Reusable virgin - BumGenius kit?

[Cyclebump]

I'm 32 weeks pg with DC1 and really fancy giving reusables a go. I want something super easy to use (DP is sceptical) and quick drying.

I've looked around and I really fancy the BumGenius V4 kit (15 nappies).

Are they any good and would I need to buy a couple more with wraps (eg Flips) for night-time as I've heard the usual BumGenius ones aren't great overnight?

hiya, we used BGs and I LOVE them.
You can try putting in a bamboo insert or two fleece inserts (the ones that come with the nappy) for night time. If you're not happy then get a few that have wraps.

We used bambino teddy nappies for nights but i didn't like them because they got saturated and stank (although they worked perfectly well)

plenty of parents put a disposable on for night time so you might like to consider that.

if you have a boy you might find that after 14months they leak too much (mine did) so i've put them away to use with DC2 when we get one. I have heard that boys leak more.

Read up at thenappylady and get some free advice :-)

We are indeed having a boy. Hmmmmmmm, oh so tempting to just buy them!!

BumGenius are great, IMHO but I'd advise against buying a whole load of one type of nappy before the baby arrives.
See if you can get one of those trial kits, with a few different types in, or borrow some from a friend until you work out what suits you and the baby and buy a load then.

good advice borntofolk, although if unused you can sell them on ebay for quite a good price, alot of competition

Ok, have been bought a Pop-In by my mum (don't really like it but I'm willing to look closer) and have now bought a single Bumgenius V4 that was marked down as it has a bit of a mark on it from warehouse storage.

I needed persuading to slow down and have a test first, thanks guys!

BumGenius are very, very popular.
I would just buy the set (you usually get a good discount when buying a set compared to buying individually and like you say you can sell on if they don't work out for you.)
BG have a great resale value and they meet your criteria of being super easy to use and dry quickly.

They can easily be boosted with a bamboo booster if outpeeing becomes an issue (I find the Little Lamb size 2 bamboo booster is a good fit in the BGs).

I have never found that a Bumgenius pocket works for my girls over night. I prefer a Totsbots bamboozle stretch (boosted with a little lamb bamboo booster) a fleece liner (otherwise the bamboo feels wet against the skin) with a Motherease Rikki wrap on top. It is much bulkier than a BG but for bed time it doesn't matter.

Ella's house bumhuggers are also good as they have a fleece lining as part of the nappy with a hemp absorbant bit - you can add more boosters if required and then pop a wrap over (again Motherease works well).

Having said all this I was only converted to cloth night nappies with DD2, DD1 wore a Nature Eco nappy every night for 2 years!

Bumping up this thread as I was going to post exactly the same thing.

I've tried the nappy lady, but to be honest, her advice was so confusing - just a load of stuff copied and pasted together.

This is what I'm thinking of getting:

www.healthandcare.co.uk/mother-and-baby/bum-genius-15-nappy-pack-from-birth-to-potty-full-pack-daisy-chain-style.html

So, just to clarify, you need to put extra boosters in at night, is that correct? And a wrap?

Sorry to ask similar questions, but it's a lot of money and I want to be clear before I part with it!

Hi. I use mainly BG (the older version 3 but they are pretty similar) for 2 years with a boy and they are really good. I like the way you have both inserts - he is a light wetter and actually still only using the single big insert) and it's easy for nursery to use as well. The velcro ones (like in your link) are good because when the nappy is used it can be folded up and the velcro tabs folded over the front, so it keeps the mess out of the way in the dirty bag - ideal for when you're out and about or at nursery!

I think generally pocket nappies are thought to be less effective at night, simply because of the length of time they could be on for and the amount of wriggling around. I have used BG for nights, sucessfully, although we normally use bamboo nappies - I also love Tots Bots stretchies. They are also one size ie from little baby to bigger toddler and they need a wrap over the top. If you want to minimise the chance of leaks I would also buy 3-4 of these as well to use at nights.

If you use BG at night you don't need any wraps - the coloured outer of the nappy is the waterproof bit. You possibly won't need extra boosters for night, especially with a new baby, as you get 2 with the BG anyway - but every baby is different so you might want to buy a pack of 3 bamboo boosters in case you do need some.

How often do you plan to wash them? I only ask because 15 nappies is likely to mean you would need to wash daily (keep 5-8 to wear each day, with the previous day's in the wash). I certainly wouldn't buy more than that to start with, in case they don't work as well as you hoped, but I think you would need about 25 nappies in total to be able to wash every other day once you are settled.

Hope this helps!

Oh, forgot to say - are you going to be using washable wipes as well? If you haven't condsiered this then you definitely should - you will save a (second) fortune!

I use square fleece wipes and a spray bottle of water (from Boots) and they get put in the dirty nappy bucket with the nappies.

Thanks Kirsty.

I was planning on washing every other day and using the flip system at night (found this one: www.naturalbabyshower.co.uk/bumgenius/bumgenius-flip-stay-dry-day-pack-8-colours.html)

I reckon I'll get the 15 and the flips, as well as boosters and liners. Have I missed anything?

We've got a couple of months to go yet, but trying to get stuff now while I still have some energy!

Thanks again

What are washable wipes? Sorry to sound stupid, but are they like liners?

Ignore that last comment, worked it out now!

CaringforPod you seem to be reading my mind! I too was considering Flips at night. I've been looking at a 15 nappy full kit but am shopping around so I can mix the colours a bit more.

I'm already excited. How sad am I?

Hi. I haven't tried the flips so can't comment on how good they are, although I have heard good things about them.

Re liners, I didn't bother with liners for BF milk poo as it is so liquid it just goes right through them anyway. They are a godsend for a 2yo's poo though - saves a lot of scraping! Re you planning to use fleece liners (ie washable) or paper liners (flushable)? I use fleece liners at night, when I don't expect a poo, and then paper ones for daytime and nursery.

You may well find you don't need liners until weaning especially if you plan to breastfeed. I can vouch for the fact that BG wash VERY well - there has been the occasional stain on them but on the whole you would be amazed at how well the yuck comes off - and the insides of the BG are nice and soft on the skin. (I assume, they feel it but I haven't actually worn one myself you understand!! )

caringforpod - I would be a little bit wary of that offer. I'm not sure it's quite as great value as it makes out. For example, by my reckoning 15 Bumgenius on cheeksandcherries.co.uk would only be £4 more, and you get to choose your own colours. That's just the standard pricing when buying 15 or more by the way, not the value pack of 20. I'm not advertising their website by the way, it's just one I've shopped on in the past. The pricing on places like fill your pants is probably similar.

The reason I'd rather pay the extra £4 is that I would want to choose the colours. Personally, I would steer clear of white. I have a couple and they look grubby really fast. Particularly if they're going in the wash with those dark green ones (although, I'm actually not sure about those colours, because the V4 doesn't normally come in Ribit ,that's a Flip colour).

I'd second the recommendation of trying out a couple before you buy a full set. TBH, I'd think you might need a few more than 15 with a newborn unless you plan to tumble dry or it's really nice weather. I have about 15 for DD who is 2, and wash every couple of days. You could always buy a pack later. A lot of the standard full time packs for a newborn seem to work on 20 nappies.

I'm not personally that keen on the Flip. It can't be boosted in the same way as the v4 (or v3) can be and I find it more prone to leaks rather than less. I've only used it since DD was about one though, so it might not be an issue on a newborn. I use disposables at night, although I hope to go full cloth for DC2 (due May) and will have to do some research on what I use.

Hope that's some help. The colours are really worth thinking about. My Bumgenius are version three, so the colours were a bit different, but I wish I'd just got yellow, butternut, green and blue. They look sooo much nicer a year down the line.

I'm glad someone echoed my thoughts on the white ones. That's why I wasn't keen on the daisy chain colour set.

It's not just me then! The white stay in the drawer until I get to the bottom of the pile because I don't like them (or live in the 'emergency nappy bag').

I thought beforehand white would be good, not show through clothes, etc, but in fact it just looks grubby. The other colours look soooo much nicer now.

price wise the v3 are not much different and a few stores have them still, stratford nappies i am sure has them and if you want the v4 i got ours from nappyzone as she is a mumsnetter addict and gives 10% off for mumsnetters. You have to email her via the nappyzone website.

also i would echo what others have said and try a few, we like greenkids and fuzzi bunz perfect size (though fb not so good for nursery as they prefer velcro) so worth trying a few rather than making a costly mistake.

Thanks for all the feedback, especially about the white ones, good to know.

Oh, another question - which fastenings are better; poppers or velcro?

Thanks a million

I like velcro best as you get a better fit. Some people don't like velcro as their babies can open it up but that was never an issue for me. If you want to consider the resale value nappies with poppers tend to look nice for longer as the velcro will eventually start to curl a bit and they collect fluff and hair etc (although these can be combed out with a nit comb or picked at with a pin) so popper nappies get a higher price.
Maybe get a mixture and see how you get on with each?

i prefer velcro as does dh as seems them as easy as sposies, i do have some fuzzi one size and i find being poppers mine can get them off just as easy as the velcro just laughs more when does it due to the noise.

Thanks, looks like velcro it is. Thanks for all your advice