Cloth Diapers???

Am I crazy but I am really thinking about using cloth diapers with Baby Woos.  (And to be clear I have only thought about the idea of cloth diapers for two days now so my opinions may change in a month or after Baby Woos is born.)

Why cloth diapers?

The main reason I started thinking about cloth diapers is because I found out that my mom had to use cloth diapers on both my sister in I because we were allergic to disposable diapers.  My skin is sensitive and my husband also has very sensitive skin. Disposable diapers contain chemicals that can easily irritate the skin and cause rashes.

Let's talk about the chemicals most disposable diapers contain:

• Dioxins:  Most disposable diapers are bleached white with chlorine, resulting in a byproduct called dioxins.  According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), dioxins are among the most toxic chemicals known to science and are listed by the EPA as highly carcinogenic chemicals.
• Sodium polyacrylate: Sodium polycarbonate is a super absorbent chemical compound that is used in the fillers of many disposable diapers.  The chemical is often visible as small gel-like crystals on the skin of babies and is thought to be linked to skin irritations and respiratory problems. This chemical was removed from tampons due to toxic shock syndrome concerns.
• Tributyl-tin (TBT): According to the EPA, this toxic pollutant is extremely harmful to aquatic (water) life and causes endocrine (hormonal) disruptions in aquatic organisms.  Additionally, according to research published by the American Institute of Biological Sciences, tributyl-tin can trigger genes that promote the growth of fat cells, causing obesity in humans.
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC): According to the EPA, VOCs can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, damage to the liver, kidney and central nervous system as well as cancers.
• Other chemicals often used in disposable diapers include dyes, fragrances, plastics and petrolatums.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/111348-chemicals-disposable-diapers/#ixzz2OVhCs1Lq


I know that most parents use disposable diapers but I wonder how many have read about the amount of chemicals disposable diapers have in them.  I know I didn't know until I did some researching..and I know you can't believe everything you read on the Internet- but there is some truth to it.  I am also not saying that I won't ever use disposable diapers but I think for the most part I want to use cloth diapers.  Hopefully this will prevent unnecessary diaper rash, cut down on cost, and be as easy as I think it will be (at least for the first 6 months where Baby Woos will not have any solid food).

Cloth diapers have come a long way!  They are no longer big safety pins and cloth with a plastic wrap.

I really like the gDiapers that have an additional cloth liner to add to the diaper for easy removal.  This diaper is suppose to be a hybrid between a disposable and a cloth diaper since you throw out the cloth liner (or it says you can even flush it down the toilet) but wash the diaper and the inserts.  You can also buy disposable inserts for the diaper which turn the diaper more into a disposable diaper but with less trash, and less chemicals then disposables since the inserts are 100% biodegradable.

Another brand that I have found that looks super easy is bumGenius.  It looks and snaps like a disposable diaper.  They are a one size fits all so they grow with the baby.  Some styles have separate inserts and some are all-in-one with no inserts. 

And then there is always the possibility of using the foldover cloth diapers which are really inexpensive but require more work. 


I am going to talk to a few friends that have used cloth diapers and more friends who tell me not to use cloth diapers and try to make up my mind.  It may be that I do not have a choice and I will need to use cloth diapers.  Hopefully the sensitive diapers will also work on Baby Woos.  Because if I do decide to use cloth diapers I think during the night I will want to use a disposable but who knows.   I know this is a decision that does not have to be made until Baby Woos is born and we see what works with him.  I just wanted to do some research and look at my options.

I may change my mind but I really think I want to use the gdiapers and bumGenius diapers with possibly disposable diapers at night.  If we go on vacation, or have night away from the house I will bring disposables with us.  But who knows- this is the first I have even looked into the possibility of using cloth diapers.


Cloth or disposable diapers? 

www.gdiapers.com
www.bumgenius.com