Making the Diaper Decision: Cloth Diapers or Disposable Diapers for Twins

Disposable Diapers:

• Are convenient: they're ready to use and easy to put on and take off.
• Are generally more absorbent than many cloth products, and may need to be changed less often.
• May reduce the contact between the changer and the diaper's waste contents.
• Increased absorbency help babies' bottoms stay drier, preventing outbreaks of diaper rash.
• Don't generate extra laundry or require folding.
• Are readily available; parents can buy in bulk at discount stores, or purchase an emergency stash at any grocery store.
• Are available in various sizes to accommodate babies as they grow.
• Are the common preference for many sitters and day care outlets.
• Can be easily disposed of, even when out and about.
• Require less initial investment than cloth diapers and don't generate costs for laundering.
• The cost of using a diaper service may rival the cost of buying disposables.
• The chemicals and treatments used by professional diaper services can also have a negative environmental impact.

Cloth Diapers:

• Are available in natural fabrics that may reduce discomfort for babies with allergies or skin sensitivies.
• Are better for the environment. (According to the Real Diaper Association, the majority of disposables end up in landfills, along with their contents, and can take hundreds of years to decompose.)
• Claim less natural resources to produce.
• Diaper services pick up soiled diapers and return them clean and folded, a convenient option for busy parents of multiples.
• You pay for materials once, and then recycle them, instead of constantly having to restock.
• Children who wear cloth diapers may be easier to potty train, as they are more aware when they are wet.
• Don't contain questionable chemicals like Dioxin, Tributyl-tin (TBT), or polyacrylate.
• Are softer on babies' skin.
• Can be reused for subsequent siblings, or even for household rags once the diaper days are over.
• New products like wraps and liners make it easier than ever to diaper babies.
• May be more economical than disposable diapers, which can cost upwards of 15-20 cents per diaper.

There are pros and cons for both types of diapers, and the right choice is whatever product suits a family's individual needs. New products and production techniques have improved the options for both cloth and disposable diapers. Some families find that a combination approach works best: using cloth diapers for newborns and disposables for more active toddlers, or using cloth diapers at home and disposables while out and about.