This is a nostalgic reference to the time before disposable diapers such as Pampers became widely popular.
Before modern disposable diapers, many parents used cloth diapers. They were typically made from cotton or other absorbent fabric, folded or shaped around the baby, and secured with diaper pins or later fasteners.
What using cloth diapers involved
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Washing and reusing: Unlike disposable diapers, they had to be cleaned after every use.
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Folding: Parents often used different folding techniques depending on the baby’s age and size.
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Diaper pins: Traditional cloth diapers were commonly secured with large safety pins, sometimes covered with plastic guards.
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Plastic pants: A waterproof outer layer was often placed over the cloth diaper to help prevent leaks.
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Frequent changing: Babies generally needed to be changed regularly to keep the cloth from remaining wet against the skin.
Pampers, introduced by Procter & Gamble in the 1960s, helped popularize the modern disposable-diaper market and eventually changed everyday diapering for many families.
So the phrase “Remembering cloth diapers from before Pampers came along” is essentially a nostalgic look back at the earlier era of parenting and household routines.
