by: Kirsten Hawkins

Let's skip right past the great diaper debate and assume that you've read what there is to read, done your soul-searching, and made your decision - and for your baby, it's nothing but natural against that tender skin. Whether your decision is ecological, economical, or based on something else entirely, you've decided on cloth diapers for baby. Now it's time for Diapering 101 - how do you turn a rectangle of cloth into a comfy cover for the little cherub?

Wash the diapers first

First things first. Never diaper your baby in a brand new cloth diaper straight from the plastic wrapping. Between the natural cotton and the manufacturing process, new diapers have a 'waxy' coating that cuts down on their absorbency and can irritate baby's skin. Toss all your new diapers into the washer and run them through five or six cycles with detergent, bleach and the hottest water you can muster. If you've got a clothesline and a sunny day, that's the best way to dry them.

Folding Diapers

You thought you had made your last choice when you picked cloth, did you? Think again. There are even more choices in 100% natural cloth diapers than there are in the disposable diapers aisle at the supermarket. Pre-folded, padded, flat-folded, nappy-style, all-in-ones, all-in-twos - it's enough to make your head spin just trying to absorb it all. Add to that the choices in diaper covers - plastic pants? Nappy covers? Wool covers? Velcro, pin or one of the novelty diaper fasteners? For the purposes of this Diapering Baby class, we'll assume that you're using plain old flat-folds - a simple rectangle of absorbent cotton that may have a quilted layer running down the middle for extra absorbency. Here are several different methods of folding diapers, courtesy of moms, grandmas and the DyDee Company.

The Angel-Wing Fold

1. Lay the diaper lengthwise on the changing table. Fold the sides of the diaper in to the middle to form an absorbent pad.

2. Fold a few inches down at the front.

3. Unfold the sides at the back of the diaper, fanning them out.

4. Place the baby on the diaper, and pull the front up between his or her legs.

5. Holding the front against his belly, bring both sides of the back around to the front, and pin in place, pushing the pin through a few layers of diaper. You don't have to go all the way through the diaper so that the pin is against baby's skin.

Bikini Twist High-Cut Fold

1. Lay the diaper flat on the table.

2. Turn ONE END of the diaper completely over, twisting the diaper at the midpoint to form an absorbent pad.

3. Put the baby on the diaper (or the diaper under the baby, whichever is easier).

4. Pull the front of the diaper up between baby's legs.

5. Pull back corners of the diaper around the baby, over the front corners and pin securely.

Double-Diaper For Heavy Wetters

1. Use one regular diaper and one infant size diaper. Lay regular diaper on table. Place infant size diaper in center.

2. Fold sides of infant diaper in, then fold sides of regular diaper in to cover the infant diaper.

3. Fold a few inches of the diaper front up, then fan the back of the diaper out to form angel wings.

4. Plop the baby in the middle of the diaper, and proceed as for the angel wing fold.

Whichever fold you choose to use, cover the whole thing with a diaper cover, smooch the little tyke and send him back off to play with a warm, dry bottom.