The "no question too stupid" reusable nappy thread

[Hufflepuffin]

I thought it might be nice to have one thread where anyone planning to use reusable nappies can post questions about them. I think most people agree that the amount of information and options out there can be a bit bewildering when you're researching.
I know the whole nappies topic is a bit like this but at least if it's just one thread then the people who love talking about nappies (me ) can keep it 'watched' and always reply!

Hello! Sorry if this has already been covered up thread, but could anyone please advise on how to avoid leaks? I'm completely sick of DS's nappies leaking all the bloody time, and I need a super absorbent nappy/insert/booster or I'm going to Put My Foot Down with DH (who is the one obsessed with washables) and just buy a house full of disposables.

We have been using the Flip system with organic cotton day and night inserts. Got some bamboo boosters and used them with a day insert (too bulky with a booster and a night insert) but that leaked too. The only time we didn't get leaks was on holiday when we used the Flip wraps with disposable inserts - but if we used disposables all the time, it would defeat the object somewhat.

We do have an all-in-one (Bumgenius Elemental) which doesn't seem to leak as much, but it takes much longer to dry which is a bit annoying, so I'm not convinced about getting lots more of those.

DS is 4.5 months and big (weight and height) if that makes any difference.

Any advice would be much appreciated! If I have to deal with yet another complete change of clothes and bedding tonight I am going to scream.

Hello! I don't know much about the flip system but generally a fitted nappy with a separate wrap will be the thirstiest nappy.

You could buy some hemp boosters, they are much thinner than anything else so you may be able to fit more absorbency in. You could buy 2-4 bamboo nappies and 2 wraps just to use at night, then keep the flips for the day.

Can you tell if the leaks happen slowly or all at once? If it's all at once you may need to add a layer of microfibre closest to baby's skin (under the liner though) as it's the fastest absorbing fabric and will grab the wee quickly. Then bamboo under that and maybe a layer of hemp too to get you through the night.

Also, you may need to stop your baby wearing vests that popper in the crotch, they always made my son's nappies leak. Boys need most absorbency right at the front and barely any at the back.

4.5 months until weaning were when my son wet the most, they are drinking so much liquid at this age it's hard for anything to hold it!

Haven't managed to read all of this thread but thought this was the best place to ask:

We use Wonderoos but this may or may not apply to any type of pocket nappies, wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences.

Basically, they leak - or rather they wick moisture onto clothes, sometimes within an hour, either through the front of the leg holes or via the waistband. The inserts (either just trifold bamboo or with an extra layer of microfibre) aren't sodden or even close to full capacity when we take them out so it's not that he's weeing huge amounts. It seems to be more that the inserts can't absorb the liquid quick enough so it gets onto the edges of the lining of the main nappy and then transfers onto the clothes.

The Wonderoos are odd in that they have elasticated waist around the back and only the buttons at the front, so while it's digging into his skin at the back it's easy to get a couple of fingers in over the top, meaning there's nothing really keeping the moisture in at the front. And the leg frills seem to be the same material as the lining so I'm not sure how they are supposed to keep liquid inside. And as he's a boy, there's only about an inch and a half of insert before liquid reaches the waistband, which doesn't seem to be enough to absorb it before it wicks out.

Anyone else recognise this? Sometimes we're stripping him down and changing him three times a day, which kind of defeats the purpose of reducing waste if your laundry load triples. :-/

Hmm, only just seen this! I would normally recommend a layer of microfibre over the bamboo in your case, but you've already done that! How old are your microfibre inserts and do you use liquid or powder? It might be worth strip washing them (I normally do a long hot wash with biological powder and then another long hot wash with no powder (maybe a small squeeze of washing liquid). You need to keep rinsing until no bubbles come out.

The wonderoos don't sound particularly well designed so you might consider swapping to a two part system, which is a pain when you already have the wonderoos but would mean less laundry! If you wanted to try a pocket system I love the little lambs sized pockets (not the one size), but you're likely to still need the microfibre in there to "catch" the wee.

New to this site and would really appreciate advice on how to go about looking at the various cloth nappies and alternatives to disposable ones. Seem to be lots of products, lots of types and I'm a bit lost! Can anyone recommend a make or type please? Baby due next week. Thanks

I would spend some time going through the advice here www.thenappylady.co.uk/news/choosing-your-nappy-system.html

Do you have a local nappy library? I was able to borrow their newborn kit for 3 months- saved me buying newborn nappies. I then borrowed their birth to potty kit to trial the bigger nappies.
When she was little I found using a muslin and wrap to be the easiest, lots of people swear by little lambs.
There are lots of preloved nappies selling pages on Facebook if you wanted to do it that way. Many people sell entire newborn kits.

You can find your local nappy library here
www.uknappynetwork.org/find-a-library.html

Hello everyone, hoping someone out there can offer some advice. I've hired some bimble nappies and put one on my 1 week old baby girl yesterday for the first time. She can't move her legs barely at all!! They seem to be kind of locked straight, wider at the hips yes but then she can't move them up towards her chest. She loves kicking her legs about and the nappy really restricted that, I couldn't even lift them to do the cycling thing to help with wind/digestion. Any ideas what to do?! Thanks very much.

At present I am a 3rd year Geography student studying at the University of East Anglia. For my dissertation research project I am looking into household waste disposal that goes to landfill and the effects this has on the environment. This has led me to investigate reusable nappies. Noticing that reusable nappies are under-represented and ideas of them often misconceived due to old fashioned connotations I am hoping to undergo further research into this area and ways of promoting change to enhance uptake of this as an environmentally friendly practice. I am looking for individuals who are currently using or have previously used reusable nappies in the past and that would be willing to be interviewed and would be extremely grateful for any volunteers. The interview would be via skype to aid convenience for all and at a time which suits you. If you are interested in being a participant in this research or have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected] , hope to hear from you soon!

Hi! Long shot but does anyone have a discount code for FunkyMonkeyPants by any chance?

@PocketNiffler Very belated thanks for your tips for preventing leaks! We've had some success with hemp boosters. And I just bought some Thirsties Natural All in Ones (which are cotton and hemp) and they seem pretty good

I hope it's okay to bump this thread, I've spent most of the evening investigating cloth nappies.

My DS is 13 and back then I didn't even consider not using disposable, these days I'm more eco conscious! I'm a little overwhelmed by all the options though.

I've noticed there are pocket nappies on Aliexpress at very reasonable prices. Does anyone have these? Do you need to wear an outer over them?? If I do go for the pocket style, which sorts of liners are best?

Those pocket nappies are ok but not super reliable on very small babies! You’ll need inserts to go inside (in the “pocket” between the fleece and outer). I like one microfibre and one bamboo.

Have a look at little lamb nappies if you’d like something similar but with a more reputable supply chain - or a second hand Facebook selling group if you want really sustainable!

What's the best brand/style of nappy to buy to last from newborn-toddler ?
Can you wash them in Bio washing powder?
How many do you need per day if you do 2 wash loads per day ?
Do you really need one of those toilet hose sprayer things to get rid of the poos or are flushable liners better ?

What's the best brand/style of nappy to buy to last from newborn-toddler ?

• I don’t know, it’s a tough remit because newborns are SO SMALL! Could try borrowing newborn kit from local nappy library if you have one. Or buy second hand, launder well and sell on for same price. Someone else may have found something that works (permit or wizard uno maybe? I don’t know my dd has been out of nappies for a while!

Can you wash them in Bio washing powder?

I think so? We don’t as dd allergic anyway.

How many do you need per day if you do 2 wash loads per day ?

Do you mean two loads of nappies or two loads full stop? 12 is probably the minimum for a newborn and even then they’d need to be quick drying. 20 is a good number to aim for. 10 for an older child. Look out for little lambs sales to top up!

Do you really need one of those toilet hose sprayer things to get rid of the poos or are flushable liners better ?

We didn’t have one. I did flush liners as was less informed back then. You can flick poo off fleece liners so as not to flush liners. Maybe there’s been some innovation in flushable liners that makes them actually flushable! You can wash breastfed milk off in the machine as it’s water soluble.

Ive come across little lambs nappies which look like what im after the only thing im stuck on is do i go for Cotton , Bamboo or Microfiber ?? I hate the feel of microfiber but is it more absorbent than the Bamboo ?

Bamboo is most absorbent but takes longest to dry. It can also be a bit bulky. Microfibre dries quickly and also absorbs quickly but is less reliable if (for example) they are sitting in one position in a car seat for ages (compression leaks). Absorbing quickly is good if your baby does large, fast wees (but you can always add a microfibre booster on top of a bamboo nappy if that became a problem. Or you can add a layer of bamboo or hemp under a microfibre nappy to boost absorbency!

Cotton is somewhere in the middle on all those things so could be a good compromise.

I think little lambs are happy to do a mix of fibres in their kits if you email them - so you could try them all out!

Microfibre dries in a few hours, cotton in about 24 hours, bamboo could be a few days. (If we’re talking about a fitted nappy, pocket inserts will dry a bit quicker).

Hope that helps!

I have a tumble drier but i heard that its bad to tumble dry them as they loose absorbency and they go baggy around the legs ?? I think cotton would be best for us then with a booster on a night if needed

I'm finding the tots bots easy fit AIO rather bulky for my 11 week dd. She's about 11lb now (6lb at birth) and we have only just stared using the reusable nappies because she was too small until recently then the hot weather cane and I think she'd have been too hot in them? Anyway, she needs to have the nappy popped onto the smallest setting but by doing so the nappy gets really bulky and then stands proud of her tummy, and she gets red run marks too round her thighs and belly. Any ideas?

@snuggledonthesofa I thought the whole point of the bag was that you could put the whole thing in the machine without having to touch all the dirty nappies.

Indeed it is. Otherwise you could just put them in the bucket.

Can anyone offer advice on washing powder for reusable nappies? I've been asked not to use ecover by the nappy hire company which is all I've been using for years now (pre-baby). I'd like to find the most ethical brand of non-bio powder that will actually be effective at washing baby nappies. Thanks!

We use Surcare after several other brands didn't like DD's bottom.
Splosh is good for refilling containers. And others seem to like BioD.

Thanks @drspouse that's really helpful. I'll give them both a try & see what happens!