Back to Disposables?

Jul 13, 2011 by desiringvirtue

As many of you know I am very fond of cloth diapers. OK, fond is an understatement… I LOVE cloth diapers (to check out the series I did years ago click here). However, since moving in with my parents we have temporarily gone back to disposables to make the laundry situation more manageable. This has had its perks and its drawbacks, but more than anything it has solidified my joy in cloth diapering. Here are some observations from my second go around with disposable diapers and my longing for those precious FuzziBunz that are packed away in our storage unit:

1. Disposables are easier…?

Yes it is true, disposables are in fact easier than cloth.Who would have guessed? There is no washing involved, no dunking diapers in toilets, and no stuffing inserts into pockets every morning. And yet there is an element of difficulty involved. The amount of times I have had to call Richard in a panic saying… “We need more diapers!” or “Ahhh, we are out of wipes!” keeps me from saying that disposables are definitively easier than cloth. Last minute trips to CVS and Walmart are not my idea of ease.

There is an element of simplicity involved in cloth diapering. You are not dependent on a perishable product that you must replenish every week. Instead, you develop a self sufficiency as you learn to clothe your baby’s bottom with a lasting product. If I suddenly run out of clean diapers while cloth diapering, I know that I can simply toss my Fuzzibunz in the wash and be ready to go in a couple hours. In the mean time I can simply pull out a trusty prefold diaper and keep my baby dry while we wait.

2. The cost of disposables is outrageous!

I realize there are some mommies out there that are super coupon savvy and get great deals on diapers. But I am pretty sure that even the savviest couponer could not beat the savings that cloth diapers offer. Every time we go to Walmart to pick up more diapers I feel the pain of money leaving our bank account (money that could be used for other things). For some people this pain is minimal compared to the annoyance of cleaning cloth diapers, but I am not one of them. This has been particularly difficult as we have two littles still using diapers… yes, I said two.

Note: If you use disposables and are Amazon Prime Members make sure to check out Amazon Mom. It offers some great deals on diapers and you will not pay for shipping.

3. I just plain miss those sweet, adorable, soft diapers.

After using cloth for so long, using disposables feels a little like downgrading. I know that sounds strange, but I miss getting to choose which color, pattern, or type of diaper my babies would wear at any particular diaper change. Pulling out a paper diaper five (no, make that 10) times a day just lacks the same level of enjoyment. While it is true, diaper changes are quicker and at times less gross (I’m thinking about some particularly dirty diapers in the past), I truly do miss wrapping my babies’ bottoms in soft fleece material rather than paper. Call me crazy, but there is just something about cloth diapering that is very enjoyable despite all the ickiness involved.

4. Diaper rash is no fun.

While I would never tell you that cloth diapering completely prevents diaper rash, I will tell you that disposables cause more diaper rash than cloth. Since going back to disposables the boys have suffered some pretty bad cases and very often. This is not only painful for baby, but adds up as you stock that expensive diaper rash cream!

So, there you have it, some recent observations concerning disposable and cloth diapers. Suffice it to say, though you may see my children running around in disposable diapers, their mommy is a cloth diaper lover at heart and will quickly switch back to them when circumstances allow.

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