i think the reason so many people (who do not even have babies) have such a negative view of cloth nappies, is that they remember the OLD type of nappies. Flat squares of cotton terry, sweaty plastic PVC pilchers, pins and soaking in buckets of Napisan.

If it was STILL like that, i would agree.

but it's not like that anymore. Time has passed, technology has advanced.

WAS cotton flats .............. now is fitteds, prefolds, pockets, AIO's,
WAS pvc pilchers .............. now is PUL, malden mills fleece and wool covers
WAS nappy pins .................now is aplix (industrial velcro) or snaps
WAS soaking in Napisan ........now is drypailing

plus there is the Little Squirt - attachment to your loo which you use to squirt the poo off the nappies.

to learn how to use MODERN CLOTH NAPPIES (MCN),

read up and join some forums like
ozclothnappies
nappycino
check out the MCN threads on belly belly

go to modernclothnappies website to find out about Re-usable Nappy Week, coming up 13 - 19th October. Events are scheduled allover AUstralia.

see the IN REAL LIFE MCN SHOPS list on ozclothnappies - just so you can see some MCN in real life.

Our experience:
we used MCN on our newborn from five days old. THe tar poo was not a problem. We put microfleece liners in her nappies and it came off the liners with using the Little Squirt. We got leaks in sposies and they made her bottom red.

We used MCN night and day from five days old, for all car trips too. Have never had to clean the baby car seat, or change bed linen, due to nappy leaks - so somethign is workign well! Our bub is now 23 months old and i can honestly say i am very happy we have been using MCN on her. It's saved us money, has been very reliable.

Even after a horror C-section, and a very long recovery period for me, i still managed to use the MCN. We raised the nappy bucket next to the loo, we raised the washing machine and the drier inthe laundry, and i changed the nappies on a changetable. so we made it work.

If you are set up to do it, it will work.
If you are not set up to do it - of course it will fall in a hole.

You need to think out the practicalities
- have enough nappies so you don't have to resort to sposies (cos you don't have enough MCN)
- buy a nappy bucket (or two)
- research the little squirt if you are poo phobic like me!
- research the fabrics that MCN are made of, that will enable you to make wiser buying choices. Avoid buying lemons. cos they ARE out there. You need to know WHAT you are buying.
- if you can sew or knit, research the DIY threads on Nappycino and here at belly belly about sewing and knitting MCN.

and ESPECIALLY for childcare
- get a few wetbags (one for bag, one in the wash)
- get flushable liners
- great info on "childcare and MCN" on the bubblebubs site, under INFO
- try and send a consistent set of MCN to CC, ONE process for them to understand. We send pocket nappies (for my 23 month old), but at six months old, depending on your child, you may need to send fitteds and covers that young. (fitteds + covers cope with runny poos better at that age).

there is great support online

like you, i knew NO-ONE who was using MCN when i started researching the topic.

i had heaps of questions, especially after my baby arrived adn i was using the MCN on her FOR REAL (not just practicising putting MCN on a teddy bear!!!). the online support was so good, and still is (now my questions are about Cloth Training Pants!).

so, all the best, and don't forget - people love to say negative comments about things they actually know NOTHING about! Just nod and change the subject. You just can't win with such negativity.

if MCN was utter rubbish, i wouldn't still be using on my child 23 months later - it DOES work.

forget the naysayers, if YOU want to do this, it's entirely do-able (and quite a bit of fun too - how many sposie users would say that???).