Baby Decision: DiapersAugust 11
As an expectant parent, diapering can be an easy decision or a tough one. No one looks forward to changing dirty diapers, but the decision on whether to go with disposable or cloth diapers has been on my mind during my pregnancy. I would like to “go green” as much as possible, but with convenience factored in, the decision is a tough one.
Here are our thoughts on options that have presented themselves.
Disposable diapers: Convenient and easy to use, disposable diapers have evolved to become super soft and super absorbent. Shying away from Pampers and Huggies due to the chemicals used to produce them, I thought that the Seventh Generation diapers would be a good comprise. These diapers are chlorine-free, causing less irritation for babies with ultra sensitive skin. Nature Babycare takes it to a greener level, using no petroleum-based products for their diapers. These are supposed to be biodegradable, but there is debate whether how our trash is treated in landfills will actually all the diapers to biodegrade. www.Diapers.com is a great site for your diapering needs. Add me as a referral (lindavu@gmail.com) to your first order and you’ll get $10 off your first order over $49 and I will receive $1 as a referral credit. I think that when we’re away from home and traveling, Nature Babycare disposables will be our choice.
Cloth diapers & washing them ourselves: If our grandmothers could do it, we would consider it. Cloth diapers are a one-time investment and seemed to be the most green choice. Equipped with a new washer and dryer, washing the diapers ourselves was a feasible option. We’re not that scared of dirty diapers! Factoring in the time, cost of water and electricity, and convenience factor for my super awesome mom who will be helping us with the baby, the cost outweighs the green benefits. We will reconsider this option once we become diapering experts with our precious little one.
Cloth diapers & diapering service: Can this really be the best of both worlds? We will do our part in contributing less to landfills and be cost effective with a diapering service. We are signing up with Tiny Tots diapering service. Based in Campbell, CA, Tiny Tots offers cloth diaper rentals - a diaper rotation service. We will just leave the soiled diapers on our porch for pick up and Tiny Tots will replace those with clean, 100% cotton cloth diapers each week. There is no rinsing or soaking of the diapers in preparation of the pick up. We’ll be using our Diaper Champ bin to store the dirty diapers awaiting pick up. Tiny Tots will provide hamper/bin bags, which will fit in the Diaper Champ. No need to buy special bags (yippee!). Tiny Tots offers a free one-hour Diapering 101 class too, where parents and caregivers can see for themselves how cloth diapering works. We’ll be buying some diaper covers to use with our cloth diapers, for leak-proofing the diapers. If you’re interested in signing up, please include me (Linda Vu-Nguyen, account # 20982) as your referral.
Related topic to consider: baby wipes! I just bought a pack of 12 boxes of Seventh Generation Baby Wipes (chlorine-free and unscented), so we’ll be using those for awhile. Once we’ve gone through those, we’ll be switching to cloth wipes when we’re at home with the baby. I’ll be buying fabric and cutting them into 8″ x 8″ squares. I’ve heard that either flannel or terry works best.
Here’s a handy recipe for a homemade solution for diaper wipes. Fill a spray bottle or your wipes warmer with this solution, and say goodbye to buying diapers and wipes!
homemade solution for baby wipes
2 cups water
2 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP baby wash
2 drops of tea tree oil
