Reusable nappies?

[username9768]

Just wondering if anyone uses reusable nappies? I'm concerned about spending a lot then ending up going back to disposable ones as they are too hard work.
They also seem to vary a lot in price. Would you say they are all the same or are the premium brands a lot better?

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It's 12 years since my youngest grew out of the reusable nappies that had also been worn by his older brothers. They then went onto a friend...
So my advice is going to be out of date but I found some brands fit some babies shapes better than others so a baby with chunky legs needs a different type to a skinny baby. Different fabrics may be more absorbent so better for night but will take longer to dry after washing.
I would wholeheartedly recommend them, and assume that 18years after I bought mine the 'technology' will be even better.

The nappy lady website is well worth a visit for information, OP.

Agree with Tiggles.
They're great and honestly I think that all the stuff about how they're more difficult etc is exaggerated by the companies making disposables. Works out way cheaper in the long run and you get to feel warm and fuzzy about keeping landfill a little bit smaller!

Our local council offer a free trial of reusable nappies and give you £30 per month if you use them so I’m tempted with trying it this time around - maybe your council has a similar scheme?

I loved them up to about 6 months when the leaking got ridiculous and was waking her up when she could have slept through, I tried various boosters etc. But nothing worked, went on to Aldi disposable nappies and she hasn't leaked a drop since.. and they are so cheap! felt sad to begin with but the 'cheaper' argument only really works if you use the same ones for 2-3 years and never buy more/keep getting new 'cute prints'. Also our area incinerates black bin waste so no reduction of landfill (my friend who was spending a fortune on biodegradable nappies was very annoyed when they realised this!)

Saying this they are definitely worth a try and I really enjoyed using them in the early days, but maybe try some secondhand ones first or from a local nappy library and see how you get on! If they work and fit into your routine great, if not then the faff doesn't really outstrip the benefits so no point martyring yourself about it!

Way way way cheaper, perfectly easy and I sleep better at night knowing my baby won't be responsible for a huge mountain of landfill that won't biodegrade for another million years. The washing works out greener than using disposables too. In my view no-one needs to contemplate disposable nappies these days.

Try out a Wizard Uno which is an all in one, so super easy, (though there are plenty of great brands) and cheeky wipes which are far more efficient and wiping up poo than water wipes!

Ours were great.

It's a while since I potty trained but the washable nappies were brilliant. Bought a job lot when pregnant with baby #1. They saw me through 3 babies before they went in the fabric recycling. I had to use different outer wraps sometimes to ensure a good seal when they were in between sizes, and booster pads at night. But would wholeheartedly recommend.

It has got to be 15 years since mine were in nappies.

I used Terry nappies (lots of them. Cheap easy and quick drying) until they were big enough to go into size 2 non aplixTots Bots. I still have a nappy gripper😁

I absolutely loved tots bots. So versatile and adjustable to fit both my kids. One was skinny, the other chunky. I'd go for whatever their latest nappy is now, and would definitely recommend looking at the nappy lady website.

I preferred using motherease wraps. The velcro fastening in the small size and the popper version when they got bigger.

I also used cloth wipes. I still use them as make up removing cloths😁

I used them for all of mine who are now adults and a bonus that stood out for me at the time is that all mine were potty trained and out of nappies at an earlier age than their peers who wore dispose-able nappies.

I never found them a chore at all.

This was in the 1990s and the ones I used were fabulous and I expect they make even better ones now.

Don’t know if they’ll still be running at the moment but we rented a newborn pack of reusable nappies from a nappy library (I think run by NCT). It was about £20 and you got a set of a range of different types of reusable nappies, all newborn size, for 6 weeks. Might be worth a go to see what brands/types you like and if you find it workable?

@Crazycatlady83 what council is that‽

I used them for DC1 and will for DC2. The Nappy Lady website is great for learning the basics and she does recommendations if you fill in her questionnaire. You tube has huge amounts of useful videos especially for budget or minimalist cloth nappy/diaper systems. Theres a good second hand market on various face book groups which makes it alot cheaper. If you dont fall for the 'cute prints' thing you can save alot of money.

I started with 2 parters (absorbent nappy, waterproof wrap over the top) but now have a mix. I will use mainly terry nappies with a wrap at home and then pocket nappies (it's all one piece so bit quicker and slimmer for changing/carrying about) in the change bag. Terry's aren't as popular as modern cloth nappies but DC1 out peed nearly everything including disposables so. My mum gave me some terrys to try and they were so much better than everything else. Wool wraps at night were a game changer....no more leaks. I sold the things I wouldn't use again and got a good return. I will be selling the lot after DC2 and expect to get most of my money back.

We find them very easy, we wash about every 2 days. Every baby is different and suits different brands. We have a local nappy library where a kit of various brands is £10 for a month hire. It is usual to need a more robust night nappy system like a 2 part nappy (absorbent inner, waterproof cover) whereas in the day time you can get away with a lighter nappy such as an all in one style.

[quote olderthanyouthink]@Crazycatlady83 what council is that‽ [/quote]
Surrey Heath

Some cheapies are pretty hard wearing (littles & blooms and alvas) and then some mid priced ones are hit and miss (little lambs, failing velcro and waterproofing, they do replace them though) and then some premium ones have had really quality issues (motherease got really popular and quality went to pot about a year and a half ago)

I started with cheap nappies, muslinz and wraps and then moved to more luxurious ones later. Will used them in the next baby and then sell them I suppose (muslinz and terries are staying, so handy!)

I have used them since mine were tiny - the younger one is 6 and still in nappies at night.
I bought random single second hand ones to try them out and have sold the vast majority of mine on again (some I reused but DD was a rather different shape to solid DS).

@Crazycatlady83 thanks! Will be moving in for a year or so to claim my money

[quote olderthanyouthink]@Crazycatlady83 thanks! Will be moving in for a year or so to claim my money [/quote]

Little lambs nappies (the 2 part bamboo Velcro nappies and wraps) and cheeky wipes work well for us, go for it op

Tots bots nappy bucket is a good purchase too.

We have about 22 nappies and 7 wraps but ds is a toddler. With the next baby I'm aware I'm going to probably need a lot more and I'll probably use cotton with a young baby as it dries quicker.

Yes it costs a couple of hundred to get all set up and yes it's a bit of a faff for the first 2 weeks or so while you're finding your feet and settling into a routine... but after that it's smooth sailing and never needing to buy another pack of nappies and wipes again, it's just brilliant!

I wash every other day and it honestly doesn't feel like much extra work at all to me now. It's second nature like brushing my teeth. I'd highly recommend it to anyone and wish it would be normalised in our society.