Overwhelmed!

[sunshineandshowers]

I saw another thread just started with a cloth nappy virgin, and thought I would join that one, but I simply have tooooooooo many questions.

DD is 18 weeks and approx 18lbs.

What is a wrap?

Why do you need a booster?

Can you choose whether to use paper or fleece liner in any nappy?

Can fleece go down loo?

Do I need to use a liner?

How many nappies will I need?

Do I need a special bin?

I am thinking of going for the Bambinex Bamboo. Can anyone recommend a good website? Is this the right choice?

I think I need to go and do a real nappy degree? There are so many types/names!

Thanks in advance x

A wrap is a waterproof cover to go over nappies. It's usually made of polyurethane laminated polyester aka PUL, so it's nreathable and waterproof. They can fasten with velcro (APlix is a rival brand name for another type of hook and look fastening, which is superior for using on nappies)

You won't necessarily need a booster if your child is a light wetter, but most people do need to add them for extra absorbency for overnight

Yes the choice of liner is yours. Many people don't use liners at all (scrub off nappy in loo, or rinse off), some use them when expecting a poo, some only use paper liners when expecting a poo and none the rest of the time, and some use fleece liners all the time (fleece is very good at keeping baby feeling dry), some use fleece and add a paper liner of out and about or expecting a poo. Fleece liners are washable but not biodegradable so DO NOT put them down the loo they will block the loo!

Depending on the type of nappy and how quick it dries, how organised you are with washing and how you dry them you might need anything from 10-15 up to 20+ nappies

You don't have to have a separate bin but it can be easier - some folk pop them straight in the washing machine, others use a bag to store them

Why do you choose the Bambinex bamboo? How are you going to dry them? Need a little more info to help with that one!

Just buy a few of whatever nappy you like the sound of, & keep an eye out for different types on ebay & freecycle!

Having spent 6 years washing nappies, honestly, there is not such a thing as the 'perfect' washable nappy - best way is to have half a dozen each of various types.

I like:

Totsbots or similar for small babies - absolutely no explosive poo escapes. The ones with nippas are better than the velcro ones. Bulky, though, & slow to dry, & you'll need a wrap.

Naturebaby or similar stuffables - like a wrap with a pocket in it. You can make them up in advance (ie. shove something absorbent into the pocket...) so idiot proof for babysitters etc. However, you then need to extract the stuffing from the pooey nappy & they aren't as absorbent - unlikely to see a heavy wetter through the night. Great for older babies as they fit under trousers!

'Preformed' nappies - basically a rectangle, with a thicker strip where it's been folded & stitched. Great for stuffing stuffables, but a bit of a faff used as 'stand alone' nappies - you have to fold them & use a wrap over them, & the whole arrangement falls apart once the baby susses out how to undo the wrap... That said, they do dry relatively quickly & are less grim to sluice poo off.

Actually, if you drop me a line at carrie smith 11 at hot mail dot com, but without the gaps, I'll post you a selection to play with?

Dd2 is on the way to housetrained so I have more than I need - having done 3 dc, my nappies are too tatty to ebay, but still fit for purpose & it'd give you an idea which sort you get on with before you buy a load.

Thanks for replies.

So...do all nappies need wraps?

I choose Bambinex because I looked at the Mumsnet reviews. I looked at the top few and liked the sound of these best? I chose Bambinex because they look slim and no one complained that they leaked. The only downside seemed to be drying.

ravenAK thanks for the very kind offer. I have sent you an email.

Sunshine and Showers.

No, not all nappies need wraps. There are several varieties where a waterproof outerlayer is actually attatched to the nappy e.g. BumGenius

We use Itti Bittis because they don't need wraps. They're just a brightly coloured fleecy outer, with a snap-in booster and a snap-in fleecy liner. We use a paper flushable liner now DD is on solids to catch any poo. So easy for DH to use and that was my reasoning for getting them. They're also not too bulky so DD fits in her normal sized clothes.

We do have TotsBots Bamboozles that I sometimes use at night. These are great because you can add as many boosters as you need, plus I also put a fleecy liner in as it wicks away the moisture to keep DDs bum dry. They need a wrap on the outside though so they're pretty bulky. DH can't make them up so I do it and leave them all ready for him!!

You can get nappy trials so you could give some a go with your DD before committing to buying them.

We use a nappy bucket with mesh liners to put dirty nappies in. Just chuck them in and then sling the whole mesh bag in the wash. No need to pre-soak or anything.

You'll also need a wet bag to put dirty nappies in while you're out and about.

like itsallgingtobefine said pocket nappies don't need a wrap and birth to potty (BTP) represent really good value as you don't need to keep buying new sizes.
Bumgenius pocket nappies are birth to potty and really popular. There are some great bargains on the v3 as the v4 has just been launched. Just google.
I use a paper liner with my toddler as it catches most of the poo and makes it easy to flush down the loo. With my breastfed baby there isn't much point using a liner. I've never used a fleece liner as the pocket nappies keeps their bottom dry anyway as the moisture wicks away to the absorbant pad in the pocket.