Cloth diaper VS disposable diapers - which is better

Let us discuss the main considerations when deciding to use disposable diapers or cloth diapers.

 

Cost of use

 

A disposable diaper costs around the range of $0.20 to $0.40 depending of the size, applicable for 1 time use. Even if the baby did not wee wee or poo poo parent would still have to change them once in a while to keep their babies dry and comfortable. There is no way to re-use the diaper once it is taken off as it uses a stick on tape like material fastener. A newborn uses approximately 10 to 12 diapers daily, and the diapers get more expensive as your baby grows in size and require bigger diapers, the money spent on disposable diapers is very high.

 

Cloth diapers, on the other hand cost much more initially during purchase but since they are washable and re-usable, is more cost effective in the long run. There are a few types of cloth diapers, namely pre-fold diapers, AIO diapers, pocket diapers and fitted diapers. The popular types of cloth diaper are fitted diapers and pocket diapers. You will need about 30 cloth diapers during your initial buy, which makes up 3 day's supply of diapers for you to use, rotate and wash. Absorbency of the cloth diaper can be increased with adding additional inserts which can be purchased cheaply from NTUC.

 

Environment friendly

 

Disposable diapers are non bio-degradable and this means that disposal of it is by means of landfill. Thousands of used diapers being bagged up and disposed every day, transported to a garbage dump and buried. As these diapers contain chemicals with absorb the baby’s urine, we have no idea how this will affect the environment in the long run.

 

Cloth diapers, on the other hand, are mainly made up of cotton. And because they are re-used over and over, the carbon footprint left on the environment is considerably smaller. During washing of the cloth diaper, waste material flows through the water pipes and is treated by Sembcorp and other waste treatment plants.

 

Comfort

 

To keep the cost of the diaper as affordable as possible, manufacturers sacrifice on the comfort. Disposable diapers usually don’t allow much breathing and the baby will feel very uncomfortable. Mothers will know, because it is the same as wearing menstrual pads during that time of the month. It is very uncomfortable. Worse, some disposable diapers might cause skin irritations and allergies to your baby, so do check in on your baby often if you are using a new brand of disposable diapers.

 

Cloth diapers, on the other hand, are made of thick cotton material where the surface touches the baby’s skin. It allows more comfort for the baby just like any of the clothes will.