Nappy nightmare please help!!

[catkins1000]

Hello, having first baby in Dec and keen to use real nappies due to cost/waste etc. However, not sure what sizes/amount/brand etc to get, and what if I buy loads and then just can't manage? What has everyone else done?? I never knew the world of nappies was so complicated!! Please help...

Hi there,
it's not that hard to be honest, to begin with you could get away with some cheap muslins and or little terries or prefolds, placed inside a velcro wrap, like a bummis superwhisper aka cotton bottoms (from boots).
If you have good size nappy bin (go to poundies or costco for any bin with a lid that fits tightly) you could wash every other night at 50 or 60 degrees (although many people do a 40 degree wash, up to you really). Put a mesh bag inside the bin so you can lift the nappies out - buy the mesh on ebay or buy a football net from a sports shop. Don't worry about soaking them, just do a prerinse if necessary, but usually a normal wash is fine. Use very little washing powder or ecoballs (from lakeland) or soapnuts (do a google) 'cos often, little bums don't get on well with powder and the old powder in the fabric stinks when pee'd on.
Don't use fabric conditioner, it stops the nappies absorbing pee.
A quick ten minutes tumble straight after washing softens them up and then you can stick them on a clothes horse or outsite - flat nappies like terries dry really fast. You can tumble them if you are desparate though, but tumbling can age shaped nappies and knacker the elastic.
After a couple of months you can start to buy a few larger nappies and try them out at your leisure, before buying more.
There are lots of nappy advisors and probably will be at least one in your area. You will find most of the advisors, shops etc... on the real nappy campaign 'nappy finder' clickable map here and they can come round to show you nappies at home.
I have set up a blog here to confuse people like you with all the nappies on it plus lots of reviews from the mumnetters that use cloth nappies so that might help when you get to the point of making a decision.
That's all I can think of for now, but you are in the best place to get great advice.
Congratulations on the baby as well, how exciting!!!

Just wanted to second the idea of seeing an agent/advisor. You can ask them the daftest questions and you get to see and touch so many nappies in one go, helps you eliminate a few choices.

one other thing, check if your local council have an incentive scheme for real nappies as loads do.

Mine offered 16 MEOS nappies + 4 wraps as a starter pack, which is why I decided to try it (nothing to lose) & I'm so glad I did, it's no where near as bad as I feared & I'm now a huge fan

Also a tablespoon of white vinegar in the rinse (put it where you would put fabric conditioner) helps ensure all the detergent has been washed out & leaves the nappies nice & soft.

And if you get the odd stain or two, sunlight is the best thing to shift them, I didn't believe it but it really does work, honest!

Don't buy a 'birth to potty pack of anything. Try a brand before you buy tons of them unless you get losts of incentives.
If you can 'hire' a newborn kit which has a variety of different nappies in it you get to try then out and then can buy the ones you like and fit your baby's shape. Newborn only usually fit for about 6wks, depending on the baby's size so don't splurge too much on that size.

Speaking of trial kits, there is a not for profit organisation called nappy trials, where you can hire a kit of various brands of nappy to try out. They don't actually sell nappies, just rent out kits for people to try.
Here is the link

Also check out the NappyFinder website to see if there's a Real Nappy Network near you.

Thanks so much everyone, I think I'll have a go of the agent/trial packs, and I've checked and my council do offer some sort of incentive, they are sending me details - hurray, feel more organised now so thanks x