Cloth Diaper Basics

Thinking about Cloth Diapers? Why Consider Cloth? Cost:  If your child potty trains at 3, you will have spent over $2000 on disposable diapers. A basic cloth diapering set-up costs around $300, plus you still have diapers left at the end to resell or pass along to someone else! (Real Diaper Association, 2005; www.realdiaperassociation.com)  If you opt for a diaper service, the cost is comparable to disposables—although the diapers you use are re-used again and again, instead of ending up in a landfill. (RDA, 2005)

Environmental Concerns:  Disposable diapers generate sixty times more solid waste than cloth diapers (Landbank Consultancy, 1991, A Review of Proctor & Gamble’s Environmental Balances for Disposable and Re-Usable Nappies)  The production of disposable diapers uses about twice the amount of water and twenty times more raw materials than cloth diapers (Landbank Consultancy, 1991).  In households with a baby in disposable diapers, diapers account for about 50% of the solid waste. One ton of garbage is created for each baby who uses disposable diapers (Link, A., 2003, Disposable Nappies: A Case Study in Waste Prevention).

Parents’ reasons:  Often, babies will have less diaper rash in cloth; diaper rash was basically unheard of until the advent of plastic pants in the 1940’s (Weiner, F, 1979, The relationship of diapers to diaper rashes in the one- month-old infant, J. Pediatrics 95:422-24).  Soft cloth is nicer than plastic next to that sweet little bottom (one mama’s opinion).

Wait, these aren’t my mother’s cloth diapers! Cloth diapers have changed. A wide variety of diapers are now available, many of which fasten with Velcro or snaps…no pins required. Plastic pants have been replaced by modern breathable waterproof fabrics like Polyurethane Laminate and Polartec Fleece (yes, the same stuff you make jackets out of). Many families also choose an old fashioned option—wool—which makes a wonderfully breathable cover that is especially great for babies prone to diaper rash.

How do I get started? While large baby retailers, as a rule, carry little in the way of cloth diapers, there is a wealth of information on the internet, and a number of web-based businesses that sell cloth diapers. There are even a few local retailers—listed below—who sell cloth diapers and covers and can help you get started.

The Red Hen. High-end consignment and new items, carriers, cloth diapers, clothing, toys, equipment, and more. 201 Weaver St., Carrboro, NC, www.theredhen.com, 942-4420.

Triangle Diaper Company. Diaper service, retail and consignment store, cloth diapers, diaper covers, carriers and more. Tues-Sat. 4109 Grace Park Dr., Morrisville, NC 27560, corner Davis Dr. & Morrisville Carpenter Rd. trianglediapercompany.com 651-9802

Women’s Birth & Wellness Center Boutique. Cloth diapers, carriers and breast-feeding supplies. 930 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Suite, 202, Chapel Hill, NC, www.ncbirthcenter.com, 919-537-7055

* Consider using disposables in the first few days of life when baby is passing “meconium,” the first stools. Meconium is a very sticky, tar-like stool that is difficult to remove from cloth. Regular stool, which is a different color and consistency from meconium, usually appears around the 3rd day.

Updated June 2011