Author: Deano

The question could use more details, especially a definition of "best" in the querent's context.

That said, when we were getting ready to receive our now-3-year-old, we attended a parent prep class at a hospital in Berkeley, CA. Bear with me, or scroll-to-the-bold:

For those who aren't aware, Berkeley has a reputation for being both: 

(a) a very granola'd-out hippie eco-topia filled with rainbow-farting unicorns and biodegradable elitism and self-satisfaction, and

(b) filled with extremely wealthy white people who live in expensive houses, and drive the greenest SUVs on the market as they shuttle their children to and from vegan soccer practice.

The nurses and volunteers on hand at the training certainly "fit the vibe", and I cannot recall how many times we were hypno-proselytized into using Doulas, though we did succumb in the end.

Long story short, even these paragons of propriety, and champions of cloth diapering said that Pampers are, and have always been, the best diapers, hands-down.

There were numerous arguments for this:

1. Leak factor. For newborns, apparently the "other brands" just do not do as good a job with catching everything, not coming undone, being reasonably form-fitting, etc. Pampers also led the way on differentiated male/female diapers, and still maintain that lead.
2. Stress factor. You're a new parent. You want to save the earth, but you want to get 5 minutes of sleep a day. Use disposable Swaddlers, at least until you get in the rhythm of things. I swear those initial diaper changes took two minutes. Laughably slow!
3. Sleep factor. When baby wakes up screaming to be changed at 4am, you are unhappy. They are unhappy. With disposables, a lot of the waste gets absorbed by the crazy space age carcinogens inside the diaper, and Pampers has the best, most sponge-like carcinogens on the market. When the waste is absorbed, it doesn't irritate baby, who then sleeps through (eventually, some day, I promise) and saves you at least one trip in the middle of the night. Even if you switch to cloth for days, it can be a good idea to use disposables at night. Especially once solid foods are on the menu. Yikes!
4. Smell. Pampers tend to smell the least-bad out of all the disposables. Ideally, you'll buy UNSCENTED Pampers, which also tend to be the easiest unscented non-eco-diaper to find in stores (but don't do that, get Amazon to "subscribe and save" ship you diapers – much cheaper, and saves you another trip).

Over the course of 3 years, we went from Swaddlers, briefly into Cruisers, then on to Pull-ups (Dora, of course). We also used cloth during the days once she could crawl (all that diaper landfill guilt gets to you eventually). But, whenever we ran out, and had to use a Huggies sample, or try out those Seventh Generation recycle-diapers, we learned the painful lesson: 

Pampers may be EVIL, but they're also the BEST.

Note: this is only for "land diapers"… I seem to remember it was a much closer call for swim diapers, various brands all had good offerings for at least trying to keep the 'P' out of various 'ools' we visited.

Whatever you choose, good luck, and good health to you and your baby!

What are the best diapers?

I'd concur with Ben Rosenberg's answer from the perspective of the individual's day to day… As a parent, there is less absolute time in the day for "self care".

Philosophically, the question becomes much more difficult – is the childless person concerned about population growth worldwide, more than having time to play Batman: Arkham City uninterrupted? Is the parent concerned with continuing their genetic pattern, or other form of legacy?

I have known childless people who were demonstrably unselfish people. And I've known parents who had kids as a way to avoid being alone, or to help prove some point about their own self worth.

Overall, I'd say the question cannot be "fully answered" in the general case… Though perhaps the question "is it more harmful to be selfishly childless or a selfish parent?" could be more definitively argued.

Is it more selfish to have children or to remain childless?

You say weird like it's a bad thing.
(Planetary Vol. 1: All Over the World and Other Stories http://amzn.to/mb5Fl5)

Does it make me weird if I have no desire to get married or have kids?

Two answers spring to mind:

For "early in terms of age": the main disadvantages will likely be financial and time-based – that is, being less able to focus as intently on career or individual dreams, building up savings and investments, etc as you work together to forge a strong lasting relationship.

For "early in terms of number of prior relationships": the main disadvantages will likely be in terms of knowing what you want out of the relationship itself, and how well you and your partner are likely to create these outcomes together.

In practical terms, the younger you are, the more statistically likely both cases will be true. This isn't to say that all young lovers are doomed – it's clear to see that some people know from a very early age what they want from life, and also that some couples "just get lucky" – that, despite a lack of knowing what to look for in a compatible lifemate, they find one just the same.

For the rest of us, large dividends are likely to be paid back to us by:

• experiencing a wide variety of romantic relationships as early and often as possible, and
• holding off until later to marry until both partners are well established in their individual life plans – doing otherwise unnecessarily increases the chance of later resentment, or time-and-money-related stresses damaging the relationship in the long term.

What are the advantages/disadvantages of marrying early?

One of the most overlooked yet key components of successful romance is that it is highly subjective in nature, a reflection of, and reference to, a shared passion and history between lovers.

If your actions are such that anyone would see them as romantic, then you're doing it wrong.

This is why, so often, attached single men will remark that a given proposal story sounds crazy/lame/non-sensical, while their girlfriend is still trying to decide between sigh and swoon (go for broke ladies, if he catches you it's a good sign!).

Thus, it's possible to conduct a romantic proposal via Quora, if it makes sense for the particular couple involved, and hopefully is done in "full Quoran flair" – with much question/answer commenting, up/down voting, perhaps a special "needs improvement – should be asked on bended knee" option snuck in by a conspiratorial admin… You get the idea.

At the very least, such a proposal automatically rises above the entire pile of so-called "Jumbotronuptial Bids" incomprehensibly conducted at sports arenas in the US on a seemingly daily basis.

My advice? Follow your heart and your gut – if you think the two of you would look back on such a proposal and smile/laugh/run headlong for the nearest broom closet 10-20-50 years down the road, go for it!

Would a marriage proposal on Quora be romantic ?