Go on, encourage me to convert!

[Tatties]

DS is 9mths and I finally feel that I might just be able to cope with cloth! Lovely lollipop lady came to see me today and I'm getting excited...

Any words of widom to help me on my way?

Oh dear, don't get us started.... theres loads and loads and loads. You could be here all day.

I'm a sinner too. Having second baby soon so I'd love to know how you get on. I hear the worst thing is buying trousers that fit over the nappies.

Actually, my ds can't keep his trousers up at all unless he's weariing a washable nappy!

ditto purpleturtle! all i can say re trousers is HENNES HENNES HENNES!

Cot4cloth do lovely (if expensive) clothes with extra large bums. But I've also just bought a few Bamboozles and an Ella's House hemp nappy and the difference in bulkiness is really noticeable.

Tatties - anything Totsbots do are great. Really, really recommend the new Bamboozles nappy. Their wraps are adequate, but there are better out there ie Motherease - ideally the poppers ones. Fleece wraps are good for the summer or for night-time.

I like Nature Babies wraps too, but mainly cos the prints are cute. I would say they were only suitable in the daytime when you'll be changing every 3/4 hours.

Get a laundry net to sit inside your bucket so you can lift the whole thing into the machine without laying a finger on anything evil

Mothercare do nice nappy buckets if yours has to sit out "on display" in the bathroom IYSWIM.

About 20 should be more than enough for a 9 mth old unless you get carried away buying cute stuff rather than just useful stuff!

Consider washable wipes too. Nappies by Minki and Ella's House do great fleece ones and other types - quite funky and far better than a pathetic ickle throwaway one - especially on evil poo

Um...and feel very smug about the hundreds of quid you'll be saving.

mcmudda!! Where have you been?
Haven't seen you around in eyons!
How is Loch Lomond?

If you've got the space get a large nappy bucket (we got a plastic "dustbin" from Do-it-All), so you don't have to wash every day.

Dry pailing smells less (i.e. not soaking the nappies) you can always put them in for a cold rinse before washing if you want! Add a few drops of lavender oil to the bucket to ward off smells.

Don't use as much detergent as it says on the packet/ bottle./ About 50% shoukld be right; excess detergent makes the nappies crispy and can cause soreness.

Fleece liners are good. Poo falls off into the loo!

Loved Tots Bots, but also liked Ella's House- loads to choose from; get yourself a selection at first till you work out what suits you. Tots are bomb-proof- never had a poo leak.

Ikea do 10 white flannels for about £3, I think. Ace for wipes- much easier to clean poo off a bum than baby wipes.

I prefer the Tots Bots Fluffles to the Bamboozles. I loved the Bamboozles at first but they take soooooo long to dry.

But starting with a 9 month old I'd be inclined to suggest a pocket nappy (e.g. Fuzzi Bunz). We got them initially for DS to wear at nursery but are gravitating to using them more and more instead of his Tots at home too. I think a Tots-like nappy is a good plan for a younger baby though.

Try a couple of different styles first on a part-time basis and decide what works for you before you commit to a big purchase.

You might want to try flushable paper liners - they can be washed and re-used if just peed on but can be flushed along with the poo. Depends how into the whole thing you want to be.

Trousers - we use dungarees almost exclusively with DS and have never had a problem. I don't think a lightly stuffed pocket nappy is really any more bulky than a sposie, though, to be honest.

If you are starting out Bumbles are great to try and they are seriously cute.
Your DS will look like the fairy baby And you can get some lovely colours. Easy peasy do them, they have a great offer on Bimbles at the moment and postage is free.

Here they are!

I'm another fan of Totsbots - I've just got the basic non-aplix (ie non-velcro) ones with fleece liners, and motherese wraps. I bought plain unbleached so that I could sell them on when I have finished with them and they will still look like new as there is nothing to fade! I manage fine with 12 nappies, but then I do have a tumbledrier too so I can wash and dry a load in 4 hours (my washing machine takes two hours to do a 60 deg wash).

I also use Ikea facecloths for wiping! I find it much easier than using wipes, cos I just parcel them up with the nappy and throw the whole lot in the bucket. If I've used wipes I have to go through the nappy and fish them out and flush them away, which is a pain. So I just keep wipes for when I am out. I cut my facecloths into quarters and hemmed them on the sewing machine, so I have loads of reusable wipes now. They are handy for wiping faces and hands after meals too.

Dungarees are definitely the way to go with cloth - I have stuff from George, Woolies and McKays, all fit fine with a nappy underneath.

I've also got some Kooshies basics which I got cheap off ebay (10 for a fiver!!) - they are my "emergency nappies" as ds can only wear them for about two hours max, they don't hold much. I use disposable liners with them.

Never had a leak with either sort

Hi Mrs D! The Bonny Banks are as beautiful as ever - and loads of people round here use cloth unlike where I lived before. I think basically we're all a bunch of wannabe hippies here, but still only 45mins from Ikea

Kittykins are very good - they stock Minki stuff too which is handy.

Wahmall.co.uk is worth a look if you want something a bit different. I've been toying with trying a "weenotion" nappy - they look like an Ellas house style but seem cuter (if that's possible?) Anyone else heard of them?

Great stuff girls, thanks for all your advice! Will let you know how I get on...