Which to Use?

Updated on May 21, 2008
J.J. asks from Livermore, CA
9 answers

I am 6 weeks away from my due date beginning to decide which diapers to use.
I have read that the price of cloth vs disposable is pretty much equal when it comes down to using a service which if I used cloth is what I would want to do.
It looks like 7th Generation diapers is a good in between- environmentally.
On the other hand if I was going to go with lowest price I have read that the store brands & Pampers are the best for price & quality.
Any advice as to finding the right fit for someone who wants to keep the environment in mind, avoid any harsh ingredients that will cause any rash for the baby & knowing that I will be going thru 8-14 diapers/day in the beginning which translates to needing to consider cost....Maybe I could use a little of both the less expensive diapers & 7th generation???? Help! Thanks!

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So What Happened?

Thanks for all the recommendations! I ended up deciding to try out 7th generation & nature baby care diapers which one of you mentioned. Although my Target stores in the surrounding areas don't carry nature baby I was able to buy in bulk from diapers.com with free shipping & used a $10 off coupon from babytalk magazine.
I looked into another of your recommendations 'G' diapers & will most likely give them a try once I have gotten used to breastfeeding & diaper changing with the disposables....hopefully @ only a few months in. One thing at a time-right!?
FYI: I figured out that buying in bulk, both nature baby & 7th generation diapers cost only about $.5 more than the lower priced diapers (pampers swaddlers specifically) not a high price to contribute to the environment that we only get one chance to take care of. Food for thought. :)
Thanks again!

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C.L.

answers from Fresno on

I used Pampers swaddlers and later Pampers Cruisers and never had any problem with leakage. When she was a little older I switched to the Costco brand, but after using them I immediately switched back to Pampers because they were softer and more comfortable. I personally think using cloth diapers would be hell.

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More Answers

C.C.

answers from Fresno on

We used Pampers Swaddlers, and then Pampers Cruisers. I just couldn't deal with cloth, personally. Cloth seemed like a great idea until the first time my baby pooped and I realized that I'd have to do something with this poopy, drippy mess... so I switched to disposable. I never regretted the decision. As my sister in law in Italy told me, it's interesting that we get all worked up about cloth vs disposable in America, but then we all use disposable toilet paper, don't we? (In Italy, they have a bidet cloth for each member of the family rather than using toilet paper. They have toilet paper there for guests only, pretty much.)

If you're worried about your environmental impact, then potty train early. =) My advice is to make diaper changes as fast and painless for you as possible, so you can move on with enjoying the rest of your baby's life!

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J.M.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi J.,

Congratulations!

Even the best childbirth experience can be exhausting...
I suggest having swaddlers (pampers?) or other newborn disposables on hand for the first week or two. Then, after you've recovered from childbirth switch to something less harmful to the environment.

I used gdiapers with my second child and really liked them. They are cloth outsides with a plastic snap-in liner. In the liner goes a flushable insert. Cloth and plastic are both machine washable. If you compost, which I don't, the wet-only liners are compost-able. I found my gdiapers at Nugget Markets. Their website is www.gdiapers.com. I should note that I used overnight disposables when my son slept all night because I had too many leaks. I had NO leak problems during the day, even from the wonder-poo that oozes everywhere. My son attended a mom's day out type of program one morning a week - they wanted disposables only.

For disposables, I tried most brands, what ever was on sale, and Costco's generic brand. Both of kids did fine in all of them. I preferred certain brands because some sticky tabs were easier to use than others...

Good luck!

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J.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Oh the million dollar question... well it won't cost a million dollars but it might seem like it. I originally bought the cloth diapers and with the pins. Then I got scared... what if I poked him!?!? Oh the tragedy! In the long run we decided to get disposable diapers, but we got ones that are either compostable or biodegradeable. They are only found at Target and online, unless someone has seen them elsewhere. They are called Naturebaby diapers. They have a whole line... wipes, shampoo, diapers, etc. Google them! I REALLY like them. My son has never had a diaper rash or even remotely close to it. It holds all the nighttime pee and he sleeps (usually) through the night. You can put the pee ones in a compost pile and they do breakdown. In fact, I had one that was one of their little biodegradeable baggies and it had already started to break down... after only 3 days.
Gdiapers are another great option and I wish I had known about them to begin with when I was feeling a little more adventurous. However, I worry with the way my son poops and staining the covers.
I'm happy with my choice though because i have the convenience of a disposable and the environmental tree hugger in me is satisfied too! :)

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A.M.

answers from Portland on

I love 7th generation and Gdiapers!

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J.S.

answers from Stockton on

Hi J.,
Congrats on your new baby!!! How exciting! I don't have any babies in diapers anymore but I just recently heard about these diapers. They're called G'day diapers and are totally earth friendly and completely decompose in 30 days or so. They are totally earth friendly, flushable and/or can be used for compost! Check it out at http://www.gdiapers .com/
Good luck and God bless!
J.

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M.B.

answers from Sacramento on

I used the Pampers Swaddlers when my kids were newborns but my favorite best price diaper is the Costco Brand. I find it to be very similar to the Huggies Supremes but much cheaper. Both my boys have sensitive skin and these have worked out well for them.

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A.K.

answers from San Francisco on

Congratulations, aaaah the home stretch. It won’t be long and you’ll be up to your eyes in diapers.

Ok so this is what we do for diapering. At home and at day care (we have a great daycare that was willing to do this, most won’t) we use cloth. When I’m out shopping or traveling I use disposables. I also used disposables in the beginning until my daughter’s umbilical stump fell off (it was just easier.) I use old-fashioned cloth with a snappi (no pins) and a waterproof cover. I also use a disposable diaper liner for the poos to make them easier to wash. I launder them at home (it really isn’t that hard and if you – or anyone else reading this – would like some tips send me a personal message and I would be happy to share what I’ve learned.) To cut down on cost I bought used cloth diapers from a service. Most services will sell diapers that are slightly stained for way less than what you would spend on new ones (I spent less than a dollar each). Some services will tell you that they aren’t fit for use but the truth is they are just as clean and effective as the rest of the diapers still in service (one of the diapers I got had little smiley faces drawn on it in red pen, kind of cute really). The companies just say this to try and make more money off you.

As for the disposables. I’ve used pampers, little tykes, and the store brands from babies r us, target and K-mart (we moved and were living at my parent’s house for a while so we were using disposables exclusively for a little over a month). Target and K-mart are by far my favorites. They’re inexpensive and they have the elastic in the back to prevent blow outs, the babies r us ones did not have this :-P , and the little tykes gave her a rash. The pampers were nice (I had some free samples) but I got sticker shock when I went to buy them.

I hope this helps,

A.

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M.S.

answers from San Francisco on

J.,

Congratulations on your new baby coming! I used a diaper service for the first 3 months it was called Tidee Didee diaper service. It helped a lot to have the cloth and then when we went out, I would put a disposable on. I used huggies which I never had a problem with. Also, target brand is great because its affordable and gives good leak protection.

Good luck with your decision!

Molly

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