Hippie Diapers!!!
Peter: If I must pick one thing we’re enjoying most about this pregnancy (aside from Sara always being Designated Driver), it’s all of the unsolicited advice we get from family, friends and complete strangers. Coming in a close second would be the ridicule we sometimes get when telling folks of our intentions for our future progeny. Here’s our first installment; have a nice laugh on us!
Sara: So, we’ve decided to go with cloth diapers versus disposable diapers. Gasp! That’s right, no disposables; Pampers, Huggies, Luvs…nope, nada. We’re going old-school (which, not unike vinyl records, seems to have become new-school): cloth! Interestingly enough, the people with whom I’ve discussed this have opinions on the matter - go figure! I’ve heard enough about on the subject that I feel the need to justify this decision.
When people find out about this, I hear a lot of doubt and skepticism in their voices, or perhaps a “she’s-just-nuts” look. But honestly, I don’t quite understand why. I get that for some, disposables seem “easy,” but disposables are really quite gross, if you stop to think about it. Mmmm… human excrement, wrapped up in gel (yes, there’s a tasty absorbent gel in those lovely diappies). Later, the paper and plastic is tossed into your garbage, where it festers until it’s collected by the local waste management syndicate, trucked to a landfill and dumped. Quickly covered over by tons of other trash, it never sees the light of day or gets any air…which means it doesn’t biodegrade. Why? Because decomposition doesn’t happen in a vacuum; it requires air and sunlight as well as micro-organisms. And there your precious crap-filled plastic nuggets sit, for hundreds of years.
Now think of how many diapers your precious little angel goes through in a day, a week, a year. Yuck. That’s quite a crap mountain, no? And guess what? Before you wrap up those lovely “easy” diapers, you’re actually supposed to flush those delightful deuces down the toilet…didja know that?! How many parents actually do that? And think of this: how is OK dump baby’s boom-boom in the trash, while all others must flush theirs down the toilet? I mean why not just poop in a bucket, wrap it in a plastic bag and put it in the trash? Cuz it’s gross, right? Also, isn’t that how they do it in faraway lands where dysentery and cholera carry the day? I thought so.
Anyway, in case you didn’t figure it out, I don’t really like that idea. So we’re going with cloth. Peter seems ok with it—at least that what he says!*** So, we’re going to give it a try. Several friends have gone this route and liked it****. On the advice of one of these cloth-diapering friends, we’re going to try a couple of different brands to see which one we like and works best for us. Can’t hurt to try, right?! And if we do use a disposable, it’ll probably be an “earth-friendly” variety.
Also, keep in mind that cloth diapers have come a long way since the foldable, pinned, rubber-pants variety that swaddled my behind. Those still exist, but there are also cloth one-pieces that Velcro or snap; they’re fitted with elastic at the waist and legs—flush down the brown, place it in a diaper pail and wash the entire load (heh heh, load…) when it’s full. There are also pocket diapers with a fitted cloth outer-pieces and an absorbable inner liner. When it gets dirty, just remove the liner, toss it in the diaper pail and if outer cover is clean, insert clean liner and voila! New clean diaper on baby! They’re pretty much as easy as disposables!
The list of reasons why we decided to go with cloth is actually much longer, but I won’t bore you with it all-I’m sure I’ve been preachy enough! Suffice it to say, I’ve done as much research on the topic I can, short of actually having my own child in them. I’ve read the info (see below for some of it if you’re curious!), I’ve looked at different types and styles of cloth, and I’ve talked with friends who have used cloth diapers. So, I feel pretty confident this is the right decision for us and our baby. If not, we’ll mix it up…and I’m sure we’ll hear a few “I-told-you-so’s,” or get those “mmm-hmm’s,” combined with the “crazy-first-time-parents-don’t know-what-they’re-doing” looks!! It’s all good!
***Peter says: What’s a “diaper,” and what on Earth will I be expected to do with one?
****Peter also says: “Liked” it?
http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php
http://www.sustainabilityinstitute.org/dhm_archive/index.php?display_article=vn321diapersed
http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/diapering-a-baby-9/diaper-choices
http://www.copperwiki.org/index.php/Disposable_Diapers
Older article, but still relevant: http://libaware.economads.com/ddiapermyth.php
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Cool. Now I know what I am going to get you when the little bugger is born. ~ Kara
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