Outside of my blog, cloth diapers and cloth pads really don't come up in conversation all that much. It's just my "normal" - I don't expect those using disposables to scream it from the rooftops, so why should I? I'm an advocate for this "lifestyle choice," but I advocate for cloth through this medium - a blog - not sandwich boards and flyers to my friends, family, and co-workers.
But when it does come up, my friends and family recoil. Laugh. Grimace. I get responses like "Eww," "How gross," and "Why????" Oddly enough, my husband and father - two manly men - have been the only ones to not be "grossed out" by my decision to pursue reusable products. Even my sisters and mother have been weirded out by the concept of RUMP's (reusable menstrual products) and cloth diapers.
So, out of frustration, I'm writing this. I feel, somewhere deep down, like this choice needs to be JUSTIFIED. Why? I don't know - perhaps society's view that anything outside of the "norm" is in some way threatening to peace and prosperity? The world around me seems to think I'm some sort of crack-pot who sunbathes naked in my backyard and eats insects for breakfast, all because I don't buy into highly processed, chemically laden, plastic diapers and pads.
Why am I against disposables?
It take 800 years for a disposable sanitary pad or diaper to decompose in a landfill. 800 YEARS. The diapers that I used as a baby are sitting somewhere, right now... Still. That's disgusting. In fact, some studies suggest that a pad (much smaller than a diaper) contains the same amount of plastic that is in FOUR plastic grocery bags.
What are disposables made of, you ask? Here's the interesting thing: Major producers like Always and Kotex don't disclose the contents of their sanitary products because in the United States they are classified as "medical devices" and can get away with a lack in transparency. They will admit that their products have patented synthetic absorbent materials (Always, for example, will admit to having Infinicel in their pads... what that is, I have no clue), but that's it.
Through the investigation of those like me who are frightened by the lack of information on disposable products, it's been determined that disposable sanitary napkins and tampons contain things like dioxins, synthetic fibers and petrochemical additives. Do you know what those things are? Probably not.
Here's the simple explanation: The contents of feminine hygiene products include small amounts of chemicals that can cause skin irritation, embryonic development issues, reproductive problems, heart disease, and organ damage. Disposable diapers treated with chlorine can also have trace amounts of dioxins as well, which are classified as a "likely human carcinogen" ... and to those of you that don't know, carcinogen = cancer causing. Now, to be fair, many of these chemicals are present in TINY amounts so the chances of getting an illness is exceptionally minimal.
However... TSS, Toxic Shock Syndrome, is a concern that I just can't ignore relating to the use of disposables. This sometimes deadly disease is frightening and 100% preventable - While rare, this illness has frightening consequences. Get more details on TSS by clicking here.
Here's the thing though - "converting" people to cloth isn't a sign that cloth use is accepted by the general public and I'm not collecting a headcount of "conversions" to prove my point. The majority of people that I talk to aren't open to cloth - plain and simple. They would rather not deal with IT. "It" being blood, feces, and urine... The idea of reusable products is distasteful to people because it means greater contact with bloody fluids that our society has deemed shameful or gross.
Those of us that use cloth are a minority. While I will mention these types of products to the people I love and trust, it's not something that most of them are willing, even in the hypothetical, to consider. This concept of reusable cloth products will be new to the vast majority of the people I talk too - so I explain it if they're open to it, and hopefully it will get them thinking.
Reusables are an investment. Don't let the sticker shock stop you - Buy slowly if you need to. I spent most of my pregnancy stocking up on cloth diapers & accessories. Can you sew? Make your own cloth products! There are so many tutorials on blogs and YouTube to walk you through the basics, and DIY'ing can save you tons of money.
Through the investigation of those like me who are frightened by the lack of information on disposable products, it's been determined that disposable sanitary napkins and tampons contain things like dioxins, synthetic fibers and petrochemical additives. Do you know what those things are? Probably not.
Here's the simple explanation: The contents of feminine hygiene products include small amounts of chemicals that can cause skin irritation, embryonic development issues, reproductive problems, heart disease, and organ damage. Disposable diapers treated with chlorine can also have trace amounts of dioxins as well, which are classified as a "likely human carcinogen" ... and to those of you that don't know, carcinogen = cancer causing. Now, to be fair, many of these chemicals are present in TINY amounts so the chances of getting an illness is exceptionally minimal.
However... TSS, Toxic Shock Syndrome, is a concern that I just can't ignore relating to the use of disposables. This sometimes deadly disease is frightening and 100% preventable - While rare, this illness has frightening consequences. Get more details on TSS by clicking here.
Have I "converted" anyone to cloth?
Yes, I have. A coworker of mine just ordered her first cloth pad last week. My father has bought me so many cloth diapers that I barely had to invest in my daughter's stash. My husband is a SAHD and he deals with more cloth diapers than I do.Here's the thing though - "converting" people to cloth isn't a sign that cloth use is accepted by the general public and I'm not collecting a headcount of "conversions" to prove my point. The majority of people that I talk to aren't open to cloth - plain and simple. They would rather not deal with IT. "It" being blood, feces, and urine... The idea of reusable products is distasteful to people because it means greater contact with bloody fluids that our society has deemed shameful or gross.
Those of us that use cloth are a minority. While I will mention these types of products to the people I love and trust, it's not something that most of them are willing, even in the hypothetical, to consider. This concept of reusable cloth products will be new to the vast majority of the people I talk too - so I explain it if they're open to it, and hopefully it will get them thinking.
But cloth products are SO expensive!
For the cost of 2 cloth diapers, I could buy 60-100 disposables. For the cost of 1 cloth pad, I could buy a pack of 45-60 disposables... But here's what you need to keep in mind when first buying reusable products. THEY ARE REUSABLE. In less than a month, all of those disposable diapers and pads I mentioned above? Gone. The 2 cloth diapers and 1 cloth pad? Years from now, they'll still be here and still be working just as well as they did the day that I bought them.Reusables are an investment. Don't let the sticker shock stop you - Buy slowly if you need to. I spent most of my pregnancy stocking up on cloth diapers & accessories. Can you sew? Make your own cloth products! There are so many tutorials on blogs and YouTube to walk you through the basics, and DIY'ing can save you tons of money.
Do your research & Don't knock it 'till you try it
If you're reading this and you've never tried a cloth product, get over the "gross" factor and do your research. Get on YouTube and watch a tutorial on how to clean a cloth pad. Read one of my posts on cloth diapering and what you need to give it a shot.
Bottom line: reusable cloth products are safer for your family - that's the honest truth. Don't knock it 'till you try it. I have loved the experience with both my daughter and myself. Cloth diapering is FUN. The prints are beautiful and she's had so few diaper rashes that I'm angry I didn't do this with my son. Cloth pads have made a formerly miserable experience (having a period) exciting - I can't wait to try my new Yurtcraft pads this month! I'm also a lot more "in tune" with my body now, which is a priceless and empowering thing, don't you think?
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