Some of you reading this will know that I'm a Doula. A Doula is a woman trained to provide support to a mother and her family both before, during and after birth. So combined with having my own children, I know a fair amount about diapers. Nobody really wants to talk about poo, it's not the 'glamorous' thing to discuss with all those hip mommas out there. But hey, every baby needs a diaper so why not be practical about it?
Cloth diapers are more than just squares of cloth now. Even since I wrote my first article things have changed dramatically in the choices available to mothers and it can be overwhelming sometimes. But no matter what choices you make you just have to remember this...it's your choice and nobody else's business. I'm a big advocate for cloth diapers but I still used the occasional disposable for road trips and to go to church in the summer when having a bunch of smelly cloth diapers in the car can be unpleasant if the bag develops a small hole.
So on the off chance you're interested in knowing what my writing was like 10 years ago or if you really want to find out if cloth or disposable are best for you...I invite you to read the following article I wrote. I will note that recently another company copied my article and it still has my previous last name on it and they used a picture that's not mine either but it's the handiest copy I've got as originally it was just on my website for my doula business and at my friend Phil's diaper store...he owns Gabby's. Oh, and the figures are out of date of course but are still close. My favourite diapers are from Mother-ease and they've lasted through 4 kids. Any way, here it is.
Cloth Vs. Disposables, The Debate continues…
Diapers Throughout History
they were seldom able to wash them and wet diapers were typically just left beside the fire to dry and then reused.
World War II saw the rise of the Diaper Service as women were forced into the work place and no longer had time for the arduous task of washing dozens of diapers. In the 1960’s plastic covered paper diapers exploded onto the scene, often literally. One wetting and they typically disintegrated. Over the past 40 years there have been enormous improvements made to disposable diapers. Different materials, elastic legs and waists, re-usable tabs and better absorbency have combined to make them the number one choice of many parents today. There are even environmentally friendly bio-degradable one use diapers now on the market.
During recent years in Canada we have seen a resurgence in the use of cloth diapers. Many hospitals are starting out their newborns in cotton diapers because of their softness and the ability of diaper services to surpass the hospital standard of cleanliness. Cloth diapers now come in many shapes and sizes from the flat square you fold yourself to contoured diapers with snap or Velcro fasteners. Some diapers are even all-in-one meaning no covers are necessary. These are in effect almost as convenient as disposables and easy to use, even for dad. In Calgary at the present time there are 3 main options: cloth washed at home, the diaper service and disposables.
Fast Facts- Average time a baby is in diapers : 2 ½ years.
- Average diaper changes per baby : 7,300
- In 1955 – 100% of American babies wore cloth and 7 % experienced diaper rash.
- In 1991 – 90 % of American babies wore disposables and 78 % experienced diaper rash.
Cloth Diapers
These figures are based upon using Gabby’s (Calgary) all-in-one diapers sold at retail.
3 doz. size sm-md = $288.00
3 doz. size lg-toddler = $288.00
2 pkg. of med. liners = $ 20.00
2 pkg. of lg. liners = $ 20.00 = $ 616.00
Laundering is based on energy consumption, water, laundry products, depreciation on the washer and dryer, diaper pails etc. and is averaged per load at $.95 Cdn.
1 load every 4 days = 228 loads over 2 ½ years = $ 217.00
Total Cost = $ 833.00
Total Cost for a second or subsequent baby is laundry at $217.00 and possibly more liners at $40 for a total of $257.00 per baby.
Disposables
Based on purchasing Mega size bags at $18 per bag and an average of 8 changes/day. Does not include transportation to store or costs of garbage disposal.
Small Newborn to 2 months = 488 diapers 80/bag = 6.1 bags = $ 109.80
Medium 2 months to 6 months = 976 diapers 66/bag = 14.8 bags = $ 266.40
Large 6 months to 24 months = 4,392 diapers 52/bag = 84.5 bags = $1521.00
Toddler 2 years to 2 ½ years = 1,464 diapers 44/bag = 33.3 bags = $ 599.40
Total Cost = $ 2,496.60
Cost for each subsequent baby is $ 2,496.60
Diaper Service
Based on figures from Rock-A-Dry Baby (Calgary) using contoured snap closing diapers. Diaper cover purchase and washing is the responsibility of the family.
Birth to one year. 70 diapers delivered and picked up per week = $22.50/wk. = $1170
1 to 2 ½ years. 40 diapers delivered and picked up per week = $16.50/wk = $1287
Total Cost = $ 2,457.00
Environmental Considerations
All diapering choices affect our environment. As stated before, using cloth will result in approx. 228 loads of laundry per child. That’s 228 loads of gray water to be processed at Municipal facilities. The water is relatively benign and the human waste is properly treated. Because cloth diapers are 100% reusable (either for other children or as rags) they qualify for the EcoLogo.
The best choice environmentally is the diaper service as they are able to process large numbers of diapers at once thereby limiting the use of detergents and water.
Disposables use more water in their manufacture than cloth do in laundering. Also, the effluent from the various manufacturing processes can release dioxins, furans, and other chemical by-products into the air and ground water. As composting facilities for disposable diapers do not exist in North America, they make the largest single contribution to our landfills after paper and food containers. In a municipal landfill such as ours, just the right conditions exist to mummify a diaper and thereby extending its life to an estimated 500 years. What a legacy for our children! Another consideration is the spread of disease from improperly disposed of human waste.
While I believe these figures clearly state the cost saving, environmental and health benefits of cloth diapers, who’s to say you would be wrong to use disposables? The choice of diapers is just one of many that we make about how to raise our children. Breastfeeding, schooling, swimming lessons, music classes, sports… the list goes on and on. The time we spend loving and teaching our children is by far the best thing we can do for them and for our society as a whole.
Elizabeth Wall – Stay-At-Home-Mum & Doula
Bibliography:
» Lehrburger, Mullen & James “Diapers: Environmental Impact and Life Cycle Analysis” ‘91
» Toronto Board of Health “The Diaper Decision” October 1991
» Journal of Pediatrics- 1959, Vol 54 pp. 793-800 “Relationship of Peri-Anal Dermatitis to Fecal pH” by Drs. Tamio, Steiner, Benjamin
» Clinical Pediatrics- May 1991, Vol.30 “Newborn chemical Exposure from over-the-counter skin-care products” by Drs. Cetta, Lambert & Ross
The views found in this article belong solely to the author and are not endorsed by the DSAA.
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