Cloth Diapers

michele31 Posted: May 22, 2003 04:16 PM

Cloth Diapers

Okay girls I just have to hear your responses to this. On weddinghchannel.com there are a ton of girls who are super into cloth diapers. Now this is NOT because of their child being allergic to Pampers or some huge enviromental issue. (Plus you need hot water and soaps to wash the diaper so you are still using resources). Some of these girls SEW their own diapers!
While they diapers look super cozy this seems totally over board to me. They leak a lot more than Pampers, are NOT inexpensive (you need to buy liners, covers etcc..) and how does a home washing machine steralize these? Plus they are sitting in your house for a few days in between washings.
Thoughts? Is anyone doing this and why?

NIHA Posted: May 22, 2003 04:26 PM

Re: Cloth Diapers

I've actually gone back and forth on this and Peter and I've decided to stick to disposable. My main reasons for wanting to use cloth is both for environmental and saving $$. But, if you use a diaper service it costs $$ and washing lots of diapers at home uses water and energy. Plus, I agree about dirty diapers sitting in the house for too long not being good.

My parents used cloth with me after I had skin reactions to disposable, but they paid for a service. I think shopping at a place like BJs will save us money, they are much more convenient, and I don't know how much better cloth are for the environment anyway.

michele31 Posted: May 22, 2003 04:31 PM

Re: Cloth Diapers

I also needed Cloth diapers because I developed an allergy to the Pampers, but that was over 30 years ago too. The savings is not really that much in all honestly. And yes, enviromentally CD are better because of land fill problems but......I just cannot imagine working and having to do that much laundry and worry about this too.

This is what I found about cost savings on CD
You will break even in 23.07 weeks or 5.31 months.
You will save $42 in 6 months.
You will save $285.33 in 10 months.
You will save $407 in 1 year.
You will save $772 in 1 1/2 years.

Claud2001 Posted: May 22, 2003 09:21 PM

Re: Cloth Diapers

THis is totally JMO, but I would not even give it a second thought. Disposable diapers are not that expensive, and I'm sure you ladies will be using coupons to buy them, so why even stress yourselves over this issue? Again, JMO.

Wendy Posted: May 22, 2003 11:28 PM

Re: Cloth Diapers

Please allow an older mom to comment. I used cloth diapers when my daughter was born (she will be 26 in September). It was much more common then and my grandmother had given me 6 months of diaper service as a gift. I used them for about 3 months and finally had had enough and switched to disposable. Cloth diapers are a lot more work. You have to worry about the safety pins poking the baby(or you poking the baby). Disposable diapers are much more absorbent and therefore there is less chance for irritation from urine and BM's. If you are out you don't want to have to carry around a poopy diaper til you get home either. If you use coupons and buy disposables at BJ's or Costco you will spend less money. JMO.

shamma Posted: May 23, 2003 09:49 AM

Re: Cloth Diapers

This is all we used to use in the Caribbean and all the fancy smacy sterilization was not needed, they were washed as they were used but I think it is a great option if you are a SAHM. I could not see me using them when I had to go back to work. I love cloth diapers. I don't think they are not as good as pampers. I think pampers are more convienent and easier.

alina Posted: May 23, 2003 10:35 AM

Re: Cloth Diapers

I am not a mom yet, but Michelle the whole cloth diaper thing reminds me of the stuff that they had back in the USSR, and at the time when I was born, I believe things had to be washed by hand Quite disgusting, and I can't see a reason not to use the disposable kind!!! Its poop!!! And I don't know what the savings are, but whatever they are, they don't seem practical or worth the trouble for me.

michele31 Posted: May 23, 2003 11:55 AM

Re: Cloth Diapers

I am totally not stressing over this issue. I just wanted my LIW gals opinions.

kptoys Posted: May 23, 2003 12:08 PM

Re: Cloth Diapers

The only thing I use cloth diapers for is to clean up spills and now to wax my car. I LOVE Pampers!

NovemberSue Posted: May 23, 2003 12:11 PM

Re: Cloth Diapers

We don't have kids yet but we're definately using disposable diapers.Its just so much easier.

NYCMeghan Posted: May 23, 2003 12:35 PM

Re: Cloth Diapers

I plan on potty training my kids before they come home from the hospital....

LizD Posted: May 23, 2003 12:55 PM

Re: Cloth Diapers

lol... NYCMeghan... me too, but if that doesn't work, disposables all the way!!

Becky Posted: May 23, 2003 03:47 PM

Re: Cloth Diapers

Well, apparently my parents have a little Carribean streak in them because they used cloth diapers for all of us. I spent the first ten years of my life cleaning them - absent the fancy shamncy sterilization (as Shamma so eloquently put it). In fact, I didn't even know you were supposed to do that! I think back then, they were significantly cheaper than disposables and there were seven kids, so probably understandable on the part of my parents. But disposables are relatively inexpensive now and speaking as a person who has a lot of experince in carefully trying avoiding poking a baby with those pins and cleaning poopey diapers - yuck, stay away from cloth if you can. Disposables that can be immediately discarded is the way to go.

shamma Posted: May 23, 2003 03:53 PM

Re: Cloth Diapers

Growing up in Jamaica what I have seen done is they shake the poop out and then they wash the diaper out and then soak it in bleach, those are the whitest nappies I have ever seen. What they use to do as well is put plastic panties over the cloth nappies to avoid pee from being all over the place. I think cloth nappies are breathable, I very rarely saw babies with diaper rash who wore cloth nappies. There is a service in Bklyn I know that provides the service.

michele31 Posted: May 23, 2003 06:35 PM

Re: Cloth Diapers

I know that they make covers so you do not need to use pins anymore.
Shamma- you should look on weddingchannel parenting board. You might find a lot of info if you want to use cloth diapers. There are bunch of girls who post info on the types they use and where to buy them online.