Sometimes it’s way too easy to focus on the cons of any particular thing instead of thinking about its potential. There are so many pros to cloth diapers that having to do an extra load of laundry or scrape poop (assuming those are your cons) really isn’t a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Check out this video to hear my top 5 pros of cloth diapers!

Video Recap

In this video, I talked about my top 5 reasons for choosing cloth diapers.

1. Saves money!

Photo credit to 401kcalculator.org

When I got pregnant with my first child, I was young (23) and had only been married for about a month. I was freaked out because kids weren’t really on my radar yet. I had no idea the first thing about anything related to babies or pregnancy. All I had ever heard was that babies were expensive. My husband and I still had student loans that took a lot of our income, and finances were definitely a concern.

I began researching on the internet for ways to save money with babies and stumbled upon cloth diapers as a suggestion. At first I said no to that, not thinking anyone did that anymore and that surely it was a mess and time-consuming headache to deal with. But as I continued researching and reading over the next weeks and month, my mind began to open to the idea.

I learned that modern cloth diapers are SO MUCH DIFFERENT from old-fashioned diapers. While you can still cloth diaper the “old-school way” if you wish, there are so many more options now for families that want an easier way to do cloth. Once I realized that many modern options looked pretty easy, I approached my husband with the idea. I think he thought I had lost my mind at first, but eventually, he conceded.

2. Reduces Waste

reducing-waste-pros-of-cloth-diapersI’m not a perfect environmentalist by any means, and I have many areas in my life I am working on to get better about how wasteful I am. But I do believe it is our responsibility to leave a better world for our kids. We need to stop the trend of leaving huge messes (figuratively and literally) for the next generation to clean up.

Using a disposable diaper right now may be easier for you, but sometimes what is easier isn’t the most responsible choice. I’m not saying this to shame anyone, and like I said earlier, I have a lot of room to grow in how much waste I generate. I’m just saying it to make a point. A lot of what we do in the 21st century is because it’s easier and more convenient, but it’s not without consequences that other people will have to deal with later.

Are disposable diapers the biggest enemy of the environment today? No. But making excuses for a million “little” things can add up big time. Like I said in the video, each person in America throws out an average of 30 pounds per week of garbage. That is per person, so a family of four throws out 120 lbs on average! It’s crazy to think about.

Knowing that my family would be taking steps to leave behind less of a footprint was a selling point for me.

3. They’re Healthier

What is “healthier” is kind of relative.  Individual people have individual immune systems and sensitivities. But for many people (especially babies with sensitive skin), cloth diapers can be a healthier choice. There are no alarming chemicals in cloth diapers to worry about. While the chemicals in disposable diapers are at levels low enough they shouldn’t be toxic, it is still a concern for many people. And some babies do have an allergy to them.

Babies in cloth diapers do need to be changed a little sooner than a baby in a disposable, but that is actually a good thing for overall health. Doctors recommend changing a baby every 2-3 hours because it isn’t good for anyone to sit in their own pee for hours at a time, but most babies in disposables go longer than that between changes because the diaper can hold more. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s okay.

4. They’re Super Cute!

It’s hard to argue that cloth diapers aren’t cute. They are SO cute. I know some people are turned off by a fluffy bum, but I don’t know why. They’re babies, they’re adorable no matter what, and cute little fluffy butts are no exception.

When I was pregnant, I was already feeling self-conscious about my baby having a fluffy butt and people thinking he wasn’t cute because of it. I did all this research on “trim” diapers and bought what I thought would be the most trim within my budget. But as my baby got older and I started needing to double stuff inserts, they ended up getting a little fluffy anyway.

I just decided to embrace it! They’re only this little once, and I don’t need to be concerned with whether or not they fit in the smallest size of baby pants possible. That’s just silly.

5. They Are Practical

grovia-hybrid-diapersNow I know you’re probably wondering how in the world cloth diapers are practical. They really can be the more practical option sometimes! Here’s why:

  • No running out of diapers. Even if you run out of your favorite cloth diapers because they’re all waiting to be washed, you usually have a diaper or two stashed away somewhere you can use while you get a load of laundry going. No running to the store late at night, in the middle of a snowstorm, or any other inconvenient time.
  • There’s a solution to every problem. Depending on the nature of the issue, you can usually get it figured out just by tweaking something, trying something new in your wash routine, trying a different detergent, etc.
  • Can customize absorbency with different insert amounts and material types to get the perfect level of absorbency for your baby.
  • No blowouts! Or less frequent blowouts, anyway–all kids have a doozy of a diaper once in a while. But the elastic around the legs and the waist on cloth diapers keep poop contained. No more drenching clothes, car seats, or anything else with poop!

 

These 5 reasons are some of my favorite reasons for using cloth diapers. What are your personal pros regarding cloth diapers? Leave them in the comments below, or on the video itself!

pros of cloth diapers