I am due to become a New Daddy in the New Year. Should we use disposible or cloth Nappies?

Question

I am sure the costs work out the same if you have them Laundered, but what is better for the Babies skin?

Answer 1

I'm sure you're aware that cloth nappies are supposed to be much better for the environment and usually work out rather cheaper.

But on a practical level, all I can do is relate our baby's experience. We bought all the cloth nappies, covers and so on, but when she was first born she was too small for them, so we had to use disposables for a while.

Then we had a few weeks of using the cloth nappies and they were usually fine, although any time they weren't sent through two rinse cycles she developed nappy rash (I'm not sure what this extra washing does to the environmental impact comparison!)

Then we reached summer, and the cloth nappies made her too hot. Again we had to switch to disposables.

By the time we reached the cool of the autumn, she had outgrown the original plastic covers and needed the next size up - another investment of tens of pounds. We looked at all the problems we'd had, and decided not to bother and stuck to disposables instead. We were too used to the extra convenience (if you're out for the day, you really DON'T want to carry a dirty cloth nappy or two around with you, even in a bag), and there was quite enough washing anyway with about 3 sets of clothes per day.

I'm not proud of our decision, we'd have liked to be more eco-friendly, but it didn't work for us.

One good thing, though, is to get scraps of towelling to wipe baby with, rather than cotton wool - that WILL save you money. You can get them from The Nappy Lady - get at least 3 packs of 20.

Answer 2

Cloth nappies are better for the environment and if you can get a laundering service where you are I'd go for them. There were no laundering services where I was when I had my baby 4 years ago, it was winter and I had no dryer so the only real option for me was disposables.
The cost works out about the same I think, and so long as they're changed frequently and you use some sort of barrier cream they're both OK for baby's skin - although some babies react to disposables and some react to the cloth. Try them both, see what works for you.

Answer 3

Congrats on becoming a new dad soon. I think you should use a combination of both to make use of the best of both advantages. At least that is what I did for kids.
Cloth allow better breathing for your baby's delicate skin. So for day use when you have time to check the wetness and smell for urine and faeces. As mentioned by others, disposables can absorb liquids, so if you don't change the cloth nappies fast when necessary, it is actually worse off for your baby's skin. Therefore day time when cloth nappies cannot be monitored and checked often, or for overnight use where we are sleeping, then the disposables should be used.
Cloth nappy's should have faeces and urine washed off properly with baby washing detergent. Not too much also should be used or it will be diffucult to wash off and leave a residue that will be worse off to your baby. Rinse with lots of water.
Disposable diapers should be the soft paper or cloth-like material on both the inside and outside. Do not use the plastic type as it will prevent air circulation, especially worse off when you don't change as often compared to cloth nappies.
If you include the time, labour, detergent and water for the cloth nappies, it costs a lot more, but it is certainly worth it, especially to prevent your baby from skin rash or eczema, which you have to spend more time on seeing the doctor and money on medication, plus all the agony.

So in short, use both types to your advantage.It is your best choice.

Answer 4

Disposable Nappies
The most obvious advantage of disposables is that you don't have to wash your baby's soiled underwear. Babies can produce an unbelievable amount of waste, all of which you will need to clean if you choose cloth nappies. With disposables you just whip off the dirty diaper and pop it straight into the bin.

However, this convenience comes at a cost - mainly to your pocket and to the environment. Disposables aren't exactly cheap and your baby will go through them like you wouldn't believe. In terms of the environment, disposable nappies now comprise 5% of all household waste. So they may be a saviour for busy mothers but there anything but for mother earth.

Cloth Nappies
The pros and cons of cloth nappies are essentially the opposite of those of disposables. Cloth nappies are cheaper and better for the environment but they do need to be cleaned, folded and stored. You can use special nappy cleaning agencies but this eats into the pennies you saved on choosing cloth nappies in the first place.

But who actually said you need to choose between disposables and cloth nappies? Why not use both. Many parents find disposables more convenient during the day but but prefer the extra hardiness of cloth nappies at night time. It's the best of both worlds.

Answer 5

You can wash them yourself and save even more. Dreft laundry soap, chlorine bleach, and downy fabric softener ( the kind without the dyes and perfumes). Newborns soil their diapers about 18 times a day. The disposable diapers are so expensive that people leave them on the baby all day long and this invites horrible diaper rashes. Cloth diapers need to be changed about 18 times a day, but if you change them as soon as they get wet or soiled your baby will never suffer from a diaper rash. Make sure you wash the baby's bottom off with soap and water with each change and use baby oil as a protective barrier.

My daughter was in cloth diapers and never had a diaper rash, and no it didn't cost us an arm and a leg to wash them either. I rinsed them out and kept them in a bucket of soapy water until there were enough of them to fill the washer with (we had to use the laundromat because we didn't have a washer at home). I just made sure I had plenty of them on hand ( I would suggest at least 6-7 dozen cloth diapers).

Once the baby gets older he/she will pee less often but in larger quantities so you just put them in two diapers instead of one. Make sure you buy the plastic pants that fit over top of the diaper. Oh and potty training is so much easier with cloth diapers too. Baby can't wait to have a dry bottom all the time.

My daughter chose the disposables and my grandchildren always had diaper rashes. Diaper rashes are totally preventable and are a form of abuse/neglect.

Answer 6

Actually for me, I've foundt hat the cost is much cheaper to use cloth even working in the cost to launder them. It might be the same if you have to use laundrymats to wash the diapers however.

Generally the best for baby's skin is cloth. Disposable diapers are full of chemicals

The cheapest method I've found is using a combination of cloth diapering and elimination communication, which is a method of helping babies learn to eliminate in the toilet rather than in diapers. I have been using this technique since new baby was 7 weeks old with great success. This seriously cuts down laundry while keeping baby clean and dry nearly all the time. I even work full time and we do this (at home only). http://www.ec-information.com

Answer 7

Disposable! I figured i'd use disposables till i'd flow the cling of being a mum for the first time, and then try textile (coz I have sufficient washing because it really is thanks! and that i believe the lady who did not favor to scrape out the poop, hehe) So i purchased some fancy and somewhat handy pocket nappies and tried them for a lengthy time period, and some nappies into it and my Bella had some nasty nasty nappy rash! She has eczema and gentle epidermis to the point that I even ought to bath her in QV oil each 2d day and would't use each and each of the beautiful Johnson's toddler stuff on her :( The disposables have a tendency to suck the pee away a lot swifter, so it would not stay in contact with her epidermis as lengthy like the textile ones. i tried again once the nappy rash changed into lengthy previous and through the top of the day she changed into searching pink again so i only gave up. Bugger it! :P I choose that they were extra biodegradable although, yet I make sure that with the quantity of washing you do with the textile ones, they both impression on the ambience, only in diverse techniques! monetary changed into actually a aspect, in spite of the indisputable fact that it's not nicely worth it for us, with the way her nappy rash comes up. I have by no skill heard her scream like that! >.

Answer 8

Congratulations. I would say disposable saves on the washing and you then get to spend more time with your new born as youll have enough washing to do as it is. disposables these days have aloe vera in that helps sooth your babys bum and aslong you change them regular your prevent nappy rash and leaks. But i've never been a fan of cloth nappies they seem to take up 2 much time.

mum of 7 year old and due 2nd any day now hopefully

Answer 9

Congratulations. There was a big uproar a few years back about how the land fill were filling up to over capacity with disposable diapers which didn't break down, and therefore everyone should use cloth diapers. the only problem was: The disposable diapers were not taking up that much room in the land fills, and they did break down. Not only that, but the energy to wash cloth diapers was worse on the environment than using disposable ones. Kind of like the old "paper or plastic?" choice at the store which has basically vanished. (Kill a tree, or plastic which won't biodegrade?)

Bottom line, whatever you'd like.

Answer 10

For most babies, sad to say, disposable is better. The wetness is pulled away from the baby's skin better where with cloth diapers you have to change them THE MOMENT they wet or sensitive babies will wind up with rash. Also, the "cloth feel" outer layer of disposables will breathe a bit... where plastic/rubber outer pants will not.

I had seven children and used both at one time or another and I can tell you that disposable is by FAR easier, less time consuming, less messy and they had fewer rashes. You have to buy them for travel and outings anyway... so best to just stick with disposables.

Cloth is more tolerable if you have a diaper service... but still... my stepmother did that and it was a pain too.

Congratulations!! :)