Pros/Cons to cloth diapering

[ac23]

Can you share with me your pros and cons for cloth diapering? I am trying to decide whether I can make it work for our family or not. Here is what I have come up with:

Pros:
better for environment
better for baby's skin
less expensive
Very Cute!

Cons:
dumping poop in toilet/extra diapering steps
potential stink in room
extra laundry
bulkier diaper - maybe doesn't fit in clothes as well?

Additionally, I was thinking about getting these diapers http://www.cuteybaby.com/?page_id=7. They seem to be a new company. They are doing a promo at Costco, and I can get a starter pack that includes 6 diapers for $80. Does anyone know anything about them?

Thanks so much!

[stillplayswithbarbies]

two of your cons are not really cons.

Dumping poop in toilet - you have to do that with disposable diapers too.
potential stink in room - cloth doesn't stink as much as disposables in the diaper pail.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

re: the con about potential stink, if the baby is exclusively breastfed, the poo does not stink. AT ALL. my DS is EBF and we keep the cloth diapers in a hamper and do laundry every other day. while it's sitting in the room, u cannot smell it at all (and i have a VERY sensitive sense of smell). so if you are planning on BF'ing, that is not an issue.

related to that, if you are EBF'ing, u can throw the soiled diapers directly into the laundry w/o scraping the poo off. breastfed baby poo is really runny so it's mostly liquid anyways (sorry if TMI, lol). we just throw diapers directly into washing machine and it works. it is very easy. just do a cold rinse & spin cycle (without soap) first and then wash.

the bulkiness of the cloth diaper is definitely a con..since today's clothes are designed for disposable diapers, u have to size up when using cloth (at least for when u are using the prefolds/covers..i think the all-in-ones are a bit less bulky). another related issue is that (especially at the beginning, when they're so small) the diapers are so bulky they keep his legs spread apart so much, making it impossible for him to cross their legs, etc. my DS liked to cross his legs a lot and it took him a bit of time to get used to wearing the cloth.

another pro of cloth- less leaks, if u use it right. i have had leaks with huggies disposables and other brands, but i don't thik ive ever had a leak with cloth. they hold a lot.

yet another pro (and i think this is one of the best "pros" of cloth) the cloth diapers are GREAT for many uses other than diapers too. some people use them as burp cloths. i don't but i use them as a "shield" over my DS's boy parts when changing him, so he doesn't spray the wall and/or soil his onesie. lol. the cloth diapers are great for that bc they are so absorbent..i tried using washcloths to perform the same task and they just soak thru and make a mess. also my DS often poops a bit on the changing table so now we just change him with a cloth diaper underneath and if he soils it, no biggie..rather than having to change the changing table pad every time he dirties it.

i don't know about the brand at the link u mentioned, i got mine from Green Mountain Diapers and they were great.

[edurnemk]

Can you share with me your pros and cons for cloth diapering? I am trying to decide whether I can make it work for our family or not. Here is what I have come up with:

Pros:
better for environment
better for baby's skin
less expensive
Very Cute!

Cons:
dumping poop in toilet/extra diapering steps
potential stink in room
extra laundry
bulkier diaper - maybe doesn't fit in clothes as well?

Additionally, I was thinking about getting these diapers http://www.cuteybaby.com/?page_id=7. They seem to be a new company. They are doing a promo at Costco, and I can get a starter pack that includes 6 diapers for $80. Does anyone know anything about them?

Thanks so much!

I've benn CDing since DS was 4 months old, and never looked back.

About the cons you list, I just wanted to comment the dumping poop in toilet is something you have to do with any kind of diaper (yes, even disposables). In many states it's illegal to dump human feces in the trash because that will eventually leach through to underground water.

The room where we keep the diaper pail never stinks because it has a locking lid, and we put some making soda and a few drops of lavander oil in the bag. Also we do laundry every 2 or 3 days max.

You may have to move up a size in clothing a little sooner than with disposables, but I really don't think the difference is so big. DS has always used the size that goes with his age, and when he does wear disposables for travel, I don't feel his clothes seem too roomy.

Anyway my pros:
I saved thousands of dollars
Better for environment
Better for baby
Easier to potty train early
Less leaks
They look adorable! (we use Bumgenius Pockets)

Cons:
Extra loads of laundry, but not a big hassle IMO
I have to remember to strip them every few weeks
They take up more room in the diaper bag.
It takes some trial and error to find the perfect washing routine for your type of water.
You may have to try several brands before finding the CD that has the best fit for your baby. I used the Jillian's Drawers trial program which is a blessing and ever since then we use Bumgenius.
With softer poop, the dumping part is a little harder, but DO get the diaper sprayer! And problem solved.

[twowhat?]

We cloth diapered for 3 months until one of our girls became intolerant to the wetness against her skin and really miss cloth diapers. They rarely leaked, especially when you're dealing with explosive infant poops.

We ALWAYS dump solid poops (when babies are mostly on solid foods) in the toilet even though we now use disposables. Not just because you are technically supposed to, but also because it helps a LOT with stink. Plus, my girls love to see me dump their poop and tell them "This is where your poop goes" and flush the toilet LOL. Maybe one day it'll click for potty training

[ac23]

Thanks so much for your replies and the info on dumping poop regardless of diaper type. My DD is 2 1/2 months old and I am breastfeeding. We will do formula during the day (2 or 3 feedings) when I go back to work and I will breastfeed her morning, evening, night. I assume her poop will firm up a little with the added formula. Can you tell me what you scrape the diapers with?

It seems like there is minimal difference from a time and workload perspective for between cloth and disposable diapers. Extra laundry is really the difference. We have a babysitter/nanny and my husband does his share of diapers, so I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something in my thought process since I'm making a decision that will impact them too.

Keep the pros/cons coming!

[american_mama]

People have hit on some major themes. Other things:

PROS
cheaper
some babies have less rashes or fewer blowouts in cloth
some parents feel cloth is healther for their baby (fewer chemicals, lower temperatures to the genitals)
makes a routine and constant chore more fun
makes you feel proud to learn and implement something unusual (aside: although this pride sometimes turns into superiority)
may lead to earlier potty training (varies a lot though)

CONS
putting the diaper on baby often takes longer
time spent (researching initial decision, altering sizes or styles to meet baby's needs, and getting rid of the diapers when you're eventually done)
can be more expensive if you don't control your spending
can be a source of disagreement between parents (one parent wants to and the other doesn't, what dipes are easier, who cares for the diapers)
harder to find a day care provider who will work with cloth
more likely to have bumps in the road.... fit/leak/laundry issues that are puzzling to resolve

As for stink, I generally think cloth stinks more than disposables, but obviously, this varies. The morning cloth diaper (ammonia smell) will sometimes literally make you take a step back and disposables NEVER do that. The cloth diaper pail often stinks big time when it's opened, and sometimes the smell goes into the room. Yet poopy cloth diapers DON'T stink that much because you're dumping/rinsing the poop away. With my third child (second cloth diapered one), I now think disposables stink in a way that I never did before, and the odor really lingers. But it's milder than a stinky cloth diaper pail or morning cloth diaper.

I looked at the Cutey Baby and searched for them on diaperswappers with very limited success. The description is sorely lacking, but the one mention I found suggested that the owner is a very committed cd user, and I'm super impressed she got the dipes into Costco. If they are All-In-One's, 6 for $80, that's a good price. i have never heard of the removable laundry tabs, which personally sounds like a lot of work to me, keeping track of a little item that shouldn't go in the laundry but is essential to attach to the diaper after it;s out of the washer.dryer.

I'd contact the Cutey Baby owner and ask her these questions:
1. What is the soaker made of? (Probably microfiber, because it's cheap and good, just more prone to retaining odors. If it's flannel, I'd stay away from the diapers.) What is the top layer made of? Ideally, it's fleece or suedecloth, which create a stay dry feeling.

2. Is the soaker interal (sewn all around, making it harder to wash and dry) or quick-dry (flaps sewn only at one end, making it easier to wash and dry albeit a little thick where everything is attached) or snaps (easiest to wash and dry, you can choose whether to launder together for no sorting afterwards or un-snap for best washing but have to hunt to find the piece in the dryer).

3. What is the outer? If it's cotton print PUL, that's prone to wicking and I'd advise against. If it is polyster print PUL, that's good. If it's "hidden PUL" (white PUL with cotton print sewn over for decoration), that's ok.

4. Can she describe or send photos of the removable tabs? That is brand new.

5. What's the inner channel thing? I think she just means that the legholes are turned and topstitched (elastic is fully encased), which I do agree is the most leakproof, but it's a common feature in cltoh, not something new.

In general, I would stay with a more tried and true cloth diaper, especially for a novice user. Her prints are lovely and again, if cloth is at Costco, I do wish that manufacturer well. But the website needs a lot more info. and photos.

[maestramommy]

Pros:
better for environment
better for baby's skin
less expensive
Very Cute!

Cons:
dumping poop in toilet/extra diapering steps
potential stink in room
extra laundry
bulkier diaper - maybe doesn't fit in clothes as well?

I want to address your pros because they are not always pros. Re the environment, it really depends on where you live, and whether water and electricity are a premium. I cloth diaper now because we have private water and septic, and our town landfill is not as big as when we were living in the L.A basin. When we lived in SoCal, water was a huge premium, so it didn't feel green to me to be washing diapers 3-4 times a week the way they need to be washed in order to be clean. Also, cloth is just not as absorbent as disposable in many cases, so you end up having to use and wash more diapers in a day's time.

As for being better for baby's skin, I will say that almost every time my kids have gotten a rash it was when we were cloth diapering. Now maybe it was because I use mostly prefolds, saving the premium pocket diapers for overnight, but sometimes you get a toxic poop, and it doesn't matter what kind of diaper you have. Some babies ARE sensitive to the synthetic materials in disposable diapers, but many (like mine) are not, their skin only gets irritated from prolonged wetness.

As for cost, I will agree with this only if you have more than one baby, or you use only prefolds and covers. The premium diapers are MUCH more expensive, and I find it hard to believe that the cost of these diapers plus the cost of water and power to wash will be less for a single baby than disposables.

The biggest pro for me is that with new babies I have fewer leaks and blowouts with cloth. In fact, hardly any. I attribute that to prefolds, though others may disagree. I just get a much snugger fit than with disposables.

As for the cons, I agree except that I haven't had much of a problem with stinking up the room where the pail sits. And yes the diaper butt is bulkier, but my kids have teeny butts, and the cloth diaper actually makes their pants fit . As others of mentioned you have to dump poop in the toilet anyhow, but with cloth you spray it "clean" with a diaper sprayer. Here is where my conscience is soothed because it means less poop in the trash. OTOH, my dh thinks it's totally Byzantine that we are still doing this. Like "we can put a man on the moon, but we can't figure out a more sanitary solution to this??" Our kids have very pasty poop, so I spend a lot of time spraying a single dipe, which means more water usage.

I don't want to discourage you from cloth diapering. I think it's a good option, maybe a better one, for many people. But not for everyone. As for myself, I am currently doing both cloth and disposables. It's a nice balance that doesn't overly tax my sanity nor my conscience I have had 2 in diapers for 3 years now (for a couple months it was 3), and I find, "It doesn't have to be all or nothing" is a great theme to live by, and not only for diapering.

I use mostly prefolds and Thirsties covers for day, bum genius pockets for night.

[alirebco]

I've been cloth diapering for 2 years now with a huge variety of diapers and really I don't think there are any cons.

PROS:
cheaper in the long run
less blowouts and leaks
less rash (DS had constant rash in disposables)
way better for environment (I don't care what you say but those studies that say cloth uses more water are not accurate since they were done by disposable diaper companies)
no having to run out in the middle of the night or at inconvenient times to get more diapers
cuter and holds my skinny son's pants up!

CONS:
more upfront cost
can be a bit of a learning curve in the beginning with certain kinds (prefolds, flats)

I don't consider the laundry a con, since I just throw it in there and the machine does the work. It's not like I'm scrubbing it clean myself. Dumping the poop takes 1 second and there is no smell. I find it just as convenient when we're out and overnight it works better than disposables. I hate the smell that disposables have!

[ac23]

Thanks again for all of your replies. I've decided I'm going to give it a try! I really do want to try it and I feel like the AIO option at Costco is an affordable way to trial. I'm going to go there tomorrow armed with american_mama's questions! I do remember that the soaker was microfiber and it was attached at one end but could flop out in the drier for a quicker dry. I will ask about the outer and the inner channel. We'll see how it goes!