Kaboutjie SA Mommy Blogs by Lynne Huysamen
Disposable diapers have become the norm in recent years with the minority of mothers making use of cloth diapers. While we may think that cloth diapers are old fashioned they have in fact making a huge comeback in recent years.
The days of the white square cloth nappies that were folded and pinned with safety pins are long gone – in their place are fitted cloth diapers in cute designs with absorbent pads that you can easily wash and dry in your machine.
Here are the reasons why you may want to use cloth diapers for your baby rather than disposable diapers:
Cloth Diapers Are Cheaper
In the short term it will be a lot more expensive to purchase cloth diapers but when you consider that you only need to buy them once and you don’t have to buy any more again, in the long run you will save an absolute fortune!
There are also lots of moms that reuse the cloth diapers for their next babies too. You can can replace some of the inserts and a few diapers that may be stretched out and you are all sorted for your next babies.
Cloth Diapers Better For The Environment
This is a biggie – think about all those dirty diapers and where they go. The environmental impact of disposable diapers is catastrophic. It takes hundreds of years for a disposable diapers to decompose and that is when they are in contact with air and sunlight. When they are buried in a landfill nobody knows how much longer it will take.
Even disposable diapers that are marketed as eco-friendly and biodegradable are not going to decompose in landfills.
Disposable diapers make up over 7.6 billion pounds of refuse each year. That is seriously concerning when you think about the plastic, now consider all that baby poop and think about the health risk of that contaminating our ground water?
Cloth Diapers Are Safer For Your Baby
Disposable diapers are made from plastic and they have chemicals in them that may cause harm to your baby. Common chemicals found in disposable diapers are:
- Dioxins – A byproduct that is created when the diapers are bleached white with chlorine. Exposure to dioxins may cause altered liver function and skin reactions, as well as impairments to the reproductive functions, endocrine system, nervous system and immune system.
- Sodium polycarbonate – this absorbent chemical compound is often found in the fillers of disposable diapers. It is possible that this chemical is linked to skin irritations and respiratory problems.
- Tributyl-tin (TBT) – this chemical is to aquatic life and does not degrade. It is also used in biocides.
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) – these include chemicals dipentene, xylene, toluen and ethylbenzene. According to the EPA these VOC’s can cause headaches, throat, nose and eye irritation, damage to the kidney, liver and central nervous system.+
In addition to these chemicals you will often also find adhesive chemicals, dyes, fragrances, petrolatums and plastics in disposable diapers.
Considering all that disposable diapers are manufactured from it is not surprising that you baby will be more prone to diaper rashes using disposable diapers than cloth diapers.
The Downside Of Using Cloth Diapers
While using cloth diapers is much cheaper in the long term the initial cost of buying cloth diapers can be a turn off for some parents and simply not an option for others that don’t have enough money available to cover the cost.
Probably the biggest turnoff for most parents when considering cloth diapers is that you will be needing to wash and dry your baby’s diapers instead of being able to just toss it in the bin, especially when it comes to those really messy oops!
However if you look at the reasons why you should consider cloth diapers it really is a small price to pay.
Enter The Fancy Pants Giveaway
Fancypants was created by two mums that wanted the best for their children. It started by designing and creating amazing washable cloth nappies that were super absorbent and made of natural (bamboo) material. The successful development of the Fancypants brand of nappies then led to the development of bamboo nappy liners and soapnuts laundry detergent.
Enter your details into the form below to stand a chance to win a Fancy Pants Hamper to the value of R705.
The hamper includes:
Increase your chances of winning by gaining extra entries:
- Leave a comment below this blog post sharing your tips for choosing the best diapers
- Share this post on social networks, tag @Kaboutjie and include the hashtag #winwithkaboutjie
The winner will be announced via blog post on Thursday 11 October 2018, as well as notified via email.
This competition is open to residents of South Africa only.
Please be sure to check our competition terms.
***COMPETITION CLOSED***
i have not yet used cloth diapers and would like to with the 2nd one ! I WANTED TO WITH OUR FIRST BUT LOST THE BATTLE WITH MY HUSBAND BUT STANDING STRONG NOW !
Hi!
I choose cloth diapers because they are so much healthier for baby and better for the environment- and baby looks super cute in cloth!!!
So I base my choice on the following:
– which materials touch baby’s bum
– ease of use, wash and assembly (I’m a working mom!)
– design and colour (not going to lie – I am a sucker fot a cute cover.)
Regards
Yes @annevzyl they are super cute aren’t they? I love all the bright and funky designs too!
My Tip for choosing the best diaper is to try out a few and to find out for yourself what is working for you and what not.I really want to try cloth because my little one gets rash from all of the nappies we tried so far.
I am SO excited about this post! I have been wanting to try cloth diapers for a while now, but the cost has always put me off. After reading just how BAD disposables are for my little boy, the decision is made! I am saving up towards my first ‘stash’ -so excited!!!! ♡ My advice to moms when choosing a cloth nappy -chat to other moms that have used them before and find out which type will be the best type for you. ♡♡♡
Honestly I never used cloth diapers for either of my kids but I do regret it. It was a massive expense and now that I am more aware of the impact on the environment… let’s just say if I could do things differently I would. Good luck for the competition @kerryjadewest!
I have based by choice of going with cloth nappies on the following:
– So much kinder on the environment. In this day and age we all need to do our bit no matter how small.
– So much kinder on my pocket 🙂 I would rather put the money away I would have used on disposables for my little one in a savings account.
– So much prettier 🙂
– I am a shopaholic so it is just a win win situation all round 🙂
Consider the material of diaper, its absorbancy, breathability and comfort.
You never know until you try… so I have tried a couple and would love to try this cloth nappy. I check for super absorbancy and a comfortable fit for baby!
I’m a full time cloth mom. I also work a full time job. I find that cloth is easier than most expect! Also it’s so pretty! I just think people need to give it a try with an open mind and it could definitely change their view. So much cheaper in the long run.
For expecting mommies, take money that you would use in future for disposables and buy a few cloth nappies every month, helps build up your stash within the budget.
Omg I have never heard or seen these it’s such good idea I look for easy on n off when buying nappies
Would love to use cloth diapers with 2nd baby
I clothdiapered my boy and would love to spread the joy to a family member
Excited to be starting with my son due in September. The sacnu website provides excellent info and there are really great SA groups to provide support. I have been silently stalking, i cannot wait to participate
I have not had the opportunity to use cloth diapers due to the fact that it is initially so expensive to get started. Would love to change to cloth diapers though, the thought of the effect of disposable diapers on the environment is quite upsetting. And all those chemicals on my daughter’s skin!! Very upsetting*