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Cloth Diaper Myths Debunked!We have all heard the cloth diaper myths - they leak, they stink, they are hard to use. There are so many of them out there and there are many people who have never used cloth diapers that think they are true. Fortunately, most of those reasons are completely false. Here is a list of the top 10 myths of using cloth diapers – debunked!
When I had my first son I really wanted to cloth diaper, but the thought of dunking nasty poopy diapers in the toilet was enough to send me running (thankfully not forever) from the world of cloth diapering. It wasn't until my third son was I ready to look into it again and found out that you don’t have to dunk diapers! Cloth diapers have come a long way. Long gone are the days of dunking - the way your grandma did it. Now you can just toss your poopy diapers in the wash and go. At least until they start on solid food anyway, and then you can use a diaper sprayer. For older babies with solid poo, you can just toss it in the toilet and wash your diapers as usual. How cool is that?
Actually, it’s not at all! They actually make diapers that are as easy to put on as a disposable. That was one of the big attractions for me when I looked into cloth diapering. There are diapers that just Velcro right on – no cover’s no hassle. Easy for daddy's and daycares too! No more pins! And you don't have to wash diapers everyday - I only wash 2 -3 times a week. I'd rather throw in a load of laundry than have to run out to the store to buy a pack of disposables.
Not anymore! Not only do they make diapers that are a cover and diaper in one, you can also use shorties and longies as a cover. Shorties and longies are just like they sound - shorts or pants made of wool or fleece that act as a diaper cover and short/pants in one. Talk about money saving! And there are so many cute options.
This couldn't be further from the truth. There is a growing community of mothers who care deeply about the Earth and moving towards a more natural parenting. You can look online and places like Diaper Swappers for a community of moms who cloth diaper. As a matter of fact, if you Google ‘cloth diapers’ you will get thousands of pages of stores that sell them and information on how to use them. It is very ‘hip’ to use cloth now.
Yes you can spend a lot on a diaper. If you are on a budget though, there are many ways to go about cloth diapering. You can use prefolds , which are very inexpensive, for starters. If prefolds aren't your thing, than buy from a wahm. There are many out there who make good quality diapers for less than the manufactured ones. And hey, if you’re handy with a sewing machine, you can sew your own . There are tons of tutorials that will show you how! And don't worry about your water or electricity bill going up. A couple of extra loads a week won’t boost your bills.
I have read many times a mom asking if her baby hasn’t started rolling over or crawling yet because of cloth diapers. The answer is ‘absolutely not’. Cloth diapers do not cause any problems with the development of regular milestones of a baby. I have had 4 sons – two who wore disposables and two who wore cloth. They all crawled at 7 months and walked at 10 months. Yes sometimes cloth diapers can look bulky and awkward, but believe me, it is built into your baby to grow and start moving. Not every baby will reach milestones at the same age – and that doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with him. It is totally normal!
While it is true that not all cloth diapers keep your baby’s skin feeling dry, there are many that do. Most pocket diapers and many all in one diapers are made with material that is ‘stay dry’. It keeps your baby from feeling the wetness of the diaper just as well as any disposable. If you are looking for a diaper that is stay dry, just look for any diaper that has suedecloth or microfleece for the inner material.
OK, so dirty diapers stink, right? With disposables you can just take them to your outside garbage can or get one of those handy genie thingy’s that help keep the smell at bay. So it makes sense that keeping dirty diapers in your house in a regular pail would just plain stink. Wrong! It’s totally not true. After several years of cloth diapering I have rarely had a stinky pail. And actually, if you have a stinky pail , that is probably a sign of a problem with your wash routine.
With my first two sons I used disposable diapers. I quickly learned all about ‘blow outs’. A blow out is when your baby has what I like to call ‘explosive poo’. It sounds like a mini explosion in your baby’s diaper and the poo erupts from the top of the diaper and all the way up their back. I had those all the time with disposables. Funny thing is, I have never had that problem with cloth. Ever. And the only time I have had a problem with leaks is when the diaper needed to be changed sooner, or the fit needed to be adjusted. Cloth diapers are actually really absorbent! And they hold in newborn poop like you wouldn’t believe.
There are some who argue that because cloth diapers have to be washed, they are wasting water and electricity, which makes them just as bad for the environment. I actually laugh a little when I hear that. With an extra 3 loads of laundry a week to wash diapers, I highly doubt that is true. Not to mention that to make disposable diapers it is actually using up far more natural resources. Let’s not forget how they just sit for hundreds of years in a landfill. And really, if you are worried that you are using too much water – you can wash them by hand. : )
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