Choosing Cloth vs. Disposable Diapers?

With all the decisions new parents have to make you wouldn’t think diapers would be such a tough decision, yet it is one parents routinely struggle with: cloth or disposable diapers?  While cloth diapers are obviously better for the environment, and may contain fewer harmful chemicals, they're also more inconvenient than disposables. What is a health and eco-conscious parent on the go to do? This article lays out the pros and cons of both types to help you make the right decision for you and your family.

Disposable diaper, size 12-25kg/26-55lb. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Disposable Diaper Pros

• Disposable diapers are extremely convenient, no doubt about it.  It makes changing your infant a quick and easy process.  When you’re shopping and you have to change a messy cloth diaper, you don’t get to just drop it in the garbage, you have to haul it around with you.  Ick!

• Disposable diapers may seem to fit better.  The adjustable adhesive fasteners make it easy to fit any size or shape baby.  This is not always so with a cloth diaper which always seems to stretch out once you have it on your child and certainly more so once it’s been soiled.

Disposable Diaper Cons

• Disposable diapers are petroleum-based products, which means they’re just downright awful for the environment.  Carbon emissions are created in the manufacturing of disposable diapers, fuel is used in the transportation from manufacturer to store and diapers don’t biodegrade but sit in landfills for decades.  (Yes, decades!)

• Disposable diapers also contain a number of chemicals, which may harm an infant’s sensitive skin - remember that an infant's skin is much thinner than an adult's, meaning they are absorbing a lot of the chemicals from diapers into their bodies. Double ick! 

• Disposable diapers are more expensive than cloth diapers even if you have a diaper service.

Cloth Diaper Pros

Baby in cloth diaper. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

• Cloth diapers can be environmentally sound, particularly if you purchase organic cotton diapers.  And while cloth diapers have to be laundered, which does contaminate the water supply and use water, they can be washed with biodegradable detergent.  This makes them more environmentally friendly than disposable.  However, if you have a diaper service then you’ll also have to weigh in the fact that delivery is contributing to greenhouse gases.

• Cloth diapers, if they’re organic, don’t have harmful chemicals in them which means they’re not going to be as likely to irritate your baby’s skin - or contribute to increasing the toxins in his or her body.

• Cloth diapers don’t fill landfills.  They’re reusable.

• Cloth diapers are generally a lot less expensive than disposable over time.

Cloth Diaper Cons

• They’re inconvenient, particularly for moms on the go.

• They don’t necessarily fit as well, though some cloth diapers being manufactured today do have a better fit and fastening system than the old rectangle and diaper pin method. (In fact, many are now made with elastic leg bands and velcro fasteners, making them as easy to put on and take off as disposable diapers.)

• If cloth diapers are not organic, then the cotton used to make them is grown and harvested with pesticides, chemical fertilizers and other environmentally harmful chemicals.

Wrapping it all up

Disposable diapers are more convenient, though more expensive and they are generally an environmentally unfriendly practice.  There are some more natural disposable diapers (such as gDiapers) but they tend to be quite expensive, and may still be inconvenient to dispose of in some cases.  Cloth diapers, if they’re organic, are the most environmentally sound practice - and the healthiest for your baby.  The downside is they’re inconvenient.  Ultimately, the decision to buy disposable or cloth must meet your personal needs as well as your lifestyle. But if you're leaning towards cloth, take a look at some of the newer designs - you may find them a lot easier to handle than the cloth diapers of old.

A Few Eco-Diaper Choices:
   

3 Reasons To Feed Your Baby Organic Baby Food

Are you a new parent?  If you are, you may be looking for safe and healthy foods to feed your baby.  When doing so, you may find that you have a small number of options.  Unfortunately, a large number of baby foods currently on the market cannot be considered completely natural.  If this causes you concern, you may want to take the time to examine organic baby food.

As nice as it is to hear that organic baby food is safe and healthy to feed your baby, you may still have some reservations.  After all organic food is known for its higher prices.  There are many first-time parents who wonder if the cost is truly worth it.  But after a close examination, I think you will find that it is.  In fact, there are at least three reasons why you should feed your new baby organic baby food.

1 – Organic Baby Food Is Healthier

Organic Baby Food (Photo credit: Cascadian Farm)

The health reasons are just one of the many reasons why organic baby food is ideal for babies.  As previously stated, many food products designed for babies cannot be considered completely natural.  This is because many companies add in unhealthy sugars and other additives.  This is not the case with organic foods. 

There are many individuals, including parents, who claim that organic food can help to improve a child’s health, as well as their behavior now and in the long run.  Despite the lack of scientific proof, many parents are not willing to take the chance.  Another impact has to do with recalls.  Whether it be recalls on toys, food, or clothing, parents are concerned with companies following all government restrictions to the letter.  Many wonder if a toy manufacturer can put too much lead in a toy, can too many chemicals make their way into baby food?

2 – An Increasing Number of Options

Another one of the many reasons why parents should consider feeding their babies organic baby food is because of the growing number options available.  Unfortunately, many parents mistakenly believe that choosing organic foods limits the number of foods their children will be able to consume.  While this may be true in some cases, you may be surprised how many flavors and different varieties of organic food are available for babies and other small children.

For example, Earth's Best Organic is a well-known supplier and product manufacturer of organic foods.  In terms of their jarred baby food, which is ideal for infants, they have flavors that include apples, carrots, bananas, peas, sweet potatoes, and pears - and much more.  It is also important to mention that these flavors are only for jarred baby food.  Organic formula, rice cereals, and other snacks can be made organically as well.

Homemade Baby Food - Carrots (Photo credit: Cascadian Farm)

3 – You Can Make Your Own Organic Baby Food

As previously stated, organic baby food does cost more than traditional foods.  This is due in part to the extra steps that must be taken to ensure that all foods are organic, including certification.  Although many grocery stores and organic food stores, both on and offline, offer sales and discounts, the costs may still be too much for many parents.  If it is for you, you can still feed your baby organic baby food by making your own.  In fact, you may be surprised just how easy it is to do so.  All you need to do is find homemade baby food recipes and make sure that you use organic fruits and vegetables. Usually all you need is a basic food processor, and you're good to go. You can make small batches in the amounts that you need, and you'll know the food you're feeding your baby is as fresh and healthy as it can be!

As you can see, there are a number of reasons why organic food is great for babies.  If you are concerned with your child, their health, and the ingredients found in many common foods, organic baby food may be a great choice.

Organic Baby Food: A Buying Guide

As you may already know, there are a number of benefits to eating organic foods.  To reap the most benefits, organic food should be consumed as often as possible, for as much of your diet as you can, to minimize toxins in your body.  What does this mean for parents?  It means that organic food consumption should start with baby food. 

Image via WikipediaIf you just recently made the decision to integrate organic foods into your family meals, you may be looking for more information on organic foods for babies.  If so, you will want to continue reading on.  A few tips to help you get started with feeding your baby organic foods are highlighted below.

As previously stated, there are a number of benefits to eating organic foods.  These benefits include pesticide and chemical free foods.  These types of foods are even more important for babies and other small children, who need the best and healthiest building blocks in order to build healthy bodies as they grow.  In fact, there are now a number of professional healthcare providers who recommend to their patients that they feed their babies organic baby foods.  Many believe that eliminating potentially harmful chemicals and pesticides can help to promote healthy growth and good behavior in small children. 

Image via WikipediaWhen it comes to buying organic baby food, you will find that you can shop both locally and online.  Regardless of where you shop, it is important to look for certified organic foods.  These foods often have a specific label, which should be the same for all organic foods, no matter what the brand.  The United States does not allow a manufacturer to claim that their products are completely organic, unless they truly are.  That is why you should look for certified organic labels before making an organic baby food purchase.

As previously stated, organic baby food can be purchased both locally and online.  For many parents, they prefer to shop locally, as it is convenient to do.  Many supermarkets now carry a small selection of organic baby foods.  This means that parents can buy food for their babies while doing the rest of their shopping.  This is very convenient for many parents.  With that being said, you are often only presented with a limited selection of organic baby foods.  This can be difficult when looking to “spice,” up the foods that your child eats.  Also, examine stores that specialize in the selling of natural, organic foods.

As for shopping online for organic baby food, you can also find many more selections here.  As organic foods steadily increase in popularity, there are a number of online stores that sell organic foods, including organic baby food.  These websites can be found with a standard internet search.  To help get you started, Earth’s Best Organic, Diamond Organics, and Sweatpea Baby Foods all sell organic baby food.  Additional online stores and product manufacturers can be found with a standard internet search.  When looking to shop online, you may find it easier to search for the best prices.

When looking to purchase organic baby foods, especially online, look for foods that are convenient.  For example, there is a company that is known as Baby Cubes.  They sell cubes of frozen vegetables and fruits that are certified organic.  This is ideal if you must do your shopping online.  The ability to freeze organic baby foods and in safe containers can reduce the number of online orders that you have to make on a weekly or biweekly basis. 

In addition to buying organic baby food, many parents choose to make their own.  There are a number of books and online websites that highlight ways that baby food can easily be made at home.  (See below for a few articles and resources on this.) When following these recipes, just be sure to use organic fruits and vegetables.  As a reminder many supermarkets, specialty stores, and some farmer’s markets sell organic fruits and vegetables.  (And we love our CSA, for the freshest local organic food around!) When you start with fresh organic foods, you can rather easily and cheaply provide your baby with homemade organic baby food, which many claim is the best type of food to feed growing babies.

Related Articles on Organic Baby Food:

• Making organic food for baby and toddlers (greenlivingonline.com)
• How and Why To Make Homemade Baby Food (babyminding.com)
• The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet Book Review and Giveaway (momblognetwork.com)
• Homemade Baby Food: A Guide to Making and Storing It (webmd.com)

Organic Baby Food Resources: