Cloth diapers are a sensible choice

To the editor:
    While I definitely applaud Houlton Regional Hospital’s disposable diaper drive, I believe that explicitly excluding cloth diapers from the diaper drive does a great disservice to families and babies. In this tough economy, cloth diapers can be a saving grace for families that find themselves having to choose between buying diapers or putting gas into the car or paying the electric bill.
    Lately on the news there have been reports about people who cannot afford to buy diapers, who instead of throwing away a wet disposable diaper will let it dry and then reuse it, which of course leads to diaper rashes and sometimes even more serious skin and health problems. It is estimated that the average family spends approximately $2,016 on disposable diapers per child from birth through potty training. On the other hand, a full supply of cloth diapers can be purchased for under $100 and can be reused for multiple children.
    Modern cloth diapers are a far cry from the cloth diapers that our parents used. These days, there are no sharp pins or leaky rubber pants to deal with. Today’s cloth diapers are usually fastened with velcro or snaps, and most do not require any type of special folding. There is also no longer a need to “dunk and swish” diapers in the toilet or let dirty diapers soak in a pail of water. Washing diapers is just as easy as washing any other load of laundry. I have been cloth diapering since my son was born, and I am not paying any more in utility bills than I was before.
    The ad placed by the hospital was not entirely accurate in regard to their information about cloth diapers. According to Maine law, day care providers are able to use cloth diapers if there is a medical need such as a sensitivity or allergy to disposable diapers. I know personally that after being in a disposable diaper for an hour my son gets a rash almost immediately, and I know that my doctor would be more than willing to write him a “prescription” for cloth diapers.
    Even if cloth diapers cannot be used at daycare, they could still be used at home. This would make that pack of disposable diapers last even longer because only a few would be used per day. It was also stated that laundromats do not allow for cloth diapers to be washed in their machines due to sanitation issues, but I have never experienced this. Besides, using a bit of bleach in the wash cycle will certainly kill any bacteria that may remain in a washing machine.
    A pack of disposable diapers will diaper a child for a few days before someone needs to purchase more of them. On the other hand, 36 cloth diapers are enough to diaper a child until he reaches potty training, and those same diapers can then be reused on future children for even greater cost savings.
    I have been cloth diapering my son for over a year now and it is honestly one of the best decisions that I have made. If anyone is interested in learning more about cloth diapering, please do not hesitate to contact me. My e-mail address is MeghanBurpee@gmail.com and I would be glad to help anyone, in any way that I can.
Meghan Burpee
Crystal