Five Diapering Options

Disposables, cloth, “green”, hybrid… My goal in this series isn’t to persuade anybody to any particular method, but to give mamas (or mamas-to-be) the information and resources to make the best decision for their family.

Today, we’re just going to give the basic information about the different options. Last week, we learned about cloth diapering and this week we will be going into the details of each of the other types and talking about the pros and cons for them.

Disposable: Standard disposable diapers are the ones you can get in your average store. Most of the higher end ones work pretty well to reduce leaks and blow-outs. They are what the majority of American parents buy.
Cloth: There are a ton of different designs for cloth diapers. Some parents use homemade ones, some buy expensive (and totally adorable!) ready-made ones. There are tons of options, when it comes to cloth diapering. Check out the posts from last week for more information (Kate’s how-to post with all the nitty-gritty info you’ll need, Leigh Ann’s post about grace for cloth-diapering mamas and Nishoni’s hints and tips for getting started on the right foot.)
“Green”: There are several “green” diapers available. Some are their own brand, while some are a “greener” version of a standard disposable brand. The term “green” can mean many things and is often misleading.
Hybrid: These are typically considered a “green” option which combines cloth diapers with disposable inserts.
Diaper-free: While not an actual type of diaper, this is a method that has been used by many cultures. You may have heard of “elimination communication” or “infant potty training”. Some people use diapers as a back-up to this method, others really don’t use any kind of diapers at all. Intrigued? We actually have some experience with this, so at the end of this series I’ll be sharing personal examples and details!

I hope you all enjoy this series and learn something new! If you no longer have little ones in the house, please stick around and share your wisdom for us mamas with younger children.