[mom2emerson]

I'm preggy and would really like to CD with this one BUT I need to sell DH on the idea (since he participates as much in parenting and diapering as I do).

I need hard FACTS! as well as the good, bad, and stinky realities of it.

I don't want to paint a rosy picture without saying, "okay, so this and that may be some Cons".

Some areas that I'd like more info on are:
cost effectiveness? ie: water, energy, supplies overall vs. disposies
environmental impact? (okay, this is pretty obvious, but maybe I'm missing something)
ease in use? ie: how often do you do a load of laundry, dirty diap storage, smell, etc
reasons it's better for our baby (girl)? I've heard there is concern with chemicals in disposies, etc etc

Thanks so much for your help. I'm due in Nov and want to do my research and sales pitch NOW so when she comes along we don't just fall into the known of disposies like we did with our last!

 

[kgsd]

Well, the main reason we CD is to save money. I figure that using middle-of-the-road cloth diapers (not the cheapest, but not the most expensive) will save us at least $1000 and maybe closer to $2000 vs. using even store-brand disposables. That's for one child - if we have a second and don't have to buy diapers at all for the second, the savings are even more.

We've been CDing for two months and I haven't seen our gas or water bill go up at all. Our electricity has gone up a little, but it normally goes up when it gets hot in the summer, so I don't think it has much to do with the extra laundry. We wash every 2-3 days and I really can't smell the diaper pail except a faint urine smell when the lid is left open for a while.

Other reasons I like it: it's cuter (I find myself getting a diaper that matches her clothes) and they are softer on her skin.

Honestly, I really don't think that it's much harder than disposables. We used disposables the first couple of days home from the hospital, and on a couple of weekend trips. As far as whether it's messier, changing is just as messy, and the only leaks we've ever had have been when she was in disposables (besides one where I didn't get the thighs snug enough). Of course, we're still dealing with breastfed poop, so we don't have to scrape or dump poop - it just comes off in the washer.

The only real disadvantages that I can see are: 1) when you are away from home and you take off a diaper, you can't just throw it away. I have a waterproof bag that I put the diaper in, which isn't much of a big deal - just dump in the diaper pail when I get home. 2) They take up more space to store, but it's not so much that the diapers take over the room.

I guess the other disadvantage is that if you use prefolds or fitteds and covers, you essentially have to diaper your child twice (once with the PF/fitted, and again with the cover). I find myself reaching for the pockets more because of it.

 

[leximom]

You'll be doing the environment a huge favor

 

[amym72]

Check this site out starting here: http://www.thediaperhyena.com/diaper_drama.htm
I'm not sure if this is the first site I found when researching cd's over 4 years ago so I don't know what all is there but I know it is very informative. One main reason I decided to cd (besides environmental) is I was having my first baby girl and read online that disposibles contained some of the ingredients that had been banned from tampons because it caused Toxic Shock Syndrom and that young women who had been disposible diapers as babies and/or used tampons with these chemicals had a higher chance of having cervical cancers and other female reproductive disorders. The women in my family have a history of this problems to begin with and I wanted to decrease her chances. We are planning on having more children and they will be cd'd too. It's not hard AT ALL, they are so much more modern than what was around before disposibles. There are many different types from ones that you fold yourself (no need for pins)and put in a cover (most inexpensive)to ones that are all one piece and just as easy as a disposable (but the most expensive). Most moms use a variety. cloth diapers can come in sizes (s,m,l,xl) just like disposibles or there are one sized ones that can fit from 8-40 lbs. Cloth does cost more to start because of the initial investement but it doesn't take long for them to pay for themselves when you calculate how much disposibles would be especially if you use Pampers or Huggies. The most inexpensive way to gom is Prefolds and covers and you could get started with just those and have enough to last where you only have to wash every three days for a little over $100, for a bit more you could buy some all in ones or fitteds (need a cover) for your husband to use if he is unsure about the prefolds, but my dh didn't have any problems, I just folded the prefold and put it in the cover and all he had to do was put the cover on (they have snaps or velcro, no pins!!). Washing is easy too, you don't need any special detergents and if they have any stains after being washed just lay them in the sunshine outside for a bit and most stains will come out. If you stick around here long enough you will get plenty of info and you may even become like most of us who love to cd and find that it's fun!! Shouldn't everything to do with your baby be fun? Hope you get the info you need to sway your dh and hope you post here, can't wait to see the fluff that you buy!!
Amy

 

[Pinoikoi]

My kids have horrible diaper rash with sposies- they are covered in bleach, and other chemicals.. (not to mention the chemicals inside which expand when wet and are harmful to the human digestive tract)

cloth diapers are just easier on the skin.

My 3rd son was an unexpected adoption- and the diapering cost total for him has been the cost of laundry.. he has reused the diapers his older brother wore. (OK, I admit, I bought him some special diapers and covers just for him- but that was just for fun, I didn't HAVE to, kwim?)

My youngest is still using those dipes- although a few are on their last legs..

talk about cost savings!

I have three in cloth currently, I have to do a wash of diapers every day.

 

[DMama]

It's not at the top of my list of reasons, but the smell factor is one of the things I really, really LOVE about CD'ing. Having diapered one child in sposies and one in cloth, my experience is that the cloth presents MUCH less of a smell issue than the sposies--even when the garbage is taken out regularly. I think there's just something about the combination of disposable paper/gel products and bodily fluids that stinks! (I notice this difference between disposable feminine hygiene products and mama cloth, too.) We used a diaper genie with the disposables, and they still smelled. Cloth diapers in a zippered hanging bag just didn't scent the room nearly as much. (Of course, if you leave toddler pee sitting around longer than a couple of days, things do start to get pungent!)

Cloth is just way more fun, too!

 

[mamaglee]

Here's a good list of things to read:
http://www.cutofcloth.com/cloth_diapering.asp

I don't know if some of these will convince your dh, but here are my reasons:

A lot of times disposable companies will try to sell you with slogans such as, "Feels like cloth" or "soft as cotton"...or something like that. Why not just buy cloth?

I don't like the way disposables smell when wet. To me they smell really chemical-y.

I don't like the little weird bead-y things that are left on newborn/baby/toddler skin after wearing a disposable.

I don't like the paper-y sound of a disposable when the child is moving around.

Cloth really is better for the environment.

Cloth really is cheaper.

I love the looks of a cloth-diapered bum.

I do think it helped my girls potty learn earlier (done w/ dipes by 22 months).

This will be our third cloth diapered baby, and I can honestly say, I think it is easier. I never have to run to the store at inconvenient times to stock up on diapers.

The cons:
Well, you do have to do laundry. If you have 36 dipes it is only every third day, though. (Still think it is easier than running to the store.)

Cloth dipes are a little tricky for me when travelling. I used disposables when travelling more than two days.

Cloth dipes probably need to be changed more often. That said, I get kind of grossed out by the amount of time people keep kids in 1 disposable.

Good luck....I *love* cloth!