Sep
7
Choosing Baby Diapers
Filed Under Tips: Baby Diapers
How to Choose the Best Diapers for Your Newborn Baby
Many people do not put a lot of thought into the type of diapers they are going to use on their new baby. Many new parents expect to be able to go to the grocery store and pick-up a pack of Huggies or Pampers and think they will all be set. However, what happens when your baby has an adverse reaction to one of these name brands?
Additionally, for a family that is tight on funds, disposable diapers may not be the best option due to their price. Diaper coupons can help to offset the price, however, cloth diapers may actually be the most affordable option for parents that are strapped financially as they are reusable and can be used for a variety of different household uses after their life as a diaper.
Disposable versus Cloth
Technology has come a long way since disposable diapers were first introduced to parents in the early sixties. Before then, cloth was the only option, although several absorbent inserts had been created to make cloth diapers more absorbable and to last longer. Today’s disposable diapers are almost cloth-like in their construction and use a unique fiber that helps to wick away the moisture from the body so that a baby doesn’t require an instant diaper change and they buy the parent a little more time if they are away from home and can’t change the baby. They also help to prevent diaper rash. However, disposable diapers are one of the notorious items filling up today’s landfills.
Due to environmental concerns, many parents are choosing to use cloth diapers instead. There are several options available in cloth diapers including pre-folded cotton, fleece knit, French terry and woven jersey. Each of these different types of fabrics have their own advantages and you can try each of these different types of cloth diapers to find which one is ideal for your baby.
Cloth diapers are also more affordable to buy and are easily cleaned with your home washer and dryer. Cloth diapers are also ideal if your baby is one of the few that has an allergic reaction to the materials used in disposable diapers. You can even choose from organic fabrics as well, although these diapers tend to be more expensive than traditional cotton cloth diapers.
Deciding Which Diaper is Best for You
Now that you know your options in diapers, it’s up to you to decide which diaper option is ideal for you. If you want to follow in the footsteps of those before you, you may want to continue the age old tradition of cloth diapers. The good news for you is that there are diapering services that are available to do the cloth diaper cleaning for you. You simply sign up and pay for the service and they deliver clean cloth diapers to you on a regular schedule and pick up the dirty diapers from you. Diapering services are not available in all areas, but this may be an option you may want to explore. Or, you can use your home washer and dryer to clean them, which is often more affordable. If you’re environmentally concerned, there are more and more “green” disposable diapers that are being introduced onto the market. Soon parents will have several brands to choose from, but for now you can expect to pay a little more for these environmentally friendly disposable diapers.
Finally, if you decide that disposable diapers are your only option, then you’ll find several brands to choose from. Many parents will simply go for the brand that is more affordable. However, due be aware and check boxes to see what types of skin conditioners or other additives have been added to these diapers. Some brands have chemicals included in them that may cause your baby to develop an allergic reaction. In this case, finding the best brand for your baby is a matter of trial and error. In some cases, babies simply can’t wear disposable diapers due to skin allergies and cloth diapers become your only option.
If cloth diapers aren’t something that appeal to you, but you are still concerned about the environment. You can also choose from the many new environmentally friendly diapers available today. These diapers are designed to degrade quickly so they do not contribute to the every growing size of our landfills. These diapers are designed to degrade within one month of being exposed to the outdoors.
