ALRIGHT PEOPLE. Enough is enough.
After listening to the Negative Nancies that are my sister and mother - I realized the world of the under-researched into cloth diapers needs a bit of an education.
Here's some myths - and how you can understand JUST THE BASICS of how cloth diapering really isn't hard, isn't pinning washcloths on babies, and isn't dunking poop-rags in the toilet anymore. Welcome to 2008. (Source: diaperpin.com)
#1. You have to toilet-dunk.
The belief that you must dunk your diapers in the toilet and flush repeatedly or use a "diaper duck" to clean them is simply not true. Toilet dunking is for the birds! Diaper services don't require you to dunk your diapers, so why should you? Let your machine do the work for you -- most moms these days do. If your baby or toddler has well-formed solid poops, sure, you can toss the solids into the toilet -- but for messy jobs, don't fret it. If we can do it, so can you!
Little known fact: Did you know that you aren't supposed to dispose of human waste from any diaper, disposables included? It says so right on the package.
#2. Cloth diapers don't keep your baby dry.
Disposable diapers have helped proliferate the myth that "a dry baby is a clean baby". Disposables use the super-absorbing chemical polyacrylate (why disposables often feel like a squishy "gel" inside the inner panels), which makes the diaper "a wearable toilet" of sorts. Parents are supposed to change their baby's diaper when they soil themselves, however with the advent of these super-absorbent and many times dry feeling chemical-laden disposable diapers, they get changed, typically, much less frequently. I have actually heard of parents who feel changing a baby five times a day is adequate! Sad, but true. With cloth, not only is it easy to tell when your baby is due for a change, they also potty train much sooner because toddlers can actually feel when they wet themselves (imagine that!). The gel in disposables also will draw moisture from your baby's skin! I remember when my daughter was in disposables (yes, I confess, I was a disposable user!), I would actually find these gel "beads" on her diaper area.
#3. You have to change cloth diapers more often.
With disposables, babies sadly don't always get changed when they soil themselves (because they "feel" dry, see myth #2, above). However the American Academy of Pediatrics states, "Regardless of which type of diaper you use, diaper rash occurs less often and is less severe when you change diapers often." Changing your baby's diaper when they wet themselves seems an easy and common sense enough approach for all parents to be able to adhere to.
#4. Cloth diapers, and diaper pails, smell.
Cloth diapers smell no worse than disposables, in fact many new-to-cloth moms have told me that their disposables smelled far worse than their new cloth diapers do (I guess that's why the Diaper Genie was invented...). And a good air-tight diaper pail that uses non-toxic deodorizer disks like "Deodisks ®" keeps an unwanted odors at bay.
#5. Cloth diapering is more difficult.
Doing my diaper laundry one or two times a week is much less trouble than having to get dressed, get the baby ready and make a run to the store for disposables when I suddenly realize I am out. In a pinch, you can even use doublers as a diaper subsitute while you do your laundry. You are truly never out of diapers. Imagine never having to leave your living room for diapers in the middle of the night!
#6. Cloth diapering is more time consuming.
I can get my diapers washed and dried while me and my daughter eat our lunch and play around the house. There is no need to run out to the store or waste time in the car when we could be playing or learning! Folding diapers, while not necessary (many people use a decorative basket in the nursery for this purpose), is a fun activity for me and my 17 month old to do together. It makes her feel important as she helps Mama with the folding, and we practice her numbers by counting as we stack the diapers.
#7. You have to use diaper pins.
While some moms still love the art of pinning with the quaint appearance and snug fit it provides, others, including me, were frightened by it! If you are scared of pins or simply don't even want to try, fear not, CuddleBuns has your answer! Snap and velcro fitted diapers are as easy to put on as disposables, and prefolds folded in thirds and then layed down the middle of a snug velcro wrap are as easy as 1-2-3! There are also clips and other fasteners available as diaper pin subsitutes.
#8. You have to use a diaper service.
...and aren't they expensive? Yes, they can be. In fact in some geographical areas, they are more expensive than disposables! Though this is rare, you can still save significantly over disposables and cloth diaper services by home laundering your own premium quality cloth diapers. Diaper services for the most part only offer prefolds, and not the attractive and convenient fitted diapers that many moms today have grown to love, and some can't do without! Home laundering is simple and easy, just wash the CuddleBuns way!
#9. Cloth diapering is more expensive (after factoring the cost of detegerent, water and electricity).
Not even close. Disposables cost an average of $1000-$2000 (depending on brand and geographical area) over the course of one child's diapering years. Cloth diapers not only cost an average of only $150-$300 , but they can be used over and over on subsequent children with only a handful of replacements from wear and tear. The water usage equals the same amount they would use as a potty trained child who was toilet trained, and the electricity usage is minimal. Add to all this that it takes more water, per diaper, to produce a disposable diaper than a cloth one!
#10. Cloth diapers are bulky.
Snug fitting wraps and covers with a prefold folded in thirds down the middle, a dense flannel or interlock ("t-shirt") fitted diaper (flannel tends to be trimmer than terry, with interlock being the very trimmest) can actually be quite thin -- and rival even the trimmest disposable!
