Committing to a single reusable system

[MsChanandlerBong]

Hi. We are expecting our first baby in September, and we are both really keen to use reusable nappies as we have quite strong feelings about the landfill situation! However, I have to say I am also really keen that I avoid creating extra work for myself - both in terms of the actual nappies themselves, and also investing time in exploring this whole new territory.

I have done lots of research online, and feel like Bumgenius is probably the right system for us, so we would quite like to splash out and get the full system and then just get on with it when DD arrives. However, people seem to be saying we need to get lots of different trial systems and have a go with different ones before we decide what is best for our baby.

To be honest, the very thought of using up loads of energy experimenting with different nappy systems just makes me want to cry and head to the Pampers!! I don't see myself becoming a cloth nappy fanatic, I'm just someone who wants to do their bit for the environment, be as good a mother as poss, but still retain my sanity! I have tonnes of respect for people who do go all out with cloth nappies, but I am realistic in knowing my own limitations

If we spend c£270 on the Bumgenius system and then just try and get on with it, are we potentially making a terrible mistake?

Thanks in anticipation.

Disclaimer: DC1 is yet to arrive (due August) so I don't really know what I'm talking about.
I think the reason people suggest you try a few different systems is to get a good fit on your baby. There are lots of people on here/cloth nappy tree etc who say system A fits well and system B leaks terribly, when another person will find system B works better than system A. It's a lot of money to spend to find out that your baby's legs/thighs/waist are too skinny/chunky/long/short/whatever to fit your chosen system. Plus you don't know if you'll have a heavy wetter and need boosters etc.

Also I understand that birth to potty nappies can be tricky on newborns due to fit around the legs.

Having said that I started out getting a few pre-loved nappies of various types then saw someone selling a washed-but-unused set of BG Flips for a ridiculously low price so bought them. But I do know that if they don't work out I can probably sell them individually for a profit on what I paid so I won't be out of pocket.
I'm sure you'll work something out. Remember that lots of people use disposables for the first few weeks anyway whilst the meconium clears out/cord drops off/they regain some sanity after giving birth so don't give yourself a hard time.

You could contact a nappy guru if you have a local one or look up the nappy lady online

Good luck!

I have had fairly average sized babies, with fairly chubby thighs and have got on brilliantly with Bumgenius and other pocket nappies.

I originally started off with a two part system (nappy and waterproof wrap) and it worked great but I found it a bit of a faff, so we switched to pockets. With my second I used terry squares and a wrap (and disposables overnight for my sanity) for about 7-8 weeks until she was chubby enough on her thighs to get a decent fit with a pocket birth to potty nappy.

I know so many people who use Bumgenius successfully that I think you'd be unlucky to not get on with it. That being said, if you and DH are the tall and lean type then you'd struggle at first with any birth to potty nappy as baby might just be too skinny for them.

My advice would be to plan to use disposables (if you are happy to) for the first 4-8 weeks. Buy one Bumgenius (£15-£18) and try it out on baby as they grow, once you are thinking it will suit her, buy the full kit.

Actually look at www.babame.com. They're doing a £10 off a Bumgenius V4 voucher if you send them a copy of your MATB.

Esk Can you link to that? I can't find it on their site anywhere.

www.thenaturalbabyresource.co.uk/s.nl/it.I/id.3/.f

I hope that works. If not it seems to be under new products (which is at the bottom of the home page where you lists of links), then look down the left hand side for "Bumgenius nappy trial"

Or "like" them on Facebook and they should link you through

Hope that helps

Thanks, thats great.

I've been using cloth for three years now, on two different children, and in all honesty, i wouldn't go for one single nappy at all.

I'd get a veriaty(sp?) of different nappies to try out, simply because the one you've chosen may not suit your baby all the time. BTP sometimes aren't, especially if you have a small baby to start with, and it may be a few months before you get a good fit on them. And as your child grows, their shape changes and that can cause the nappy to not fit as well. It's very hit and miss.

What i find works best for us is a two part system at the beginning - Little Lambs are fantastic, with the velcro removed and a nappy nippa used to get a good secure fit, with either a PUL wrap or wool over that. As they get older i move onto sized fitteds and either a PUL wrap or wool over the top. I found lots that haven't worked for us, and lots that have.

Have a look at Cloth Nappy Addicts for lots of great advice and information.

Demented Is right, the way to get the best performing nappy for your baby is to buy/borrow lots of different types and experiment, perhaps changing systems for different stages of their nappyhood. But if, like you said, the thought of doing that makes you want to cry and reach for the disposables then take a chance on a good quality all rounder like the Bumgenius, EasyFit or the Close Parent Pop-In.

BumGenius are ok, just a bit boring and devoid of the cute factor loved by many cloth users.

After a few months they almost definitely won't see you through the night. And after a few more months they probably won't last for long during the day either unless you get some hemp or bamboo boosters to help the microfibre of BGs out.

If you opt for their velcro ones, be warned that the velcro used by BG is, in my experience, probably the worst performing. The velcro on my Blueberries and Easyfits is still great, the velcro on my BGs is fucked.

I had 3 different dc in cloth nappies and none of them suited pockets - they were just really heavy wetters with slim thighs!!!!

I really would recommend say 3 popular types maybe 10 if each 2nd hand and see how you get on.

If I had to recommend one system only it would be easypeasy nippa bumbles with motherease air flow wraps, very "boring" but ultimately 100% reliable and very flexbile fitted from birth to very large for age toddler.

I meet a lollipop adviser in my area and was able to see the various types of reusable (therefore saving me cash). I was kin on Bumgenius as I liked the idea of the all in one / one size. Seeing all the nappies help me making my choice and I bought the Bumgenius.

When DS was born he was 7lb4 and the BG were too wide around his legs so I used disposables for the first 6 weeks (to be fair, there's so many other things to be worried at the start that I'm glad I use disposable at the beginning), but since then, he is in his BG (he's now 17 months). At night, I had to add some bamboo booster as he is an heavy wetter, but it doesn't mean you'll have too.

Thanks for all the advice everyone - and for the voucher link Eskarina!

I've looked locally and I've found where a real nappy event is taking place locally so I'm going to go along there to see the various types 'in real life' and fire questions at an advisor which I think will be helpful.

I think we'll probably start in disposibles for the first couple of weeks (assuming dd is not big enough for AIOs at birth) and then see how the BG nappy (that we will have bought with the voucher!) works on her shape.

I appreciate what some of you have said about trying various different types, and maybe changing as she grows, but I'm going to keep my fingers firmly crossed that with the potential of adding extra inserts for night time/a heavy wetter that one system will see us through. I am fully prepared to eat my words at a later date if I am proved wrong

Before I started actually using cloth I was a firm believer in the theory that if you want to make it work then you will therefore buy a whole system. Now I woud say to anyone get a few different types as some nappies really don't suit some babies and the same goes for disposables. DD1 was a disposables baby and any nappy was fine. DD2 is cloth by day and nappies such as totsbots easy fit V2 need so much boosting for a 2 hours wear that her clothes don't fit whereas ittis will easily do 3 hours with the extra booster and aren't so bulky! Nature Baby disposables last all night on the whole, huggies - no chance!

I do think, sadly, it needs a bit of experimenting. We had a set of ittis, but they were totally useless and leaking almost immediately from age one onwards. We've had bumgenius since (boosted with ittis inserts from about 18 months). So I'm the exact opposite of Hevster. Likewise, I know someone who loves Flips, but we've never really got on with them...

Probably a really stupid question: Does this experimenting need to take place if you use disposables? Or does the fact there are different sizes of disposables negate the need to experiment (you just have to find the right size)?

I think I am beginning to understand why people shy away from reusables if it means I have to try lots of different types and somehow keep a note of which ones are working best for which time of day at which stage I'm just not sure I'm up to it.

I'm trying to remember - think I did buy a totsbots fluffy thing, I'm sure it's kicking around here somewhere - but we basically did no experimenting at all. Did a fair bit of research first, e-mails to nappylady online, and saw a couple of systems at a baby expo type event before buying online. Got motherease onesize birth to potty nappies and motherease airflow wraps with poppers. VERY boring, I know - no fashion points at all, everything plain white even - but they worked brilliantly all the way to potty training with my first and are on the second now ( she's 14 weeks ).

take the easy route and go to the fill your pants website and do the try cloth for £10, don't be put off by the initial hassle, it's well worth the effort and will save the landfill and your pocket - disposables are extortionate!

It doesn't have to be scary - all the good sites do trial packs. Buy one, try three or four types, pick a style. Done!

We never really worried about time of day (disposable at night though).Also, although it wears less well, velcro is more adjustable than poppers, so less 'between sizes' stuff.

Yes re disposables - some brands didn't work for us at all.

Not scary at all. I started off using terry squares (ultimately adjustality) and airflow wraps then motherease onesize once the cord fell off, we had a trial bumgenius which was pretty good so we bought 10, mostly snaps - I definitely prefer them to velcro - and a day pack of flips. I'm keep an eye on used cloth nappy forums for bargains and if I like something I'll probably buy a few more of them.

Different nappies do work well at different times of day. BGs can get a bit leaky at night (DS is an 'active' sleeper) and I wouldn't use a flip then, although a flip cover over a terry works quite well. Plus he's a big wetter, even at just under 3 months so we boost overnight already and I think in a few months we'll be moving on to specialist bamboo or hemp night nappies.

I just used the one type, didnt bother with the faff of experimenting either. I actually used the motheresaase onesize and found them great, used at night oo with a booster pad. I was given some pocket nappies later on and didnt get on with them as well TBH. I used them for two Dss until they were trained and loved them, (could sell you a massive job lot for a lot les that £260 if you are interested??)

But i would sau if you have made your mind up then go for it...dont faff about as you cant miss what you dont know anyway!!

Best advice i was given though was to use disposables for the first 6 weeks whilst you are generally getting a grip on life with a baby!

I also used disposables if out all day or on holidays...i like an easy life me

Why do I always read that as 'thehairybabysbum'?

My DD is 6 weeks, started in disposables, then transitioned to cloth from 2 weeks, had a few leaks until her thighs filled out. I bought a selection, like bumgenius at night but they are a bit wide between her legs for day time. Love bitti d'lish but only have 2 due to cost. My mainstay is tot bots easyfit, take a while to dry but fit well and very easy to use, even DH manages. I got 10 seconds on ebay at a much reduced price they are fab. I have about 25 nappies of various types and wash everyday, i find we use 10-15 a day, but i do change her often, she's a heavy wetter. Beware cloth is addictive.

I think people using disposables do just the same amount of experimenting, it's just obviously it doesn't cost as much. They buy a pack of one brand, and if they don't like it they buy another brand next time.

I think before you commit to anything you need to know what your priorities are in a nappy. Are you more concerned with ease of changing, drying time, reliability, absorbancy, etc? I've always liked www.nappylady.co.uk which has a quiz you can do based on your needs/size/priorities/drying facilities and then reccommends nappies.

IMO advice from there is better than looking at posts, as you don't always know the age of the child in nappies (for example someone might recommend a particular system as brilliant but their child is only 6 months so they don't know how they will fare over the next year or so)

FWIW I've had 2 in cloth (DS is 3 and toilet trained, DD is nearly 2) and I've found the most reliable and absorbant nappy to be easypeasy bumble. But it's bulky, not very cute and a more faffy to change than a lot of the others out there.

Thanks everyone.

I'm planning on going to a real nappy event locally on Friday so I can see/hear more first hand.

In the meantime, we have got a pack of disposibles for the first few days (hospital etc), and a friend is giving me a Bambino Mio newborn kit. I have also ordered a BumGenius V4 nappy using the Babame.com trial discount scheme.

And I have filled in www.thenappylady.co.uk quiz to see what is recommended from there.

So I guess I will be doing a bit of trial and error with various brands afterall. I guess nothing worthwhile is straightforward is it?!