The A B C of Parenthood … Cloth Diapers

Cloth Diapers – The Myths

Eywh, cloth diapers, that’s nasty was I told.  Well not at all actually, not more than a disposable one!

For Junior, I wanted to try cloth diapers (15 years ago), but I was (too easily) disuaded, and it seemed complicated.  

For Blondie Bear, it was a whole other story. My sister had tried the experience in France, so I had someone to look up to.  I found a store selling them in Chartres, close to my home in the country (sounds poetic, but not really). I also was able to find some on eBay.  

It’s fantastic and cloth diapers are so darn cute.  

I’m really happy that they have become a trend an can be found easily in Montreal stores or online.

The Benefits

Did you know that kids that wear cloth diapers are usually potty trained earlier than ones wearing nasty polluting ones? Don’t shake your head, it is a fact.  Look it up! 

Kids in cloth diapers feel wet and sticky sooner than ones using disposable ones.  Blondie Bear was potty trained by the age of two during the day, but I would still put one on for his afternoon nap and at night.  At two and a half, we were completely diaper-free.

There were some mishaps sometimes of course, but we generally always seemed to find a tree to water before one could happen (article on potty training coming soon).

Furthermore, the baby’s skin breaths better with a cloth diaper than a throw away one.

Finally, cloth diapers are more eco-friendly than disposable ones. Those ones take at least 350 years to disintegrate. Yes, that means that your dirty diaper is still laying around there somewhere.

For a single child, it will be necessary to cut down 4.5 trees in order to produce the 200 kg of flake paste needed to make them. It will also be necessary to use about 25 kg of plastic and 67 kg of crude oil.

The manufacture of 20 washable diapers requires only 10 kg of cotton.

One last benefit, you can use them with your next child!

How much it costs

If you are not sure if this is right for you, why not buy 2 or 3 and test it out during the day? That will be 2 or 3 less disposable diapers going into the landfill.

Considering that a baby on average at the beginning eats between 8 to 10 times in a day, you will need at least as many cloth diapers times two.

When you buy them, it gets pricy, but in the end, you’ll be a winner.  It’s an investment for sure at first, but so worth it, not only for your bank account but for your child and the planet.  

Daycares are accepting more and more cloth diapers as well.  Simply give them a special bag to put the soiled diapers in which they will return to you every day.

Note: find out, it is possible that the township in which you live gives you a grant to buy cloth diapers.  It is worth it!

Otherwise, plan to spend around $300 or $400 for about 20 diapers.

How to pick cloth diapers

I recommend that you buy the one size fits all, which means that your precious little one will be able to grow with it.

It’s best not to buy too many for the birth because you don’t know how much your baby will weigh.  

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There are different styles of cloth diapers, you can stock up on some prior to the birth and buy more afterwards depending on your baby’s needs.

Extra tip

Something that can be useful and less Eywh is to buy biodegradable sheets that you insert inside the cloth diaper.

When your New Idol will do a Numero D0-it (use Spanish accent), all you will have to do is take the sheet and dispose of it in the toilet.  

If it overspills in the diaper, simply shake it like a polaroid picture in the toilet.  Simple! You can also do it with a disposable diaper, it will make your trash less stinky.

How to wash cloth diapers

No need to wash them every day.  You can put them in a container with a lid and let them soak or not in water and add Tea Tree oil.

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In the beginning, during the night I would use disposable diapers, but biodegradable ones (yes they do exist, people).  I would order them online from Belgium (in bulk), to limit my wasteful impact.

 It turns out that Blondie Bear would sleep longer during the night with disposable diapers on and that there was less overflowing (he had a tendency to pee a lot at night).

I’ve recently found this brand that delivers diapers monthly to our doorstep. They are biodegradable and compostable. If you are not sure about them, you can order some free samples. It is really worth checking them out.

Traveling with cloth diapers

I’ve traveled with only using cloth diapers with Blondie Bear. It wasn’t always practical I admit, but I survived (remember it’s for the greater good).

If you are to travel by plane for a long journey (at least 6 hours), better use a disposable diaper.

One time, Blondie Bear did a number 2 while traveling on an airplane. Everyone knows how tiny the bathrooms are, that the water from the faucet doesn’t flow freely….so you can imagine that it was a little nightmarish of an experience for MOI.  It kept us busy though for at least 30 minutes during a 7 hours flight from France to Canada.

I laugh while remembering this episode, but it was really stressful at the time, especially since I was traveling by myself with Blondie Bear, so  I couldn’t ask anybody for help.

Another alternative that my sister chose for her second child, but is too extreme for me, is to not use diapers at all.

In any case, there are alternatives out there that are more Planet/Kid-friendly then those that impose themselves on our store shelves like the Pamps and the Hugs.  

As a matter of fact,  I still don’t understand why they don’t want to invest in cloth diapers since they already monopolize the market.  Poop for thought!