Are there trends/fashions in the cloth nappy world?

I would have still used cloth if there was just the basics about. Zach first nappy at about 8 months old was an Easy Peasy nippa bimble with a ME wrap. I was just happy with that until I found The Tree

I would have carried on using cloth with Zach and cloth with Imogen regardless - the simple fact that there were no poo leaks with cloth was enough for me.

Now though, I like to buy gorgeous nappies, I really enjoy it but I also have quite a small stash as I can't afford to have lots of the loveliness really and I can't justify it either much as I would love to own every stunning nappy I see

i still would use cloth if they weren't pretty. i also haven't really used nappies at home , during the day, for quite a while. i've bought a potty for dd. and let her get on with it. she seems to be potty training herself bit by bit (doing poos in the potty, but not wees yet)

this has meant i don't need as many nappies, which is a bonus.

most of my family are in india. babies in my family don't tend to wear nappies- unless travelling/ some special occassion. also disposables are very expensive and tend to be sold in much smaller packets- 5 or 10 in a pack

I see what your saying but my question was wether or not people would use nappies if they couldnt have the pretty ones...

I know that EC is a fair option for a lot of people but i was asking about nappies

Yes, I get that and my answer is that perhaps some people would not use cloth nappies (and EC instead), if all they could get were prefolds/flat nappies.

that's an interesting point Morag, but I personally think that if someone were put off using cloth because they couldn't get pretties they'd be more likely to use sposies than EC as an alternative.

We have a stash that is all pretties, mainly WAHM with some BBSS and WNSS pockets for nursery. I am unashamedly addicted to my cloth and wool, and cost never even entered my head when I chose to use cloth, it was simply that I believed (and still do) that it was better for a babies bum to be in fabric rather than paper...

Having said all that, I am practising at least a form of EC with DD and have been since she was about 9 months - she has only done 3 poos in her nappy in the last month or so - 99% are now in the potty, and I'm hopeful she will PT early, even though I love my cloth. I don't really see what one has to do with the other tbh...

(runs off to cower waiting for Morag's response )

We always intended to use cloth - i have 3 younger brothers and remember my Mum using terries, so I'd seen cloth in use and didn't have any doubts about it - I hate creating waste, so sposies for me were always a poor option - without even considering the chemical side etc.

I had a nappy service for DS - because DH was looking after him and didn't want to wash nappies. So obviously that was prefolds and wraps, which was fine til he was about 11/2 and then he just leaked all the time - if I'd been at home all the time, it wouldn't really have bothered me, but because I was running messy play sessions, I couldn't get through a set up and session without having to leave to change him which would've been fine as a one off, but wasn't really on as a regular thing. At that point he went into sposies til he pt'd at 2 - it was quite funny though, as I got blasted for leaving him for so long in a nappy (2hours ) on the only site I ventured on to ask for a solution!

I was given a set of prefolds and wraps for DD, so I was really pleased and fully intended to use them - then she leaked out of everything as she was quite skinny and then when we'd sorted the leaks out she started getting rashes I've never bought a new nappy though, even though we have had a ridiculous number of nappies pass through the house! She's only part time cloth now and I've got terries and wool, and a few meos, and that's it

I think the most noticable trend for me (bearing in mind that I haven't really been able to follow trends due to rashes etc) has been for materials - when I joined CNT, everyone was minkee mad - now everything is bamboo velour . It'll be really interesting to see what the next new fabric is that captures everyones imagination.

think the latest fabric has already started! the magical wanders of zorb thanks to ems

think the latest fabric has already started! the magical wanders of zorb thanks to ems

I nearly mentioned zorb - but then thought I might be a bit out of touch and displaying my ignorance!

With regard to EC, I've discussed it a few times with other Mums at groups and stuff and it's even more misunderstood by 'the mainstream' than cloth! People don't understand why or how, and the concept of part time EC just seems to be beyond people, even when you try to put it into context of explaining that's how Grannies can claim to have pt'd children at 12m etc.

I'm not ECing - I was interested in the idea, but I've found Miss C to be high maintenance and spend far too much time thinking about her bum as it is

Do you think that there are trends/fashions in the cloth nappy world?

Yes absolutely and this forum is a prime example.
When it started up we were all about pocket nappies, the lovely colours of fuzzis and pretty prints of Happy Heinys...

Or do you really go with what works/functionality? Or a combination of both?

I don't have any nappies that don't work or aren't functional - I only have one nappy that is pretty but isn't functional because it is missing and inner and is currently on a dolly at Grace's request

Do you think cloth nappies are a fashion item rather than anything else?

Well yes and no - I don't show off my daughter's nappies to anyone... Sure both they and I love their softness and prettyness, but it's only me and the girls that usually see them...
That said I do think it can be.

Would you still use cloth nappies if there wasnt the lovely WAHM's like Ems at puddlekins, weenotions, Beth and Amber at LLS etc etc etc?? if it was just really basic stuff?

Haven't read the other posts yet (6 pages and I'm tired sorry!)

I think it would depend what was available... If they worked for us, no rashes, absorbent enough, good fit, then I would still use basic plain nappies... BUT given at present the basic ones aren't a great fit on Grace nor Isabelle at night and just aren't absorbent enough the answer would probably be no!

I started our cloth nappying journey using bambino mio prefolds and their wraps and we did stick with it but eventually disposables became more reliable, less hassle, less leaky etc and we got out of the habit of using them. I did try again every now and again but the bad fit and leaks (whatever folds I tried) constantly put us off. It wasn't until I discovered proper shaped nappies that we really got our teeth into using cloth full time. And the only thing that kept me interested was trying all the new ones!

That said disposables are just SO nasty (smell, leaks, rashes etc) so I'd probably have to invent nice nappies if there weren't any

think the latest fabric has already started! the magical wanders of zorb thanks to ems

Emma from The HollowOak was the first to introduce zorb to the UK, unless I'm mistaken..

I see what your saying but my question was wether or not people would use nappies if they couldnt have the pretty ones...

I know that EC is a fair option for a lot of people but i was asking about nappies

Yes, I get that and my answer is that perhaps some people would not use cloth nappies (and EC instead), if all they could get were prefolds/flat nappies.

that's an interesting point Morag, but I personally think that if someone were put off using cloth because they couldn't get pretties they'd be more likely to use sposies than EC as an alternative.

Surely we're discussing people who can't afford disposables/pretty cloth nappies though? In which case they would either use the prefolds/flat nappies or EC (part or full-time) or potty train early (which could be EC depending on how it's done). Lots of grandparents did EC, they just didn't call it that, and early training and/or using a potty part of the time is actually more common now than most people realise.