New parents absolutely needs some appreciation who have a proactive mindset during the midst of thousands of decision to make. Initial days of being parents for the first time can be immensely overwhelming. There are a number of questions you have to ask yourself like what stroller to choose and should vaccination be done at birth? One of the most common question that wanders around is which diapers to choose?
With disposable and cloth diapers available in the market, each type has its own pros and cons. Weighing the benefits of both of them, I would consider cloth diapers to be a better choice. Here are ten reasons why it is worth a choice.
Cost effective
Have you ever calculated how much disposable diapers can cost you in a time period of three years? If you child potty trains around the age of 3, you will have to change over 7000 diapers. This would cost you over $4000 if you use good quality disposable diapers.
A stash of cloth diapers will cost you $1000 maximum and an additional $20 of detergent per month. You can even save more by buying cloth diapers in bulk.
Health
This factor is debatable but most of users consider cloth diapers healthier for babies than disposable. Cloth diapers are made of natural fibers which allow more inflow of air than plastic-disposables which is very important from a health’s perspective. It allows regulation of heat in boys and prevent yeast from growing in girls which can cause serious health conditions like urinary infections and other yeast-related issues.
Sustainability
Cloth diapers offer high sustainability in terms of finance and environment both. If you take good care of a diaper, it can even be used for your second child. Prefolds can even last through 3 children minimizing your financial burden and even the environmental impact is reduced.
However the environmental impact depends on your place of residence. If you live in an area where water is expensive, washing diapers every now and then will be extravagant use of resources. Living in an area where power is generated through coal, using the dryer on regular basis is again using the resources irresponsibly. So cloth diapering can surely be good for you but choose it according to your needs and demands.
Comfort
Uncomfortable diapers can make your baby cranky. A wet diaper makes skin hot and sticky due to the combination of moisture, body heat and uric acid. A cloth diaper allows air to flow more which permits the moisture to evaporate making the skin drier and less prone to rashes.
If your baby is going through rashes, try switching to cloth diapers. Given that many diapers are made of soft fabrics, baby can feel highly comfortable in it. You can read more here about the variety of options available in the market these days.
Reliability
Many cloth diaper companies put elastic not just around the leg but in the back as well. This is why many of users prefer cloth diapers over disposable ones because it has the ability to keep the poop where it should be. This makes it highly reliable.
Potty training
The mechanism involved in standard disposable diaper is worth the praise. The moisture hereby is locked away and the child doesn’t feel wet at all. When it comes to cloth diapers, there is immediate feedback of wetness. This can be wonderful thing if you want to potty train your child. When you are teaching your child, there are natural instincts of what being wet and being dry is like so cloth diapers can potty train your child earlier and quicker than disposable ones.
Fashion
Modern cloth diapers are more fashionable than disposable ones. There is a variety of options you can choose from. Much of the diapers are made keeping in mind the current fashion and ease of use.
Promotes conversation with larger community
Cloth diapers can promote conversation with the larger community. It is very common for another mom heading towards and asking about your experience with cloth diapers in public restrooms.
It is not only about connecting with other moms but informing others about better sustainable options that will positively impact the community in long term. As more parents get to know about cloth diapering, there is more conversation about the benefits it offers and parents tend to shift to this option.
Promotes conversation between partners
This is surprisingly one of the best reasons to choose cloth diapers over disposable ones. It gets the partners talking developing a better bond and a relationship. Just by asking simple questions regarding usage of cloth diapers opens the door for conversation about baby-raising and other relevant issues. The ultimate result is a better partnership, family and household that everyone craves for.
Disposing of waste
There is a natural tendency of disposing all solid waste in the toilet when using cloth diapers which ends up in being processed as black water or in a septic tank. The remaining bits on diaper ends up being washed treated as grey water. These are suitable ways in which human waste must be disposed.
Even if you faithfully dump solid waste into the toilet when using disposable diapers, there is still a bit of it left on the diaper as it is tossed in the trash. When that diaper remains in the landfill, it gives birth to diseases and even it can leak into nearby water sources contaminating the water.
Conclusion
Statistics have proved that using cloth diapers can be much healthier and safe than disposable diapers. We cannot deny the fact that even cloth diapers have downsides but that doesn’t mean it is a bad option overall. These ten benefits clearly show how it can benefit normal users. Nevertheless, you can even go for disposable diapers if it suits your lifestyle and needs more. There is no rigid rule. But make sure you weigh the benefits and detriments before using it.
