Cloth Diapering

My Baby Has Sensitive Skin, Can I Use Cloth Diapers?

This post was originally published on the Kelly Wels blog. Post may contain affiliate links meaning if you click and buy I receive a small commission. Thank you. Perhaps your baby has very delicate skin, constantly dealing with diaper rashes, and you babycan only use the priciest baby wash & lotions. You may be wondering if baby’s sensitive skin will tolerate cloth diapers. Well, most likely, yes. In fact, you may find that cloth diapers resolve most of your rash issues!

My middle child’s rashes from disposable diapers were what finally convinced me to switch to cloth. We started our stash with a handful of stay-dry (suede-cloth inner) pocket diapers, and the change in his skin was remarkable. So much so that I started washing diapers twice per day, so we could keep him in cloth all day, as we added diapers to our stash as our budget allowed.

A baby may be sensitive to heat, moisture, chemicals, synthetic fabrics (like the polyester micro-fleece or suede-cloth you find in stay-dry cloth diapers), or any combination of the above. Of course, there is always the possibility of food allergies or medical concerns, and any rash should always be examined by your doctor!

If you are frustrated with your baby’s sensitive skin being irritated by disposable diapers, consider trying a handful of natural fiber prefolds, covers and micro-fleece/stay-dry liners. The cost will be minimal, and you can try natural fibers (the prefolds), and also try the stay dry liners if your child seems sensitive to moisture. From there, you can decide if you want to stick with prefolds & covers, or perhaps try pocket diapers with stay-dry inners, or all-in-one, all-in-two or fitted diapers with only natural fabrics touching baby.

If you find that your baby is sensitive both to moisture and synthetic fabrics, try using a natural fiber diaper and changing it very often. When you are using cloth diapers, the cost of a diaper change is negligible, so you can change your baby every hour without feeling like you are throwing a quarter in the garbage can every time!

Though cloth diapers are thought to be more “breathable” than disposables, you can also use fitted cloth diapers – sized or one-size diapers generally with natural fibers, and no water resistant layer – around the house without a cover to give your baby’s skin more air.

Does your baby have sensitive skin? Did you find a solution in cloth?


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Maria
Maria is an aspiring "fit mom" of 3 children, writing about cloth diapers, going green, and her life as a single mom. Maria works with many companies within the cloth diaper industry and beyond, providing social media management, product development, and other services.
7 Comments
  • February 21, 2020 at 4:41 pm
    Reply

    Yay, I’m so glad!

  • February 21, 2020 at 1:45 pm
    Reply

    This sounds exactly like my baby! He had a brutal rash until we switched to cloth diapers made from breathable materials. His skin is so much happier with cloth diapers.

  • Iris Ramirez
    March 14, 2017 at 6:56 pm
    Reply

    My baby is barely 5 weeks old and has developed a really bad diaper rash (minimal bleeding). A nurse advised me to stay away from diaper wipes for the time being until the rash goes away. So I am using cloth wipes, I am planning on switching to cloth wipes and while I’m at it switching to cloth diapers as well since I am worried that my baby might have sensitive skin just like my husband does. My question is what are your thoughts about cloth diapers in correlation to diaper rashes? And since you have switch to cloth diapers do you experience diaper rashes more?

    • March 14, 2017 at 7:06 pm
      Reply

      Rashes disappeared for us when we switched to cloth diapers!

  • January 12, 2017 at 8:24 am
    Reply

    Hello,
    Can I use cloth diaper while carrying my baby in structured carrier? Is it confortable using cloth diaper while my baby is in carrier?

  • Melinda Cooper
    January 12, 2017 at 8:20 am
    Reply

    Hello,
    Can I use cloth diaper while carrying my baby in structured carrier? Is it confortable using cloth diaper while my baby is in carrier?

    Thanks In Advance

    • January 12, 2017 at 9:24 am
      Reply

      Yes, we didn’t have any trouble babywearing while cloth diapering. 🙂

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