My sister is pregnant. In October, she'll give birth to a baby boy - my very first nephew. It was while talking to her one evening that the question came up: cloth diapers, or disposable ones? We had both grown up with our grandmother, who used to tell stories of her cloth diapering techniques. Her favorite tale was the one about folding little, tiny diapers for me, the premi-baby. Of course, along with these stories came some of the facts: cloth diapers back then were bulky, prone to leaks, and required hand removal of feces before they could be washed. So, when it came to the "cloth or disposable" question, of course my sister and I both answered "Disposable!"

But in my attempts to Go Green, I began to wonder: are cloth diapers still the fold-and-pin contraptions we heard about as kids? Is it really all that hard to wash them, what does is the average cost for either choice, and - more importantly - are disposable diapers really all that bad for the environment? So, as always, pulled up Google's search engine and began my research.

Here is what I found out about disposable diapers: _[X]

• ^{Average number of single-use diapers worn by ONE child from birth to potty training (approx 3 years): 7,349}
• ^{Average cost of 7,349 diapers (at $0.22 - $0.45 each): $2,694.54}

Before researching, I had figured that a baby would use maybe a few hundred diapers at most. According to my research, a newborn needs to be changed 12 - 16 times per day for the first week or so of its life. That's roughly once every two hours.

The diaper usage gradually lessens as the child ages, but the numbers add up quickly! Seven thousand, three hundred and forty-nine diapers for one child! Imagine a family with twins, triplets or even more newborns?

"Okay," I said, "So people are willing to spend thousands on a child in order to avoid a little hard work. But is it really all that hard to maintain a selection of cloth diapers any more?"

Not according to bumGenius.

Started by parents who wanted more in the way of cloth diapers, bumGenius carries a whole line of specialty cloth diapers. They come in several colors, sizes and designs, giving parents the opportunity to select a diaper that is appropriate for their baby's habits.

The greatest invention on the site is the One-Size cloth diaper, which can be adjusted as your baby grows, to fit a child from newborn to toddler stages, and back again. A person with several babies could purchase nothing but these One-Size diapers, and never have to purchase any cloth diapers again! They come with velcro fasteners, two inserts for two of the stages of diaper use, and a waterproof outer liner to top off the ensemble. You won't even have to worry about leaks!

So, let's do a little math. The average newborn uses 12 - 16 diapers a day. Let's say you wash your baby's diapers once a day, but would like a few extras on hand just in case. We'll order 24 of them.

24 One-Size bumGenius diapers: $406.80

Since these diapers can be used and reused, you will not have to purchase any more of them unless you have another baby while your first is still in diapers, or some of the diapers are damaged or lost.

24 One-Size bumGenius diapers: $406.80

7,349 disposable diapers: $2,694

Total savings: $2,287.20

The disposables will pay for themselves in as little as 6 months, and can be used for years. If the cash savings aren't enough to convince you, let's move on to the next question:

Are disposable diapers easy to care for?

One of the biggest reservations a new parent has about cloth diapering is their need to be cleaned regularly. Let's face it, baby poo is foul ennough on its own, but being forced to handle it while washing a cloth diaper would be far too much hassle. We come back to the stories we heard from our grandparents, of rinsing diapers in the toilet water to get most of the mess off. But today's market has found a remedy for that, too!

There is now an easier way to get feces off of your cloth diaper, and it comes in the form of specially-made inserts that go into the diaper. It resembles a softer form of paper towel or other flushable material. It can be removed from the diaper and flushed down the toilet, taking most of the feces with it.

BumGenius even sells a tool that hooks to the plumbing of your toilet, and sprays water onto a diaper so that you don't have to get your hands dirty by sloshing around in the toilet bowl. In short, your grandmother's diapering days are gone!

And if you still aren't convinced, here's a little food for thought:

Natural Family Online says:

^{"More than 4 million disposable diapers are discarded in Canada per day (1.6 billion per year). Disposable diapers are not biodegradable and make up a significant amount of municipal waste. A landfill site does not provide the conditions necessary for the single-use diaper to biodegrade. The "Diaper Genie" now mummifies single-use disposable diapers into our landfill sites for eternity. Consider the cost to operate additional landfill sites and the depletion of our natural forests." [X]}

^{For more information, check out these sites: Diaper Swappers | Diapering Decisions}