Reusable nappies- where do I start

[NeitherNowtNorSummat01]

Just as totally suggests really. Daughter is 10 weeks and I’m really considering reusable but there is such a huge choice I don’t know where to begin.
I read a thread on here not so long ago about councils offering incentives but sadly I do not live in one of these councils.
So, can anyone please point me in the right direction.

Aldi have some reusable nappies, liners and booster pads in their aisle of wonder/crap at the moment.
I've just bought a couple from there to start with for when baby arrives. Friends with newborns have said they've been good.

You need to make some decisions about what is most important to you. Nappies that look slimmer take longer to dry. Pocket nappies are more flexible in that you can change the type of boosters, but you do have to stuff them before use, where as all in ones you just push tab in and your good to go. Several types (like Milovia) have wraps and inserts, so you don't have to change the wrap every time which can be cheaper if your on a tight budget.

If you want to try some, there are trial kits available from the nappy lady (long wait though!) or fillyourpants.com (probably others as well!) alternatively you could just buy some second hand off eBay as you can probably resell for the same value if you don't like them. I liked trying which style I liked, but no nappy I tried was awful. It takes a week or two to get used to fitting it properly, so don't be put off straight away if you get a few leaks. Washing is super easy, get a wash bag, put dirty nappies in, put in washing machine when full

Oh and nappy lady website is very good for comparing different nappies, she compares absorbency, fit, drying time etc

Honestly I loved using them, mostly just standard totsbots with motherease wrap but by the third child I generally just used traditional Terry squares ( little lamb I think) as super quick to dry and easy to fold so no leaks. You need a nappy nipper instead of pins but the squares were genuinely the easiest ( and cheapest of course). Oh, and all mine were nappy -free super early which was an added bonus. Plenty of fleece liners I cut up myself from some fabric. Honestly, we saved hundreds of pounds, go for it.

There may well be a local ‘nappy library’ in your area where you can go and someone will show you different types of nappy, and they often have hire kits so you can try a few different ones and see what you prefer/what suits your baby. Personally I love Totsbots Easyfits and will be using them on DD2 when she arrives in October.

Babipur also sell them and have a good range with some kits available.

Definitely see if you can find a local nappy library to start off with though. If you google ‘ nappy library’ something should come up, or search on Facebook.

What's the wait time like on trials for different nappies?
I think we are going to use resumable ones in the house/family houses and then use eco disposable ones on days out (I can't help but feel reusable is a bit more of a carry on out and about, but really open to hear more).

NCT sales often have second hand nappies. We started out with my sister’s bundle of assorted types and bought more second hand and new as we went. Our second child was born very tiny and started out in muslin squares tied like terry squares - agree with pp that this is cheapest, with waterproof pants/cover on top, but lots of the other ones we tried were great.

Reusables out and about were bulkier than disposables but not a problem for a shortish day or if in the car; I took a plastic/wet bag with me to put the dirties in and they went straight in the lidded nappy bucket (lined with a net so i could swing the whole thing straight into the washing machine) when we got home. I definitely found washable wipes (flannels/rags) more convenient because then everything went in the same bag when doing the nappy change. For holidays I often bought disposables.

My local nappy library has an 8 week wait and nappy lady estimates 6 month wait when I looked a few months ago, fill your pants no wait but costs £10, I'm sure there are others!
I personally don't find it too difficult using cloth out and about - cloth nappies hold poo much better so you don't get poosplosions like you do with plastic! You do have to carry nappies, but inside a wet bag they don't smell, and you can just put wet bag open in the washing machine so you don't have to touch the dirty nappies. I still use plastic at night at the moment, so next task is to try out some night nappies!

There's lots of nappy selling groups on Facebook - the key word is 'preloved' which apparently sounds better than second hand - or put a Wanted ad on Freegle/Freecycle etc. Also Gumtree. Personally I recommend getting a large bundle of nappies and you can see which work for you - I had my favourites but it was great knowing I had another dozen I could use if I hadn't kept up with the laundry.
You need a lidded bucket and for when you are out, some plastic bags, but that's it (until babies are on solids when paper liners are helpful).

I have used reusables full time since my daughter was a couple of weeks old.
We started off using Little Lamb nappies day (at home and out) and night. They were recommended by a friend and she’s never had a leak but they are bulky under clothes so decided to give Bambino Mio’s a try (bought a second hand one off eBay to test!) and now we are transitioning to using just Bambino Mios all day and Little Lambs at night. Little lambs are excellent but we have cotton ones which take a while to dry, whereas Bambino Mios dry much quicker.
It’s a minefield when you start but I just kind of took the plunge, bought some and have muddled along from there! Like another poster said, none of them are terrible so choose a brand that you like and build your stash from there. You can always resell if a particular brand is not for you and second hand nappies always get snapped up on eBay and selling groups!
@LolaSmiles I thought I’d only use the reusables in the house too but it’s as easy as disposables out and about (I find them easier as there are less chances of leaks!) ! You just need a nice roomy changing bag as they take up more room than a disposable, and a sealable wet bag for the dirty nappies to go in once used.

Look up cleanclothnappies.com there is a lot of info on there about different nappy systems and washing. I have been using cloth nappies for 9 months (since birth). Its been some trial and error and figuring out what works best for us. Definitely still prefer cloth to disposables!

Wow, thank you all so much. That’s been really helpful! I’ve sent off for a trial pack so will start from there! I’ll get on the second hand sites now! Thank you all

Just some general tips:

If you breastfeed, then poopy nappies can honestly go straight in the washing machine. Breastfed poop is water soluble. If you’re formula feeding, it’s best to try and scrape the majority of the poop into the toilet when changing nappies. Scraping also applies once baby is weaning. Solids go in the toilet. I used to have a plastic spoon I kept away in the bathroom for such scraping. You can also use disposable liners, or a fleece blanket cut into small rectangles makes a good liner. The ‘dunk and flush’ method (holding on tight to the liner so it doesn’t disappear down your toilet) gets rid of most solids stuck to a liner.

I used a nappy bucket with a tight fitting lid for pre-washing storage, then had a large wet bag for taking out and about. You can get large mesh bags that go in the bucket. If you take the nappy apart before you put it in the bucket, you can just put the mesh bag, contents and all, straight in the machine.

To wash, do a quick cold rinse to remove solids and help prevent stains, then a 40 degree wash with a full dose of washing powder is sufficient.

Don’t use fabric conditioner, it reduces the absorbency. The only exception is Bold 2 in 1 (only the Lavender & Camomile variety, not the ones with Lenor added) as the fabric conditioner in the powder is clay-based so does not affect absorbency.

If any stains get through the wash, sunlight is great for getting rid. Just hang the stained bits out in the sun. I also didn’t mind if I had a nappy loaf out drying and they got caught in the rain. Rain water is great for nappies.

If I think of anything else I’ll be back!

I have found totsbots easyfit good and got them all second hand on eBay.

Good for you! My main advice is just to start rather than worry too much about what type etc - it all makes sense once you get going I promise! All the lingo and different options make it sound much more complicated than it is!

My main advice is just to start rather than worry too much about what type etc - it all makes sense once you get going I promise

I second this! With my first I over-researched and got so stressed out that I ended up using disposables. With my second I got a job lot of second hand bamboozles and wraps, hung the dirty ones in a big planetwise wetbag, then every second day chucked them all into a quick rinse and a long 60 degree wash with non bio powder. Was SO much simpler than I'd thought!

There's a useful group called the Nappy Lady Baby and Pregnancy group (or something like that), lots of really knowledgeable people but do be warned that there are some huge trends at the moment, and some posts will convince you that only certain brands work. It's not true, lots work really well - it's just fashion and the collectability of them! You can spend a fortune on limited edition prints, or get a good second hand batch for minimal cost and be on your way. And don't buy Miosolos from aldi, they're not very absorbent!

Check your council waste team to see if they'll give you vouchers to use on the websites people have suggested. I got £75 from mine

Some places have a nappy library where you can rent a kit. I rented a kit for a small donation, which had several different types of nappy!

Haven’t read the responses so might have been suggested already but The Nappy Lady do a questionnaire you can fill in and they’ll recommend styles to suit you, also there’s loads of Facebook pages so you can pick some up cheap second hand to try.

100% recommend washable wipes too

I was overwhelmed by the choice so we went with Bambino Mios (all in one) because the prints were cute. No regrets at all, barely any leaks. We've been using them since our son was born and I would never consider using throw aways as the reusables nappies work perfectly. Good luck!