cloth diapers or disposable? 

what's best for your baby and the environment?

So I decided to do some further research.

First, I started researching disposables. The benefits include the ease of taking them off and throwing them in the garbage (convenience), and the dryness factor. And of course there’s no messy washing involved.

But I was quite shocked to learn about some of the harmful chemicals and materials used in making them. For instance, most contain sodium polyacrylate. Not only do many babies have an allergic reaction to this chemical, but it also can be linked to toxic shock syndrome. And cats have died when exposed to it. Basically, it’s not something I want to expose my baby to if I don’t have to!

Some other startling facts about throw-aways:

• Around 20 billion disposable diapers are thrown into US landfills per year. Most of the materials are non-biodegradable.
  
  
• Babies can pull apart disposables and put the materials in their mouth. This can expose them to the chemicals and dyes, and poses the threat of choking.

• Dyes used have been linked to damage of the liver, kidneys and central nervous system.
  
  
• Diaper rash was not as common when cloth diapers were the only option. Why isn’t this reported on more? Hmm, could it be that diaper rash cream manufacturers are making a huge profit off of diaper rash?

This was enough to convince me that I didn’t want to use your everyday disposables.

But I still had some further research to do. I had heard from a co-worker that cloth diapers weren’t as good for “blow-outs,” in other words when your baby produces a high-volume offering. She said that cloth diapers weren’t as good for holding in the goods, so to speak. And I wanted to know more about the energy and chemicals used to wash cloth diapers.

Also, what about the disposables that claim to be earth-friendly?

And how do the different options compare in cost?

Does anyone make organic cotton diapers?

I started looking in to options for cloth diapers. It turns out, this is a whole world of it’s own. There are MANY different solutions to every problem a new mother might consider when choosing cloth diapers. There are ways of folding the cloth diapers so that you don’t have to use pins. Some have Velcro tabs. And to address the blow-out issue, the answer is diaper covers. There are leak-proof diaper covers that you slip on over the cloth diaper and voila! No blow outs. As far as washing, you can either do it at home or have a diaper service come to your doorstep, take away the dirty ones, wash them and return them to you, all for about the same prices as buying disposables.

I now felt even better about cloth diapers, but I still had some choices to make and some questions to answer.

On to the energy / water consumption issue. It turns out that the amount of water used to wash diapers at home for a week is about the same as the amount of water used to flush the toilet four or five times a day for a week. Not much. And even better if you choose a service to do it for you … The amount of water and energy used to wash large quantities is even less than if you do it at home. And of course, you can improve the environmental impact by choosing organic laundry detergent and using energy-efficient washers.

There are some diapers that claim to be biodegradable. These are certainly a better choice than the average disposable. But the fact is, to decompose, they have to be exposed to air and sun, which is unlikely with most landfills. So the chance of them decomposing before your baby becomes an adult is unlikely.

Here are a few more benefits
of cloth diapers:

• Babies raised on cloth diapers tend to potty train up to one year earlier than with disposables. Why? The technology used in disposables to keep bottoms dry and ‘comfortable’ makes baby less likely to want to have any motivation to do so at all. Having the wet diaper feeling actually serves a purpose, it gives babies a reason to want to graduate.
  
  
• A cotton diaper can also be used as a burp shield, a bib, a wash cloth, a changing pad and lots of other things.
  
  
• Disposable diapers cost approximately $50 to $80, per month, using a diaper services will cost approximately $50 to $80 per month and laundering your own cloth diapers will cost slightly less at approximately $25 to $60 per month.

I started comparing prices and options for cloth diapers online. Here are a few of the best options I found:

• Lil Diaper Depot offers organic, all-natural and eco-friendly diapers, diaper covers and other baby products. We love them because of all the choices they give for people considering cloth diapers - they make it fun and easy! Their diaper selection ranges from organic prefolds (design is like the ones you'd get from a diaper service) to fitted and contour. The diaper covers are adorable and comfortable for baby - our favorite is the organic eco-fleece! The also have some wonderful "packages" to get you started that include diapers, diaper covers, flushable liners and diaper totes. They sell organic bibs, receiving blankets, nursing pads and pillows and other organic accesories. Wherever possible, Lil Diaper Depot offers products that support local artisans and communities. We just love this place!
  
  
  
  
• Bummis Cloth Diapering Kit

  Curious about cotton diapers but not sure where to begin?
  Bummis is making it easy for you...

  For many years Bummis has been selling cloth diapers in their beautiful little store in Montreal. Now they have taken their most popular tried and true start-up kits and put them into a box for you! This brand new COTTON DIAPERING KIT is full of soft and absorbent unbleached cotton diapers and super waterproof diaper covers. Everything you need to start using cloth diapers right away.

The plot thickens …

A company called gDiapers! has created a flushable diaper. I stumbled upon their website, and was intrigued to say the least. A few details about their flushable diapers from their website:

No elemental chlorine, no perfumes, no smell, no garbage and no guilt

So gentle on the Earth you can even garden compost the wet ones in one compost cycle, approximately 50 – 150 days.

The vast majority of materials in gDiaper flushables can easily be reabsorbed into the eco-system. If your wastewater goes to a sewage treatment plant, the diapers you use will end up as biosolids, a safe, rich, and valuable fertilizer.

gDiapers! is certainly an intriguing option, and well worth looking into.

The bottom line?