“When I told my mum I was taking the plane to Greece with my three months old, she thought I was completely out of my mind and asked me what’s in it for the baby,” remembers Adela. “But it was great! Diapers were the only thing I had to figure out – we stayed on one of the picturesque Greek islands, our apartments were literally in the middle of nowhere, the nearest shop a thirty minutes car ride.” Adela makes a very good point: Especially when you take the plane and prefer to stay in a quiet place and not in a bustling holiday resort, you may need to pay for an extra suitcase just for diapers. How to work around that?
Go Natural
Here comes our first tip. At first sight, it may seem that it’s not really about diapers. But it’s related – and we deem it extremely important.
The best diaper in hot weather is no diaper at all. Maybe some light shorts.
Or a reusable and waterproof changing mat.
Imagine yourself in hot climate. Would you prefer to wear a piece of plastic on your butt? Because that’s what conventional disposable diapers are – mostly plastic. When it’s hot and your baby wears a not very breathable diaper, their bum is at risk of developing uncomfortable diaper rash.
In hot climate, your baby will be most comfortable when naked most of the time. Or wearing something very light and breathable. It’s the most natural, most eco-friendly and most intuitive way. And many other superlatives :-) Letting the skin breathe is great on its own and there’s another benefit of “going natural” that you might appreciate – without a diaper, babies can kick their legs freely, thus preventing tummy aches which are so common with newborns. On the other hand, naked or semi-naked toddlers can discover the magic of their own elimination processes when not wearing diapers – a great starting point for potty training.
Which diapers are the best fit for summer holidays?
If diapers are the last thing you want to think about when on holiday and you know for sure you can buy them in your destination, go for it! And don’t feel guilty – you’re on holiday! Just double-check in advance for a shop that sells diapers within reasonable distance from your accommodation – online maps will be your guide. Or ask about laundry service in your hotel, ask your host, your landlord or whoever is providing your accommodation.
Go for eco-friendly diapers if possible. Not just because of the environment – they’re better for the skin, too. Eco-friendly disposable diapers tend to contain less adhesives, perfumes, and they’re usually not bleached by chlorine – all that can easily irritate sensitive baby skin.
Just be prepared that the shop in your destination might not sell your favourite brand of diapers and you might have to compromise. That’s why we recommend considering this choice wisely – especially when your baby has sensitive skin. No one wants to deal with skin irritation on holiday. That would be... irritating :-)
However, what to do when your suitcase can’t take all the diapers and there’s nowhere to buy them in your destination? As counterintuitive as it may sound, try cloth diapers! Especially when there’s a washing machine in your accommodation or your hotel offers laundry service. Which is by the way a very good idea, even when your children grow out of diapers.
“I only search for holiday accommodation with a washing machine now – a habit I learned when my kids were in diapers. It’s such a relief to be able to do your laundry during your stay – you can pack so much less and I like to wash everything right before we leave – so my unpacking involves putting freshly washed clothes in our drawers. So refreshing!‘‘
Katka
Muslin Squares to Your Rescue
Which cloth diapers are the best for your summer adventure? It may sound quite counterintuitive again, but forget modern All-in-One Diapers and other latest diaper trends. They’re great in your everyday life but take up too much space in your suitcase and can take a day to dry, especially without a tumble dryer.
Don’t forget that your baby will wear diapers less on holiday (should you remember just one thing from this article, be it our “go natural” recommendation!) and the diaper wearing intervals will be considerably shorter. So, you don’t need to consider diapers’ absorbency that much.
That’s why in our book, good old Muslin Squares are the wisest choice. The reasons for that being:
- They're thin and don’t take up much space (less than packs of disposables or bulky fitted diapers).
- It’s easy to wash them. If necessary, you can wash them by hand.
- They dry fast. (We consider this the main benefit. When put outside on a drying rack, they will be dry and ready to be used again in about an hour.)
For the night, choose the modern take on muslin squares – prefolds. They’re more absorbing than muslin squares but still very light, easy to pack and fast-drying.
As waterproof layer, choose a PUL Diaper Cover. It’s got you covered! :-) Toddlers may be fine with just Training Pants that can be pulled down and up as regular underwear.
And a little motivational speech at the end: If you choose cloth diapers for your baby, you deserve to be praised for being eco-friendly and you can also congratulate yourself for saving a lot of money for your family budget. We blogged about this recently in our article How to Save Money on Diapers – your choice to use cloth diapers for your baby might actually pay for your family holiday!
Just. Relax.
You’re going on holiday. Let things go and relax! We know how impossible this may sound with a baby but still. Give it a try.
Have a lovely summer!
P.S.: Looking for swim diapers tips, too? Have a look here.
