Swim Diapers?

[Hannathy]

The environmental impacts are not the same. If you find a study not funded by Pampers or Huggies you will understand that. The majority of cloth diaper users only do one extra wash every three days. Probably the same or less than a family using disposables does to deal with blow outs. Most diapers are air dried so there is no energy consumption in terms of driers. Disposable diapers use MUCH more water. First there is the tremendous amount of water used in the production of the diapers and the bleaching of the fibers. Then, of course, as it is illegal to place fecal matter into a landfill, there is the water used to flush any solid water away before disposing of the diaper. Finally, cloth diapers do not contain all the horrible nasty chemicals that disposables do. Disposables are not super absorbant due to sweet little fairies waving their wands. They are absorbent due to all sorts of nasty chemicals (including some that are banned for use in adults) that we are putting right next to a child's skin where they can be absorbed. Ever see little blue crystals next to your child's skin if you waited too long to change the diaper? Yikes. I shudder to think of all the health (and reproductive health) issues we may see in the next 20-30 years due to the use of these diapers. Finally, a cloth diapered kid potty trains significantly earlier than a disposable diapered child which even further lessens the environmental impact.

Have a great trip!

Where ever did you get the idea that people flush the "poop" from a disposable diaper?
The only people that do that are cloth users. I also would like to see you source of "most people air dry" because I am the only person I know who even has a clothes line and some communities don't even allow them.

 

[princessmom29]

I am seeing a lot of people commenting on blow outs with disposable diapers. I can count on one hand the number of times I have had a disposable diaper leak anything, and most of those were due to a stomach bug. If you are using a quality diaper in the right size you sgould not have a problem. I know I never did. can't say the same for friends who CD'ed and constantly ended up with wet laps and slings.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

We have a pool, and we do not let any children who are not potty trained into the pool. We also make sure that no one with diarrhea enters the pool. Every summer pools are responsible for the spread of E. coli, Cryptosporidium, and Hepatitis A. Cryptosporidium can live in well chlorinated water for nearly one week.

This doesn't mean that kiddos shouldn't have fun, but keep them in the kiddie pool, please...

 

[taitai]

Where ever did you get the idea that people flush the "poop" from a disposable diaper?
The only people that do that are cloth users. I also would like to see you source of "most people air dry" because I am the only person I know who even has a clothes line and some communities don't even allow them.

Well, it is against WHO guidelines to dispose of human waste in a landfill and in many communities around the country it is illegal. So, if you live in one of those and don't flush, then you are breaking the law (not that you would ever be convicted, but still....). Also, it even says on the side of the package of many disposable diapers to flush solid waste before disposing of the diaper. I know many disposable diaper users who flush the solids.

In terms of driers, unless you are using prefolds, the majority of cloth diapers are air dried. Doesn't necessarily mean you need to have a clothes line. We line dry about 90% of our clothes and we live in Minnesota. There is no way I am line drying in the winter. We use drying racks. Helps a lot with the humidity in the house during the dry winter months as well.

Have a great evening everyone. THis is one of those discussions like vaccines and lap babies that will get nowhere but is very entertaining. I hope the OP got what she needed.

Taitai

 

[princessmom29]

We have a pool, and we do not let any children who are not potty trained into the pool. We also make sure that no one with diarrhea enters the pool. Every summer pools are responsible for the spread of E. coli, Cryptosporidium, and Hepatitis A. Cryptosporidium can live in well chlorinated water for nearly one week.

This doesn't mean that kiddos shouldn't have fun, but keep them in the kiddie pool, please...

Most of that bacteria in NOT due to unpottytrained kids. If they are not sick they don't have it, and a proper swim diarper will stop its spread if thety happen to be carrying it and not know it yet. It is not necessary to keep them out of the pool.

 

[Hannathy]

I never had a blow out either! Ever! Most leakage from a disposable is from people who try to go too long between changes. (ps ever hear of "poop flaps" as they are lovingly called in the industry?)

Disp. keep babies butts dryer and that is fact plain and simple.

 

[princessmom29]

Well, it is against WHO guidelines to dispose of human waste in a landfill and in many communities around the country it is illegal. So, if you live in one of those and don't flush, then you are breaking the law (not that you would ever be convicted, but still....). Also, it even says on the side of the package of many disposable diapers to flush solid waste before disposing of the diaper. I know many disposable diaper users who flush the solids.

In terms of driers, unless you are using prefolds, the majority of cloth diapers are air dried. Doesn't necessarily mean you need to have a clothes line. We line dry about 90% of our clothes and we live in Minnesota. There is no way I am line drying in the winter. We use drying racks. Helps a lot with the humidity in the house during the dry winter months as well.

Have a great evening everyone. THis is one of those discussions like vaccines and lap babies that will get nowhere but is very entertaining. I hope the OP got what she needed.

Taitai

If you are air drying you are retaining all the bacteria shed in stools unless you are also using a large amount of bleach!! be very careful if you have a sick kiddo. You could reinfect the same child or someone else!!!

I have actually never seen the little blue crystals you are talking about. You would have to leave a kid really wet for a really long time for thwm to migrate to the surface!

 

[princessmom29]

I never had a blow out either! Ever! Most leakage from a disposable is from people who try to go too long between changes. (ps ever hear of "poop flaps" as they are lovingly called in the industry?)

Disp. keep babies butts dryer and that is fact plain and simple.

you are right.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Most of that bacteria in NOT due to unpottytrained kids. If they are not sick they don't have it, and a proper swim diarper will stop its spread if thety happen to be carrying it and not know it yet. It is not necessary to keep them out of the pool.

Wrong - none of the swim diapers can stop the bacteria spread. Believe what you will, but for the same reason that the diapers do not hold urine, they do not stop the bacteria. That is, they allow water to flow through (in both directions). The bacteria flow through with the water (and fecal material).

Now, you are correct that most fecal matter found in pools does not come from diapers - it comes from poorly wiped bottoms. But don't think for a second that swim diapers stop fecal matter from getting into the pool water. That simply is not true. If the diaper has pool water in it when you take the child out of the pool, water is leaking in both directions...

 

[linzbear]

You are contaminating hundreds of thousands of gallons of water with fecal matter that, and it takes tons of chemicals to remove it, and those chemicals have a huge negative environmental impact as well. Runnoff from waste treatment plants is a huge environmental problem and every load of CD's you wash adds to it.

Look, we can debate this all day and not get anywhere. Just read the studies yourself, scientific studies from unbiased sources, not propaganda from either side, and see what you find. I think you will be suprised.

Ok, I wasn't planning on getting in on the debate, but this made me LOL.

Do you use an outhouse or something? I'm 'contaminating' the same water that I use for my own poop.

And I have searched tons and tons of studies. Most of the "disposables are better for the environment" studies were put out in the late 80's and early 90's. Most of them are now wrong partially because we have water saving appliances, and partially because there are tons of organic options available. I asked specifically for a source that using a cloth swim diaper was bad, and you never gave one. Sorry, I'm not going to just believe you because you say so.

 

[princessmom29]

Wrong - none of the swim diapers can stop the bacteria spread. Believe what you will, but for the same reason that the diapers do not hold urine, they do not stop the bacteria. That is, they allow water to flow through (in both directions). The bacteria flow through with the water (and fecal material).

Now, you are correct that most fecal matter found in pools does not come from diapers - it comes from poorly wiped bottoms. But don't think for a second that swim diapers stop fecal matter from getting into the pool water. That simply is not true. If the diaper has pool water in it when you take the child out of the pool, water is leaking in both directions...

Yes water does move to some extent, but there is a treated layer in swim diapers that helps stop the spread of the bacteria. Sort of like an antibacterial spray. It is inclosed between layes so it doesn't contact the child, but it is a lot like the safe to touch surface cleaners out there. This is according to our ped.

 

[princessmom29]

Ok, I wasn't planning on getting in on the debate, but this made me LOL.

Do you use an outhouse or something? I'm 'contaminating' the same water that I use for my own poop.

And I have searched tons and tons of studies. Most of the "disposables are better for the environment" studies were put out in the late 80's and early 90's. Most of them are now wrong partially because we have water saving appliances, and partially because there are tons of organic options available. I asked specifically for a source that using a cloth swim diaper was bad, and you never gave one. Sorry, I'm not going to just believe you because you say so.

unless you have self contained sewage treatment for just your home you are contaminating the public water supply. all water that goes down the drain goes to sewage treatment and then eventually back to the water supply. The water that comes out of your faucets and fills you washer and toilets all comes from the same place. There is not seperate water supply for toiltes. It is all the same water supply and tha more fecal matter that is put in it the more it has to be filtered and cleaned. By using water to wash the diapers after you have flushed th solids you are introducing much, much more contaminated water than just flushing a toilet.

 

[a1tinkfans]

Personally, I am
THRILLED

that you moms/dads/caregivers of little ones are even ASKING about and following the "rules" to please use swimmies while your little one enjoys the resort pools.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!


We have TWICE been in a situation where a child had a MISTAKE or
should I really say,
Caregiver did not care enough to use them (which was the case both times this happened, not a "leak situation" per CM's.
I actually saw the CM explaining the need to the parent who STILL, did not want to use it and was asked not to have child use the pool without one.
I was really flabbergasted that even seeing a whole pool closed, she thought she knew better, UGH!
The Main Pool had to be totally closed for several hours while they cleaned up a mess and filtered it!
Truly disgusting and frustrating for so many.

SO again, THANK YOU for caring enough about your own child and the rest of us!
There are large conspicuous signs posted with ALL the "rules" by each pool if one is not sure about something...

Have a great vacation and Happy Swimming!!

 

[whitneyNC]

Just skimming through and...did someone really say they were going to re-sell their swim diapers? Yuck. The disposables are great at what they do. Contain solid waste for a VERY short period of time in a pool. They don't swell and explode, they do have an antibacterial property. When they poop, you better get them out of the water fast. I used the re useable ones some in 1995 and they worked too. They were really gross to get off and clean. Mine were like little speedo bikinis so you had to take them off one leg at a time. GA-ROSE! Just buy a pack of Little Swimmers and use them, it will save you a lot of hassle on vacation. Treat yourself...you're obviously doing your part to be a good steward of the environment.

 

[taitai]

unless you have self contained sewage treatment for just your home you are contaminating the public water supply. all water that goes down the drain goes to sewage treatment and then eventually back to the water supply. The water that comes out of your faucets and fills you washer and toilets all comes from the same place. There is not seperate water supply for toiltes. It is all the same water supply and tha more fecal matter that is put in it the more it has to be filtered and cleaned. By using water to wash the diapers after you have flushed th solids you are introducing much, much more contaminated water than just flushing a toilet.

The amount of water used in washing diapers each week is roughly the same as flushing the toilet 5 or 6 times daily for a week. Really, not that much and certainly what will happen once the child is potty trained.

However, if your concern is about water contamination then look no further than the horrible contamination of ground water caused by fecal matter in landfills. That stuff will leach down and contaminate the groundwater supplies for centuries. It is great that you are looking to the environmental impact of all of this. I wish more parents did.

 

[Erica09M]

Just skimming through and...did someone really say they were going to re-sell their swim diapers? Yuck. The disposables are great at what they do. Contain solid waste for a VERY short period of time in a pool. They don't swell and explode, they do have an antibacterial property. When they poop, you better get them out of the water fast. I used the re useable ones some in 1995 and they worked too. They were really gross to get off and clean. Mine were like little speedo bikinis so you had to take them off one leg at a time. GA-ROSE! Just buy a pack of Little Swimmers and use them, it will save you a lot of hassle on vacation. Treat yourself...you're obviously doing your part to be a good steward of the environment.

Cloth diapers in general, not swim diapers. It's common in the cloth diapering world. You make think it's gross. That's fine. Your opinion. Hundreds of thousands of people think otherwise.

As far as just buying a pack of swim diapers and saving hassle. No thank you. We're 100% into cloth diapering, and it isn't a hassle for us to cloth diaper. Not to mention it would be a HUGE hassle to cause my child to suffer from extreme diaper rash and bleeding by allowing her tender skin to touch a disposable diaper or swim diaper for even 10 minutes.

I'll continue to treat my daughter by protecting her tush with cloth.

 

[kevschickee]

I would like to see the study that says cloth diapered kids potty train faster????

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

...I'll continue to treat my daughter by protecting her tush with cloth.

Is she allergic to the chemicals in disposable diapers?

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

I would like to see the study that says cloth diapered kids potty train faster????

Children in cloth diapers have to be changed immediately after going potty, so parents have a much greater incentive to potty train as soon as possible. The difference is based on the limitations that are built into a desire to use cloth diapers...

 

[linzbear]

By the way, I keep asking for a source because I know there aren't any. Well, there aren't any valid ones at least. Sources become out of date after 4 years, and the only ones that exist are about 20 years old.

Here's mine, if any are interested. It was a study done from 2006-2007, and published in 2008.
http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.a...ortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10

Again, thanks everyone I was trying to keep it from being a debate, but I guess that's impossible on the DIS.