When most people think cloth diapering they think folding a diaper onto a
baby and using pins and a plastic cover. This is a thing of the past when it
comes to cloth! Sure that style is still available to use and a lot of people
still choose to use cloth that way. Cloth diapers now are just as easy to use as
a disposable. Having the option of snaps or Velcro, one size or sized. they come
in pockets(meaning you put an insert into a pocket opening in the back) All in
ones(everything is sewn in and requires no insert), Fitteds(not waterproof and
requires a cute cover), and All in 2’s. Cloth comes in so many different colors
and prints that once you start buying them it becomes an addiction for many
mothers. I myself use cloth and have a stash that’s pretty good size, it is an
addiction for me. I see the new cute prints out and have to buy it! For a lot of
new parents and moms cloth is the way to go, its great to see how many more
parents are choosing cloth and actually giving it a try. Cloth has so many great
benefits!

Why should we choose cloth diapers? Cloth diapers were all that the world had
for centuries until the 1980’s when disposables were pretty much being used by
everyone. There is 2 major chemicals that are in disposable diapers, Sodium
Polyacrylate, and Dioxin. Dioxin is a by-product of bleaching paper and
according to the EPA is known to cause damage to the central nervous system,
kidneys, and liver. Sodium Polyacrtylate(also known as the absorbent gel that
allows the diaper to hold urine for hours)has been linked to toxic shock
syndrome, allergic reactions and is very harmful and potentially lethal to pets.
Your child is also more likely to get a diaper rash using disposables. Sure
there are a few benefits to disposables for example, not having to wash, being
able to just toss the diaper out(which sit in our landfills for hundreds of
years) and just the overall convince. The cons of using disposables is spending
tons of money over the course of on average 3 years, which is around 2,500
dollars your throwing away. Using cloth diapers from birth to potty training you
can spend anywhere from 300-1000 dollars depending on the style of diapers you
want to use. Plus a pro of cloth is you don’t throw them away you can wash them,
also use them for more than one child, and also resell them when you are
finished using them. Another pro of cloth is less diaper rashes and better on
babies skin. A lot of pro disposable diaper parents argue that by using cloth
your using water and detergents that are harmful to the planet. Washing cloth at
home only adds 2 extra loads a week depending on how many days you can go
between washing, plus the diaper detergent is all eco friendly and all natural
soap! I don’t see this as harmful at all! I see the chemicals in disposable
sitting in the landfills as harmful to our planet.

I believe that if most parents just did the research and compared the two,
the choice would be obvious on which is better to use. We all know that
disposables are easy but sometimes easy isn’t always a good thing. Next time you
go into that store to pick up a pack of diapers just think about what’s in it
and where it goes, think about how you could have used that 20 dollars on some
cloth diapers to use! You are your own person and choose what’s best for your
family so the choice is up to you! So do the research when your expecting or
even thinking about making the switch, and you will see that cloth is just
better all around for your baby and our planet!