Setting Up

Your diaper choice
I know that cloth is enjoying a renaissance, but I welcome the disposable diaper as one of modernity's Great Gifts to Mothers, along with the umbrella stroller, the VCR, and the juice box. They're convenient, fast, mess-free, easy (once you get the hang of those tabs), fast.

Of course, like most of the big questions about parenting, which kind of diaper to use boils down to personal choice. (Neither method holds a big price or health advantage over the other. And your baby couldn't care less.)

Your changing table
My friend Deb didn't like the idea of purchasing a special piece of furniture just for bottom-cleaning. Then she brought her firstborn home from the hospital. Within 48 hours, she'd sent her husband out to buy a changing table in order to save her back and keep her bed clean.

Whether you buy a multipurpose dresser with a changing area on top or an inexpensive table made for the purpose, being able to change your baby without stooping makes the job more comfortable, especially when he's tiny. Another advantage to a changing table is that it provides a central place for storing diapers and wipes.

On the other hand, more than half the diaper changes I've done have taken place on a low ottoman in the family room that's been covered with a ratty old quilt. My kids have no idea how an ottoman is normally used. (Which brings me to another tip: Set up a diaper-changing station on each floor of your house. No sense in making a chore harder by climbing stairs too.)

Many changing tables come with a safety belt, though they can't keep a wriggling baby in place and they provide a false sense of security. Better keep one hand on your baby at all times (even atop a low ottoman). As for jazzy accoutrement like mobiles, fabric diaper stackers that coordinate with the nursery linens, and wipe warmers, let's just say they're optional.

Your diaper pail
I like my old-fashioned plastic pail, but my sister swears by the clinical efficiency of the Diaper Genie, which turns dirty diapers into hermetically sealed sausages. My favorite hint about diaper disposal came from my son's first daycare provider, who expertly rolled up a dirty diaper and sealed it with its own tabs. Much less messy than just tossing it.