I had to use cloth diapers for both of my kids, they were allergic to all of the disposable diapers. Trying to find diapers in quanity and diaper pins and plastic pants in 1987 was nearly impossible!
Sharon in Texas

I had 2 in cloth diapers back in the 70's ... my mom made me fitted diapers out of her flannel scraps they were great! Probably still have some in a keepsake trunk!

Gaah, yes, the nose burn. Our pail was outdoors, just outside the back door - we had no washing machine and since Mom was in such poor health (nearly died from complications during a cesarean), the pail often went a week or more before it was hauled off to the laudromat (usually by grandma). Diapers were rinsed before they went into the pail, but it still stank worse than anything.

The little boy next door was my playmate, he and I used to dare each other to open the diaper pail and let the "stink monster" out, and then we'd run away screaming. :D Kids can make a game out of anything!

Nine over the years in cloth. My daughter uses cloth for her children. It is the only way to go with a larger family.

I hate throwing anything away. The guilt factor over needless waste grinds and grates on me.

As much as I hated the old plastic diaper pails, it was nice being able to open the lid and drop in a diaper, and yes, natural sunlight helped bleach-out nasty stains, while at the same time, helped to further disinfect the diapers and pants.

This doesn't at all surprise me. Pushing a child before their time always seemed so wrong to me. Children weren't trained early in the 1950's and 60's, mothers were. It was the mothers who were trained, and at the cost of the child. All of my kids went through the stage of nighttime diapers (for a time) after they were daytime trained, and none suffered chronic night-wetting episodes after. I definitely think there's something to it.

And what a huge GREEN movement it was. I do recall, because we had neighbours using cloth diapers at the time. One thing is for sure, I have yet to meet anyone who suffered any traumatic or life-altering complications due to having been raised in cloth diapers, and after all is said and down, we as mothers survive just fine, too. :)

My youngest was in diapers and rubber pants in 1987, but everything in the way of cloth diapers and supplies was readily available and could be found in abundance in all our department stores. Even the supermarkets carried rubber pants.

You're mother missed her calling! If only she could have seen into the future. :) If my mind serves me correctly, even disposable diapers back in those days weren't fitted.