re-usable diapers | Imamother

didan

Tue, Mar 07 2006, 10:37 pm

B"H

chavamom wrote:

You can get flushable liners so that you still won't have to deal with 'mess'.

Really? Never heard of them! I've been using cloth diapers for over three years, but as soon as my baby starts having solid movements (13-14 months, depending when I start solids), I switch to disposables. I've been using Tushies gel-free disposables, but they're very expensive. I'd like to go back to cloth if I can avoid the mess:)

Also, about the question of why not use disposables if you're using disposable liners...the reason we use cloth is for our child's health. I'd imagine that disposable liners meant for cloth diapers probably don't have the chemicals and gels found in mainstream diapers.

Of course I can't back this up, as I've said earlier I've never heard of them until now, but I'd guess this would be the case. Chavamom, please clarify.

Last edited by didan on Tue, Mar 07 2006, 10:40 pm; edited 1 time in total

didan

Tue, Mar 07 2006, 10:48 pm

B"H

The earliest I started was 12 months. My first didn't have any solids until closer to 13-14 months old. Many people think it's ridiculous that my children had nothing but breastmilk until this time. (Except a lick of wine from Kiddush every Shabbos.)

The diapers did not become solid overnight, though. My kids were still nursing for a while after they we started them on solids. (I think you and I had that discussion once about nursing older kids...)

By the way, I've only washed the diapers twice. My husband washes the all the diapers.

How old is your baby now?

The best thing to start a baby on is fresh fruit and vegetables, and let their digestive system get used to digesting "easier" things first.

Anonymous
Guest

Tue, May 09 2006, 9:51 pm

goldrose wrote:

I agree its much cheaper, dont know much about the environmental issues, but dont think it really makes a difference if my baby is 3000 more diapers in the lake...just add it to the zillions going daily...

the only benefit for me would be the cost, but at this point I'm not prepared to sacrifice my sanity, because I still think its gross.

Well, every little bit less garbage going into our landfills helps. If 4 or 5 people just on this board did cloth instead of disposibles, that's 15,000 or so diapers that don't get thrown away.

And, I am not intending to be snarky or inflammatory here, but how is it gross? You still have to clean the tushy from poop with a disposible. Don't you think it's "gross" to have human excrement going into the ground where it is not supposed to be (even the disposible diaper packages say to flush the waste, which few people do) rather than treated properly via the sewer system (which it is when it is flushed and/or the diaper is washed in the machine and water gets treated)?

As for myself, I'd rather the poopy mess go in the diapers and I can wash them properly than all over the clothes, which is where it frequently ends up with disposibles anyway.

I don't find it takes more time or effort actually. I think it's way more of a pain to shlep out to Costco or Target or wherever, spend $30 on a case of diapers and $12 on a case of wipes that I have to shlep home, then shlep them out to the trash when the can is full. Not to mention it just kills me to know I'm basically throwing that money in the garbage.

Instead I order my cloth diapers once online, then I bring them down 2x-3x a week to the laundry room where all the other wash is anyway, and I never worry about running out or not having enough cash to pay for more disposibles (which would be an issue for us).

mumsy23

Thu, May 11 2006, 10:38 am

Quote:

my kids diapers won't make a difference.

That is a really bad attitude. So lets everybody, just stop recycling, or doing anything good for the environment because "My effort won't make a difference". Why should I do anything that is for the greater good, I am just one person - I can't make a difference! If we all had that attitude, well the world would be in BIG trouble!

To you Pro-cloth people, I am highly considering cloth diapers for my next child I"H... I never thought I would, but you made some really good arguments!

chavamom

Thu, May 11 2006, 3:48 pm

You know, part of the problem with disposable diapers is that people see that is what 'everybody does' so no arguements sway them. The fact that it is illegal to put human waste into the regular trash (just ask me about hospitals and biohazard bags!)? Well - EVERYBODY'S doing it! The fact that they don't biodegrade and will be in a waste dump for the next 500 years leaving a horrible legacy of trash (that won't rot!) to the next generation? The fact that disposable diapers are the largest percentage item of any trash in our landfills? "Well, me changing won't help!"

But it does. B/c the more people that change over to cloth/reusable diapers, the more it becomes 'normal' and others consider it, creating a trend. Maybe 10 or 20 years from now 'everybody' will be using cloth! I know that a number of my friends and family have used cloth after seeing my children's diapers and I have Beis Ya'akov girls who have babysat for me telling people 'Mrs. W. uses cloth diapers and they aren't gross or hard to use' (seriously! I've heard them!) so maybe when they become kollel wives, they will make that choice too. Trends start out with individuals you know.