HELP PLEASE! I want to try 'Tots Bots'......

[LadyOfTheFlowers]

.... do I need to buy nappies and wraps? What are the wrap bits? Covers?
Do you think they save you money or do you spend just as much as you would on disposables washing them?
many thanks.

they save you loads of money.

what age/weight is your baby?

Depends on what you want from a nappy.

Wraps are the covers
Nappy is the bit that soaks up wee
Liners create a barrier between bum and nappy.

what is most important to you, cost or slimness?
cotton is cheeper but bulkier, dont take too lang to dry
bamboo is more absorbant and less bulky, but cost more, takes longer to dry

best wraps IMO over a tots bot nappy, is a motherease airflow wrap.

i like the bamboozles, and the slimmer coloured tots bots for day time, i like the white and unbleached for nighttime usage.

also use motherease onesize during the day but they arent as good.

If you are having more children at any point, then they save you even more.

would like to get a happy medium between ds and me ifswim? dont want them to be too bulky and restrictive but cant spend tons either.
have had a quick look on ebay and they look very expensive! i didnt realise they would cost so much!

Thing to remember is that you can use them for multiple children and then generally sell them on for half to two-thirds of what you pay for them (which you can't do with disposables...)

i use cotton in the house and bamboo while out .
Also have hemp, bulkier than bamboo but more absorbant, great if i am out and dont want to worry about a wet nappy.
Terrys are a good way to keep the cost down and dry in no time, but you have to fold.
Another cheeper option is bambino mios or cotton bottoms, they fold up inside a wrap, but are more likely to leak.
Where are you, some concils are putting towards the cost of them.

i am in wiltshire.
thanks for all your help btw!

so the bambino mio's and cotton bottoms are like the terries mum used to put on me then? are they just squares of fabric? do you fold and fasten them with pins or something then put the wrap over the top of it?

will worn you there adictive.

geobel,bamboo

totsbots

bambino

no you fold them and put then into a wrap.

got to go, go onto your councils web site and look up about re-usable nappies, or google it, dont know if all do it.

google wiltshire council nappy vouchers.
Its about halfway down, but its a long link and cant be arsed.

From manufacture to use, disposable nappies use 3. 5 times as much energy, 8 times as much non-renewable raw materials and 90 times as much renewable material as re-useable nappies. They produce 2.3 times as much wastewater and 60 times as much solid waste.

They save you alot of money on the first baby, and are free for subsequent babies, they don't cost much too wash as you don't need huge amounts of detergant, no softner and only need to wash at 60 degrees and if you buy enough you don't need to use the tumble drier.

I needed no convincing but suffice it to say even my mother who laughed at me when i told her i was planning on using cotton was recently heard to rant about their merits and ease of use to my aunt, and she's a stubborn woman who rarely changes her opinion on anything!

go for it, you'll love them!

I changed onto reusables very recently when my DS was 13months and first of all tried terrys with motherease airflow wrap. The folding was alot easier than I thought it would be after the first few and I found them really good. They dont cost as much as the shaped ones and are way quicker to dry. I use a nappy nippa on them which is much easier than a safety pin.

However, as others have said they are addictive! I now have wambamboos as well, which I love and cant stop looking at nappy websites!

I also use washable wipes too, another way to save loads. Just get most off in the liner then wash that in the toilet flush and just bung the wipes (either cut up fleece throw/ blanket or cheap face cloths) in the washer with the nappies.

I switched as I have another baby due in Jan and just couldnt afford two in disp. Havnt really saved much on DS but on subsequent one, will save loads. As long as you dont do too much tumbledrying, I have found it much cheaper for the last few months. Sooo nice not to have the nappies, wipes and bags on the shopping bill!

I got loads of info from the nappy lady . Hope that helps.xxx

ok, i have bought some motherease things to try. are they complete or do i fold the terry stuff and load it in then put it on?

You could also try www.nappytrialservice.co.uk. Worth a go - you get to sample various makes/styles.

If you've bought motherease one size then you popper the terry nappy fastened around your baby and then fasten the wrap around afterward - is that what you meant?

what size are you looking for? i have a bag of tots size 2's and medium wraps, which i am looking to sell.
i have switched to minki's DH finds them easier because i construct them and he just uses them like a disposal only he throws them into the nappy bucket not the bin!

katzg, what sort of weight are they for and how many nappies are in your bundle?

the size that size 2's cover is 18-35lbs. i'm not 100% sure how many i have but its in excess of 8! i have both aplix and nippa ones and also some bleached and unbleached. They are good condition, they weren't used that much, but a couple have got stains on them from the metanium cream we used on DD1's nappy rash. i can have a proper look at the weekend and let you know if ou're interested. I keep meaning to post an ad on mumsnet for them!

If you want any more they are a good price here at Nappymania

Have yo just bought the motherease wraps or the nappys too?

By the way, just worked out that on my washing machine, with no water meter, doing a 40 degree wash with a prewash then drying on radiators or line dry costs, even washing everyday only costs about £2 a week on our higher rate of energy (we are charged 19p/KWh for the first 100kwh then 10p/KWh after that) and £1 per week on the lower rate. As we always use way over 100KWh, I say it costs £1 per week plus washing powder. If you washevery other day then 50p per week.

Def cheaper than disp for washing. Depends on how much you pay for the nappies, how long you use them for and if you use them for subsequent children if they are cheaper in the long run.

Hope that helps.xxx

katzg- thanks for that. could you look over the weekend for me and email me?
smim at hotmail dot co dot uk
cheers.

will do!