With 90% of Americans using disposable diapers, I am often asked about cloth diapers and why I chose them. I answer it differently every time depending on who I'm talking to. Well, I decided to consolidate every answer I give all into one so that people who ask can get the whole picture. In fact, I've decided to give the answers in order of importance to me, even though I have a feeling I'll get a bit of flack for it. ;)

By the way, for those of you who have given me disposable diapers because you didn't know I clothed (yes, I have just turned that into a ditransitive verb), I do use them. I like to keep a package of disposables in my car in case Ari has one too many "blow outs" and I run out of diapers. It has happened.

And now, without further ado...Why I Cloth Diaper.

1) Health
This was by far my biggest concern. There is a highly absorbent gel used in disposable diapers called sodium polyacrylate. It has been linked with respiratory and skin problems with occupational use. This means that if you use way more SAP than you would find in a disposable diaper that it could cause asthma and skin problems. This is why it is still allowed to be used in disposable diapers - there just isn't enough of it to prove anything. However, to my knowledge, no one has EVER done a longitudinal study on the problem, which means that no one has ever studied a kid who was diapered in normal disposables (Huggies, Pampers, Luvs, etc) and followed them into their teens and early adulthood to see if anything manifests. If there is one thing I learned from college, it's that it's a bad scientific move to draw a conclusion without studying the long term health effects of something. Sodium polyacrylate has also been shown to increase scrotal temperature in boys, with unknown effects on fertility.

But this is actually the least of the problems. Regular disposables (again, Huggies, Pampers, etc) are treated with chlorine bleach. Chlorine reacts with sodium polyacrylate to create VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, including dioxin. Dioxin is a known carcinogen, which means no one is debating the fact that it causes cancer as well as brain damage and respiratory problems such as asthma. Why is it allowed? Because, just like with sodium polyacrylate, there is not evidence to show that there is a high enough level of dioxin in diapers to cause a problem. In the only study I know of, researchers placed a disposable diaper in a room with mice and, in the next room, left the mice alone. They came back to determine that, in the room with the mice and the disposable diaper, the mice developed more respiratory irritation that led to "asthma-like" attacks in the mice. Their conclusion? There need to be more studies done to see if dioxin in diapers can cause asthma. As far as I know, no studies have been done. (If you know of one, please tell me the journal, year, and page so I can read it.)

The debate over levels of carcinogens is, to me, a completely moot point. If it causes cancer in any amount, don't put it in direct contact with my child's skin for years; regardless of the lack of scientific evidence (which is not a lack because it has been disproven, but because there aren't enough studies), that just doesn't strike me as a great idea. I'm not going to wait for the study to come out 25 years from now that directly links disposable diapers with cancer, asthma, or brain damage; I think I'll just go ahead and not use them.

For those of you who want to use disposables but are concerned about the health (and, as we will see in the next section, environmental) impact, see the section "Child and Environmentally Friendly Alternatives to Cloth" below.

2) Environment
I know I'm going to "get it" from some who think anyone concerned with the environment is a fascist, but it really is the NUMBER 2 reason I chose cloth. The waste associated with disposable diapers is ASTOUNDING.

First, let's look at disposable diaper production. This is environmental impact before you ever even see them on the shelves. Runoff from the chlorine bleaching process carries bleach and, with it, trace amounts of dioxin, into the ground. This causes reproductive problems in animals and, because dioxin stays in the ground for so long, it actually ends up in the nonorganic food you eat just like pesticides.

Then comes disposable diaper waste. Unknown to most parents, proper protocol for throwing away disposable diapers includes dumping fecal matter into a toilet before throwing away. Who does that, seriously? Fecal matter in the diaper breeds viruses and bacteria which thrive in landfill environments. Leaking landfills being an undisputed and known problem, those viruses and bacteria can actually end up in our water supply and don't get broken down because they are surrounded by protective plastic (i.e., housed in a diaper).

Finally is the most horrific part - the landfills themselves. In 2006, 3,630,000 tons of disposable diapers (around 18 billion of them) were discarded in landfills. None of this is biodegradable. If a diaper claims to be "biodegradable," that's only technically true. By adding cornstarch to the plastic it causes it to break up into tiny pieces - tiny, non-biodegradable plastic pieces. This is simply TOO MUCH WASTE and needs to be eliminated.

A word on the environment and Christians: we have an OBLIGATION - yes, you heard me right - to be concerned with the environment. We were given this planet by God to take care of it (it was His, what, THIRD command EVER?) We have been doing a TERRIBLE job. One of my favorite quotes is an old Native American proverb: "We did not inherit this earth from our fathers and grandfathers. We are borrowing it from our children and grandchildren." I really believe that, and believe that it is our job to be concerned for the environment. It is, in fact, our DUTY as Christians. ::soapbox over::

3) Cost
This one is simple math. Buying a regular disposable brand like Huggies, a parent can expect to spend about $4,000 per child on diapers and wipes during the pre-toilet years. If you go more environmentally friendly and buy a chlorine-free or wood-pulp only brand of diaper, you can expect that number to be around $7,000 per child. This isn't counting wraps for your Diaper Genie or other costs. The math is easy to do - by the time you are done with your 4th kid (a cloth diaper will last about 4 children) you could have spend around $28,000 on diapers alone. That's a lot of cash.

Compare that to a cloth diaper plan. Using the cheapest cloth diapers (prefolds) would be much cheaper, but with this one-size (the easiest) example, you spend around $500 for every 4 children. The cost of detergent, electricity, and water is around $5 a month, which means about another $500 for every 4 children. So that means that with cloth, you have diapered 4 children for $1,000. An environmentally friendly disposable would have cost you $28,000, and a brand disposable about $16,000. Seeing as how "Health" was my #1, I would have gone with the chlorine free brand, and I would frankly rather have the extra $27,000.

4) Potty training.
Yep. It's easier with cloth. Why? Because disposable diapers are super absorbent. They wick so much moisture away from the skin that the child can't even tell that he has wet himself. Cloth diapers must be changed more often because, though they don't wick, they aren't as absorbent as disposables. This means that the kid can actually feel himself urinate, which makes it easier to detect, which makes potty training easier.

5) Ease and convenience.
You heard me right. I would rather cloth diaper because it's easier. Diapers today are not like the kind my parents used. They had cotton prefolds with pins and nylon covers. Covers today are made with PUL, a waterproof, breathable, industrial grade material originally designed for medical use. They use velcro or snaps and are generally very fleecy and soft next to the child's skin. They wick better than old diapers, which keeps the child drier, and are more absorbent. They are offered in a plethera (10 points for using the word "plethera") of fabrics, from organic cotton to hemp to bamboo and more. You can get AIOs, or all in ones, which is basically like a disposable that you don't throw away - just one piece is the entire diaper. Or you can use prefolds, contours, or fitted diapers with a cover. Most moms (including me) use a combination - I use prefolds with a cover at home, and AIOs on the road. They are much easier to use and wash than I imagined and it doesn't take nearly as much of my time as I thought it would, and I have to do a load every couple of days. I told someone once that I like cloth because they were convenient, because I didn't have to run to the store every time I ran out of diapers. She said, "Well, yeah, but what if you run out and you haven't washed any? Your baby would just be peeing everywhere!" Well, I do the same thing you do with disposables - I pay attention. If I've only got 3 diapers left, I put them in the wash instead of running the store. Easy.

6) Cuteness.
Okay, so this is the least of my reasons for a reason, but it's still a fun one. Cloth diapers are ADORABLE. They come in all sorts of colors and patterns and you can even buy custom diapers (or make them yourself!) to match other outfits. Sometimes when it's warm enough I let Ariana be "naked baby" in only a diaper - she's so much cuter than if she were wearing white paper!

Some Notes on Cloth
Here are some explanations for those of you who are just so confused you wouldn't even know where to start:

1) Types of diapers
There are 5 main types of cloth diapers, and I will list them in order from generally cheapest to generally most expensive.

• Prefolds: This is most like the kind of diaper your parents would have used. They are just a square piece of cloth that are divided into three sections, the middle one being heaviest. You fold the diaper in thirds, make little wings on one side, and fold them around the child. You generally then fasten them with a Snappi or a diaper cover. There are many different kinds (Indian, Chinese, etc) made out of many different kinds of fabric. They can be anywhere from $1 up to $8 or more apiece, depending on the material they are made out of. I use hemp because it is organic and more absorbent than cotton, but it is also a bit more expensive and bulkier. Prefolds will be listed with numbers like this: 3/5/3, etc. This means that the outside sections have 3 layers of whatever cloth it is made out of, and the inside layer has 5. The higher the number, the bulkier and more absorbent. These diapers require a cover and fastener (some covers act as fasteners).
• Contour: These are kind of like prefolds but are already shaped, meaning you don't have to fold the diaper into thirds and make wings before putting it on your baby. They are bit more expensive than prefolds but are also easier to manage. These diapers require a cover and fastener (some covers act as fasteners).
• Fitted: These are like contour diapers but you don't need a fastener. Fitted diapers have elastic around the legs to help contain messes, and you fasten them with velcro or snaps included on the wings of the diaper. These diapers require a cover.
• Pocket: These diapers are a cover and soft material in one. There is a "pocket" near the back of the diaper where you will stuff your own absorbent material, such as hemp or cotton. This makes them cheaper than all in ones because you can make your own "soakers" as they are called. You can also customize a single pocket diaper to be more or less absorbent depending on your child's needs and the time of day (night time diapers need more absorption, obviously). These diapers require a soaker.
• All In Ones: AIOs generally range from $16-$25 apiece, depending on the type you get. These are entire diapers in one: cover, soaker, and Aplix (velcro) or snap to close the diaper. Some have pockets to add extra stuffing if necessary. They are the easiest diaper and the most expensive - I use AIOs when I go out and when someone else is watching Ari, because they are as easy to put on as disposables (I think easier). These diapers require nothing but the diaper, though you can add soakers to some for nighttime or car rides or other high-absorbency situations.