Baby Needs a Change

One mom’s venture into the world of greener diapers

by Zoë Burton

My foray into cloth diapering came about more from necessity than a heightened sense of environmental duty. My 14-month-old daughter had been suffering from severe diaper rashes for two months, and I’d tried everything—except cloth diapers.

I decided that cloth would allow her skin to breathe more, so I rushed to discover what cloth diapering entailed. In the back of my mind were vague notions of sharp pins and buckets full of smelly, poopy diapers.

I quickly found that the large department stores still had pretty old-fashioned ideas, too. From cotton folding diapers (with those sharp pins) to Kushies (Velcro-tabbed fitted cloth diapers), the choices were limited.

Hoping there was more out there, I went to a smaller store. The staff spent what seemed like hours (especially to my three-year-old son, who was so bored he started trying to feed the dolls in the shop) patiently explaining the diapers and covers they had available. I left the store with several options to try: rectangular cloths to fold and stuff inside a waterproof cover, paper liners, and two diapers made of bamboo (which is more absorbent than cotton, so better for nighttime use).

I also felt an increased confidence in my ability to “do” cloth diapers. The kind lady in the store had explained that as long as I was going to wash them at least every two days, I didn’t need a “wet pail,” and I could tumble-dry diapers and covers. The last benefit is incredibly important for a working mom of two.

My next task was breaking the news to my daycare. I spent a sleepless night imagining the horrified looks on the teachers’ faces and the increased fees I would face for making their jobs harder. In the morning, I dressed Baby G in her new diaper and then discovered cloth’s first drawback—skinny jeans (gleefully purchased a few weeks earlier) do not fit over a big cloth diaper. So, after a quick rummage in her closet, off we went to the daycare with Baby G dressed in stretchy leggings, to face the music. To my surprise, I was told that not only did the daycare staff not mind cloth diapers, they actually preferred them.

Keen on finding more diaper options, I did a Google search. That’s when the environmental impact of disposables hit me. I discovered that just one disposable diaper takes up to 500 years to break down in a landfill, and one baby in disposables generates one ton of garbage every year they use them. Disposables have also been linked to asthma and other respiratory problems, and are full of chemicals that I would never expose my baby to in any other circumstance.

The good news? I found some great options. First, I discovered the gDiaper, a cloth/disposable hybrid. It consists of a washable outer pant and a flushable/compostable refill. Diapers are not much bulkier than regular disposable diapers. The disposable portion breaks down within 90 days, and contains no elemental chlorine, perfumes, plastic layer, inks, dyes, or latex.

Although I really liked these, I quickly discovered that unless you are Julia Roberts (she uses them for her kids), these are pricey for everyday use: one pack of 32 refills costs $20. However, there is definitely a place for these in my diaper bag to use on shopping trips or when visiting friends.

There are also numerous options for cloth diapers online. You can buy standard folding diapers as well as fitted diapers (which require a diaper cover as they’re not waterproof), “pocket” diapers, or “all-in-ones” (AIOs). All are easy to use; they are shaped like disposable diapers, with Velcro or snap fastenings, and the parent can control absorbency by adding or removing specially made liners. The ones I liked best were the pocket diapers and the AIOs.

Pocket diapers are basically cloth diapers made of cotton, hemp, fleece, or bamboo, that have a pocket into which you stuff a flushable paper liner (or two), which absorbs the wet stuff.

As for AIOs, you don’t need to add an insert: they have the absorbent liners built in. As with pocket diapers, there is no need for a diaper cover, as they’re waterproof. The ones I tried were also leak proof.

One other important aspect to consider about cloth diapers is cost. Up front, they’re expensive—anywhere from $12 to $30 per diaper—but when you consider that they last for a long time, they actually end up being considerably cheaper than disposables. Experts recommend you buy the following quantities if you’re intending to cloth-diaper your little one:

Newborn to five months: 24-36 diapers and inserts
Six months to one year: 18-24 diapers and inserts
One year till potty-trained: 12-18 diapers and inserts

After using cloth diapers for more than three months, I’m convinced I’ll continue using them, even though we’ve since discovered that Baby G’s rashes are caused by a digestion issue. (In general, rashes are much less of a problem with cloth diapers; in fact, it’s been noted that the rate of diaper rash has increased from under 10 per cent in the 1950s to almost 80 per cent in recent times.)

As far as I can tell, there’s no reason not to use cloth diapers. If you really can’t face the washing, you can always use a diaper service. Personally, I think the extra effort involved in washing and drying the diapers is a great trade-off when you consider the alternatives and their effect on the environment.

Zoë Burton is a local mom of two busy pre-schoolers, and is just starting to realize that two tiny people can have a very big impact on the environment.

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