Diapering choices available to a new parent

Judy Aagard of Tiny Tots contributed this article for our recent “Shopping for Baby” resource guide. Space was limited in the guide and we used a condensed version. The full article is below. If you haven’t picked up the Baby News “Shopping for Baby” resource guide stop by Tiny Tots or your local Baby News store and pick it up for free.

Diapering Choices
by Judy Aagard of Tiny Tots

There are many diapering choices available to a new parent. Knowledge will help you make an informed decision. The trained and helpful staff at your local Baby News shop can help you determine what will function well for you based upon your specific, personal needs.

In most areas, there are three diapering options available. 1) using reusable diapers and laundering them yourself, 2) using reusable diapers through a local diaper service and 3) using single-use paper diapers. Many parent’s find that using a combination of methods works well for their lifestyle.

Laundering reusable diapers at home is growing in popularity amongst parents today. There are many diaper types to choose from. There are one-piece, twopiece and pocket systems. There are a host of natural fiber and synthetic fiber options. Securing diapers couldn’t be easier with velcro, snaps and clip (instead of pins) options.

Where available, using a local diaper service is a convenient choice. Rinsing is generally not required. The charges for a diaper service normally include the rental of the diapers, the weekly pick-up and delivery to your home and professional laundering (clean diapers = peace of mind). It is usually necessary for you to purchase and launder the diaper covers. Whether home laundered or using a diaper service, using reusable diapers represent the best environmental diapering choice. Reusable diapers can be laundered 50+ times and consequently require far fewer natural resources than single-use diapers. The natural fiber in reusable diapers are comfortable.

Reusable diapers are chemical-free and allow caregivers to know when a diaper has been soiled, enabling them to change the diaper in a timely fashion. And some caregivers believe babies potty-train as much as a year faster when diapered in cotton.

Single-use paper diapers come in as many varieties as their reusable counterparts. They are normally a one-piece system (although there are a few hybrid systems which involve a combination of single-use and reusable components). Single-use diapers are normally the most expensive diapering option.

Single-use diapers contain SAP, a super absorbent polymer gel which is marketed as keeping the baby dry. The caveat is babies often sit in their waste longer than they should due to the super absorbency of the diaper. To our knowledge, all but one brand contains SAP. Even the brands that say they are all natural and eco-friendly have it. Tushies are the only single-use diaper we are aware of that are chemical free. Since Tushies are a single-use diaper, they aren’t eco-friendly, but they do offer a chemical free option for those that desire one.

The new emergence of “eco-diapers” seems to do little more for the environment than assuage the guilt of those that choose to use them. The newest single-use diaper to have emerged is the “compostable” variety. Compostable diapers are made with a corn-based polymer (plastic) instead of a petroleum-based polymer (plastic). Since there isn’t an infrastructure in place to support composting diapers they are sent to the landfill. Due to an absence of air and sun, nothing composts in a landfill, not even compostable single-use diapers. And due to pathogens present in human waste (which can be serious to fatal), it is not recommended to put them in with backyard compost. When this publication went to press, there were two diaper services in the the San Francisco Bay Area that contract with a local commercial composting facility and offer compostable diaper service. Under these conditions, diapers are composted in the municipal solid waste compost stream (msw). The dirt from this compost stream has limited use in non-agricultural applications.

The friendly staff at your local Baby News shop is eager to help you determine which diapering options best meet your lifestyle requirements. It’s nice to have choices and our staff can help you sort through them.