I’ve always been a big fan of Seventh Generation. I really do feel like they go the extra mile to make environmentally responsible products and the world a better place.
I used their wipes and diapers (when I could find them) when the boys were little. Not only did I feel like I was doing something better for the environment (code: alleviate my cloth diapering guilt), but I knew I was using better stuff on my kids since regular diapers are bleached, processed, and full of that beading witchcraft that could absorb a Mr. Turtle pool full of liquid.
So when the folks at Seventh Generation asked me if I’d like to try out their diapers, I was all gung ho but I didn’t think it would be fair of me to do a review based on my experience four years ago. Then I remembered that Claire had a little man still rocking the diapers so I asked her to take them for a spin to see what she thought.
Here’s her honest take:
I need to start this post by explaining that I am currently diapering my third baby and he is 13 months old. My other two kids were potty trained just before they turned 3 years-old, so you have to believe me when I say: I know about diapers. I have spent the better part of the last 6.5 years buying, unpacking, unfolding, fastening, and unfastening diapers. By now, I’m a damn expert.
And like all parts of parenthood, my opinion about diapers has greatly evolved. With my first baby I would march up and down the diaper aisle and think, “Is this brand of diapers soft enough? Is it *nice* enough for MY precious little bucket of love? I will not tolerate chafing, goddamnit!”
With my second kid, who had sensitive skin, I was like, “This diaper brand is on sale and it won’t give my baby a rash? Perfect!” With my third kid, I’m all, “Does this generic diaper brand hold warm shit? SOLD.”
You know what else has evolved in the last 6.5 years?
My awareness of how this earth is going to hell in a handbasket. Global warming scares me. Oil prices terrify me. And I find myself thinking regularly about how I can adjust things in my household so we can be a little more “green”.
I became militant about recycling in our house. I turned the thermostat down last winter and we gave up our AC this summer. I started using washcloths to wipe my baby down after meals, instead of paper towels.
My friend Tricia, who has three kids, gave up paper towels altogether after her third kid was potty trained, explaining to me that she felt like she needed to counteract the amount of waste she produced during those diapering years. This makes sense to me. I tried cloth diapering but I sucked at it. But that doesn’t mean I have to give up completely on making my diapering process less wasteful and bad for Mama Earth.
So I decided to give Seventh Generation diapers a try. I read online that they don’t use any petroleum lotions in the diaper and that they don’t use chlorine processing—in fact, they are the only diaper brand that doesn’t do any whitening at all. Why the hell do we need diapers to be white anyway? So they look pristine before our babies defile them??
Seventh Generation uses a natural, non-toxic pigment to color the diaper a pleasant tan color. My husband is in the hazardous waste remediation business, so I can tell you that no extra chlorine or petroleum in the world (or on my baby’s butt) is a good thing.
And I have to tell you—I was pleasantly surprised by these diapers. They are softer than I expected and he has had zero leaks. They are hypoallergenic and fragrance-free, which I like because I find the scent of some diapers nauseating. I tried out the wipes, too, and they worked like a charm!
The downside of this brand is the price–they do cost more than the generic ones I have been using on this kid. And it toasts my oats that being environmentally responsible is more expensive. So my goal is to use the generics and buy these nicer dipes on sale whenever I can.
I’m never going to be the mom who composts every damn thing and starts driving a car that runs on french fry grease. But I can be the mom who makes a few small changes that will hopefully have a slightly larger impact on the health of this planet…one shit diaper at a time.
Also check out: Dyper vs. Coterie Diapers
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