Did/do you use cloth nappies?

[crazypenguinlady]

Looking for info/experience with cloth nappies.

When I was pregnant, I intended to use them for baby but with house hunting, moving, etc I never got around to it. DS is now 3 months old so would like to start looking into it.

What do I need?
What do I do with them until they all get washed?
Do I need to keep buying bigger sizes as he grows?
If so, How often on average would i need to buy stuff?
Is eBay good for buying cloth nappies? Some of the websites I've been on are expensive and we are on a strict budget.

Anything you can tell me would be great as I'm completely clueless

Your best bet is to contact your local nappy library. I can't link on my phone but the GoReal website and Facebook page link to a map with all the reusable nappy libraries in the UK.
Disclaimer. I run a nappy library myself.

Have a look at www.thenappylady.co.uk/ She has information about all aspects of cloth nappy usage, and a free advice questionnaire to recommend an appropriate system for you based on your preferences including cost. It is much cheaper to use cloth nappies rather than disposables.
You store them in a plastic lidded bucket whilst waiting to wash them.
You can buy sized nappies which come in sizes 1, 2 and 3 usually but I don't think many people need size 3 and at 3 months your baby is probably not far off needing size 2 already. You can also get 'birth to potty' nappies which have an adjustable fit so you only need to buy one size.
As far as I am aware, EBay is generally not good for cloth nappies.
HTH

Another vote for the nappy lady website

You put them in a bucket with a lid (with net liner to make transfer to washing machine easier) or a wet bag. You'll need a smaller wet bag for out and about.

You'll need nappy and liner (can be fleece or disposable) and depending on what nappy you'll need a nappy wrap (basically a waterproof pant that goes on top of nappy)

Different types of nappies have different sizes so you can get birth to potty nappies like totsbots easy fits that fit from around 10lb and last until potty trained unless there is extra needs that mean late potty training

Then there is sized nappies such as little lamb ones that come in 3 sizes 7-18lb 18lb+ and the 3rd size you'll only need if you have a big chap or potty train late.

eBay is where I bought most of mine and was good for size 1 but less so for size 2 as they get more wear! But I successfully found ones that were good. I mainly use little lamb sized nappy with little lamb wrap.

Get little lamb sized in bamboo for nighttime nappies. Amazing but take longer to dry. Motherease nappy wrap with poppers are good for night as they are a bit more granny bloomers therefore you can fit an extra booster for night time

Yes I use a mix of two parters (nappy plus wrap) and all in ones.
Really recommend a nappy library as every baby needs different things depending on fatness of thighs, height and amount they wee! Don't buy loads until you know. Facebook groups for second hand can be helpful but tots bots are frequently sold on because they only work for very light wetters! (The very latest version is slightly better to be fair)

Oh I'm amazed that the Nappy Lady is still going.
I've used it too, that was about 14 years ago, and they were great.

Tbh I followed her recommendations and then played around to find what was working best for me and my dcs.
3 months is also a great time to start. I never managed to make it work when they were newborns.

What do you need?
The nappies, inside liners for poos, a bucket with a lid (dry pailing).

How often do you need to buy a new size?
Some nappies can be used for a long time (press studs at different places for different sizes) other dont so whether you will need different size will depend on which nappy you need.
My biggest issue has never buying a new size. It has been to stop myself from buying more and more because they were so cute!

I think it's hard to buy them from eBay as they are now classed as used sanitary ware.
Whereabouts are you? Pm me if you don't want to say.

I used motherease for DD from 8 weeks until potty training at about 2.5.

I had I think 26 birth-to-potty nappies and 4 wraps of each size (s,m,l) in that time. I used flushable paper nappy liners which made it easy to get rid of poo, nappy then went into a large plastic bucket with lid in the bathroom which was lined with a net bag. Every other day the net bag was shoved straight in the washing machine, rinsed and then washed at 60. I would say that the bamboo nappies took a long time to dry (don't have a tumble drier) so I think I should have got microfibre. I carried a waterproof bag for used nappies when out and about.

I was quite happy using the washables and had no leaks ever. Everyone I knew who used disposables did lots of washing pooey clothes instead because of frequent poonami explosions.

I use cloth nappies for my DS, I only started when he was about 2 months. Don't worry you definitely haven't missed the boat, there are still many months before potty training starts.

Dc can often get nappy rash with disposables but never with reusable. I think the fabric is more breathable than horrible plastic. Plus they look lovely and cushion his butt when he lands on it when trying to stand!

We invested in a starter pack. About 24 cloth nappies, fleece liners and some disposable ones, a bin with a clip on lid, 2 mesh bags for use in the bin, 1 draw string bag for used nappies when out and about. Ours are tots bots, I would recommend them but there are lots of great other brands too.

Nappy library's are a great idea to try them out. Your local council website might do free trials.

You can get second had or nearly new stuff on eBay if you don't want to shell out lots of cash for new nappies. Although I think in the long run reusables do work out cheaper.

We had a couple of hitches with leaks as my DC is a heavy wetter ( drinks and BF a lot!) so we added a booster layer to his nappies.

It takes a while for the absorbency of new nappies to reach their full potential so before use I washed mine about 9 times ( in with usual clothes to save water).

I probably do an extra 2 washing machine washes per week as I wash nappies separate from clothes. I try to dry them outside as the sunlight bleaches any stains. Having a tumble dryer is really useful too for winter time and fluffing up the fabric which also increases absorbency.

I change his nappy at least every 3 hours in the daytime to avoid leaks, sometimes this is inconvenient if out in public and no changing facilities so I do sometimes use disposable nappies if going out. But I don't like the idea of Dc sitting in a wet nappy for very long anyway so I think the more frequent nappy changes are actually a good thing.

Think those are all my Top tips! Phew

Good luck

Wow thank you! Lots to read up on so will have a look tonight when D'S is sleeping. I've have had a quick search for libraries around my neck of the woods but there doesn't seem go be much still going. I've rung 2 places, waiting for them to get back in touch.

Thank you again guys

If you can't find a nappy library and have no luck on e bay then try your nearest nct branch- at the last baby sale I went to there was and stall all about nappies and several people were selling on old ones.

That reads badly! It was a nearly new sale. They weren't selling babies!

You may not know that almost every nappy library is run by volunteers, so that's why we can be a bit slow to respond. Personally, email or fb message is better as I can often reply while feeding DD.

We switched to reusables when DS was a few months old and I think they're great. It all feels rather complicated to begin with as there are a lot of options, so it's worth doing a bit of reading to get your head round it first! Then try out a few different kinds to see what you like best.
As others have mentioned, the nappy lady has loads of useful advice. I also got quite a few on eBay as you can often buy them brand new at a lower cost.
We use tots bots bamboozles at night time, with a booster + wrap, and that works brilliantly (no leaks, even though DS is still having night feeds). For the daytime we use all-in-ones as they're easier to get on my mega wriggly boy than the two part kind (but do need changing every three hours to prevent leaks).

Worth keeping an eye out on Freecycle.