and takes hundreds of years to break down while the other incredibly taxes our water supply, uses energy and adds more chemicals into our drinking water through the cleaning process. It is a rather lose:lose situation. I decided that the best I could do was ensure that my child was out of diapers as quickly as possible.

Added note: I live in a large university city where there are thousands of vegan, all natural, bohemian moms. I have met many who use cloth (and swear by it) but many more who started with cloth and after a few months opted for disposable. I think some services will give you free trial; try it and see how it goes. Wishing you luck. I would love to know what you decide.

[ddhuab]

I appreciate your pointing out the factor of water/sewage treatment and cloth diapers... that makes me feel a bit better about the environmental issues.

We probably won't really know until closer to baby coming home, but dh and I discussed it a bit and have leaned more towards disposables at least until the baby is verbal and down to an average of one "solid" diaper per day.

Since my best friend had her first child a year and a half ago, I have done lots of baby sitting, and I have to admit my tendency is to check/change the disposable diaper OFTEN, because I just don't like the idea of "sitting in it."

Another "against" cloth factor is that I am not sure we even have a diaper service here in my town (we live in a suburb sort of distant from the metro area)... although it is nice to know they still exist. My mom had one for me, but I thought those were things of the past!

I guess now I will just have to decide upon which disposable diaper unit to use (although my house is small/one-level, so I think I might just be going with the "wrap it in a small plastic bag and take it to the outside garbage" method... those diaper genies are a great idea, but they seem kind of disgusting to me).

D.

[NDN]

Originally Posted by ddhuab

My concerns are
1. (main): Diaper rash.

2. Would I be making any difference, if I am going to use disposables sometimes, anyway?

3. Gross factor -- Is it really gross?

4. Expense factor -- again, if I end up using disposables part of the time, would it be worth it to purchase cloth?
Advantage: Don't baby's wearing cloth diapers tend to potty train more easily?

D.

1. Children that use cloth diapers actually tend to have LESS diaper rash. This is because cloth breaths whereas disposables do not. The most common reasons that I have found for babies that got rashes in cloth was that 1. they were not changed enough (parents that are accustomed to disposables tend to think they can change cloth at the same rate...which leaves baby wet for quite a while). 2. the detergent used to wash the diapers was irritating baby. 3. the babies urine was too acidic which is a problem in body chemistry and would produce rash no matter what diaper is used.

2. It definitely can make a difference to use cloth even part of the time. It puts less diapers in land fills and helps ease the collective effects of the chemicals on your child because they are not constantly exposed to them.

3. It is not really that bad. There are products out there like the diaper duck and the diaper sprayer that mean you don't even have to handle the diaper while you rinse it. Diaper pails have a place for a deo-disk that cuts down on odor...and if the diaper is rinsed well there is very little odor anyway. Also, the more often that diapers are washed, the better. I personally just started washing diapers everyday. As soon as they were rinsed I threw them in the washer and washed them every night.

4. There are lots of brands of diapers. I prefer all in ones. Most new brands do not leak. I have also used pre-fold with polyester covers...and did not have a problem with leakage. I have seen lots of auctions for cloth diapers on Ebay...some slightly used and others brand new. You can get them pretty cheap that way.

Yes most children that use cloth potty train faster because they can feel when they are wet. That is why they are now making disposable training pants that allows the child to feel wetness.

There is no such thing as a biodegradible disposible diaper, but for children that are allergic to disposibles or parents that don't want to expose their children to the chimicals in the absorbants there is a gel-free diaper. It is made by Tushies and doesn't have the silica gel (the ingredient that has parents worried because it has been linked to all manner of health problems) and the cotton is not bleached with chlorine. They were invented by a pediatrician and are GEL-FREE, LATEX-FREE, PERFUME-FREE, DYE-FREE & TBT FREE! I have used them on my hypersensitive child and they are wonderful. They also allow a child to feel the wetness so they can potty train faster as well.

[Withay]

I usually have anywhere from 2 - 4 foster children in diapers at any given time. Right now I have a 15-month old girl and a 6-month old boy. Last week I had these two, plus a 4-1/2-month old boy and a 6-week old boy. Yep, 4 kids 15-months and under and I am single.

I use cloth diapers on all the babies at all times except when they go to bed at night. My 6 & 15-month olds sleep 12 - 13 hours straight and I don't want them want them laying in the urine for that long and the disposables do wick it away better. I do put plastics on over the disposables to cut down on the 'wet through' factor. Saves the sheets too.

To keep the smell down I recommend the following:

1. Rinse thoroughly. Who cares if your hands get in the poo. They wash with soap and water.

2. Add 1 cup of white vinegar to the diaper pail, along with 1 quart of water. I rinse the diaper pail each time it is emptied and then put the above solution in.

3. Wash diapers every day.

For washing I do the following:

1. As above, wash every day. I use Dreft and 1 cup white vinegar and a double rinse.

2. Line dry

3. I have 4 sizes of plastic pants, and old eyes for reading small print on labels. My arms are nowhere long enough. I have dyed each size of plastic pant a different color. That way I only have to look at the color, not the tag.

I also make all my diapers. I use 4 - 6 layers of terrycloth for absorbency and flannel front and back. My diapers are all hour-glass shape. Each size (I have 4) are made from a different flannel print on the outside. They all have a cream color solid on the inside. Each size is serged with a different color combination. This makes it easy for sorting.

As for expense. Initially, it will cost you more to get set up in cloth, but in the longrun I believe it will save you. I was spending at least $100 every month for disposables. Now it is more like $20. It cost me about $150 to get set up with cloth. That is for 2 dozen diapers of each of 4 sizes, plus plastic pants.

If you ask, you may be surprised at how many daycares will allow you to use cloth.

I have also experienced only 1 diaper rash using cloth and that was due to an allergic reaction to blueberries. With disposables I tended to see more redness, but no real rashes.

I check my kids diapers every 45 minutes to 1 hour, whether we are at home or not. Each diaper change gets a new pair of plastic pants too. You can get a small round plastic cylinder of trash bags in the fishing department of your local department store. I keep one of these with each diaper bag for putting the wet diapers in.

Blessings

Dbl L

[mommieof2cuties]

I always wanted to try cloth, but I use pampers instead. If I had the time I would some day like to try cloth, as my son gets these bad diaper rashes sometimes. The doctor says it is from his teeth coming in but I have to wonder. I also learned that the cheap diapers seem to give a rash more? Just my two cents...

God Bless,
Summer

PS> Many points to those who use cloth

[lotsofpractice]

As a long term foster care mother, i have always trusted, relied upon, and used cloth diapers religiously in my home. I raised my own children in cloth diapers, and never gave up on the idea of re-usable, washable cloth diapers for all the other children i have taken in over the years.

What i really like about cloth diapers is that their "tried and true", and "reliable", particularly the two piece method of cloth diapering meaning (diaper plus pants) system. Add in diaper pins to this time honoured method of diapering, and you have the most economical, traditional, convenient, and versatile method in which to diaper any sized baby right from an itty bitty newborn, right through to an older, bigger toddler or younger child.

Nothing as far as i'm concerned fits better than an old-fashioned flat cotton diaper, fastened with pins, and worn with traditional pull-on rubber pants over top. It is still my favorite method in which to diaper babies to this day! For night-time the diapers can be "doubled" which is refered to as "double diapering", and with the combination of rubber pants over top, i never have to worry about leaks or unexpected wet through with any of my children, and i have 6 in diapers currently.

To any mothers raising babies and children nowadays, be it birth mothers or foster care mothers, i would highly recommend the use of cloth diapers and rubber pants, no doubt about it! I wouldn't even consider anything but cloth diapers in my household.

[banjo]

Hi, I too used cloth nappies for both environmental and financial reasons. My child did not get nappy rash until she had to go into disposibles at daycare. THEN she got the hugest, horrid nappie rash I have ever seen. it took ages to get it to go away. I didn't find it difficult to wash cloth naps modern machines are great and nappie buckets have lids to block the smell plus I washed everyday but I did not use bleach -yeek - rather I dried them on the line in the sun. I would definately use cloth again. By using cloth we could afford the occasional treat ie a bottle of wine during an incredibly cash-strapped time. I also found that except for one brand EVERY other brand of disposible including the most expensive we tried leaked!!! The best disposibles were incredibly cheap ones which a local store had imported direct from China!!!! But we stopped buying them because I decided if we had to use disposibles then we should buy ones made locally.

I also find it funny that manufacturers often claim that their nappies breath like cloth and are soft like cloth - go figure...

I also found those wipes are very nasty and also turned my child's bottom red! We only used them once.

I am so pleased to see so many other parents using cloth!!!