Did anyone else spend an unusual amount of time researching which diapers they would use on their baby’s bum? Guilty! I am a person who is thoughtful about what goes in, on, and around my body. It was a no-brainer that I would do the same for my daughter.
You might think, a diaper is a diaper, right? What do we need to consider beyond keeping the pee and poo inside? For some, that may be enough. But for a growing number of parents the concern for what a diaper is made with is pressing.
Your baby will spend, on average, 23 hours a day for 3-4 years in a diaper. Bum prison! That’s 23 hours of having their business absorbed BUT ALSO having the diaper’s ingredients, chemicals, and materials absorbed by their skin. So let’s use this moment to educate a bit about what is in standard diapers. The fact is, there are potentially harmful chemicals that are known to be present in some disposable diapers, including chlorine, dyes, fragrances, phthalates, dioxins, and more. Not swayed by that list? Chlorine? We use bleach and swim in it. Know that it’s not the same form. It’s used in gas form and, when tested in animals, was found to cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage to the immune system, interference with hormones and also caused cancer. The Environmental Protection Agency has identified dioxins as a “likely human carcinogen.” That’s huge. Think also diaper rashes and suppressed immune systems.
Ok, now that we’ve educated ourselves a bit, let me rank the “green” disposable diapers that I tried. Sidenote- I wanted to use cloth and was so horribly overwhelmed by the information and choices I froze and never invested. Major regret.
These may not have been the greenest. They aren’t biodegradable. But for the absorbency, price, and availability, they were our choice. No leaks, no rashes and Amazon auto delivery was pretty nice.
These we chose for overnights and pull ups now that we’ve potty trained our days. They are highly eco-friendly and offset their carbon footprint. But also come with a high price tag, $0.50 per. Eeek! They never leaked in 2 years for a 12 hour night. No diaper rashes, ever. You do have to buy in bulk but only nights made them last!
These were our top choice in the beginning for days. But the price per diaper really made it not the most realistic option. You can go through 15-20 diapers a day with newborns and at $0.40 per diaper that is hefty. But if you can swing it, they are very green. We chose Coterie after trying them first and loving them.
These leaked for us. I didn’t love the dyes or that I could never find the sizes I needed at my local store. They were also scented which is a huge no no. Synthetic fragrance suppresses your immune system, did you know that? Yuck.
Every product you choose for baby has a list of ingredients. Make sure you read them. Staying healthy is easier for their bodies if they don’t have to process chemicals out first and use their remaining resources to fight off germs. Do your research first, then choose. Good luck, mamas.
