Buying Diapers-What to Consider

Diapers are one of the most essential items in the shopping list for a baby. This is because a newborn needs diaper change at least twelve times a day for the first few months of her life. The frequency, however, reduces with a baby’s development and growth. The parents’ choice of the type of diaper to use for their child depends on their financial status, convenience and the comfort of the infant since they wear diapers throughout their first two or three years in life.

There are two types of diapers: cloth diapers and disposable diapers.

What should I consider when buying a diaper?
Fabric
Cloth diapers are made of cotton that is soft and comfortable to a newborn. Preferred disposable diapers should have absorbent cotton in the pad. A good fabric in a diaper will absorb at least four urinations of an infant yet keep wetness away. The more absorbent a fabric is the better because it reduces the severity of potential diaper rash and prevents health complications.

The cost
Cloth diapers are believed to be more economical when compared to the disposable ones because they can be re-used. However, if commercial laundry services are being used, one needs to do some arithmetic! Most mums who use clothes diapers wash them at home mostly personally to avoid additional costs of labour and detergent wastage. On the other hand, buying disposable diapers in bulk might reduce the cost although as the infant grows the packages come in fewer pieces and the prices get higher.

Time
Disposable diapers save a lot of time for busy parents because they do not need washing or clipping with pins. The structure that is built within them allows distribution of urine to an absorbent core thus keeping the baby dry for a long time. They are also handy in long distance traveling when a mother may not have a suitable place for changing the diaper of her baby.

Weight
Disposable diapers are light in weight compared to clothes diapers. However, nowadays clothes diapers are getting designed in ways that reduce their size and enhance the comfort of a baby.

Washability
Cloth diapers are the most suited to wash when they are soiled. They do not require bleaches and one has to be careful about which soaps to use. as these might irritate the soft skin of a baby. Human waste from a child should first be dumped into the toilet before soaking the diaper in a bucket to avoid bad odours and staining. Some mums find this slow and inconveniencing.

Accessories
These may include safety clips. polythene baby pants. diaper bags. baby oils or baby powder. The safety clips which come in various types should be pin-less to avoid the danger of pricking the baby’s skin. Disposable diapers come with attached clips that are ready to use. On the other hand, clothes diapers need a safety pin to hold since they are pieces of clothing folded to fit the infant.

Baby oil or baby powder is applied before a diaper change to reduce the occurrence of nappy rash or irritation. It is vital to apply a mild powder or oil to avoid discomfort of the rashes which leads to lack of sleep and loss of appetite in small babies.

Diaper bags should suit the taste of the parents and be large enough to contain what an infant may need while away from home. To be more organized a diaper bag with several compartments is a good choice so that items are easily found.

Stylish diapers are available and accessible in the market. Cloth diapers are now available in pre-folded and rectangular shapes that suit the needs of various consumers. Disposable diapers have various brand names with varying sizes and prices. They are normally labeled as absorbent and super-absorbent. For night-time, the mother could choose super absorbent so that the baby will not need several changes at night.

END: PG 11/54

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