Flushable disposable diapers are touted as being the best of both worlds. Instead, they may be the worst of both worlds. These diapers are basically a cloth diaper cover with disposable flushable inserts. You still have to wash the covers and you still have to buy new inserts regularly. If your plumbing is old or might be "tree-infested" you run the risk of major plumbing repairs.

The flushable diaper inserts are made with the same questionable chemicals as other disposables, so there is no health benefit to using them. Flushing them is not as easy as it looks, either. You have to handle the insert to rip it open, major ick factor if they are poopy, then swish it in the toilet to dissolve the pulp before you can flush. If you search the name of a popular flushable diaper, you'll actually see plumbers gloating about how much money these things are making them because they can clog older plumbing.

Buying new liners every week means many unnecessary trips to the store over the time your child is wearing them. Since they are still often only found in specialty stores, you need to drive to get them. Or you need to order online and hope that you never run out unexpectedly.

Then there is the expense of using these throw aways. Regular dispsobles will cost you abotu $2,000 or more per child. Flushables will cost you $2,600 for a start kit, 4 additonal small covers, 6 medium covers and 6,000 flushable liners. Add a little more if your child gets bigger than 28 pounds before potty training.

You are going to need to wash the cloth diaper covers anyway, so using real cloth diapers makes sense. Real cloth is soft, washable, and easy to use. There are many resources online to help you with washing cloth diapers, including the articles and detergent recommendations found on my site. A great system will cost you $300-500 or so and good brands will last through more than one child (depending on how many you buy and how often each one is washed).

Still not convinced? Consider purchasing just a few of the real thing, try them for a few weeks. If you hate them, donate them to a family in need through Miracle Diapers or a similar organization and move on. My guess is that once you try soft, easy, modern options, you will be hooked on the savings and the simplicity of always having enough to keep your baby dry and happy without having to spend more or dash to the store for more because you will never really run out.

Come see what a real diaper looks like at Little for Now cloth diaper store.