Do all cloth nappies make babies look a silly shape?

[Manoo]

I'm trying to go cloth, but need encouragement. With ds1 I used horrid disposables all the way through. With ds2 (9 weeks) I have two trial cloth nappies - a motherease one size and a bumble - prefer the MEO, but tried it (only for the second time) yesterday when he was in some cute soft fabric trousers and he just looked WEIRD. Like someone had shoved a slightly squashy portable TV down his trousers. Do all cloth nappies look like this? It wasn't as noticable in a sleepsuit.

Unfortunately, he started to cry as I put the nappy on (I think it was probably tiredness), we were on the way out and he usually settles quickly in the sling, but he continued to yell and yell, so I wondered if he was uncomfortable in the nappy. I took it off at our destination and it was wet (but not as much as last time I tried it when he didn't cry), he then settled and slept. Suppose I will just have to try again to see if it was discomfort.

Do you cloth users find that your babies cry when their nappies are wet? I'm used to leaving disposables on until a poo comes along!

And do you find that cloth bottoms make sling use more difficult/uncomfortable.

I think I need a bit of persuading before switching to washables. I'd love to not add to landfill and save myself money though.

Hi Manoo, I think the prob with the MEO and shape will be because it's a birth to potty nappy you will have had to turn it down to fit you LO making at more bulky and a "strange" shape. |It will get better and less bulky as he grows, this is the pay off for saving money with a one size nappy. A small nappy from a 2 sized system would not look so "strange" on

If you think he is bothered by the wetness then you could try a fleece liner as it will wick the moisture away from his skin and if you do decide to go for it with the cloth then you may want to concider buying fleece lined nappies such as Tots Bots Fluffles, Ella's House Bumhuggers and Wonderoos

Iuse a sling with bothe my LOs in cloth nappies and don't find it a prob, if you have any specific difficulties let me know and I may be able to help

Bumbles are fleece lined!

With the crying it's possible that he was picking up on your anxiety, or maybe it was the unfamiliarity of the nappy rather than the wetness per se. All mine have been in cloth nappies apart from the odd disposable and they didn't seem bothered by the wetness. Perhaps he just needs to get used to it a bit?

Cloth nappies are bulkier than disposables, there's no two ways about it. I think as he grows and you get used to the different shape you will find it less noticeable, or you could try a slimmer nappy like a Bamboozle and see if that's better for you. Don't give up yet!

Daisymoo, not sure if I read it wrong but I thought she said LO was complaining when using MEO which is why I mentioned the fleece

I agree, it is definitely about finding the right nappy for your needs and for LO's shape, and yes, washables will be a bit more bulky than disposables.

You will probably need to get in the habit of changing nappies a bit more frequently than with your disposables if you have been in the habit leaving them on for a long time(this depends on what nappy you choose and how much your LO wees of course). I find with DS that he usually needs changing every 2-3 hours (and when he poo's of course).

Fleece will keep the moisture away from babies skin so they shouldn't really feel the wetness, although I wouldn't have thought a wet nappy would have made him cry - but as said before; he may need a little while to get used to cloth.

I really don't think they are bothered about wet nappies at this age? DS (10wks) did a huge wet poo at 5.30am this morning and I didn't change his nappy til 7am (yes, I know, bad mother, I fell asleep after a crappy night, and he fell asleep too ) so he can't have been bothered.

The MEOS do get better as they get older.

I have carried DS in his sling with a Bambineo bamboo nappy (v v slim, love it) with a fleece liner (just cut up a metre of blue fleece from John Lewis) - he sleeps for ages like this and the fleece keeps him dry. In fact it's the only way he sleeps at the minute

Size 2 bambineos can be used from birth. Snugglebum and Flame sell them

It's not a weird shape, it's the shape of a baby in a real nappy. Look at the teletubbies, tombley-boos (or whatever they're called) and the Fairy baby...all have big bottoms...classic baby shape.

MEOS can be a little 'squarer' that say tots bots.

DS will happily wander about in a soaking wet real nappy until I spot a growing damp patch on his trousers (there is only so much a wrap can take, in fairness!!)

Thanks folks, think I've just got to get used to the big bum look. He's in the bumble as I type, and I'm already getting more used to the new shape. Maybe once I start using cloth full time I'll think disposables look weird instead?!

Thanks also for those reassuring comments bout babies managing to keep wet nappies on for a while. I was worried that washables meant changing every half an hour or something daft like that.

I use motherease one size on my 5 month old - the dry version, and the inside of the nappy really works! It's polyester lined, and wicks away the wee to the outside of the nappy! Plus, if you look on the motherease website, they have little films of how to fold the nappies for different sized children (ie, newborn, older baby and toddler). Very helpful, as I couldn't figure out the diagrams on the nappylady website!! I know, I am a bit dense at times - blame sleep deprivation!

You can get slim nappies, growing greens birth to potty and ellas house hemp nappies are quite slim and to me don't look any bigger than a full disposable.

perhaps a completely fleeced lined nappy ? they bumble is , as is the ellas house.

Kim

You can get slim nappies, growing greens birth to potty and ellas house hemp nappies are quite slim and to me don't look any bigger than a full disposable.

perhaps a completely fleeced lined nappy ? they bumble is , as is the ellas house.

Kim

I've just put dd2 into Fluffles and they are truely massive! At first they seemed ludicrous but I got used to the big bottomed look quite quickly, especially now I've got her clothing a bit more sorted out and she's not straining at the seams.

Bamboo is the way to go if you want slim - a size 1 bambineo with a fleece liner would be nice and trim fitting, and keep him dry.

Oooh or little kiwi quick flip lites - my mum is really impressed with how little they look on, and they dry really fast too.

Sling use - if anything I would have thought it was more comfortable for them, extra padding etc

I know they look weird to start with (my non-cloth friend still goes on about DS, even though half his nappies are only a fraction bigger than a disp... she even whinges when he is in a swaddlebees aio!!!), but it is good for their hips, and they really don't have a problem with it.

When my DS is in disps I think he looks a wierd, all out of proportion. Whereas in his ultra slim Bambineos he looks right. I agree that big, onesize nappies can look odd on little babies, especially when they are wearing narrow-cut trousers. Slim cloth nappies for fit, with fleece liners for dryness, are the way to go, IMO.

Manoo, I felt exactly the same and it took me a few weeks to get used to his shape as ds1 was in sposies also. Now I love it and feel proud of his fat cloth bum. Started same time as you too! MEO's look ghastly still on ds2 who's now 25 weeks, I just don't like them. Try a couple of other ones like a bambineo and give it a few more weeks, I did it gradually, just had 6 nappies for a while until I decided and that way I eased myself into it. Love it now & he's happy as larry tho I change far more often than I did with ds1. No problem with slings at all.

Thanks folks, I'm feeling more enthusiastic now, I think there's a nappy stall at an event nr me on Fri, so I reckon I'll go to that for a look at a few different types.

Flame, I love the look of those quick flip lites - especially as they come in gorgeous red! Notice they are recommended for day use only - anyone got any suggestions for a good coloured nappy I could use as a night nappy? (I assume I shouldn't mix colours and whites in my nappy wash?)

As he grows it'll all get more in proportion, and obviously you'll get more used to it too.

I mostly use Bambineos which I love and they are very slim but I also have Fluffles, MEOs, Tots Bots and a couple of pocket nappies. Now that he's six months I'm happy putting him in any of the others and don't think he looks odd but when I started using cloth when he was about 4 months I did get slighly put off by the big bottom look.

Definitely worth experimenting and perservering. Ds is definitely not bothered by a wet nappy and looks lovely and comfy in cloth!

The reds run like hell - need washing seperately (Ended up with some interestingly pink nappies... luckily I washed it with ones I didn't mind dying again!!)

The standard quick flips come in colours, or I do a dying service

weenees pouch pants are very trim and look much the same as a disposable (but much funky-er!), which I like. It also makes getting trousers on easier!

I use weenees with folded hemp fleece (www.babeco.co.uk) or microfibre cloths during the day. Pretty good, though not for long car trips etc as they don't go long enough (we get about 3 hours from them).

Flame does the most gorgeous dyed stuff , she tie dyed a goebel nappy for me in purple and turquoise to my specification she matched it to a wool cover I had. If you want to use a red quick flip for nights just add a hemp or microfibre booster for some extra absorbancy. But I would think if flame is going to dye an ordinary one for you it will be good for nights. Flame can you confirm ?

Kim

hi how about pocket napies? ones like bumgenius and happy heiny aren't anymore bulkier than a disposable they are also good as you can stuff themt o whatever absorbancy you need, they are fleece lined so keep baby faily wet and have the advantgae of coming in soem great coloursa nd patterns.

wee notions nappies are good too, can be a bit bulky but they custom make them to you design as well as standard design ones.

www.weenotions.wahmall.co.uk

and puddlepants are cute too and not too bulky

www.puddlepants.co.uk

Yup, an ordinary quick flip (or even bamboo one) could easily be dyed.

At the moment I try not to dye individual nappies as it seems such a waste (and is pretty cost prohibitive - its £5 flat rate for tie dying 5-9 nappies, so its really up to you if you wanna spend £5 to have one done iyswim), so there will be a few dyed ones on offer, but only in certain pre-dyed colours.

Manoo, I changed to reusables in March and dd looked weird for about 2 days, now it looks as though her bum has dissapeared if I put her in a disposable for any reason. I had to change because we couldn't afford disposables anymore and MIL agreed to buy us 15 to set us up. I was very reluctant and hated them to begin with (I wasn't used to anything being wet when I changed a nappy) but now I love them; I love how her bum feels, I love not buying nappies, and I love the fact that I'm protecting the environment for her future. I was lucky because my area runs a nappy trial scheme so I was able to find out the best nappy for her bottom before commiting £150 (I chose the popalini birth to potty, the same as motherease but a bit cheaper). HTH

Agree with MrsHarry, My DS looks odd in disposibles now. When he was smaller, he looked really strange but now the nappies look a little more in proportion!

I too love not having to buy nappies. And ds looks soooo cute in his.

Stick with it, it will be worth it!

dungarees and romper suits hide the "weeble" effect of real nappies quite well, and i've found that my LO seems a lot more comfortable in things without waistbands anyway, as he is a windy chap and doesn't like having the pressure on his little tum! i've found the Bumbles are the best for slimness, but you can't beat a Fluffle for cuteness factor!!