Disposable Nappies (Diapers)- How often do/did you use for your kids?

@poona_m (336)
India
August 17, 2008 7:05am CST
When it comes to disposable nappies how much do you use for your babies?Are you aware of the environmental impact it has? I have a 15 weeks old baby and I use the dispocsable nappies very rarely as my husband is very firm about not using them as a regular option. I only use them when it is uncomfortable to keep changing the nappies for the baby. one such case is when the baby has just got vaccinations on its bum. since touching around that area is painful for the infant and it starts to cry a lot I usually put on a disposable diaper and forget about it for around 3-4 hours. otherwise I am always using cotton nappies for my baby. My husband saw on discovery channel that the disposable nappies (diapers) take around 500 years to decompose and so have become a threat to the environment. Since in a country like India the waste disposal is not done with the meticulousness that it should be I agree with my husband to do whatever is possible at our end and so I have made it a point not to use diapers unless it is extremely necessary.......maybe while traveling. What about you?
4 responses
@Mamagee (392)
• Malaysia
18 Aug 08
I rarely use diapers for my baby. I only use it during night time. It is because I don't need to wake up every time my baby get wet. I also used diapers when I brought my baby for travelling. My baby's skin is very sensitive to diapers. That why I prefer to used cotton nappies for my baby.
@dani27 (544)
• United States
17 Aug 08
I have never used cotton diapers. In our generation it just isn't something that we have done. But it is really good to get this information. It definately gives me something to think about. Thanks
@SViswan (12051)
• India
17 Aug 08
I do use cloth nappies as much as I can....but I also use disposable nappies for the baby to sleep well at night. With my older son, it was one disposable nappy a night and otherwise only when we were travelling. The rest of the time...at home...he was on cloth nappies...or just free. I'm not sure if it is because of this, he was also completely potty trained by the age of 18 months. I didn't need to use a disposable nappy in the night either....after that age. But with my second son, the use of the disposable nappies were a little more than with my older son. I started potty training when he was around 10 months...and he was almost getting there when my older one had a fracture. For two months I couldn't concentrate on the potty training of the second because the older one needed me for everything. After that, I realized all the hard work done for potty training was undone and I had to start from scratch. Just around that time I also started working. And since he wasn't potty trained, he had to be on a diaper. I'm planning on quitting in a month or two from now and then we'll be back to the one at night till he is potty trained...and then only while travelling(which is going to be much less than we did with the older one).
@Shawchert (1094)
• United States
17 Aug 08
if I had the money and time for cotton diapers I would surely use it, but they cost a pretty penny for a few all at once and some people don't have that type of money all at once, not to mention the time it takes to clean the bucket and such with the diapers in them, I am glad a lot of people are thinking about the environment and I hope to one day do the same. I do feel bad for using disposable diapers but when you work many hours a day, and have a child in your arms the rest, you can't just drop him and anything else you are doing to go clean out poopy diapers. I'm not saying doing that is a bad thing by the way, I give anyone kudos for doing it, I just have little time to spare myself.