Learn about cloth and dispoable baby diapers to make an informed choice on the diapers you choose to keep your baby happy and dry.
The type of diaper you use on your baby may not seem like a huge decision but it can be for parents who are conflicted in their goals of cost, environmental concerns and time management.
The obvious is that disposable diapers are more convenient. Not only is it simple enough to buy them at the store but they are easy to dispose of too---in the nearest garbage can. Cloth diapers, on the other hand, require a bit more ingenuity. If your supply runs low, they aren't always available to purchase at the nearest store and disposing of them means bringing them home with you to clean at a later time or send to the diaper service. So more planning is essential when traveling with a baby and using cloth diapers.
Cost is a debatable issue. I have heard many discussions on it and it appears inconclusive. Disposable diapers are generally more expensive since they are so convenient and require packaging which requires money to make. Buying cloth diapers and using a diaper service is a great way for parents to have the benefits of cloth diapers without the time involved in cleaning them yourself, and around the same cost as disposable diapers. Washing your own cloth diapers is certainly the cheaper way to go but when you factor in time and laundry detergent and electricity used, calculating that cost can be difficult. So it really depends on your personal situation and what fits best into your family lifestyle and budget.
As for the baby, cloth diapers are generally easier on baby's tender new skin and there isn't likely to be any allergic skin reactions like can arise with disposable diapers. It is a more natural cloth against their skin, however there is not the same protection afforded with disposables and their dryness barriers they advertise.
But the lack of dryness in cloth diapers can mean easier potty training later on. Your baby will grow into a child who won't like that wet feeling and want to learn to be a big kid that much sooner. While your baby is little, the cloth diapers will need to be changed more frequently since they don't absorb like disposables, so time becomes a factor again.
Environmental concerns are undebatable really. Disposable diapers accumulate in landfills and take up precious space on our ever-increasingly populated planet. So if caring for the earth is your first importance, then cloth diapers are definitely the best option.
And using both cloth and disposable diapers is always an option as well. You might consider cloth during the daytime and disposable at night and when traveling, to get the benefits of both.
Whatever you decide on the best diaper for your baby, feeling comfortable with your decision is the easiest way to handle any flack friends or family give you for doing what they think is wrong.
