Diapers, Diapers, Everywhere!

After working in childcare for so many years, I have come to realize just how much of an impact disposable diapers have on the environment. This is how it breaks down: Most childcare centers require that infants under one year of age be changed every hour. In a classroom with 10 infants, 60-100 diapers go in the trash in one day! In a toddler classroom with 15 toddlers not yet potty-trained, where diapers are changed every two hours, approximately 60-80 diapers and pull-ups end up in the trash every day. Let's say that 15% of all those diapers contain bowel movements. I recently heard from a friend and read in an article that according to the fine print on disposable diaper packages, diapers are supposed to be rinsed out if there is a BM so as not to add more raw human waste to the dumps along with the slow decomposing plastic and toxic chemicals already in the diaper. Who do you know that does this? Daycares certainly don't and that is where a large number of diapers in the landfills come from. In fact, most childcare givers wrap their gloves around the diapers then place the ones with a BM in a plastic bag, then put it in the trash! Can you imagine how long these hundreds of diapers from just one daycare center sit in landfills? Now think about how many daycares there are that require diapers to be changed every 1-2 hours. It is too overwhelming to imagine. The only thing I can do personally to help this problem is to use cloth diapers and tell others of my decision and why I chose to go that route.

There are many factors to consider when choosing whether to use cloth diapers or "disposable" (which really aren't all that disposable when you think about it). The impact it has on the environment is a big one, but so are the cost comparisons and the health hazards. It is hard to believe that what we consider to be a "normal" way of taking care of babies can also potentially be hazardous to their health! There are many online resources which have helped us to make the decision to use cloth diapers. I found this blog to be very helpful and it provided a lot of resources, which I encourage you to check out.

For Will and me, the cost efficiency is enough a reason in itself to use cloth diapers. We spent $10 ordering seven of a cheapy brand from Japan (Babyland brand). We do not know how these will hold up, although I imagine not very well, but they will work for the first part of Isaiah's life. After using some of them we will then decide whether to order more of the same brand or try a different one. It is probably best to buy the more expensive brands of cloth diapers, which will still save you hundreds of dollars.

We have also considered using home-made wipes. I came across this blog, which explains how to make your own cloth wipes, which I would like to try (as soon as I learn how to work a sewing machine). I also found a recipe for home-made wipes in a book called The Duggars: 20 and Counting! which we are going to try as well. And here's a tip: read that book if you are interested in learning how a mother of 18 runs a household! They offer a lot of great Christian parenting advice as well as many organizational tips that would work in a small or large household.

Through all of this, I am not trying to make anyone feel guilty for using disposable diapers because I know how convinient they are, but instead I am trying to explain my reasoning for choosing cloth diapers and I hope that this information can help at least one person consider switching.