Washable Nappies

[Girly]

Thought I'd start a new thread as the other was getting a bit long!

Now where were we?

The redrap is gorgeous, but don't use it for long car/ pushchair journeys, as the wee can "wick" through. Ours seems fine for nights, though, I suppose the baby wriggles around enough, so that there isn't too much pressure on one spot!

Not entirely sure why Tots bots only make their fleece wrap in red , as I'm sure that there would be demand for other bright colours as well (though I suppose they would have to call it something else!)

Good luck!

BTW, if anyone has any Size 2 non-aplix nappy nations they want to sell, please let me know!!

In Praise of Fuzzi's!...

i must say... even though a lot of people don't get on with them... i love my fuzzis... it did take a while to figure out which poppers were the best to suit dd (the fastening)... yesterday... i'm ashamed to admit it! she was in a fuzzi, with one micro insert from 2o - 7:00 (i forgot i hadn;t changed her... and when i did change her... bot was all dry... no sign of wicking and the insert was sooo wet! i was incredibley impressed with how it managed to hold all that wee!

Also love ella's house hemp nappy at the moment... really lovely and slim fitting and very absorbant!... am i beginning to sound a bit like a loony!!!!???

Not managed to make my washable wipes solution yet! Demented! : O

In Praise of Fuzzi's!...

i must say... even though a lot of people don't get on with them... i love my fuzzis... it did take a while to figure out which poppers were the best to suit dd (the fastening)... yesterday... i'm ashamed to admit it! she was in a fuzzi, with one micro insert from 2:00 - 7:00 (i forgot i hadn;t changed her... and when i did change her... bot was all dry... no sign of wicking and the insert was sooo wet! i was incredibley impressed with how it managed to hold all that wee!

Also love ella's house hemp nappy at the moment... really lovely and slim fitting and very absorbant!... am i beginning to sound a bit like a loony!!!!???

Not managed to make my washable wipes solution yet! Demented!

ooops! ;o

Ooooooooooh! Me me me!!!! I'm also a clothie! I must read through all your posting in depth, cause DD has just outgrown her nappy nations, and kissaluvs saze 1's and I am on the lookout for size 2's... Check it out - it's Real Nappy Week 7-11 April, and if you see the various websites there's various local events around for demostrations, and exhibitions etc. I buy from twinkleontheweb.co.uk and they are in Guildford Fri 11th at the Royal Surrey County Hospital scanning suite...

top tip (if not already mentioned here) Has anyone discovered (by mistake as I did) that many types of baby wipes go through the wash and out the other side without damage? I have a box to hold all the washed ones to reuse, along with my imse vimse cloth flannels for bum use only

Saves a bloomin fortune...

p.s. Tissy - friend of mine was autioning size 2 non aplix nappy nations on above mentioned website, but may have gone already? Worth a check?

Bea and greengage: own DD also suffers from nappy rash in cloths occaionslly (it's thrush)... Was very upset when Docs suggested a stint in sposies to help clear it up. I did, but only cause size ones just outgrown. It did help to clear the rash, and now I am concerned about the nighttime cloth causing it again (it was very upsetting, and only huge doses of canestan cleared it up)

So - are the eco friendly disposables any good? Are the more expensive (obviously), but how much? and could I use one of these at night do you think and cloths during the day? Discuss...

Snickers, if your friend is Helen, she keeps selling them before I get a chance to get them! She sold a couple last week and then 2 more a couple of days later when my back was turned

Still looking... a couple went on Ebay for very nearly the new price, so I suppose they're as good as they seem?

No - just went and looked myself, and looks like hers have gone now. SHAME! Sorry

And just discovered that the eco friendly nappies do not biodegrade, but their packaging does (hmmm.) Ah well... Every little helps...

Eco friendly disposables degrade if you compost them and they are given proper exposure to light/air. Unfortunatley, ina landfill, especially if in a nappysack, they take as long as ordinary disposables to decompose.

Ooh - interesting, so do they turn into compost, if mixed with other composting materials? Could you use it on your garden? Or are you just making sure they break down and then skip when they are good and rotten? Do you do this? So many questions! I use biodegradable nappy sacks, so this wouldn't be a problem on this front... Thanks for any answers to this susanmt...

i have recently started composting and my understanding is you cannot compost human and certain animal faeces due to the health risks. will see if i can find out more about this.

Thanks! I wonder if you could use the liners with these disposables, and then remove the poo before composting - or perhaps the bacteria is there anyway, regardless? Still - it would be better to chuck the poo down the loo as they say!

have had a look and found this - says disposables and cat/dog faeces are not to be composted. might be ok if you used a liner, as you suggest, snickers.

btw - you can compost the items in the "best avoided" category if you are doing worm assisted composting.

hi snickers... sorry taken a while to add to the discussion on biodegradable naps... sorry can't help on the composting front... i love composting but i draw the line at nappies... still quite a prude softy on that point! ... going off topic... dh would love a compostable toilet... but i said he would have to find a new dw to support him!!!!

but back to naps... Moltex Naps are absolutely brillinant... i love them to bits... i buy mine from the Nappy lady... it costs about £33 for 3 packs of 58... or something like that!... but i would highly recommend them... and i know that cloth is supposed to be best for bums etc... but i must admit when dd sits in poo and wee for a tad... (not hours mind you! i'm not that much of a neglecterino mother!!!!)... in a clothie... the red bot does seem to be appear more frequently then in a moltex... ssshhhh! have i just committed a cardinal sin!????

Will have to look into Moltex - haven't heard of them before. I use Tushies which I think are great but exorbitant at about £9 for a pack of 22 of the large size.

Trying to dredge from my tired brain stuff I looked into abou this while a student (some environmental project we did - was a Geography student many moons ago)
Erm, from what I remember the whole point of the biodegradable nappies is that they can biodegrade only when exposed to oxygen and water (the way the bacteria work) and also a certain degree of light. If they are in a landfill, wrapped up in a plastic nappy sac, then some researchers suggest they can still take a long time to decompose, similar to ordinary disposables. The main 'eco friendly' part of them is in their manufacture, not their disposal. They do burn IIRC, so if you have an open fire that is an option (or burn in a brasier in the garden and use the ash as a fertiliser).
As for composting, it has to be worm composting to break down the faeces and the paper properly, and although it is suggested it is a heck of a lot of nappies over a couple of years to compost! But on the 'squeamish' fromt, theres actually nothing inherently dangerous in human poo as far as I am aware. And if you are just chucking tham in the bin and they are going into landfill (without flushing off the poo first) then all that poo is seeping out of landfill and into the water supply.
Eco-disposables are a reasonable half way house between disposables and washables, although on the environmental scale I expect that they are closer to the disposables end of the line than the washables, but could be wrong. Always worth a look at the WEN (women's environmental network) website for more details, now THERES a bunch of people who are into washables.
As for us, we use only washable nappies, it is months since a disposable has touched ds's bum and he has no skin probs at all. For thise of you who are having problems, have you tried either soaking or drypailing with tea tree oil and adding a few drops of either it or white vinegar to the final rinse cycle, to help destroy bacteria. And are you washing at at least 60 degrees - 90 is better. I find a quick slap of either zinc/castor oil cream or vaseline before bed (but not at other times) and up to an hour nappy free per day (AFTER the big poo) also keeps his skin good, and when we were on holiday in October and I had to use disposables for a week he had worse nappy rash then than I have ever seen before or since.
Sorry long ramble - one of my fave subjects!!

Just a quick question for all you cloth experts!

This has happened twice now and I am pretty sure it is DS2's night nappy to blame. Last night and last Friday night he woke up, I went through the usual routine, teething gel, capol, covering him up even a b/feed and he was still awake, last week he eventually did a poo so I changed the nappy and he settled wonderfully (after about 2 hours awake 4.00am to 6.00am), last night I decided to check his nappy, didn't smell anything but he still wasn't settling (again up for 2 hours), although his bottom was nice and dry the nappy at his waist was soaking, it hadn't wicked onto his clothes at all but was soaking wet. I am using a boosted Tots (boosted with a fleece topped booster) covered with a Nappysaurus at night and his bottom area where the fleece covers him is always nice and dry but I think the wetness at the waist is bothering him. Just wanted to know if anyone else had experienced this and if they could recommend a nappy to change to for nights, one that is totally fleece inside? TIA.

Susanmt: I thought human faeces could carry E. Coli that's why one should wash any dirty cloth nappies (or other clothes and items that get pooped on them, for that matter) at 60 degrees C. To kill the nasties. That;s why hands should be thoroughly washed after we use the toilet or change a child's nappy the number of people who don't wash their hands post-toilet/nappy... really revolting!!!

well tots are super for absorbancy, cause they are quite thcik - but for fleecy insides, you could try kissaluvs, or try the "twinkle twooster" booster, fleece on one side of thick terry (from twinnkleontheweb.co.uk), or a fuzzybuns - as you can boost these as much as you can stuff inside them, and the lining is all fleece...

Thanks snickers, I have been on to UKP as well today as they are cloth obsessives, they advised either the Fuzzi, a Minki or a Bear Behind. It is a twooster I am using at the moment at night but It is the waist area at the front of the Tots where there is no fleece that seems to be uncomfortable for him. I think I may go for the Minki or Bear Behind as the designs are really nice. I think this means I've got to sell my Nappysaurus now!

Just read your mail again snickers, I didn't realise the Kissaluvs are fleece inside. Arrrgh I can't make up my mind what to go for! Can anyone help?

I have just ordered eco disposables from little green earthlets for nighttime use only. I have a dreadful problem with DD and thrush, and I can change her often enough in the day to prevent any reoccurence, but it's the nighttime thing, 12-13 hours in warm damp conditions. Thrush is a family thing unfortunately (had it also as a baby and in adulthood, ever since I can remember... yeuch) and so decided the eco sposies were a good "halfway house". I still love my washables. Although feeling slightly like an adulterer!

Hi Demented, having trouble are you!

The Kissaluvs IMO would not be good for night, my ds is a heavy night wetter and am having the same probs as you. The kissaluvs usually only manage 3 hours before getting soaked through. I have bought some fleece fabric recently and am going to try and make extra large, shaped at the waist fleece liners to cover the front part of the tots IYSWIM! I have quite a big bit would you like me to make you one too, have no idea if it will work, but can only try, email me if you do!

Thanks Girly, I will mail you. Sorry to hear you are having the same problems. I thought I had things sussed, the Tots are so absorbant, no problems with leaks etc overnight, just this.

sorry! demented can't help... as i have yet to take the plunge and use a cloth at night time...! feeling very guilty! but i do use them most of the time so i refuse to get all fanatical about it!!! So don't feel guilty Snickers! at least you're using eco friendly sposies and clothies... better than nothing else at all!

BTW Happy Real Nappy Week Everybody!!!!