Let's continue with the Cloth Diapers Review (Part II) and in this entry, I will write about the benefits of using the CDs and also to continue with type of Inserts/Soakers and Doublers. Before we proceed, please note that:
This review is solely base on my experience and readings. I have no personal interest to any brand or CDs store. Recommendations and advices are proven effective for me but may end up differently based on how you handle your CDs . Kindly drop constructive comment on this review especially if you happen to find any misleading information or irrelevant advises.
I really appreciate it..
Benefits of Cloth Diapers
Not to say disposables diapers are not good but we have an alternative to opt for a CD for many reasons.
More Economic - If you compare 1-1 cost of disposable diaper and cloth diaper, Yes, dispo wins. Big different huh?? RM 0.60 for a dispo and about RM 60 for a CD? Initial investment of CD is going to be between RM 200 – RM 1,000 (depending on the type of CD you choose). Any way, if you do the math, CDs win.
You save RM 4,356 for 2 babies with CDs!!!
Reduce Diaper Rash - Cloth diapers are more breathable and cloth diapered babies are changed more often, as the diaper starts feeling damp after (on average) 4 hours. Disposable diapers mask the wetness, therefore child care providers and parents have no indication of how long the child has been wearing a wet or poopy diaper. This, together with the fact that disposable diapers become much hotter, allows more rapid bacterial growth which can cause diaper rash. If your baby has sensitive skin the reaction to the chemicals in disposable diapers may also contribute to diaper rash.
Based on my own experience, Dhani is not allergic to any dispo when he was a newborn. But few months later, we found out that he had diaper rashes once in a while. Especially kalau lambat tuka disponya. When I started to use CD at his age of 3 months, diaper rash is not a problem anymore.
CDs are cool and comfortable for baby - Cloth diapers are soft and comfortable and made of natural, chemical free, very absorbent fibers. Most diapers are made of cotton. Sometimes hemp is used. Unlike disposable diapers, cloth diapers stay cool even on the hottest summer day. Many modern cloth diapers today use a layer of fleece against the babies skin. This ultra soft layer will keep you baby feeling dry at all times., since it wicks the moisture into the diaper.
When I first time took off the CD from my baby, I felt that the CD’s microfleece surface and baby bottom were so dry. When I checked the insert inside the microfleece layer, it was totally wet..Amazing!!! Tak macam dispo diapers, surface CD tu dapat maintain permukaan kering pada baby walaupun sebenarnya insert di dalamnya dah basah lencun.
Potty Training is easier with CDs - On average cloth diapered children potty train 6 months earlier than children wearing disposable diapers. Cloth diapers do not mask the sensation of wetness.
Dah beli potty untuk Dhani tapi dia takut nak duduk..kalau suruh shishi kat situ mesti nangis..Bila mama konon2 duduk dia gelak..dunno yet when to start. He only plays with the potty during shower time.
CDs are Healthy alternative, Safer for New Delicate Skin - Cloth diapers don't contain any of the harmful chemicals that disposables are loaded with. See..."how dangerous are disposable diapers". These are some article about the
Male Infertility, Poison contains in the dispo diapers and more.
ASTMA - In 1998, a study showed that childhood respiratory problems, including asthma, might be linked to inhaling the mixture of chemicals emitted from disposable diapers.
Last but not least.........
CDs are better for the Environment - Every child adds a minimum of 6500 disposable diapers (30% of which is non biodegradable) to our landfills. Included in the soiled diapers are many of pounds of raw fecal matter. Viruses found in the feces can pose a threat to our water supplies and wild life, by seeping through cracks that sometimes develop in landfills. The manufacturing of disposable diapers poses another threat to our environment, requiring large quantities of wood pulp (trees) and dangerous complex chemical substances, which leave behind many harmful byproducts.
Nampak cliché kan? Tapi inilah hakikatnya. Bumi kita makin uzur, cuba check aje la dekat tempat pembuangan sampah, sah mmg yang banyak adalah dispo diapers..
Ok..now mari sambung dengan inserts/soakers/doublers dan jenis-jenisnya pula..bagi sesiapa yang terlepas membaca jenis2 CD, boleh baca di
sini..
What are Cloth Diaper Inserts?
Cloth diaper inserts are material use to absorb the liquid in a pocket diaper. They are made from a variety of materials to adjust the absorbency needed. They can be made from microfiber, cotton, hemp and bamboo.
What are Soakers?
Soakers refer to the inner layer of the cloth diapers and functioned like the inserts to absorb the wetness. Soakers are usually used in AI2. Terms soakers are also use to refer to wool or polar fleece diaper covers.
Confuse huh? tapi dalam kes2 biasa dan tak terlalu advance, soakers=inserts..functionnya juga serupa untuk kes pertama kecuali as diaper covers dalam kes kedua tu.
What are Doublers?
Doublers are little thinner than inserts and are designed to supplement inserts during long excursions or overnight. However, they are not as absorbent as an insert. They can be inserted between your baby's bottom and the diaper to provide extra absorbency. These are great for heavy wetters or for night-time use.
Like my grobaby, doubler is to be put on top of the soaker and perfect for night use. For day time, enough with soaker only. No need to add doubler.
What are Liners?
Liners are thin layers placed between the diaper's inner and your baby’s skin. These are used for easier clean up by keeping poop from sticking to the diaper. These work great to keep the baby’s skin dry and also help to keep baby's poo away off the fleece (CD's surface that touch baby's bottom).
Besides those,
"inners" are commonly used to describe the inner part of the diaper covers that close to baby's skin (where liners should be put on top of it)
Type of Fabrics for Inserts/Soakers/Doublers
Microfiber is usually 75% polyester 25% polyamide, and is a great diaper fabric for inserts. It traps moisture between its fibers and can absorb up to 8 times its weight in liquid! thin, microfiber dries quickly and gets more absorbent with use.
Avoid using microfiber next to baby because it can dry out baby's skin.
Hemp is a course fiber made from the inner bark of the hemp plant. It is becoming increasingly popular for use in diapers because of its durability, absorbency and natural anti-microbial properties. Hemp/cotton fabric is more absorbent than 100% cotton fabric of the same weight.
- Hemp French Terry - Made with absorbent hemp and has the feel of soft terry cloth.
Cotton is soft, absorbent and washes easily.
Organic cotton is becoming increasingly popular as it is grown without the use of harmful chemicals that have an adverse effect on the environment. Ring spun, combed cotton yarn ensures a top quality grade of cotton. This fabric is only available in its natural unbleached finish and incredibly soft.
Dhani has the grobaby organic cotton..fit him nicely and not bulky at all..
Bamboo is one of the newest diaper fabrics in the cloth diapering world. Bamboo is very absorbent, naturally anti-bacterial, and won't hold odors. It has a very silky and luxurious feel and stays soft wash after wash. Bamboo is also very environmentally friendly!
... The amazing bamboo fiber is 60 percent more absorbent than cotton, and can absorb up to 3 times its weight in water. Hemp fabrics are 70 percent more absorbent than cotton, but hemp does not always retain that soft feel the way this buttery fabric does. Combining it with cotton makes it much stronger (often you will see it combined with organic cotton) and many manufacturers use a little polyester in the blend to make it more durable....quote from http://ezinearticles.com
Type of Fabrics for Inners
Microfleece is a thin synthetic Fleece used to provide a stay-dry lining for diapers. 100% polyester and a superior moisture-wicking diaper fabric. It is used next to baby's skin to keep baby feeling dry and comfortable even in a wet diaper. Microfleece resists staining, and does not hold poo like other diaper fabric can. It is commonly used for the interior portion of diapers because of its softness.
Suedecloth is thinner than microfleece but has many of the same qualities that make it perfect for diaper inners. Suedecloth wicks moisture away from baby, resists staining, and does not hold poo.
Sherpa is a super-soft fabric and fleece like that is perfect for diaper inners and absorbent soakers or inserts.
Type of Fabric for Outer/Diper Covers
Polyurethane Laminate, or PUL is laminate-backed diaper fabric was originally developed for the medical community, but it's softness, flexibility and water-proof qualities make it perfect for cloth diapering. PUL is best for diaper covers and All in One or Pocket diaper outers.
Windpro is a polar fleece that was designed to repel wind and water yet retain breathability. It is commonly used to create All-in-One diapers or diaper covers, because of its waterproof capabilities
Minkee fabric is fantastic super soft fabric. They come with veriaty cool design. Since minkee fabric is not waterproof, minkee covers are sewed with hidden layer of PUL underneath.
Wool diaper covers are breathable and environmentally friendly. Wool has been used as a water-resistant cover for diapers for generations. It was only with the advent of rubber pants that wool soakers fell out of favor. Clean, lanolized wool covers will absorb 30% of their weight in moisture before they feel wet. Lanolin on wool interacts with the ammonia in urine to form a soap. This makes wool covers 'self-cleaning'. Every 3-4 weeks they will need lanolized to restore their amazing ability to neutralize urine odors. Because it is breathable, wool is a natural choice for babies with sensitive skin. Their skin stays dryer and they stay happier. Hand knit or crocheted diaper covers and longies (long pants) are regaining popularity as more moms and dads discover the unique benefits of this natural fiber.
Not just those mentioned above,but there are so many types of fabric used for cloth diapers such as touchtape, velour, the latest zorb..etc. It will be complicated if i put them all here. Cukuplah semua di atas sebagai asas dan anda boleh dapatkan more info on types of the fabrics dari Google.
Littlefornow and
clothplanet.com are some of the sites that may help for detail CD fabrics glossary.
Table below shows some of pros and cons of CDs fabrics.
Saya rasa entry ini agak ilmiah dengan fakta-fakta dan tak banyak pendapat peribadi saya..Tapi bagi saya, jenis2 fabrik ini perlu juga kita tahu serba sedikit supaya tak main beli aje..
Jadi, untuk menyudahkan entry pasal CD ini, di bahagian III CD Review nanti saya akan lebih santai berkongsi mengenai:
- Cloth Diaper System (apa yang perlu untuk start cloth diapering dan cara mengendalikannya)
- Koleksi CD saya (Dhani) dan review saya tentang jenis2 yang saya ada..
Sampai jumpa lagi..
