The first thing you need to know is that there are many options in cloth nappies - cloth nappies have come a long way from the square towelling nappies and plastic pants that many of us parents wore as babies - while many parents still use towelling squares, now you can get many different cloth nappies that are shaped and fitted to be just as easy to use and convenient as disposables. Not only that, but if you don't like the idea of washing nappies, you don't have to as there are also nappy laundry services that will wash them for you.

Types of cloth nappies.

Flat Nappies: Traditional Australian cloth nappies are flat squares of towelling, flannelette or muslin that are folded in a variety of different ways to suit different age babies (as well as in different ways to suit boys and girls. Flannelette and muslin are usually used only from birth to two or three months as they are not usually absorbent enough for older babies. They can continue to be used folded into a rectangular shape and placed inside a traditional flat or fitted nappy for extra absorbency. Flat nappies that you wash yourself are the least expensive option in cloth nappies.

Fitted Nappies: Fitted nappies are usually hourglass shaped and resemble disposable nappies (wider at the front and back waist, narrower through the crotch). They have multiple layers of absorbent fabric in the 'wet zone' and have elastic at the legs and waist so that they fit the baby snugly. Depending on the design, fitted nappies can be closed with pins, snappi's, Velcro type hook and loop fasteners or snaps. Fitted nappies require a waterproof cover to prevent leaks (although they can be used around the house without a cover or clothes over them). Fitted nappies come in multi-sized (small, medium, large, extra large) or single sized that fit from birth to toddlerhood. Both have pros and cons - multi-sized nappies are usually less bulky, but the financial outlay is much greater as you need to replace them as your baby grows. One-size nappies tend to be bulkier on small babies, but they are adjustable to fit as your baby grows so you don't have to purchase additional sizes as your baby grows. Upper size limits on one-size nappies will vary considerably from brand to brand so you may need to purchase a few larger size nappies if your baby is still in cloth after 2-3 years of age or if your baby is large for their age.

Fitted nappies are much more expensive than flat nappies and range from $10-$20AU per nappy depending on the fabrics used. There are slightly cheaper ones available in department stores but to be perfectly honest unless you have a baby that is a very light wetter, or you change your baby very frequently you will probably be disappointed with these as the absorbency layers consist of two layers of flannelette or towelling with an acrylic pad in the crotch. Acrylic is not an absorbent fabric, so its a bit pointless having it in there.

While the individual price per nappy may seem expensive, when you consider a fitted nappy is a high quality, easy to use and comfortable garment that your baby will wear up to 200 times, I bet that there will be no other garment in your babies wardrobe that can get the same amount of use for such a low cost per use.

Fitted nappies are generally made of cotton fabrics such as flannelette and towelling. In the US and UK, cotton fleece and cotton knit terry are frequently used however these fabrics are not readily available in Australia. Hemp and hemp/cotton blends are also ideal fabrics to use in nappies but it is expensive. I believe Victoria is the only state with a licence to grow Industrial Hemp, but due to the benefits of this crop, more cultivation will occur which will reduce the cost of the end fabric.

Hemp is naturally anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, highly breathable, far more durable and absorbent than cotton and has a much lower impact on the environment as the hemp plant conditions the soil it grows in, has a far lower water requirement than cotton and requires minimal, if any, pesticides and herbicides to be grown. The commercial Hemp grown for textiles is not the drug hemp - the THC (the bit that gives the buzz to druggies) in industrial hemp is minimal and if someone was to try and smoke it they would most certainly get sick before they got high.

Shaped Nappies: Shaped nappies are flat nappies that are generally hourglass shaped, although triangle and kite shaped ones are also available. They have multiple layers of absorbent fabric in the wet zone and do not have elastic at the legs and waist, so a snug fitting nappy cover is required.

All-In-One Nappies: AIO's are cloth nappies that are the closest to disposables in ease of use. These are fitted nappies with a waterproof layer on the outside. All-in-Ones tend to be expensive because of the fabrics used (usually a poly-urethane laminate) but are excellent for their convenience as no additional cover is required. AIO's come in two main variations - with the absorbent fabric layers sandwiched inside the 'shell' of the nappy or with a 'pocket' on the inside into which absorbent padding is placed. The sandwich style requires the least amount of work, however the main disadvantage is that they can take forever to dry and may not get completely clean on the inside layers. The 'pocket' style need to have the absorbent inserts placed inside the pocket and removed for washing, however they generally dry much quicker and clean more thoroughly than the sandwich style. The convenience factor of AIO's makes them easy to use if other people care for your baby, and are a good way to introduce reluctant partners to using cloth nappies.

Nappy Wash Services.

Nappy wash services are a great option if you don't want to do the washing. They will cost more than washing nappies yourself, but in regards to the environment they are more efficient when it comes to water useage. Fresh clean nappies are delivered to your door once a week and the used nappies are collected to be cleaned - all you have to do is store them in an air tight bucket (usually supplied by the nappy wash service). Nappy wash services start from around $150.00AU for a six week supply, but shop around to find out which services provide cheaper rates for longer terms.

Nappy Wash Services generally only provide flat towelling or flannelette nappies.

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