www.incontinentsupport.org

Hi all,

As most of you know, i have been expereminting with both traditional cloth diapers and pocket cloth diapers. I have tried to keep an open mind about both. In terms of practicality however, it seems that pocket diapers have one out over traditonal pin on. That is because when i pin on a traditonal cloth diaper, if i have to pee, i have no choice but to use the diaper even if i can make it to the toilet. I do have some control and would like to keep it. The pocket diaper makes doing this much easier. THis morning i did have a leak, but htat was only because i pulled on the front of the diaper to give my bladder a chance to increase the flow.. i wont make that mistake again. Don't get me wrong, i will still use the other cloth diapers i have, but to a lesser degree.. more of a case of well i dont have any other pocket diapers and i want to not use a disposable so ill use cloth...

I do recommend trying pocket diapers. The only disadvatage is that they tend to wick at the legs, but that is remedied by wearing nylon pants over them. I no longer have the seam popping issues, at least not to the point that they were happening before so far.

Peace out!

Rob

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"We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love" Mother Teresa

"THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!" - Captain Picard from Chain of Command, Part II

Thanks for the update! I am toying with the idea of cloth diapers for night time, but it seems like a lot more work so I'm torn. Cost isn't an issue, as my diapers are covered by the VA but I like the idea of less in land fills.

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When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.

Marcus Aurelius

Also keep in mind the whole "green" thing for cloth diapers is greatly overrated. Most people do not include the fact that cotton greatly strips the earth of needed minerals. Those minerals are mined which tears up the earth (trees and all their carbon reduction too) somewhere else, they are transported more, and processed more, then finally transported again which all adds to the whole carbon footprint- a lot. Then of course there's the detergents that get used to clean them. A whole lot of detergents that clog our pipes and even makes it to the oceans in some cases. Add in plastic diaper covers- and well.....

On the other hand, plastic diapers are made mostly from wood byproducts (that otherwise would likely get burned as fuel), and processed oil of course. Plus a bit or transportation here too. Either way, when cloth or plastic diapers are disposed of, both are likely to end up in a land fill.

Look, I'm not saying plastic diapers are environmentally friendly- they aren't, but don't kid yourselves into thinking cloth is saving us from polluting either. While I have no way of proving this, I personally believe plastic and cloth aren't all that far apart in how much they are bad for the earth. If you really want to make a difference then kick in something more than just recycling or better yet get a solar roof system like I have (which by the way is costing me less money versus paying the same old electric bill- so money is not the problem there).

There is only so much you can do to minimize polluting where incontinence and diapers are involved (cloth or plastic). If you're concerned about it that much the best you can do is offset it. As for the diapers them selves, just use what works best.......

B Brian, you do have a point, but for me, i like the fact that I don't have to worry about the diaper padding breaking down or a tape not sticking, or some other failure.

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"We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love" Mother Teresa

"THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!" - Captain Picard from Chain of Command, Part II

Brian, the initial upfront cost of solar is definitely a barrier to entry for me.

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When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.

Marcus Aurelius

Sorry a bit off topic, but solar systems are fully financed. You'd be hard pressed to find one with any up front cost. And as is often the case, that financing is worked out to very close to what you're already paying the electric company. Since the system reduces your elec bill to a net zero, there ends up being no additional cost to you as well even though you are niw paing off that financing. You essentially just shift who you're paying that same amount to, so there is little or no extra cost. It does lower your carbon footprint though.

Hi Brian,
Sorry for getting off-topic but... Just trying to understand- what minerals are mined for the production of cotton?

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- Tom

That would be nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulpher. Not to mention regular fertilizers too, and you can't forget the pesticides.

Most new fields can only support 3-5 years of cotton growth. After this time, very little will ever grow on that land again due to the lack of minerals (except some kinds of beans and grasses/weeds from what I understand).

Given our current farming practices, crop rotation and fallow fields usually don't happen. In order to offset this, we artificially add those many, different minerals back in. Those minerals don't all come from renewable sources to say the least.

Thanks, we will look into that once we move into our new home!

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When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.

Marcus Aurelius

So...one person, using 3 paper diapers a day (1,095 diapers/year) and tossing them in the landfill is more environmentally healthy than me using 3 cloth diapers a day and tossing nothing in the landfill. They estimate that 30 million Americans are incontinent which equals 32,850,000,000 (that's Billion) diapers in the old landfill- every year. (Not counting baby diapers) and transporting them and manufacturing them and etc. etc. etc. I cant imagine which is more healthy, economical, sanitary, etc.
A recent report estimates that 1 out of 3 mothers can not afford to buy (disposable) diapers for their babies. cloth diapers would solve their problem. I wear cloth because they are more comfortable, very absorbent (no leaks at night at all) and none in day, virtually none. It is my choice and may not be a choice for others. I know we all have to choose our own way down this crappy road. But please...do not try to make a case that disposable diapers are anyway environmentally better than cloth. Side note...the making of paper creates dioxin as a by-product - just as it did in making Agent Orange.
Papa