Why Should I Use Cloth Diapers?

 When my husband first suggested that I use cloth diapers on our first son I asked the same question. There are many good reasons to use cloth, plus it may not be nearly as much work as you may think.  If you are just now looking at cloth diapers and don't know anyone who uses them you may be like I was and have a few misconceptions.  My first misconception was "it will be so messy!" I know this might sound silly but I didn't know about covers and thought that when the baby wet that everything would be wet.  Go ahead you can chuckle I laugh about it myself now too.  I now know about diaper pails, I use a dry one, and about covers.
  My second misconception was about the amount of work that would be required.  I'm sure that you already do a load of laundry a day.  With diapers, depending on how much you have, you wash about every other day.  I don't notice the extra load, and I'm sure that you won't either.
    My third misconception was about ease and convienence.  I thought that it would be a real pain to use cloth when I'm out and about ( at first I used disposables when I went out), but come to find out it isn't more work at all.  In fact I rarely need to hunt for a trash can now.  I carry a wet bag, I highly recommend them, and my dirty diapers go there.  
   

So why should you use cloth?  Well, lets start with the bottom line.  There is no question about it, in the long run cloth is cheaper.  If your child is in diapers until about age three you will probably spend between 2,000 to 3,000 dollars.  But with cloth you will probably spend between 1,000 and 1,500 dollars.  What a difference! If you would like to see a detailed comparison click here. But wait that isn't all that needs to be accounted for.  Those cloth diapers can be used again for future children, or resold.  Of course money alone should not make the decision for you, it certainly didn't for me.

Then there is comfort.  Which would you rather wear soft cotten or hemp or something that feels like a maxi pad?  I don't know about you but I hate maxi pads!  Yes, a child can be wet longer in a disposable before he really notices, but in my opinion a few extra diaper changes here and there are worth the price of soft fluffy comfort.  Also the great reduction in diaper rashes.  I didn't believe this one at first, but it is true! My older sons had many diaper rashes but my youngest only gets one when he is in a disposable for too long. 

The enviroment is another great reason to consider cloth.  This is one way that you can do your part.  With cloth diapers you aren't filling up landfills.  Now before I started all of this I thought that "hey you could always burn diapers"  But guess what you can't!  I tried and they just make a gooey hard mess.   So let's all pitch in and do our part for the environment, save money for our family, and keep our babies in comfort at the same time!