Sustainability Matters - How One La Crosse Residence Makes A Difference, One Diaper at A Time, By April Risberg, (3/19/2016) I’m a mom, but I’ve never been a nanny, care giver or a babysitter of children in diapers, so when I had my own child I used the common disposable diapers. That’s what the hospital sends home with you and that’s how it’s done, right? Not necessarily…….. This is Nannette Stenberg, Nannette cared for my daughter Emma, (now 6 years old), from 3 months old, (and still on occasion today). I supplied Nannette with the standard disposable diapers and wipes, I never gave it another thought, but when it came to her own child, Henry, now 15 months old, Nannette chose cloth diapers. Okay…. I’m intrigued, tell me more.
Picture Provided by Nannette Stenberg I’m disappointed with myself for contributing so many diapers to the landfill, if I would’ve known about cloth diapers, it’s extremely likely I would’ve used them too. Nannette’s profession as a care provider has great opportunity, (more than I thought) to make an impact, good or bad. As a matter of fact my daughter scolds me if I leave the water running while brushing my teeth, where do you think she learned that? Unfortunately not from me, (thank you Nannette), and she’s right, it wastes a lot of water. I wanted to learn more about these cloth diapers. Now some real answers from a real parent.
April: Nannette, you have cared for multiple children, girls and boys from newborn and of course through the diaper stages using disposable diapers and now with your own child (Henry) you chose to use cloth diapers, can I ask you why? Nannette: My experience with disposable diapers was one of the major influences that led me to choose cloth. At one point I had four children in my care that were all in diapers, as you can imagine that led to a ton of stinky garbage. It was a horrible feeling carrying that many diapers out to the curb every week just to end up in a landfill. I also didn't like the smell of disposable diapers and developed an aversion to them, but once a disposable even has the smallest amount of pee in it, it really begins to stink! April: Do you find cloth diapers easier than disposable? Nannette: Of course not! Let’s face it, it’s pretty darn easy to just roll up a diaper and throw it in the trash, but is it that much harder to use a cloth diaper? Not really. Nannette: Modern cloth diapers aren't that hard to use and there are tons of styles to choose from. Very few people use diaper pins and plastic pants. The ones I use snap or velcro on in one piece and even have a stay dry layer on the inside to keep moisture away from babies' skin. Pee diapers go into the diaper pail, and I rinse poop diapers out at the end of the day. It takes less than five minutes. They even make diaper sprayers that attach to your toilet and you never really have to touch the poop. Then it’s only a couple of extra loads of laundry a week and with a baby what’s a couple of extra loads? April: You mentioned you like cloth diapers better than disposable, what do you like better about cloth over disposable? Nannette: Tons! The number one reason is the money I have saved. I have a rather extensive diaper collection, but have probably only spent $500 on diapers, most of which I will recoup when I resell my diapers once Henry is potty-trained. But many people cloth diaper their children for less than $150! You can also reuse them if you plan on having more children. Another great thing about cloth diapers is that they virtually eliminate "poopsplosians" I can only think of one time a cloth diaper didn't contain Henry's crazy breastmilk poops. But I can think of the almost daily diaper blowouts I would have with some of the kids I cared for who wore disposables. Cloth diapers are also a million times cuter than disposable diapers. They come in different prints and colors, which is why many parents end up collecting diapers. It’s hard not to when they are just so darn cute!
Maybe I'm just crazy, but I just feel like my baby is more comfortable in cloth. Cloth diapers are soft and luxurious compared to disposables, I can only assume it feels better on Henry's bottom than disposables. Would you rather wear paper underwear or cloth? And of course there's the smell thing I mentioned earlier. Disposable diapers smell bad, and cloth diapers don't. They smell like clean laundry. April: What do you like better about disposable? Nannette: It’s really nice to throw out a poopy diaper, plus they can hold a swimming pools worth of liquid without leaking.
April: What supplies are needed with cloth diapers? Nannette: It depends on personal preference. It’s recommended to have about 24 cloth diapers, I have about 50. I also have a diaper sprayer to rinse out poopy diapers, a couple cloth wet bags to store your dirty diapers, (they go right in the wash with the diapers). Some people use cloth wipes, I use them sometimes but prefer disposable wipes. April: Where do you purchase your cloth diapers and supplies? Nannette: I purchase most of Henry’s diapers online, but locally, Once Upon a Child in Onalaska has an amazing selection of new and used cloth diapers and supplies. The people there are also extremely knowledgeable about cloth diapers. I've even seen cloth diapers at Full Circle Supply downtown.
April: Do you know how much you spend per month on cleaning and maintaining cloth diapers? Nannette: I use powdered Tide, it works best, I haven’t found a natural detergent that will clean them as well, although I would prefer it. A big box lasts me about two or three months. I haven't noticed an increase in my water or electric bill since starting cloth diapers. Approximately $10 a month for detergent. April: Henry is now 15 months old, have you had to size up as he grows? Nannette: When he was first born I had a supply of newborn size that I purchased used, once he was about 4 weeks old I moved him into the one sized diapers that he still wears today. I resold his newborn diapers for the same price I paid. Most cloth diapers are one size and are made to grow and adjust as baby grows. They have what are called rise snaps that can be snapped and adjusted to get larger and smaller. These should fit through potty training. If he needs extra absorbency I can always add extra boosters. April: Do you think using cloth diapers on a boy vs girl would be very different and if so how?
Nannette: I don't think there would be a difference. Some skilled parents still use flats and covers and know all kinds of ways to fold a cloth diaper with absorbency in different spots for boys and girls. I tried folding flats but I don’t have that skill. April: I’m sure parents who have experienced diaper rash are wondering, comparing disposable and cloth, has Henry experienced any diaper rash? I remember a couple times with Emma in disposables and when it got bad I didn’t put one on her. Also do you put anything on him or the diaper before he wears it, i.e. Powder, etc. Nannette: That's a great question. Henry has very few diaper rashes. The only time he’s had a bad diaper rash was when he had an upset tummy. Many mothers claim their babies have fewer rashes with cloth diapers. If you use diaper cream, it’s important to use one that is cloth diaper safe. Most traditional diaper rash creams will cause your diapers to repel moisture. You can also put a liner inside your diaper and use any diaper cream you would like. Normally I don't have to use anything on Henry as diaper rashes are very rare. April: Would you encourage others to use cloth diapers? Why? Nannette: Absolutely, It’s a great way to save money and reduce your impact on the environment. It’s not difficult, even my in-laws like using them better than disposables. The internet is full of helpful information to help you get started. I would also like to add, our area is extremely lucky to have one of the last few cloth diaper services left in the country, ABC small change diaper service in La Crescent, MN. While I think it’s easy to do my own laundry, it’s a great service. You won't save money over disposables and they don't offer as many diapering options as purchasing your own diapers, but you spend the same and reduce your negative impact on the landfills, plus give your baby the cutest little fluffy bottom! April: Thank you Nannette, it was great to hear form a mom and care provider by trade on this topic. We can all make a difference on minimizing our impact on waste and keeping our landfills free of disposable diapers.