Cloth vs Sposies

When you find out you're going to be a mom, there are lots of things to research. From all things pregnancy to L&D and finally? Baby gear.

You start with a registry. Some choose to do it online while others choose go to the store with that fun little barcode scanner (or as most guys refer to it - gun) & scan away. But from the beginning - it's clear that there are so, so many options.

So - how do you pick the right one for your family? The options of swings, bottles, ointment, bath wash, etc can be a bit overwhelming. The same thing goes with diapers. Pampers, huggies, store brands. How do you choose?

I'll tell you the story of how I chose - a friend of mine & I were talking about our future children one day. She mentioned cloth diapering. I gave her what I would assume to be a look of disgust, because she felt she needed to explain (& in my mind, she did!).



How much do you spend on a pack of diapers? Well, let's say you prefer Pampers (which is what we used in the hospital & I LOVED - vs the not-so-awesome Huggies we used later at home). In that case, you are in for a little surprise as they are a bit pricey. You can get 204 diapers for $44.99. That's about 22 cents per diaper. The average baby will use 3,000 diapers per year. If your baby is in diapers for three years, that's almost $2,000! & that's just on diapers. Add in wipes & you're shelling out a lot of money for something that's going to sit in a landfill for decades (literally!).

Not only that, but many babies have very sensitive skin. I know my daughter does. Cloth is awesome because it's just like clothing. It has the least amount of irritation on a baby's skin. Disposables aren't made of the greatest materials & they are filled with chemicals.



For a stash of cloth you can spend around $500 & get decent options, especially if you go second hand. It's really economical. They even have plenty of organic options in case that's something you're concerned with. If you're using the diapers for more than one baby, it's definitely worth it. You can also plan to sell the diapers once you're done.

Alas, it's not about judgement or ridicule. It's about what works best for you & your family. I thought cloth might be difficult, but it's really not. Even my husband was worried, but he really loves the cloth now. We are happy with the decision we made & I've never looked back.