In an effort to take some strain off of the family budget, I decided to give cloth diapers a try. I estimated that I was spending about $30 per month on generic diapers. While that may not seem like all that much, over the course of a year, it comes to $360. That would almost entirely pay the yearly premium on my homeowner's insurance policy!
With cost being the primary concern, I opted for the cheapest method of cloth diapering I could find. This method uses: prefold cotton diapers, diaper pins, and plastic diaper covers. The price for these supplies came to about $40, just a little more than one month's worth of disposables. I figured that in the second month, I would already be saving money.
The first snag in my plan came when I spent two nights in a row changing diapers multiple times throughout the night. I decided then that one disposable overnight was still better than the seven or eight I was going through in the past. Cloth diapers certainly do not provide the same amount of leak protection as disposables.
Then, of course, I have to factor in the cost of laundry detergent and the water and electricity used to wash the diapers. I found that I am washing diapers about three times per week. With these things taken into consideration, I estimate that I am saving about $20 per month.
When I look at the extra work involved, it hardly seems worth it. However, my family has recently implemented a few other budget changes. These changes combined are saving us approximately $150 per month. Now, that's worth it.
Beyond the savings, there are some other benefits to using cloth. Cloth diapers are much better for your baby's delicate skin. I haven't seen even a hint of a diaper rash since making the switch. Also, using cloth diapers reduces the amount of waste going into landfills, as disposable diapers make up a good portion of that waste.
The bottom line is this: If you want a more natural approach to diapering, cloth is the way to go. If you are concerned about the environment, again, cloth is best. If you are hoping to save money, you will need to weigh the pros and cons, and perhaps combine cloth diapering with other money saving strategies.
As for the Gerber brand of diapering supplies, I can't complain. The diapers are thick, the covers are sturdy (and cute!), and the pins are completely functional.
The copyright of the article Cloth Diapers in Infants & Toddlers is owned by Teresa Simpson. Permission to republish Cloth Diapers in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
There are several more advantages to using cloth diapers - you always have
them in the house and if you have multiple children, your investment in
diapering has already been made. I used cloth diapers almost exclusvly on
our six and in the ten years probably replaced the 6-dozen diapers I kept
at home once - staggered - I didn't replace them all at once. Can you
imagine all of the hurt we've saved earth from? Plus, the all had beautiful
baby-bottom - as you've also pointed out!
Nov 8, 2006 6:58 PM
Teresa Simpson :
Those are very good points! I think in the long run, cloth diapers are
definitely the way to go!
Nov 24, 2006 2:40 PM
christine :
Are you kidding me? If you want the truth about cloth diapers, youi need to
try something more than the cheapest made, most diifcult type-Gerber. There
is no way you can make an acurate post after only trying thw worst cloth
diapering products out there. There are PLENTY of better cloth diapers that
are actually better at stopping leaks than disposables- yet still more cost
effective. I believe more research needs to be done b/f such statements
should be made.
Apr 15, 2007 12:07 PM
Jan Zeiger :
Wow..yeah..I use fuzzibunz! :)
Jan 18, 2008 1:59 PM
Lisa Russell :
I agree with this response 150%.
Gerber cloth diapers are the
absolute poorest excuse for a cloth diaper that was ever made. In fact,
they're not even really made for diapering, they're just for burp rags.
I have been a cloth diaper mamma for the past 14 years. We rarely
have diaper leaks (one maybe every 1-2 months) and I am not a mom who
changes diapers in the middle of the night. My babies sleep in bed with me
and I would KNOW if they leaked.
We use Indian pre-folds, and
they're very very low technology cloth diapers. Another responder boasted
about fuzzi-bunz, and there are hundreds of other "fancy" cloth
diaper manufacturers out there whose diapers are as easy to use as
disposables.
I don't think your product review reflects an
experience with cloth diapers at all. I think your review is strictly for
Gerber cloth diapers. I urge you to experiment with some "real"
cloth diapers, because they are actually quite wonderful.
Jan 18, 2008 9:03 PM
ToddleBits :
Most definitely. We've used cloth almost exclusively with both of our
daughters with excellent results. As with most things, you have to shop
around to find the best of what's available.
Jan 20, 2008 3:45 PM
Jennifer White :
I also love my cloth diapers. Next to my sling, it's my most valued baby
item. We use Indian prefolds as the bulk of our stash and have several
pocket diapers for out and about. I recently published an article on dad's
and cloth diapers too (shameless plug). :)
