As you come to the crossroads of choosing which cloth diaper style is best for your baby, there’s no need to look any further than fitted cloth diapers. These diapers are the perfect blend of convenience and cost-effectiveness for your baby.

Everything Stays Where It Belongs

When it comes to what Baby deposits in the diaper, I think we all can agree that it’s best if it stays in the diaper. After all, no one wants to feel that oh-so-lovely ooze that can come from the south end of a sweet little baby.

With prefold cloth diapers and contour diapers, there’s nothing to keep the mess from coming out around the legs. You can pin and Snappi the diapers as tight as you’d like, but there’s still a distinct possibility for escaping poo.

If you choose fitted cloth diapers, however, the elastic at the leg holes keeps everything right where it belongs - in the diaper and off of your hands and Baby’s clothes. The fastenings at the waist also stop the upward creep that can happen with a particularly nasty diaper.

You Can Easily Stay All-Natural

Many parents turn to cloth baby diapers out of a desire to live a more natural lifestyle with their child. However, many cloth diaper covers are anything but natural.

Most pocket diapers and all-in-one cloth diapers have a waterproofing layer made from a laminated fabric like PUL. PUL is polyester sprayed with a chemical to make it watertight. Obviously, not exactly natural.

With fitted cloth diapers, you can select your cloth diaper cover separate from your fitted cloth diaper. This allows you to use a diaper cover made of a natural fiber, such as wool, to waterproof your cloth diaper system and keep your baby (and his clothes) naturally dry.

Effortless Airing of That Precious Bum

Even with the most tender of care, Baby’s bottom may get a bit rashy from time to time. This can happen because of an illness, an irritant in a new detergent, or even the heat of summer. None of it, however, is comfortable for Baby.

One of the best ways to clear up a nasty case of diaper rash is one of the most basic - air. However, it can be difficult to air out a baby’s bum without creating a series of puddles throughout your home.

With a fitted cloth baby diaper, you can put just the diaper on without a cover and allow air to circulate to Baby’s bottom. While not waterproof, this system will keep the worst of the puddles at bay. With frequent diaper changing, you can keep everything dry and clear up that diaper rash that is so plaguing your baby.

So while it may seem that cloth diapering is difficult, there are many benefits to using fitted diapers. When you weigh what’s most important to your family, it’s highly likely that fitted cloth diapers are in your family’s future.

As an experienced cloth diapering mom, Amanda White is well-versed in what it takes to make cloth diapers work for almost every family. Whether you’re new to the cloth diaper scene or a seasoned veteran, she has a story for you! She’s put together a FREE collection of her favorite fitted cloth diaper tips for you to use for your family today - http://www.fittedclothdiaper.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amanda_Snodgrass_White

If you are pregnant, or a new mom, one of the things that may be on your mind right now is the choice of diapers for your little one. You may be thinking about brand name vs. generic, or which diapers are on sale this week, but let me remind you of the age-old choice…cloth diapers. You may think, ‘Nobody uses those things anymore!’ however, cloth diapers remain a viable and popular alternative among today’s parents. Read on for some of the top reasons why modern parents choose cloth.

Environmental Impact: You may have noticed that more and more of today’s parents thrive on ‘convenience’ and ‘disposable’ items. You may have seen the disposable washcloths and even baby bibs, and placemats on the market today. While these things may make life just a little bit easier short term, it seems like many parents are not thinking about the long-term impact of today’s ‘conveniences.’

The main offender in this disposable society is disposable diapers. While no one knows for sure how long it takes for one disposable diaper to decompose, it is estimated that it takes between 250-500 years. So long after your baby, and their babies, and their babies are gone, the diapers you use on your child will still be taking up space on our already overcrowded planet.

According to the Real Diaper Association, disposable diapers are the third most populous consumer item in landfills today. In a home with a baby, disposable diapers represent about 50% of all household waste! Waste, of course, being the operative word here. Cloth diapers also take many times more raw materials to produce, and generate much more solid waste than cloth diapers. 1

Health Concerns: Cloth diapers remain a much better alternative to disposables. They are by far a healthier choice as well. The main cause of diaper rash in babies is excess moisture against the skin. Disposable diapers are so super-absorbent, it is often hard to tell when the baby is wet, which results in less diaper changes, and higher probability of diaper rash.

On the other hand, cloth diapers wick the moisture away from baby’s tender bottom, and it is more apparent when your little one needs to be changed. My son has not had one diaper rash in his thirteen months of life!

Disposable diapers also contain many chemicals, including dioxin, which is a carcinogen, banned in many countries, but not the United States. . Disposables also have a chemical, sodium polyacrylate, to make them super-absorbent. This chemical used to be used in tampons for women, until it was linked to Toxic Shock Syndrome, according to Wired.com.

Just think of how recently disposable diapers have come into widespread use. Has it been long enough to determine the safety of having all of those chemicals so close to a baby’s reproductive organs?

Economic Factors: Let’s face it, diapers are expensive!! Given how they’re just thrown away, that’s a lot of money to spend on trash, is it not?

For example, a jumbo pack of Pampers, size three, runs about $12 in stores. You get 35 diapers, at a cost of approximately 0.34

Recently a member of my Mothers of Preschoolers group announced that she uses cloth diapers. At first I thought she was crazy, but then she told us a little about them. First off, they are not as thick and bulky as they used to be, and they come in all sorts of colors, and patterns. Many companies make them, and offer inserts that you leave in the diaper, and when the baby has gone number two you just take the insert out and either throw away or wash. That makes cleaning up a lot faster. Our MOPS member went through a specific company, but since that meeting I have found many more online. Here are some tips, ideas, and other facts I have learned about cloth diapering.

There are several different kinds of cloth diapers. They are:
All In Ones
Diaper Doublers or Liners
Fitted Diapers
Pre-folded Diapers
Flat or Square Diapers
Hemp, Sherpa, or Wool Diapers
Polar Fleece
Pocket Diapers
Snap to fits
Soakers

Possibly more, but these I have seen on many sites. Every person has a different need for cloth diapering, and with so many different kinds out there it is nice to have such a choice. I have purchased a few different ones, in my search for cloth diapering. My favorite is the all in one, most likely because it is the easiest to use, it isn’t expensive, it just isn’t cheap, though it is cheaper than repeatedly buying disposables. I hope that wasn’t too confusing. Pocket Diapers are nice also, but I think they look funny, and Snap to fits I think are nice because they can fit for such a long time, we bought cloth diapers that fit our 2 year old and our 6 month old at the same time.

Another thing I learned is that so many moms make cloth diapers, and they are not terribly hard to make, but it is important to use the right kind of fabric on the inside to keep it from wetting through. There are always covers that can be added to the diapers, but I do not like the concept of covers. There isn’t anything wrong with them, it is just a personal preference. I do like that you can make covers out of almost any fabric though, so babies can look very cool in the summer in their cute, homemade cloth diapers. I have also read that there can be an asthmatic reaction to disposable diapers, and the products and chemicals in them are not good for the baby’s skin, not to mention they end up going to the dump and can not be reused.

Cloth diapers themselves have come a long way, and now there are even some different accessories to make cloth diapering even easier. Wet bags, a bag that doesn’t let the smell through can be used in the diaper bag to hold dirty diapers, liners can be rewashed or some even flushed with the baby’s number 2 potty in them, and there are bags and holders for the home, like bigger wet bags, and there are still buckets, and even homemade wipes can be made for those who are really into it.

I like cloth diapering because it lets you use an olden days method, that obviously worked for hundreds of years, and is better for the baby anyways. Just getting past the initial cost can be a bit difficult especially if you are on one income, but just remembering that you can later resell the diapers on Ebay for about 75% of the cost you put into them might help that worry. And really it isn’t like you get any of that disposable diaper money back, right?

Now that you know the pros and cons of cloth diapering, it would be a good idea to check them out yourselves, I have many sites listed on my website that sell cloth diapers and other interesting products for babies, and mommies, through pregnancy and infancy. Come check them out, you won’t be sorry.

Cloth Diapering is Back! Everyone can enjoy the ease of use, the return of reselling them, and not having to make emergency trips to the store for more diapers. Check out my website for more information on where you can find great priced, and reviewed cloth diapers. The At Homer

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Green

Choosing a child care program can be difficult for parents. Many parents feel guilt over leaving their child in the care of others, and worry about the quality of care their child will receive. Added to this dilemma, parents may worry that their chosen child care program will not accept cloth diapers, or will use them reluctantly.

Being faced with a parent who wants to use cloth diapers can be intimidating for child care providers. They may worry that the diapers will be hard to use or will leak constantly. They may not know what to do with soiled cloth diapers, and be reluctant to approach parents with their concerns.

Children’s Health is the Main Concern

Parents choose to use cloth diapers for various reasons. Saving money and environmental concerns are popular arguments in the cloth vs disposables debate, but the foremost concern of most cloth diapering parents is their child’s health.

Ironically it is the health of children that causes many child care programs to be reluctant to use cloth diapers. Due to the mass marketing campaigns of disposable diaper companies and popular misconceptions, many people feel that cloth diapers are hard to use and unsanitary. However, there is evidence to the contrary. According to a study led by Family and Health Systems Nursing, School of Nursing, Peabody College: ‘Analysis of the results of comparisons between cloth and paper diapers showed no significant difference in the frequency or the intensity of fecal contamination in child day care centers.’ Assuming the child care program’s diaper-changing procedures are followed, cloth diapering systems can easily be used along with disposable diapers without compromising a sanitary environment.

Diaper Changing Procedure is Most Important

According to the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care, a diaper must be ‘able to contain urine and stool and minimize fecal contamination of the children, caregivers, environmental surfaces, and objects in the child care setting.’ Both disposable and cloth diapers meet this standard, although of all the modern cloth diaper systems, the All in One and Pocket styles may be the best choices to fulfill this requirement. In any case, the actual diapering procedure is more vital for the promotion of sanitary conditions than the actual diaper used.

Regulated (licensed or certified) child care programs are required to have diaper changing procedures that fulfill state or county regulations. These regulations are set up to minimize illness, especially those of the small intestine, by promoting healthy and sanitary conditions. Because the vast majority of small intestine illnesses in the child care setting are spread by fecal contamination, proper sanitation procedures are essential to stop the spread of diseases like Hepatitis A, Rotavirus, Giardia, E. Coli, and Shingella. I’m sure we can all agree that we don’t want these diseases spread to our children!

Although the regulations covering diaper changes may differ from state to state, a good diaper changing policy will include:

• Handwashing of the caregiver both before and after the diaper change
  
  
  
  
  
• A dedicated space used only for diaper changes with a hard, washable surface and close to a sink that is not used for food preparation
  
  
  
  
  
• Hygienic disposal of paper diapers or storage of cloth diapers in an inaccessible covered container
  
  
  
  
  
• Washing and disinfecting the changing surface after every use
  
  
  
  
  
• Washing the child’s hands after the diaper change
  
  
  
  
  
• In addition, children should always wear clothing over diapers

Some programs also use a disposable barrier like a waterproof pad under the child’s bare bottom and require that their staff wear disposable gloves during the diaper changes for added protection against fecal contamination. This is not necessary as long as hands are properly washed and surfaces thoroughly washed and disinfected.

Don’t assume that every child care has, or follows, sanitary diaper changing procedures, especially if your child care provider is unregulated. I know of unregulated providers who change diapers on the bed, couch, or floor surrounded by the other children. One that I know of even asks toddlers to throw other children’s soiled diapers into the garbage can! Be sure to ask your child care provider what her diaper changing procedures are.

Cloth Diapers and Child Care CAN Get Along Together

Parents who want their child care program to use cloth should familiarize themselves with their state’s rules and regulations concerning diapering in child care settings. Contact your local Resource and Referral agency or Department of Health and Family for a copy of your state’s child care regulations. Be sure to choose an easy to use system of cloth diapers, and teach your child’s provider how to use them. Also remember to show appreciation for the child care provider’s willingness to step out of her comfort zone. A simple ‘Thank you’ can go a long way.

Child care providers who are faced with a parent requesting the use of cloth diapers should familiarize themselves with the cloth diaper system presented by the parent. Be sure to ask any questions you have, and share any concerns or difficulties you may experience. Keep an open mind, you may enjoy the bright colors and soft feel of cloth diapers in comparison to the institutional

As stated earlier, the type of diaper used is less important than proper diaper changing procedure. Both cloth and disposable diapers can spread disease to children and child care workers if handled improperly; both cloth and disposable diapers can be convenient and hygienic when handled properly. It’s easy to see that cloth diapers and child care do go together!

Amy Nogar is the mother of six who’s had her cloth diapered children in child care, and has cared for cloth diapered children in her own child care program. By day she’s the child care provider behind Amy & Kids Co. Family Child Care and by night she create boutique cloth diapers for Zany Zebra Designs In her free time she blogs snapshots of a happy crazy life as mother, child care provider and diaper seamstress. It is her hope that you found this article helpful.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amy_Nogar