We'd be delighted to hear from any cloth users about their experiences - just send us details of what worked, what didn't and what you wish you'd known before.
I first considered cloth nappies out of a vague sense of guilt for the environment and started off after my son was born with a laundry service. Great in theory, but I just wasn't happy - the nappies were leaking, I was constantly having to handwash the covers (defeating the convenience of a nappy service!) and it cost just as much as disposables. So I switched back to disposables for a while, but then got frustrated by the constant leaking of poo during the day and wee overnight. Even the best brands couldn't handle my son. So I got on the internet, discovered an information site like this one and started getting some great advice. Once I started to implement that advice, I never had another leak. I couldn't believe it!
Washing my own nappies seemed scary at first. But once I started doing it, I soon realised it wasn't hard at all. When my son was 21 months old I gave birth to my daughter and since then I have had two in cloth nappies. I work full-time and am setting up a small business on the side, and I still manage to wash the nappies. It honestly isn't much work at all!
It was the reliability of cloth which converted me, but quite apart from that, I now love the look of them (fluffy white bottoms! - ever noticed how most ads featuring babies still have them in cloth?!), I love the lack of chemical smells (not something I noticed while still using disposables but very obvious to me now); I love the money I save (I can definitely think of better things to buy with the $5000 I've saved!); and I love the feeling that I am making some sort of environmental contribution (even if I'm not perfect environmentally).
Before I had my son I was determined to use disposables (due to a lot of false info I'd heard about cloth)... I was steadfast against cloth UNTIL i did a bit of research. Elizabeth and Deborah really got me onto cloth fitted nappies with their vast informative discussions about cloth vs disposables. I really have these ladies to thank for changing my views on cloth.
I really really want other people to try it because it is so easy and most people who use disposables are just falling into the trap of using disposables because of the myth of cloth nappies not being as good. For the first few days when I used premium disposables, all I got was leaks, and the last thing you want to do in the middle of the night when you change the nappy is have to change the whole suit as well because it is soaked! It's SO ANNOYING!
I ended up buying some fitted nappies, covers and snappis for around $340. Great value if you ask me, and not only that, I have had NO LEAKS whatsoever. So, not only do I have a great value nappy system that is good to the environment, I feel so proud to be a cloth user!
I finally changed to cloth a month ago, when my daughter was 9 months old. I didn't have any problems with disposables but hated the pooey waste filling my bin and was attracted to the cost savings of cloth. I also like the softness of cloth and the way it looks and smells nicer when on bub.
I had planned to use cloth from birth but a whole lot of friends talked me out of it, and after having a caesarean ended up using disposables. However I still had a niggling desire to go for cloth. After I found out about dry pailing, using polar fleece liners to prevent staining and about all the modern shaped nappies on the market I wanted to give it another try.
So now I am finding that with the modern improvements and newer ways of doing things it is really not that hard. It gives me a kick to know that we are saving money and it makes me feel good to know that baby's poo will go in the toilet where it belongs.
I never even considered disposables as quite frankly we couldn't afford them. My son and daughter are in cloth day and night. About a month ago I finally got around to giving making fitted nappies a go, and am absolutely loving the results! I am making more nappies as I find the time, and also wool covers. I wish I had discovered wool covers with my eldest as they are absolutely magic!!! I have never understood why people poo-poo (pardon the pun!) cloth, especially the so-called extra effort (I also now dry pail after nearly 6 years of Napisan buckets! Dry pail is so much easier!!). I absolutely love seeing nappies flapping on the line, and how they smell after a sunshiny day!
I am a full-time Tots Bots user. I can't even remember how to fold a terry anymore and until very recently have had 2 in cloth. I think Tots are great. I recently had my daughter in hospital for 3 nights with an awful rotorvirus, which is characterised by vomiting and liquid poos (charming). The hospital supplied premium disposables or flat terries which couldn't cope at all but her Tots (with Motherease covers) were up to the task. I can't recommend them highly enough. I have tried most of the other brands available in Australia and find that they don't even come close (except for one Deborah made of course!).
I was a dedicated disposable user. I thought cloth would be gross and too much trouble but my daughter developed a diaper rash that we couldn't get rid of. Switching to cloth and cloth wipes cured the rash. I'm derailed for the moment because my washer died, but I can't wait to get a new one because the redness is creeping back. Cloth made all the difference, and I can't wait to get back to them.