Polara Studios Inc/Courtesy of gDiapers
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This post is part of a series on choosing the best diapering option for your baby.
It turns out that Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman aren't the only Aussie transplants finding success in Hollywood. gDiapers may have originated in the Land Down Under, but the hybrid diapers can now be found on the tiny heinies of many of the Golden State's littlest citizens-including Julia Roberts' youngest, Henry-as well as on numerous babies across America. OK, so what is a gDiaper-and why is it a hybrid? It's a cloth diaper...no, it's a disposable...no, wait! It's both! A gDiaper comprises a pair of waterproof cloth outer pants, plus a disposable insert that can be tossed, flushed (sometimes), and, according to the manufacturer, even composted.
Will this new option will fit your family's lifestyle, and most importantly your baby's bottom? Here's what you need to ask yourself:
1. Do you have a strong toilet-and a strong stomach? In order for the soiled inserts to be flushed, they need to be ripped into strips and swished around in the toilet bowl, or they won't go down. And sometimes, even according to gDiaper devotee moms I've spoken with, they do not go down...so be ready to take the plunge, if need be.
2. Do you have a washing machine? You won't be washing as much as if you were using cloth alone, but you'll still be laundering the cloth outer shell every second or third change. (Unless your kid is like my second child, Miss Mina "Queen of the Giant Pee," in which case this system is probably not for you, since it's not designed for kids with racehorse-style number ones or number twos with "a certain style and consistency.")
3. Are you deeply concerned about landfill issues? gDiapers are more environmental than a standard gel-filled disposable, because the part you dispose is much smaller than a regular diaper. Even if you decide to throw it away, one insert is less than a third the size of a whole diaper.
4. Are you concerned about super-absorbents? gDiapers uses Super Absorbent Polymers (SAP), the same super-absorbent gel found in most conventional disposables. SAP is also the same compound that was removed from tampons, however, because of its suspected relationship to Toxic Shock Syndrome.
A look at the bottom line: from my perspective, I found this option no easier than cloth, and substantially more expensive. Several apartment-building-living urban moms I know, however, set me straight and told me it's a great compromise for them. They know they are making a lot less trash, and they can work laundering the covers into a doable schedule in the building's shared laundry room-something they say they couldn't have done with 100 percent cloth.
Tip: gDiapers are available online and at most Whole Foods Markets.
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