eagan@druxq.UUCP (EaganMS) (01/21/86)
It's getting close to the time our baby will be born and I am debating whether or not to use a diaper service or the disposal type diapers. It seems that the diaper service would be cheaper and in one way more convenient (won't have to lug huge boxes from the store every week), but disposals are convenient in other ways. But, what about diaper rashes? I'd appreciate any experiences either way--likes and dislikes, pros and cons. Thanks! Marianne Eagan ihnp4 (druxq!eagan)
cb@hlwpc.UUCP (Carl Blesch) (01/22/86)
> It's getting close to the time our baby will be born and I am debating > whether or not to use a diaper service or the disposal type diapers. I have another suggestion. Buy two dozen cloth diapers and wash 'em yourself. That's the cheapest. And it's quite easy -- I don't know why more parents don't do it. Are they really THAT put off by baby doo? Here's the procedure I use. Fill a diaper pail half full of water and a handful of Dreft (a P&G product made up of detergent and borax). When baby doo-doos, rinse the bulk of the mess off (you don't have to scrub!) and throw the diaper in the pail. When the pail is full, throw it in the washer and spin the load. At this point, you can: (1) run it thru a normal wash cycle with a half cup of bleach, then another wash cycle with a half-cup of Dreft. Then 60 minutes in the dryer and they're ready to go again. OR (2) fill the washer with just plain hot water, let the diapers soak overnight, spin them out the next morning, and do a wash cycle with Dreft. Dry and use. Method one is better for babies who stain badly. In both cases, everything is hot water, normal cycle. Hot wash, hot rinse, hot dry. No fancy programming, like warm wash, cold rinse, gentle cycle, etc. Carl Blesch
tupper@wanginst.UUCP (John Tupper) (01/22/86)
We have a diaper service and are very happy with it. We've gone with the service for a couple of reasons: 1) Our baby always had a diaper rash problem if we used disposables for more than one or two changes. 2) Diapers are wonderful for wiping up messes, using as bibs, etc. Probably a quarter of the diapers we use are never put on the kid. 3) I'm happy in the knowledge that I'm not being so rough on the environment (of course I still drive my car. . .). -- John Tupper tupper@wanginst (Csnet) Wang Institute of Graduate Studies wanginst!tupper (UUCP) Tyng Road, Tyngsboro, MA 01879 (617) 649-9731
snell@utzoo.UUCP (Richard Snell) (01/22/86)
Sometimes disposable are simply more convenient... but on the whole
cloth diapers will induce far less rash (as long as they are changed
every 1.5 hours or so in an infant, every 2 hours or so in a baby).
We found that diaper pins do not stay very sharp though, and sticking
dull ones through many layers is not easy: use a whetstone to hone
up the point and you save buying new ones all the time.
There are numerous other arguements, like ecological ones, or that
throwing human excrement into the garbage (with disposables) is both
disgusting and illegal in most localities. But all that aside,
cloth ones are really easy once you do it about 5-8 times (you will do this
in 1/3 of one day... In short, go for it.
--
Name: Richard Snell
Mail: Dept. Zoology, Univ. Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A1
UUCP: {allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!snellcb@hlwpc.UUCP (Carl Blesch) (01/23/86)
> I have another suggestion. Buy two dozen cloth diapers and wash 'em > yourself. > Carl Blesch Oops. I should have written *four* dozen, not *two*. I'd be washing every other day if I only had two dozen! Carl Blesch
tif@gamma.UUCP (Barbara Charles) (01/23/86)
> It's getting close to the time our baby will be born and I am debating > whether or not to use a diaper service or the disposal type of diapers. 1982 study of 200 inftants, published by the Journal of Pediatrics, compared the incidence of diaper rash found in babies wearing home-laundered diapers with those using disposables. The cloth-diaper group had diaper rash signi- ficantly more often than the babie susing 3 different types of throwaways. This study, unlike previous ones, checked infants' diaper areas weekly for nine months. A similar comparison between disposables and diaper-service laundered cloth ones has not been done. CLOTH DISPOSABLE Cleanliness Messy clean up, but if Sterile from the pkg. properly washing, the are and clean-up is easy, just as clean as disposables. Less for you to do if you use a diaper service. Convenience Time-consuming if you No folding or pinning rinse, soak, wash and is necessary; easy to disinfect diapers yourself; fasten, with self- takes a bit longer to attach adhesive straps pins and put on plastic pants Cost Initial outlay for diapers Ongoing expense, since liners, pants, pails, pins, you use only once. and cost of detergent and One estimate puts the hot water. Diaper service cost at four times brings price closer to cost that of cloth of disposable diapers From book: "The Maternity Sourcebook" by Wendy and Matthew Lesko The choice is really up to you as each person's life style is different. A working mom would probably prefer disposables, but a mom who can stay at home and has the time to wash, pin, etc., etc., can probably use cloth diapers or a diaper service. My opinion is for you to look at your life style and see what is convenient for the lady of the house since she spends most of her time taking care of "diapers." Barbara Charles Bradley Childbirth Instructor
peg@linus.UUCP (Margaret E. Craft) (01/24/86)
As a single, working mother of two, I must object to the statement here that disposables are less trouble than a diaper service. Disposables require that I lug large boxes to and from store and sitter, as well as extra bags to the dump. (I'll also restate the concern about adding to the poop at the dump.) With the service, diapers are delivered to and picked up from my porch. The only added work is carrying the dirties FROM the sitter's each day, but since the bag of dirties fits into the dialy backpack, it's still less trouble than finding an extra hand (as well as room in my small car with two kids) for those huge boxes. The extra 20 seconds that pinning takes over taping can be well spent singing to the kid. Two extra bonuses of cloth not mentioned yet: 1. the child can't take them off alone - or at least mine never learned how. But at one year, both could strip from the disposables (which I do use when traveling, etc.) That turns to a disadvantage when it comes time to training, but I handled that by getting terry-lined plastic pants (from Sears) to use instead of diapers when they were "training". 2. Being able to put three, or even four, diapers on at night promotes sleep comfort and aviods rashes. Having the option of leaving the plastic off is also handy. That's what I have to do for several nights after I have to use dispoables for some reason, since my kids both "rash"ed after a few days of disposable use.
cb@hlwpc.UUCP (Carl Blesch) (01/24/86)
> The choice is really up to you as each person's life style is different. > A working mom would probably prefer disposables, but a mom who can stay > at home and has the time to wash, pin, etc., etc., can probably use > cloth diapers or a diaper service. In our family, mom and dad both work full time, and washing cloth diapers just isn't that time-consuming. It's easily squeezed into the evening or weekend activities. > My opinion is for you to look at your > life style and see what is convenient for the lady of the house since > she spends most of her time taking care of "diapers." > > Barbara Charles > Bradley Childbirth Instructor I'd like to cry foul here. I (father, husband, and working man) have taken responsibility for washing my kids' cloth diapers. So I'll fight sexism with sexism. I wash the diapers because a full diaper pail is too heavy for her to carry down the basement stairs and pick up and pour into the washing machine tub. MACHO! :-) Carl Blesch
tif@gamma.UUCP (Barbara Charles) (01/27/86)
>I (father, husband & working man) have taken responsibility for washing >kid's cloth diapers. So I'll fight sexism with sexism. I apologize for any "unintended sexism" Carl, but YOU are a unique man. Unfortunately, it has been my experience as a childbirth instructor and mother - that diapers are "a mother's duty." I wish their were more men like you. Barbara Charles
barb@pyuxa.UUCP (B E Nemeth) (01/28/86)
Not to "ride" you on your unintended sexism, but fortunately my husband is also a unique man when it comes to changing diapers. It definitely is a help (and relief) when the husband (father) changes diapers. To tell you the truth, I see no distinction as to whose job it is. We have a saying in our house, Whoever Chrisanna (our daughter) comes to and says "I got poopies" that's who changes her! Barb Nemeth
lizv@tektools.UUCP (Liz Vaughan) (01/29/86)
>We found that diaper pins do not stay very sharp though, and sticking >dull ones through many layers is not easy: use a whetstone to hone >up the point and you save buying new ones all the time. One trick that tailors etc have always used to keep pins sharp is to store them sticking into a bar of soap - apparently it keeps them from getting dull as fast. Anybody know why this works? An added benefit: you don't have to fumble with opening the pin while holding a squirming baby.
charliem@athena.UUCP (Charlie Mills) (01/29/86)
>>We found that diaper pins do not stay very sharp though, and sticking >>dull ones through many layers is not easy: use a whetstone to hone >>up the point and you save buying new ones all the time. > >One trick that tailors etc have always used to keep pins sharp is to store >them sticking into a bar of soap - apparently it keeps them from getting dull >as fast. Anybody know why this works? Diaper pins do not need sharpening, they need lubricating. Soap lubricates. Rub the pin once quickly and lightly across your hair to lubricate the pin before sticking it through the cloth. Yes, I wash my hair regularly, and no, I don't have particularly greasy hair. This really works. If you are male you'll really impress the veteran moms with this one. -- Charlie Mills ..{ucbvax,decvax,uw-beaver,hplabs,ihnp4,allegra}!tektronix!athena!charliem
kathy@tolerant.UUCP (Kathy Kister) (01/30/86)
> We have a diaper service and are very happy with it. We've gone with the > service for a couple of reasons: > > 1) Our baby always had a diaper rash problem if we used disposables > for more than one or two changes. > 2) Diapers are wonderful for wiping up messes, using as bibs, etc. > Probably a quarter of the diapers we use are never put > on the kid. > 3) I'm happy in the knowledge that I'm not being so rough on > the environment (of course I still drive my car. . .). > -- > John Tupper tupper@wanginst (Csnet) > Wang Institute of Graduate Studies wanginst!tupper (UUCP) > Tyng Road, Tyngsboro, MA 01879 (617) 649-9731 I've asked some of my friends about this and we all agree that disposables are the only way to go. At least save any permanent decision until after the baby is about one month old. During this time, your main concern should be with youself and the baby. The valuable time wasted soaking, washing, drying, folding and whatever else you do with diapers could and should be spent getting your rest or just playing with the baby. You will need to have some of your own diapers around anyway. Try them for a while when you're really ready for it and then make the decision for yourself. I just read an article in MONEY magazine about the costs of diaper services. They are definitely cheaper than disposables by at least half. But you still have the rubber pants that disintegrate every two weeks. You also have to deal in a very personal way with the *very* runny B.M.s that are part of daily life for quite awhile. You will also want to consider having disposables around for emergencies and when the baby goes to the sitter or nursery at your church or whatever. I personally feel that it is inconsiderate to expect someone else deal with messy diapers just because the decision has been to go with cloth diapers. This is just my opinion, of course, and I do work in a church nursery. We spend enough time in the bathrooms cleaning up without having to wait in line to rinse diapers, too. *** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE ***
theriault@rayna.DEC (02/01/86)
---------------------Reply to mail dated 30-JAN-1986 21:47--------------------- One thing I haven't seen mentioned along these lines is disposables are excellent for the first few weeks because the babies cord stays drier. We found with our baby that the cloth were so big on her that the cord was always wet. After the cord fell off we switched to cloth and haven't minded the decision. But we now find that Jenny can't wear disposables for more than an hour or so. Now of course you would all think that the problem of diapers was solved for us, but of course babies being babies something else had to crop up.....Jenny is sensitive to the water we use to wash diapers. Luckily home is o.k. but we visited in-laws and oh what a mess after just three days. So I guess what I want to say (in a very long way) is decide after you meet your baby. Good luck Candace
hedden@atux01.UUCP (D. Hedden) (02/04/86)
In article <659@hlwpc.UUCP>, cb@hlwpc.UUCP (Carl Blesch) writes: > > whether or not to use a diaper service or the disposal type diapers. > > I have another suggestion. Buy two dozen cloth diapers and wash 'em > yourself. That's the cheapest. And it's quite easy -- I don't know > ... > > Here's the procedure I use. Fill a diaper pail half full of water and > a handful of Dreft (a P&G product made up of detergent and borax). > When baby doo-doos, rinse the bulk of the mess off (you don't have to scrub!) > and throw the diaper in the pail. When the pail is full, throw it in > the washer and spin the load. At this point, you can: > (1) run it thru a normal wash cycle with a half cup of bleach, then > another wash cycle with a half-cup of Dreft. Then 60 minutes in the > dryer and they're ready to go again. > OR > ... I don't know about the bleach, it gets them clean, but it can cause problems for some babies. We always ran the diapers through 2 rinse cycles, just to be sure any soap or other chemicals were washed out. One of our kids got a rash when using cloth diapers, the other got one whenever we used disposables. But then they are opposites in many ways. We tended to use cloth diapers (ours or the service's) when home, but opted for disposables and not lugging used diapers around on trips, out shopping, or visiting. It seems to have been a good compromise. "The moving hand writes ..." Don Hedden