Help - cloth nappy options highly confusing!

[tortoiseshell]

I'm pretty decided we're going to go over to cloth, but I can't get my head round what we need. Ds2 is about 14.5lb, he's aged 4 months, and quite long and lean. From talking to friends, I think we'll use totsbots nappies, and motherease airflow wraps, but can't work out what size wrap to get - there seems to be one from 10-20lb, or 20-40lb. Now he obviously fits into the first category, but I don't want to spend loads on wraps, just to have to replace them in a few weeks. Any ideas? Thanks!

Buy them secondhand...nappylady classified and mumsnet, ukparents etc
ebay not neccessarily cheapest option IME.

Nappylady classified is great. Unfortunately you will be needing both sizes I think.

you can get away with using the next size up nappies in a correctly sized wrap IME, because the wrap seals any gaps caused by oversized napy 'holes' iyswim!

Oh yes, both sizes in wraps, just size 2 nappies.

Just get square terry nappies. All these trendy cloth nappies are still disposable, just not so much as Pampers! You can cut terries up to make extra padding for night-time, for wiping snotty noses, for making sure bums are completely dry before putting nappy cream on and when they get threadbare, use them as dusters! 2 dozen terry nappies (NOT MOTHERCARE as they do silly shapes, not square), a pack of liners, nappy pins and a packet of plastic pants and you're away.
Don't make life more complicated than it has to be. I'll still be using them when no.3 comes along this November!

??? motherease are disposable????

Plus you save much much more as the only different size things you need to buy will be plastic pants as he grows... and they are £2:60 for 6.

I mean they have a limited life span and can't be used for anything else.

It is true - you can't really use a 'shaped' nappy for much else other than a nappy (!) and the sized ones are limited in lifespan in that sense...but the one-sizes last from birth up to potty training potentially, and there is a good 2nd hand market for them.

Have to say, I have been tempted to opt for terry squares once or twice having seen the price...

And if the plastic pants really don't do it for you, you could use terry squares with a "trendy" wrap

When DS was a baby we bought a Kooshie (do they still do those?) for babysitters nervous of nappy pins (my dad, basically). It was okay, but really no better than the normal terries. Plus it cost £10 .
You are a star for switching to reusables, whatever you decide . Viva the eco babies!

Oh yes, plus old ladies go crazy at the sight of nappies on the washing line. They love it. Old ladies are great.

Thanks for the advice. One more question, how many nappies/wraps/liners do you really need? Some websites say 24 nappies and wraps, but presumably it is possible to manage with fewer? TIA.

With Tots, I would recommend 24. They're kind of slow to dry, especially in Winter! We had 4 wraps. Definitely buy the nappies second hand - the Nappy Lady generally has loads in her classified ads. You'll get them for almost half the price.

I have no-where near 24 nappies and manage very well. I'm using fluffles, fuzzis and bamboozles mainly, but also have a MEOS and a bumble. My son is 5 months and the size 1s are only just about fitting, so I would advice getting size 2 if you are getting tots. I have found the medium wraps are very tight when moving up to size 2. There is a medium/large size that might suit: I am waiting for mine to arrive. You could get a couple of M and a couple of M/L??

Fluffles and fuzzis dry v quickly so you can manage with fewer. Just buy a few to see how you get on with them first, then you can always get more, or a different sort. Nappy lady classifieds great.

I only had 14 tots size 2, but didn't switch to cloth until ds was 15 months.

Loved them

Expecting 2nd baby any day and plan to use mostly terries (though have 6 tots size ones) until baby fits my tots 2.

24???????????

I just about cope with 15, and those are bamboo ones which take a lifetime to dry (been timing... they've been on the clothes horse, in the kitchen, in humid weather.. 48 hours!!!! ). I do have a pack of terry squares for those in betweeny times when I need to change about 5pm - there is no point in using one of the bamboo when I am going to be putting him in a bedtime nappy in 1 1/2 hours anyway.

I have always been useless at folding squares well enough for containment

how old is your lo flame?

Now 7 months, I've been on about 15 nappies from 4 weeks (or maybe 6 weeks) though.