The RN takes a pause from charting notes on his computer and wheels his stool over to my 2-year-old daughter, Anna, who is sitting on an exam table pantless after being rushed from our house in a partial state of undress to get a wound stitched. “Oh, that’s a cloth diaper!” I explain to him as he admires the features and design, looking stumped in the way most people do when they find out that cloth diapers are no longer comprised of layered bulky pads, pins and plastic pants.
The truth is that the diapers on today’s market ain’t your momma’s cloth diapers. Much has changed over the years. They are now stylish and come in bright colors and prints, some proudly displaying our favorite movies and beloved cartoon characters. They are durable and absorbent, easy to use and take care of. They are accessible, adorable and gaining popularity among parents who are looking to save a few bucks or who want to go green from (literally) the bottom up!
It’s hard to find a reliable statistic on exactly how long it takes a disposable diaper to biodegrade. Theories range anywhere from one year to thousands of years. But it’s still cringe-worthy to know that a tot who has five disposable diaper changes a day for two and a half years will produce approximately 3,800 dirty diapers. Multiply that by the number of little ones all across the country. Is it just me or is it a wonder that we have any clean outdoor space?! Cloth diapers accumulate no waste and families love that they are eco-conscious.
Crystal Eairheart is a Springfield mom who started her business, Courageous Baby, after wanting to take her “green” lifestyle into motherhood. “We’ve been ‘green’ for quite a while before kids so it was kind of a no-brainer to cloth diaper. I started to teach myself how to sew when I was pregnant with my first. I started just making things for my little guy but got so much positive feedback that it inspired me to start a little online shop.” Crystal’s “little online shop” has matured into a booming business and if you take one look at her Walking Dead diapers, you’ll know why!
Cloth diapers are making a comeback not only because they are riding the high wave of eco-friendliness but because they can save you big bucks. There is no gimmick: you make a one-time investment in cloth diapers compared to the constant buying of throwaway diapers.
Mary Ann Keenan is a Springfield mom who says she has seen huge savings by cloth-diapering her daughter. “I have bought maybe five small packages of disposable diapers in Helen’s 21 months. I spent about $300 on my cloth stash and maybe another $50 on disposables in two years. I know I have saved at least $1,000 by doing cloth. The thought of literally throwing money out in the trash made me sick. We knew I would be staying at home with Helen so we needed to conserve every penny we could to make it work.”
The cost of cloth diapers fluctuate between brand and style. It’s a good rule to have about 20 diapers so they don’t get overused. Pocket diapers are generally the cheapest variety on the market, costing about $7 for some foreign-made brands. All-in-one diapers are more costly at around $20-$25 but are also the most user- (and daddy-) friendly since the absorbent inserts are built into the diaper. Handmade diapers will always be the most expensive but the quality and amazing prints you’ll get are worth the extra money. If you want to take your savings to the next level, check out the hundreds of social media sites for buying and selling used, good-condition diapers at a discount. You might be surprised at the deals you can find and it’s a great place to unload some of your less-used diapers for some cash.
My family is leaving the clinic when we pass the nurses’ station. The nurse who examined my daughter takes a break from the phone call he’s on and stops me.
“Hey, what did you say the name of that thing was?”
“Oh, it’s just a cloth diaper. Bumgenius is the brand”
“Bum what?” He says as he tries to scribble down the information.
“Genius.” I say. “As in ‘smart.’”
I smiled and walked out feeling a little proud. Yes, smart. Very smart.
Ericka Hine lives in Springfield with her husband, David, and daughter, Anna, who is 2. They are looking forward to the arrival of baby #2, due in the spring, who will most definitely be cloth-diapered. She can be reached at erickahine@gmail.com.
This article appears in Capital City Parent October 2013.
