Gro Diapers

Cute DiapersDiapers have to be high on the list of things that new parents will grow to hate very quickly.  Whether it is the high price, the mess, the awkward fit, the leaks or any other number of complaints there is just no getting around the fact that diapers are not one of the many adorable things that enter a person's life when they bring home a new baby.

So image only ever having to buy one diaper (sort of) for years?  Your savings could be huge!  Not to mention how much waste you would be preventing from harming the environment.   And using a non-disposable cloth diaper alternative is also kinder to baby, with no rough plastic or irritating chemicals.

These Gro-Diapers are definitely on my top ten list of gifts for any new parent.  I would even go so far as to say that these are a must for every new parent.   Now forgive me while I rave for a bit about why I love them so much...

Comfort
Because the diaper is made from organic cotton it is extra soft and friendly for baby's skin.  The stretchy elastic and velcro tabs ensure a completely adjustable fit,  and allows for movement, cutting down on painful rubbing when a baby moves around a lot, or starts to crawl.

Cost
A recent thread on a forum at Diapers Talk showed that parents spend anywhere from $24 to $40 per month on diapers, and that is on budget brands with no fancy extras.  AGro Diaper costs less than $24 and the extra insert pads are around $8 each,  but will last for months.

How it all worksEnvironment
Did you know that the US EPA estimates that a normal disposable diaper can take up to 450 years to fully biodegrade?  That's a lot of diapers taking up space in landfills!  Imagine, that your great great great great (well, you get the picture) grandchildren could actually find your child's used diaper buried somewhere centuries from now.  Gross, I know.

Look
On a purely superficial note, these diapers look great. I love the three bright color options. Forget those clumpy white plastic affairs!  Let a baby be afashionista!

The downside?  Ok, so no diaper solution is perfect, and I would advice parents to stock up on at least three sets of these diapers.  Although everything is supposed to end up in the absorbent pad we all know that babies bodily functions rarely go according to plan, and it's good to have a clean back up if you need to wash the whole diaper shell.  Also, add bigziplock bags to your diaper changing kit for when you need to change the pads outside of your home. 

Many parents like the idea of using cloth diapers, but quickly switch to disposables when they find that the reality doesn't live up to their ideals,  so buying a new parent a set of diapers and pads is a great way to let them test the water without making a big investment.