Of all of the parenting issues, few other than breast feeding vs. bottle feeding garner more heated discussion than the decision parents face of whether to use cloth or disposable diapers. While there are strong opinions at play on this matter, the truth is that there are some advantages to either. Taking an even handed look at the positives and negatives of both, here are some things to consider when deciding whether cloth or disposable diapers are right for your baby.

First of all, we want to look at what’s best for baby’s skin. There is little doubt that cloth diapers come out the winner here. Over half of all one month old babies diapered with disposables will develop diaper rash, while less than one in ten babies in cloth diapers developed the same problem. Of course, with either kind of diaper, frequent changing and thoroughly cleaning and drying baby will reduce instances of diaper rash.

One of the major reasons many choose disposable diapers over cloth diapers is convenience. Whereas disposable diapers can simply be thrown away, cloth diapers need to be kept and washed, in order to be reused. Recent developments in cloth diapers improve dramatically on their convenience, with Velcro strips replacing diaper pins and liners that can simply be flushed making the diapers less unpleasant to carry around. Still, you can’t beat the convenience of disposable diapers, especially when traveling. Dirty diapers are simply thrown away, and nothing could be more convenient than that.

Moreover, cloth diapers will add about two loads per week to your laundry duties.

One of the growing concerns on many people’s minds today regards the impact of diapers on the environment. While no kind of diaper can really be called green, the edge here goes to cloth diapers. The water used to wash cloth diapers has considerably less environmental impact that the untreated waste from disposable diapers sitting in landfills.

On the matter of cost, another important factor, it depends on how you go about using cloth diapers whether they present a significant advantage or not. Disposable diapers cost somewhere between $50 and $80 per month. If you use a diaper service to clean baby’s cloth diapers, you’ll be in the same price range. If, however, you wash baby’s diapers yourself, you cut your monthly diaper costs in half, presenting a significant monthly savings.

Of course, this is a decision that no one can make but you, and no one should think less of you for either decision. Weight the advantages of each, and decide what you think will be best for you and your baby.

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