Archive for the ‘trim diapers’ Category

Cloth Diapering Myths!

I was thinking about all the misconceptions and myths about cloth diapersing and came up with 10 that I think are the most popular ones we have heard.  Maybe some of you all have heard others?

1. In order to Cloth Diaper you must use pins. Yes I do know some parents that use them and wouldn’t do it any differently, but there are so many alternatives for those of us that aren’t that coordinated.  For those that want to secure a flat or prefold with more than a cover, there are snappis- additionally there are so many other types of diaper that velcro and snap closed just as easily as a sposie.

2. Cloth diapers cause diaper rash.  I think if you have a child that is prone to rash then it probably doesn’t matter what type of diaper you use, you have to be sure and change them as often as you can.  Urine and feces both can break down skin and cause irritation…that is a fact.  More often I have heard of babies that are allergic to the things used to make disposable diapers, the chemicals, the gel, the rough paper, the plastics, etc.

3. Once you calculate utilities, there is no cost savings.  This simply is not true.  Most mom’s and dad’s will agree that its only 1-2 extra loads of laundry per week to cloth diaper.  Utility costs vary from region to region but there is just no way this one is true.  I have estimated this myself and it costs me mere cents per load to wash and just a bit more to dry.  Additionally, if this issue bothers you, use a clothes line or a drying rack – that will save over 50% of the utility cost of cloth diapering and also help your diapers last longer.

4. Cloth diapering is so time consuming that in order to be successful you must be a sahm.  Although I personally am a sahm/wahm - I do not agree with this statement and know many, many families of 2 working parents or a single working parent that have successfully cd’ed all of their children.  Like I mentioned above, its generally 1-2 extra loads of laundry a week – so what is that, 5 mins to load, 5 mins to switch over and then 10 to fold or stuff and put on the shelf? Going to the store to buy sposies, taking out extra bags of trash and/or swapping out those diaper genie refills has got to cancel that all out, right?

5. Poopy cloth diapers must be dunked in the toilet before putting in the pail to wash.  EWW – do people really do that?  It is so not necessary, really it isn’t.  Even the nastiest of poops can be scraped or sprayed off and then put into the washing machine.  Our washer never smells like poop or has any residue left in it after washing even the worse load of diapers.  If I ever feel the need to rinse out a really bad diaper, I use the bathroom sink rather than the toilet, then I spray and wipe out the sink…NOT the toilet!

6. You cannot travel or camp with cloth.  We have a previous blog articleabout this and it simply is not the case.  I usually bring 2 large wet bags with me, first half of the trip in one, second half in the other.  Its that simple.  If you are washing dirty diapers that are more than 3-4 days old, do a soak first, then an extra wash or use some biokleen disinfectant if you think you need it.

7. You must have your own washer/dryer.  I can personally attest to this as a myth!  Although it sure makes it easier, cloth diapering while using shared machines or a laundromat it completely do-able.  When I was washing only once a week at the laundromat I used a splash of biokleen disinfectant in the wash just to ward off unwanted bacteria (both from having the diapers sitting around for longer and the fact that other people use the machines) – the only other thing I had to do was strip more often as the shared machines seemed to have more detergent build-up that would end up on my diapers too.

8. Cloth diapers are too bulky and you need to buy larger clothes to fit over them.  I won’t completely disagree with this- I think it all depends on the type of diaper you use and the build of your child.  Some cloth diapers are bulky and if that is what your child is used to then it probably doesn’t bother them at all.  In that case, I would say you probably would need to either size up on bottoms or just buy materials that are stretchy….no big deal.  On the other hand, lots of cloth diapers are known for their trimness, these don’t add anymore bulk than a sposie if they are the correct size and are fastened snugly.

9.  The added bulk between a baby’s legs can damage leg and hip development and it takes longer for a cloth diapered child to learn to walk.  All these things are a definite myth!  Only in the past century have there even been disposable diapers.  Does that mean that humans up until the last 100 years have had messed up legs and hips?  Especially in a time when people were forced to do more physical work to survive?  That is just a silly, made-up misconception.  Also there is no data that supports that cloth diapered children walk later, my daughter certainly didn’t have any issues!

10. Nobody uses cloth anymore.  WRONG!  What a relief that this is so incredibly off too, huh?  Just writing this blog has given me more energy to spread the word about cloth…go on out and do so yourself too!  Pass this blog URL along to your non cloth diapering friends and relatives, lets make it our jobs to help others stop filling the landfills of the world with disposable diaper and dangerous biological waste!

Happy diapering everyone

Tags: camping with cloth diapers, cloth diapering damage hips, cloth diapering is time consuming, cloth diapering misconceptions, cloth diapering myths, cloth diapers and diaper rash, diaper pins, diaper rash, dunking cloth diapers in the toilet, only stay at home mothers cloth diaper, washing and drying cloth diapers, washing cloth diapers
Posted in Uncategorized, basic cloth diapering, cloth diapering, cloth vs disposable, conservation, diaper covers, diaper pins, diaper sprayer, diapers in landfills, environment, frugal, green living, prefold diapers, prefolds, snappies, toddler clothing, traveling with cloth, trim diapers | 1 Comment »

Clothing your Cloth Diapered Child

No matter how trim your cloth diapers are, there is little chance they will ever be as trim as a disposable – close, but a bit bulkier. The trimest options that come to mind would probably be a pocket diaper stuffed with hemp – of our selection I would say the Hugga Buns Ultra pocket diaper and the Thirsties hemp insert, either that or maybe the BumGenius AIO without a doubler. Those of us that use extra doublers, or large prefolds and covers are used to that cute padded bum! I have gotten questions about the development of a baby’s hips with that added bulk between the legs pushing them apart more, this is a myth and there is simply no truth to it. Your baby’s hips will develop just fine! What do you think babies wore before the invention of the disposable diaper anyway?

People often ask us if the added bulk under clothing makes shopping more challenging. With my daughter, I don’t really think its been that much of an issue, except maybe with onesies which we really only used for the first few months given that she was born in January and I was trying to keep her warm! I don’t think she ever wore the 0-3 month and only wore the 3-6 month for a very short time – I learned quickly to size up. They also make a snap extender for onesies since its really the crotch and bum area that needs the extra room when your babe wears cloth. I don’t have personal experience using them, but have heard rave reviews. With sleepers and other stretchy cotton items usually worn by newborns, there is usually plenty of extra room for the cloth.

Now that my daughter is older (2 1/2) and in the 80-90th percentile for both height and weight, I generally only buy pants with some element of stretch – there are actually few things I have founds that don’t stretch to some degree. If your child is very slender it probably won’t even be an issue as I have plenty of friends with slender children that wear jeans and cords over their cloth with no problem. There is such a large variety of options available for children’s clothes these days – I find Target carries the best fitting stretch bottoms with great variety of colors and prints. Our family has been using cloth from day one, so for us its a no-brainer. We do have to remind people around birthdays and holidays that gifts of bottoms do need to be stretchy as we do have a little extra padding in that area! If you are changing over from disposable to cloth, there is a chance you may find a few of your child’s tighter items with no give to be too snug – a small price to pay – you will definitely save more money in the long run!

I love to see a cute little padded cloth bum – there is nothing wrong with a little added “booty”!

Have a great week everyone and happy diapering!

Posted in baby clothing, cloth diapering, diaper covers, hugga buns ultra pocket diapers, prefold diapers, target kids clothes, thirsties hemp insert, toddler clothing, trim diapers | 3 Comments »