Reusable nappies-how many? Night options?

[Daff59]

Hello. Planning on using disposables up until baby is about 8 weeks and then making the switch to reusables. Quite keen on the Alva pocket nappies in terms of price and the reviews seem decent, although will order a few types to try before committing to buy lots!
I'll probably ease myself in gently at first by using them only during the day at first.

1. Is 15 pockets enough to enable daytime wear and a wash every 2nd day from 8wks onward?
2. I completed the NappyLady questionnaire, she suggested 2 parters at night rather than pockets. Has anyone successfully used pockets at night? Can it be done and what boosters would you recommend?
3. How many pockets in total/extra nappies would I need when I use them both day and night?

I use the Littlez and Bloomz pockets in the day, and Little Lambs bamboo all-in-ones with boosters and wraps at night.

We have about 24 pockets and 5 all-in-ones, and we do a wash every 3 days. We don't have a tumble dryer so everything airdries round here, which takes longer. We did start out using pocket nappies at night, with boosters, and once she was about 3 months they leaked every single night and she woke up absolutely soaked, nappy, PJs, sleeping bag and sheet. The pockets just werent absorbent enough, even with boosters. The all-in-ones work brilliantly.

We use pockets day time and 2 parter night. I would never use the pockets at night as they would have to be on the biggest fitting to accommodate the booster needed to get us through which would leave it gaping at the legs. There might be brands that can accommodate it but the 2 parters are great in my experience. Only reason we opted for pocket day time was because of how slim they are in comparison.

I got confused when I first started so ordered more wraps and night time nappies then I needed! I have 12 pocket nappies and 10 two parter with 5 wraps but we put the 2 parter ones on in the morning or evening if we’re short on pocket.

If I was to buy now I know how they work I would get 15 pocket 5 night time, 3 wraps and 5 boosters and that would give me wiggle room for extra changes with washing every other day. We used them from 10 weeks.

We also went with advice from the nappy lady and we are using Elemental Joy pocket nappies during the day (15) and tots bots (two part system) overnight (5). Baby is 9 weeks and we haven’t needed to add the booster yet as she wakes up once or twice in the night for a feed so we also change her then. If we’ve run out of overnight nappies we’ve used the pocket ones, but again they are being changed regularly so not sure how they would last when we get to the magical stage of sleeping through the night!

In terms of washing, we are washing every day but usually have a few left over so we could probably do every other - but a smaller load definitely helps with getting things dried. Luckily the weather has helped with that too!

We started using the pocket nappies when she was 10lbs. Before they we were using muslins, which once you have the technique for folding they are super easy and perfect for changing every two minutes! We started using them once the cord came off as disposables were easier to fold down out the way.

I should add that with the muslins we also have 3 small wraps, and with the overnight ones we also have 5 boosters and 2 wraps. The wraps are great as you only need to change them if they are dirty / super wet so usually last overnight and when we were using muslins would normally last a good few changes before an explosion got them!!

Thanks everyone, that's cleared things up. Love the idea of reusables and will definitely start using them, theres just such an overwhelming amount of info on them and so many different names for each thing! Think I'll look at the little lambs for overnight as they seem pretty reasonable too.
Has anyone made diy inserts out of microfibre cloths/fleece blankets etc?

I highly recommend Tots Bots Bamboozles for night. You'd need 5 if washing every other day, plus 5 boosters and 3 wraps.

They last 12 hours overnight without any boosters for my 15 week DD, and also for my 22 month DS, so are very versatile! We use Motherease wraps as we have 2-part nappies in the day too, but I think they're difficult to get hold of at the moment.

Do not get Kit and Kin nappies whatever you do. I wanted them for overnight and they were sodden, WAY worse than pampers. All his bedclothes and sheets were soaked.

Hello! We’re also a user of pocket nappies during the day and a two parter at night.

I haven’t made my own inserts - but I have made my own fleece liners out of blankets - cheapest way I’ve found is the Ikea grey fleece blanket (about £1.50) that then cuts into 15+ liners. Fleece is no good as an insert as it doesn’t soak up anything, but it’s useful as a liner to more easily get the poo out of a nappy (and it wicks the moisture away from babies bum)

Also one thing I’d say with boosters is to combine them in a nappy - for example one microfibre and one bamboo to equal two boosters in each pocket nappy.
That way you get the benefit of bamboo (absorbs a lot, but slow) with the benefit of microfibre (fast to absorb, but doesn’t absorb a lot)... hope that makes sense!
Sometimes the boosters in the cheaper brands aren’t as good so a good way round that is to buy the pocket nappies from the cheaper brands and buy boosters/inserts from other brands. So I mainly use Alva and little & bloomz nappies, got the microfibre boosters with them, and then ordered bamboo inserts from little lamb

I'd say you need at least 20.

The nappy lady advice, and lots of the nappies she recommends are overrated.

We use Tots Bots Easy Fit all in ones and have done since our DD was about 2 months old. We were using a disposable for overnight but bought a couple of Bamboozles to try when people started panic buying nappies (we had enough to last a while but it just pushed me to go fully reusable).

DD is 10 months and is, mostly, sleeping through from 10 to 5/6 and has never leaked since we started using them - we have 15 daytime (they do a starter pack) and 2 overnight as I didn't want to buy more and not like them. It means we wash every day but it works just now cause we're both working from home. I will buy a couple more though as they are amazing!

We also bought some reusable bamboo cloths, I think they might be Bambino Mio but they were on Amazon anyway, and they're far better than water wipes - my husband wasn't sure at first but he now admits i was right ;)

Can I jump aboard your chat too, I asked about cloth on here today as nine came up when I searched!

Anyone used cloth from the newborn get-go?

I've ordered a totsbots trial pack, a bambino mio solo and a couple of littles & bloomz pocket nappies to try but understand they'll have to wait until baby is big enough to fit them as they'll be too big for newborn stage?

Alsi is an insert the same thing as a booster? Or are they two totally different things?!