cloth diapers vs. disposible diapers

Becky - posted on 07/21/2010

I went disposable but have often regretted my decision and think about switching to cloth.
I have a cupboard full of disposable nappies cos I stocked up when they were on sale and my daughter is now 8 months old so I feel like it's too late to change. However, I feel like I am wasting so much money and resources with disposables that I do think I will try cloth nappies with my next child.

Anastasia - posted on 07/21/2010

Modern Cloth Nappies all the way!! I used disposibles until my son was 14mths when i finally got up the courage to try those dreaded cloth nappies. I've never turning back they're brilliant. I love Baby Beehinds.

Liza - posted on 07/21/2010

disposable is more convenient than cloth.... if you have time washing from time to time and changing cloth diaper everytime it was soiled then you use cloth... the other way around, cloth is much cheaper than disposable, for you can use it many times..

Julie - posted on 07/20/2010

i have three kids, now aged 5, 3 and 22months. All three of my kids have been in both cloth and disposable nappies. There are both good and bad things about both. I used cloth most of the time, especially when they were tiny and i still put them on my bub in summer because they are sooo much cooler and allow more air-flow. However, i did use disposables when going out. It is much easier to carry a few disp nappies in a bag than it is to carry the cloth, then there is the hassle of carrying the used cloth ones with you until you get home. I also started using the disposable nappies on my kids at night when they started sleeping through, then they werent waking up half way through the night looking for a new nappy.

Allison - posted on 07/20/2010

All you ladies who have chosen cloth are far better than i, however if you plan on/ or have to send your child daycare at least the few i have used wouldn't do cloth for what they get paid infact out of curiosity i checked with the awsome daycare/preschool my year old has been in for 3 years and my soon to be born baby will be attending and they don't allow em. (can't blame em) I see the perks of cloth but honestly i got grossed out and probably will still be grossed out by dirty diapers i could not handle having to on a daily basis wash poopy diapers. But I mean it I respect all those ladies out there who do cloth my mom did cloth with all her kids except me my older sister and i werent that far apart so she had 2 in diapers at the same time and that was too much for her.

Minnie - posted on 07/20/2010

Cost benefits aside, using cloth keeps the chemicals that are in disposables off of your baby.

Regarding the post about babies getting rashes with cloth- it may be that the diapers are being washed in an average main-stream detergent. Most detergents contain enzymes, brighteners and fragrances that can irritate baby's skin.

I honestly have not noticed a difference in wetness on my daughter's skin with disposable vs. cloth. Maybe the diapers the other ladies were using were not absorbing well because the detergents being used were building up on the diapers?

Tammy - posted on 07/20/2010

Cloth is definitely the way to go- the initial up front cost far outweighs the long term cost of disposables- so you save money, its better for the environment, and your baby will look so cute in all the different colours and patterns available. I started cloth diapering my son when he was 3 months old. He is now one year old and I will never use disposables again- i love cloth diapers too much! Jennifers post is very helpful and Cloth Diapered Munchkins on here is really helpful. I would like to comment on leslie's post- cloth diapers are designed to have stay dry barriers (usually microfiber) so baby isnt actually 'sitting in wetness' If you change your baby every 2 hours like you are meant to with either cloth or disposables, you shouldnt have a problem with rashes. I also use one size diapers for their convenience and people friendly use, but spending the time to research and find out what you need and what type of nappy you would like to use is the key.

Leslie Anne - posted on 07/20/2010

Cloth diapers are definitely better. One problem some women have is that they are very wet so babies that are prone to diaper rash seem to get it worse and most commercial diaper creams can't be used in the cloth diapers. You can definitely find a cream that works and is compatible, probably at your local health food store, just be prepared in advance.

Jennifer - posted on 07/20/2010

we switched to cloth diapers when my son was 7 months old...he's 8 months old now and i would never look back to disposables! we love it!

we use bum genius 3.0 one size diapers so they fit from birth to potty training, or about 8-30 pounds and they function the closest to disposables so dads have no fear :) before we switched to cloth i researched for about a month to figure out what diaper would be best suited for my family, and to figure out everything we needed, costs, and to convince my husband. and in the long run we are going to be saving tons of money!

definitely check out the CoM community for cloth diapering...the girls over there haves tons of information!...
http://www.circleofmoms.com/cloth-diaper...

Saundra - posted on 07/20/2010

I used disposibles with my first two boys. Now with my third, I use cloth. We have saved so much money, and washing is really not that bad. We use a dry pail with baking soda, and it works great! I bought all of my all in one diapers on ebay brand new and found great deals.