Disposable v Cloth Diaper for breast fed baby?

[shoni]

Hi,

I am trying to decide which would be better to buy for a breast fed baby, disposable or cloth diapers. Baby due in 12 weeks.

I would prefer to use cloth diapers as they are better for the environment but have read threads where there is heated discussion about breast fed baby poo's being incredibly loose and am worried about leakage.

Pampers have a range called 'Swaddlers' which are now available here and are designed apparently just for breast fed babies with the whole leakage problem in mind. Anyone use these?

Also, have read that some cloth diapers need washing at least twice to be 'clean' ay high temperatures, which would make them less environmentally friendly.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

:thanks

 

[tikkunolam]

Check out this website to answer your questions about cloth nappies.

http://www.parentingbynature.com/cloth_diapers_faq.php

I hear all the time from disposable nappy users that cloth is more environmentally unfriendly because of all the water used to clean them. But it takes 500 years to breakdown 1 disposable nappy. The average baby uses 6,000 nappies within the first 2 years (at 8 changes a day for 2 years) and that's a lot of waste. The old days of soaking in harsh chemicals in the cloth nappy world is over thanks to washing machines and you don't need several rinses (unless you want to). Most bathrooms in HK have a shower head attached to a hose. If you have a soiled runny breastfed poo nappy, use the shower head to rinse into the toilet (if your shower hose doesn't reach you can replace it for a longer one or get a hose attached to the toilet like the toilets in Thailand). Once the baby starts solids, you can shake the poo into the toilet- you never have to touch it. It only takes one washing to clean them. There are many ways to wash cloth nappies now and on average it takes 3-5 minutes longer per day (according to an Australian study published in Kindred magazine) to take care of cloth nappies if you have an efficient system.

I use wool covers to prevent leaks and blow outs. If you get a good fitting nappy (cloth or disposable) it will help prevent them but blowouts can happen regardless of using disposable or cloth.

 

[miaka]

cloth diapers are better for the environment only bc they don't create more waste, however, do keep in mind that they use a lot of water ... a different kind of 'unenvironmental-ness'

i recently found these diapers: www.gdiapers.com
they're flushable and biodegrade. i haven't tried them ... but i really want to ... however, sadly our current budget just won't allow it. =( if you try it, pls let me know how they are as they seem like a win-win solution for the environment.

 

[shoni]

Thanks miaka, but I dont think our budget will stretch that far either.

I am currently contemplating BumGenius pocket as they seem to be the best value for money, set of 20 takes you all the way through. Any one used these?

 

[rach]

i purchased a whole lot of cloth nappies before baby born (now 17months) and I am yet to use them consistently. I did buy a few newborn ones and it was a really silly thing to do as they poop so much then - i think wait a bit if you really want to use them as it is just not practical when they are so small and there is so much else to do - the one size fits all didn't seem to work for a newborn and you would need to buy a lot of special sized ones for a newborn to really make it work.

I think once poo is solid it is easier (our son is usually runny a lot) but like I said despite my great intentions it just doesn't seem to work for us (can't get right fit despite buying a few brands) but I read a few forums on here where people are very happy with them. I put them on every now and again and they just don't last as long - perhaps I should have persisted earlier but so many other things you are busy doing!

 

[tikkunolam]

Are the G Diapers available in HK? I looked at them (although pricey) and saw that they need a special liner only found in Australia and the US. I'm curious about them for traveling.

Even if you do cloth nappies part of the time you are really doing the environment a favour as well as your budget. There are so many options for cloth nappies but you have to find the ones that suit your baby's body type and your lifestyle.

 

[Matty]

I used disposables for the first 3 months, and have used cloth for the last 15 mths.

I thought it might be too much of a hassle in the early weeks with everything else, but a few friends did it from day one and said it was fine.

I use the Fuzzi Bunz which have been great.
The mediums lasted from 3 mths until about 16mths, and the large will last until toilet training.
They still have plenty of wear left in them and I'll be using them again for my second child.

There is no argument that cloth isn't a million times better for the environment (and a lot cheaper) than disposables.
You have to factor in not only the waste, but the chemical by-products and pollution created in manufacturing disposables.
There is no need to wash nappies separatley. As long as you wash at 60 degrees or above, you just put them in with your regular wash.

 

[shoni]

Thanks for your help. I did read that the cloth nappies were a little big for new borns, so disposables at first and then moving onto cloth does seem to be the way to go.

Thanks for your replies.

 

[miaka]

@tikkunolam: gdiapers are available in the US, Canada and online. they are sort of a combination of cloth and disposable. the liner is flushable and biodegradable (in about 150 days vs. 500 years for regular diposables) so you can flush or just throw in the garbage like a disposable.

if it wasn't for the shipping cost to send to hk, i would definitly try them myself. oh well, i guess i'll hafta wait til we're back in the states.

 

[tikkunolam]

Thanks Miaka. I figured I would have to wait until I go back home. They are expensive but if used for travel, I think they are worthwhile. For now when I travel I will use the Seventh Generation disposables which are more eco-friendly but I'm happy with my cloth nappies here in HK.