Endora

Do think mothers today are going the route of cloth are more environmentally in tune with the waste that society creates nowadays, and, the affordability of using cloth over disposable.

For me, using cloth wasn't at all about saving money, instead, it was about diapering the old-fashioned way. Having always been frugal and old-fashioned, diapering the traditional way just felt right, and it seemed more natural and comfortable for baby... healthier, too, plus I loved being able to reach for a freshly laundered diaper at any time during the day or night without ever having to worry over running out. Always a fresh supply of diapers on-hand ready and waiting.

Do think having grown up in an era where cloth diapers were in vogue, definitely helped steer me in the direction of following in my own mother's footsteps and carrying the cloth diaper tradition forward.

Endora

Your story is pretty much mine to a T.

We didn't have the budget for disposables either, but being that I was always a fulltime stay-at-home mom, I seen no reason as to why I couldn't (and shouldn't) use cloth diapers.

Endora

Same here, at least not to my knowledge.

I can't help but reflect on the 70's, when I started babystting, everyone used cloth diapers, and in fact, up and until the mid to late 80's, at least in our small town, cloth diapers were still really popular and widely used. Wasn't until the early 90's, that cloth diapers fell out of favour here.

Endora

I haven't seen old-fashioned cloth diapers in stores in ages, same goes for rubber pants.

The diapers I used on my kids came in a package of 12, were flannelette, and I remember them costing under $10.

With my first I outfitted her with everything she needed in the way of diapering needs for under $50. That was cloth diapers, pins, rubber pants, and a diaper pail.

Quiltwoman44

Fifty years down the road, I still have some of my son's old thin cloth diapers. They are great to dust with. But I mostly used a diaper service so I had very little diapers to buy. Broke as we were, that service was the best thing!!

b.zang

If disposable diapers were available when my children were in diapers, I was not aware of them. What I did use later on that was "cutting edge" and a real work-saver was disposable diaper liners. Kind of like one of today's wipes that you laid into the center of the diaper and then hoped that the poop stayed on it because you could just lift the whole package out and flush it away. That didn't save me from a lot of toilet rinsing, though.

One thing I remember that is absolutely taboo today is gripe water. My first was colicky and gripe water calmed her right down. Poor thing, it's a blessing she's not an alcoholic today.

Endora

This is me, too!

Still have a dozen and a half old leftover diapers dating from 1990/91, that I use for windows!

Endora

Oh yes, disposable diaper liners! I used them also.

For about the first 4-6 weeks after each of my kids were born, I employed the use of diaper liners. What a blessing they were! Those early meconium poops are so sticky and messy and the diaper liners kept the diapers cleaner! Off with the rubber pants, unlatch and pluck pins from diapers, remove the diaper liner and flush, diaper into the diaper pail. Little to no rinsing! Loved those liners!

Didn't bother with the liners beyond the early newborn stage, but did add a liner to my older kids nighttime diapers if they had a sore irritated bottom or diaper rash, because the liners formed a wetness barrier between the diaper and their skin, helping keep them more comfortable and dry.

I remember blue diaper liners from my babysitting days. The moms would have the diapers folded and stacked, and inside each diaper was a liner ready to go.

Endora

Something I just remembered... Gerber rubber pants!

Gosh, Gerber made great rubber baby pants! The vinyl stayed soft forever, was durable and withstood laundering in the washing machine with the diapers, and the elastics were long-lasting and held their stretch!

Gerber rubber pants were domed with a full-cut seat, so they accomodated bulky double diapers like no other, and Gerber rubber pants were always available at the supermarket where I grocery shopped, so being able to do my weekly grocery shop and pick up rubber pants for the baby at the same time was a huge time-saver and convenience.

Endora

Any other moms remember the slapping, suction, pitter-patter sound those old one-piece rubber-soled (footed) sleepers made when our little ones would toddle around the house on those old linoleum floors?

I could hear my kids coming from a mile away!