Looking for Recommendations on "Green" Disposable Diapers

I used Pampers for my first for awhile and then switched to Seventh Generation. I've used exclusively Seventh Generation for my second. I've been very happy with them and think they preform even better than those yucky perfumed Pampers! I didn't try anything else...never felt the need. Good for you for caring about the earth and Baby's health. Congratulations!

My husband also refused to use cloth diapers. He only uses the disposables but when I'm home I use cloth as much as possible. Are you going to be a SAHM? If so, why does he care? You can always use disposables at night and on vacation to save you some trouble. They have made cloth diapers super convenient these days...

I used Tushies about 10 years ago with my first, I really liked them. Hopefully they haven't changed. Seventh Gen were ok, but they felt like the generic brand diaper I was paying extra for. I never used the other 2. Remember to avoid commercial wipes as well. The advice nurse told me the other day they leave a residue on baby that allows the bacteria in poop to "feed" so baby ends up with a worse rash. Nice, huh!! I don't know about wipes by the above mentioned companies though.
I have never tried Gdiapers, but I heard from a few cloth diapering mamas that they were a big pain & they'd rather just use a disposable.
Most diaper companies say the gel is safe, but I hate finding it touching my baby's skin. And it always seemed to find it's way out of the diaper on onto baby.

I was in the same EXACT boat as you. DH was totally against cloth. He has two older boys & had lots of exp. changing dipes. With my first son, who is now 9.5, I listened to him & used sposies. He had lots of reasons, like cloth leaked (which it doesn't when you easily find the dipe that works best for you, we only had one brand leak for our DS and honestly disposables leak WAY more - that lovely poop up the back and all over both of us!) but it really came down to thinking cloth was not as easy. With DS #2/4, 3 months old, I brought it up again after the initial newborn phase. (We did all early diapering in sposies.) He was REALLY against it. He got mad at me, but I made him agree that we'd at least try it, after all it was important to me and I didn't want to just give in again. If it didn't work, then that was ok, we'd go back to disposable. (He was working a lot atm & only changed a few diapers anyway, so why did I listen to him the first time around? - he didn't like that argument) I promised all laundry duties would fall to me, since that was a big concern. (Like he does any laundry but his own anyway LOL) So I bought a few different kinds of cloth diapers & found we BOTH like them BETTER than disposable!! He really likes the AIO's or pockets if I have prestuffed them. His faves are sposoeasy, but bumware extreme & Bum Genius one-size aio/pockets are just fine for him as well. He prefers Velcro (aplix) over snaps (since that is most like a disposable). I make sure to have everything in order, easy for him to grab & the system is exactly like he was using a disposable! I also found using cloth wipes in a wipe warmer was WAY easier when cloth diapering because you can "throw away" everything into the same receptacle for laundering. I just cut up a few extra receiving blankets to use as wipes, so it didn't even cost anything.

Big Bonus: baby got over all those rashes! And I am a happier mama! But don't let it fool you, once you get into cloth diapering, you get addicted so while it CAN be cheaper I find that I love spending money on dipes & trying new stuff.

I used Seventh Generation with my first daughter, but had some leakage issues in between her legs, so we switched to Nature Babycare. We have been using Nature Babycare since and then with our second daughter. My older daughter started using pull-ups and we actually like the Seventh Generation pull-ups/training pants better than the Nature Babycare ones. Also, the Nature BAbycare ones are available at Target, Babies R Us, Costco.com and Diapers.com and are cheaper at Costco.com.

I'm expecting my first this month so don't have lots of experience, but I know that you can get a gDiaper starter kit on Amazon to try if your husband is open to just checking it out without a huge commitment...

D.,

I use cloth diapers as well as Nature Babycare and have been very happy! They do not leak and are compostable, so easier on the environment than many others. Just be sure to use a biodegradable trash bag when you throw them away so that you don't defeat the purpose of using diapers that will break down. I use BioBag and like them. In fact, that is what I use all around the house. I also like the Babycare wipes which are also compostable. Even their packaging will break down.

I buy mine from Diapers.com, they are well priced and get to you quickly. If you use the code EMEV6386 on your first order, you will get $10 off your purchase.

Congratulations on the new little one!!
E.

Hi D.,

Our little guy is adopted and came to us at about 16 lbs so I am not sure about "new-born" but we found the Seventh Generation were just great at that weight and worked really well.

I found it convenient to buy them buy the case at Drugstore.com and here is a link if you are interested:

http://www.drugstore.com/templates/stdplist/default.asp?c...

Then when he was into 3T and pull ups, we switched over to the Whole Foods brand which was so comfortable for him and did not leak at all. I think it was their 365 brand but what I remember is that it was bright pink packaging but was not gender specific (we have a little boy.)

I also found an excellent article about the range of diapers out there:

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2004/04/631...

I hope this is helpful for you.

Esther

I've used Tushies and Nature Babycare on occasion only because I use cloth diapers. They never leaked. I used G-diapers for a while, but the insert tended to bunch up in the middle and the pee and poop would always end up on the cover. The insert would also clog our toilet sometimes.
I don't know the reasons why your husband doesn't want to cloth diaper, but you could reach an agreement whereas you use cloth diapers and he uses the eco-friendly disposables.

My DH and I cloth diaper our DD (diaper service was the only way to convince him to try that), but when we travel we use disposable diapers. We have used Nature Babycare and Earth's Best. I really liked Nature Babycare, and the only problems we had with leaks was actually and explosive diaper. They were just as absorbent as the Earth's Best. We haven't tried any of the other brands you mentioned. I got the Nature Babycare, because I really liked the fact that they were using wood pulp instead of chemicals for absorption. Also, I found they fit well, but seemed to run a bit small.

Someone also commented on diaper wipes. We have again tried to avoid diaper wipes with chlorine. I had heard a lot of complaints about Nature Babycare wipes, so I avoided them and have tried Seventh Generation and Earth's Best. Now we found we preferred Earth's Best. Seventh Generation were a bit more on the dry side and as a result required more wipes to be used.

Hope that helps.

Mommy of 4 month old baby here!
When I found out I was having a baby, I wanted to research diapers because I knew that they can be expensive but they have to be reliable.
I started using the diapers I recieved from family and friends and found out, early on, that my son had an allergy to Huggies Brand diapers. My husband and I switched to Pampers, but were curious about green companies as well.
While my son was having a diaper rash last month, we switched to Seventh Generation diapers. At first, my only comment was about their appearance. If you're looking for a "cute" diaper, this isn't it. The Seventh Generation diapers do not use dyes, clorine or purfumes. They honestly look like Taco Bell napkins. For the value and quality though, I found that they were just as absorbant as the Pampers and the Huggies were. I also tried the G-diapers. They are a little more messy when you have a blow out, but I love that they are easily washable, keep baby dry, and wear like underwear instead of like a bulky diaper.
My little boy likes the G-diapers because of the colors. He's at the age where colors and shapes are big on his distraction list. He loves to stare at his diaper when we have him in his baby swing.

I use Earth's Best at night and they have superiour absorbency. The package doesn't say if they have the gel. I think they might. During thr day I use cloth but I have a diaper service. I think it's great.

There's also Earth Baby compostable diaper service. You have to buy the compostable diapers and they pick them up and take for composting(don't try yourself!)

I'd like to know what you use!
-C.

I've used the Nature Babycare, and they are ok. They are rough and I didn't like that too much, but I never had a problem with a leak. I've switched and now use Earth's Best brand diapers, and I really like them. Much more than the NB. They are "green"; no chlorine and such. The only drawback is that the only place I've been able to buy them is Babies R Us.
Maybe you should broach the Gdiapers with your husband, you never know, he might say yes. They really would fit the bill more for what you are wanting since the inserts are cotton and they break up; nothing to throw in a landfill.
As far as diaper rash, my son rarely gets it, but when he does I use Bum Bum Balm and it's gone in the next diaper change! It's all natural and I love it. Look into that for a possibility for you diaper cream.

Good luck!

I make cloth diapers that are just as easy to use as disposables...check out www.bun-o-matic.com. Maybe your husband could be convinced!!

There's a lot of diapering info on the site also.

Best,
J.

I'm not sure where you live but you might be interested in the Earth Baby service. www. earth-baby.com. It's a composting service - buy your diaps from them (compostable, made from plant based products instead of petroleum).... they pick up dirty diaps once a week, and drop off new supplies as you need them... we've been using the service since the spring and like the customer service very much and.... the diapers work great and they don't go in the land fill. The wipes are also compostable and they also sell good shampoo, lotions etc for the little ones.

L.
btw, we do dump the poop in the toilet prior to sticking the diaps in the hamper - hamper stinks less. this will get easier once your wee one gets bigger and the poops are firmer.

I used to love 7th generation until I tried Earth's Best diapers. They are amazing and I feel really good about the choice (no chemicals, etc...). we also do cloth diapers as well.
They sell them on diapers.com or at babies r us
Good luck,
debra

I've used seventh generation for two kids now, and I find them great. If you move on to their pull-ups, taking them off with poop inside can be a problem, so just tear the side seams with your bare hands and they come off like regular diapers--no smears on the legs.

The package says they can be recycled in some areas. I put the ones with poop in the garbage, pee in the recycling.
I'm sure you could look up your company and find out if they'll recycle them.

They do leak if your child fills them up and then pees again in them. I've only had this happen when a kid falls asleep in the car and I didn't realize they were full already. Plus, with age comes a larger bladder, and thus more pee.

Best of luck.

I tried all of these except for Natural Choice. gDiapers were rough against my baby's skin. Tushies were too thick for my baby who was (and still is) very skinny. Nature Bbay Care same problem. I LOVE their wipes though. Even the package is biodegradable. Seventh Generation were okay. They leaked a bit. I ended up using (ugh) Pampers and some All-In-One cloth diapers. Maybe your husband would be open to cloth if he knew how easy some of the new cloth diapers were. They are not your moms' old fashioned prefolds. I use the AIO's at home and disposables when we are out and for sleeping.
Good Luck and good for you for wanting natural stuff for your baby and considering the environmental impact. We all need to be more mindful - even if we end up choosing something we didn't want to. At least we thought about it!

You may need to try a package of each of these to see what works for your baby. All babies are different!

Hi - we used Seventh Generation for a while but they don't absorb as much as other brands and so we were using twice as many diapers. We tried Tushies and then Pampers and went back to Seventh Gen. for a while but my daughter did not like going back. They just aren't as flexible as other diaper brands.

I've not had access to Nature Babycare so I can't help you out there. I think if you'll keep an open mind and try a few you'll find things that you prefer and then things your child will prefer. And I'm susceptible to sales and coupons too, so we change up sometimes just to get a couple bucks off.

But I will say you get what you pay for in diapers. A cloth diaper service is nice. And Pampers and Huggies do absorb really well. Good luck!

Hi D.

I have a three month old so I was in a similar place as you are. I did not want to use cloth for several reasons but wanted something more eco friendly than pampers.

From birth to 3 mo, we used the 7th Generation and I was VERY happy with them. I found them to leak only occasionally at night. And I like them best of all the disposable eco brands. Now we are using G-diapers during the day and 7th Generation or a Pampers during the night.

I love the G-giapers. My husband was anti them at first because he didn't know how to use them and they seemed so much work. But I bought several extra coverings and keep them loaded with the inserts, so its like grabbing a disposable. The inserts go into a bin and then get composted or flushed (if its a poop).

I can HIGHLY recommend both the G-Diapers and 7th Generation.

Hope that helps!

Hi D.,
I know how it is to try to do the right thing and yet be unable to find the right solution. The problem is the right solution hasn't really been invented yet. . .
I used Tiny Tots for 8 months. I love the service but even cloth diapers (no matter what wraps I bought) leaked more often and were messy and difficult to change. I was willing to do the extra work for the environment, but then it seemed like I was washing 3 extra pairs of clothes a day so I started to wonder about the true environmental edge.
I tried all the other "natural" disposables, Earths Best, NatureBaby etc etc. and the answer is
YES they all leak horribly or are rough on baby's skin
I tried and tried, but ended up going to pampers and I no longer had to change clothes several times a day. The Pampers are soft and mold to my daughters body. . . so I gave in for her comfort and to do less wash.
I wish , I wish that someone would invent a biodegradable natural diaper that wasn't so deficient. So many more of us would use them. I tried to find one for so long, and then got mad and decided my daughter (and me) shouldn't suffer just to be the 1% of people trying to do the right thing.
Of all the natural diapers, Earth's Best were the best although there were some fit issues and they are not as soft and moldable as Pampers. But even those are "bad" for the environment and do not biodegrade. The only benefit to EB and 7th generation etc is they don't use chlorine bleach, which I don't think is as big of an issue as the landfill one. . . NatureBaby Care I think is the only one that is mostly made of all biodegradeable products and even those end up in the landfill if you don't compost. . .so again, there is no good solution, and I just felt like the problem was so big that my small contribution to the problem was a drop in the bucket. So at least by buying these alternatives you are making your consumer statement to the other major manufacturers that you want something better. . .

Hi D.,

I am a first time mom to a 4th month old and when I was pregnant my husband looked at me cross eyed when I suggested cloth diapers. We went round and round about the issue almost until the day I delivered my daughter. In the end, he left the decision up to me and I went with Bum Genius brand cloth diapers (which I love). However, our daughter was really tiny when she was born and the Bum Genius were too big. I used Seventh Generation (YUCK YUCK YUCK) and would not recommend those at all. Earth's Best (which many moms have mentioned here) are far superior. Having said that, my husband was really surprised at how easy, absorbant, and daddy friendly the Bum Genius diapers really are. Now he loves them. Even my skeptical mother-in-law and 13 year old sister-in-law love them!

As for baby wipes I use two kinds. For the diaper bag, I use Earth's Best. Great wipe - you don't have to use that many and they are really gentle. They also don't have the chlorine smell that some of the other eco friendly wipes have. For home, I make my own. I use Mother of Eden Flannel Wonder Wipes. I ordered Baby Bits to make the wipe solution. Simply add one bit to your wipes warmer with 2 cups of water. Let the Baby Bit dissolve then add your flannel wipes. Super easy and I just throw them in with the baby's wash. You can find both the flannel wipes and the Baby Bits at www.nurturedfamily.com. I save a TON of money and there is NO diaper wash at all! Plus, it makes your nursery or bathroom smell great!

Good luck to you!

Hi D.,
I used Tushies with my first child (boy,10) and did part-time cloth diapering. There were two types and one was much better then the other but at the moment I don't remember how that worked Maybe now they only have one to choose from, I loved them no leaks or big blow outs. Now I have a girl who is a year old and we do cloth exclusively, my partner is not that great of a diaperer, so we have a few under the nile clothe diapers with snaps which are so easy and use wool diaper covers. Cloth diapering had been great. We also went out and bought a large amount of face clothes to use as our wipes. We don't use disposable wipes except while out and about.
I would say you don't have to be totally committed to one or the other. I agree with Julie N, You could do cloth and your H could do earth-friendly disposables! Good luck and enjoy!

We use Tiny Tots cloth diaper service (very easy!), but I wanted to add another plug for the new compostable disaposable diaper service, Earth Baby:

http://www.earth-baby.com/home.php

This seems a great bet for anyone who's not up to cloth. The problem with all the "natural" disposable diapers is that they still go to the landfill, and do not decompose very quickly there.

Good luck!

Hi, and congratulations. We used Tushies once and found they leaked and were not very absorbent. So we used seventh gen after that and was happy with those. We also used organic cloth diapers for a while (Under the Nile i think) and it is more work, but has some advantages too; for one, thing, it is much softer for the baby, but must be changed more often.

Best to you on your new little one and y our decisions!

Hi D.,
I have tried all of the ones you have mentioned and prefer nature babycare. which target now carries, you can also find them at whole foods. i wasted so much mony on the other brands adn just ended up giving them to a friend.
N.

Hi D.,
wow, you got a lot of responses. I don't have time to read though them so I'm sorry if I repeat what someone else has already told you.
No judgement on what you decide to do...but did you know that even if the diaper is nontoxic it still takes 500+ years to breakdown in the landfill?
I used disposables with my son because I thought it would be too overwhelming to use cloth. With my daughter, I thought I'd give cloth a shot. I use Tiny Tots diaper service. Seriously, it is so easy. You get a diaper hamper with a plastic bag with your account number on it and you just toss it in. You don't have to wash them or anything. You put the dirties out one night a week and a new bag with clean diapers is there for you the next morning.
When my daughter was 2 months old we went on a 17 day trip. I couldn't carry around 17 days worth of dirty diapers so I had to find another option. That is when I started using gdiapers. I love them. The inserts are a little too expensive for me so I only use them when we are going out for the day. I actaully use my cloth diapers folded in thirds in the cute gdiaper cover. I feel like I have the best of both worlds. I get them all set up (I have 12 covers) so all my husband has to do is grab one and put it on her.
You should really reconsider. Remember too, you don't have to do all cloth or all gdiapers or all disposable. You can mix it up. If you use all disposable you will probably use about 5000 diapers before it is all said and done so even if you only do cloth or gdiapers half of the time that is still great!
Here is a coupon for you if you decide to give gdiapers a try:
g931thomas
go to gdiapers.com and look for the six pack and enter that code for $30 off. It's only good until July 31st.
If you have any questions feel free to message me. good luck!