Hygiene products such as diapers have been used by parents for several centuries. Back in the 18-19th century, mothers made cloth diapers and filled them with wool, grass or moss. Modern parents do not need to dodge this way, but they face a different problem: which diaper is better to choose? This issue is especially relevant in relation to a newborn baby.
Why a diaper is needed
The diaper has two main goals:
- Remove moisture and discharge from the baby’s delicate skin to avoid irritation.
- Prevent (or at least reduce) the stain of clothes and diapers on top of the diaper.
Obviously, the mothers themselves are more interested in diapers, not the babies, because it is the mother who will have to cope with the arisen dermatitis and wash the diapers.
What are diapers
All existing diapers can be divided into 2 large groups based on the duration of use.
Reusable nappies
Reusable nappies. The essence of such diapers is that they can be washed and used again many more times until the diaper stops performing its tasks.
- Gauze diapers. Our mothers and grandmothers used these diapers. The diaper itself is a square of several layers of gauze with a side length of 50 or 100 centimeters. To increase absorbency, some parts of such diapers were laid with cotton. When the diaper gets dirty - it is easy to wash it with warm water and soap, dry, iron and can be used again.
- Reusable diaper panties. This is a fairly new and modern type of diaper. Their base - panties - are made of waterproof "breathing" material. An absorbent insert is inserted inside the diaper, which must be changed as it is filled. The inserts themselves are erased and can be used repeatedly.
Reusable diapers video review
Disposable diapers
Disposable diapers. These diapers are used only once. It is better to stay in such a diaper no longer than 2 hours in a row, after which the diaper is removed and sent to the trash. Disposable diapers also come in several forms.
- Nappies with Velcro. Wearing such a diaper on a child needs to be lying. The diaper is fixed with Velcro fastening the back and front. Among them, diapers for newborns can be distinguished separately: on the front, they have a cutout for the navel. This is very convenient, since the umbilical wound heals for several weeks and should not be rubbed.
- Diaper panties. These diapers are more suitable for children over 1 year old.In their structure, they are identical to Velcro nappies and have the same 3 layers: the outer one is waterproof, the middle one is absorbent (turns the liquid into a gel-like substance and holds it), and the inner one, directly in contact with the baby's skin and protects it from irritation. The difference is only in the principle of putting on and fixing the diaper on the body: instead of Velcro, the panties have a wide girdle.
Horror stories about disposable diapers
Some mothers have strong prejudices against disposable diapers, attributing to them a terrible effect on the health of babies. Still, the fears about using disposable diapers are greatly exaggerated. There is no justified evidence that they negatively affect the health of children and cause some problems in the future.
Fears of mothers revolve around 3 main topics:
- Disposable diapers cause infertility in girls and boys;
- The use of disposable diapers interferes with the process of accustoming the child to the potty;
- Wearing disposable diapers leads to deformations of the legs and joints.
The first point is especially frightening to the parents of the boys, because there is an opinion that in diapers there is a risk of overheating the testicles, which means provoking impaired spermatogenesis. In fact, spermatozoa begin to be produced at a much older age, so it is impossible to harm this process by wearing diapers.
Accustoming to the pot is generally a matter of maturation of the nervous system and the appearance in the child of the ability to control his excretory processes. From the point of view of neurology, the time for the pot comes no earlier than 1.5 years. (On this topic: how to teach a child a potty)
The last point in practice is implemented exactly the opposite. Disposable diapers are an excellent prophylaxis of hip dysplasia, since the hip is just about the right angle.
Video: what's inside a disposable diaper
Choosing the best diaper for a newborn
Let's try to figure out what requirements the best diapers for newborns should meet.
- If the manufacturer you like has diapers marked Newborn - choose them. This is a special model for newborns with a notch in the navel.
- The diaper should provide good protection against leakage. The key to such protection is a correctly selected size and elastic rubber on the back. The better the diaper adheres to the body, the less likely it is to get its contents out.
- It is better to refuse diapers with perfumed fragrances or impregnation with lotion - they can cause an allergy.
- Since newborn babies pee and poop up to 30 times a day, the “right” diaper should absorb well and quickly.
- Make sure the diaper is made from an eco-friendly “breathing” material.
I would also like to highlight the recommendations on the use of diapers:
- Do not use expired diapers.
- Before you put the diaper on the baby, check its integrity.
- Do not make a stock of the smallest diapers - they will come in handy literally in the first 2-3 weeks.
- Trust the recommendations, but do not miss the opportunity to try different diapers on your own experience. The requirements of mothers are very different, so only your own opinion and a sense of comfort with your baby will help you choose the perfect diaper.
Useful information: How many diapers per day does a newborn baby need?
Read on:
- Rating of disposable diapers - the best diapers for newborns
- Are diapers harmful for boys
- A complete list of things for a newborn baby
If it is time to wean a child from diapers, then read how to do it right.
Conclusion: Video Disposable and Reusable diapers, which is better?
Comparison of disposable diapers
Compare Pampers, Haggies, Merries and Gauze
We used disposable Pampers diapers. Do not rustle, absorb well. There is nothing wrong with them, if used correctly. But the Haggis did not like it - rustling, Libero - lumps formed in the inner layer almost immediately.
I never used reusable diapers, always only disposable. Convenient, practical. About a day about five left. Of course, I left my child without them for several hours in breaks. There were never problems with diaper rash, you just need to regularly wash the baby and rub it with a special oil. And so we went through about 17 months. I just don’t understand how I would manage without them.
I believe that it is quite possible to use disposable diapers, most importantly, it depends on you whether your child is good. Be careful, study the manufacturers' recommendations and reviews, and watch what is more suitable for your baby. And when you start to accustom him to the potty, I think you yourself will understand, because for each child everything is individual.
I use disposable diapers on a trip, at night and when we go for a walk. All the rest of the time we dispense with diapers. It's better for a child. True, in the first months of life they used gauze during the day. In the future, I see no difference in what to wash a reusable diaper or sliders.
I do not see anything wrong with the use of disposable diapers, this is in my opinion. much more convenient than reusable. However, you need to carefully study which ones are more suitable for your child. We have been using Molfix diapers almost from birth, they are not inferior in quality to the most popular ones, but at a price much more pleasant.
In January, a daughter was born. Before birth, my husband and I did not pay too much attention to diapers. They thought that choosing would not be difficult, because now they are a huge choice. And then suddenly it turned out that some are not suitable, because they get wet through at night, others are sized, and for others the price is so high that we simply cannot afford it. They began to look for articles on the right choice. Your article helped us a lot !!! We finally decided on suitable diapers for our fidget.
Pampers are quite normal, I tried different ones, but I didn’t see the difference, maybe because I immediately change how the child goes into it (maybe I don’t quite understand how to use them), only after I wake up for 1 hour I don’t change. Some 15 diapers a day left before 4 months (I don’t understand exactly). The only thing is that at first I used diapers with Velcro and for a long time 3-4 months I suffered from them (often everything went along the back of the diaper), then I started taking those that disappeared like panties and leakage problems. I also tried some super soft diapers and they really are very soft and such a nice touch, but unfortunately with Velcro, and if I were panties I would take only them.
Only by trial and error can you choose the most suitable diapers for your child.For a newborn, I basically did not consider reusable ones, only disposable ones. I tried many brands, most of all I liked Libero. Of all, they sit best, the softest, they have never leaked in our country, unlike the others. And the prices are reasonable.
With the birth of a child, I had such a problem as the choice of diapers, I tried many different brands, but as a rule they turned out to be unacceptable for my baby, some of them rub some air and do not let air in, but after trying Libero brand diapers, I concluded for myself that there are more you don’t need to look for anything, they absorb it well, do not rub it, and nothing hides the baby from them, and this is the main thing, so I agree with the previous speaker.
Recently, we have been buying diapers from Libero for our son. No diaper rash, the baby's skin was not affected in any way. We were advised by a friend of these diapers. But in general, I try to keep my son without diapers at home. Because all the same, the skin breathes better. In general, we are already accustomed to the libero, and we only buy them. they even inspire confidence in the design and packaging, it is clear that high-quality diapers and you can trust them with your baby
I wanted to insert my 5 cents. If you are going to use reusable diapers, then buy a pocket type or MommyJoy or FuzziBunz - they are convenient when changing, almost do not leak and they come with two loose leaves in the kit. By the way, MommyJoy can be used as well as panties for the pool, very convenient!