Please tell me about REAL nappies

[pinkranger]

i am 17 weeks pg and seriously considering using these this time round , use disposables with ds as the wasn't really advertised that well then , they seem like a good idea, please tell me your experiences with them, are they practical ....

Hi pinkranger

It's worth checking with your local council to see if they give you an incentive to use real nappies.

I use Motherease nappies and wraps just for night-time and have't had any problems. I put white vinegar in the conditioner compartment to get rid of excess soap.

There's a Real Nappies discussion on MoneySavingExpert which might help forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=195990&highlight=motherease

Hope this helps.

I have used them on ds1 and ds 2 and on ds3 due in april - I am an addict I bought mine when pg with my first and have used them ever since - but the range has grown somewhat over the past 6 years! I used them because they were better for environment and much cheaper - I have developed somewhat of a dislike for disps and nappy sacks over the years - but do use them when on holiday. I didn;t find it hard work or smelly or anything - as far as I was concerned the nappy needed to be changed and that was it really. I didn;t find washing or drying a problem - it was just an extra load every couple of days which really made no difference.

I do have some favourite nappies!
Sandys, Onelife, weenotions, newborn terries, fuzzis, nature babies stuffables and have invested in about 6 other makes to try out in size one for ds3! inc. 4 new lollipop nappies, a wambamboo and a bumhugger
Wraps - would only ever use onelife or motherease.

I wouldn't recommend the following simply because I didn't think they worked well at all for me - but they do for some people:
kushies
prefolds - unless used to stuff a nappy then they are great.

I always say to people you need to work out what your 'dream nappy' would be i.e. in terms of slimness, absorbency and drying time - then find someone to help you through the selection process! I would recommend teamlollipop advisors as you get to touch and feel the nappies before you buy them or online would recommend makesachange or flamesparrow - there is a great deal of knowledge out there and you need to match what you need to your lifestyle and budget.

There are alot of deals around at the moment with real nappy week too.

Good luck!

Lots of stuff about real nappies on www.thenappylady.co.uk

I did a mixture of disposables and real. Disposables for convenience when on holiday and so on as couldn't wash cloth then. Real the rest of the time.
Had Motherease poppered nappies - very easy to use, and really not much hassle to wash, but took a while to dry in winter as we don't have a tumble dryer.
They don't cause any more nappy rash than disposables - use lots of sudocreme every change.
The baby has a bigger bottom, so will be in a bit larger size clothes than for disposables.
Get them second hand - much cheaper.
You realize how horribly chemical the disposables smell when you use the real ones.

i just think it is such a good idea, its so much cheaper, also heard on the news today that it take 500 years for a dispossible to disintergrate (sp)

that may have been 50 year not sure now

Oh yes - and you can sell them again when you give up having babies. Can't do that with disposables!

Oh - but can be a problem with some nurseries - you will have to ask if this is an issue for you.

They're very practical if you've got a reasonably good washing machine, and agree that Motherease wraps are brilliant. I also use re-uasble liners and wipes (small squares of white fleece I cut up myself and then dip in water to use) and the whole lot just gets chucked in the machine. I agree, you need to make sure you get ones to fit your lifestyle, we've chosen to go down the 'cheaper but tricker to learn' route and worked out that ours pay for themselves every 6 weeks against the price of disposables, so we've saved a huge amount of money. I'd also recommend www.thenappylady.co.uk for lots more good advice.

Oh, and buy dungarees, they fit over the bigger bum!

Hi Pinkranger

I'm suprised she hasn't arrived yet, as I always come across her in nappy threads....If you can find Flamesparrow she is good with nappy advice

Or get her via her classified ad - bumfluff nappies, which promises impartial advice

I know I have already told you this pinkranger...but I LOVE my real nappies (bimbles, tots bots, diddy diapers, motherease onesize, with motherease wraps) [and admit to having slight nappy addiction]

i need to really go and see hese in aaction , dont know anyone that uses them in real life , can i borrow someones child to practice on

oh pink you can have my DS anytime you like

Doesn't your council do Nappacino mornings or anything? People who use cloth are normally their to share their experiences advice etc

not that i know of will look and see if i can find out anything !!

If not, and you are ever in my area, you are welcome to pop in for a cuppa

thankyou very mush washer!!!

bump

I'd second the recommendation for The Nappy Lady. There is a tailore advice questionnaire so that you can specific advice on brands, quantities etc based on your individual circumstances. You are also given a code for 5% off which is very handy.

Went for the terries route with fleece liners and hemp boosters and motherease wraps (becuase of the cost issue) and used them from when ds2 was 5 days old (too disorganised to buy them earlier). Both dss are in them with different folds since they require slightly differnet things from the nappies. There's loads of info on the net about folds though.
Didn't appreciate how horrid disposables are until I'd been using the terrries for a few weeks.
My main concern was leaky nappies, but actually they're better than dispoables (fold depending - but that became second nature really quickly) particularly for ds2's explosive poos.
The only time nappy rash became an issue was when my MIL changed ds2 3x in a row (to help out) without using a fleece liner to keep the wet off his skin and without using talc to dry him off properly in between changes.
Wish I'd used reusables from the start with ds1.

pinkranger, it's real nappy week so there might be an event on in your area so you could look at some (or one of the baby shows probably). And if you try the Real Nappy Campaign finder , there's prob someone near you who will come and show you all the ranges & help you decide. FWIW, I didn't use them with my 1st (so there's 6,000 nappies in the landfill becos of me) but am doing with my 2nd & loving it. Using a mix of tots bots fluffles (cos they dry fast) and wambamboos/bambineos (because they're slim fitting & absorbent).

I used Kushies first time around. Found it a real pfaff because we soaked them and I used to spend ages getting rid of the pooh into the laundry tub first - ended up with the smell permanently in my nostrils - but ..

This time, no laundry tub so are just storing them in a nappy bag thing and putting them in machine in the evening and hanging them outside in the morning. What with global warming, even though we had a winter baby we have managed to line dry for all but about 7 days (with finish off on radiators/towel heaters). The sun takes away any stains left after washing.

We have used tots bots baboozles and Motherease wraps this time and I lurve them. No leaks or nappyrash yet - 7 weeks and counting.

What with DP washing them and hanging them out they are well practical.

I used nappylady's survey but didn't like it because they didn't explain their answer to me - I didn't follow it. There is, however,lots of useful information on there.

I recommend babykind.co.uk for buying things - great mail order service and good prices.

I read somewhere that people who use disposables may or may not feel guilty about it but they never love their nappies - like some crazy people on here obviously do about washables .

Hiya

Real nappies are great - soft, slim (if you choose the slim fitting ones), easy to use, less leaks (for me anyway), and sooo cute.

Plus obv the money saving aspect. 1 real nappy costs approx the same as your average pack of disposables (or so I have been told this week). Think how many packs of disps you would need until potty training, and then think even if you had an excessive amount of nappies (20 would be the absolute max you would ever need - buying because you are addicted doesn't count !) - 20 packs of disposables really wouldn't cut it would it?

If you want to email me bumfluffnappies at gmail dot com I do personal advice based on what would suit your situation most, and you can come back with as many questions as you like