anyone used or planning to use reusable nappies?

[fizzypigs]

hi! was wondering if anyone had any thoughts or experience of reusable nappies? hadn't really given it much thought up till now but the idea of costing less is very appealing! would really appreciated hearing your views and experiences - thanks!

[Riveninside]

I used terry squares for all 4 of mine. Nice and cheap and easy.

[buttonmoon78]

Used them with dc2, now will be using again with dc4. I used shaped washables but with a separate waterproof layer. Worked v well with dc2, hoping for a similar success with dc4!

[babycarmen]

I would love to use them with this baby but have no idea where to start :( There seems so many parts and stuff when i looked into it online :S

[thisisyesterday]

yes, i used them for all 3 of mine, well, ds3 is still in them

don't have a bad word to say about them tbh, they've worked brilliantly for us

[ToriaPumpkin]

I've acquired a load of shaped reusables (Tots Bots, Bambino, Little Lamb and BumGenius) and they seem fairly straightforward. DC1 is due in October so I'll get back to you then but my friends all loved them and got on fine with them!

[fizzypigs]

i'm with you babycarmen...i just came across this website that explains the different types //www.goreal.org.uk which might be of use? this is going to sound like a dumb question...but can some experienced mums tell me what do you do with the dirty nappies?

[thisisyesterday]

buy a big nappy bin with a tight lid.

pooey nappies just get rinsed and put in, wet ones go straight in.

wash when bin is full :)

[fizzypigs]

thanks! another few dumb questions....does the bin smell? we live in a tiny flat and don't have a tumble dryer - is it still easy to do?

[Indith]

I used terry squares too, cheap and reliable!

The bin doesn't smell with the lid on no. Get a nice big one or 2 small ones and plenty of nappies so you are not washing all the time and so that wen you do wash you are putting a full load on (a normal size nappy bin won't fill your washing machine). I've never had a tumble drier and ds was born in a little flat, it was fine. Plenty of nappies are quick to dry, so long as you stick to flat nappies or to types that come apart (such as bumgenius) hen they pretty mcuh dry overnight so you just put the wash on in the evening and stick them on the airer when you go to bed and they dry overnight without being in the way. When you wash

[thisisyesterday]

no, it doesn't smell.

we were in a flat with ds1 (with no garden, central heating or tumble dryer!!) and it worked fine!

[fizzypigs]

thanks! feeling more confident about giving them a go x

[MyNameIsInigoMontoya]

We tried terry squares and wraps with DS but I found them a pain, he was wriggly and it was hard to get them folded up right and keep them together long enough to get them on properly.

Then went on to a mix of prefolds with wraps, and pocket ones, which was much better. The pocket ones look nicer and are slightly easier to put on, but we had more leaks with them. The ones that worked best for us were Tots Bots cotton or Motherease prefolds, with Motherease wraps. We used disposables overnight though as DS seemed to wee loads at night and got leaks otherwise.

Mostly I found them a lot easier to use than I expected. We used flushable liners so you could chuck most of the poo straight in the loo, then chuck them in a lidded bucket (dry), washed mostly at 40 with occasional hot wash, dried on line or radiator when able but tumbled when not, and got a waterproof bag for dirty ones when out and about (used disposables for holidays etc though).

Downsides - although I didn't find the extra work too bad when we just had DS, once we had DD as well I couldn't face adding nappy-washing for two on top of all the other extra work and laundry (we had gone over to disposables temporarily due to a house move before that). They are also a bit harder to put on to a wriggly baby than disposables, even with prefolds or pockets, as you have to keep the liner in place and then possibly put a wrap on separately. And if you want to have 2 nappy changing areas (e.g. upstairs and downstairs) you will need more nappies than you would otherwise, and 2 buckets etc.

I found cloth nappies actually better at containing newborn poo - we never had the horrible up-the-back accidents you sometimes get with disposables! - but on the flip side we had more wee leaks with the cloth ones than disposables (but wee is less nasty). Also strangely enough, the nappy bucket never seemed to get as stinky as the bin we put the disposables in, even though we never put pooey disposables in there (they go straight to outside bin). I think it may be something to do with the nappy bags, or the chemicals in the nappies...

[WillbeanChariot]

I love my terry squares too. I have loads of them so I only wash every three days, they dry really fast and they are cheap. Also you don't need to buy new sizes as they grow. I was dubious about using nappy pins, then I found the Nappy Nippa- genius invention.

[Funtimewincies]

I spotted this on 'most active' and I know that it's naughty but I've got some totsbots in the 'for sale' section at rock bottom prices as I no longer need them. Oh and some free nappy nippas .

[PenguinArmy]

we use bumgenius. For the first few weeks we had a trial pack of 3 different nappies and used these to make our decision, so at 4 weeks we then ordered the ones that worked best for us. DD was small so disposables worked better in the main for the first few week until she reached 8lbs

[nannyl]

I have used all sorts on 10 years nannying.... (pretty much every brand of cloth and disposable)
Im 28 weeks pg and planning to use ONLY cloth on my own.

IMO a good cloth nappy (that fits baby nicely) is far superior to a disposable!

I now have over 100 cloth nappies in my collection! Yes im a nappy addict and baby not even here yet!

My favourite nappies are shaped nappies, with a motherease airflow wrap.

In my collection i have some
tiny new born size sandies (so cute but will only last a few weeks really)

size 1:
Sandies
little lambs
lolliopop (the fleece ones)
lollipop softees
a bumgenius all in one nappy.

size 2:
tots fluffles
tots bamboozles
1 tots cotton
an ellas house

"One size" (not my favourite but ok as a spare spare in changing bag, and 1 in car / at grandmas etc, or when a bit behind on washing and need nappy to only last a short while (such as a napy change before going swimming or shortly before bath time etc)

Some Mother ease one size
a one life (same as MEOS)
A pop-in bamboo.

I plan to get some tots bamboo stretchies as well (a 9ib - 40ib nappy) that i plan to use as my night nappies when baby is a bit bigger.

I have some fleece liners. (will cut up a fleece throw, and have been given some by friends (who have again cut them themselves from old fleece)
and 4 Mother ease air flow wraps in every size.
I also have some other brand (velcro) wraps in each size which will again be my spares or of a bit behind on washing if baby poo's loads etc.

I have a few proper boosters
and plan to use microfibre cloths as boosters
and will get a few hemp / bamboo boosters for nights.

I will also use cloth wipes. (a friend of mine who makes kids clothes and nappies for her SAHM job is making me some lovely ones, with her odds and ends of wonderful fabrics and orgnanic bamboo terry)

If necessary i might make do with some old flannels / cut up bits of fleece for spare wipes.

And have ikea flannels that i will use on faces (not bums) when baby starts weaning etc

I have also been given a load of terry nappies (& nappy nippas). I dont plan on using these as nappies in the main... although maybe might between about 1 and 5 months ish.
I plan to use them as cloths / to wipe up sick / to lay baby on for nappy free times, and i may (or may not!) cut up a few as wipes, and / or sew some together for extra boosters.

Personally im just not worried about washing them. (Afterall ive been washing nappies regularly over the past 10 years! its really not as bad as you imagine)
I will dry pail in a nappy bucket (or 2) and wash about every 3rd day.
(as i have so many nappies i should have enough to wash every 3rd day!)
Am also getting a new extra large capacity washing machine.
I have 2 buckets and several laundry insert bags, so only need to put a net bag of nappies into the machine... and dont have to handle or touch old dirty nappies and the machine will make them get out the bag to have a proper wash!

Its really important to use a very small amount of detergent. (1 tablespoon of normal (not concentrated) powder IS plenty), anymore and you get 'build up' where the detergent isnt washed out properly, nappies quickly start smelling of wee, and baby can get nappy rash.
As im dry pailing i will put nappies on a rinse first, then on a 40C wash (sometimes will do 60, but normally 40) and select extra rinse as well, spin at 1400, then on the washing line to dry, (or airer if weather too bad to line dry)

Also dont use fabric softener as it stops nappies from absorbing properly!

Personally i really dont like all in one nappies, or prefolds.
as a rule i think shaped sized nappies give a better fit and absorbancy, though of course you need to buy more of them.

also dont forget you can sell on your cloth nappies when baby outgrows them. (or save them for next baby) Disposables are money in the bin! (literally!) so bear that in mind on initial outlay!

(all of my nappies / wraps (bar 2 free samples) are second hand, mostly from friends, but a few from ebay and here on mumsnet!) Im sure they all have enough wear in them for 2 or 3 of my own children, and i might be able to sell them on (or give away as will have done 4 children at least by the time i finish with them) afterwards!)

[PenguinArmy]

I assume others have said, but nappy choice comes a lot down to your personal life, e.g. space capacity, tumble dryer, we will have moved countries twice so a all in one is good there. Also different babies will suit different nappies

[Petalouda]

//www.thenappylady.co.uk

there's a questionnaire asking about various aspects of your lifestyle, and the nappy lady will recommend a few options and explain why they might suit you.

We use little lamb microfibre, as we don't have a tumble dryer. They're lovely & soft, and I've never had a poo explosion from a reusable like we have from a disposable!

[squiggleywiggler]

We're using Flip by Bumgenius. Brilliant, convenient and easy to dry inside with no drier.

[Funtimewincies]

I used the nappy lady nearly 5 years ago when I first thought about using reusables and the site was very good. Spookily, I was assigned an advisor who, as it turned out, had been a friend of dh at university and whom he hadn't seen since .

[Scaredycat3000]

I have motherease bamboo, one size. This in theory is the worst choice for small flat with no tumble drier, but I have coped fine. Bamboo are more absorbent, so take longer to dry than cotton, but are softer.
I, personally, much prefer poppers to apex. Poppers never wear out, toddlers can't undo them, you can't do them up wrong on a wriggling child. Lots of people prefer apex.
I have read many times to try before you buy a full kit. Not all nappies will fit your baby's shape and so will leak.

[puzzletree]

I've used a combination of disposable and washables during the day (disposables at night), tried a few different types but overall I like bumgenius best for ease of use, ease of washing/drying, comfort for the child, fit under clothes, and longevity of use from birth to potty. With DS1 who was a heavy wetter I used a small folded microfibre cloth as extra booster which worked well.

[nocake]

We use Close Parent Dream Dri nappies which have a huge benefit over most reusables in being made of microfibre so they dry really quickly. We can put them on to wash in the evening, hang them up before we go to bed and they're ready to use in the morning. That means you don't need so many.

Most of ours are the V3 version which are more expensive that the older V2. But we have one V2 which is absolutely fine so would be a good choice if you're on a budget.

[Awomancalledhorse]

You maybe able to get a voucher through your council for real nappies, my one offers £45 towards the cost.
We're getting disposables too, flat with tumble dryer thankfully!

[brightcopperkettles]

I've used itti bitti dlish for DD and she is 17 months now. I use the all-in-one's (insert is sewn in) but I would use the snap-in-one's (inserts can detach) if drying is an issue. They've been brilliant. I'm pg with DC2 and will be reusing them.