Disposable Diapers VS Cloth Diapers

Googled image, found on Pampers site

The cost of cloth vs disposable was a big issue for my husband. Yes, the $60 a month we were spending was a lot of money, but in troubling times, coming up with $280 to have a 24 piece stash was impossible!

I know everyone has their pros and cons of disposable vs cloth and I'm not here to dispute that. This post is based off pure facts, and what works for some may not work for others, but if anything, I hope that whoever reads this information, gains SOMETHING from it!

The costs calculated below for disposable, single use diapers are based on two of the most popular brands, using a store known for its value pricing.

The newborn pkg. (up to 10 lb.) contains 48 diapers @ $16.23 = $0.34 each . The average number of changes for a newborn is 12-16 times per day for the first 2 weeks.14x7x2=196 diapers @ $0.34 =$66.64

The Infant # 1 pkg. contains 104 diapers up to 14 lb. @ 0.22 ea. An average baby requires 10-12 changes per day for the first 3 months 11x30x2.5 =825 diapers @ $.22 each = $181.50

The Infant # 2 pkg. 12-18 lb. contains 88 diapers @ $0.26 each. An average baby 3-6 months old requires 10-12 changes a day 11x30x3 =990 diapers @ $0.26= $257.40 Mega pack pricing was used for the balance of the packages as it is the least expensive. Each Mega Pack was $28.92+$2.02 GST For a total of $30.94 / pkg.

The Infant #3 pkg. 16-18 lb. contains 96 diapers @ $0.32 ea. A 6-9 month old baby requires 8-10 changes per day 9x30x3= 810 diapers @ $0.32 ea. = $259.20

The Infant # 4 pkg. 22-27 lb. contains 64 diapers @ $0.37 ea. A 9-12 month old child requires 8 changes per day 8x30x3 = 720 diapers @ $0.37 = $266.40

The toddler pkg. # 5 over 27 lb. contains 58 diapers @ $0.41 each. An average 12-18 month old child requires 6-8 changes a day. 7x30x6=1260 diapers @ $0.41 ea. = $516.60

The child #6 pkg. over 35 lb. contains 48 training diapers @ $23.00 =$0.45 each. An average 18-30 month old child requires 6-8 changes per day. 7x 364 = 2548 diapers @ $0.45= $1146.60

Total estimated average cost $2694.54 for 7,349 disposable, single use diapers.

Pricing above was googled and found HERE

Depending on the style of cloth you use, how often you choose to do laundry, and other factors like cloth wipes, wet bags, diaper sprayer and other accessories, you can spend on the HIGH side of $500 to cloth diaper from newborn-potty training BUT then you can put them away and they're ready for your next child, which means you spend NO money after your initial big purchase unless you decide to add more.

Googled Image

It's recommended to have 24 cloth diapers from the newborn stage, if you do laundry every other day, and a company like Smartipants is currently charging $280 for a 24 pack of One Size (8-35+lb) cloth diapers, available in thirteen different colors. Smartipants Packages also allow you a discount for the more you buy and come in 3, 12, 24 packs if you like to save!

KellyWels.com

Using chlorine to bleach paper releases dioxins, which are one of the most potent cancer-causing chemicals out there. Dioxin exposure can also cause reproductive problems - and disposable diapers put dioxins right next to your baby's reproductive organs. Those little gel beads that absorb the liquid can actually cause asthma and airway restriction.

When you no longer need cloth diapers, you can sell them for a portion of your money back! On average, cloth diapers retain about 60% of their value. Since you need fewer diapers as your baby grows, you can trade up in sizes (fitted diapers) without spending any more money! Diaper Swappers is the main website where diapers are bought, sold and traded. Buying used diapers can also be a great way to try the many different styles and brands before settling on one particular company and possibly being disappointed later if they don't meet your standards. I consider myself lucky to have gotten in to giveaways because I have a huge variety of brands, styles, and closures, and it really helps see where you'll get your most money's worth.

So there you have it, a little information on disposables vs cloth. As a family that's used both, I can honestly say sometimes I do miss the convenience of a disposable, and I know my husband prefers them because they're so quick (he needs AIO with velcro!) BUT the money we save is amazing, no running out of diapers at 2am, and I KNOW they're better for my child.

Contributed by Michelle

Randi Talks about Traveling with Cloth Diapers!

November has arrived! The holidays are coming up quickly and for many of us, that means traveling. For the cloth diapering family, this often leads to many questions. Is it possible to use cloth while traveling? What will I need? How many will I need? How do I wash them? To be honest, many choose to not bother with the extra hassle and choose to use disposables during their trips.Others choose to use hybrid options that allow them to use disposable inserts in cloth covers giving them the best of both worlds. Both are great options, but for those who choose to stick with cloth (be it due to need or choice), using cloth does NOT mean you must give up your holiday travels...it simply takes a bit more planning ahead. Here are a few quick tips to help you cloth on the go:

• Know Your Destination. Figure out what laundry options are going to be available. Personally when we travel, we always stay with family, which means I always have access to their washers. If you're staying in a hotel or don't otherwise have easy access to a washer at your destination, you may consider other options.Will it be worth the extra effort of going to the laundromat? Is hand washing an option? Will you be gone long enough that you will NEED to wash? Take all of these factors into consideration.
• Choose Your Diapers. Personally, I find that our all in twos are much easier for travelling as they tend to take up less space for more diapers, but choose what works best for your needs. Again, you might consider disposable inserts to make things a little easier as well. Or disposable for the road, cloth when you reach your destination. There truly is no wrong way to go. If you will be spending many hours on the road, consider insert options as well. Microfiber can often lead to compression leaks when sitting for too long, so other options may be necessary. I typically go for hemp for these long drives and prepare much as I would for a nighttime diaper.
• Don't Be Afraid to Overpack. I'm an overpacker in general, but have tried to get better about this...except when it comes to diapers. We personally have a stash that would allow us to go nearly a whole week between washes, and I always bring each and every one...even if only for the weekend. It's better to have too many than not enough...this is especially true during the holidays when it seems to be busy, busy, busy! I never want to worry that I won't have time to wash when needed.  
• Don't Forget The Extras. Wet bags are an absolute must when travelling with cloth, but they're not the only things to be certain to pack. Bring plenty of wipes, liners (if you use them), etc. Many areas don't have places to purchase these if you realize you forgot/need them, so plan ahead. I also always try to bring my own detergent as well...premeasured to make it easy! Even while staying with family, I don't always know what detergents they will have available so I want to be sure I have something appropriate for our diapers! If you hang dry your diapers, know ahead of time what options are available. We have an octopus hanger from Ikea that we take with us every time.

Do you travel with cloth diapers? What tips do you have?


Contributed by Randi!

CLOTH DIAPERING, FROM BIRTH TO POTTY TRAINING: ROUND TWO

Today I’m sharing “if I knew then, what I know now” thoughts on cloth diapering, as we’re expecting our second baby in the spring.  This time, I feel like a cloth diapering professional, and am even more prepared to have a smooth and successful cloth diapering experience from the very beginning.
I plan to start simple again, but make some changes to the routine I created when I was new to cloth with my son.  For starters, I won’t be using a wet pail.  Using a wet pail seemed like a great idea (especially for using prefolds), but soaking my diaper covers in a wet pail of a vinegar water solution relaxed the elastics on my small covers.  The reason I used a wet pail was because I was concerned about my unbleached prefolds getting stained (don’t ask me what I was thinking).  This time around, we’re ditching the wet pail, sticking with the dry pail, and saving ourselves the hassle; you live and you learn, right?
While I am still a huge fan of flats and prefolds for cloth diapering during those early newborn days (they’re easy to clean, quick to dry, and an inexpensive option when you’re going through 18 diapers a day), I’ll be adding some newborn all-in-ones (AIO) this time around.  There are many reasons why newborn diapers come in incredibly handy, and for me, having a small baby and other [non-cloth experienced] caregivers are two great reasons.
 Some of you may be familiar with the whole guestimating baby’s weight in the womb trick, and now that my son is here, I can honestly say that I’ve never heard of a case that was spot-on.  My first-time pregnant, gullible self was convinced that I was going to have a nine pound baby, so much so, that I only purchased zero to three month clothing to start; imagine my surprise when we left the hospital with our little man weighing a hair over six pounds!  Thankfully, I had purchased a dozen preemie prefolds, as they were a godsend for cloth diapering our little guy; while the preemie prefolds fit, our covers were a little big.  This time around, I plan to have newborn-sized AIOs on hand, in the event we have another little baby.
Newborn diapers are also great to have on hand for caregivers, other than your partner and yourself.  I remember how intimidated some family and friends were, when faced with changing a prefold.  Save yourself the trouble, and buy some newborn diapers with velcro enclosures, you’ll thank me later!
Apart from the wet pail and lack of newborn diapers, I wouldn’t change much about my cloth diapering routine from the start.  I got into cloth diapering in an effort to save money and produce less waste, and kept my routine very simple as a result.  If you keep things simple, you can’t go wrong!

What did you change about your cloth diaper routine, if anything, the second (third or fourth) time around?


Contributed by Lauren

Cloth Diapering Myths: DEBUNKED!

Making the decision to cloth diaper can be quite exciting. You do research, you find all the cute diaper options available and you are ready and willing to get started. Then you start telling people your plans. Immediately it seems, someone has something negative to say. "Why would you use cloth? It's inconvenient/gross/expensive. Your baby will have rashes. You'll pay more in water bills. They still DO that!?" I'm sure many of us have heard one or all of these comments, right? The funny thing...most are coming from people who have absolutely no cloth diapering experience! So, don't get discouraged...take a look at these common cloth diapering myths, debunked!

The Myth: It's soooo much work.
The Reality: Okay, sure, in some ways cloth diapering might be a little more work. If you use pockets you'll have to stuff (easy!), you'll have an extra load or two of laundry, and maybe have to put them away once in awhile (though I'll admit I'm guilty of grabbing straight from the basket...). But you know what else is hard work? Getting little ones dressed and ready, loading them into the carseats, trying to leave the store without a basket of toys you don't need...for those inevitable trips when you run out of diapers! Both require different kinds of work, but personally I prefer the kind of work I can do in my jammies! As for the diapers themselves, there may be a small learning curve but if my seven year old son can put a diaper on his baby sister, ANYONE can do it! And if there's concern about pins and baby getting poked? Well, just show them a modern cloth diaper. No pins required.

The Myth: Your baby WILL get rashes.
The Reality: Cloth diapers or not, some babies are just prone to diaper rashes. Some babies DO have sensitivities to certain cloth diaper materials just as some babies have sensitivities to disposable diapers. But just because a baby uses cloth does not mean they will have rashes. My daughter has extremely sensitive skin...look at her funny and she gets a rash. BUT she's been in cloth since the beginning and has never had troubles with rashes!

The Myth: They leak. All the time.
The Reality: The great thing about cloth diapers is that you can usually adjust the absorbency to fit your child's needs. Some diapers may be prone to compression leaks if baby will be sitting a lot- switch to a different insert and you're set! Aside from that, if you find the diapers that provide a good fit for your little one and change as often as necessary, leaks should not be a problem!


The Myth: You'll be doing laundry all the time. Your water bill will skyrocket.
The Reality: Depending on your washer and wash routine, then you may see a slight increase in your water usage but in my experience personally, it's very minimal. I've compared our personal water usage to the same time period before we were using cloth and have found it stayed fairly constant. In fact, there were some months we used even less. Besides that, have you ever found a disposable diaper that can contain an exclusively breastfed blowout diaper? When my son was in disposable, we could not...and we tried them all. I was doing just as much laundry (and cleaning just as much poop) as we do using cloth!

The Myth: It's too expensive.
The Reality: It's no secret that cloth diapering is the cheaper option in the long run, but there's also no denying the startup cost is much heftier as well. Still, there are many ways to make cloth diapering fit any budget. From using prefolds and covers, entering blog giveaways, buying used or buying slowly before baby's arrival. Cloth diapering on a budget IS doable.

The Myth: It's Gross.
The Reality: Well, to be honest I'm not quite sure how to respond to this one...why is it so gross? Oh sure, there's the poop. And the pee. But did you see my above story about the blowouts in disposable? Chances are as parents, we are going to get peed and pooped on whether or not we use cloth anyway. Is it the washing that's gross? Do you toss out every pair of undies your child has an accident on while potty training? Or every outfit that gets soiled? I'm guessing not! They are perfectly clean after each wash...nothing gross about that!! Being a parent is all about the gross!

The Myth: You can't use cloth while travelling.
The Reality: You may find you prefer not to use cloth while on the go out of convenience, but if you choose to use cloth full time, it's certainly doable. Pack a few extra diapers and a wet bag or two and you're ready to go. If baby will be sitting awhile (carseat or stroller) consider absorbency options other than microfiber to avoid compression leaks. We travel to visit family quite often, and while our diapers may take up more space, we've never had any problems using them on the road! But again, you can also use disposable OR hybrid options as well! The possibilities are endless!


What cloth diaper myths have YOU heard?


Contributed by Randi!

Cloth Diapering Throughout the Seasons

In the summer months, cloth diapering is especially fun isn't it? No need for pants on those hot days, just throw on a little tee to match your little one's diaper and you're done! But summer is quickly ending which means cooler weather will soon arrive. It's time to cover those legs...and the bums! Unfortunately, some find that cloth diapering in cool weather can be a bit more difficult. Pants just don't fit as they should with those fluffy bottoms, which can lead to compression leaks and frustration. What's the cloth diapering mama to do? Here are a few tips to surviving cloth when the weather turns...

• Leg Warmers. It may be getting cooler, but there is still plenty of time for leg warmers! Until the frigid cold hits, they provide just the right amount of warmth (depending on your area of course!). Coordinate them with a cute top and let those diapers show for a few months longer!!
• Dresses for the Girls. I love putting my daughter in dresses all year long. First of all, they're ridiculously cute, but when cloth diapering, they're much easier as far as sizing goes! Leg warmers, tights or leggings add some extra warmth underneath, or on warmer fall days a longer dress should be just fine!
• Ditch the Jeans. For many babies, my daughter included. Jeans just will not work out. Between her chunky thighs and her fluffy bum...it's a losing battle. And one we decided just wasn't worth it. Even if we could get them on, the tight fit could lead to compression leaks...no fun for anyone! Instead, we opt to go for stretchier options. Stretch cotton leggings look adorable and leave more room for diapers!
• Made for Cloth Jeans. For us, ditching the jeans was not a big deal...but if you still prefer them, they DO make jeans specifically for the cloth diapered baby! Companies like Project Pomona offer a variety of jeans that leave more room for any type of diaper while giving that jean style that moms love!
• Size Up. Perhaps the easiest way to deal with fall baby fashion is to buy a size larger than you normally would. If baby is typically in 12 months but they don't fit well over the diaper (or you finding yourself dealing with leaks when using microfiber), try 18 months. That little extra bit of room can make all the difference!! If length should be an issue, just roll the hems...or hem them yourself if you're crafty!!

Cloth diapering in cooler weather may require a bit more planning, but that doesn't mean it you should give it up! Follow these easy suggestions and you'll be cloth diapering with ease all through the year!

What tips do YOU have for keeping baby in cloth during the cooler months?


Contributed by: Randi

CLOTH DIAPERING BEYOND THE NEWBORN STAGE

You’ve breezed through the newborn diapering phase with daily loads of laundry, many sleepless nights, and have mastered the perfect cloth diaper fit on your little one…and then s/he a.) becomes mobile, b.) starts eating solids, c.) becomes a heavy wetter, or d.) all of the above.  Never fear, help is here! 

Your baby’s milestones often tamper with your fine-tuned cloth diapering regimen, but with a few tweaks, you can cloth diaper with confidence again!

HEAVY WETTERS
At some point, your little one will likely need more absorption in his/her diaper, whether nighttime, naptime, or throughout the day.  While many cloth diapering families are able to adjust their diaper absorbency by adding additional inserts, adding some natural fibers to your cloth diaper routine may give you the additional absorbency you need, keeping your little one dry and comfortable.  Smarti Pants Smart Sleeves inserts can help give an additional absorbency boost to your cloth diapers.

Heavy wetting often leads to accidents while out and about.  Don’t forget to pack an additional wet bag, along with a spare change of clothing, so that you’re prepared for the inevitable accident while out.  I can’t count the number of times I had to get creative because I wasn’t prepared for a diaper accident while out with my son.  Stock up on extra Smarti Pants Smart Tote wet bags (you can thank me later).

INTRODUCING SOLIDS
The introduction of solid foods into your little one’s diet is a cloth diapering game changer.  Once your little one begins eating solid foods, your days of simply throwing soiled diapers into the diaper pail, without rinsing or removing solids, are over.  A cloth diaper sprayer, or diaper liners, are a great help in tackling soiled cloth diapers at this point in the game.

MOBILITY
When my son became mobile, I had to change our entire cloth diapering process, as prefolds and snappis were becoming a challenge on the changing table.  Smartipants one-size cloth diapers allow you to easily change the fit and absorbency as your baby grows and becomes more mobile.


How has your cloth diapering regimen changed as your baby has grown older?


Contributed by: Lauren!

4 Reasons to Cloth Diaper with Natural Fibers

Allergies

I see concerned mothers posting about rashy bums all of the time in cloth diapering forums. Nine times out of ten, they’re using microfiber to cloth diaper...and their baby’s have a skin sensitivity to synthetic fibers. Microfiber is an affordable and inexpensive way to cloth diaper, but liners are often ineffective in preventing reactions to the synthetic fibers. Switching to natural fibers, such as bamboo, hemp, and wool, can often provide relief.

Absorbency

I never made much of a fuss over what fibers I used to cloth diaper my son in the first year I was diapering him, as we were diapering using mostly organic cotton prefolds and PUL covers (switching to wool in the summer). We switched to microfiber AIOs when my son was around a year old, but a couple months later he became a heavy wetter. I found myself frantically searching for diapers he couldn’tpee through. Bamboo fitteds, hemp inserts, and organic cotton AIOs and AI2s allowed me to effectively diaper my son without putting layer upon layer of padding into his diaper.

Antibacterial/Antimicrobial Properties

Both bamboo and wool fibers possess natural antibacterial properties, which makes them an excellent choice for having next to your baby’s skin. I consider wool to be a ‘miracle’ fiber because of it’s ability to absorb up to 30% of it’s own weight (before feeling damp), it has the amazing ability to cool in the summer and insulate in the winter, and it is self cleaning (when ammonia in urine mixes with lanolin it produces a ‘soap’). Hemp possesses antimicrobial and anti-mildew properties, in addition to it’s incredible absorbency.

Biodegradable

Many families make the choice to cloth diaper in an effort to cut down on landfill waste and reduce their carbon footprint. Microfiber diapers and inserts are made from synthetic fibers and are not typically biodegradable. Natural fibers, such as hemp and bamboo, are biodegradable and can also be recycled once they can no longer be used as diapers.


Do you diaper with natural fibers? What fiber(s) do you prefer?


Lauren is a former publishing rep-turned-WAHM to a rambunctious toddler. When she's not chasing her son, you can find Lauren blogging about all things natural parenting/living at lo-wren.com, sewing or knitting woolen goodies, or brainstorming ideas for the Infant/Toddler section in Tattle Magazine.