Reusable nappies

[Meg237]

Hi ladies,

My second baby is due in a few months, I haven’t been using reusable with my first (he’s nearly 9 months old now) but have been playing around with the idea with them for the new baby... I know some people swear by them when I’ve looked it up but can anyone give me any advice on if it’s worth it/where to buy/what I need to get!

I’m conscious I don’t want to get ripped off and buy some big bundle off a website if you guys have found a better way of doing it!

If you haven't yet, do the nappy lady questionnaire on their website. It'll give you recommendations based on your requirements. Then you can either buy new, or can buy secondhand. There's always loads available secondhand.

We've used them from 2 months old and love them, the nappy lady's recommendation has worked out perfectly for us.

I think a lot of people find it works best to try a few different types and see what you get on with (a combination of your personal preferences and what shape baby is). The first thing I'd do is see if you have a nappy library near you that you can hire a trial kit from (and who will usually also be happy to give you advice if you have any problems). We didn't have one near us, so I bought a few different things secondhand and didn't invest until we had a better idea of what worked for us. The Nappy Lady's free questionnaire (www.thenappylady.co.uk/nappy-advice-questionnaire.html) is also pretty good at working out what might suit you in terms of budget, drying facilities, etc., but obviously they can't predict what shape baby will be.

Once baby is about 10 lb or so, you should be able to use the same nappies on both children.

Also worth checking if your council gives a voucher or anything to help with the cost.

Some councils run incentive schemes for reusable nappies so check with yours.
Other than that try your local nappy library to try a few before committing to a bundle.

I got a starter pack from our council for our 3rd but she had issues with rashes so we didn't continue with them.

Definitely try a hire kit for a few different styles. I made the mistake of getting a whole set secondhand that just didn't work for us / shape of baby and then having to replace them.

I'd also recommend waiting until they're around 9lbs before starting so you don't have to get specific newborn nappies.

Definitely different ones suit different babies.

The most reliable are 2 parts and using a bomb proof wrap such as motherease popper ones.

Oh wow I’m so glad I asked here now! Off to do the nappy lady questionaire and look up nappy libraries as we speak! Thank you so much for the advice it’s very appreciated

Definitely nappy library, you'll find that questionnaires may be tailored to what they sell.
Frankly we found terry squares the best. Cheap, quick to dry and easily adjustable. If you can fold an invoice so the address shows in a window envelope then you'll manage a terry square fold.

I really recommend a nappy library. The first ones we tried (peachibaby) really didn’t suit our baby and leaked all the time. We now use baba and boo and they are perfect for us.

We also used terries and motherease wraps when our baby was tiny and they were great - super cheap and easy to wash. Once he was more mobile I felt that they were a bit bulky so we switched. I think next time (if there is a next time!) i will just use baba and boo from the start.

Avoid bambino Mio! They claim to last from birth to potty training and after spending just shy of £500 on nappies, they started to fall apart after 9-10 weeks of use. We contacted them and they’ve been relentless at trying to blame us, asking for photos to see if we are putting nappies on properly, asking if we’re washing them properly etc. The questions and requests have been endless - sent 2 nappies back to them for testing and they’ve said they’ll replace those 2! The Velcro on them doesn’t even stick anymore.

Definitely look at T&Cs before any massive purchases. It wasn’t until we started to have problems that we did this and they then say things like - our claim our nappies will last from birth to potty trained refers to fit only etc. It’s been dreadful. My baby has a huge rash because the nappies aren’t very absorbent and they’re claiming it’s because the nappies have absorbed too much detergent (evidently this only affects the front not the back as his bottom is healthy).

Please avoid or at least buy one nappy and try out for a while. Really wish I hadn’t invested so much upfront! I’ve just purchased beaming baby ones. Will keep you posted on here!