The Diaper Drama

The Online Drama of Disposable versus Cloth Diapers (Nappies)

By: Heather L. Sanders

"The Diaper Drama" - and what a drama it is.  Almost 4 years ago I was a fledgling, uninformed consumer . . . stuffing my diaper bag and baby's changing area with neatly piled, thin (but oh, so absorbent) disposable diapers.  I didn't even give it a second thought . . . ignorance is bliss, right?  Well, I used to think so.

I'm an inquisitive person by nature, so when I found myself wiping little shiny gel-like crystals (for lack of a better description) off my then, 3-month old baby's private areas, I wanted to know what they were.  Exacerbating that dilemma was what could only be described as 'the diaper rash that would not surrender.'

Looking for answers, I reached for the jumbo-sized disposable diaper package and read the label, but there wasn't any mention or warning to speak of with regards to my question.  However, I was warned to keep the plastic packaging away from my baby, the crib, the toy box . . . whatever.  Funny, there was a warning about the packaging, but I didn't clue in to the fact that the packaging and the disposable diaper itself are made of the same basic materials.  'Things that make you go hmmmmmm.' 

Giving my disposables the benefit of the doubt, I did a search on the World Wide Web (gotta love it) and wouldn't you know it, nothing came up under the key words 'shiny gel-like crystals and disposables.'  At least nothing that answered my question.  Imagine that.  Re-wording my search, I was led to an article called 'What's Wrong With Disposable Single-Use Diapers?,' from an on-line cloth diapering company called Born to Love.  Six hours, one snoring husband and one pot of coffee later, I had made my way all over that site and others.  Not only did I discover what those shiny gel-like crystals were, but I learned much, much more.  I decided to dig deeper and in about 2 weeks and several more hours of research, my blissful ignorance gave way to informed resolve . . . to cloth diaper my child.

If you are where I was, hear me out.  Let down your defenses, pick up your reasoning and a cup of coffee wouldn't hurt either.  Let me tell you why I decided to side with cloth in 'The Diaper Drama.' 

**Before I go further, please note that the initial sources utilized in this article are cited at the bottom of each section.  Some may no longer be active in the community, but at the time this article was initially written (2000) they offered valuable resources and will be forever appreciated for their information..

Go To Next Scene of 'The Diaper Drama'

Scene 1: Costs

Scene 2: Dryness and Rashes

Scene 3: Health Issues

Scene 4: Environment

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Content Copyright © Heather L Sanders.
May not be reprinted without permission.