Womb to Bloom - Maternity & Beyond

As a new parent, I toiled over the decision of whether to use cloth or disposable diapers.  I knew that disposable diapers were fast, convenient, and would fit my “Mile a minute” lifestyle perfectly. I also knew that the cost of using disposable diapers would add up fast.

I didn’t want to shun the idea of using cloth diapers because I wanted to do my part for the environment, and save a little money in the process. But the idea of adding extra work to my already hectic life didn’t exactly scream, “Come to me.” 

I’ve had friends who’ve used cloth diapers with great success and others who hated them. Since I have never been the type of gal to go on the experiences of others, I had to see for myself if using cloth diapers on my twins would mesh with my lifestyle.

I was really impressed at how cloth diapers have evolved. They’ve come a long way from the giant diaper pins, and the overstuffed block style cloth that I remembered. The variety of cloth diaper choices were endless--prefolds, organic, contours, all-in-ones, flat, snap, Velcro...I couldn’t keep up.

Laundry is my least favorite thing to do (next to cooking and cleaning)—so I quickly grew tired of soaking, and washing smelly diapers. To solve the problem, I enlisted the help of a diaper service to handle the dirty work of laundering my kids’ diapers. I was satisfied with the service, and it was cheaper than buying disposable diapers. I only had to wash my twins’ cloth diapers when I forgot to put them out on pick-up day (which was often).

Anytime we went on outings, I would shove the dirty cloth diapers in large plastic baggies, and store them in the pouch of my baby bag. When I would get home, I’d be so preoccupied with preparing dinner, giving baths, catching up on work, and such that I’d forget the dirty diapers were in the bag. Can you imagine the stench that came from that bag after a couple of days of having soiled diapers stored there?

Anytime I would drop my children off at a friend or relative’s house, they would always ask me to bring disposable diapers. My kids’ daycare center blatantly refused to use cloth diapers because of the potential health hazard they posed to the babies in their care.

After three months, I came to the conclusion that using cloth diapers on my twins was too much of a hassle. Some say that three months isn’t long enough to make an informed decision—but it was long enough for me to realize I didn’t have the time, or the level of patience cloth diapering involved. When I removed that first disposable diaper from my infant’s bottom, and threw it in the trash—there was no going back.

I must admit, I felt a little guilty about adding to the tons of waste in the landfills, and I really missed the extra cash I saved when I was using cloth diapers. But it was a relief to rid myself of the extra work cloth diapering entailed. Disposable diapers are a much better option for me, as they are more efficient, and easier to use—especially when I take my kids on long road trips, or outings.

The decision of whether to use cloth or disposable diapers is a personal one, and should be made based on what’s appropriate for your family. My overall experience with cloth diapers was not a bad one—but in the end, it all boiled down to which option was best suited for my lifestyle.