Cloth diapering

I mentioned cloth diapering in my Welcome post, so why not get right into it now?

I am very new to cloth diapers. I am far from a cloth diaper connoisseur! So take what you will from this cloth newbie :)

Babies go through a lot of diapers, a lot! During the newborn stage they probably go through 10+ a day, at least my kids did. Ever wonder where those diapers go? A landfill. To sit... for about 250-500 years, give or take. I'm not sure the Earth appreciates that.

Disposable diapers are also costly. You will spend easily over $2000 on disposable diapers for your baby. Depending on how conservative and/or frugal you are, cloth diapers will run anywhere from $200-$1000+ (some people like the fancy expensive cloth diapers).

Cloth diapers are better for your baby's skin. Dioxin is not something you want to exposure your child to, however there are chlorine free disposable diapers if you want to stick with disposable diapers.

There is debate as to whether cloth diapering really is better for the environment considering the water usage to wash them. What the studies don't factor in to those numbers though is the energy used to manufacture those millions of disposable diapers everyday. If you're concerned about energy costs in the manufacturing of cloth diapers, there are plenty of moms who sew (and some sell) their own diapers- disposable diapers don't offer that kind of alternative.

I think cloth diapering is worth a shot. I know it's not for everyone, but I think even a crispy mum can handle it.

If you would like to explore the world of cloth diapering further, here is a great forum:
www.diaperswappers.com