[blparent] Diapers - Reuseable? Or, disposable?

Sat Feb 20 20:52:54 UTC 2010

There are cloth diapers that use Velcro.  Pins I wouldn't mess with--my 
sighted father accidentally pinned a diaper to my brother when he was a 
baby.  The pin went under a fold of skin and pulled out later, causing some 
bleeding.  Now it's become one of those not-so-amusing family stories that 
pops up from time to time, usually when my dad wants to get out of doing a 
messy task with one of his grandchildren by pretending men are inept.

Usually, with cloth diapers, you would use a laundry service because it's a 
lot of work, besides really difficult, to get the diapers clean enough at 
home.  Then you have the question of whether the energy used to heat the 
laundry water and the detergent are any better for the environment than 
disposable diapers are.

One thing to remember about disposable diapers is that they have chemicals 
in them to make them more absorbent.  My stepson Stephen did a home science 
experiment a week or two ago that involved peeling apart a disposable diaper 
and shaking out the powder that is layered between the cloth or paper 
sheets.  The chemical, sodium polyacrylate, makes the diapers more absorbent 
because it can soak up 100 or more times its weight in liquid.  Some kids 
have allergic reactions to the chemicals, which occasionally seep through 
the diaper onto the skin.  They may get diaper rashes, among other symptoms, 
so you have to try different brands till you find one that doesn't bother 
them.  I researched the chemical on the Internet, and there are all kinds of 
"green" parents who will tell you that polyacrylate causes cancer, 
neurological problems, and God knows what else.  Many other people seem to 
think it is perfectly safe, and since it is also used in feminine hygiene 
products, if it caused cancer, there would be a lot more of the disease out 
there.  I was kind of disturbed and unsure, reading all the stuff about the 
chemical, but Sarah will be out of diapers fairly soon.  I didn't see a good 
enough reason to change our routine now and stop the exposure to the 
chemical, but I'll always wonder a little if I might have put my baby in 
harm's way without knowing it.  Like I said, it's a personal decision.

Oh, one other thing, the Loves brand of diapers were terrible for us because 
of leaking.  I would advise not stocking up on any single brand before your 
baby is born because you might have to try different ones to find the best 
fit.

Jo Elizabeth

Until lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify 
the hunters.--African Proverb

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Miranda Borka" <knownoflove at gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 20, 2010 10:24 AM
To: "NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [blparent] Diapers - Reuseable? Or, disposable?

> Hi Angela,
> Thanks for the info! My concern about cloth diapers is the need to throw 
> the entire diaper away, rather than only the liner. At least that's the 
> way I understand it anyway. Someone, please correct me if I'm wrong. When 
> searching Walmart, I also only saw cloth diapers that use pins. In my 
> personal opinion, this could be frustrating to fight with pins and not 
> accidently poke your baby.
> Thanks again, and I'll search for the forums for sure!
>
> In Christ, Miranda
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Angela Frederick <angelahoward at mail.utexas.edu>
> Sent: Saturday, February 20, 2010 11:32 AM
> To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List <blparent at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [blparent] Diapers - Reuseable? Or, disposable?
>
> Hi, Miranda,
>
> I don't have kids yet, but I recently did a lot of research on the
> diaper question, because I love planning.:)  There are several forums
> in which parents talk about which diaper options they use and
> why.  It might be helpful to do a search for those.  If I could
> remember them, I would send you the links.
>
> I was really interested in the G diapers, too, but they didn't get
> good reviews on the forums I looked at.  People said they are harder
> to use than cloth diapers, and they leaked for a lot of people.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> Angela
>
>
> At 07:54 AM 2/20/2010, you wrote:
>>Hi Dena,
>>The half and half disposable/reusable combo is one factor that
>>caught our interest in the G-Diaper as well.
>>Thanks for your feedback, and have a great weekend!
>>
>>In Christ, Miranda
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Dena Wainwright <dena at envogueaccess.com>
>>Sent: Saturday, February 20, 2010 8:20 AM
>>To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List <blparent at nfbnet.org>
>>Subject: Re: [blparent] Diapers - Reuseable? Or, disposable?
>>
>>we use disposable pampers. a lot depends on your lifestyle, preferences,
>>baby's sensitivity to the chemicals in cloth diapers, and the way a
>>particular brand fits your child. e.g., I know lots of people who love
>>huggies, but for us, they always caused leaking because of the way they
>>fit.gDiapers are a cross between a disposable and a reusable. they have a
>>reusable cover and diaper with a disposable insert that slides in. if I 
>>were
>>to ever go with reusable, that's probably what I'd do because I could 
>>throw
>>a lot of the mess away...
>>Dena
>>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Miranda Borka" <knownoflove at gmail.com>
>>To: "Blind Parents" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
>>Sent: Saturday, February 20, 2010 4:30 AM
>>Subject: [blparent] Diapers - Reuseable? Or, disposable?
>>
>>
>> > Hi,
>> > Ok, we're wondering what diapers you use and why? If disposable, why? 
>> > What
>> > brandd(s) and why did you choose that brand?
>> > If reusable, why did you choose reusable? For reusable, we've found
>> > Kushies and G-Diaper. We've found that G-Diaper is less exvensive. Any
>> > thoughts?
>> > Thanks in advance, and have a great weekend!
>> >
>> > In Christ, Miranda
>> >
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