Cloth diapering drawbacks - Part 1: All about poop

There seem to be three main reasons why parents are resistant to cloth diapering. The initial cost, the extra work and "having to deal with poop" seem to be the popular reasons, or excuses, that parents choose not to give cloth diapering a try. While there are definitely ways to save, cloth diapering does cost a little more initially. No one will argue that cloth can be more work, but once you get your wash routine down it's not that bad. The first two reasons are valid, the third is definitely more of an excuse. "Dealing with poop" is something that you have to do if you have a baby, no matter what kind of diapers you use. Babies (and toddlers, and everyone else for that matter) poop. It's kind of gross, but you get used to it. I actually prefer cloth diapering to disposable diapering when it comes to poop. REALLY. Why? Well, read on. :)

Disposables hold more PEE. Yes they do, it's mostly because of the chemicals but it's true. Cloth diapers actually keep the poo in the diaper much better than disposables. You know the blowouts that little babies have that goes up their back? Yeah, those apparently are much, much less common in cloth diapers. Kainan had lots of those poosplosions, even in the "good" disposable diapers. If you are having to wash baby poo off of clothes anyway it doesn't seem like *that* much more work to just wash cloth diapers does it? Anyway I veered off topic for a minute, back to poop. I've never had a poop leak in cloth and still occasionally have them in disposables.

If I have to change a poopy diaper (and who really wants to?) I'd prefer it to be cloth. If I change a disposable I tend to use disposable wipes, just so I can throw it all away together. Disposable wipes just don't work as well as the cloth flannel wipes that I have. I can use one flannel wipe or five disposable wipes. I like disposable wipes for cleaning up dirty little hands in the car or something like that, not so much for use with poopy diapers. After changing a cloth diaper you dispose of the "solids" in the toilet. This isn't necessary if the baby is breastfed or formula fed since their poo is water soluble. Did you know you are supposed to dispose of poop in the toilet even in a disposable? Seriously, it's on most of the packages. Human poop isn't meant to go into landfills, but plenty of it does. Diaper sprayers are great for some people, but I have never used one and don't feel like I am missing out. Either way, you definitely don't have to hang out in the bathroom scraping poop off a diaper, just shake (or spray) it off and go.

The most disgusting part of poop in disposables (in my opinion) is the fact that the smell lingers. With my diapers, once the poop has been dumped in the potty the smell is virtually gone. Even if it isn't, I use a zippered wetbag and the smell is contained very well. I can even leave the zipper open and just throw a little baking soda on it. The smell of poop in disposables lingers unless you take it to the outside garbage, which is what I do. Diaper Genies are the most disgusting things ever to change and I will never, ever use one of those again. They do contain the smell.. until you open them. The smelly liners are also chemical filled, and I never found any that weren't scented (I'm sure they exist though.) Once the poop is flushed down the potty and the diapers are washed (always within a day for me) there is no more smell. No having to wait for the trash to be picked up to get the yucky smell away.

There are definitely reasons why cloth can be a little bit of a pain, but honestly I don't find "dealing with poop" to be one of them. I don't have to touch poop any more often than I would in disposable diapers. Poop is gross, but it's a fact of life and something that everyone has to "deal with" every day. (well, if you are healthy anyway =P)


Part two will be coming shortly! I will post about common laundry issues relating to cloth diapering.

Posted in: Cloth Diapering,Diapering,Laundry,Living Green,Parenting,Saving Money,Thrifty