Don't fear the cloth diaper!

Patrick and I attended a cloth diapering class this weekend, as I mentioned, and we were sold. First, let me point out that the above diaper (found at www.fuzzibunz.com) is a cloth diaper. It's one of the easiest versions and is commonly referred to as an "all-in-one." That means that there's no confusion about how to fold the diaper or anything because it contains everything you need. When the baby needs a change, you just strip the whole thing off, give it a rinse and throw it in the waterproof diaper hamper.

Now, keep it mind that we won't have a ton of these because they're costly -- about $13 to $20-plus. (We bought this one and five like it on clearance because fuzzi bunz is apparently coming out with a new design. They were $13.95 each.)

We'll instead purchase an assortment of all-in-ones, along with the traditional pre-folds (the kind you have to fold, fasten and then stick in a cover that looks something like the fuzzi bunz version above).

At the risk of offending anyone who was plastic-diapered (like me!), we think cloth diapering is the best, safest option for our baby and will even be cheaper than the disposable route -- even if we get a few more all-in-ones.

From newparentsguide.com

The greatest concern for parents is to keep their baby’s skin dry, healthy and free from diaper rash. Many things can cause diaper rash. Prolonged wetness, lack of air circulation, soap, chemical and dye allergies, ammonia formed by bacteria that interacts with urine left sitting against the skin and the growth of microbes in the diaper area can all be irritating and cause rashes.

Some concerns about disposable diapers have been about dyes, sodium polyacrylate (the super absorbent gel), and dioxin, which is a by-product of bleaching paper. Sodium polyacrylate has been linked in the past to toxic shock syndrome, allergic reactions and is very harmful and potentially lethal to pets. Some dyes and dioxin according to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is known to cause damage to the central nervous system, kidneys, and liver. The (FDA) Food & Drug Administration has received reports that fragrances in disposables caused headaches, dizziness and rashes.

Problems reported to the Consumer Protection Agency regarding disposables include, chemical burns, noxious chemical and insecticide odors, babies pulling disposables apart and putting pieces of plastic into their noses and mouth, choking on tab papers and linings, plastic melting onto the skin, and ink staining the skin. Plastic tabs can also tear skin if the diaper is not properly put on the baby.

According to the Journal of Pediatrics, 54 % of one-month old babies using disposable diapers had rashes, 16 % having severe rashes. A study done by a disposable diapers manufacturing company ... shows that the incidence of diaper rash increased from 7.1% to 61% with the increased use of throwaway disposable diapers.

Sure, we're concerned about throwing all those gross disposable diapers in landfills (a practice that we were told is illegal unless you empty its contents in the toilet, by the way), but there's an ongoing debate about whether all the extra washings required with cloth requires more energy, making cloth no less "green" that disposables. (I doubt it, but whatever!) Our real concern was to avoid putting that plastic against our baby's skin. And disposables, with their crazy super absorbent characteristics, mean kids are more likely to sit in a wet diaper without knowing it's wet. That might be easier for the diaper-changer, but do you really want your kid sitting in urine?

Finally, studies have shown that cloth-diapered kids potty-train months earlier on average than plastic-diapered kids. Why? For the reasons above. Plastic-diapered kids don't know they're wet so they're comfy sitting in those plastic monsters.

From The New Father: A Dad's Guide to the First Year:

The average child who wears disposables is in them for 36-40 months, compared to 24-30 months for kids in cloth diapers.

Plastic may be a little more convenient, but plastic-diaperers will be enjoying that "convenience" for up to 10-12 months longer. It's just a thought.