My baby has been using cloth diapers for almost two years now. We started our cloth diaper journey when she was just a month old, just around the time when pooping became less frequent. I actually planned it that way so I do not need to wash loads of diapers while trying to break-in to motherhood.
While pregnant, I am decided to use cloth diapers (the husband is a different story, though!). I cannot remember exactly where I learned about it, but I do remember browsing the posts in the Facebook group Cloth Diaper Addicts PH (https://www.facebook.com/groups/clothdiaperaddictsph/) every night when the little creature inside my tummy wouldn’t let me sleep. It took me months to understand the simple yet kind-of complicated world of cloth diapers: the different types of cloth diapers, the different types of inserts, which diapers are recommended for newborns, how to use cloth diapers, and even how to dry them.
I decided to use cloth diapers primarily because I want my baby’s diapers to be organic. Disposable diapers are made of chemicals — from its outside plastic cover to the absorbent gels inside. Also, I do not want to contribute to the loads of disposable diaper wastes created every day. Imagine how many disposable diapers a baby would use in a day, times how many babies actually use disposable diapers! And lastly, but definitely not the least, cloth diapers are way cheaper in the long run.
Using cloth diapers pacifies the worrying mother in me that my baby is safe from any unwanted reactions that might result from using disposable diapers and comforts the nature advocate in me that I am not contributing to the enormous non-biodegradable trash. Well, I am not a purist, though. We also used disposable diapers when my baby was still a newborn and currently, we are using disposable diapers when going out of the house (bringing several cloth diapers are quite bulky).
Care of cloth diapers is not as hard as others think. The washing machine is mom’s best friend when her baby uses cloth diapers. As for the poop and poop stain, bidets can be used to wash off the poop while Mr. Sun’s natural disinfecting power can easily take the stain off.
It may be quite expensive at first because you have to invest in several cloth diapers to sustain your cloth-diapering journey for months or years. But in the long run, it is actually cheaper than buying disposable diapers that would just go into the trash after use.
I am an advocate of cloth diapers. Friends have persuaded me to use disposable diapers because of convenience: no washing needed, no stubborn stains, no folding needed, etc. It might be convenient, but using cloth diapers for my baby’s delicate skin and preserving the environment are much more important than convenience for me.
Join the upcoming Great Cloth Diaper Change (GCDC) at the UP Bahay ng Alumni, this coming April 21 and learn more about using cloth diapers for your baby. Click here for more info and to register.
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