1. visit ozclothnappies website (it's a dot org site, not a dot com dot au site) and read the FAQ section (freq asked questions). this will help you so much. it's like "newbies to mcn 101".

2. visit the cushietushies website. read the care instructions.

3. forget anything you ever heard about nappies e.g Napisan, bleach, soaking in buckets. that is decades old info. the ModernClothNappies (MCN) are soooo different. technology has moved on, fabrics are different, how you care for these new fabrics is different

4. nothing you do using sposies is related either. it's learning something entirely new. that's why reading the faq at ozcltohnappies will help you so much.

5. get online support
join ozclothnappies yahoo group
join nappycino
join the cloth nappies threads on belly belly
look up the real life shops that sell MCN in your city/state (database can be found at ozclothnappies site)
youtube, google etc is cloth friendly, but sometimes you have to search for DIAPERS instead of NAPPIES. e.g "how to fold a prefold diaper" LOL.

6. if you are squeamish about poo, buy a Little Squirt. they are worth every cent. you attach it to your loo (with the same amount of skill, as is required to change a tap washer). esp if baby is at the runny, explosive poo stage.

if your baby does solid/pastey poops, buy flushable liners. tots bots and bummis brand ones are very good. some other brands are like sandpaper!

welcome

PS. alioops is very helpful if you want to know ANYTHING about CT's. She isn't biased to CT's if they dont' suit your bub though (mine didn't). Many bubs DO suit OSFA style, front snapping, wide crotched nappies, but mine didn't. we bought SIZED, narrow crotch, side snappers instead, that was what suited my bub. stuff like that, you only find out by TRYING, impossible to know, until you put them on your bub and have a go. that acid test, is when baby poops! if you have pootainment, ITS" A WINNER!!

the first week of using mcn, knowing HOW firmly to do them up, that sort of thing, is where you need a fair bit of troubleshooting, until you build your confidence up.

i spent the FIRST week, using SMALL covers, when my baby really needed NEWBORN sized covers - so we got heaps of leaks, due to my inexperience - i bought the wrong size - i did them up way too loose - so what i thought was "silly nappies that dont' work", was actually "silly me who didn't know what i was doing and was sleep deprived and recovering from major surgery, all at once". Once i knew what to do, what size i really needed, guess what? no leaks, easy easy easy. (thanks to helpful people on ozclothnappies, nappycino and here at belly belly.) i would have given up, if it wasn't for that BRILLIANT support.