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Original poster

Cloth nappy users - when do you use disposables?

40 replies

girlinfrance · 01/10/2006 09:02

At night? When you're out? On holiday? Never?

We started our 2-month-old in cloth this week and although I'm converted for use at home (including nights - first time last night and no leaks!), I'm a bit nervous of using them away from home.

What do you do?

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MrsCurly · 01/10/2006 09:10

On holiday.

I honestly find them very little hassle, unless you are away from a washing machine. Disposables stink and leave strange crystals on their bum.

lauralou123 · 01/10/2006 10:20

We cheated and took pampers on holiday this year as we were staying in a caravan.

Other than that, cloth all the time. It's a bit more bulk to carry around but saves money etc.

Give it a try, you can always swap back if you really hate it. You also get to show off your lovely nappies in shared baby change rooms!

Nemo1977 · 01/10/2006 10:23

I use them when on holiday and sometimes if DD has horrible diarrihia[teething] as I tend not to have enough wraps and nappies to cope with all the changes required at those odd times.

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CornflakeKid · 01/10/2006 10:45

If theres a washing machine - they get used! Have even taken them on holiday to cottages - but not camping or abroad! I always thought that they have to be changed whatever so might aswell save some money and use cloth all the time. Why not get in contact with your real nappy network - there are usually lots of mums who meet up regularly for coffee etc...

SoupDragon · 01/10/2006 10:52

At night and also if I go away anywhere. Also carry one emergency one plus a reusable in my change bag as extra cloth ones take up too much space.

chipmonkey · 01/10/2006 11:02

I only use disposables when the washing machine has broken down. I brought cloth nappies to a mobile home in France this summer but I knew they had laundry facilities before I went. MIL has once or twice used them on ds against my wishes but I gave her the evil eye!

ilovedolly · 01/10/2006 11:09

I use disposables if i am out and about all day or overnight to avoid heavy stinky changing bag....... If you use a 'green' disposable option it is relatively guilt free and convenient too.

Flamebat · 01/10/2006 11:35

Never. We used to for nights in the first few weeks, but then I realsied that they were leaking and cloth wouldn't, so stopped.

Not been away for more than a few days.

Original poster
girlinfrance · 01/10/2006 11:41

Thanks for the reassurance, it seems that once you're into them, you're hooked

The cloth revolution hasn't really reached France yet, so the French in-laws think I'm bonkers (no change there then) and everyone else thinks we're turning into eco-hippies. No such thing as a real nappy network here unfortunately, perhaps I should start one!

OP posts:
lotussister · 01/10/2006 12:14

girlinfrance, I'm in France too and know exactly what you mean!

Where did you get your nappies? My ds isn't born yet, and I wanted to buy lots of different nappies to try out when he gets here, but I'm having trouble finding a way to do this which doesn't make the shipping cost prohibitive...

Flamebat · 01/10/2006 12:16

Oooh GIF - look into Wollywraps - she's based in France now

Original poster
girlinfrance · 01/10/2006 13:55

Lotussister - I had a trial order sent to my parents in the UK, who then brought it with them when they came to visit. When I'd decided what I wanted I placed a big order with www.twinkleontheweb.co.uk, who post orders over £150 free to Europe. Whereabouts in France are you? We'd better start a cloth in France support group!

Flamebat - looked at Woollywraps, some lovely stuff, but they don't sell nappies do they?

Part of my worry about using cloth out of the house is fielding people's reactions, and being mistaken for some kind of nutty retro eco-warrior - silly I know, but I'm quite a shy sort of person with strangers , particularly foreign ones

OP posts:
lotussister · 01/10/2006 14:43

I'm in Provence...I think I'll have to resort to getting things posted to my SIL in the UK and get her to bring/send them over....

chipmonkey · 01/10/2006 17:07

I know I've seen them on a French website but I can't remember the name.

chipmonkey · 01/10/2006 17:55

Voila!

Original poster
girlinfrance · 01/10/2006 18:13

I know (and use) that website. Cloth nappies are available here, mostly online, but they aren't as mainstream as in the UK - we have lots of French friends with children and none of them have even considered using cloth. They are still quite a minority thing, unfortunately.

OP posts:
chipmonkey · 01/10/2006 22:28

I'm in Ireland and its a bit like that over here! I've never met anyone in RL who uses cloth, all my clothie friends are virtual!

TooTicky · 01/10/2006 22:34

I took disposables on holiday this year and I hate hate hate them! I have been known to take my clothies to Sweden and back

hana · 01/10/2006 22:46

use them on holiday
use them when I'm not feeling well and can't be bothered to wash them
sometimes use at night

have been using them since dd3 was born 2 weeks ago but am just thinking that I could cope now!! but little dd3 is too small for the smallest size cloth that I have, so she will have to wait a bit longer....

TicTacsMum · 01/10/2006 22:55

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NastyNemo666 · 01/10/2006 23:00

think babykind.co.uk post to europe too and only charges £1 more than in uk postage

mymama · 01/10/2006 23:05

I used them at night and when out. The cloth would be saturated during night ime.

Helgand · 02/10/2006 12:12

I have two in cloth nappies at mo - use disposables at night due to leakage. Also used disposables with DD1 when heavily pregnant with DD2 as absolutely shattered and had to use disposables with DD2 while in hospital. Made sure holiday place had w-machine and dryer.

Gingerbear · 02/10/2006 12:15

Only on holiday.
Get a waterproof drawstring bag to put dirty nappies in when out and about, then sling them straight into the nappy bucket when you get in.

bobsmum · 02/10/2006 12:35

I use disposables:

Never at night - disposables can't cope in the same way that cloth can. I'm surprised that some of you say cloth is leaking - what make are you using? I imagine that prefolds or one-size nappies might struggle, but Totsbots/bumhuggers or huggles would be a possible solution.

Not on holiday - I find a launderette or check washing facilities in advance.

Not when out - I take my washables and a waterproof bag (got a nice rainbow one from Kittykins)

Only on weekends away where there's no washing machine or no room for a bucket.

I recommend Moltex eco-disposables over any shop bought ones. They biodegrade in a wormery only, but their manufacture and construction is way kinder to baby and the environment. No strange Pampery/Huggie chemically smells for a start!

It's not because I'm a diehard clothie, it's because I don't like to take the risk of a disposable leaking. At least with cloth, you know that clothes will stay untouched when you're out and about.