Diaper Dilemma

June 28, 2010 

The Real Diaper Association estimates that a baby will go through about 6,000 diapers in the first two years of life. That’s a lotta trash! In an attempt to save our landfills from that burden, I’ve decided to take the less traveled route of cloth diapers. Here’s what I’ve found: 

Surprisingly, there are a lot of cloth diaper choices out there, but after trying a wide range of them, my faves ended up being a brand called g Diapers. Why? First off, they have an internal liner that can be switched out. This makes for less things to wash, and fewer diapers to buy. I also love the fact that they are less bulky than all the others, and can be used with both cloth and biodegradable inserts. (I have been using the cloth inserts during the day, and the biodegradable ones at night.) Like all things, they do have their downsides. Some may find the snap-in liners a bit of a pain, and the tearing and swishing of the biodegradable liners does take some extra time. 

My first-runner-up pick on cloth diapers is the Fuzzi Bunz One Size diaper, which is super soft and cute, and theoretically lasts the entire time your little one is in diapers. The downside is the absorbing insert goes under the material that touches the skin, so you’ll need to wash the entire thing every change. That’s a bulk of laundry that will add up quick. Not to mention the large initial investment of buying all the diapers. 

For wipes, going reusable is a no-brainer, especially when you are already doing diaper wash. I really love Baby Kicks Washies/Wipes, which are made from hemp and organic cotton. They are just the right size, and have a fleece side and a smooth side to help you do any job right. 

I also invested in a diaper sprayer, which turned out to be well worth the $45 price. It connects to the water main on the toilet, and works great to get off as much matter as possible before putting the diapers in the washing machine. 

Lastly, if you have to have some disposable diapers for traveling or serious rash breakouts, try Nature Babycare. They are a completely biodegradable diaper, which technically can be composted (although most homes don’t have the capability to do this), but at the very least, these will break down completely in a landfill.