Why cloth?
For me it just makes sense, it means fewer diapers going to the landfill and more money in my pocket. The average child will use 5,000 diapers until they are potty-trained which costs about $2,000 and creates a massive amount of garbage. Now, multiply that by the amount of kids you will have and yes, it adds up quickly.
Cloth, on the other hand, will cost you just a fraction of that plus it's an investment, meaning you can use it for your next child or re-sell them - cloth diapers have a high resale value. Cloth diapers will initially cost you from $450 to $600, which may seem like a lot, but don't be fooled by what seems expensive upfront because it is much cheaper in the long run and far better for the planet. If that price is too much at once, start putting away $10 per week for your pregnancy and you will be prepared by the time your beautiful baby comes along! I have found all my diapers used online and locally in near-new condition some of them were actually unused so the resale value is great.
I read somewhere that "if your diapers are disposable they are garbage". How true that is - nobody knows for sure but it has been estimated that disposable diapers take around 250 to 500 years to decompose! That is quite a few generations that we are leaving that mess to - do you want to be part of that legacy?
Some of you when thinking of cloth diapers might have a vision of a flat square cloth attached with diaper pins like your mom or grandmother used but this is the year 2011 people and cloth diapers have come a long way. They are just as easy as disposables, nicely fitted, some with velcro, some with snaps - you can just put them on baby and go! Really, they are so simple, convenient and easy to use that I even use them traveling (flying included), canoeing, etc. They also come in a variety of sizes, shapes, colors and styles to suit everyone's needs.
Another great thing is that using cloth diapers reduces the chances of diaper rash on your little baby's teeny tiny bum (if you change them regularly). Disposable are made out of nasty chemicals that some babies are allergic to, and babies tend to be left in disposables for longer period of time between changes because of the great absorbency of the fancy chemicals in disposables which can create the problem with rashes. There are even some concerns about the absorbent gel used in disposables negatively affecting sperm counts in male babies, disposable diapers causing asthma, and several other claims by respectable news agencies and other organisations - I am not sure that these things have been confirmed, but do your research folks!
Reduce Reuse Recycle . . . Rethink!
Cloth, on the other hand, will cost you just a fraction of that plus it's an investment, meaning you can use it for your next child or re-sell them - cloth diapers have a high resale value. Cloth diapers will initially cost you from $450 to $600, which may seem like a lot, but don't be fooled by what seems expensive upfront because it is much cheaper in the long run and far better for the planet. If that price is too much at once, start putting away $10 per week for your pregnancy and you will be prepared by the time your beautiful baby comes along! I have found all my diapers used online and locally in near-new condition some of them were actually unused so the resale value is great.
I read somewhere that "if your diapers are disposable they are garbage". How true that is - nobody knows for sure but it has been estimated that disposable diapers take around 250 to 500 years to decompose! That is quite a few generations that we are leaving that mess to - do you want to be part of that legacy?
Some of you when thinking of cloth diapers might have a vision of a flat square cloth attached with diaper pins like your mom or grandmother used but this is the year 2011 people and cloth diapers have come a long way. They are just as easy as disposables, nicely fitted, some with velcro, some with snaps - you can just put them on baby and go! Really, they are so simple, convenient and easy to use that I even use them traveling (flying included), canoeing, etc. They also come in a variety of sizes, shapes, colors and styles to suit everyone's needs.
Another great thing is that using cloth diapers reduces the chances of diaper rash on your little baby's teeny tiny bum (if you change them regularly). Disposable are made out of nasty chemicals that some babies are allergic to, and babies tend to be left in disposables for longer period of time between changes because of the great absorbency of the fancy chemicals in disposables which can create the problem with rashes. There are even some concerns about the absorbent gel used in disposables negatively affecting sperm counts in male babies, disposable diapers causing asthma, and several other claims by respectable news agencies and other organisations - I am not sure that these things have been confirmed, but do your research folks!
Reduce Reuse Recycle . . . Rethink!