Diapers Q&A

What type of diapers should I use? Cloth or disposables?

I'm hearing that cloth is much better for the baby.. but my fiance is so against them saying that we have to wash to poopy diaper all the time etc. How do these work exactly? Which do you recommend?

Public Comments

1. I recommend disposables 100%. All that washing of water and using up your water bill, will probably run you more money than buying bags of disposable baby diapers. And they are more comfortable and probably will prevent leaks. I:)
2. Disposables is just so much easier and sanitary. Trust me I have tried them both and I like the disposable ones (just don't get the cheap kind).
3. disposable..
4. Hey Up to you, cloth have a van that comes and picks them up for you washes them and gives you fresh ones......so with regards to saving money thats a great idea. Nappies in my opinion aren't expensive but if your baby gets ill.....thats when it hits the pocket!! My little girl was really ill the other week with a bug and i went through 32 nappies in 24 hours!
5. dosposable. it's a diaper. you're not going to be causing harm to your kid by using them. You essentailly wrap a piece of cloth around the kid and fasten it with a pin. I agree completely with your fiance. Not only do you not want to clean poopy diapers, there's simply no way that you're going to have the energy for it once you have that kid. Best of luck to you and your fiance and congrats to both of you! I hope everything goes well and that your baby smiles all the time.
6. It's a preference. Cloth diapers do work, but you have to have a special container for them with some bleach and wash them when necessary, they probably get changed more often as wet cloth diapers will rash the babys skin faster. Disposables are more durable and definitely hold more. You throw them directly into the garbage, but if your garbage doesn't have a lid, the house could still start to smell. It really depends on what you are set up to deal with. We used disposable diapers, but we had a set of cloth diapers in case of emergencies when we ran out of disposable diapers. Baby is always covered in something until we got to the store. Hope this helps.
7. I personally would use cloth just to waste less, but if you don't want to deal with them, I don't THINK disposable diapers are harmful, necessarily. I'd check to make sure if I decided to use them. I'm not sure how cloth diapers would be better for the baby. I'm just going on what I know, think, and guess.
8. i recommend Huggies. Pampers seem to leak alot and Luvs dont seem to fit as`well. I've found Huggie's to be the best. Cloth diapers are good but messy and can be a pain, lots of extra work. Its really up to you. You could try the cloth and see for yourself. Good luck and God Bless!
9. u can always use cloth b/c its better for the enviorment but if u have to like on long trips or at public places it is usually good to use disposable
10. If you use a diaper service, they take all the dirty cloth diapers away to wash them, and bring you clean ones. It's no mess or fuss at all. Actually, it's very convenient. Especially since tiny babies go through so many diapers. I used cloth diapers until our babies were 6 months old or so, but sometimes used disposable when we traveled.
11. cloth. you can use them over and over. it is better for the environment. also you save on money. it is a little messy but in the long run it is better to use them. i did with my two oldest girls. you do have to be careful that diaper rash does not set in. to prevent that from happening let their little bottoms air out once in a while. also hang the diapers out on a line so the sun can hit them. that will help in sanitizing them. i still used the disposable ones when i went to the stores or to family functions.
12. ok not quite sure what nappies are... or how a baby would go through 32 in a day... but back to your question. i would go with disposables, i tried cloth and one minute they are dry happy and on your hip the next you are soaked and they are angry. disposables are just a lot easier. at first i was very picky and she had to use huggies only, then i decided that there cant be that much difference between them and store brand, however store brand leaked a lot! so... i found a very happy medium! we use luvs. emily sleeps 7 30 pm to 8 am every night and i dont have to wake her to change her diaper, and i dont have to change the sheets in the morning. they work very well and arent that expensive
13. I recommend disposables. Disposables are fine for a baby AND you don't have to have a washer full of poopy diapers. My mom was so poor when I was a baby that she had to use cloth diapers, she hated it. She was so happy when my sister came along and she was able to use disposables. They are more convenient. What are you planning to do when you are at a restaurant and have to change baby's diaper? What do you do with the dirty cloth? Think about the convenience of the disposables.
14. From one who knows!!!! Save yourself a huge headache. Go with the disposable ones. Depending on the brand, your little one may devellop a small rash, simply experiment and you'll find the one that is the right fit. With the money you'll be spending just washing them, your not going to save anything and, if you think about it for a second, the reason why our grandparents used the cloth ones is simply because they could'nt afford to throw out pieces of cloth 10 times a day!! We've evolved, take advantage of this little technology!! Unless of course, you think you would enjoy washing poopy diapers day in day out for the next 2 years!!
15. It's up to you. Cloth is better for the environment but it is a lot more work for the parents. I am not sure cloth is necessarily better for the baby. On the one hand, the baby's skin can breathe better against cotton. On the other hand, disposables nowadays are so absorbent that the baby is comfortable even when the diaper has pee. I use disposables because I don't have a washing machine in my home and there are no diaper services in my area. I might change to cloth when I move, however.
16. I use cloth during the day (brand= bumgenius) and disposables at night. He sleeps for 10 to 12 hours and wets A LOT. You can buy cloth ones now that are not like the old fashioned ones. I do 1 load of laundry per day for my clothes and baby's including diapers. Also, you can get a sprayer that hooks up to the toilet and it is a life saver, no swishing diapers in poopy water. Flushable diaper liners are also available. If you get a good diaper pail (mine was 10 dollars) you never smell them!!
17. you should use disposal be b/c they are cheeper
18. I say disposable, because of convenience, but my mom told me when I was a baby, and she took me out west to visit family, my grandma on my moms side always put cloth diapers on me. I guess either way. Honestly, I would stick with Pampers. They may be a little more than Huggies, but when we tried Huggies with our now-4-year old daughter, every single time she peed, the diaper leeked itself. So, disposable Pampers for me, at least until the baby got a little older, then the cheaper diapers, like DriBottoms worked fine with us. =-) alicia
19. I started off with disposables because it was really the 'easy way out.' After doing my research and getting sick of buying diapers every week, I converted to cloth and I love it! Did you know the chemicals in the disposable diapers have led to an increase in diaper rashes over the year...from being virtually non existent to jumping up to close to 70% in babies? Also, the gels in the diapers are harmful chemicals that some think are linked to the increase in infertility in men. The fact that this is an era where we know the cause and effects of global warming leads me to lean towards cloth. Disposables do not decompose for 500 years and the chemicals are harmful to our environment and waters. With cloth, washing them uses a renewable source of energy with very little detergent. It is an extra 2 loads for me every week and I line dry as much as possible. Water bills for me and my cloth diapering pals have only increased by $5! Cloth is always useful and has a resale value. They can last through several children if you buy the right kind. I'm a prefolds and cover girl and I love the simplicity of it. Poopy diapers require a quick rinse and a toss into the diaper pail with baking soda. Wet diapers are simply tossed into the pail with some baking soda. It's so easy! Also, the smell is not bad at all. In disposables, the smell of a poopy diaper just lingers because the poop is contained in the diaper but with cloth, it is flushed and rinsed away. My husband didn't like the idea of cloth until I presented him with my research and how much we would save over the years. Disposables can cost about $3,000 until a child is potty learned. I spent under $200 on simple stash that will last my son until he starts potty learning...and get this...cloth diapered children usually potty train faster because they can feel the wetness sooner. I'm a full time working mother who also sometimes hand washes her cloth diapers. It's not hard work at all! I think that your fiance should compromise and at least let you CD part time. You should visit sites like diaperpin.com and diaperswappers.com to get feedback. Diaperswappers.com is great because other moms chat about their experiences. Many moms offer suggestions and tips. I love that site! There are many different types of cloth diapers, so you should research a bit first. I use prefolds, covers, and a few pockets. Best of luck to you and congrats on your baby.