Luke Judge

filed under Reviews
Disposable vs. Cloth Diapers: Cost Effectiveness and Environmental Impact

My boys are 7 and 6, and that means we are years removed from having to worry about diapers.  However, I remember the cost and hassle of buying and running out of them.  Most parents use disposable diapers because they’re hassle free; we used them for that reason too.  I never even considered going the cloth rout because, as a non-hippie, the environmental impact wasn’t foremost in my mind.  When the issue was brought to my attention (rudely), I just said “Psssht. Bite me,” because nobody likes their parenting impugned by a do-gooder.  However, to be fair to cloth diapers, and ignoring the messenger, cloth should get an unbiased comparison to disposables in terms of cost, convenience and environmental impact.  Environmentalists make the snap assumption that cloth diapers are friendlier, but the evidence tells a more complex story.  Knowing the options, and the fact, will help parents make a more conscientious decision on the matter.   

Earth Friendly?

Cloth diapers are, actually, a better environmental choice – with a caveat.  If you’re going to go green you have to go all the way green to see any difference.  Firstly, you’ll need green detergents and use water more efficiently.  A British study says that, comparing cloth diapers to disposables, with no extra allowances for green behavior, there is no ecological difference.  They both take the same toll on the environment.  That fact only changes when people take other steps, in addition to simply choosing the cloth option, to make their choice more green.  Energy saving laundries, efficient loads and water conservation are some of the measures that do make a difference.  In other words, no matter what you do, the earth is going to take a hit, and cloth vs. disposable, even on a good day, might not be as different as we’re led to believe.  Don’t get me wrong though; every bit counts.  Thus, for purely ecological reasons, cloth is the better option.

Wallet Friendly?

Diapers, no matter the brand, cost a lot of money.  Parent magazine worked out that the cost of disposable diapers for one child is 1,500 – 3,000 dollars depending on the brand and how long the kid needs them.  Compare that to the cost of cloth, 700 – 1,900 dollars (including laundry costs), and again the clear winner in cloth.

New Fangled Invention: Eco Disposable Diapers 

I found an article on Wired.com about eco disposable diapers.  The article says, essentially, that these ecologically friendly disposables are actually no better than regular disposables.  This, according to – wait for it – “the latest newsletter from cloth diaper service Tiny Tots”!  Wow!  That’s some fine reporting there, Wired.  I am shocked, just shocked, that a cloth diaper service is saying that disposable diapers, no matter the manufacturer claims, are unhealthy and environmentally horrible.  They go so far as to say that disposables cause infertility (because of the chemicals).  In other words, YOUR GENETIC LINE WILL BE WIPED OUT (no pun intended) IF YOU USE DISPOSABLE DIAPERS!  Now, insert dramatic sound effects, and perhaps a picture of a pirate skull and crossbones.  Thank you, cloth diaper services, for your unbiased opinion.

The Hybrid gDiaper:

And now a fourth option!  Have you heard of these diapers?  They are disposable diapers that contain a flushable liner insert.  There is also an option to use a reusable cloth (hemp and micro fiber) insert instead of the flushable version, thereby making it an entirely cloth diaper (no difficult folding necessary).  Several videos on their website compare the decomposition of a normal diaper with the disposable portion of the gDiaper.  If the results are true, I’d say the hands down winner of the diaper contest is the gDiaper.  It looks easy, comfortable and eco-friendly; that’s about everything a parent can wish for.  They are also appreciably more stylish than baggy and badly folded cloth diapers or, the alternative, a bulky piece of plastic.  The only question I have is the cost.  Target has them listed at $52 for 128 inserts.  6 reusable cloth inserts are $30.  As you can see, they have everything going for them except price.  That, I suppose, is the trade for gaining a diaper that accomplishes both ecological friendliness and convenience.

The debate about cloth vs. disposable diapers is so heated and ladened with ulterior motives that it is virtually impossible to find reliable information about the actual facts.  All the studies (except the British one I linked to earlier) feature expert opinion from either cloth diaper services or manufacturers of disposables giving their heartfelt pleas to not listen to the other’s expert.  Even the supposedly neutral opinions on the internet cite facts that one or the other industries have published somewhere else already.  What I’m saying is this:  Good luck finding facts you can trust.  Go with your gut.  If you’re the sort of person who has good reasons for doing disposable, then do that.  If not, don’t.  Cloth diapers appear better for the environment provided you go totally green and wash them correctly.  Disposables are indisputably easier and more convenient.  Eco-Disposable diapers, as far as I’m concerned, are worth a try.  I don’t want to hurt the environment any more than necessary.  I’m not convinced that cloth diapers are appreciably better than disposable.  But, if I had it all to do over again, I would try to be the most environmentally friendly parent I could be.  It seems that one of the best options out there today is the gDiaper (they didn’t give me anything for that pitch and I’m not selling them).

nappy Covers cloth diapers, environmental choice, green energy

Baby Changing & Nappies changing diapers at night, changing diapers games online, changing diapers gary snyder, changing diapers on airplane

Remember the olden days of this blog when I would write about running and healthy eating? Remember??

That’s because over the last 16 months my life has completely spun out of control. Science is exploding, Little Isis is a little boy now with activities and even more needs, and I am trying to keep my marriage some reasonable degree of healthy. In the time it took me to write the above nonsense, my phone has rung 4 times. The only way I have been able to get through every day has been to cut back on the things I was doing for myself. Mostly blogging and running. This hasn’t been good. In the last 16 months I have gained about 20 pounds. Mama’s not proud.

I’ve really needed a kick in the ass to get back to business. I had been prepared to do something drastic. I even considered changing my little muffins to my little celerys to cut calories, but it seems cruel to punish you all for my bad behavior.  Instead, I went out for a run yesterday on one of my favorite 5 mile routes.  It hurt Mama bad, but I needed to do it.  I wore my running clothes in to work today to try to coerce myself to do it again. I keep telling myself that eventually this won’t hurt so bad.Figure 1: But we all know that’s crap, right?  As soon as this stops hurting I’ll do something to make it hurt again.  That’s the point of running, right?I’ve known that I’ve needed a kick in the pants to get my life back in order.  That’s why it was so timely to receive this question from one of you lovely people…

Dr. Isis,
HOW did you pick yourself up after the hit on your work from having a child? I feel so much like the weak link in my lab–partly that’s because there are really amazing people in this lab and they’re doing super-cool stuff, but in large part it’s because I’ve been dealing with [the arrival of my baby]. I’m working far fewer hours than I did during graduate school (~40 vs ~55). My brain is only just now beginning to come back on board, in some regards–and even now I struggle for common words and phrases, let alone major scientific concepts. I know I should cut myself some slack, and I do. But sometimes the slack-cutting has the wrong effect–I end up not getting as much done at work as I should, or I give up on small projects really quickly because it’s hard. I see myself falling behind my (all male) colleagues, and though I knew intellectually that would be one result of having a child–man, it’s really hard to take in reality. Even though I have a nice project wrapping up right now, I can see things that if I’d pushed harder on, I might have kicked this project up a rung. Basically, I feel like I’m doing worse at work than I expected, even given the reduction in hours. Any thoughts on this experience? Or if now is the time when you point and laugh and say Didn’t you even READ blogs? that’s ok too. On Friday I realized that on our entire floor, consisting of three major labs, I am one of two female postdocs. The isolation IRL is undoubtedly relevant. I’m so grateful to have the bloggysphere.

Coming back to work after having a baby is really, really hard. If you’re nursing, your day is interrupted by routine milkings.  I had a really time returning to focus after a bout of pumping nourishment out via my nipples. Add on top of this sleep deprivation and the impact on your productivity can be massive.Figure 2: An artist’s rendition of Dr. Isis, returning to work after Little Isis’s birth.But, none the less, here are some of my ideas for returning to work post-baby…Fix Your Sleep First. If you are not getting regular, productive sleep, it is really difficult to be able to honestly and rationally assess your progress.  It is also almost impossible to motivate yourself to take on a challenging task.  To this day, when Little Isis has a rough night, it leaves me a total mess the next day. When Little Isis was a baby Mr. Isis and I took turns getting up with him.  I frequently co-slept with Little Isis because it was less disturbing to my sleep to let him nurse than it was to get up and get him in the middle of the night. I tried to use my pumping time to catch a bit of sleep. But, mostly, once I was able to get 6 uninterrupted hours, my life improved immensely. Even the Accreditation
Council for Graduate Medical Education has had the good sense to limit medical residents to one on call night every three days because working in a high stress job with lack of sleep increases the number of errors they make and decreases response time.  I don’t see new mothers as being any different, and yet there are no advocacy groups for them.Again I say, fix your sleep first.Set Realistic Goals and Find a Sounding Board. Sometimes I have a really hard time evaluating my own progress.  That’s why I have developed some relationships with trusted people to give me honest feedback on my productivity.  One of the challenges while still nursing is to design experiments that allow you to walk away from the bench for periods on end, which is why it is important to set realistic goals in advance.  Sometimes I feel like I am failing at life, science, and motherhood, but a consultation with one of these trusted colleagues can highlight how much I have actually accomplished.  It can also give me a kick in the pants when I need it.  I also think its important to establish relationships with other mothers, especially when the numbers of mothers in academia can be small.  The mothers in my life are fantastic listeners with an uncanny ability to put my life in perspective and tell me when I am taking myself too seriously.  They are also people who would take care of Little Isis in a pinch – like when science is going awry.Learn When to Say No.  This is something I am not always good at, but scientist mothers frequently have to perform similarly to their childless colleagues in fewer hours. For me, that has meant cutting the bullshit out of my life in order to focus on what’s important.    Recently though, the professional bullshit has started to creep in and I have had to be reminded to say “no” more often.Last week I was having trouble with science.  On top of it, my car was being repaired and I needed someone to drive some things for one of our experiments.  Normally Dr. Triple Threat cycles 10 miles to and from work, but I called to ask if he would be willing to drive.  He said, in no uncertain terms, “no” because it would prevent his ability to exercise that day.  At first I was pretty cheesed that he wouldn’t help me, but after a day or two I began to appreciate why he said “no,” and even admire his ability to do it.  Dr. Triple Threat placed value a goal and was willing to achieve it.  But, most important is to fix your sleep.  Everything else in the world will improve when you’re well rested again,  And best of luck with the little one!!! Read the comments on this post…

changing Mats calories, crap

Posted by Dan Owen

wipes, Creams & Cotton Wool huggies sensitive wipes ingredients, maxim sensitive wipes, pampers sensitive wipes, pampers sensitive wipes ingredients, sensitive wipes

Posted By SHARON WEATHERALL Posted 22 days ago

When it comes to pregnancy, giving birth and assistive services and products for new parents today, things are changing. Education is key and going back to basics to make deliveries feel natural and moms feel more comfortable are a priority.

As a new mom last year, Tara Crompton noticed a lack of stores in the area that carried specific products she was looking for to prepare for herself and her baby’s needs.

“I had to go to Barrie if I wanted anything,” said Crompton a local business woman, who noticed a niche market in North Simcoe and decided to act on it.

“I had a gift store in Penetanguishene at the time but began looking into opening a store that specifically caters to pregnant women, new moms and baby’s. I was lucky to get this location on King Street in Midland -formerly T&G Fabrics and have been busy renovating the store. I will be celebrating my Grand Opening on April 10. I’m really excited about some of the products that I will be carrying here.”

Bellabump has many unique, natural and environmental products for new moms before and after the birth. For nursing moms Lilypadz’ are silicone pads that fit over and attach to the breast so that mom can go strapless or even braless -one pack of this re-usable item and you are good to go. Bellybands’ compress the tummy and help to get the body back into shape so they are good for moms-to-be who are just starti

ng to show or new moms who are trying to get back into their clothes after the birth. Bellybands come in original and bamboo product for women who have had c-sections. Momzelle’ nursing shirts are stylish, made in Canada and convenient for nursing moms on the go.

“Most of my product lines are made in Canada or come from the States. Bamboo products are environmental and very soft for moms and babies. I have really cute baby LegHuggers’ made of bamboo for babies legs or arms to keep them warm. These come in a variety of colourful patterns for boys and girls,” said Crompton.

“I have wooden beaded baby pacifier attachers that come in designer colours -Keep-it-Kleen pacifiers and baby sunglasses in an assortment of colours. These have become very popular and provide 100 percent UVH/UVB protection. Babies get used to wearing them and I have head bands to help keep them on the baby. Other popular products include Wubba-Nubs’ pacifiers with a stuffy attached for the baby to hold onto, Baby Cubes for freezing food puree’s, baby Belly Blankets for tummy time, diaper clutches that will hold six diapers and travel wipes and more. All of these products are innovative and useful.”

In clothing lines Bellabump has soft and cuddly Bearington Baby’ lamb, puppy, giraffe, leopard and bunny jackets which are lined with satin -a beautiful gift item. For expecting moms there are stylish expectant T shirts for just $20 each.

With so much space at 365 King

changing Tables & Units bamboo product, changing education, moms and babies, silicone pads