Cloth Diapering
Cloth diapering has come a long way over the years. There are so many different options & countless reasons
why you should. Hopefully this information will provide you with a little more knowledge about cloth diapering.
Different Types of Cloth Diapers
a flat diaper made of super absorbent fabric, usually cotton. These can be
put on with diaper pins or a Snappi fastener. You have to have a waterproof
cover to prevent leaks. This is the cheapest route to go in cloth diapering
and PFs are very absorbant, but you do have to learn how to fold them.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO FOLD
PREFOLDS
made similar to disposable diaper of abosorbant cotton with sewn-in
or snap fasteners, very easy to use, but they still require a waterproof
cover. Fitted diapers cost a bit more than regular prefolds.
FITTED DIAPER
POCKET DIAPER
ALL-IN-ONE (AIO)
these are made with a layer of fabric to go against baby and forms a "pocket"
with a waterproof cover. These can be "stuffed" with an insert made from
absorbent cotton, hemp, or microfiber through the opening in the pocket. These
are great because they dry so fast, you don't have to deal with putting on an extra
cover and are very easy to use. These are more expensive but worth it because you
can add another insert for more absorbancy for "heavy wetters" and overnight
use.
made from absorbent fabrics with a waterproof cover, fasteners,
and insert already sewn in. Some have a removable insert, then it is
usually refered to as an AI2/all-in-2. These are the closest to
disposables in ease of use (making them a big fave of dads!), but
also the most expensive and take the longest to dry.
If you can sew, you can make your own
diapers! Here's a few links to get you started.
WHY CHOOSE CLOTH DIAPERS?
Consider the Enviroment!
Consider The Costs!
Consider Baby's Health!
* An estimated 27.4 billion disposable diapers every year.
* A single disposable diaper may take 250-500 years to decompose.
* Over 92% of all single-use diapers end up in a land fill.
*Cloth diapers consume less natural resources when produced and are reusable & recyclable.
* Americans spend about 7 billion dollars on disposable diapers every year.
* The cost of cloth diapering is about one-tenth the cost of buying disposables.
* Cloth diapers can be used for more than one child & they have  resale value.
* Disposable diapers contain trace amounts of Dioxin which is used during manufacturing.
* The EPA lists Dioxin as the most toxic of cancer-linked chemicals. Dioxin has been banned in most countries, but not
the U.S.
* Disposables contain Sodium Polyacrylate, a type of super absorbent poylmer (SAP).
-It is added in powder form to the inner pad of disposables to "keep baby dry".
* SAP was banned from tampons due to the links in toxic shock syndrome.
* SAP can casue skin irritations and severe allergic reactions including vomiting, staph infections and fever.
Wool is a great natural cover. It's ablities include being able to absorb
moisture- up to 30% of it's weight, and still feel dry. It is breathable, allowing
the moisture to evaporate. Know as longies, shorties & soakers, wool covers
can double as clothing over any diaper. They need to be lanolized to increase
waterproofing the cover, but do not need to be washed with every diaper change.
Wool Covers