The first 2 plus years of a child’s life are lived in diapers. Raising a baby has many wonderful rewards and some challenges. As parents we sometimes are just concerned with finding convenient ways to be a great parent.

One thing that we don’t always consider is the impact that the diapers we choose for our baby have on the health and comfort of our baby, the positive impact that we can choose to have on the environment, and the substantial savings available through the use of child diapers made from cloth.

Here are 7 Reasons to Choose Cloth Diapers over Disposable Diapers

1. Improved health for your baby. Take a look at what makes up today’s disposable diapers. They are made with a chemical that makes the diaper very absorbent – but this chemical (sodium polyacrylate) has been linked to toxic shock syndrome. And that’s not the only dangerous chemical. You will also find in disposable diapers traces of Dioxin (this is a carcinogen) and it can cause genetic damage, immune system suppression and even disease of the liver.

2. Less chance of diaper rash. When your baby wears disposable diapers parents can be fooled into thinking that their baby is dry since the diapers are so absorbent. This often means that the baby is changed less than babies that are using cloth-type diapers. We use cloth diapers and find that they start to feel damp after approximately 4 hours. So the bottom line is that with cloth diapers your baby will be changed more often which means less chance of diaper rash. The material used in disposables is not very breathable versus cloth diapers which are made with breathable cotton. The hotter the baby’s covered area the easier it is for bacteria growth – which results in diaper rash.

3. Baby’s comfort. Cloth-style diapers are made from layers of breathable, soft-to-the-touch cotton. Plainly stated cotton just feels better next to baby’s skin. Cotton is breathable which means that it is cooler next to baby’s tender skin. Especially on hot, humid days cotton clothe diapers are much cooler than the disposable alternative.

4. Less expensive. Studies have shown that during a baby’s diaper-wearing years they will wear about 7500 diapers. If you choose to use cloth diapers over disposables the savings to your household will be in the magnitude of between one and two thousand dollars. And that’s when you include the costs of purchasing disposables versus the cost of buying and laundering the cloth baby diapers at home. Saving money is important to our family. Our experience with our first child, in his first year we saved over $800 by using cloth diapers. Using cloth makes sense on a number of different levels – but if you only use cloth because you want to save money – you will save money.

5. Better for the environment – it is probably obvious that cloth diapers are better for the environment since they are reusable. Here are some more issues to consider. A good quality cloth diaper can be laundered at least 100 times. If you are having more than one baby they can be used for your second and third child. It does take energy to launder the baby diaper, but the energy used is a small fraction of what a disposable diaper does to the environment. It is estimated that a disposable will take 400 to 500 years to decompose in our landfills. The companies that make today’s disposables will use over 1 million metric tons of wood pulp and 75,000 metric tons of plastic each year. What a cost to our environment.

6. No fuss changing. Cloth diapers are built with snap closures (no more pins). They are adjustable so that they provide a great fit for your baby. Many of the cloth diapers are made with a built in outer liner making it easy for anyone to change a baby – even a grandpa.

7. Built in outer cover. That means just change the diaper – don`t worry about having to pull an outer cover over top of the diapers. It makes changing baby a breeze.

You may be in the market for a great diaper bag for yourself or for a gift – and maybe you don’t want to break the bank. Your criteria for an inexpensive diaper bag may be one that… * Is built to last * Is good value for the money spent * Has lots of pockets, compartments and pouches to hold the stuff that you need when out with your son or daughter * Costs under $70

Here are five features to look for when you are in the market to get a new diaper bag.

1. Lots of storage pockets – the diaper bag that you choose should have pockets, pouches, zipper compartments so that you can pack the baby items you need. You’ll want to be able to take a set of clean clothes for your child, wetnaps for quick cleans, several diapers, soothers and rattlers and some small toys. When away from home with your child you’ll need baby milk, formula or water – and you will need to keep it cool. Make sure that the bag you select has an insulated pouch to keep a bottle cool for your baby. If you select a bag that allows you to keep everything in a well-organized spot it makes it so much easier to quickly get what you need when you need it.

2. Baby change pad. When out with your child you will inevitably have to change your baby’s diaper. If your diaper bag comes with a change pad you have the ultimate flexibility in being able to change your son or daughter’s diaper on the grass, in a changeroom, in the backseat of your car – almost anywhere.

3. Good value – since you are looking for something inexpensive, cost is a consideration. Look for one that is well made, is well priced (under $70) and provides great value for mom and dad. A good indicator is the product’s warranty. Look for one that has at least a 2 year warranty.

4. Looks great. Well, I am sure that you want an inexpensively priced bag but at the same time you want it to look good. If both you and your hubby will be using look for a bag that will look good on either a mom or a dad. When you do that even Dad will be proud to show the world what a great dad that he is. How cool is that!

5. Easy to take with you. Your bag has to be functional and at the same time you’ll want to make sure that it easy to carry especially when you also have the baby to carry. It will be helpful if the diaper bag can be carried over your shoulder, better yet if it can be slung onto your back like a back-pack, and make sure that the strap is long enough that it can be looped over the handlebars of your stroller.

Do you like to travel with your child – but you are concerned with their comfort and safety when it comes to bed time when you are away from home? Maybe it is a simple overnight trip to the grandparent’s home. They have the old second-hand crib – but how safe is it? Or how about at a hotel – how safe and reliable is the crib that they quickly setup for your son or daughter? Maybe now is the time to consider a toddler travel bed for your child.

Safety and comfort is number 1 at all times when it comes to your child – and even more so when travelling with you son or daughter. Have you ever had that one night when your child cries all night – and you just know it is a result of them sleeping in an uncomfortable bed? How about getting to a hotel room and you see the crib they have set up for your son or daughter – and there is absolutely no way that you will be placing them in there to sleep – not clean – not safe – and so on. You may be ready for a toddler travel bed. There are many good quality beds to choose from – but how do you decide on the one that is the best option for your family. Read our 7 tips to help clarify your decision.

1. The lighter the better. All things considered – the lighter the bed the better. The bed you choose should be under 6 pounds (in metric that’s under 3 kg.). Travelling with a baby means that you have other gear as well – diaper bag, stroller, etc. Everything you buy – including your toddler travel bed should be ultra lightweight.

2. Easy to carry and load into your car. The bed you select should have its own travel case and when packed away it should be no larger than 24×8x8(in.) or 60×20x20(cm.). No matter where your travels with your child take you – on a plane on a cruise ship or to grandpa’s house you have to carry all the gear and it all has to fit into tight spaces – like your car trunk or as checked baggage on a plane. A small, compact bed will help with this.

3. No hassle set up and put away process. Speed and simplicity are the keys when setting up or putting away your toddler travel bed. You arrive at your destination – your child is tired – you don’t want to struggle to get the bed set up. You want a bed that one person can handle on their own for set up and for putting it away in its travel pack. The bed you get for your child should be easily set up in less than one minute or so, and it should be put away in a similar amount of time.

4. Simple and quick access to your toddler. If your child needs you in the middle of the night you want to be able to easily reach into the bed to pick them up or to pat their back. The bed you decide on should have a way for you to quickly get to your child – usually with a side panel that can be lowered by a quick zip of a zipper.

5. Bed with good air flow. If you choose a bed that has mesh side panels you can be assured that there will be air ventilation keeping your child cool and comfortable as they sleep.

6. Light and comfortable mattress. The mattress in a toddler travel bed can sometimes be heavier than the bed frame itself. Look for a travel bed that comes with a foam mattress – it will be both comfortable for your child and lightweight to carry.

7. Buy with confidence. Check to make sure that the retailer that you purchase from has a no problem return policy – you want to make sure that the bed can be returned (with no problems from the retailer) if it just isn’t right for your family. And if the bed that you purchase is a high quality one, the manufacturer should provide a life time guarantee which will protect you years from now in case there is a problem.

There are lots of essential pieces of baby gear that make life better and easier for families. We consider a toddler travel bed to be essential to our family – and maybe you feel the same way for your family. When the time is right for you to look for a bed for your toddler child use these tips to help to make the right decision for you.