Lady of the Cloth

When I found out that I was pregnant late last summer I had already made the decision to use cloth diapers. I had used disposable diapers on Noah because I was very uniformed. I thought that cloth diapers would be messy and a hassle and that I would have to get them clean by a company. But boy was I wrong! Cloth diapers have come a long way in the last ten years and they are not at all what they used to be. I remember when my youngest siblings were in diapers that it was the prefolded cotton diapers, diaper pins and plastic pants. I recall my mom rinsing them in the toilet bleck! New high tech fabrics and new choices in materials are making the switch to cloth diapers much easier. Waterproof and breathable shells and super absorbent inserts that are soft against your babies skin. And no more diaper pins you can either choose snaps or velcro closures. I big draw with cloth diapers- they are cute! You can find them in every shade of the rainbow, I even found pink leopard print and cow print the other day online!
So why am I using cloth diapers?
Well first of all they are MUCH better for the environment. Nearly 80% of diapering in the United States is disposable. That is almost 18 BILLION dirty diapers sitting in our landfills every year...in the US ALONE. They are the third largest single product in the waste stream behind newspapers and beverage containers.
Second they are much healthier for your baby. There is serious concern over the chemicals use to make disposable diapers. Dioxin, which in various forms has been shown to cause cancer, birth defects, liver damage, skin diseases, and genetic damage, is a by-product of the paper-bleaching process used in manufacturing disposable diapers. Trace quantities may even exist in the diapers themselves! Cloth diapers, on the other hand, are free of the many chemicals contained in disposable diapers. The inserts in the diapers I use are either cotton, hemp or fleece.
And 3rd is the COST. Cloth diapers are MUCH MUCH MUCH cheaper than disposable. Most parents go through 6-8 THOUSAND diapers per child. That can cost you upwards to $6000 to diaper ONE CHILD from birth to 3 years. You can purchase enough cloth diapers to diaper your child from birth to 3 years for as little as $60!! Consider, too, that those cloth diapers may last for one or more successive children and your savings doubles and even triples.
Cloth diapers are every bit as convenient as disposable diapers. The options available today prove that cloth diapering doesn't have to be inconvenient. Cloth diapers nowadays are fitted with elastic in the legs and back area and have easy hook and loop closures or snaps. Many different fabric choices and absorbency levels allow parents to choose the best diapering system for the individual needs of their child. It just can't get any easier. There is no time like the present to make a firm commitment to your child, to your pocket book, and to your planet. Start using cloth diapers today!

Information provided by The Diaper Jungle