Cloth diapers are making a comeback and I couldn't be happier. I have exclusively cloth diapered two babes now and I still love them. However, with a zillion decisions to make as an expecting mom, take your time with the choice of why to use cloth diapers. Below are the biggest benefits of cloth diapers I experienced but there's many more. I hope these cloth diaper benefits help inspire you (and others!) to make the swap!
When I was pregnant, why choosing cloth diapers wasn't even a question I considered. I simply always knew I would. However, when I announced this to my family and friends it was... a disaster.
Many people were confused when I mentioned I was using cloth diapers. I got a lot of unwanted advice and some people were just plainly disgusted.
Cloth diapers have come a long way in forty years and many of the old-school concerns are outdated. The benefits of cloth diapers outweigh many of the myths.
That said, if you need to explain why to use cloth diapers a million times to friends and family, below are some great resources to point them to:
- Tips & Lessons To Use Cloth Diapers (it's very simple now, there's no pin!)
- Outdated cloth diaper myths
- Mistakes to avoid when using cloth diapers
The benefits of cloth diapers are plenty but they can be confusing. If you're feeling overwhelmed by all the kinds Mum In The Woods of cloth diapers as well as how to wash them, remove stains etc. has some amazing resources and recently did up an Ebook on cloth diapers which (even after two babes) I found helpful.
The Benefits Of Cloth Diapers
I always knew I wanted to use cloth diapers but my husband was skeptical. However, he was skeptical. To him, it seemed like a lot of necessary work, it was super gross and there was no way he was doing it.
He fell in love with cloth diapers after two weeks. Mainly because he saw how many would be going into a landfill!. He's been hooked ever since.
My husband is now pro-cloth-diapering and will willingly chat about them (and some of the drawbacks) to friends.
Cloth Diapers Are Cute
They are huge and squishy and so so cute. Cloth diaper covers come in so many different prints now that they're a fashion statement all in themselves!
Grovia and Applecheeks have been some of our favorites!
Cloth Diapers Are Easier To Use Than You Think
Now, let me preface this by first saying that there are a lot of different systems of cloth diapers out there: cover + diaper (video below), all-in-one etc. You need to find a system that works for you.
However, it's a common myth that cloth diapers are really hard to put on. And they probably used to be 40 years ago when there were pins (read about more cloth diaper myths).
However, my cloth diapers are snaps. That's it. Just snap the buttons and you're good to go. I'm sorry but your "it's too hard" comment seems out of place if you can't handle buttons 😛
You can check out just how easy they are in the video below!
They're super easy to use but here are a few tips on how to use cloth diapers to make them a great fit for your family.
Cloth Diapers Are Cost-Effective Long-term
One of the benefits of cloth diapers is that they save you money. However, this is only when you think longterm. The upfront cost of cloth diapers can be an investment.
That said, if you plan on having more than one child, cloth diapers are definitely cheaper. Even if you have just one babe, you can re-sell your cloth diapers for a decent price so it's still worth it.
The average babe goes through 2500-3000 diapers in their first year (overwhelming right?!). The cost of a single diaper ranges from $0.19-$0.47 depending on the size. So on average, you'll spend $945 in the first year on diapers.
That doesn't count that most children don't potty train until three or subsequent kids. It will cost you $500-900 to FULLY set up a cloth diapers system (depending on what you choose and if you buy used). And you'll have the cloth diapers for the next round of kids.
The long-term cost is one of the biggest benefits of cloth diapers.
This Natural Option Is Better For The Environment
There is no denying that disposable diapers take up far too much space in our landfills and take lots of time to breakdown (due to the chemicals in there to absorb).
Cloth diapers are one small way families can make a difference.
To be honest, this wasn't a huge factor in my choice on why to cloth diaper. However, the first week my husband saw how many cloth diapers we went through (pic below- it was 88) he was convinced for life.
He couldn't believe that every baby, every week went through that many and they went straight into landfills.
The benefits of cloth diapers for the environment are huge. And they're one was that families can make a huge difference... and look at cute, bubble bums while they're at it!
They Make It Easier To Potty Train
Since cloth diapers don't "pull" the fluid away from the baby they are immediately aware that they are wet. Most babes dislike being wet and thus are easier to potty train.
I'll be honest, I was actually skeptical of this one. Potty training is... never fun but the thought of waiting until 3-3.5 to potty train truly made me cringe.
Right before their second birthdays, both of my girls decided to stop wearing diapers. Really, they announced it themselves (uhhhh?!).
With my first, she simply started saying "No Diaps Mama" and taking them off. I was nowhere near ready to start potty training (I was 9 months pregnant!) but I didn't want to dissuade her either.
I thought she was an anomaly but my second daughter did the exact same thing. We went cold turkey and by 2.5 years old both of my daughters were fully potty trained (yes at night too). We did use cloth diapers at night within the first six months of training though.
It was insane.
There are No Harmful Chemicals On Your Baby's Skin
My goal for the house has always been to reduce chemical and toxic exposure. And since a newborn's skin is just so pure that one of the biggest reasons I chose to use cloth diapers was to keep it that way.
In order to pull the urine away, disposable diapers have a number of chemicals (and fragrance) in them that I was just not comfortable putting on my babe's skin.
This is a very personal decision but definitely one of the benefits of cloth diapers! That said, so many baby products contain random ingredients. If you're looking for a more natural selection, look into making your own wipe spray, disposable wipes or the variety of natural baby products you can buy nowadays!
Cloth Diapered Babes Have Fewer Rashes
A diaper rash can easily get out of control. Which is why most moms use a cream or a powder each and every change. With cloth diapers, you rarely need either. I personally put diaper cream on Baby bear maybe once per week.
This really goes back to the reasoning above regarding chemicals and fragrance. That said, diaper rashes will still happen with cloth diapers! if they're happening frequently you need to troubleshoot as there's a lot of reasons they can be occurring.
Cloth Diapers Are Super Absorbent
While cloth diapers may not pull wetness away, they are super absorbent! And if you need a bit more absorbency, there are all sorts of liners and pre-folds you can opt for.
Again, part of learning to cloth diaper is finding the best system for you and the babe. Try new and different styles.
Don't forget to pin the benefits of cloth diapers!
If you're still on the fence about going cloth check out my blog Debunking Cloth Diaper Myths as well as two great resources: Getting Started With Cloth Diapers and Cloth Diapering 101.
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