Tips for Moving to Cloth Diapers

Author: Kara Piper

To use cloth diapers full-time, you'll need approximately 12-18 diapers a day, with either a built-in waterproof layer or separate covers. Separate covers do not need to be changed unless soiled, so you can get by on about 3 per day. For newborn covers, you may want to have a few extra.

Buy a few Cloth Diapers first

If you're looking to cloth diaper a newborn full-time from Day 1, the best advice is to begin purchasing in advance so that you'll have everything ready. Keep in mind that you don't have to go all or nothing. Start with a small variety before you purchase a larger amount of the ones you like best. Try cloth diapers at home during the day, and expand your usage to nights and outings over time as you gain confidence in your diapers.

If you want to start out using cloth diapers full-time but don't have the funds to buy 2-3 days worth of your favorite style, consider temporarily bulking up your stash with cheaper alternatives and/or washing every day. Remember, every time you use a cloth diaper, you are saving money, saving environmental resources, lessening your child's total chemical exposure, etc.

Helpful Accessories for Cloth Diapers (and ways to get by without if necessary)

--dry pail
Just an empty container to hold used diapers. A lid is optional, if kept out of reach.

--pail liner
Made of the same material as diaper covers, these keep your pail clean and can be washed with the diapers.

--wet bags
Just like a pail liner, but small enough to travel with your wet diapers safely zipped inside. Usually has a decorative outer layer.

--diaper sprayer
This mini-shower hooks to your toilet's water supply line and removes poop from diapers quickly and thoroughly.

--snappi
This little invention holds a diaper in place with little plastic teeth instead of pins. Works great for getting a snug fit with a prefold.

All of the inventions above are well worth it in terms of convenience. However, you can get by using plastic grocery bags to hold your used diapers, using other methods to remove poop (see above), and using a wrap cover to hold your unpinned prefolds in place.

About the Author:

Kara Piper is an attached mother of four children, doula and La Leche League Leader who is passionate about cloth diapering and babywearing. She's also the owner of Mom & Baby Naturally, an online boutique. For more expert advice visit her website at http://www.momandbabynaturally.com/articles.php

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - How to Get Started with Cloth Diapers

Author: Brad Robinson
I have a one year old child, her name is Kristine. My wife and I often have arguments on whether to use disposable diapers with her or not. I opt for the disposable stuff because it's more convenient and regularly available in the nearby store. Alarmed with the situation, I try to research about it on the Internet and much to my dismay, my wife had been right.

There are actually six reasons I learned why cloth diapers are better for my Kristine than disposable diapers:

1. Disposable diapers are made with the super absorbent chemical called sodium polyacrylate, which absorbs and holds fluids in the diaper. This chemical has been linked to toxic shock syndrome. Another concern on chemicals is Dioxin. Experts have found traces of the carcinogen Dioxin in disposable diapers.

2. Cloth diapers decrease the risk of diaper rash because baby rash is seldom a problem when using cloth diapers. Because of their super absorbent chemicals, disposable diapers can fool parents into thinking that the baby is not wet. As a result, changing of baby diapers will occur less often.

3. Today's cloth baby diapers are made of several layers of 100% soft cotton flannelette. Many parents are choosing 100% cotton for their baby's clothing as natural cotton fibers feel much better. The 100% cotton is also cooler and more natural to your skin, especially on sensitive body parts. Unlike disposable diapers, cloth child diapers stay cool even on the hottest summer day.

4. Cloth diapers are better for the environment since they are reusable. A good quality cloth diaper can be laundered at least 100 times. If you have plans to have more babies, these can be utilized for your second and third child. It does entail extra effort to clean the baby diaper, but the extra effort used is no lesser than what a disposable diaper does to the environment. It is calculated that a disposable diaper will decay 400 to 500 years in our landfills. Establishments producing today's disposable diapers utilizes one million metric tons of wood pulp and 75,000 metric tons of plastic each year.

5. Modern cloth diapers have snap or Velcro closures, and adjust for the size of your baby. Things will be simpler for anyone who changes the baby when you use the all-in-one cloth diaper.

6. The current cloth diapers are usually all-in-one diapers which have a built in waterproof outer cover meaning that there is no need for a diaper cover.

With our precious babies, we should always consider the impact that the diapers we choose for our baby have on the health and comfort of our baby, the positive impact that we can choose to have on the environment, and the substantial savings available through the use of child diapers made from cloth.

About the Author:

CLOTH DIAPERS: Baby Naturale is a leading shop for diapers since 2002. The babies' wellness is the main purpose of the company, and they should be yours too. Click on the website to see the company's product offers.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Make Your Life Easier With Cloth Diapers