Help! I think I'm going to start using disposables :-(

[ThePinkOne]

I used terries with a kushies wrap for DD and then as she got bigger (and wetter) got some pre-folds. I'm now using pre-owned bambino mio and some cotton bottoms pre-folds for 6 month old DS.

But they all leak. My DC are such heavy wetters. I've figured out that I need to change DS every 2 hours to reliably not need to rinse the wrap out every time. I'm struggling to get anything to last through the night and certainly can't with DD - she's in size 6 disposables at night and has been since 18 months.

Now that DD is potty trained everyone who's taken her for a wee has said 'my god that was a huge one!!'

And I can't be doing with washing bedding and clothes and nappies cause they leak if I go more than about 2 and a half hours and forget to change him.

But I don't like disposables!! I don't want to chuck several nappies a day in landfill and I don't want to spend several pounds a week on them!!

Help me think it through please oh wise mumsnetters!

Sorry for long rant!

Are you boosting the pre-folds? I've had to boost DS's since he was pretty small! The best boosters I've found are the Little Lamb bamboo ones as they are nice and slim but absorbant.

How are you folding them? We do a fold about a third of the way down lengthways and then fold into three so that there's a nice padded bit up front.

Sorry if that's stating the obvious! Thought they might be easy fixes...

Also, what wraps are you using? I find the Bambino Mio ones pretty rubbish. We mostly use the Cotton Bottoms ones and find these to be good - they are also marketed as Bummis.

We've never been able to find a reusable that'll last DS at night so he's in a disposable then. Not ideal but as you say, it was that or wash sleeping bag/sheets/pyjamas every day which is not great for the environment either!

It's not to bad at the moment cause he's just moved up to the next size of pre-folds so they last a bit longer but yes I do the padded bit at the front fold. I also boost them - at night to as much as I can cram in between his poor uncomfortable little legs!!

I just know that this size won't last long and then I'll have all the same problems trying to find toddler ones that'll hold like I did with DD. Then use disps at night anyway.

I went out for the day yesterday and used disposables (trying to be kind to myself cause I'm drowning in washing/tidying/weaning/lack of sleep!) and it was just sooooooo easy

Thanks by the way

Well, you could always try buying a pocket nappy and stuffing with the pre-folds or terries. We use Wonderoos stuffed with a pre-fold and booster for nursery and they work quite well. It's cheaper than buying a whole new nappy. I can't remember where I got them from but it was a website that sold nappy seconds.

Or if you have the cash to spare, then a whole new set of nappies? Wiser MNers than me would have to advise on that one..

I gave up disposables at 3. dd is now 5 and in pampers size 6 and they bloody leak too. She does giant wees!
Leakage is everywhere

That's the thing. I haven't really got cash to spare and towards the end of DD being in nappies I kept trying different ones - pockets and the like - and didn't find anything fabulous. I bought a set of tots bots for DS and even though he's only just heavy enough for the size it doesn't last through the night, even boosted and leaks (is it wicking?) in the day. I've just borrowed a little lambs off a friend with a DS the same age, which lasts her DS 14 hours with 1 extra booster and my DS had soaked through it (withoiut the exra booster) and his clothes in 2 hours!!

So it just seems a bit daft to keep throwing money at cloth, that I just don't seem to be getting along with. But....

I use TotBots with DS2 and gave up at about 15 months due to leakage. I was doubling the washing by changing his clothe 3 tiomes a day so realised I probably wasn't saving

We were fine with prefolds at first but eventually had leaks. A good choice of wrap is important and I must admit cotton bottoms wraps leaked and wicked moisture on the legs when I used them for Freya. Bambino Mio ones were slightly better but not best. I really like Nature Babies and Motherease wraps, but I dont know which motherease wrap you would use with a prefold.

Get some two part nappies second hand either by going on freecyle, or buying second hand on ebay or on here or other cloth nappy sites. Then you'll find which suits you best. Tots bots are on offer at the moment by an ebay seller bestbuys4baby (brand new). They are a very good budget buy, but there are better ones on the market now.

We use Motherease Rikkis with prefolds.

Alyson and Bluechampagne do you have particularly heavy wetters?

I have some of the standard tots bots cotton ones with a wrap and they're useless!

Perhaps they are average, I dont know how to assess this. I have an 11 month old and a 2 year old. Tots bots are usually OK but I use a motherease wrap and boost at night.

prefolds are very absorbent - get decent wraps like rikkis.

Just do it, it is, so so sooooooo much easier.