If you’re a new parent, you’ve probably heard your grandparents telling you how lucky you are and singing the praises of disposable diapers. Way back then, the only option was cloth diapers, which require a ton of laundry work. See, less than thirty years ago, disposable diapers were considered a luxury. Nowadays, everyone uses cloth diapers and people that use cloth diapers for their babies are considered to be odd. There are several reasons that modern parents might want to use cloth diapers instead of disposables, and, believe it or not, cloth diapers are starting to make a bit of a comeback.

The main reason that a parent may choose to start using cloth diapers instead of the name brand disposables is the cost. Cloth diapers are much cheaper than disposables, even if the parents are paying a diaper service to haul away the used diapers and bring clean ones each week. Disposable diapers can easily cost well over one hundred dollars per month or more, and you’ll be paying this expense every month for around two years. Many parents are starting to forgo the convenience of disposables to save this extra money.

There are also environmental issues to consider. Disposable diapers are made out of plastic and a pad of absorbent cotton. Plastic does not biodegrade well at all, which means that our landfills are filled with diapers that aren’t going away anytime soon. Most people believe that the convenience offered by disposable diapers outweighs this fact. They might not consciously make this choice, but their actions speak for themselves. Environmentalists believe that those who use cloth diapers are taking one small step which goes a long way to protect and preserve the Earth for future generations.

Those whiny parents and grandparents might still have a few bones to pick with today’s parents who decide on using cloth diapers, because the today’s cloth diapers are much different from those that they were using on their own kids and grandkids several decades ago. They are used to awkward folding and having to use safety pins to fasten the diaper to the baby. Modern cloth diapers are pre-cut and shaped to cover the baby’s backside quickly and easily. They also have Velcro fasteners or snaps to make it easier to secure. One other added feature is that many cloth diapers now come with a flushable, biodegradable paper lining hold in solid waste so you can easily flush it down the toilet. So no more stinky diapers sitting around waiting for trash pickup day.

Cloth diapers are currently used by only a very small percentage of parents, but they are still out there and available. Any parent concerned with the cost or environmental impact of disposable diapers should seriously consider going with cloth.

About the Author
Nancy Dean is a freelance author and mother of three. She contributes to several websites and specializes in articles about children and decorating.

Yes, you heard us right, you can now put your baby’s sensitive bottom in a diaper that you can take off, throw in the toilet and flush away! This keeps the dirty, disposable diapers out of the landfills and helps keep the risk of ground water contamination low from your baby’s poop! You can flush your baby’s poop away so that it gets broken down properly in our sewage treatment facilities, safely treated and where the valuable nutrients can be utilized as biosolids. Best part is the flushable diapers consist of no chlorine, perfumes or dyes that could hurt your baby’s skin.

Environment
On the other end of the spectrum, people who do home composting for their gardens can add the diapers that are ONLY wet to their compost and use it to help their garden be healthy. The diapers will completely decompose within six months (vs. 500 years with your traditional disposable diaper), and your garden will love you!

Fashion
Not only are they easy to use, and help keep the stink out of your baby’s room, but they are fashionable as well! The diapers consist of a cover and an insert, much like a cloth diaper would. The covers have a snap in liner, which can be replaced if necessary, and the refills sit in these liners for easy removal and flushing. The covers come in a variety of fabric colors and patterns from solids to florals, and come in three sizes which your baby can wear all the way up to 35 pounds. The covers called “little g” pants can also be used as covers for your cloth diapers.

Cost
There are many questions you may be asking about when it comes to buying your flushable diaper. Among these is probably wondering where you can get them and how much they cost. You can order them online from www.gdiapers.com or you can buy them at your local Whole Foods Market or Wild Oats store. The diaper covers are approximately $15.00 a piece and the inserts range from $15.00 for a small package of refills to $45 for a larger package of refills. For some cost is not a problem when it comes to helping keep the environment safe and healthy for our children, grand children and even great grandchildren. In order to see if flushable diapers are for you, there is even a starter kit available that includes the inserts and covers for $25.00.

Controversy
There is a lot of controversy on whether or not these flushable diapers are really environmentally friendly. People question if it is just causing more build up of paper in the sewage system. Paper tends to decompose much faster than disposable diapers do so for some this may be a moot point. It is important that you do your research though regarding all options when it comes to diapering your baby so that you can make the best decision for your family and your family’s finances.