One of the so-called joys of being a parent is the unrelenting decision-making, where even the smallest choice seems laden with the power to determine the very fate of your child. No pressure, but now enter the very fate of the planet. That’s right, we’re talking about cloth vs. disposable diapers.

It turns out that what may seem like a no-brainer in terms of which diapering is better for the environment is actually more complex, given the resources consumed in cotton production and laundering. Fortunately, Slate’s Green Lantern crunches the numbers for us and provides the bottom line… plus a couple of less labor-intensive alternatives.

And if you’re interested in making environmentally-beneficial choices for your family, check out Isis’s Going Green buying guide, where you’ll find a variety of green options from organic maternity and infant clothing to BPA-free bottles and bamboo baby bags.

Use Your Words
Whether or not to have an amniocentesis was my first experience with an utterly perplexing parenting choice that seemed to carry the weight of the world. What are some of the most puzzling choices you’ve faced during pregnancy or as a parent?