One thing that has worked well for me through the diaper time of life for our 4 kids has been cloth diapers. I don't think I have anything new or unique to share about them but I thought I would share the ways that they do work for me.
- They save us a lot of money! I do use disposable diapers when we are going places, at night and when life just seems a little to crazy to have anything extra added to my schedule. When I buy disposables I buy the cheapest ones but even at that it is over $10 each time. All of our cloth diapers were given to us (When friends asked what I wanted, I told them honestly) and they have worked for all of our kids, so they last very well. Even if I would have had to buy them it would have only been around a $30 investment or I could have used some of the patterns and ideas online and made my own.
- My kids have had less rashes when wearing them. Here is an article that tells a lot of the benefits of cloth diapers as well as why they are healthier.
- We have less trash to throw away. When I think about how much most people (even me, and I try to be careful!) throw away it bothers me that it is just going to sit in a pile someplace. My goal is to contribute as little as possible to that pile.
- They are not that hard or gross to use! I know many people are scared off by the whole idea, but I guess I would just like to tell you that it is not that bad.
Cloth diapers work for me! What do you think? Have you used them and really given them a chance? Or have you avoided them completely? What are your thoughts?
For more Works-for-me-Wednesday visit Rocks in my Dryer.
I tried cloth with the first; she ALWAYS had rashes! I don't use cloth now because we live in a saturated bog, and the ground can't even handle our normal water usage without pumping the septic tank two to three times a year. I did try the infant potty training with the 2nd child after using some cloth diapers. It does work, but I found it hard to break the string; he was five years old and I still had to tell him when he needed to use the toilet instead of him being able to tell on his own. I must have missed a link somewhere. :)
ReplyDeleteYay for cloth diapering! I use CDs for my 21 month old girlie. I just started them about three months ago, but I love them! They're fantastic! And they don't stink like Pampers do.
ReplyDeleteI'm up in the air about what I would use if I had a baby or a foster infant. I've heard a lot of people say that cloth diapers result in more rashes, and not long ago I would have said that disposable is definitely the way to go. But after some research about disposables, I'm not so sure. This article I found about the dangers of disposable diapers is interesting (although I've never heard of a baby having these side-effects from them): http://clothdiapermybaby.blogspot.com/2007/03/are-disposable-diapers-really-dangerous.html
ReplyDeleteAlso, just wondering, Abbi, if you had a problem with cloth diapers leaking through at nighttime? And how does the amount of extra water used for washing cloth diapers compare to the cost of disposable diapers?
Yuck.
ReplyDeleteBetsy, I think perhaps why some babies have rashes with cloth is because of the bleach. That didn't bother my babies but as I have been reading I have found there are lots of other ways to help clean and sterilize the diapers besides bleaching them so that shouldn't be an issue.
ReplyDeleteAbout cost ~ unless you had to use a laundromat to wash them I think (and from what I have read), cloth diapers would save you lots of money. Disposables aren't cheap and babys do use a lot of diapers.
I do currently use a disposable at night. I think I have done that with everybody but Mara. Mara didn't usually wet much when she slept (if at all) so it worked fine but with the others I did have some leaking problems for the over night and I found it easier to use diposable than to change sheets. Also I didn't like to think about them laying in something that felt wet all night.
I am going to have to check out the link you had.
Abbi
I loved cloth diapers! They don't leave rashes, the kids know when they go so they potty train easier, They save a ton of money even with the added washer and dryer cost. Which when at all warm I always hang outside so the dryer doesn't matter. Shelly, water your garden with the laundry water, It sure grows green plants! Anna
ReplyDeleteCloth diapers are best. I have six kids and have diapered all six in cotton flats, pins, and rubber pants.
ReplyDeleteI always double diapered at night and with the rubber pants over top, never did any one of them wake in the morning or throughout the night with leaky wet pants.
Very pleasing blog.
Barbara.