| Thirty years ago, cloth diapers were commonly used, | | | | catches all the solid waste, allowing it to be easily |
| while disposables were a considered by many to be a | | | | disposed of in the toilet so soiled and smelly diapers |
| luxury item. Today, however, disposables are the norm, | | | | don't sit around. No more soaking-wet diapers caused |
| and few people even consider using cloth diapers. | | | | by having to rinse them out in the toilet. |
| However, just as the Bob Dylan song goes, "the times | | | | 3) Health |
| they are a-changin'". Here are four reasons that | | | | Disposables tend to retain heat, which accelerates |
| modern parents may want to use cloth diapers instead | | | | bacterial growth. As cloth diapers have no plastic lining, |
| of disposables. | | | | and cotton "breathes" well, your baby should |
| 1) Affordability | | | | experience fewer diaper rashes. |
| Money talks. Even if you decide to use a diaper | | | | 4) Environmental Concerns |
| service to clean and refresh the soiled nappies, you | | | | A significant portion of disposable diapers is plastic. |
| should be able to save money. In one price comparison | | | | Plastic doesn't biodegrade well, which means that we |
| that was done for newborns, disposables averaged | | | | are adding to the landfill problems that will plague |
| $3.50 per day whereas a diaper service was $2.86 | | | | generations to come. It has been estimated that over |
| per day. Prices, of course, may vary in your area. | | | | 10,000 tons of disposable diapers are added to landfills |
| 2) Modern Developments | | | | EACH DAY. There may be a large group that believe |
| There will be those amongst our parents and | | | | that the convenience offered by disposable diapers |
| grandparents who will be naysayers and list all the | | | | outweighs this fact, but the environmentalist in you |
| reasons why cloth diapers are a pain. | | | | knows that the use of cloth diapers is just one more |
| Just be kind to them and point out that modern cloth | | | | step that we can take personally to help protect and |
| diapering is much more convenient than it was 30 | | | | preserve the Earth for future generations. |
| years ago. Folding is now a thing of the past, as | | | | Try Them. |
| modern cloth diapers are pre-cut and pre-shaped to fit | | | | Cloth diapers are, in many ways, a thing of the past, |
| your baby's bottom. Also, you won't be sticking | | | | but they are by no means gone forever. For the |
| yourself with pins, thanks to the modern Velcro or | | | | parent with financial or environmental concerns they |
| snaps used to fasten the sides together. You have | | | | are still a very viable option for covering the bottoms |
| probably heard about those smelly pails full of diapers, | | | | of their babies. Be one of a small but growing group |
| waiting to be washed? Many of today's services | | | | that are helping make cloth diapers the way to go. |
| provide a flushable, biodegradable paper lining that | | | | |