Wednesday 24 June 2015

The pros and cons of disposables and cloth



So I realised this morning that I have been cloth diapering a year now which considering most people didn’t think I would stick to and it feels incredibly awesome.

For anyone who hasn’t read my previous cloth diaper pieces….

When Jesse was 8 months old we made the decision to change over to cloth and we did so because Jesse was breaking out in terrible nappy rashes that we just couldn’t get rid of, we went to the paed she prescribed anti-fungal ointments etc but nothing worked and since my previous 2 monkeys were virtually rash free their whole nappy journey we were left rather perplexed.


Until one day someone suggested to me that it may be a chemical burn from the disposables or a reaction to something in the disposables that was causing the rashes, I approached his regular doctor who told me that it was possible since nothing else seemed to be helping but that it was in his opinion rare and unlikely unless he was incredibly sensitive.

So I dove into research I spent a few weeks browsing sites- everything seemed so confusing there was just so much to take in but in the end we decided to order in a few cloth nappies and take it from there, we had nothing to lose and nothing left to try…. We haven’t looked back since and I think Jesse has had maybe 2 rashes in his year of cloth and not a 10th as bad as the rash he had been getting.

So I decided to compile a list of what I believe have been the Pros and cons of cloth vs disposables, bearing in mind I don’t have an issue with disposables my oldest 2 were in them, having said that I may have made a different choice had I known then what I know now but if disposables work for you then they work for you, our decision was not environmentally based although this is a bonus it was solely based on trying what we could to help Jesse.

Before I begin I would like to factor in that we are sadly approaching the end of our cloth journey not by choice but because Jesse has started potty training out of his own at 20 months- my other 2 only potty trained at 3 and 2 ½, his teacher believes him being in cloth has played a part in this.

This is going to be a long one.... 




Cost

Cloth Diapers

Pros

Cloth diapers are real value for money and can be bought for as little as R60 a nappy, cloth diapers can also be reused for future children so you can in essence make one stash last through all your children, also if you do buy the more expensive nappies you can resell them at the end of your cloth journey for a good amount of money unlike disposables.

Cons

The initial outlay cost of a cloth stash can be a tidy sum we spent around 2000 on our complete stash of over 30 nappies which is a fair price and my nappies range from cheap to all natural organic and costly, some ladies are constantly adding to that stash or spend 1000’s on a stash but that is completely up to you as an individual- I won’t lie it can become a tad addictive.

Disposables

Pros

None- you are throwing your money away.

Cons

With disposables you are in essence paying up to R3 per nappy you throw away and if you calculate that at 8- 10 nappies a day for 2 years that is a pretty penny you are throwing in the bin.

Materials

Cloth Diapers

Are available in a range of materials from cotton to hemp, these materials are far softer and non-chemical based on your babies bum.

Disposables

Are made from paper and chemicals there is nothing natural about them and they can seriously burn your babies skin if the chemical inside comes into contact with them- you do however get eco-friendly disposables made of better materials that are chemical free these are far more expensive though.

Environmental

Cloth Diapers

Pros

They don’t end up on a landfill somewhere; they are more ecologically friendly and can be reused.

Cons

You do use more electricity and water with washing however I have found that this amounts to an extra load or 2 a week in my opinion that far outweighs the landfill option, again it depends on you how often you wash which cycles you use some ladies do up to 2 or 3 pre rinse cycles before a wash I have found that a pre hand wash and then using the longest cycle on my top loader is fine.

Disposables

Pros

None

Cons

These are in no way good for the environment, do not break down naturally and spend years atop our landfills polluting the earth.

Mess Factor

Cloth

Pros

There are diaper sprayers etc available to help make this easier and when your baby is ebf the poop is water soluble and you don’t have to rinse before washing also using wipes means that if your child does poop you can just toss the liner leaving the nappy clean or almost clean and wash ready.

Cons

There is nothing worse than a cloth diaper teething poop ick it is messy and it does have to be cleaned properly… not great… not great at all.

Disposables

Pros

Can be thrown away instantly you don’t have to wash them or come into direct contact with the poop at all.
Cons

Blowouts… that is all.

Convenience

Cloth Diapers

Pros

Cloth today can be just as easy and convenient as disposables they are pre folded or cut and are available in either snaps or even Velcro options.

Cons

If you use pre-folds and covers ie the old style of cloth diapers it may take time to learn how to get the folds etc right.

Disposables

Pros

Quick and easy to put on and easy to just throw into any bin

Cons

None

Potty Training 

Cloth Diapers

Pros:

Some moms say their babies trained earlier because in cloth, they could actually FEEL the wetness.

Cons:

Some moms say their kiddos didn't care whether they were in cloth or disposable; they were happy to stay in diapers forever!

Disposables

Pros

Some kids don’t like the feeling of a wet disposable again it depends on your child.

Cons

Because the chemicals in the nappy allow moisture to lock away from babies skin they cannot feel the wetness and are often quite happy not to potty train or delay it as they are comfortable as is.

Aesthetic Appeal

Cloth diapers 

They are available in all different colour patterns and themes and are stinking adorable and there are many moms who make them custom or you could even make your own if you have a sewing machine available.

Disposables 

are pretty bleh and they feel like paper… because that’s what they are.

 If you would like to find out more info on cloth diapering my advice is to go on over to The South African Cloth Nappy Users Facebook Page and also onto YOUtube where there are so many reviews and great videos to watch.

I hope this post was of some help to anyone who is in two minds or is overwhelmed by all the options available today.


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