Diapers Q&A
Couple questions for Cloth Diaper users?
I have been using cloth diapers for a few months now and am expanding my stash. I have mostly been using fitteds and a few AIO. I have bought some pre-folds to use around the house and was wondering do I need to use a doubler/liner, or do I just use the pre-fold as it with snappi and cover? Also, does anyone have info on how to make my own doubler/liner. I am on a very, very tight budget and would liek to be able to make my own instead of buying some.
Public Comments
- You only need a doubler with a prefold if you baby is a super soaker and is wetting through the diaper. The way to do that on a budget is to fold the flaps of the prefold in to make a strip that lines the crotch area of the diaper. If you want to double an AIO it's pretty much the same thing. You can use a prefold or a liner, or both together. And those can both be doubled up if you have a super soaker. Again, just fold in the flaps of the prefold to make a large strip. As far as actually making liners, I'm sure they are easy, but I'm super clumsy with the sewing machine. I would assume you would only need to own one, dissect it, and make more just like it.
- I never used a snappy with a cover. They sqeezed my babe's tummy too much. i just folded it into the cover and stuck it on. A doubler can be made from anything absorbant. Even an old towel cut into strips the width of the center of the diaper can do in a pinch. You can even use microfiber cloths from the dollar store or auto supply section!-) If you use microfiber, put a layer of cotton between it and the baby's skin, because it is scratchy. As for liners, if you want baby to feel dry, then microfleece (like what you might make a scarf out of) is the way to go. It pulls wetness through and keeps it away from baby's skin. You can get a yard of fleece from the fabric store for under six bucks and make a ton of liners (no need to sew the edges, fleece doesn't fray!)
- Since 95 percent of parents put their children in plastic diapers, it seems a bit of a moot point to analyze which choice is better or worse for the environment. SIMPLE SOLUTION: It is unlikely that people will revert to hand washing diapers, no matter what the answer. The convenience of disposables, combined with busy lives, is too good of a help to pass up, especially because it is hard to keep a child over the age of one dry in cloth diapers. It is reassuring, in a way, to note that in fact, the answer to the question is a muddled and confusing draw, according to most experts. On the one hand cloth diapers take a lot of water and detergent to wash, plus cotton that is usually grown with pesticides. On the other, disposable diapers are very resource-intensive using trees, plastics, and they take up enormous amount of landfill space. Even the Sierra Club considers the answer to the diaper debate a wash. What isn’t a moot point, however, is which brand of disposable diaper you choose, for the health of your baby, and the health of the planet in which your baby will grow. If you choose disposable diapers, here is our recommendation: Dioxin is a deadly byproduct poison that is created when the materials used to make diapers are whitened with chlorine. Direct links have been associated between dioxin exposure and cancer, birth defects, and reproductive disorders. Tributyl tin (TBT) is biocide used in paper mills that is extremely toxic to wildlife, and according to The Green Guide Institute, in 2000, Greenpeace Germany found TBT in eight brands of disposable diapers that had been tested in Germany. Seventh Generation’s chlorine-free disposable diapers are made with materials that have not been bleached with chlorine, and therefore do not contribute to dioxin in the environment. They also are free of TBT, fragrance, and latex, a common sensitizer. Link on this resource to locate Seventh Generation diapers near you. HELPFUL HINTS: Do you want to discuss this subject? Join the discussion on Annie's Healthy Living Network, on Care2 Connect! Hope this helps... Peace GG
