Reusable Nappies

[curiositycreature]

PFB is on his way and I've been doing some research on reusable nappies. I've read SO much online that I've overwhelmed myself. I find information is either so thin that it doesn't help, or so detailed that it confuses me. I could really do with hearing some other parent's experiences and recommendations please. Everything I need to know to get started. Baby due early summer so the bulk of the "learning" with a newborn will hopefully be done when it's warm so drying worries me less right now. Thank you!

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MNHQ

This is so useful! Thank you all

My nearest nappy library is annoyingly far away and no mention of anything on my council website (which doesn’t surprise me, all of my dealings with the council in the past have been with men who look like they should have retired by now...)

The design team at motherease are doing a fantastic job.... I can’t get past how pretty some of their designs are!

I use a mix of little lamb bamboo at night and mainly pocket nappies with prefolds during the day. I don't really rate Bambino Mio but they work ok with a bamboo booster. Tots bots don't really work for us either. Big Facebook groups are out there and I bought a couple of different r brands to try. The second hand market is massive so you will always be able to buy and sell.

For newborn I found a folded muslin with a nappy nipper and motherease popper wraps was the most flexible and cost effective option. They can be boosted with a bamboo pad for overnights.
When bigger we moved on to motherease one size popper nappies and Bambinex bamboo nappies with nippers (not sure these are still going).
By child 2 I also discovered Bumgenius nappies which were brilliant and other people (DH, nursery) all seemed to prefer.

Hopefully you will find something that suits you and you will get on well with cloth. But if not don't be afraid to use them part time or when baby is older. I was pretty overwhelmed in the newborn stage with both of mine and just couldn't have coped with it as husband wouldn't have been motivated to help. But I have used them part time with both of them once out of the sleep deprivation fog. I bought some second hand so it didn't matter that I haven't got as much use out of them as I might have done. I do remember at antenatal class the leader asked if anyone was thinking of using reusable nappies and everyone except me looked absolutely horrified at the very idea of it!! The examples they had to show us were extremely ancient and the leader didn't really know which way up it was supposed to go.... So maybe I would have got on better if I'd been in an area with nappy libraries etc! Good luck!

Don’t spend a fortune on one type of nappy, what actually works for you and your baby might be different from what works for someone else. Personally I like a mix of pocket and 2 part nappies. Also if it’s too much in the early weeks don’t stress and try cloth again later on. My first 2 were emergency sectionals and I couldn’t manage the changing or extra washing easily so we did cloth when they were a little bigger.

We used cloth from about 4 months (tried them a bit before then but stuck with mainly disposables) till potty training (2 years daytime and 3 years for nighttime). If I had another child I'll feel confident to use them form birth this time. I also recommend the nappy lady - the questionnaire produced the perfect recommendation for us: two part system to go 12 hours at night (Tots Bots Bamboozle Stretchies with Motherease covers) and pocket nappies (Bumgenius - poppers lasted better than Velcro) for easy use for us/full-time childcare and fast drying time in the day. I did try other nappies through a nappy library and some were great but others just didn't fit our baby right so I wouldn't buy loads of one type till you've tested them a bit. We had issues with leaks and smelly nappies in the early months but the nappy lady's advice and cloth nappy chat boards helped us work out we had not enough absorbency in the day nappies and were washing them wrong - after we'd sorted that it was easy even working full-time and having no tumble dryer. I got laughed at at work when I was pregnant for saying we'd use cloth but it is easy now with modern nappy designs and washing machines. Our childminder thinks they're amazing after using them on our daughter - she says if she'd know how easy it was she would have used them on her own kids. We only used disposables when away more than just overnight and after using cloth we really didn't like the feel, smell or waste of the disposables. We thought of them like paper plates: great for convenience occasionally but not for everyday. We used cloth wipes (just wet under the tap) too as they just go in the wash with the nappies.

I have 11 motherease wizard unos, and 5 bamboozle (plus 2 motherease wraps.) I also have 3 bumgenius, 2 tots bots easyfit stars and a bambino mio which are my back up nappies and I only use if I am out of unos or need a nappy say for an hour before bed. I do a wash every 3-4 days usually at bath time then they are ready to hang out overnight, the motherease unos dry overnight for us, but bamboozles take a little longer.

With taking them out and about, I use a wet bag and pop the soiled nappy in that and then move it to the nappy bucket when home.

By trying a couple of different types/brands of nappies you will definitely find your one!

Literally just seen this on reddit. Not that anyone here needed convincing, but it’s nice to see data backing up anecdote.

www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/comments/arkztj/comparing_cloth_vs_disposable_diapers_with_my/?st=JS9FUYX3&sh=72bfbd44

We love our reusable nappies. We have just switched to little lambs with poppers as the Velcro on bambino mios was going.

Feel free to use this to get 10% off. i.refs.cc/9OZTc5U1?smile_ref=eyJzbWlsZV9zb3VyY2UiOiJzbWlsZV91aSIsInNtaWxlX21lZGl1bSI6IiIsInNtaWxlX2NhbXBhaWduIjoicmVmZXJyYWxfcHJvZ3JhbSIsInNtaWxlX2N1c3RvbWVyX2lkIjo0MTAzNzIwOTV9

I also love their large double zip wet bags. You can put clean nappies in one side dirty in the other.

Why do more people not use reusable nappies. We love all the patterns and don’t find it any extra bother. When I first had my little boy couldn’t believe how quickly we filled the nappy bin with disposable nappies that will be here long after we’re gone.

I’ve just started using little lambs and really recommend them. Feel free to use this link to get 10% off i.refs.cc/9OZTc5U1?smile_ref=eyJzbWlsZV9zb3VyY2UiOiJzbWlsZV91aSIsInNtaWxlX21lZGl1bSI6IiIsInNtaWxlX2NhbXBhaWduIjoicmVmZXJyYWxfcHJvZ3JhbSIsInNtaWxlX2N1c3RvbWVyX2lkIjo0MTAzNzIwOTV9

They also do great boosters and wet bags. The wet bags are great with 2 zips as you can put dirty nappies in one side clean in the other.

Is anyone using Totbots easyfit star?

I use cheeky wipes and I love them. When I was pregnant I really thought id love reusable nappies. In practicality though I hated the faff.