Arguments have been made about the advantages of both the disposable diaper and cloth baby diapers for many years, and will probably continue for some time to come.Both diaper types have their good and bad points.Your first decision is to choose between cloth baby diapers and the disposable diaper.The bottom line, excuse the pun, is a matter of personal preference.Some factors to consider when deciding what type diaper to use are comfort, fit, absorbency, ease of use and expense.The typical disposable diaper is made up of two fabric sheets with an absorbent material pad in between.This material contains chemically treated crystals that allow it to literally absorb hundreds of times its weight in liquid.The liquid is transformed into a gel, which helps keeps your baby dry.This is one advantage that a disposable diaper has over cloth baby diapers.All disposable diapers on the market today have good absorbency qualities, and all will hold more liquid than needed during the time period that your baby will wear one diaper.Compared to cloth baby diapers, disposables feel drier when wet, leak less and fit better.There are basic similarities among disposables, but there are differences in shape, fit and absorbency from one brand to another.Although convenient, the disposable diapers can also be expensive.If you opt for the environmentally-safe and biodegradable disposables, you will pay even more.You can also save money by shopping online or you can buy in bulk.When buying in bulk, be careful not to buy too much.You can get a good deal when purchasing a jumbo economy pack of 160 newborn disposable diapers, but your infant will probably grow into the next size before you can use them all.Another money saving tip is to keep your baby in the smallest size diaper possible that is also comfortable.As the size of the disposable diaper gets bigger, so does the price.Unless you are using a paid diaper service, cloth baby diapers are the way to go if you want to save money.You will spend so much less than if you had chosen the disposable diaper route.After you have acquired all the supplies that you need, your expenses are cut to almost zero.Things you will need..Cloth Baby Diapers.It is best to use fabrics made from cotton, like flannel, fleece, or terry cloth.Flannel is preferred because it has the most absorbency and is the most comfortable against your baby's skin.Diaper Inserts.These are made of cotton and are used for added absorbency.Flushable Liners.Helps control messiness, so there is no need to rinse diapers prior to putting them in the diaper pail.Waterproof Covers (aka rubber pants).No explanation needed.Gone are the days of square cloth diapers and safety pins.The cloth baby diapers of today come in a variety of shapes and sizes.You can get unfolded, pre-folded, contoured fit, pocket diapers and all-in-one kits.The all-in-one kits come with the waterproof cover attached.Cloth diapers also come with Velcro or snap closures that make using them as easy as their disposable counterparts.Proper planning is also necessary when using cloth baby diapers.You should have enough diapers on hand to last a few days.You don't want to spend all your time in the laundry room.Basically, the more convenience that you incorporate into your diapering tasks, the less diapers you have to have on hand.If you are going to use the all-in-one or pocket diapers, you should probably only need about fifteen to start with.However, if you choose to use pre-folded, unfolded or fitted diapers, you should have about three dozen on hand and about a dozen waterproof covers.Getting started with cloth baby diapers is a little more complicated than using disposable diapers, but at the same time feels a bit more rewarding.Read the washing instructions and any other recommendations from the manufacturer and follow them.It won't be long before you develop your own system.Look at it from this perspective; you can always keep a package of disposables around for when you need a break.
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