UK made nappies for a newborn advice!

[paow]

Hello everyone!
I've been reading all your posts and the advice on here is great! Although I am still a bit confused as my baby is due in October and as organised as I am I would like to have all the nappies here when the baby comes. Do you think this would be possible? Or would you recommend trying a few in the first few days and use some biodegradable ones until the ones I finally choose arrive.

I only want to use UK made nappies as the main reason for me doing this is the impact on the enviroment, so of course I don't want airmiles with my nappies. Which means all the Mother-ease, etc are out of the question.

I have been looking at the nappy lady but noticed they do not carry the complete range I read about on your posts, would you recommend I just bought a few brands from different sites and then decide when the baby comes?

Would you please help me get a list together of nappies and wraps to buy? Ideally nappies that don't take forever to dry as I won't be tumble drying.

Thank you so much for your help.

I use Bumbles, I love them.

They are British made (I think, anyway) and they don;t take ages to dry, as they have a removable booster thing inside. They are birth to potty nappies, so they are good for my 20month old DS, and I will be using them for my new baby, as you can put them on a "newborn setting" using poppers. I did get mine from the nappylady. Have a look at them here I boost them up at night with some old face flannels I had kicking around the house, and I also cut up an old fleece blanket for liners (although the inner part of the bumble is fleece, so you don't techniocally need one, but it makes poo much easier to deal with)

As for wraps, I use ME, so I can't really help you there, but I am sure someone in the know will come up with something.

I would recommend trying a few before you go ahead and spend loads of money, because some nappies may not suit your baby's build etc. The nappy lady does have a questionaire you can fill in, with no obligation to buy. I did this as I didn't have a clue!!!

Good luck with your baby, by the way!

If you aren't tumble drying then prefolds are a good bet - basically a big square of cotton with a double layer in the middle that you fold and put inside an outer nappy wrap (I used prowraps - have no idea if UK made) as they are flat cotton so dry really quickly, are soft if air dried and are v good at containing poop from breastfed babies (at least in my experience). They are also very cheap, and come in handy for mopping up 'accidents' when potty training as so absorbent.
Stuffable nappies are also good if not tumbling as can take out the inner to dry.
Tots bots are made in Scotland (I think) but take AGES to dry and are towelling so go very hard if you aren't tumbling.
Other than that plain old terry squares but again the hardness problem.
Before I had my dd I found a company that sent me a big trial box of lots of different nappies to look at and see what I thought would work for me. Can't remember the name but maybe google?
I think a few disposable ones at the start is a good idea as meconium is a nightmare to wash out, and for those first few days you'll be busy recovering so why make more work for yourself. Have heard muslin squares recommended for newborns, all I can say is that they wouldn't have been absorbent enough for my dd even in first few days.

I used 'nappy nation' which are made in UK. Quick to dry as they have four overlapping layers - they do look confusing, but aren't at all. They used to do 2 sizes, birth to approx 6 months, then 6months+, but that was four years ago, not sure if they have added more. Good website to look at is www.twinkleontheweb.co.uk

We didn't buy loads of styles to try, but rather niavely we just bought these nappies, assuming they would fit and they did! Close with velco, so can be adjusted to size. Think we might have used disposables for the first 2 weeks or so.

Am also due in October, so plan on getting the nappies out of the loft next month, but can't remember what wraps we used - Sam-I-Am, I think, but not 100% sure.

Good luck!

my goodness intergalaticwalwus you took the words rifght out of my mouth! i too use bumbles because they are UK made and i have 1 nappy nation size 2, its still a bit on the bulky side and ds is nearly 6 months.
Only thing to add is- look out for 2nd hand wraps( and or nappies) i feel no guilt about the air miles on my 2nd hand MEOS and airflow wraps.
drying times- I can dry 4 MEOS or 2 bumbles overnight in the warm cupboard. otherwise all three types take about the same time on the line.
sarah
reduce, reuse, recycle

We used Tots Bots from the start (post meconium!), and we love them. We bought all the size one nappies that we would need before ds was born - didn't want the additional hassle in the first few weeks. Some people recommend leaving cloth nappies till everything else has settled down, but personally, I didn't find them a hassle. They're not hard to use, and dh is very good at loading a washing machine

We started with the standard cotton ones, now use fluffles and bamboozles.

Cotton, according to the study done last year, is not the most environmentally-friendly thing to make nappies out of. Bamboozles are made of bamboo - very fast growing, and much more environmentally sustaintable. However, they take ages to dry indoors without a tumble dryer.

Fluffles are polyester microfibre - and are nearly dry after just a fast spin cycle. But not sure about the environmental consequences of the manufacture of these.

We do use motherease wraps though - they are very good.

The nappy lady site doesn't do all nappies - but it kind of depends why you're getting into this. I just wanted advice on suitable nappies for us. But there are lots of people on here who are addicts and constantly researching new nappies and adding to their collection. For the former, the nappy lady is perfect. For the latter, maybe not!

if you're looking to truly minimise impact of production then you could check out the nappy lady's classified board and buy second hand

I bought most of my prefolds there

Fab advice as always, i think I will def buy second hand as it's the most eco-way to go. I have been buying most clothes 2nd hand from ebay and charity shops and I shouldn't stop there.
Thank you for all the suggestions, i will have a look at all of the recommendations!

If you've had a look at the Nappy Lady, another good site is www.chooseanappy.co.uk which is run by Twinkle on the Web, I am sure there are questions about airmiles and other environmental issues + Miranda there is very knowledgeable about where/how various nappies and fabrics are manufactured.

I know that a great many tend to be partly manufactured in either Europe or further afield tho some do use fairtrade agreements or source fabrics that are ethically produced.

my local council (Bucks) has a cotton nappy lending library so you can try before you buy, worth seeing if yours does it too.