Myth 1. Using cloth nappies takes up time that I would rather spend with my baby.

If you use disposables, you need to take the nappy to the toilet to flush solids, then roll it up and take it to the bin. If you use cloth you need to take the nappy to the toilet to flush solids, (depending on your washing method possibly rinse it under the laundry sink) place it in a nappy bucket until wash day. Think about it. The difference between these two activities is negligible.

However, with cloth nappies every two to three days you need to tip the nappies into the washing machine, then take them out again to put into the tumble drier or hang them on the line. Tipping the nappies into the washing machine and placing them into the dryer might take you three minutes if you do it one nappy at a time. Hanging nappies on the line might take 10 - 15 minutes which you can easily do while your baby is playing outside in the fresh air (play peek-a-boo behind the hanging nappies - babies love that), or hang them out at night when your baby is asleep - doing this also helps keep the nappies soft.

It may take you between 20 seconds and one minute longer to put a cloth nappy on your baby (depending on whether you need to fold the nappy, put on a separate cover or are using an all-in-one fitted nappy). My suggestion is to drag this time out - make it five or ten minutes in which you can give your baby important 'air-time' without a nappy, play some games or give your baby a massage. Even if you don't drag the time out, any extra time that using cloth nappies may take can be used constructively to spend quality time with your baby.

Myth 2. Disposables are better at preventing nappy rash

Despite the disposable manufacturers' claims, an unbiased study conducted at the University of Bristol* proved that disposables give little protection against nappy rash. In fact, the 'Nappies and Nappy Rash' leaflet printed by the Health Department of Western Australia indicates one of the causes of nappy rash is leaving disposable nappies on for a long time. This is a tendency many people using disposable nappies have as the nappy does not 'feel' wet, there are no leaks and to save money by less frequent changes. Even the television advertising for disposable nappies which show the used nappy being extremely heavy with urine (remember the one where the nappy falls through the floor?) encourages parents to use each nappy longer than is healthy. For optimum hygiene, a nappy of any type should be changed as soon as it is wet or soiled - leaving a disposable nappy on until it weighs nearly a kilo is the quickest way of giving your baby nappy rash.

Generally speaking, parents who use cloth nappies will check the baby's nappy more frequently and are more aware of their babies requirements for being changed which helps to avoid nappy rash from occurring.

You might hear other parents comment that they initially used cloth nappies but changed to disposables because their babies got nappy rash. Put simply - they either didn't change the nappy frequently enough, or more likely the washing method they used left detergent residue on the nappies which caused a contact rash or allergy. In the majority of cases, simply changing or reducing the amount of detergent will avoid contact rash developing. See the article Washing and Care for more information.

I should point out that contact rashes are not limited to cloth nappies - many babies have reactions to disposable nappies, whether it be the paper, perfume, plastics or chemicals such as the sodium polyacrylate gel that beads up with urine into little crystals on the baby's skin. The other problem with this super-absorbant gel is that it absorbs moisture from the baby's skin which further adds to discomfort and irritation leading to rashes developing. (Yeast infections cause rashes as well, however changing to disposables won't prevent or improvethese type of rashes).

*(Br J Gen Pract 1997 Aug;47(421):493-7 Getting to the bottom of nappy rash. ALSPAC Survey Team. Avon Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood.Philipp R, Hughes A, Golding J Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol. PMID: 9302788, UI: 97448380)

Myth 3. Cloth Nappies use more water than disposables.

At least that's what the disposable nappy companies would have you believe. Of course cloth nappies require water to wash them and disposables don't. It is the single use aspect of water useage that disposable nappy companies emphasise without taking into account the huge amount of water used in disposable nappy manufacturing from start to finish.

So lets start from the beginning. Cotton requires water to grow - from rain or irrigation. The machines used to manufacture and transport the cotton into fabric require water, and cloth nappies require water to be washed. Many disposable nappies are made from pine plantations which require a tremendous amount of groundwater - so much so that in Perth the pine plantations are being knocked down because they are decreasing the ground water table dramatically. Due to the fact that cotton grows far quicker than pine or other plantation trees, the time that it requires water before it can be harvested is much less than that required for trees. I'm not sure how water use for vegetation can be calculated, but I don't think you need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that a shallow rooted crop that is harvested after a period of months has to use significantly less water than a deep rooted tree that requires 7+ years of water use before harvesting.

Then there is the water required for manufacturing disposable nappy packaging and transportation. This is probably the same amount of water used in the packaging and transportation of cloth nappies, except with cloth, you only require packaging and transportation for one lot of nappies that will do one, two or three children. On the other hand, you will need packaging and transportation of those nappies approximately twice a week for 2-3 years per child in disposables.

Myth 4. Cloth nappies leak.

Firstly, it's important to realise that a nappy, whether cloth or disposable, is like a bucket - there is only so much liquid it can hold! You might be surprised to learn that disposables users do experience leaks - probably more frequently than most experienced cloth nappy users.

There are three reasons that cloth nappies will leak: they are not absorbent enough, they are not changed frequently enough, or an adequate waterproof cover is not being used (or being used properly).

Absorbency: This is very important and will vary considerably between the different types of cloth nappies available. Some babies are very heavy wetters and require a lot more absorbency than others. If you have cloth nappies that are not absorbent enough, you can easily increase the absorbency by adding extra padding the form of ready made nappy 'doublers' or booster pads. Alternatively, you can fold flannelette or muslin nappies into rectangles to make your own quick drying booster pad.

Changing frequency: For the best hygiene, nappies should be changed as soon as possible after the baby has wet or soiled. After the first 6 or so weeks (when babies may need changing 14+ times a day) nappies should be changed 6-8 times a day, sometimes more if you have a very heavy wetter. So if your nappies are absorbent enough and you have added extra absorbency layers, try changing your baby's nappy more frequently.

Nappy Covers: This is probably the most common reason that nappies leak - useless nappy covers! To contain wetness, every little bit of the nappy has to be enclosed inside the waterproof cover, which needs to fit snugly around the legs and waist of the baby and be wide enough in the crotch to provide full coverage so that the nappy does not poke out anywhere as the baby moves around. Always make sure that the nappy is properly covered by the waterproof cover, and that no part of the baby's clothing is inside the nappy cover (singlets or t-shirts may get caught inside the nappy at the back waist and the wetness will wick (travel) straight up the piece of clothing.

A word about nappy cover fabrics: Breathable fabrics are not as waterproof as non-breathable fabrics. It's really a case of you either want totally waterproof (which means non-breathable with waterproof waist and leg bindings) or highly water resistant in which case you have breathable fabrics - as long as the nappy covers are manufactured in such a way that any stitching is protected by a barrier layer otherwise wetness will wick through the stitch holes (this applies to non-breathable fabrics as well).

Some breathable fabrics, such as polar fleece and wool may 'sweat' when compressed if the nappy is very wet. This sweating is water vapour rather than urine and can be avoided by using a nappy doubler for added absorbency, changing the nappy more frequently, and alternating the nappy cover and air drying it between each change during the day.

To be waterproof or water-resistant, fabrics either have to be PVC, plastic (both of these are best to avoid), synthetic fabric such as polyester knit or nylon that is coated with a poly-urethane laminate, polar fleece (with a tight woven finish) or wool. Cotton fabrics that are PU laminated can also be used but are not always reliable for heavy wetters or overnight.

Something else to keep in mind in regards to nappy covers is that they can loose their waterproofing, particularly if it is a laminate, so it is important to follow the manufacturers washing instructions carefully. Using too much detergent and tumble drying can dramatically decrease the life span of most nappy covers. Unless the fabric is autoclavable it is best to hand or gentle machine wash all nappy covers and hang them to dry (for more information please see the Washing information page).

Myth 5. Cloth nappies need to be changed more frequently.

Your baby's nappy should be changed when it has been wet or soiled irrespective of whether you are using cloth or disposables. Disposable nappy advertising encourages parents to leave disposables on the baby far longer than is healthy. Sadly, disposable nappy use - and misuse- is the reason why nappy rash is now considered by many to be a 'normal' part of babyhood, even though it can be so easily avoided. How frequently you need to change the nappy depends on your babies urination and bowel movements.

Myth 6. I could injure my baby with nappy pins.

While many parents do still use pins, if you are really concerned about nappy pins - then don't use them! There is a rubber stretchy device available called a 'Snappi' that is t-shaped with little claws on each end that grip the towelling fabric to secure the nappy. Alternatively, a snug fitting nappy cover will hold a folded nappy in place quite sufficiently. Even easier are fitted nappies that come with Velcro type hook and loop fasteners or snaps.

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