Cloth Diapering | Why I Chose to Cloth Diaper

Now that we have been using cloth diapers for almost a month now and I’m still loving it, I’ve decided to write about why I made the decision to switch to cloth diapers.  I’m not going to lie to you all and say that we haven’t had our hiccups and we are still finding our system, but I’m so glad that we finally made the switch.  We are exclusively cloth diapering at home and intend on transitioning our daycare to them when they are done with the last stash of disposable diapers that we bought them.  Here are my reasons for our families change of heart when it came to diapering.

• Money – We would have spent a ton of money on disposable diapers if we had diapered her from birth to potty training in them.  Even though we switched her at 10 1/2 months and lost out on those first months, we will still save money in the long run by not having to buy disposable diapers.  We also purchased a one size diaper that is good from birth on which means usually that you only need to buy one stash of cloth diapers and it can last you from the beginning until they no longer need diapers.  The best part of cloth diapering is the fact that these same diapers can be used on future children so that we don’t need to buy diapers at all for another child!
• Health – We noticed that when we started feeding Ke’alohi solid foods, she was a lot more sensitive “down there” and would frequently get diaper rash.  That is when we switched to “Pure and Natural” diapers which had less chemicals that could react with Ke’alohi’s pee, poop and skin.  Although, her skin did get better, she would have flair ups every couple days.  Since switching to cloth diapers, her skin seems better and I think when we make the complete switch, it will get even better and be rash free.
• Convenience - For me, it is way easier to do a load of laundry then it is to drive to a Target (or two if they are out) to get diapers.  You see, Target is the only store in our area that sells the diapers we use and there have been a few times where they were completely out of her diaper.  You might think that because we have do deal with poop and pee that it would be less convenient, but it really isn’t with the modern diapers and accessories that they have out now days.  Our system is so simple that even Lucas was surprised how easy it is to cloth diaper.
• Environment – No, I am not a “green” or “crunchy” mommy but I can’t deny the fact that disposable diapers have a huge impact on the environment.  Most diapers will never decompose because of the current landfill systems and if they do, it will take anywhere from 250 to 500 years.  I read that over 300 pounds of wood, 50 pounds of petroleum feedstocks and 20 pounds of chlorine are used to produce disposable diapers for one baby EACH YEAR.  That is just crazy!
• So Cute - I know that this is not a “real” reason to cloth diaper but I have to say that Ke’alohi’s tush has never looked so cute.  I love the bright colors and options there are out there for cloth diapers and she really rocks everything we tried on her so far well.