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Original poster

Washable Nappies

59 replies

Lisa · 16/06/2001 21:08

Hi everyone,

I have just bought some washable nappies and think they are excellent, but for one thing. They are so bulky that my daughter cannot bring her legs together. My husband is worried that she might grow to be bow-legged!

Did anyone else have this problem? If so, were your children ok? I really want to continue using them, but am worried that I might be damaging her growing legs. Please someone tell me that my worries are unjustified!

OP posts:
Boo321 · 16/06/2001 23:19

Hi Lisa Well done for taking the green option!!I have always used washables and all my kids have turned out just fine.In fact it is better for the development of their hip joints if their legs are abucted,in the good old days if your baby had "clicky hips"they were put in a double terry nappy.Also when babys are strapped on to their mums back(as in developing countries) their legs are abduted too.
Have you heard of Tots Bots nappies? they are FAB

Bloss · 17/06/2001 07:58

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Original poster
Lisa · 18/06/2001 10:49

Thanks for that reassurance! The nappies I have are Kooshies and my little 'un is nearly 11 months old. It's my hubby really, I suspect that he is using any old excuse to get me to go back to disposables - he hates washables! He says that they smell (ok, they DO smell!), we have to put them in a bucket to soak, which again, smells. And then when it's full I take them downstairs to wash them (which I always do so he can't complain about that). I have to admit they are a bit of a faff. They do get soaked easier than disposables and they do smell fouler. It's very convenient to just drop the disposable into a fragranced nappy bag and into the bin.

As I also mentioned, they are very bulky which makes it difficult to get some of her trousers on. Hubby was just worried that if she couldn't bring her legs together, she may walk bow-legged, as wasn't there a controversy about baby walkers because of this? If it corrects her hips then that's fine, although there was never much wrong with them, but it can't help her walking with her legs so wide apart can it?

Washables are great in theory, but they do have their downsides!

OP posts:
Bloss · 18/06/2001 11:58

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Original poster
Lisa · 19/06/2001 13:25

Hi Bloss
I didn't know Kooshies were less absorbant. Yes I am using liners too, and I guess I don't have to soak them afterwards, I just do 'cause I thought it was more hygienic that way.

The nappies I find smell more when she wees in them, when you're taking them off this awful smell of wee hits you whereas disps, never smelt that bad. Plus I found that it was advantageous to smell the poo once she had done it, then I didn't have to half take the nappy off to see if she had or not.

I'll probably stick with them, especially now I know the bulkiness isn't a problem. It is more of an effort, but I feel much 'greener' as though I'm doing my bit. Hubby will just have to moan, I do the majority of nappy changes anyway!

OP posts:
Bloss · 19/06/2001 19:41

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Original poster
Lisa · 20/06/2001 12:59

Thanks a lot Bloss for your advice! As I said, I will stick with the nappies as they are better for her and the environment. I heard somewhere that the lining of a disposable nappy is fatal to cats?!

I'm very lucky with mine as she doesn't get nappy rash. I usually change her straight away after a poo as, if I didn't smell it, she would refuse to sit down for long so you would get the message. The camomile sounds like a good idea though - I wonder if it would work with sore nipples? Might be worth mentioning it on the other thread.

Oh well, here's to washable nappies in all their smelliness!

OP posts:
Pupuce · 20/10/2001 11:33

HELP !
I have just received my order for Tots Bots. Both my 22 months old and 10 weeks old have been using them for the past 3 days... I have a few questions :

  1. Both children woke up with red bottoms (early signs of nappy rash)... is it because they are not use to the new nappies ?
  2. The nappies are already showing signs of stains after 2 washes (they are also already less white). I am using a "green/eco" powder and am washing at 60. Having read the thread I will stop soaking as I find it quite smelly but that won't help with the stains and the discolouration of the nappies.
  3. I find that the nappies take a long time to dry (in my tumble dryer) is that likely to improve with time ?

Thanks

Jj · 20/10/2001 13:06

Pupuce, I've found that the eco laundry detergent (I'm using Ecover) doesn't get out stains very well on anything, unfortunately. Love the smell, though.

We're going to try using Tot Bots also. The washing machine is broken at the moment.. waiting until it gets fixed to start!

Have you checked out the Nappy Lady website? It has a lot of helpful tips.

Let me know how it goes with your little 'uns.

Joe · 20/10/2001 15:07

Pupuce, I use totsbots. I use fairy to wash them on 60 and have no stains and still very white. What liners do you use?? I use fleece liners which keeps ds dry, in fact dh cant believe how dry he is with the nappy wet. They do take quite a while to dry but I think I have seen a slight improvement. Ive had them for 4 months now and wouldnt change.

Joe · 20/10/2001 15:08

I also dont soak them and stains come out.

Jj · 20/10/2001 15:55

Joe, are the fleece liners good to use with the runny breastfed poo? How many do you use in a day?

Thanks!

Pupuce · 20/10/2001 16:52

I use the fleece liners and they are great- as you say it's amazing how dry they are whilst the nappy is wet !
I have bought my tots bots via the nappy lady, I have sent her an e-mail with these questions 3 days ago but I haven't heard anything in return. I will call on Monday.

Joe
Have you tried both soaking and not soaking or have you always not soaked ? I am finding the soaking very smelly and my nappy bucket is so quickly full... but then again I have 2 kids in Tots Bots size 2 !

Joe · 20/10/2001 18:58

Jj, I have only been using totsbots since ds was about 9 months but I have had some explosive nappies and I havnt had any problems with them. It depends on how many I use normally one per nappy change (and that is normally about 4-6 nappies depending on sleep time etc) and say if ds decides to have a poo after I have just changed him or even an hour or so after a change I will just change the liner.
Pupuce, I have always just chucked them into a bucket dry and never soaked them. I got mine through the nappy lady too and I went through a lady who is like a nappy consultant, did you go through someone like this as I always just went direct to her for queries. BTW the nappies do get more absorbant too after a few washes.
If you have any more questions just let me know, Im sure Bloss will be up soon and she will be able to share her experiences too as I asked her a few questions before I moved over to them. Hope I have been of some help.

Pupuce · 20/10/2001 20:42

I ordered through "the lady" herself because my advisor wasn't available... anyway !
DD is only 10 weeks old and has only yellow seedy liquidy nappies (breastfed!) and I don't even rinse the liner as I have tried and all of it stays in it. Up to now (3 days only) you can still see a yellow mark on the liner but tonight I am washing with the ecover bleach and a longer 60 degrees programme.... we will see. If this works, I will do a more intensive was once a week.

I find the washable nappies better for a whole bunch of reasons but as long as I don't have the hang of it I have to say that disposables are faster to put on and dispose of !

Joe · 21/10/2001 06:42

Pupuce, I thought that about disposables when I first started using totsbots but I recently went on my mum and dads narrow boat so thought disposables the best option. It was horrible, they were difficult to put on, probably because they were so thin, even dh couldnt wait to get back and use totsbots and he found them very hard to get on with to start. I went on a caravan holiday a couple of weeks ago and took them with me and visited the laundrette. I dont really know what to suggest about the stains on the liners. I know I put them on the wrong wash once, put them on 40 instead of 60, and they didnt come out too clean so re-washed them and they were fine.

Pupuce · 21/10/2001 17:43

This morning the nappis came out sparkling clean but I had used a eco bleach and washed with a 2 hour program at 60... versus my usual 45 minutes.
My son (22 months old) is waking up earlier because he is wet (I already use a 3 layers terry booster!)... I am hopimg that either he will get use to the wetness or he will start controlling his bladder... any ideas/advice

Bloss · 22/10/2001 00:27

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Okapi · 22/10/2001 08:27

Hi Pupuce. I noticed you're one of the few people on the thread with more than one child in nappies-and I wanted to both applaud you for giving washables a go and say that if it's affecting your life in a major way you shouldn't feel too bad about returning to disposables if you want to. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that people are thinking about what's in a nappy and how that might affect the environment and their child but I must admit I didn't consider using washables for my twins for more than 1 second or so. I shudder to think of the number of nappies I've been through in the past 2 and a half years and the environmental consequences of that but at least my mental health remains more or less intact! If I'd used washables I'm not sure I could have coped, particularly since we don't have a very large flat, a dryer or a steady enough income to pay a nappy service Incidentally, Pupuce, have you thought about using a nappy service so you don't have to worry about the washing? One of my friends is v pleased with hers- I'll get the details from her if you're interested.

Joe · 22/10/2001 09:26

Pupuce, is your son feeling wet even with a fleece liner? I now dont even use a booster at night. My son has never worried about the wet of his nappy and he may get used to it. I burst into tears one day when I had one nappy left and my dryer wasnt working and then the washing machine filled with water on the only nearly dry two nappies I had. I then thought oh my god Ill never get the hang of this, but I did. Hang in there you will get into a routine with them. We are trying for no2 so if all goes well I will have 2 in totsbots.

Pupuce · 22/10/2001 12:13

Bloss : it looks like the eco bleach is doing the trick so I think I'll be all right on the front.

I use the Tots Bots + their booster (3 layers for night) + a fleece liner (all from the Napy Lady).
The waking may just has been unluck because this morning he was all right (he actually slept late but he was a bit under the weather).. so we will see. He still has a bit of redness/soreness but it may be due to other things we will see. Having said all that size 2 is TIGHT for a 13kg baby (sorry I don't know the pounds but +/- 25 lbs).

Okapi : I won't go back to disposables (I think)... I am almost considering taking the washables with me for a 3 weeks holiday (bear in mind I've got 16 Tots bots... so that's bulky and will force me to wash every day). The investment wasn't too bad 192 GBP but I am not going to start spending money on disposables. I did consider (briefly) a service but as my washing machine has a delay start time it is very economical to do it myself and I know that they don't come every day anyway.

Joe : 2 in Tots bots is all right ---- except that the nappy bucket is VERY quickly full !

Thanks to all for your advice !

Joe · 22/10/2001 12:21

Pupuce, Ive got 14 totsbots and they didnt take up that much room when I took them on holiday. You might find that as time goes on you might not need to change so often due to the increase in absorbancy, I defintely dont. On the washing front I have found that the Fairy tablets are better than the powder, sorry not so totally green as you Pupuce.

Bloss · 22/10/2001 23:07

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Bloss · 22/10/2001 23:16

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Pupuce · 23/10/2001 07:12

I agree with Bloss, 2 in nappies is absolutely fine provided you are willing to wash every day.

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