I switched to cloth when DS was around 14-15 months and have used about 2/3 of a box of disposables with DD so far - she's pretty much been in cloth for about a month now.
It is extra work with two - but when it was just DS - it was fine. Just an extra load of washing every two days - I used to do it at night, and then hang the nappies up on the clothes horse inside.
I don't use flats very often - I use different types for both kids - DD is more in fitted nappies and covers - DS is more in pockets - but I use fitted, covers and AIO's and AI2's with him too.
I have no regrets changing - and I much prefer using cloth - makes me feel better to know I'm not contributing to the world's waste.
I got the same reaction when I said we were going with the Modern Cloth Nappies for bub #1. I actually found using cloth easier than disposables (I use sposies when we travel etc). They require no soaking and are just dry bucketed, then thrown in the wash.
The pros are
- they are no more difficult than disposables
- you don't have to always find somewhere to bin them
- your bin doesn't get overloaded and STINKY!
- the poo goes in the loo where it should be and not in the rubbish tip (eeeewwww)
- they are GROOVY looking and bubs can wear a nappy and singlet and look funky
- they work out to be sooooo much cheaper (especially now that #2 is on the way and we are running a really tight budget).
Cons
- they cost more upfront but I got mine for my baby shower so that didn't really affect me
- sometimes you run out if you aren't organised enough
- can't think of any more
Cloth full-time from 11 days old! Took me that long because my mother wanted to stay and help me and didn't want me to use cloth so bought disposable, and the hospital stay. (Sposies for hospital stay definately, or better yet have a homebirth so cloth full time from birth.)
I used flats only for over 4 months. Easy. Baby sleeps in the day so you can put the washing on then, it's not too much harder to wash nappies than it is to drag yourself to the shops in the pouring rain and they're a mile away and you have no car and you and bub get splashed and they're out of nappies your size... (OK, organising sposies was my biggest fear). At least if you realise you're down to your last clothie you can wash and use the tumble dryer quickly!
I've even used cloth on holidays - OK so take a binbag for the bucket on the way home because you need that airtight in a car.
More pro points are that if you take a (CLEAN) flat nappy with you in your bag, bubs has an instant playmat on floors you don't think are that great. All in one nappies are great for changes when you're out because they're no-fuss and don't need folding or more than one layer. And flats can be used as comforters. And no chemicals near the genitals - BIG thing with me. My DS doesn't like chemical nappies, if he has nappy rash it's gone within a week with cloth no problems, put a chemical nappy on a nearly-healed bum (2 days post nasty rash) and he got a fungal infection! But every baby is different and some don't like cloth nappies.
Um, I just love my cloth nappies! They look cool, they give DS extra padding (IMPORTANT in the case of car accidents and coffee burns, the cloth nappy meant no coffee got to his bum when he sat in a spilt hot drink), they are SO easy to use and even my DH prefers them to disposable ones, but we like different styles so that means we have a mix of nappies.
Also you're the mother, you get to pick what you do for your baby! Not your friends.
That's great feedback ladies, definately worth for me trying to look more into it. I guess, I will have to face the VERY daunting forum of Cloth Nappy, 144 threads! Yay!
AJP. are you for real??? really? I had no idea that it was the case and would dare say a LOT of peeps out there would be breaking the law...wow, I never knew that
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