Why Bother with Cloth Diapers?
I've been putting off writing this post on cloth diapers for months simply because there's so much to say that I don't even know where to start. So, if you'll bear with me, I'll start at the beginning and muddle my way through explaining the how, the why and the what's of our cloth diapering experience. I'll also pass along some of the fabulous resources I came across in my research.
First up, reasons we considered cloth diapers:
- Finances - This was my biggest draw to investigate cloth diaper. I'd heard it could save you a ton of money, especially when you get to reuse diapers on your second child.
- Environment - Let's be honest this was really a non-factor. I'm not an environmentalist. I try to recycle, but I really just like cloth diapers because they were budget-friendly, not because they avoided landfills. Although I have learned that disposables take 500 years to decompose in a landfill. Saving the environment and being green is just an added bonus that I can throw out if I want to look/sound cool.
- Health - Disposable diapers contain chemicals like polyacrylate gel (which can cause skin irritations), dioxin (a cancer-linked chemical), and tributyl tim (speculated to cause sterility in boys). Cloth diapers also cause fewer diaper rashes than disposable diapers. However, I know tons of people who have survive years in disposable diapers, so I wasn't sure how much weight to put in the "health risks" of "paper diapers."
Need some more resources? Check these links out:
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