Diaper Changes and Choices

Options for diapering your baby
By Sarah Sullivan
This article originally appeared in
Disabled Parenting Today, Volume 1 Issue 1, September 1998
Used here with permission.

The average child will have 8,000 diaper changes before being potty trained. For most parents this is a non-issue but if you have dexterity challenges it is one. The good news is that there are options in diapering, which make this everyday, all day, task an easier one.

Basically, there are three diapering options: disposable diapers, home laundered cloth diapers or a diaper service. Any one will do the job or a combination works well for most families. Each option has its advantages and drawbacks.

The most common method of diapering these days is disposable diapers but not all disposable diapers work well for parents with dexterity challenges. Most disposable diapers are kept closed with sticky tabs. These can sometimes be very hard to get off. The one brand that is easier is Huggies Supreme. They use a Velcro? type tab, which is easier to open. Of course the major advantage of disposable diapers is that they don't require laundering but they do need to be disposed of so if carrying bags of garbage is a concern it may be actually more trouble. One factor to keep in mind with disposable diapers is cost. From birth to potty training, they can add up to approximately $3,000.

Cloth diapers have come a long way. There are a lot of choices and styles to choose from. They no longer have to be pinned (although you still can). Velcro? has revolutionized the diaper industry and made it very parent friendly. Many parents prefer an all-in-one diaper that has a built in plastic layer that makes cloth diapering just as easy as putting on a disposable. There are many brands such as Kooshies, Baby Love, and Babykins. There are also many all-in-one diapers that require diaper pants over them to prevent leaking. Some brands grow with the baby and fit from newborn to 35 lbs., others have different sizes for each stage. Of course the more diapers you have to buy the more expensive it will be.

The other Velcro? option that works quite well and is cost-effective are prefold diapers and Velcro? covers. You fold the diaper in thirds and place in the cover, then put on the baby like a disposable diaper. The best prefolds are Chinese cotton diaper service quality. There are many diaper covers to choose from and they come in different sizes for each stage. You need 3-6 covers for each size. Some covers such as the wool covers are quite costly but there are some very good nylon covers that are much cheaper and work very well.

Theresa Rodriquez Farrisis, author of a new book called Diaper Changes, recommends going pinless and foldless for anyone with a dexterity challenge. Contoured diapers can be used with Velcro? diaper covers but unlike prefold diapers they require no folding at all. They can be purchased in different sizes to match the size of the covers. Smaller sizes can later be used as doublers.

It is a good idea to also purchase some doublers which are small, thick pads which can be used at night or for heavy wetters. Liners which keep the urine away from the babies bottom and allow easy cleaning of bowel movements really make cloth diapering easy. Some brands are Gerber, Flushybye and Kooshies. They are to be flushed down the toilet but ones that have just been urinated on can be laundered and reused several times.

Approximately 3 dozen of each size or of a one-size-fits-all diaper are needed. Less could be purchased if you don't mind washing daily. Depending on the brand, it will cost $300 to $500. Many parents find good quality cloth diapers for excellent prices at consignment stores. If the choices seem mind boggling, a good idea is to purchase samples of a few different styles you are interested in and try them out before making a large purchase. Also, diapers are a great idea to ask for as shower gifts. Diaper Changes published by Homekeepers Publishing (see below for more information) reviews all the different diapering choices and is a great resource.

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Many parents are put off by cloth diapering because of the laundering chore. But it really isn't very complicated. Ms. Rodriguez Farrisi recommends using disposable diaper liners and then you just toss any soil into the toilet and place the diaper into a dry diaper bucket. This way diapers will be dirty but not heavy and wet on wash day. She also suggests using reusable nylon diaper bucket liners. Then when it is time to wash the diapers you pull the bag by the cord out of the bucket and carry the bag of diapers to the washer, not a heavy bucket. The bag can be washed at the same time as the diapers. It is a good idea to have two bags for each diaper bucket, one to use and one to wash. Liners also keep the bucket clean, which means you don't have to wash it. This would work very well for those parents in wheelchairs because the bag of diapers could easily be carried on your lap to the washer. Also, if the diapers are not being soaked, it makes using a front loading washer much easier.

To wash your diapers set your washer for a pre-soak, long wash cycle on hot. Use a phosphate-free detergent and washing soda, Borax, Amaze or an all-fabric bleach. Adding vinegar to the final rinse helps sterilize and kill the ammonia. You can use a Downy? ball for the vinegar to save yourself having to catch the final rinse. Fabric softener is not recommended as it can irritate the baby's skin. Chlorine bleach can cause your diapers to prematurely break down. If your diapers get stained and the other detergent boosters don't help, you can do a bleach wash every couple of months. Bleach is also not recommended on diaper covers or all-in-ones with a plastic barrier. When the wash is over remove any covers to hang dry (the drier can prematurely age them) and put your freshly laundered diapers in the dryer or hang them out in the sun. The dry diapers don't even have to be folded just put them in a basket ready for the next change.

There is no need to purchase diaper wipes. They can be made from small washcloths or cut up towels. Simply use water to wash the baby's bottom after each change and throw it in the diaper bucket with the diaper. If the change table/area is not close to a sink a small spray bottle of water can be kept with the diaper changing supplies. Some parents keep some washcloths in a small container with water and baby oil with their changing supplies.

A good idea is to set up several changing stations around the house. This could include clean diapers, wipes, covers, a diaper bucket and any ointment needed. A few special toys can work wonders at distracting a wiggly baby while changing a diaper.

An option, which is the best of both worlds, is a diaper service. A service supplies all your diapers and some even supply the diaper covers. They don't require any soaking, you just put the used diapers in a plastic bag and twice a week the service picks up the used ones and brings fresh ones to your home. This means that there is no soaking, no laundering, no shopping, no lugging dirty diapers to the garbage and if you don't have a washer and dryer can be a real blessing. The pricing is based on how many diapers are used so as the baby gets older and doesn't urinate as often the cost goes down. If a diaper service is used from birth to potty training it would cost approximately $2,000 which is still cheaper than disposable diapers.

Diapering is one of the areas which parents have many choices and every family has their own needs. A combination of all three is also an option, use a diaper service for the first 4-6 weeks so you don't have to worry about doing laundry, then use your preferred cloth diapering system at home and disposable diapers when out or travelling. There are a lot of good resources out there which can help with the diapering dilemma and several very good Canadian companies which sell a wide variety of diapering products. If you have some first hand tips which you would like to pass on to DPT readers please write or e-mail us.

Bummis
1-888-8BUMMIS
Born to Love
1-416-499-8309
Baby Love Products Inc.
1-403-672-1763

Internet Web Sites

Diaper Changes
Homekeepers Publishing
1-800-572-1826
FAX: 1-717-279-7348
E-mail: homekeep@ptd.net