So we're decided on reusables but in need of advice...

[davidtennantsmistress]

basically I brought over £200's worth with DS and never used them found them far far too bulky on his tiny little frame. (tots bots and bumbles) am determined to do them this time, DP is fully on board but want to get it right.

I like the bambinex bamboo ones but am reluctant to get just one sort again, so have decided on getting several trial packs.

which ones are best for NB's (am thinking from about a week old) we're happy to use them when out.

DP would like one which goes on like a disposable (ie he's not so good with the whole needs a nappy & then needs a wrap so I was thinking an all in one and maybe adding the booster myself? (am fully aware i'll need to hold his hand initially))

but anyhow which ones are going to give me the look of a disposable (for thin ness really and ease for bubs to move about)

I have sooo many and fond my favourites are:
Tots bots stretchies with a TB print wrap (really slim fitting)
Tots bots pocket (easyfits) (so slim and velcro fitting)
Bumgenius pockets (Bomb proof and quick drying)
Bumgenius Flip (as above)
Out of my millions of nappies these are the ones I reach for the most

All of the above fit with velcro like a disposable and don't feel wet next to the skin

HTH

ooh never even heard of those ones! (obvs the tots I have) lol.

i'm aiming for 15 for me/DP to trial but also 5 for him to use easier - thinking that that would be 1 wash at the end of every second day (7 nappies a day ish?!? or am I wrong in thinking so little for a NB - can't recall for DS) then have 6 floating whilst waiting for those to dry out?

have you tried the bumgenius all in one?

Bumgenius all in ones are just like a disposable because they go on an off in just one piece, but they stopped making the bigger sizes so just do newborn sizes ones now.
Maybe try the tots bots easyfits which are like an aio but the flap comes out, which are very slim and fit well from NB, or the Smartipants pockets which go on like a disposable (once the insert is in the sleeve) and are one of the slimmest nappies we have.
Good luck!

I did the same as you with DS1 so have gone about things very differently for DS2, he is 17 weeks and I am still trying out different types of nappy and have used some disposables alongside them so far.
Bambooty are really really tiny, so small I though I had ordered the wrong size by mistake DH can't tell DS is in a reusable with these, they have two flaps wich flap in for wearing and out for drying.
TotsBots teenifit are also very small but they didn't suit DS, I think thats because he was a big baby.
Diddy Diapers were my favourite for the first few weeks with either a nature babies wrap or motherease rikki wrap.
I agree with Bumgenius all in ones as the most disposable like, there is just one piece to them you can still get them. I got mine from the natural baby resource for £5.50. They do take ages to dry though.

We did the same, we've ended up getting mainly bumgenius. I used them from about 4 weeks old. I've never needed to size up in vests or clothing (although trousers sometimes require a bit of tugging on). I've also used easyfits as well and loved them.

Also bumgenius organics (the birth to potty version) are idiot proof but take a while to dry. The only drawback with all in ones is for some of them you can't boost them.

Now for sized all in ones, I love the ittis. They're lovely and slim and you can boost them with the mini booster on the flap out bit. Even my DH can handle them.

fab I think i'll try a few out, am I on the right track thinking 15 ish + 5 'floaters' as it were?

what are the totsbots bamboozles like, is it really bad i'm looking at the wraps thinking ooh I like that outside bit lol.

are the itti ones as lushous as they look/ they look nice and soft? also what sort of pail do you sue - does it have to be a proper bin in the bathroom, or wet/dry? does it not get whiffy if left from sat monday morning until washing tuesday night?

have any of you tried the bambino mio sort of a system (flat sheet insert and a wrap on it's own?)

sorry for all the questions but want to be sure.

will look at the bambooty, also are the blueberry minky worth the extra money?

Can your husband drive a car? I daresay he would be able to cope with adding a wrap or a booster to a nappy. It sounds like he has spun you an excellent line about convenient male helplessness there. Kick his arse into shape.

I don't rate any of the Bambino Mio nappies personally.

he can thank you very much and is also very good at all things to do with kids, changing nappies however for him is a first as it's his first child. please do not assume he will take to it easily - I fully expected him to be able to do it in time, but not initially.

Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. It's just I have met a lot of men in RL whose partners have managed to wiggle out of doing nappies, bathtimes etc because they are just too 'helpless.' Because apparently women are born with innate popper abilities and can do baby stuff perfectly first time by magic, whereas men just never can learn no matter how very hard they try. But I shouldn't have assumed your DP was one of that type, so I am sorry.

my DH was adament that he would not be changing nappies unless they were disposable, however he manages just fine with the itti's and semi fine with the tots bots easyfit and bumgenius. (he likes the poppers instead of the velcro as I can tell him which popper and then he knows it's not too tight!). and the itti's are as lush as they look but I know a few people who have found they don't suit their baby (DD2 is a chunker!)

lol. sorry I bit when I shouldn't - you hear so many men on here who are just so awful having been there i'm prob more defensive of DP as he's totally the opposite - (to the point of laughing at my waddling :o and not even letting me make a cup of tea - pg not ill! :o lol. but overall thou he's an all round good chappy. I apologise as well.

(fwiw XH was one of 'those' sorts partly why the reusables weren't used for DS, so do know what those men can be like - incl the lets stay in bed and pretend we don't hear the baby screaming next to us.)

I'm thinking probably poppers tbh - the nipper napper thingys look a bit odd to me - prob perfectly ok thou.

I've left my nappy bin for a good three days before and I'm sure people have done longer. It does get smelly, but only if you take the lid off.

Ittis are lovely and lush, I don't rate blueberry (although I love the inserts) tbh. I've got one and the lushness doesn't seem to last and my minky seems to have lost it a bit. I'd stick with the ittis for showing off purposes.

Another vote against the mio system, if you're going to do reusables these are just the fiddliest things on the planet. Different folds for different genders etc etc. I think it puts a lot of people off cloth from what I'm told.

Poppers are good as they 'age' better, some of my applix nappies are looking a tad tatty. BUT you can repair them (I just can't be bothered).

DTM: I love my bamboozles but they are the old sort with the poppers. I've got some new ones and also some flexitots. I must say I really don't like the applix ones as I don't feel they fit as well even though they should and seem to leak more. I love the covers even though i mainly use motherease I've bought some really cute outers for him when the weather is warm and he looks so cute in them!

excellent thanks, so I think it's a mix of ittis, motherease wraps, some of the tots as well possibly but over all poppers I think.

if you're already settled on your choices don't want to confuse the issue but I've found Nature Babies to be excellent (not all in ones just the wraps plus homemade t-shirt nappies inside) and I sometimes use an inner nappy called the Big Softie. As for DH-training, it took mine (adamant he wasn't going to be doing any changing) just three changes to get to grips with them.

A word of warning, don't go overboard on the newborn size nappies as they will grow out of them really quickly. Despite best intentions I didn't really start using cloth naps till DD was 6 weeks old because quite honestly i was just too tired. Now I use them all the time though.

lol. ok es - does 5 sound about right for the NB size, I don't mind mixing initially and the rest in size 1's? was hoping from about 2 weeks this time to get into the reusables, - or at least be well onto the way of more those than the disposables.

so what do you put in the pail thing - just water & napisan?

I've gone off blueberries - they're actually quite bulky compared to similar nappies, the insert (which I loved to begin with) isn't actually that absorbant and to be honest, you can spend the same money or slightly less on other premium brands of nappies that are nicer and more absorbant (I'm thinking something like issy bear from cheeks and cherries - pricey but gorgeous and do the job).

Ittis are great as others have said, though we didn't get a good fit for the first two or three months as DD had skinny legs so they gaped a bit and therefore leaked (brings back fond memories of taking her to a wedding at 4 weeks when she leaked out of her itti all over me...). Once she chunked up though, they were great and they are gorgeous.

We mixed some newborn nappies with disposables until she gradually grew into her bigger nappies. I found it was good to have quite a few different types of nappy as some fit better than others at different times: e.g. the ittis were a bad fit at first, but then later became her best nappies, until she was ready to move up a size, when they started to leak, but then became good again once we moved up.

I dry pail. Chuck everything into a net in the bucket and then every two days I put the net into the machine, do a pre-wash then wash at 40 degrees or sometimes 60 degrees.

Hi - newbie here too

What are people's opinions on the one-size-from-birth-to-potty AIOs vs. sized nappies?

We use Itti Bittis during the day as they're slim fitting and generally work well with going in trousers etc. They do need regular checking though as DD tends to fill them quickly with a giant wee (she's 20mo now!). They are sized though, so only bought a small number of outers and washed daily to start with, also bought a few secondhand.

We use Tots Bots Bamboozles overnight as I can boost them to the max and it doesn't matter that DD is in massive PJs to accommodate them :) We started using these from about 9mo so never put a tiny newborn in them, they look pretty massive I make them all up though for DH as I'm quite particular about how it has to be done. DH does the Itti Bittis as he goes though - they're very easy!

We used a nappy trial to test out night time nappies, it's a great idea as you can borrow a few to see how they fit.

I also dry pail (bucket with lid and net bag) and generally wash at 40 or 60 degrees on a long cycle. We now use biological washing powder and I try to get them in the sun to dry as it nicely bleaches them white again.