You already know it’s a dirty job and that you’ll be doing a lot of it. Still, you can make diapering your baby a lot easier if you follow some easy tips:

Cloth diapers….
Some parents choose cloth diapers because they say they’re softer against baby’s skin, are less expensive than disposables, and are less harmful to the environment.

If you use a diaper service, you can have dirty cloth diapers picked up and cleaned ones dropped off, twice a week. Be sure to find out if you need to rinse the diapers

out before they’re picked up.

If you wash the diapers yourself, keep them separate from your other clothes. Wash them in soap instead of detergent (for softer diapers), and don’t use fabric softeners. (They can cause rashes.) Always use hot water, and double-rinse each wash.

Your baby will probably go through about ten diapers a day (or 70 a week). If you’re using cloth diapers, and washing them yourself, you might start out with about four dozen diapers and see how far that goes. Even if you do use cloth diapers, you may want to keep a few disposables handy for when you’re headed to the park or store.

Disposable diapers…

Moms who choose disposable diapers usually do so because they’re more convenient. And because of their plastic liner, they do a good job of protecting bedding and clothing.

Make sure when you change your baby’s disposable diaper that you dispose of it in the right way. Empty out any soil in the diaper before you throw the diaper away. Be sure to throw the diaper into the trash and not the toilet.

Before you start diapering your little one, make sure you have everything you need within your reach. Never leave your baby on a changing table, even for a second. You never know when she’ll turn over.

To change your baby, you’ll need:

* A clean diaper
* Diaper rash cream or ointment (if your baby has diaper rash).
* Cotton balls and some warm water, and a washcloth (can be used instead of diaper wipes, which may irritate your baby’s skin).

* Step 1

Remove your baby’s dirty diaper, and use the cotton balls, washcloth, and warm water to gently clean his diaper area. Apply any cream or ointment if needed.

* Step 2

Put a cloth or disposable diaper on your baby. Cloth diapers need to be fastened with diaper pins, or even diaper tape — a tape that sticks to cloth. Disposable diapers are fastened with tape fasteners. Just be sure you don’t get cream or ointment on the tape — it keeps it from sticking.

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