Premium Nappies - I am due to become a New Daddy in the New Year. Should we use disposible or cloth Nappies?

I am due to become a New Daddy in the New Year. Should we use disposible or cloth Nappies?

I am sure the costs work out the same if you have them Laundered, but what is better for the Babies skin?

Public Comments

Cloth is better so I would give it a try cloth at home and disposable when your out and about. Either way a diaper should be changed frequently
The difference between disposables and cloth are marginal; both are pretty bad for the environment. Having them laundered, as you mention, is probably a really good bet - I'd go for that.
nappies take 30 yrs to decompose, but they are so much easier, so its up to your concience, i use disposable by the way. your babies skin will be fine as long as regually change the nappy.
initially cloth nappies are good for the baby. they have to be frequently changed but they reduce the chance of getting rashes because the baby s skin is really soft then. once the baby is used to the cloth nappies try alternating them with disposable ones.
That is really a preference. I used cloth diapers with all four of my children. For me this worked best, yes a little more work, however, what I felt more comfortable with. Good luck
disposables because the baby's skin could get irritated with cloth, whereas disposables soak up more and wont irritate
good quality disposibles i tried cloth nappies on the insistance of my mum but they were messy and not that econmical with laundry etc. nothing worse then having to change a baby while out and carry the dirty cloth nappie about
I always use to use disposible diapers. It never bothered his skin. Maybe you should just wait and see and if the disposible ones don't bother him or her I would go that route.. Well cuz it would be easier. When you have a baby, you need something to be easier. Congratulations
For most babies, sad to say, disposable is better. The wetness is pulled away from the baby's skin better where with cloth diapers you have to change them THE MOMENT they wet or sensitive babies will wind up with rash. Also, the "cloth feel" outer layer of disposables will breathe a bit... where plastic/rubber outer pants will not. I had seven children and used both at one time or another and I can tell you that disposable is by FAR easier, less time consuming, less messy and they had fewer rashes. You have to buy them for travel and outings anyway... so best to just stick with disposables. Cloth is more tolerable if you have a diaper service... but still... my stepmother did that and it was a pain too. Congratulations!! :)
You've got to use what's right for you. Disposable.. More expensive Bad for environment Easy and convienient to use Easy when out and about No washing Cloth Good for environment Expensive @ 1st, but cheaper in long term Lots of washing! Inconvienient when out (esp holidays)
Disposible saves tons of money on diapers and there is detergent you can use to wash babies clothes and stuff. You can always buy soft cloth for the diapers.
I liked the cloth diapers the best.. they are easy to care for .. just rinse and throw in a pail of water to soak with a little bleach in them .. or have laundered for you.. but if you can hang out on a clothes line they come out pretty and white.. and you can use the disposable diapers when you go out.. makes everything so much cheaper.. My kids had a problem with the lining on the disposable diapers irritating there skin.. so i always used the cloth. and washed myself. plastic pants. just soak in mild soapy water with a little baking soda will make them smell fresh and then wash with everything else.. good luck
Cloth all that need to been done is hose it out side and it good tpo goo
I'm sure you're aware that cloth nappies are supposed to be much better for the environment and usually work out rather cheaper. But on a practical level, all I can do is relate our baby's experience. We bought all the cloth nappies, covers and so on, but when she was first born she was too small for them, so we had to use disposables for a while. Then we had a few weeks of using the cloth nappies and they were usually fine, although any time they weren't sent through two rinse cycles she developed nappy rash (I'm not sure what this extra washing does to the environmental impact comparison!) Then we reached summer, and the cloth nappies made her too hot. Again we had to switch to disposables. By the time we reached the cool of the autumn, she had outgrown the original plastic covers and needed the next size up - another investment of tens of pounds. We looked at all the problems we'd had, and decided not to bother and stuck to disposables instead. We were too used to the extra convenience (if you're out for the day, you really DON'T want to carry a dirty cloth nappy or two around with you, even in a bag), and there was quite enough washing anyway with about 3 sets of clothes per day. I'm not proud of our decision, we'd have liked to be more eco-friendly, but it didn't work for us. One good thing, though, is to get scraps of towelling to wipe baby with, rather than cotton wool - that WILL save you money. You can get them from The Nappy Lady - get at least 3 packs of 20.
Cloth is better for the environment, though I don't know about the skin, because as long as they are changed as often as they should be, I don't think there is much difference. See how you get on with cloth, but if its not for you, use disposables.
Disposable Nappies The most obvious advantage of disposables is that you don't have to wash your baby's soiled underwear. Babies can produce an unbelievable amount of waste, all of which you will need to clean if you choose cloth nappies. With disposables you just whip off the dirty diaper and pop it straight into the bin. However, this convenience comes at a cost - mainly to your pocket and to the environment. Disposables aren't exactly cheap and your baby will go through them like you wouldn't believe. In terms of the environment, disposable nappies now comprise 5% of all household waste. So they may be a saviour for busy mothers but there anything but for mother earth. Cloth Nappies The pros and cons of cloth nappies are essentially the opposite of those of disposables. Cloth nappies are cheaper and better for the environment but they do need to be cleaned, folded and stored. You can use special nappy cleaning agencies but this eats into the pennies you saved on choosing cloth nappies in the first place. But who actually said you need to choose between disposables and cloth nappies? Why not use both. Many parents find disposables more convenient during the day but but prefer the extra hardiness of cloth nappies at night time. It's the best of both worlds.
Disposibles! if you use cloth ones you will be washing them all the time.
Congratulations. There was a big uproar a few years back about how the land fill were filling up to over capacity with disposable diapers which didn't break down, and therefore everyone should use cloth diapers. the only problem was: The disposable diapers were not taking up that much room in the land fills, and they did break down. Not only that, but the energy to wash cloth diapers was worse on the environment than using disposable ones. Kind of like the old "paper or plastic?" choice at the store which has basically vanished. (Kill a tree, or plastic which won't biodegrade?) Bottom line, whatever you'd like.
Disposables are best. Cloth diapers cause a lot of diaper rash and discomfort to the baby. If you choose cloth be sure to stock up on lots of zinc ointment (for diaper rash) it's very expensive but you will need it.
It's totally up to you and your wife. Some prefer one over the other. As for me, I prefer the disposable. Depends on who's going to be handling those dirty nappies. It's always possible to try the cloth diapers out for a bit to see if it works for your lifestyle.
Disposable diapers are great and less chance of diaper rash.
Cloth nappies are better for the environment and if you can get a laundering service where you are I'd go for them. There were no laundering services where I was when I had my baby 4 years ago, it was winter and I had no dryer so the only real option for me was disposables. The cost works out about the same I think, and so long as they're changed frequently and you use some sort of barrier cream they're both OK for baby's skin - although some babies react to disposables and some react to the cloth. Try them both, see what works for you.
I reckon disposables at night (and/or for going out) but cloth at all other times. All in ones and stuffables are very good. I liked Nature Babies, Motherease all-in-1, Wonderoos and Fuzzi Bunz - (my personal fav).
Actually for me, I've foundt hat the cost is much cheaper to use cloth even working in the cost to launder them. It might be the same if you have to use laundrymats to wash the diapers however. Generally the best for baby's skin is cloth. Disposable diapers are full of chemicals The cheapest method I've found is using a combination of cloth diapering and elimination communication, which is a method of helping babies learn to eliminate in the toilet rather than in diapers. I have been using this technique since new baby was 7 weeks old with great success. This seriously cuts down laundry while keeping baby clean and dry nearly all the time. I even work full time and we do this (at home only). http://www.ec-information.com
Congrats on becoming a new dad soon. I think you should use a combination of both to make use of the best of both advantages. At least that is what I did for kids. Cloth allow better breathing for your baby's delicate skin. So for day use when you have time to check the wetness and smell for urine and faeces. As mentioned by others, disposables can absorb liquids, so if you don't change the cloth nappies fast when necessary, it is actually worse off for your baby's skin. Therefore day time when cloth nappies cannot be monitored and checked often, or for overnight use where we are sleeping, then the disposables should be used. Cloth nappy's should have faeces and urine washed off properly with baby washing detergent. Not too much also should be used or it will be diffucult to wash off and leave a residue that will be worse off to your baby. Rinse with lots of water. Disposable diapers should be the soft paper or cloth-like material on both the inside and outside. Do not use the plastic type as it will prevent air circulation, especially worse off when you don't change as often compared to cloth nappies. If you include the time, labour, detergent and water for the cloth nappies, it costs a lot more, but it is certainly worth it, especially to prevent your baby from skin rash or eczema, which you have to spend more time on seeing the doctor and money on medication, plus all the agony. So in short, use both types to your advantage.It is your best choice.
you can get washable nappies that work the same way as disposable i love them and you can use them for any other little one you may have in the future so you will save money and your child's future providing you regularly change your baby's Nappie there shouldnt be a problem with sore botties if you do have a problem then use a nice nappy cream
I will suggest you from my practical experiance-use Dispoable One.the only disadvantage is - they r not good for environment.But all other thgs r good with disposable ones.
when the baby comes along you will have so many things to do in a day that you would probably find it less hassle to use disposable however the cloth would be an extra job on the "to do" list, the best bet would be to involve the family !!! im sure the grandparents will be fussing over the baby when it comes along so assign them the chore of the nappy washing !!!! sounds good to me !!!
Pampers Baby Dry are the best diapers ever!
i have used both and find disposable better as they can be peed in many times and still remain dry on baby's skin and with cloth nappies one pee and the nappy is soaked .
You can wash them yourself and save even more. Dreft laundry soap, chlorine bleach, and downy fabric softener ( the kind without the dyes and perfumes). Newborns soil their diapers about 18 times a day. The disposable diapers are so expensive that people leave them on the baby all day long and this invites horrible diaper rashes. Cloth diapers need to be changed about 18 times a day, but if you change them as soon as they get wet or soiled your baby will never suffer from a diaper rash. Make sure you wash the baby's bottom off with soap and water with each change and use baby oil as a protective barrier. My daughter was in cloth diapers and never had a diaper rash, and no it didn't cost us an arm and a leg to wash them either. I rinsed them out and kept them in a bucket of soapy water until there were enough of them to fill the washer with (we had to use the laundromat because we didn't have a washer at home). I just made sure I had plenty of them on hand ( I would suggest at least 6-7 dozen cloth diapers). Once the baby gets older he/she will pee less often but in larger quantities so you just put them in two diapers instead of one. Make sure you buy the plastic pants that fit over top of the diaper. Oh and potty training is so much easier with cloth diapers too. Baby can't wait to have a dry bottom all the time. My daughter chose the disposables and my grandchildren always had diaper rashes. Diaper rashes are totally preventable and are a form of abuse/neglect.
Why should I use cloth diapers? Don't worry, cloth diapering has modernized! The days of diaper pins, plastic pants, and soaking diapers in the toilet are over! Today's diapers have velcro or snaps; soft, breathable waterproof materials; and come in all kinds of fun prints and colors. If you wash your own clothes, you'll have no trouble with cloth diapers. I'll give you three good reasons to use cloth diapers instead of disposable diapers. They're better for your pocketbook, better for the environment, and better for your baby! Plus, all of these same reasons apply to using cloth training pants for potty training or bed wetting issues. Better for your baby First and foremost, it's better for your baby. Cloth diapers are softer against your baby, and they also protect that brand new skin from the chemicals found in disposables. You've probably heard of Dioxin, the poison that was given to the president of the Ukraine. Did you know traces of that are found in disposable diapers? And that's not all. Remember the substance banned from tampons in 1985 due to links to toxic shock syndrome? Yep, still found in disposable diapers. And while not conclusive yet, studies have suggested disposable diapers may be linked to asthma and male infertility. Ugh. Plus, babies who wear cloth diapers are much less likely to get diaper rash. Better for the environment Using cloth diapers keeps an average of 2 tons of non-biodegradable waste per child out of our landfills. This does not include the environmental waste produced to manufacture the disposable diapers. Disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills. Disposable diapers produce about 20 times as much waste as fast food trash in the U.S. 'Nuf said on that! Better for your pocketbook Although it requires more up front investment than using disposable diapers, in the long run, you can save an average of $2000+ by cloth diapering. The more children you cloth diaper, the more you will save by reusing your original supply. ) Even if you only cloth diaper one child, cloth diapers have an unusually high resale value and you can recoup a lot of your investment by selling the diapers. Believe it or not, cloth diapering is becoming a very "in" thing to doMonth
Congratulations. I would say disposable saves on the washing and you then get to spend more time with your new born as youll have enough washing to do as it is. disposables these days have aloe vera in that helps sooth your babys bum and aslong you change them regular your prevent nappy rash and leaks. But i've never been a fan of cloth nappies they seem to take up 2 much time. mum of 7 year old and due 2nd any day now hopefully
im from uk i wanted to buy cloth nappys but for 10 it cost £50 thats not including the extras like lining i go through more than 10 a day so stick to disposable also cloth nappys can cause bad nappy rash worse than disposable
Cloth is better for babies skin AND the enviorment. If you plan on having more than one child, then cloth works out as less expensive, esp. if you do your own laundry.
Its a choice of preference really, you have the advantages of Terrie's being better for environment which have got to be better, but then again the disposable are more convenient and probably easier. Don't let anyone try and tell you its your choice at the end of the day. Good Luck with baby its great being a parent.
I used cloth with disposable at night (to stop leaks and help sleep!) I found the cloth were no bother at all, and now we are expecting another baby the cloth can be reused so will save loads of money too. By the way my son was also toilet trained at 18 months I belive due to knowing he was wet from the cloth, and he never once had nappy rash, and the cloth nappy wraps are so funky!!! Good luck..... ;o)