Diapers Q&A

Cloth vs. disposable diapers....?

My one week newborn son is absolutely amazing. I love him more than I thought I could love anything and recently I've been wondering if disposable diapers are uncomfortable for him... I've seen cloth diapers endorsed on here but there are sooo many and I get so confused about which one to get and how to maintain them... all I want is for my lil angel to be comfy! Do you think disposables are truly uncomfy on him and cloth diapers would be worth the trouble? Thanks....

Public Comments

1. Dont worry so much. Nappies are made entirely for the purpose of keeping a baby comfy and dry. They are fine.
2. my mom used cloth on me and my siblings she said because we never got rashes my kids both wear disapbles and they are never bothered inless they get a diaper rash but thes very rare
3. I had to use disposables, my kids were allergic to the cloth, it actually took their skin off.
4. Cloth diapers save you a lot of money and are a bit more comfortable for babies than disposables. I've used both, and I prefer cloth diapers, and will use cloth dipes on my next baby as well.
5. either is fine, if you put on a cloth diaper.. the kind that you fold yourself and then put the big bulky rubber on.. you wonder how that could be comfy too. lol. both kinds of diapers have much more advanced technologies than they used to have it's more a matter of your personal preferance, as long as he's not getting a rash from disposables he's fine. Congrats on the bundle of joy.. they truley are amazing little beings aren't they!
6. Does he squirm alot and seem like he's trying to take his diaper off? If not, i wouldn't worry to much. I use disposables. My daughter has no problem with them. It's really a choice. They are both as good, cloth diapers tho i'm sure will help prevent diaper rash, tho he will probably develop diaper rashes , but probably not as often. My daughter barely broke out in diaper rashes with disposables. I believe they are both as effective.
7. It's a toss up. You will get lots of answers here. I have not had my baby yet, but am going to be using cloth diapers after the first few weeks of life. I work in pediatrics and many of the doctors think that cloth diapers, when used properly help prevent diaper rash and are also easier to potty train from. It's also important to me that I not use disposables because I don't want to flood the land fills with diapers. Everyone gets to choose what they do and this is what works for me! There are several types of cloth diapers. There are the ones that are all in one and ones that are a prefolded cloth diaper with a cover. I am using the prefolds with a cloth diaper. I have about 4 dozen prefolded diapers ( you can get them at Wal-mart) and it's recommended that you have 6-8 covers. When the baby has a dirty diaper, you just change the prefold diaper and reuse the cover. Do an online search and look at reviews to see how the different brands are with leaks and ease of changing, etc. It isn't for everyone, it does take a little more effort( although they are a lot easier to use now and you don't to use diaper pins anymore!!!) but I commend you for trying it! Good luck and CONGRATS!!!!
8. i use pampers swaddlers. they look and feel very comfy. my baby is 3 weeks and thats wat hes been wearing since birth. he doesnt get diaper rashes or anything (hasnt yet hopefully wont) he poops alot so i just make sure that i put some cream on his booty everytime. but he seems to like them. they're very soft too.
9. Plastic diapers are so very expensive -- You will spend an easy $150 a month to fill up the dump with crap. I am a consertative person and the purchase of 6 dozen diapers is the key to saving... Washing diapers is so easy -- take out the lumps in the toilet and put them in the washer and add some liquid soap and presto 30 minutes later they are washed then in the dryer and add a Bounce. All set to go. Use the plastic if you are on a 1 or 2 day trip. Cloth diapers were used way longer than plastic.. thousand years ago...
10. My kids used both, and I didn't see any significant difference in comfort or rashes etc... cloth diapers are more work for you, you have to hand wash them when they are soiled, but they are reusable, so you save money. Disposable diapers are really easy to use, no pins, flexible, keep the baby dry, no laundry, but of course they are more expensive. So take your pick! In either case, make sure you use vaseline or diaper cream to protect the baby's skin.
11. I've used both over the years. For that matter, when I had my first child disposables had just come onto the market and nobody used them for everyday. Cloth diapers do require some maintenance - they have to be washed - but they are quite a bit cheaper, better for the environment and cloth-diaper babies tend to have far fewer diaper rashes. I have found that any allergies or rashes associated with cloth diapers are invariably allergies to the soaps & detergents used to wash the diapers not being completely rinsed out rather than allergies to the cotton fabric they are made from. You can avoid that by adding 1/2 cup of pure borax to your rinse cycle and putting the diapers through an extra rinse. No fabric softener - most babies are allergic to it. Disposables are convenient, but they are very expensive and sometimes they trap liquids almost too well. It is that "leaky diaper" that tells Mom & Dad the baby needs to be changed. Disposables make it very easy to miss that clue, which has a repercussion other than rashes. They also contain various chemicals for absorption and deodorizing. Every one of the kids in our family has had an allergy to one kind or another of disposables, specifically because of the deodorants. Cloth-diapered babies tend to be changed more often, which teaches them to not like to be wet. That makes potty training very easy, because they WANT to be dry. Babies who are allowed to sit in the disposable do not learn that and might in fact learn to accept not being dry. Thus you end up with children who are not training until they are 3 & 4 - sometimes later. Which do I think is worth the trouble? In my opinion (and this is what we did for my grandchild) if you are not working and are at home with your child, then use cloth. You will be glad down the road a piece when your child decides he is done with diapers, thank you very much. On the other hand, if you're going on a road trip for heaven's sake go buy some disposables. . . . .
12. Cloth diapers are definitely worth it. You will save money, your baby will not have any rash and no leaks and they will be adorable! Once you have been using cloth disposables will feel horrible to you! Whenever I touch one now after cloth diapering for almost 8 months I cringe to think I put them on my baby. They feel like cardboard to me now! Start thinking about what is more important to you. Cost? Convenience? Do you have the time and patience to fold diapers, get them on the baby, fasten them and then put on a cover? Would you prefer one step? Do you need diapers that dry fast? The cheapest route is pre-folds with covers, but it is the most inconvenient. You will need 24-36 pre-folds and 6-8 covers. You also may want to buy some snappi fasteners and liners or doublers. You have to fold the pre-fold diapers to fit on the baby, then fasten, then put on the cover. Example of pre-fold diapers: http://www.parentingbynature.com/201_unbleached_prefolds.htm Example of fastener: http://www.parentingbynature.com/04_snappi.htm Example of cover: http://www.bummis.com/en/Products/covers/SuperBrite.html The middle option (for both price and convenience) is fitted or contour diapers with covers. Again, you need about 24-36 diapers and 4-6 covers. Fitted diapers and contour diapers don't require folding. Fitted diapers will have fasteners included, either velcro or snaps (poppers). Contour diapers require a fastener, or a snug fitting cover. Both types need to have a cover over them. Example of fitted diaper: http://www.bummis.com/en/Products/covers/Bamboozle.html Example of contour diaper: http://www.softclothbunz.com/Kissaluvs-Contour-Diaper_p_0-166.html The most expensive route is pocket and all-in-one (AIO) diapers. These are the most convenient though as they have either velcro or snap closure and their cover is built-in. All-in-one diapers consist of a waterproof outershell (normally PUL or nylon) and layer of absorbent material sewn on the inside (flannel, hemp etc). Pocket diapers are also a PUL outer shell with a stay dry liner (normally fleece, mirco suede, velour or minkee) interior --- there are no absorbent layers in a pocket diaper, they must be added. Pocket diaper have an opening in the back or front of the diaper where you need to add absorbent inserts, usually micro terry or hemp fleece. All-in-one diapers will take longer to dry, while pocket diapers are quick to dry since the absorbent layers are separate. Again, you will need 24-36 of these diapers, but you do not need covers, as these diapers are already waterproof. For pocket diapers you may want to buy some extra inserts if your baby is a heavy wetter. Same with the AIOs, you may need to buy some doublers to increase their absorbency. Example of AIO diaper: http://www.thebabymarketplace.com/securestore/c153258p16870526.2.html Example of a pocket diaper: http://www.jamtots.com/Baby-Kangas-One-Size-Pouch-Diaper-C502.aspx Personally I chose to use pocket diapers during the day and fitted diapers at night. You can save some money by buying one-size (OS) diapers so you only have to buy the diapers once instead of multiple times as your baby grows. I use the Tots Bots Bamboozle diapers above for night -- they are highly absorbent and are one-size. I use the Baby Kanga OS pocket diapers shown as an example above and I also use bumGenius OS pocket diapers during the day. I prefer pocket diapers because they are quick to put on (my baby is an acrobat on the change table), they dry fast and the absorbency is adjustable by adding or removing inserts from the diaper. You can lay doublers inside AIO diapers but they bunch and just don't work as well I find. You can diaper with less, some people start with 10-15 diapers and wash every night until they can afford to buy more diapers. Some people like washing daily! I like to wash every three days so I prefer to have 30 diapers. Also, you can have a mix of all types of diapers. I have fitted, pocket and all-in-ones. Start thinking about what you and your baby needs and get researching online! You can email me from my profile as well if you want more information!