One of the first things that parents have to decide on is whether to use disposable diapers or cloth diapers or a combination of both. To date, there are no studies showing one to be better than the other and the choice of which diaper to use will depend on each family’s specific lifestyle and needs. Here are some pros and cons of each type of diaper to help you make a well-informed decision.
Disposable Diapers
Pros
- Disposable diapers are extremely convenient especially when out and about. Use it, take it off, roll it up and throw it in the trash. Done.
- They are user friendly especially for other caregivers and at preschools.
- Disposable diapers are more absorbent and are more efficient at keeping the baby’s skin dry.
- A range of sizing options is available making it possible to obtain a good fit hence minimizing the risk of leakage or blowouts.
Cons
- Disposable diapers do not degrade easily and contribute massively to waste in the landfills making them very eco-unfriendly.
- They also contain different chemicals in the dyes and gel within them that can irritate the baby’s sensitive skin.
- Although each individual disposable diaper is not expensive, in long run, the cost can accumulate to a significant amount over the 2 to 3 years that a child generally requires diapers.
So I did a little research into the common disposable diaper brands available in Nepal. Ideally, for newborns, diapers should be changed every 2 to 3 hours… in other words around 8 times a day. In general, for small sizes, the average cost of each diaper, as of the time of this article, is 20.5 NPR. As the baby grows the number of diaper changes decreases but the price per diaper increases (the average cost for 1 piece of XL size is around 30 rupees). This translates to almost 60,000 Nepalese Rupees per year if used as recommended. Phew! You can imagine how much this adds up to if you happen to have twins or triplets!
Cloth Diapers
Pros
- Cloth diapers are reusable and hence produce less waste and are environmentally friendly.
- They are more affordable in the long run especially if you reuse your first child’s diapers for your second child. It is also possible to sell cloth diapers and recover some of the initial cost. As of when this article is published, reusable cloth pocket diapers available in the market cost around 500-600 rupees each. Even if you start with a stash of 20 diapers with extra diaper inserts, the cost would be far less than that of a whole year of disposable diapers.
- The inner lining is usually made of natural fabrics such as cotton and bamboo which contain very minimal chemicals and are gentler on the skin.
- Additionally, cloth diapers may make potty training easier as babies can sense the wetness in the diaper which makes them uncomfortable.
Cons
- Cloth diapers are more time and energy-consuming. Even though cloth diapers have evolved enormously from the old fashion ones, they still require some work in cleaning and prepping.
- Yes, you will have to deal with cleaning up poop which you may find gross.
- Cloth diapers need to be washed either manually or in a washing machine which uses up water (and electricity if using a washing machine).
- Although cloth diapers are cheaper in the long run, the initial upfront cost of cloth diapers and the added accessories are higher than the starting cost of disposable diapers.
- Cloth diapers are less absorbent and will need to be changed more frequently to prevent diaper rashes.
- Petroleum jelly (Vaseline) and some diaper rash creams cannot be used in cloth diapers.
- Used diapers have to be stored in a wet bag making it difficult to travel.
- Cloth diapers are bulky.
- Cloth diapers are more difficult for other caregivers such as grandparents or nannies, and many preschools may not accept them.
The best of both worlds
There is no rule that you have to only use one type or the other. You can always use a combination of both depending on your needs. For example, you may opt for cloth diapers when at home and switch to disposables when you need to leave the house for shopping or an outing. Or maybe using cloth diapers during the day and disposables at night may help you better. It is your choice and with trial and error, you will find a routine that best suits you.