It’s a question that befuddles many new parents: cloth or disposable diapers? There are no easy answers, especially for those trying to be as environmentally conscious as possible. We’ve heard for years about the precious space that disposable diapers take up in our landfills, but going the cloth diaper route isn’t necessarily the greener alternative — especially with the new breed of compostable disposables hitting the shelves. The knock on using cloth diapers is the amount of water and energy used to clean them, which ends up being not at all insignificant if you’re trying to “calculate your baby’s carbon butt-print”, as The Diaper Dilemma suggests in the latest issue of Pregnancy magazine.

Look Inside >> November 2008

If you’ve got a baby at home or on the way and have been wondering how to approach the diaper question, you’ll find this article filled with useful information. It won’t tell you which method to use, as you have to weigh that decision based on what will work best in your own life, but you will come away much more educated about the issues involved. There’s even a mention and link to a method of toilet-training that does away with diapers altogether! Click on the image above to read The Diaper Dilemma for free on Coverleaf.

Also, for lots of good baby-related resources especially around naming your child, check out Coverleaf reader Samantha Anderson’s web site Quick Baby Names.