Cloth Diapering 101: Why

Cloth diapering is one of those awkward topics that people are either really interested in or have no desire to even hear about. If you’re curious as to why you should cloth diaper or how to start, I’m glad you stopped by! Cloth diapering has come a long way since our grandparents’ time. Safety pins and buckets of bleach have been replaced by velcro or snaps and a toilet sprayer and wet bag, respectively. If “wet bag” and “toilet sprayer” are foreign words to you, that’s okay. By the time you finish reading this, my hope is that you understand the many reasons to cloth diaper, feel comfortable with the idea of cloth diapering, and know where to start if you decide to do it.

Cloth diapers come in a variety of cute colors and patterns!

I knew I wanted to cloth diaper before I even got pregnant. I started researching cloth diaper brands and reviews, reading blogs just like this one with how-to information, and watching YouTube videos on cloth diapering. When I officially became pregnant, that was the time I started accumulating diapers and related items, as I knew I had time to wait for sales and deals.

Ryan and I have been cloth diapering Laurel since she was about a week old and have loved every minute of it. I have never once regretted our decision to cloth diaper. Before we pulled the trigger and started investing in materials, I was a bit nervous that it might be more difficult than I thought. For all of the reasons listed below, cloth diapering is truly a gift that keeps giving. Whether you’re 9 weeks pregnant, 39 weeks pregnant, or you have a 9 month old, it’s never too late to start!

Laurel at 9 months.

Reasons to Cloth Diaper:

1. Cloth diapering saves money. Although this wasn’t the main reason Ryan and I decided to cloth diaper, it was definitely a cherry on top of our decision. While buying the cloth diapers and accessories can be a bigger upfront cost, in the long run you save a lot of money. The fact that you can use the same cloth diapers if you have more than one child compounds your savings. The fact that you can also usually sell your used diapers when you’re done with them saves you even more. On average, a baby uses 2700 diapers in the first year alone, and at 0.15-0.39 cents per diaper, well that could be anywhere from $400-1000+ (depending on the brand). That doesn’t even include wipes! Some might argue that the laundry for the cloth diapers causes your water bill to increase, which could negate the cost benefits of cloth diapering altogether. We haven’t found this to be the case, as the increase in our water bill has been negligible. There’s no question that cost savings is a huge benefit of cloth diapering.
2. Cloth diapering is better for the environment. This was one if the main driving forces behind our decision to cloth diaper. Cloth diapers = zero trash. General consensus says that a diaper takes about 500 years to decompose in a landfill. Yikes. Remember how I mentioned that a baby uses about 2700 diapers in the first year alone? That’s a lot of diapers in the landfill. Need I say more?
3. Less blowouts. Notice in the picture below that there is elastic at the top of the cloth diaper in the back (left). This prevents poop from flowing out of the diaper up your child’s back (right). A baby’s poop is soft and able to escape out of gaps and holes in diapers for about the first year. Ask any parent about blow outs and they’ll know exactly what you’re talking about. These rarely happen with cloth diapers. The only times we have had leakage with our cloth diapers have been due to user error, when we were figuring out the proper size setting for her. Leakage often means that the diaper was on a setting that was too loose, an easy fix with a cloth diaper.

 

Notice elastic on the back of the cloth diaper.

Traveling in a disposable diaper.

4. Cloth diapers are better for baby’s delicate skin. Disposable diapers can contain perfumes, dyes, chlorine, along with several other chemicals I can’t even pronounce. This was one of the other main reasons Ryan and I decided to cloth diaper. With the rise of issues potentially stemming from childhood these days, from allergies to infertility, I didn’t want to expose our baby to harmful chemicals that early. A baby’s skin is so absorbent and delicate that they often get diaper rashes when using disposable diapers. Natural fibers and fabrics allow for more “breathability,” (versus plastic-blend disposables) helping regulate scrotal temperature for boys and preventing yeast growth for girls, not to mention increasing overall comfort. Would you rather where a shirt made of organic cotton or “synthetic material?”

5. Is there anything cuter than a baby in a cloth diaper? You tell me..

Laurel at 9 months.

Laurel sleeping on the beach at 4 months.

Laurel at 9 months.

If I have you convinced that there are several good reasons to cloth diaper and you’ve made the decision to do it. Look for my next post – Cloth Diapering 101: How.