When we become mothers there are many things about our baby that we have to decide on and choose one of the different options we have, from choosing whether or not to use the pacifier to think about whether we practice colecho or not. One more element of the long list of products and practices to choose for the care of our baby are diapers.
Although currently the most common is to use disposable diapers for the practicality they represent, little by little there are more mothers who join to return to the traditional cloth diaper. If you find yourself hesitant between choosing disposable or cloth diapers, I share you the advantages and disadvantages of each one so you can choose the one that best suits you and your baby.
How and who invented diapers?
Let's first review a little about the history of diapers. The main purpose of a diaper is absorb waste from people who do not have the ability to control their sphincters, in this case, babies. The idea is to keep them dry for a few hours, as well as prevent such waste from contaminating other places.
Previously, during the first decades of the last century, our mothers and grandmother used cloth diapers that consisted of a square piece of cotton cloth that folded to absorb baby's wastes. And although the diaper seems to be an invention of the twentieth century, there is evidence that some ancestral cultures, such as the Egyptian or Roman, used leaves, fabrics or skins to cover babies for the same purpose.
In 1946, an American mother named Marion Donovan had the brilliant idea of inventing a diaper that was stronger than cloth diapers and ended with the tedious wash of cloth diapers. His first invention was a nylon diaper cover, which prevented the baby's clothes from getting wet, preventing the passage of pee and poop. By 1949, after using them for years with his daughter, Marion managed to patent them and sell their first disposable diapers.
Over time, he continued to improve them until in the 1960s he sold his idea to a chemist from the Procter & Gamble company and thus the disposable diapers that we know and use millions of mothers around the world were born today. Currently, the use of cloth diaper has resurfaced, mainly because of environmental awareness and the emergence of virtual stores and organic products.
But how to choose between one and the other? Now I share the advantages and disadvantages each.
Cloth diapers: advantages and disadvantages
The cloth diaper that many of us probably think when we hear it mentioned is the diaper that mothers used during the last century, but it has evolved a lot. Currently The cloth diapers are ergonomically available, available in many colors and prints and we can also clean them in the washing machine.
Advantages
The advantages of a cloth diaper is that, although of course each cloth diaper costs more than a disposable diaper, they save you a lot of money in the long run. In addition, the amount in cloth diapers is much smaller, because if you use disposable you should buy around 5000 to 6000 diapers, while with cloth ones you will only need 20 to 30 diapers for as long as your baby needs to use them.
In addition, cloth diapers are more environmentally friendly and environmentally friendly, since each one is reusable because it is washable and has a much longer lifespan than disposables, which we can only use once.
As for dermatological benefits, Cloth diapers are considered better for baby's skin, since unlike disposables, they do not carry so many chemicals during their preparation, in addition to being less absorbent they need to be changed to a clean one sooner, which prevents chafing from appearing so often.
Disadvantages
The main disadvantage of the cloth diaper is that it requires more time and dedication, since you have to wash them to use them again. In addition to more energy and water is wasted because they must be washed frequently, which puts the question that they really are greener a little in doubt.
Another disadvantage is that they do not absorb as much as disposables, which makes them most frequent accidents where there are escapes and we have to change all the baby's clothes.
Disposable diapers: advantages and disadvantages
This diaper is what we now know as conventional and the one that surely comes to mind of all of us when we put the word "diaper." For many mothers they are wonderful because They offer a unique practicality that makes them easier to use. Various natural resources such as wood pulp and petroleum plastics are used for its elaboration, although There are currently some brands that make them with biodegradable materials.
Advantages
The disposable diaper is famous for its practicality. It is not required to wash it, soak it or give it any treatment before using it, we just take a diaper out of the package, put it on the baby and that's it. It does not require insurance or accessories to be used.
It is very easy to get them in any supermarket or pharmacy Due to the large number of brands that produce such diapers. Its short-term cost does not require a large investment because the price per diaper is relatively low.
Unlike cloth diapers, absorb much more, helping to prevent accidents and keep the baby dry longer despite having peed. Just as placing them is very easy, getting rid of them is also easy, because you just have to take it away from the baby, close it with the integrated velcro that it has and throw it away.
Disadvantages
Compared to cloth diapers, disposables have many disadvantages when it comes to environmental care. Starting because its manufacture requires the use of many petroleum derivatives that are highly polluting and that in addition may cause an allergic reaction on the baby's skin.
Another disadvantage is the pollution they produce, since about one ton of waste is produced per child, due to the more than 5,000 diapers you will need to use. To this we must add the time it takes to decompose, which some indicate is about over 200 years, although some brands of biodegradable diapers ensure that yours can decompose in just seven years.
So which one is better?
A few years ago a study was conducted in the United Kingdom that measured the impact that disposable diapers and cloth diapers had on the environment, which in conclusion told us that the impact was practically the same.
I think it is good that the information is available so that parents can analyze it, study it and make a well thought out decision. In the end, each mother chooses what is best for her family. but it is good to know what it offers us and entails each option.
Photos | moohaha, IngaMun, Sellers Patton on Flickr
In Babies and more | Are cloth diapers more environmentally friendly ?, The cost of diapers is 600 euros less with cloth, They confirm that cloth diapers and disposable diapers have the same impact on the environment (although ...)
