Eco-Friendly Diapers

Lil Community: Seeking Eco-Friendly Diaper Advice

July 28, 2010

Have an eco-baby on your hands? sienna is looking to make the switch but needs some help. She posted her question in The Mommy Club group.

I am currently pregnant with baby number three, and I am looking for an alternative to Pampers/Huggies/Luvs etc. I had read about gDiapers, but I haven't met anyone who has any experience with them. They seem like an excellent choice! Thanks so much!

Have your own favorite compliment? Share it with us! And start asking questions and sharing your advice and tips in The Mommy Club!

13 Comments

firsttimer 2 years 39 weeks

i don't know anyone who uses gdiapers but i do use a diaper service. i knew i would feel guilty about using only disposables and washing my own cloth diapers didn't seem appealing. so far i LOVE it! someone else to wash your stinky diapers? it's wonderful. no red heiny. either.

Livvy-P 2 years 42 weeks

Oh and by horrible disposables I mean pampers/luvs/huggies - not the eco friendly ones. ;-)

Livvy-P 2 years 42 weeks

Wow - thank you for all of the responses!!! I have a lot to think about. I'm going to look into the cloth diaper option. Both my kids had problems with diaper rash, so that might work out better for #3. gDiapers just seems like such a great option! And I am going to look into any classes that they may have in my area regarding cloth. i need to convince the hubby that this is such a better idea (on so many levels) than those horrible disposables!

2 years 42 weeks

I agree with most - we cloth diaper and I love it...it really isn't that much work and we have saved tons of money!

meumitsuki 2 years 42 weeks

gdiapers were way more work than the cloth bambino mio. I did g for my second and mio for my third. The mio has an insert that you can still flush, but it stops messes from getting on the outer cover. With gDiapers, every time you have a dirty diaper (especially from a breast fed baby) it leaks onto the plastic insert. I also found that the gdiaper inserts work inside the mio.

MissSushi 2 years 42 weeks

I DON'T suggest gDiapers... I used them and they were such a hassle and they really didn't last. I got them becuase they seemed really conveinent, I used both the inserts and trifolded prefolds in them, and lets face it they are REALLY cute. But you really have to think about them. They are thick, scratchy elastic that you have to make fit very closely to your babies sensitive inner thighs. You also have to touch and tear apart the pads, if you go that route. They have a huge learning curve on getting them not to leak. The inside liner almost always gets poop all over it, because the gdiaper insert shifts around and bunches in the middle, causing you to have to wash it after every use. The inside liner also stains really badly, and too much washing/sunning causes it to wear out really quickly. I agree with the comment that if you're trying to be eco, you should just go cloth. Those disposables may technically break down faster, but they don't break down at all because they are covered in plastic in landfills. Cloth really is easy, and I don't touch ANY pee or poop with our options.There are a ton of different options out there. You could go with a prefold and a cover, a pocket diaper where the insert goes inside and its just liek using a disposable, or use a cover and a liner. Most companies have a one/two size system so you don't have to continually buy new sizes. We use Thirsties size 1 duo covers with infant prefolds, and with size 1 Thirsties stay dry duo inserts. I have 36 prefolds, 16 inserts, and 4 covers in my rotation. This allowed me even in the newborn stage, to have more then half my stash available when it was time to wash. My system is the cheaper option. I spent 200 dollars on everything, and my water/heating costs have only gone up 5 dollars. I would have spent hundreds each month on diapers.

2 years 42 weeks

gDiapers are just ok. If you are going to go through the hassle of dealing with diapers in an eco-friendly way - just bite the bullet and go cloth. We used gDiapers with my oldest son who is now 5. And at the time I thought they were fantastic.... except for the weekly clogged toilet that occurs when flushing the insert. You still have to deal with the outers and wash them etc. Now we exclusively use FuzziBunz diapers for my 2.5 year old. You just shake the poo into the diaper (same step as G's) and put the diaper and insert into a wetbag until diaper day We have 30 diapers which is enough to only wash diapers every 3 days. We also have a little sprayer that attaches to the toilet in case of a messier poo. Cloth is surprisingly easy!! Especially if you are ready to make a commitment to the gDiapers. You are half way there...... just do it!!

2 years 42 weeks

It really depends on where you live. But if you live in a or close to a city, I bet you can find a store that'll tell you all about your different diapering options! Husband and I just had an hour-long "class" about different cloth/hybrid diaper alternatives at a suburban (Chicago) store!

runningesq 2 years 42 weeks

One of my good girlfriends is using gDiapers and loves them! I just got the newborn starter package in the mail. They sound good because they are easier (to me) than "real" cloth diapers, but still pretty eco friendly. Plus, they are ADORABLE :)

Beaner 2 years 42 weeks

Sorry - wrong link - those were for training pants. These packs of 4 are $40: http://www.diapers.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?productId=6394

Beaner 2 years 42 weeks

I'm 36-weeks prego and have stocked up on Seventh Generation diapers. All my friends love them and they seem to be the least expensive of all the eco-brands. I bought a bunch on diapers.com - they're having a sale on packs of 4 for $42: http://www.diapers.com/product/searchresults.aspx?freetext=seventh%20generation%20diapers&queryfrom=search

SweetPeasMom 2 years 42 weeks

My sister in law used gDiapers and love them. She said they worked really well and has been trying to get me to use them, too.

betterbirthba 2 years 42 weeks

There are tons of diapering solutions that you can try. I would try a sample pack of the gDiapers to see if it will fit with your baby and you. If you live in an apartment, it might be difficult to flush down the liner in the toilet or clog up the septic system. I've heard that moms let it soak in the toilet for a bit to breakdown before flushing it down. Other great green disposables are the 7th Generation diapers and Nature Baby Care diapers. I have tried out both and love them. 7th Gen is chlorine, fragrance and latex free. It uses the same SAP (absorbing chemical) but these diapers have less of it. The Nature Baby Care diapers use wood pulp instead of SAP. And then there is also cloth diapering. Take a look at this blog entry: http://www2.itsa-belly.com/blog?the-dirty-truth.html Good Luck on your next baby! Athena, Itsabelly Baby Planners

Link Love

13 Comments

You Might Also Like