ok totally confused of where the hell to start with reusuables...

[GirlWithTheMouseyHair]

I know I'm going to seem uber thick, been on nappy lady website, done the questionnairre and read through it all but the info is swimming in front of my eyes and I don't know where on earth to start!

We've got a pack of eco-disposables to get us through the 1st few days but would like to have our reusuables sorted before LO is born otherwise I know I'll just put it off til 6 months or something.

Can anyone give me some guidance as to where to start...our priority number one is quick drying as we don't have a tumble dryer or garden...beyond that I suppose no leaks but ease of use.

Nappy lady has recommended I get
Nappies: 24 Bumble 7-35lb @ £7.80
Wraps: 4 Medium (10-20lb) Air Flow Popper @ (Plus 4 small if not hiring Early Days Hire Kit)
Liners: 3 Ultra Paper Liners @ £2.95 per roll of 100
1 pack of 3 Nappi Nippa @ £3.75

So, questions for you lovely ladies: am assuming you put the wrap around the nappy to aid additional prevention of leaks, but they need washing less often - do nappies need washing every time regardless of whether they've been leaked onto? I'm assuming the liners go inside the nappies so presumably sometimes a liner may be wet/dirty but the nappy fine?

And opinions/experience on Bumble Wraps and Motherease Nappies would be great, just to get me going!

Thanks - and sorry!

Hi, i use the airflow wraps and they are brilliant i would recommend them everytime! I havent tried bumbles so cant comment on them, and i never use paper liners, loads do but i personally use fleece liners as they keep lo's bum dry. Wraps wont need to be washed after every use unless they have been leaked on, i take them off and hang them over the bannister to air before using for the next change. Nappies will need to be washed after each use, the liner catches solids rather than absorb anything.
HTH a bit

I use Bumbles and Motherease wraps.

Liner goes inside nappy goes inside wrap.

The liner will be wet/dirty pretty much each time you change it. The nappy also gets wet, as the liner is thin (the thickness of toilet paper) and the urine seeps through and therefore needs a wash each time.

I wash the wraps daily (a new one each morning) unless poo has leaked onto it, which isn't uncommon with newborn poo.

The early days hire kit is great. You get 6 wraps for the cost of buying three, which is v useful for the start and gives you more flexibility.

hth and good luck!

Oh and i would also advice just buying a few to try out before splashing out on all one type of nappies, i buy a lot of mine 2nd hand so i can try various types and find out which ones suit dd3's shape.

1. Yes you put the wrap on over the top of the nappy, or else the fabric gets soaking wet and just soaks through the clothes. They need to be done up not too tight but quite snug - so you can slip a finger between the wrap and the leg/tummy is a good test
2. Paper liners need changing every time you change a nappy (some sorts can be washed in the machine and reused once or twice) and the wee just soaks straight through them - ditto breastmilk poo (don't know about FF poo)
3. You have to change a wrap when they get poo on them, which is quite often with a newborn but maybe just once a day with an older baby
4. Motherease nappies and wraps are fab in our experience

HTH

By the way I stopped using paper liners really early on as they gave DS nappy rash they are quite drying. And they don't catch newborn poo as it is so runny, so I never saw the point. We switched to fleece liners after DS poo got a bit more solid, but I just bought a metre of fleece fabric for £3 from the market and cut it up. Much cheaper, though of course it adds to the washing.

We used motherease and liked them lots. I never had more than 3 wraps though.

I wouldn't buy 24 to start with although you will need plenty as you have limited means of drying. It's easy enough to buy 12 more, once you are happy you have the right sort.

I also bought a very cheap pack of terry squares, cause I saw them on offer. I got 24 of them for less than the cost of one wrap and they were great as a standby.

(Tip - it's OK to keep a packet of eco-disposables around. It's more environmentally friendly than having to run to the laundrette, if all of your nappies are damp.)

I also found that a few muslin squares were useful as I added them into the nappy for extra absorbtion overnight. It makes for less washing than having to do sheets.

Best of luck

Bumbles are fab but very bulky on a newborn or young baby. You will have been recommended to buy 24 becasue of your limited drying facilities. They aren't too bad in terms of drying times - there are quicker drying nappies available.

The airflow wraps are very good.

I would not use paper liners with a newborn. Bumbles are fleece lined which will keep your baby's bottom dry. If you want to prevent stains you can use a removable home-made fleece liner. Newborn poo washes off very easily so many mums go liner-less for the first few months.

The wrap goes around the nappy to act as a waterproof layer. If it gets poo on it then you should change it, if not you can just wash it under a tap after a days use (or add it to your normal wash). The nappies need washing after every change - you have to get used to the fact that the nappy itself will be wet as the liquid is not locked away like a disposable does, if your baby's bottom is dry most of the time then you are changing. often enough.

The liner catches poo which makes for easy disposal. You will not get a situation where the liner is wet and the nappy isn't - the liner doesn't absorb anything.

I would agree that you shouldn't buy 24 of one type outright - I think the initial bulkiness of the bumble will put you off cloth entirely.

I would very much recommend you type your postcode into this link and find a local nappy advisor or nappy project so you can see how the nappies work and get an idea of what they look and feel like. Any advisor worth their salt should be happy to chat to you about all this before your baby has even arrived.

I personally think there could be better option for you. I'm quite about the fact that everyone I know who has used the nappy lady has been advised to buy bumbles - so much so I wish I had mentioned that on your previous thread (I was going to)

lol BBM, I'm pretty sure i was advised bumbles by the nappy lady when I was on her site 18 months ago looking for advice on real nappies for DD.

I would second a lot of what has been said about maybe trying a few different types in the early days to see what works for you and
your baby.

I ended up buying a job lot of 12 different nappies and a few wraps from a classified and then went with what had worked best for us. there were some pokcet nappies in that bundle that we didn't get on with at all, but have latterly been using pocket nappies for the drying factor and ease of change as getting a two parter on a wriggly 14mo old is no mean feat.

Agree that you should perhaps try to see a local advisor and get a feel for what the different nappy types look and feel like and how easy they are to put on. Babykind have advisors all over the country and I'm sure there will also be some independant advisors locally.

Good luck; there is nothing sweeter than the sight of a fluffy cloth bum

And some advisers offer free samples too!

I was shocked at the idea of second hand nappies until I bought some. They saved us a fortune too.

you're all wonderful, am feeling much calmer about it all now! feel like I know enough to crack on, and willd ef get in gear with an advisor - I suppose it's just stressful not knowing what any of it looks like in real life!

and breathe.....

I'm with you on that - DC1 is due in a few days, and when I researched cloth online my head started to spin. Nappy lady recommended MEOS for me. My sister said they did or her as well.

Really second the idea of seeing a nappy advisor - I did, and it really cleared my head. Decided MEOS really wasn't the way to go for me. I too do not have a tumble dryer, so I have gone for a combination of Bambinex Teddies and bamboo napies. And Motherease wraps. Now just have to wait for LO to be born and try them on