Alternatives to Disposable Diapers

The amount of disposable diapers the average child will use in their lifetime is a staggering 5000 or more. Think of all that filling our landfills, much of it with the solid waste still intact because although you are supposed to dump it into the toilet, few actually do. Aside from the environmental impacts of manufacture and disposal, there is the problem of what the diaper is made with: carcinogens such as dioxins (to bleach the paper or cotton), and sodium polyacrylate (the absorbent gel) that are clinging to your child's mucous membranes. The idea of cloth diapers seems better in your mind.

But you wonder, what kind of cloth diapers should I buy? Cloth diapers have changed so much since our mothers' or grandmothers' time. They used to be huge sheets of cotton that you had to be a master folder to get to go on your baby, and took pins, and if you were lucky, plastic or rubber pants over the outside to keep leaks in.

Now there are so many fun styles that, while cloth diapering can be an economical investiment, it can also be quite an addiction. Let me cover the basic kinds of cloth there are out there.

Prefolds are about as basic a diaper you can get These are what most diapering services use. These are several layers of cotton weave sewn together in a rectangle shape, and are used with some kind of waterproof cover, such as vinyl pull on pants, polyurethane laminate velcro covers, fleece covers, or wool soakers. . They come in four general sizes; preemie, infant, premium, and toddler. When you put them on your baby you can secure them with pins, or with the ingenious Snappi, which is like those clips on the ends of ace bandages, and is used in place of pins so you don't have to worry about sticking yourself or the baby. Alternatively, you can fold your prefold into thirds longways and simply lay it into a cover. You would need 3 dozen prefolds and about 6 covers in each size to diaper your baby and do laundry no more than twice a week (this would be higher when diapering a newborn, because they poop more!). Unless you have a very small baby, or a very late potty-trainer, you can usually get by with just the infant and premium sizes, making this a very economical way to diaper your baby, costing about $300-400 for your child's diapering lifetime (and can of course be used on future siblings).

Fitted diapers, like prefolds, are several layers of absorbant cotton or sometimes bamboo or hemp and require a cover. Unlike prefolds, these are shaped similar to disposable diapers and attach to your baby using velcro or snaps. Because they are shaped, you will need more specific sizing. Most newborns are too small for the smalls at first, but then grow out of them quickly. Both of my children stayed in mediums from a couple months old through the rest of the first year, and then went into larges. Some fitted diapers, such as the Motherease one-size, are one size fits all, and to get a small fit you fold over the top of the front panel and use the smallest snap settings. These can also be an economical purchase.

Pocket diapers are an amazing innovation created by a work-at-home-mother. The covers in this diapering system have waterproof material on the outside (often in fun prints) and a microfleece pocket on the inside. You then stuff the pocket with the diaper; the microfleece wicks moisture away from babies skin. The benefit to this system is its ease of use: if you have stuffed them ahead of time, it is no more work than changing a disposable diaper. On the downside, you have to wash the cover after every use, and the cost is pretty high at $15+ per diaper. Still, the system is so popular, the diapers have great resale value.

All-in-one diapers are similar to pocket diapers, except there is no stuffing involved. The all-in-one is simply a diaper sewn into the cover, and you wash the whole thing all at once. They are as easy to use as disposable, but are quite expensive and wear down faster because the dryer can break down the waterproofing. Still, it is nice to have a few in your stash to keep on hand in the car, in case you run out of diapers or you have a blow out.

There are some other things to consider when it comes to diapering your child. You should, when possible, buy diapers constructed with unbleached fibers, to reduce your child's exposure to dioxins. And, when it comes to fitteds, pockets, and all-in-ones, some diapers may not fit your baby well because of different proportions. It is best to buy one or two of a few different kinds and see what works best for your little one before committing yourself to one style of diapering.