Ok someone please tell me from start to finish what I do with cloth nappies???????

[Nemo1977]

Am complete cloth nappy virgin as ds is 23mths and used disposables all the way through. This time DB due in dec and would definetely be interested in cloth if I can get the cheaply. So what do I do. What do I buy? What are waterproof covers? How many would I feasibly need?

well there are tons of different types

basically you have:

terry squares
shaped terry nappies
all-in-ones
stuffables

for terry squares and shaped nappies you will need the nappies themselves, some waterproof wraps and some liners (fleece are good)

all-in-ones are what they say... all in one. takje a long time to dry because you've got the whole nappy and cover to dry but you don't need a separate waterproof outer wrap

stuffables are a waterproof outer layer with usually a fleece inside and a pocket which you stuff with something absorbant. generally pretty quick drying

fora newborn you would want around 12 nappies at LEAST and you'd have to wash them every day... (unless you have a tumnble drier and can wash and dry them overnight)

Thanks starlover. I do have a drier so thats not a problem and will be home so washing not too bad either. So are the liners reusable or disposable?

They are expensive. Ours were £6-7 each and the same again for each wrap. Thinking of going back to disposables now DD is outgrowing the first lot.

I have seen a box o f seven motherease in the for sale which I am waiting to hear back from for £35 with pnp which seems good compared to ebay

they don't have to be expensive though

when ds was little i just used terry squares which are mega-cheap!
but even if you DO buy expensive ones you can look at paying atround £150-200 to start up (that would do you birth to potty if you use something like motherease one size) which is WAY cheaper than using disposables!

Liners can either be paper which you throw away each time, or fleece which you wash with the nappies. I use fleece because it keeps the moisture locked away and keeps baby drier

nemo... the motherease one size are really nice, although i think would be bulky on a newborn. but there's nothing to stop you using disposables for a bit and then going onto cloth

i have some, and just lent one to lockets and we both like them!

Cloth virgin too nemo, my dds were in disposables.

I read loads of old thread on nappy recommendations and chose tots bots based on what I needed.

I bought 12 nappies and two wraps, which has served me fine as I was happy to wash each day. I bought non-aplix(velcro) ones, as it meant I could buy the second size nappies and fold them over, so it meant I could get away with one less size. I bought them new, on the basis that I could sell them on and use the money to buy the next size up when I need them.

I bought them through a nappy agent (bensmum3) and had them sent direct to me.

For the first month I used disposable liners as they are thinner than fleece ones. When ds was just over a month I swapped to the fleece ones.

I tend to tumble dry the nappies as they are slow to dry - a whole day on the line and they still need finishing off in the dryer.

Bear in mind that you will need things like vests and trousers to be a size bigger in order to accomodate the bigger bum.

Starlover I do have acouple of newborn size packs of disposables but we are skint so this seems a better option in the long run for a bargain price. Thats why I need to know what else goes with them

people always think that terry squares are a faff... but i found them great!
i usd to fold them in the morning and then just use them as and when... no different to any other nappy really

definitely cheaper when you;re starting out, and you can get a good fit on a small baby with them

Expect to pay £120 - £150 for 12 totsbots, 12 fleece liners and two wraps. Then apart from the extra washing costs, that's your spending done until they need the next size!!

Look at thenappylady for advice and information too.

twinkleontheweb is where i got ALL my info from before i bought my nappies.
they stock far more than the nappy lady and each product has a run down on how well it fits different sized babies, how easy it is to use, whether it dries quickly etc etc... a really useful resource!

i can't stand the nappy lady

lol will look at both.

Miaou dont have £120 to spend thats why I need to know how many I need etc..

oh and don't buy fleece liners from a nappy shop... buy a meter from a cloth store and cut it to size... MUCH cheaper

Nemo, will you qualify for the maternity grant? That 's how we managed to afford them. Dh was unemployed when ds was born and we got £500.

if you need cheap disposables for the 1st few weeks, then look out for the tescos newborn ones, they are good, and very cheap (think i paid about 1.64 a pack)

i mainly use tots bots with ME wraps, butwith a little newborn then try and get some small terries and use the wraps with those, as tots (even size 1) are bulky. you dont need an expensive system, and terries will dry quicker.

nemo.. where do you live?

here in west syussex they do a free nappy scheme and you get a starter pack when baby is born

oh yes, check with local watse dept for cloth nappy schemes.

Am in liverpool.
I do qualify for maternity grant which I can apply for in 2 weeks but will be covering a couple of bills...prob be alittle left over.

Ask your mum how to use terries and buy nappi nippas instead of safety pins. Use disposables to begin with as it is winter and if you are truly skint tumble drying will up your leccy bill! Remeber what newborns poos are like, regular and ruuuuunnnnnnnyyyyyy.

you can EASILY start out with tery squares for around £50

or, as you've already found you can buy other kinds second-hand reasonably priced

Oi starlover stop rubbing it in about you starter pack, DW is already jealous enough

Forgot to say, the wraps I got were Motherease (ME), not TotsBots ones, which aren't supposed to be as good.

In fact when ds was first born I used muslin squares inside a small wrap which was fine as long as he wasn't in them for a long time.