OK today we have disposable nappies, cloth nappies and wraps.
In my mother’s day (the 1970s) they used cloth towelling squares and rubber or plastic pants
What did they use before this? I mean I guess they used cloth nappies but what about the waterproofing?
there was no waterproofing they used tightly knit cloth that made a barrier and would absorb the most
They didn’t. They did what we now call “Elimination Communication” AKA “Natural Infant Hygiene” AKA “Infant Potty Training”. Basically, it’s the elimination equivalent of listening to your baby’s cues and nursing on demand – you watch for baby’s signs they need to pee or poo, and/or go by timing (eg that they usually go within x minutes after nursing or after waking up from sleeping etc), and/or you cue them that they have a chance to pee/poo now – and then you hold them over an appropriate receptacle to catch the pee or poo. No fuss. No muss. No wet anything
Just by sheer numbers, this is still the way it’s done by the majority of mamas around the world. The United States and other Westernized countries are the exception.
My mother used to research Native Americans, and she told me they would wrap their babies up tightly and pack their bottoms with dry grass. They would stop every so often and replace fresh grass.