Calling all Cloth Diaper-ers...

[ks3885]

Hey all, I am newly pregnant and looking into cloth diapering. I'm really interested in it but don't know anyone who has done it. Anyone here have thoughts, feedback, suggestions? Not sure if I should be posting this somewhere else but I think this forum fits...

Pros and cons are appreciated too.

[annettemarie]

Moving to the Cloth Diapering forum

[e(Lisa)beth]

The only con for me so far has been everybody and their brother telling me that I'm insane to use cloth! My baby is only two weeks old but I've been hearing it for months and it's getting pretty old.

I'm sure washing them is a con for a lot of people but it hasn't been a big deal for us.

The pros for me are that they are cheaper (I use prefolds and covers) and I like not throwing diapers into a landfill.

Otherwise, they're just diapers. I don't think too much about them anymore.

[Mommy2Teagan]

I agree with everything PP wrote. We use pocket diapers and they are so easy to use. Like PP said, the only con would be rinsing poopy diapers but that doesn't bother me one bit. Which is weird because I usually cringe at things like that. But I guess all of the benefits of cloth diapering are so awesome that it makes the poop rinsing seem insignificant. Even if the poop rinsing bothered me greatly, I would just suck it up and do cloth diapering anyway. The two main pros for me are reducing the landfill waste coming out of my household and not using disposables that contain chemicals. If you are going to breastfeed, cloth diapers hold in BF poop SO WELL!

[Gabes Mommy]

I started CDing when my son was about 12 months old. I prefer it to disposables, and would do it again with my next child from the beginning. We use primarily BumGenius pockets and All In One diapers. I think the biggest cons are the laundry, and that his clothes fit him differently with cloth than sposies. Cloth is fluffier.

As far as pros, it's better for the environment; they're cute; they cost more upfront, but less over the course; you don't have to worry about running out (unless you don't get diaper laundry done).

Any other specific questions you have, we'd be glad to answer for you!

[Ifluffedthree]

Pros:
Reduces environmental waste of precious water resources. I am a bit peeved at 7th Generation for their more recent public statement that cloth uses more water -- 20 years around the block and I am telling you that is a bunch of shitake mushrooms.

Reduces large amounts of manufacturing and transportation resources, the waste puck up and disposal maintenance.

Reduced rashes

Reduced Dioxins and other chemicals that negatively impact the body when absorbed through the skin.

not linked to asthma

not linked to male infertility

workers in production of cloth diapers don't complain about working with the chemicals and making them sick.

now the fun stuff:

saves you money --- unless you abuse the addiction.

can be bought used and new, just like a car. who wants used disposables?

most designs are relatively easy to use and launder

the is an abundent amount of resouces available to help you transition.

mistakes are MEANT to happen when learning your groove and you only become better at it.

good for the skin, more comfortable, breathable

big diaper butts are way cuter than tiny little disposables (ok, I am a little biased)

available in more varieties these day than disposables. (yeah for the wahms and cd industries and all their hard work to take back that slice of the pie)

just cute, fun to shop for

Good luck on your decision to cd.

cons:

only if you don't have a washer easily accessible.