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Cloth diapers?

Ixion

Inquiring Mind
Ixion
Joined
Mar 26, 2008
Messages
2,431
OK, with a little tyke on the way, I have been bombarded with lots of different information about raising a child. One of my friends had her baby in January and swears by cloth diapers. She is very zealous about their use and insists that they have less of an environmental impact than disposable diapers. Now, at first glance, this seems to be a reasonable assumption, but I was under the impression that newer disposable diapers had been altered to be more biodegradable and environmentally friendly and that the wastewater generated from washing cloth diapers offset their recycling abilities. She makes statements such as "Every diaper that is thrown into a landfill will last over 5000 years, and babies use 2800 diapers a year", with the underlying hint that not using cloth diapers is destroying the Earth. When I ask her for support of these "facts", she simply points me to obviously biased forums and blogs that do nothing to back these assertions. (Reminds me of other groups that want to force an agenda, but that is another topic) Is there any evidence to support these claims or are they simply conjured?

To me, her zealousness and lack of evidence turns me off to the idea. If I had more facts about the comparison between cloth and disposable diapers, I might be more willing to reconsider. I don't even know what source could be trusted for an opinion on this issue, because everything I have seen has been very polarized.

I realize that this thread could easily go into the Science subforum, since it deals with environmental issues, but I think it is also a Social issue as well.
 
I used cloth diapers with my oldest. They are a pain in the ass. With kids number 2 & 3, we switched to disposable. I had heard that those in drought states should use disposable and those living in states where they have no landfill and burn garbage should use cloth. Since, I live in a state that's in a near-constant drought, I didn't feel bad about switching. For all the talk of landfill space, I was surprised at the episode of Bullsh!t that said we are not anywhere near running out of landfill.
 
My ex and I raised children through the transition between cloth over disosable. You are right about the improving biodegradable nature, so I would do some research at companies like Kimberly Clarke etc and see what they are claiming

We eventually went over to disposable for two reasons, time, and the toxic nature of many of the products needed to clean cloth diapers. Something your friend failed to mention is the short life span of cloth anyway. After a short time they both become threadbeare and out of shape.

Another thought, and this is a perception only, my kids suffered more from rashes with cloth than they did with disposable. I am sure others who will post will offer observations on this as well
 
Ixion said:
OK, with a little tyke on the way, I have been bombarded with lots of different information about raising a child. One of my friends had her baby in January and swears by cloth diapers. She is very zealous about their use and insists that they have less of an environmental impact than disposable diapers. Now, at first glance, this seems to be a reasonable assumption, but I was under the impression that newer disposable diapers had been altered to be more biodegradable and environmentally friendly and that the wastewater generated from washing cloth diapers offset their recycling abilities. She makes statements such as "Every diaper that is thrown into a landfill will last over 5000 years, and babies use 2800 diapers a year", with the underlying hint that not using cloth diapers is destroying the Earth. When I ask her for support of these "facts", she simply points me to obviously biased forums and blogs that do nothing to back these assertions. (Reminds me of other groups that want to force an agenda, but that is another topic) Is there any evidence to support these claims or are they simply conjured?

To me, her zealousness and lack of evidence turns me off to the idea. If I had more facts about the comparison between cloth and disposable diapers, I might be more willing to reconsider. I don't even know what source could be trusted for an opinion on this issue, because everything I have seen has been very polarized.

I realize that this thread could easily go into the Science subforum, since it deals with environmental issues, but I think it is also a Social issue as well.
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Man, modern disposable diapers are amazing. You would never believe how much liquid they can hold and still keep dry next to the skin! In 17 mos, the Offspring has never complained about being wet, because, among other things, the diaper keeps him pretty dry.

I'd never dream of switching.
 
disposable for me. I was raised on cloth (being that I was only 4.3 lbs born, and the only diapers that could fit me were cloth). My mom went straight to disposables once we were of the size to keep them on.

I plan on using disposables when I have kids.
 
SkeptiChick said:
http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Document.aspx?Document=WR0705_7589_FRP.pdf is an intensive study done on the cloth vs. disposable diaper debate. :)
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Short answer: cloth diapers CAN be better than disposables, but you need to wash them in a very environmentally friendly manner, by using a) low temps, b) large loads, and c) line drying (this is the most important factor).

However, under typical usage, their environmental costs are comparable.

Disposables will cost more, but you are paying for the convenience.

There's no moral highground here.
 
Your friend is much like a diaper. The only advantage to cloth diapers is the cost.
 
Edit: dunno why it quoted who it did, that's not who I selected to quote... weird.

When I had my son (admittedly over 10 years ago) the cost of cloth diapers, after including either a diaper service or washing at home, was actually slightly more expensive than disposable. And that doesn't even factor indirect costs like the lost time due to the sheer inconvenience of cloth. Cost factors will vary based on location, however.

I went with disposables for my son. Ignored the environmental issues, though I did live in an area where drought was pretty darned constant. The deciding factors for me were cost and ease of use.

Pro-tip: if you are going the disposable diaper route, buy in bulk. A costco card will save you about 50% over conventional stores. If you don't have a costco card (or don't live near a costco), walmart or kmart sell in bulk as well.
 
How about none?

www.thedailygreen.com
Ever wonder how mothers in less industrialized societies who work in fields with babies carried on their backs deal with no diapers or sanitation stations? From the third world, where parents are less able to afford disposable diapers and are more wedded to traditional child-rearing techniques, comes an age-old practice with brand-new meaning for eco-parents concerned about the environment. Called 'elimination communication" or EC, it's a practice that teaches parents to use timing, signals cues and old-fashioned intuition to address an infant's bodily needs in a way that reduces and some times completely eliminates the need for diapers.
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SkeptiChick said:
Pro-tip: if you are going the disposable diaper route, buy in bulk. A costco card will save you about 50% over conventional stores. If you don't have a costco card (or don't live near a costco), walmart or kmart sell in bulk as well.
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Well, we have a CostCo membership (not expressly for diapers, but an added bonus if we decided to go that route, which we are currently leaning).

six7s said:
How about none?

www.thedailygreen.com
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This just sounds like an early form of potty training.
 
Ixion said:
This just sounds like an early form of potty training.
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It's more than that... or it can be...

First time I heard about it, I was cynical/sceptical

But then I thought about it

And it dawned on me that throughout history (and even today in many parts of the whirled) the number of babies raised without diapers/nappies must be in the gazillions - including two of my nieces, who had only a few mishaps (although they did wear disposables whenever they went out)
 
I've got a son on the way and my wife is planning on using cloth diapers. Having never changed a diaper in my life, I have no opinion one way or the other. I like the fact that cloth diapers cost less in the long run and they seem pretty cool. I haven't done a lot of research on them, but I'm keeping an open mind. The brand my wife has bought are called "G Diapers". Check em out:

http://www.gdiapers.com/
 
well, to come from my mom's experience, she abandoned the cloth diapers quickly. She had to buy nearly 40 of them between the two of us, and my sister had a digestive problem when she was brought home. She was pooping constantly, and my mom was changing her diapers nearly every hour.

It was enough to change her opinion
 
Lisa Simpson said:
I used cloth diapers with my oldest. They are a pain in the ass. With kids number 2 & 3, we switched to disposable. I had heard that those in drought states should use disposable and those living in states where they have no landfill and burn garbage should use cloth. Since, I live in a state that's in a near-constant drought, I didn't feel bad about switching. For all the talk of landfill space, I was surprised at the episode of Bullsh!t that said we are not anywhere near running out of landfill.
Click to expand...

How long ago was that? We used cloth with both kids, and I greatly prefer them to disposable. Our daycare wouldn't do cloth diapers, so I had the opportunity to compare them on a regular basis. Our first son had a nanny, so we had at least two years or so of full-time cloth diapers.

The ones we used were basically shaped like diapers complete with elastic around the legs and snaps/velcro closures. The outside is nylon and the inside is cotton. There is a pocket where you put the liner to absorb the liquid.

By far these were my favorite brand: http://www.snap-ez.com, and we tried several brands. Now that the youngest is pretty much potty trained, my wife has sold the ones that were still in good shape (many were used by both sons). It's definitely a lot less expensive in the long run.

One thing you need is an attachment for the toilet that is essentially a spray nozzle contraption like the retractable ones by the kitchen sink. You dump the poop into the toilet and use this thing to spray off the debris. Poop doesn't belong in the trash or landfill, but few parents actually dump the poop out of disposable diapers.
 
Used disposable for our first and switched to cloth for our second. WAY less expensive in the long run. Initial 300 dollar investment for about 15, then just wash them as promptly as you can.

For us, it was the cost that was a big factor, rather than the environmental impact, although incedentally I do think that cloth are 'friendlier' for the environment.

Cloth diapers proabably don't look like what you think they look like. It's not just a big towel or something thats held together with pins. There are many kinds, some with inserts, some without, but almost all are adjustable and easy to use.

My advice to new parents is to use cloth at home, and use disposable when you know you won't have a washing machine to use.
 
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