Well, I seem to tell this often so thought I'd stick it here!
More and more people are changing back to reusable nappies. Since there's no soaking and no pins involved in modern cloth nappies, and no folding if you don't want to, the options are so good that there's something to suit almost every baby, every parent and every lifestyle... I am a cloth advocate, and have used cloth in one form or another since our first baby. So here's a brief run down on our nappying journey!
I was 21, Brooke was my first baby, Michael worked 13 hours days 6 days a week, I had no licence and really no support network close by. However I didn't even 'see' this... because I was stoked, I was a MUM at LAST and cloth was just well, what else would you use? lol it was part of having babies for me! I grew up with cloth - disposables were for 'other' people is kinda how it was when I was a kid. All the children I baby-sat for were in cloth. So cloth I did - flannel flats+pins/terry flats, and Fluffies covers.
then Jake was born when I was about 23 and I had two in nappies, flats and I think we had graduated from the twin tub then ;) It was good really bc both were in the same fold so I didn't have sizes for each. I think we had a mix of Fluffies covers and the old PVC pilchers.
I think it was about 90:10 cloth/disposable for Brooke and about 80:20 cloth:disposable for Jake BUT had I known what I know now I would have corrected the myth tellers, ignored the ... stuff... I'd been told :rolleyes: and been 100% cloth. The biggest myths I got were 'they'll sleep better at night' which wasn't neccesarily true because almost without fail the night time disposable would leak and we'd have wet sheets, wet PJ's and whatever else was close by - and if not that, always a wet tummy... and the next biggest myth after that was that cloth was as bad for the environment as disposables, once you factor in washing and detergent. In my gut I was sure that HAD to be wrong but couldn't find the info to back me up... that was to come! (Especially 'that' study)
While pregnant with Zeke I found modern cloth (MCN) and was rapt once I sussed out the different types - and it was a bit baffling at first but easy once I got there. I made all my own for about $70 tops (3 doz), out of old towels, bunny rugs etc using a modified version of the PooPockets pattern (will add links to mods) and bought some covers. My Mum and Nanna also caught the sewing MCN bug and made nappies for Zeke. The nappies were one-size-fits-most, which they did on him from birth (7lb 13oz), Snappi closure and with gussets. We didn't have one poo-splosion for at least the first 6mths of runny breastfed poo, and after that he began solids so there wasn't any more runny stuff.
Never looked back, and never a disposable in the house - day time, night time, out and about and four weeks camping on the road, studying, any holidays well MCN was just 'normal' and no hassle at all. No soaking, no pins etc, fit under normal clothes - no down side really. Plenty of pics of some of the nappies I made later on and as gifts, here. Of course you don't have to sew a stitch to have good nappies.
We had the same plan for Brenna, although I was making with bamboo and hemp this time (coz I like 'em and they're better for absorbency and eco-wise).
Plan for #5 is the same, another cloth bum, 100%. eta well of course #5, Master Quinn is here and we did the same - fitted+cover, Snappi closure gives the most versatile fit + poo containment. My nappies were majority home made with some second hand scores. Some were sized and many of the ones I made, were OSFM or more correctly, made in say a small or medium with a fold down front, which could be Snappi'd.
BAMBOO for absorbency. People will say you don't need it for a NB, but if they fall asleep you don't want them sleeping in a puddle and if they happen to actually sleep LOL like Quinn did early on (which was a first for me!), for 3-4hours at a time, they need a nappy that will go the distance (and/or if you're doing school and kindy pickups and drop off etc in and out of the car).
Should there be a #6 I would consider also using our OSFM Rumparooz as they have internal gussets and would be good competition for NB poo. Fitted+cover is a staple though, for the first 6mths at least.
Any questions re water/eco, keeping bums dry, what sort and how many, no-leaks hints, babies with skin conditions and sensitivities etc and all the rest including the most popular cloth myths, a GREAT place to start is OzClothNappies - anything you ever wanted to know.
Plus through Nappycino you can read and ask as many qs as you like, plus can meet up with other cloth Mums in your state. Theres Large Family Mums there, working/studing Mums, Mums to Multiples etc from every nook of the parenting world. You can do cloth on tank water, while camping - anywhere really. I've also started to look into EC'ing... which we kinda did part time with Zeke, and which has been done for yonks and still is done in many cultures.
If you're still wanting to go with flats, I'd suggest perhaps some no sew easy peasy fleece liners, and some of the PUL covers - not PVC. I can also show you a no pins fold for the flannel ones when they're little. there's also a GREAT page for different folds info.
For the newborn/early days:
Bottom line I think so long as you have sufficient number of nappies that it's no stress if you don't get to wash for a few days &
enough nappies so it doesn't matter if Bub pees and poos like a trooper &
enough covers, with gussets preferably, then you'll be fine :D
change area set up, easy access, easy to use day and night.
Once it's habit, it just is and just becomes normal just like any other thing you do.
Anyway, thassit for now, I know there's stuff I've missed out but will add that as I come across it in my Gallery page, which for now is AWOL lol.
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