One thing I really need to change in my life (small steps) is planning better for outings. This morning I was late – again – dropping the girls off at the babysitter because I didn’t pack the diaper bag last night. Since we switched to cloth diapers, it gets a little tricky to always have clean diapers on hand that the babysitter will use (the kind that look like disposables with either snaps or Velcro).
From now on, I'll pack my diaper bag as soon as I empty it or at least pack it every night before bed. So, if I'm packing my diaper bag every night, these are the things I need:
8 clean diapers (fitted or flat)
15 cloth wipes (I like having a lot of these)
Dirty Diaper bag
water squirt bottle – for bum rinses.
2 changes of clothes –
1 or 2 pairs of leggings – I’m addicted to these. They’re SO much easier and cooler than pants and necessary to keep her from getting rug burn while crawling
2 snappies – for flat folds
3 covers
Burt’s Bees zinc oxide cream
Sunblock – I only use this if we’re going to be outside more than 15-20 minutes
Hat
Ok, I’m going home to print this on a card and keep it in the bag so I’ll remember to do it every night!!
Showing posts with label diapering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diapering. Show all posts
September 7, 2009
September 6, 2009
Paper vs. Cloth Diapers
I’ve been thinking about the subject of diapering for a while now. I’ve used both paper and cloth diapers so I know the pros and cons of both. What is the most ecological choice? People have done studies weighing the cost of diapering on the environment. Do cloth or paper diapers do more damage? While some people argue that cloth diapering wastes water and electricity so it’s better to do paper, I disagree.
Paper diapers are big contributors to landfill waste and take tons of time to break down. I recently heard that the manufacture of paper diapers also uses a large amount of water though I have not taken the time to verify that info. If anyone knows more about that, I'd love to see the research. Most importantly, non-natural paper diapers are a chemical filled product. Is that what we should be putting on our babies’ bums?
My personal opinion is that cloth diapering is a much better choice for the environment, particularly if you use a soap that breaks down easily in the water. It’s also a better choice for your baby’s bum, if they are prone to diaper rashes.
Of course, if you want to be really ecological, you can let your baby go diaper free. See my blog on the subject.
Paper diapers are big contributors to landfill waste and take tons of time to break down. I recently heard that the manufacture of paper diapers also uses a large amount of water though I have not taken the time to verify that info. If anyone knows more about that, I'd love to see the research. Most importantly, non-natural paper diapers are a chemical filled product. Is that what we should be putting on our babies’ bums?
My personal opinion is that cloth diapering is a much better choice for the environment, particularly if you use a soap that breaks down easily in the water. It’s also a better choice for your baby’s bum, if they are prone to diaper rashes.
Of course, if you want to be really ecological, you can let your baby go diaper free. See my blog on the subject.
Diaper free baby
Recently, when reviewing the Diaper rash section of “The Baby Book” by Dr. Sears, I read a line which disturbed me. Dr. Sears said that diaper rashes are just a common problem in a civilized society which diapers its babies. I don’t disagree with him. I just think it is ironic that as “civilized people”, we teach our babies it’s normal to sit in a urine-soaked diaper or a pile of poo. Then, we wonder why they resist toilet training later in life.
Shouldn’t people in a civilized society be able to do better than to teach their kids to sit in their own excrement? Of course, the answer is yes. There is actually a movement of people in “civilized” society to eliminate the use of diapers on small babies. Now, before you “poopoo” the idea, hear me out.
The concept is simple. Babies can be taught (from birth) to eliminate into a sink or toilet and thus, greatly reduce or eliminate the need for diapers. This cuts down on landfill waste if you’re using plastic diapers and on water usage if you use cloth. Parents learn to pay attention to their baby’s cues and make a little sound (like Pssst) when he or she starts to eliminate. Soon, the cue sound actually helps the baby to “go”. Families can choose to do diaper free full time or part time, whichever works for them.
I was a little skeptical of the idea at first, though I’d read that this is what people in third world countries do. After all, they don’t have the money to buy Pampers. But, driven to desperation by a daughter plagued by a bad diaper rash and wanting to avoid having to wash a million cloth diapers, I tried it.
AMAZING. Going diaper free with a baby WORKS! Now, she regularly uses the toilet several times a day. We haven’t figured out all her cues because she’s a little sneaky in the number two department but it really does work!! She still wears a cloth diaper in between trips to the toilet in case I miss one but I’m washing a lot fewer diapers.
It’s funny how people respond to this idea. The director of a large, prestigious preschool near my house had never heard of it but loved the idea. She wanted to see it but, of course, my daughter didn’t oblige her at the time. Another friend laughed at me and said she believes this practice just trains the parent, not the child. ??? I’m not sure what she meant by that. When given the choice between wiping up and discarding a poopy diaper in your trash (which smells GROSS all day), and training your baby to use the toilet early, what would you pick?
I’m convinced that the whole idea of “civilized” people teaching their babies to sit in their own waste is pretty gross. I’m going to keep working with my baby on this and maybe we’ll even be able to toilet train early!!
If you’re interested in learning more about Diaper Free living, check out www.diaperfree.org or join the groups on Facebook and Yahoo.
Shouldn’t people in a civilized society be able to do better than to teach their kids to sit in their own excrement? Of course, the answer is yes. There is actually a movement of people in “civilized” society to eliminate the use of diapers on small babies. Now, before you “poopoo” the idea, hear me out.
The concept is simple. Babies can be taught (from birth) to eliminate into a sink or toilet and thus, greatly reduce or eliminate the need for diapers. This cuts down on landfill waste if you’re using plastic diapers and on water usage if you use cloth. Parents learn to pay attention to their baby’s cues and make a little sound (like Pssst) when he or she starts to eliminate. Soon, the cue sound actually helps the baby to “go”. Families can choose to do diaper free full time or part time, whichever works for them.
I was a little skeptical of the idea at first, though I’d read that this is what people in third world countries do. After all, they don’t have the money to buy Pampers. But, driven to desperation by a daughter plagued by a bad diaper rash and wanting to avoid having to wash a million cloth diapers, I tried it.
AMAZING. Going diaper free with a baby WORKS! Now, she regularly uses the toilet several times a day. We haven’t figured out all her cues because she’s a little sneaky in the number two department but it really does work!! She still wears a cloth diaper in between trips to the toilet in case I miss one but I’m washing a lot fewer diapers.
It’s funny how people respond to this idea. The director of a large, prestigious preschool near my house had never heard of it but loved the idea. She wanted to see it but, of course, my daughter didn’t oblige her at the time. Another friend laughed at me and said she believes this practice just trains the parent, not the child. ??? I’m not sure what she meant by that. When given the choice between wiping up and discarding a poopy diaper in your trash (which smells GROSS all day), and training your baby to use the toilet early, what would you pick?
I’m convinced that the whole idea of “civilized” people teaching their babies to sit in their own waste is pretty gross. I’m going to keep working with my baby on this and maybe we’ll even be able to toilet train early!!
If you’re interested in learning more about Diaper Free living, check out www.diaperfree.org or join the groups on Facebook and Yahoo.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
