Sticking up for cloth nappy choice?

[AnnVan]

Im pg with first child and have decided to use cloth nappies. My Dsis used cloth with her daughter and loved it. I'll admit, I prefer the way they look to disposables etc, and if my sister (who is incredibly lazy)can survive using cloth, then frankly so can I.
DP's younger sister works in a nursery, and ever since she heard that I will be using cloth, she will not shut up criticising my choice. The problems is that she doesn't even have a reasoned argument against them. She just keeps going 'they're minging' or 'you're mad' over and over and it is starting to drive me nuts. I'm not going to change my mind (I've already bought my nappies) but I'm worried that his sister's constant stream of negativity re cloth nappies will put DP off. She doesnt have kids, and is just prejudiced against them because, as a nursery worker, they're not worth the effort. Anyone got any tips to get her to shut up?? (sorry for the massive post)

Well having been a real nappy user for 2 years I am forced by circumstance (temporarily living with my parents before we move into our new house, mum refuses to let me wash nappies in her machine) to use disposables in IMO THEY are minging. If you dont take them outside immediately the smell is foul. Have been horrified at how many we get through the bin gets full to overflowing so quickly and I shudder to think of it all mouldering in landfill.

Good choice! I love my cloth nappies (though will admit to using diposables over night and on long journeys like GLM) Dh and my mum are totally on board with them...only mil refuses and hunts out the disposables when she gets to babysit...so guess who doesnt get her "fair share" of time with ds? The best thing about them is that DS, now 10mths, is much more aware that he is wet/dirty in cloth then in a disposable, doesnt like it and lets me know immediately he needs changing...with awareness like that I think he will be potty trained before 18 months which saves thousands of nappy changes for me!

lol moondog re: genitals....

I love these replies!! That's the thing that really sells cloth nappies to me - mums who use them are totally passionate about them, you don't find people raving about their Pampers on internet forums do you?
Thankully MIL has no problems with using cloth her words 'Theyre not that hard, I had four children in cloth' and that was back in the days when terry squares were the only option (fastened with a pin!)
I think DP's sis will not be babysitting much because she's already showing that she can't respect my wishes as a parent. Seems to think working in a nursery gives her the right to tell people how to be parents

i really hated the smell of my next door neighbour's wheelie bin when she had her first child - and when she added another one in nappies at the same time. UUGGHH. our little soaking bucket never stank, honest

NeenzTwinz I completely agree - we've had people saying that (they're as bad for the environment) too. You can (1) point out that that doesn't take the landfill argument into account and (2) ask them to back it up with stats/facts (the nappy lady has a good luck at the study about this on her site and takes it to pieces)

Hmmm which would I prefer in my yard?

a) lovely fluffy nappies fluttering in the breeze on the line

or

b) bin full of stinking disposable nappies?

I went for a). Ds2 just got potty trained and I MISS WASHING THEM!!!! Can you believe it! I've had all my nappies and wraps washed ready to sell and I can't bring myself to list them as then they will be... gone!

Can you imagine anyone feeling that way about disposables?

btw when i said I was using washables with ds1 a friend looked at me in horror and said 'washing nappies? - thats DISGUSTING'

sillly cow.

Agree with anglepoise about the nappy lady's response to the 'research' that showed real nappies to be the same environmentally as disposables. Very interesting read - well interesting for the washable nappy addicts like me

I agree, AnnVan - people are so passionate about cloth. With 12-week-old twins I sometimes get so tired that I wonder whether disposables would be better for me but then I come on MN and read the nappies board! It makes me feel really good about using them and of course I am going to carry on. Good luck with them.

oh, and don't forget that disposables are supposed to be emptied of poo before putting in the bin. To my mind, if you have to empty it anyway why not just go the whole way and wash the nappy too?
At least the waste from my babies wont be there for their grandchildren to dig up and fret over

You know, not all my reasons for choosing cloth are that logical either. There's just something in me that feels this is what a nappy should feel like, and look like. I Find myself just feeling the nappies and thinking 'Soon there's going to be a little person in this'. I think babies look beeter with a little more padding round the rear - it looks so comy and protected. Disps just look like a piece of plastic danbgline rom a babys bottom!

So true AnnVan - people think my babies look wierd with such big bums but to me it is the way they should look. It feels so good to put a fresh clean dry cotton nappy on a baby, they feel so comfy - plastic disposables do not have a feel-good factor!

and because you have to buy bigger clothes to fit the cloth nappies you'll find a saving there too when they are nappy free the clothes still fit! How environmentally friendly is that??!

Had to pop in to add that I agree that they look better padded..that padding is also very practical..my lo started walking at 8 mths and his nappies (he had just gone into size2 Totsbots which looked massive on him)have saved him a lot of hard landings..to the point that now when he feels his balance going he actively throws himself backwards to let the nappy cushion the fall!
The only draw back I have found is that some manufacturers outfits do not fit cloth nappies..its not so bad for little girls as skirts go round anything but difficult for boys and frustrating when he fits 9-12mth clothes but the trousers wont go over the nappy and the 12-18mth trousers that do go over the nappy are miles too long...

x-post Overthehill..(changing ds funnily enough) hadnt thought of the end benefit..(just the frustration at the moment)..but..yes...great!..I look forward to it!

I was talking to a friend of mine last night and she was mentioning her addiction to shoe shopping (totally lost on me ) so I mentioned my addiction to cloth nappies.

She was absolutely horrified, completely aghast "why on earth would you want to use those? They are disgusting, loads of hassle and totally unhygienic - I wouldn't baby poo anywhere near my washing machine". When I told her I bought mine second hand I thought she was going to faint! Apparently if she ever has children she will use disposables for her childs sake (apparently cloth will make her child ill)
Didn't have the heart to point out that, being a child of the 70s, she would have been cloth reared herself.

A bit OT but another gem from her came about when discussing how tired we both were one evening. She said "it's OK for you, I have to go to work tomorrow and if I make a mistake that is a big deal, whereas for you if you make a mistake looking after your kids it really doesn't matter - you can just switch off and get some rest". She works in an office and, by her own admission, spends most of the day on messenger .

There is not a day that goes by where I don't wish several whinging, hyperactive, screaming, pooing, weeing and refluxing babies upon her...is that cruel?

....yes I guess it is

Mousey - Lol at the friend. Actually one of my friends said a similar thing when I told her 'eeeuw pooey nappies fermenting in the house, you'd have to boil wash them!' When she has kids she'll find out that with dsposables you still have pooey nappies ermenting round the house!

About the clothes issue, there's a website that has a range of clothes called cut4cloth, specially for cloth bummed babies. They're called Frugi It think. Will google it

here

(admittedly, its not a huge range)

stop!! i am now hopelessly broody - want to get those cute clothes

the cut4cloth clothes are lovely but so expensive, I can't really justify it

Mrs Jamin - C4C unfortunately is very bad quality. I've had poppers fall off (close to DD who was napping!, ankles ripped, and a tear down the stitching.)

I love that they are an ethical company, but would prefer good quality clothes!

By getting a slim fitting resuable, I find, solves the problem of having to accomodate the 'big bum!'

Just been shopping

Theres more than just C4C - hang on and I'll go hunting.....

Every C4C item I have had has lost poppers or buttons or both

Oh, an anxious audience awaits, Bigbad

Went shopping before I saw the bad reviews, dammit!

tinker togs

kittykins

twinkle togs

The top one isn't taking orders over the internet right now and a really good one called trufflebuggy has closed for good so I guess there is a gap in the market for cheap, well made clothes cut for cloth.

It is really easy to make your own though - especially if you have a sewing machine. I'm not exactly talented when it comes to crafty things but I can knock up a pair of trousers in 40 mins