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So you're thinking about cloth diapers.
First of all—great job! The diaper dilemma is great: Each baby uses around 5,000 diapers before being potty trained, and roughly 18 billion disposable diapers end up in landfills each year where they take 500 years to decompose.
Second—don't panic! Yes, cloth diapers are a little more work, but it is manageable, and cloth diapers will save you tons of money.
While you can purchase cloth diapers, at $15 to $20 a pop, they can really add up. Although you'll save money in the long run, you can minimize costs immediately by making your own cloth diapers.
Scared of sewing? It's easier than you may think.
Baby mama blogs are an incredible source of information. They've been there and done that, so they know what works—and what doesn't.
You can find directions for making an old sweater into a wool soaker (we love this uber-green DIY project!), or find patterns for basic cloth diapers or prefold diapers.
Just be sure to use organic cotton for your diapers—it's better for the earth and your baby's skin will thank you.
For more on cloth diapers, check out The Diaper Hyena, a fantastic resource with the answers to your cloth diaper dilemmas.
If you're still daunted by the effort, consider gDiapers, a reusable cloth outer with disposable inserts that can often be flushed or even composted.
Cara Smusiak writes on behalf of NaturallySavvy.com about how to live a more natural, organic and green lifestyle.
More on diapers:
Can Baby Poo Be Green?
How To Go Green: Babies
Solve the Diaper Dilemma: Safer Disposables
Solve the Diaper Dilemma: Elimination Communication and the Diaper-Free Movement
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