Nappy Chat #3 - Fluff Between The Ears

[PurplePidjin]

New fred

Hi Disco! I use mostly fitteds and wraps - motherease airflow have been the best wrap for me, never a leak, but I think Rikki are meant to be better for pre-weaning because of the gussets round the legs, stops poo escaping. I've got two blueberry wraps which I love, they come in lovely prints and are on 2 for £18 at fill your pants at the moment. I also like bummis wraps which come in fab colours and patterns too!

www.fill-your-pants.com/nappy-wraps.html

www.cleangreennappy.co.uk/bummis

Stretchies are fab, lovely and soft and absorbent but slow drying. I think it's good to have a mix of fitteds and wraps (most absorbent combo) and pocket or AIOs (easiest to use) There are some good offers on the moment off the top of my head Babi Pur had 20% off for Mio solos which are an AIO.

www.babipur.co.uk/shop/Cloth-Nappies/c23/index.html

They are good but I find need boosting with bamboo or hemp boosters to last 3 hrs - but really easy to use when out and about as quicker than the 2 parters. Lots of other AIO options like bum genius also on offer there but I haven't tried them!

I've a 6 week old Discolite that I've just started using fluff with. I'm using mainly bamboo fitteds with wrap but the one AIO I'm using is just fine. NappyLady recommends fitteds because of poo containment. My DD isn't doing mega poos yet so the AIO is coping just fine. If I had to buy from scratch again (and I was rich enough), I'd buy just Wizard Duos - great containment, slim fitting and easy to put on. I don't know if they do diddy sizes though.

Thanks so much everyone for your responses!

NappyHappy, if I'd thought about it I would have realised that faff levels are present with most options really, durrr.

Biscuit, I like the Blueberry wraps! I might try two of those and see how I get on. I'm sold on the stretchies as they look nice and soft. Drying times do sound a disadvantage but I have a utility room I can dry nappies in out of the way so at least it won't be unsightly. I take your point about AIO for out and about.

LeBFG, so our babies are nearly birthday twins! I know two other babies born on the same day as mine which is nice .

Right, I'm off to do some more research. I might be back with more questions though!

Hey, all, welcome in Disco :)

AIOs for ease during the day, fitteds for lastingness overnight here. I will be stalking lollipop size 2 during Real Nappy Week as my size 1 is the only nappy i have that does all night! I have 3 Rikki wraps with cute animals on for sale, ds didn't likd them fussy bugger you wouldn't think a newborn could express a preference but he manages

Hi anyone doing the hunt for billy ???

Disco, it all becomes habit stuffing them anyway then you dont even notice

Ive not looked for Billy yet Spider. Is it the RNW hunt?

spider yes I'm thinking of giving it a go once DS is in bed tonight. Haven't really looked into how it works though (although I don't actually think they published info about those specifics before today).

disco I think with regards to faff it also really depends on who you talk to. I love two part nappies. You spend 20 extra seconds putting on the wrap, but in return you get super reliable nappies (it's like the set & forget option..).

DH on the other hand does not like them exactly because of the fact that they're in two parts. (Although to be fair he complains about all the nappies we have, and the liners, and the poo and... etc) He prefers pockets but that's because yours truly assembles them and he only has to put them on, he's not the one stuffing them. I personally HATE stuffing nappies so we only use the pockets to give to nursery (so I stuff about 9-12 nappies a week.. I can live with this. ).

Also you know what I've noticed, reusables, especially two-parters seem to be so much better at containing smells if DC has done a poo. With disposables as soon as they do a poo (talking about weaned babies here) it smells up the whole house if not the whole neighbourhood. But with reusables I'm often thinking.. has he? Or hasn't he? It can be a bit unfortunate sometimes as DS doesn't like telling us he's done a poo (even though he is able to at this point) as he doesn't like having his nappy changed, so sometimes he spends a while in a poopy nappy before we notice.

BFG have you got any Wizard Duos? When I was doing my research the other month they seemed like a perfect solution (the ease of an AIO with the reliability of a two-parter... what's not to like?!!) but the cost put me off. In the end I stuck with my boosted MioSolos.

What's the Billy hunt about?

rreow we have similar DSs - I've a poo denier too . In fact, got so fed up with giant morning poo at the weekend, I asked DS if he wanted to go without (hates nappy changes too). He said yes and used his potty all morning. Wow. WHo knew potty training could be so easy?

The Wizards are everything you could want. I have two covers and four daytime inserts. When I first got them, they did the night too. Totally reliable. Slightly annoying to snap in all the time I suppose. I now have to boost a little but they still go at least 3 hours. DS always wears them when we go to the toddler group. These, plus two Alva AIOs and the occasional Lollipop fleece fitted is all I use all week (don't do night time nappies). I never use liners either, they don't stain. BUT as you say, it's the price....

I made upcycled longies :o

I haven't had time to call in and say 'Hi' for a while as I have been busy busy with those bloody addictive Facebook pages!!! Who knew??? Seriously, who knew?! I know abbreviations for every possible nappy terminology and now thanks for helping me lose hours of my life pidj wraps!! Gira amitola capitan weft in 6 anyone?!
I have to extract myself from their grip, but you know in that weird, 'it's hardly worth going back to sleep' thing you have between feeds, I just keep buying!!!
I'm in Singapore BiscuitCrumbs and NappyHappy and it is permanently sweaty here poor baby in the Boba ;-)
I suppose the sunshine and the swimming pools help
I use Eco balls for my nappies (and everything) and they smell fresh- but I do put lavender oil in the softener drawer.
I'm hoping you are all going to help me feed my addiction by letting me know where all the RNW bargains are. Although my parents (in UK...) claim a full suitcase's worth of fluff is already on the spare bed waiting...

Did you all set limits on stash sizes?! I feel, like any addict, that my stash will be complete after one last buy, but I do think it's a bit out of hand... I'm covering the bums of DS1 2yrs and DS2 who's 9weeks so how many nappies should I have do you think? One 'set' (which was enough for DS2) shared isn't enough, we have a cross over time where disposables have to come out , but don't want loads left when if DS1 ever shows any interest in potty training, so just trying to do the Maths on it...
A complete stash for 2 =

Hello nappy addicts! Binkybonk, I didn't know what fluff meant 2 days ago, now I'm bandying around AIO and the like!

Right, I think I'm decided on the Stretchies with Blueberry wraps for night time and some daytime use. I like the look of the Blueberry as they are multisized, so I won't have to buy extra until (if I'm lucky enough) baby number 2 comes along.

Q1 - How many stretchies should I get? Nappy Lady said 4-10 size 1 and 10-15 size 2 but that was based on full time use
Q2 - How many wraps?
Q3 - How many boosters?
Q4 - What are your favourite multisized AIO or pockets or similar for easy daytime use? I can see that LeBFG likes Wizard duos (but they are pricey and sized) rreow likes Miosolo...Purple, what do you like?
Q5 - How many of Q4 should I get?
Q6 - Your views on velcro vs poppers

You've been brilliant, thank you! DS has gone from pooing with every feed to going every other day...still can't quite believe it! That's the one thing about motherhood that noone warned me about...just when you've got used to one routine, they go and do something completely different just to make you paranoid that something weird is going on

Q1 - How many stretchies should I get? Nappy Lady said 4-10 size 1 and 10-15 size 2 but that was based on full time use
Your DC is already 5 weeks right? Might be worth trying to skip the size 1s if you can. Size 2 is supposed to fit from 8lbs/3.6kg if I remember correctly. Order a few to start with to see if you get on with them. My initial stash (of a different type of nappy, but that doesn't matter) was 15 nappies washing every other day, but I only started when DS was 11mo and I think a 5 week old still needs more nappy changes than that.

Q2 - How many wraps?
You can reuse wraps a few times during the same day (except if they get poo on them). So sometimes you'll just cycle through 2 wraps all day. Also when they come out the wash they only need about 15 mins to dry (or 5 mins on the radiator). We make do with 6 wraps (although will soon have 10 wraps when my shiny new Blueberries arrive...).

Q3 - How many boosters?
I don't use boosters in my stretchies apart from the snap in one that is already included with the nappy (although you'd take that out if you were putting it on a newborn, so as not to bulk up the nappy too much). In my AIOs (MioSolos, they are microfibre) I use one Little Lamb bamboo booster which helps them last up to 4 hours. 10 boosters should do you fine. Definitely recommend the LL ones, they come in two sizes.

Q4 - What are your favourite multisized AIO or pockets or similar for easy daytime use?
I don't actually love MioSolos it's just that I invested in them and stuck with them despite having some problems. They're good for DS because he's tall, but we've definitely had wicking around the legs at certain points (although not currently, probably because his legs are a bit more chunky now than they were). Also apparently despite the weight range they indicate, they are not a great fit until a bit later (Nappy Lady has some advice on her site).

I think especially with AIOs you really need to try them out (buy 2 or 3 of each you want to try, try and get them second hand, the Facebook nappy groups are great for this) as some work perfectly for some babies, but not for others. Really depends on your baby's shape! I tried some Bumgenius Freetime, which is supposed to be BTP but they were TINY on my DS (and he was only 18mo when I tried them so a loooong way off potty training yet). I also have some Smartipants which I actually really like, they do need boosting though.

Q5 - How many of Q4 should I get?
Depends on how you use them. If you want to use AIOs fulltime during the day and just use the two-parters for night time, then you'll need at least 15 I'd say. If you only want to use them for the change bag when out & about you could probably get away with 6-8.

Q6 - Your views on velcro vs poppers
Difficult one! I prefer velcro especially on BTP as it's just more adjustable, but it does start looking manky after a while and if you're unlucky some poo (or a bit of raisin..) gets stuck in it and you'll be picking it out with a nitcomb . My popper nappies still look like new, but can't always get the best fit on them. Since starting to use reusables (11mo, DS is now 23mo) DS has changed shape so much from very skinny legs to much more chunky legs. Velcro definitely helps get a good fit if your baby has a big discrepancy between their tummy & leg size. My DS is still in vests so haven't had any problems with him undoing the velcro yet as he just doesn't have access.

Clothopoly is addictive! I keep going like.. one more then I'll go read a book.. ok one more.. last one now.. no wait, one more..

I've not been playing it, just entering the competitions!

Singapore, that is sweaty. But nice.

I keep waiting for some revelatory moment in RNW where I buy the offer of a lifetime on a perfect set of nappies and then THAT'S IT and I don't need anymore all of a sudden.
It's the end of Tuesday here so only 3 more days for my moment of clarity to happen.

Anyone spotted fab offers?

Am tempted by the TotsBots Frugi nappies just because...

Hi everyone,

Are your purses surviving intact during RNW?

I've decided to go for a mixed stash as I can't make up my mind what I like best. I love Little Lamb pockets and Fluff Heaven have them for £7. Bargain! Got Blueberry wraps and Blueberry OS deluxe from there too. Also ordered Charlie Banana OS and Bamboozle Stretchy from the Nappy Lady and Smartipants 3 pack from Fill Your Pants.

Now trying to decide whether to order the MioSolo 6 pack on flash sale at the nappy lady or whether to hold out on a 3 for 2 at Boots (normally £10 there).

My poor DD is suffering so badly with nappy rash at the moment. After lots of nappy free time she was all clear yesterday morning, then I picked her up from the childminder who told me she'd been crying in pain from it. It looks awful, really red and a few blisters. I think she might be reacting to citrus fruit.

Used cloth with fleece liner over night. It's looking a bit better and her bum was dry!

I haven't played clothopoly yet. Spent most of yesterday looking for Billy. The icon wasn't showing on windows explorer for me.

Longies lanolised and on! Just got to get the little bugger lad to sleep now

2 x RNW events in 1 day + 1 very active toddler 'helping' me = exhausted.

Tried clothopoly and the billy hunt but too complicated for me and too much looking around on websites - I think they both made it a bit too hard... It would surely take forever to find all the things! O maybe it's just my brain full of fluff

Sooooo tired. Bedtime!

Poor baby buffy . Sounds awful.

I got Charlie Banana and Smartipants through the council scheme, not bad at all. I need to get some large wraps as thing3 has outgrown his medium size ones.

I've not spent anything yet but will see what flash sales come up.

Had a poo fail before, I left a liner with a present in it in the nappy then washed it with the others. Yummy! Several rinses later!

The longies look great on Pidj

I must try some of these Charlie Banana. I keep hearing about them. Are they BTP AIOs? Are they any good? Although I really must not get any more different nappies. I think there is a bit of a fear of new things in this household. I actually don't change DSs nappies that often (apart from on the weekends), it's mostly DH, SIL or nursery. I still need to try the Real Easies and the Alvas!

Must.not.spend.any.more.money!! Next year I'm going to be prepared and save up & set aside some money for RNW in advance!

Morning R, they're btp pockets. The lining is very soft, I could rub it on my face, its lovely.

What are peoples thoughts on Bambino Mio?

I'm stuffing the Alvas with a folded in half booster as both boys are getting big on the wee thing I like them, cheap, fab designs and easy to care for. They'll be used for nursery when I go back to work.

I too am waiting for some bundle bargains too.

Ooh, I shit myself this morning, I bought the nappies in off the line last night and left them in the laundry bag over night. Started to stuff them this morning and a big fluffy Bumble Bee appeared from under the nappies. I flapped like a right fanny.

I can't afford and don't need anything so I'm trying to ignore RNW. Will be stalking for second hand lollipops in a few months, but we've got 8lb before we reach the weight limit so no urgency!

Longies are luffly, although he didn't like settling to sleep. Am hoping it wasn't related, but he really does sleep better in wool than other types, as evidenced by a tricky night Monday when I'd run out of fitteds

NH we used the MioSolos (Bambino Mio's AIO/pocket-hybrid BTP) full-time from about 11-21mo. For the last couple of months we've used them for nursery only (using fitteds at home).

Pros
-They're fairly cheap for BTP/AIOs (if you look around & wait for offers you should be able to get them new for about £10 each)
-They are very long, so suitable for tall babies/toddlers

Cons
-They are a pain to stuff. It's the reason we only use them for nursery now as stuffing a gazillion nappies a week was making me dread doing laundry. I fully admit that this is probably a personal quirk and maybe some people don't mind stuffing nappies at all.
-They don't work on thin legs. For the longest time DS was long & lean and we had problems with leaking/wicking around the legs. Now his legs are more chunky and they're fine.
-They NEED boosting. The attached microfibre insert might be OK if they're being changed every 2 hours but I want my nappies to go 4 hours (especially as I'm giving them to nursery, no way they'd change every 2 hours!) so I put a LL bamboo booster in as standard. You cannot boost them with more than that (nor can you fold a booster in half) or you will create leg gape.
-You fold the velcro tabs back onto themselves when you put them in the wash, but there is no corresponding 'receiving' velcro (like on for example Bamboozles or Blueberry wraps). This works the first month you're using them, and then the velcro doesn't stick onto itself anymore, so whenever you wash them you end up with 6 nappies strung together by their velcro. Worse, on occasion you will get poo stuck in the velcro It doesn't affect their usability at all (the velcro itself for securing the nappy is still nice and sticky even after a year of use) but it is a bit of a nag.

So yeah, I have lots of complaints about these nappies but we still use them!!

PS I like writing long posts apparently