Cloth diapers? Easier than you think!

My kids are way past the diaper phase, and honestly when they were in the diaper phase, I dismissed cloth diapers as way too difficult.  And besides, I was able to throw disposables in the City of Toronto Green Bin, so they were fine for the environment.....weren't they? 


Cloth versus disposables.  One of the greatly debated issues among new parents, that will draw an amazing diversity in opinions.  After a visit from Comfy Cotton to momstown west Toronto's Baby Basics, I am wishing I could go back about 9 years and rethink my decision.  I had no idea how easy and economical cloth diapers are!  Not to mention all the facts that point to the benefits of cloth diapers.  Here are some of the amazing things we learned.

Cotton diapers are very comfortable for your baby. One of our little Baby Basics members, Charlotte can attest to that!  The soft, natural fibers allow the diaper to breathe more freely, absorb efficiently and contain no plastics or perfumes. Cotton diapers are the natural choice for a happy baby.  And the diaper covers are so darn cute!

Did you know that each baby uses between 6,000 and 8,000 diapers before being toilet trained?  Holy cow - that number is astronomical!  Diapering your baby in cotton not only saves thousands of trees from destruction, but also conserves precious space in our dwindling landfill sites. Disposable diapers are used only once, whereas cotton diapers are reused over 100 times.  And bonus - children in cotton diapers generally toilet train anywhere from four to eight months earlier than children in disposable diapers!  Wish I'd known that, because toilet training was a whole adventure unto itself.

Another interesting thing we learned was the link between male infertility and disposable diapers.  In the past 25 years, there has been a significant decline in male fertility. A recent study by German researchers suggests that the plastic lining of disposable diapers leads to overheating of a baby boy's scrotum, interfering with normal testicular development. This in turn, hampers sperm production and increases the risk of testicular cancer in men who wore disposable diapers as babies.  This is just the heat - the study didn't even look at the strong chemicals used in disposable diapers.

However you choose to diaper your baby, consider all your options.  Disposables are definitely necessary for certain situations, and may suit your family's needs on an everyday basis.  The last things we moms need is more guilt about what we are or aren't doing for our babies....  However, I urge you to check out cloth diapers, and especially Comfy Cotton.  A diaper delivery service makes your life so much easier if you choose to go cloth.  We all know how much laundry a new baby generates without having to contend with diapers as well!  If you decide to go cloth, check them out.  I was really impressed, and wish I'd been more informed when I made my decision about diapering nine years ago.