by Janie Ottwell

There are several answers to this question. Some choose cloth diapers to save money, some for environmental reasons. Others use cloth diapers because of their baby's sensitive skin. I chose cloth diapers because it just seemed right.

I'll admit it never occurred to me to try cloth diapers on my own. I mean, how many commercials do you see for cloth diapers? It wasn't until the subject was brought up on an online message board that I began to think about cloth. But where to begin? I certainly didn't know anyone that currently used cloth diapers. My only vague knowledge of cloth diapers was that's what mothers used before disposables. Cloth diapering meant prefolds and pins, but I didn't even really know what prefolds were! So began my search for information.

The Internet is filled with facts, studies, articles and personal stories. There is a lot of information out there. But you have to use your own common sense to separate fact from fiction.

It's amazing to me that so many people readily use disposable diapers without hesitation. Perhaps, like me, they don't know there is an alternative. They don't know that cloth diapers have changed with the times. Or perhaps they don't know what is exactly in a single-use diaper. It's amazing what the disposable diaper companies don't want you to know. Furthermore, it's amazing how much misinformation those same companies spread. They lead consumers to believe that single-use diapers are truly convenient and, therefore, somehow better. The more I learned about what makes them so 'convenient', the more I knew I really didn't want all those chemicals anywhere near my baby.

And when you really think about it, wouldn't you rather wear a nice pair of cotton undies than a pair made from paper and chemicals? It didn't take me long to decide for myself that it's safer, cheaper and more environmentally responsible to use cloth diapers.

The most common complaint I hear from people against cloth is the handling of solids. Have you ever read what is printed on a disposable package? Right on the packaging, most disposable diaper makers instruct you to shake solids into the toilet. Sadly, most people neither read the package nor shake solids into the toilet. When it comes right down to it, doesn't it make sense to shake solids into the toilet where they belong instead of wrapping them up in a plastic ball and putting them out with the rest of your household trash? Landfills are not designed to handle human waste.

Cloth diapering is significantly cheaper. Instead of buying package after package of single-use diapers, you'll only need to purchase a few dozen cloth diapers. Beyond dumping solids into the toilet, it's not much more than running an extra load or two of laundry every few days. And cloth diapers come in all sorts of fun colors and prints!

My best advice is to research and learn all you can to make an educated decision. Only you know what is best for you and your baby.