I want to use reusable nappies but don't know where to start!

[OrangeAnge]

I have read alot of the post on here, and searched on the internet but there are so many brands and types out there that I am a bit stumped. Any help and advice would be gratefully received!

I have looked to see if there is a Nappaccino event near me but there isn't anything in Lambeth. I am hoping to go along to an event this Friday to have a feel of the various types on offer...

But until then, which would you recommend?

BumGenius seem to be quite popular - but the one-size or the all-in-one? Tots Bots seem pretty funky but are they any good?

I am looking for something that is easy to use and dries without a tumbler drier.

I am a little worried about the bulk of the nappies - and I see that using cream is a no-no... Is this a problem?

Sorry to ask so many questions but my brain is beginning to hurt!

Go onto the nappy lady website and do their questionnaire, it really helped me. Sorry I haven't got a link but it should come up if you google.

I'd borrow or get secondhand nappies, or just a small selection of different types first.

It's great to aspire to use cloth nappies, and I have a lot of respect for people who do, but I found the nappies were so bulky that my baby was doing the splits, he got terrible rash, plus they needed changing every hour or two - with disposables we only use 3 per day, unless he does a poo at a different time!! Also you'll find your house will be full of nappies at various stage of the laundering process, which isn't great if your only drying space is in the kitchen.

We might use them again when toilet training, as I hear they are a good way of getting a child used to the 'wet' feeling.

Oh, forgot to add, you'll need to dress your baby in clothes at least 2 sizes too big. My friend's son needed 9-12 month trousers to get them over his nappy, when he was only a couple of months old. She had to roll up the legs!!

Hello

All in ones/pocket nappies are generally easy to use and quick drying - would recommend Bumgenius over totsbots on a small baby due to the size of the leg holes. Cream i smore to do with it blocking the fleece liner and preventing wee from soaking into the absorbent insert. A little bit won't hurt them. I am a nappy seller but don't sell all in ones as I prefer two parters - so a nappy with sep cover - I think they are better for containment. BG are very popular though - I have used most nappies on the market on my own boys so know how they all work.

This may help: www.nappywardrobe.co.uk/page_1452901.html

Have a look on the Go Real site for your nearest nappy agent/advisor who will be able to show you the nappies face to face rather than trying to figure them out online. There are a couple of nappy shops located in London too so may be worth popping along to them for info.

HTH - email me if you need help choosing brands.

About the only think I can add is that I didn't find the bulk was a problem. Once upon a time we all had thick nappies. You end up buying the next size of clothes a few months early that's all.

When they start walking they have a soft landing for those sudden sit-downs!

Umm

Where I started was:

-Went to a "nappy" event (already had baby by then) fairly confused by displays, but got contact details of one helpful person, also some vouchers.

Turned out the helpful person ran the nappy loan scheme for our council, so she came to visit me at home with a loan pack of four different sorts of nappies and more vouchers. And explained everything.

After a month I knew what worked for me/baby/laundry/budget and ordered a full set. Never looked back.

Take a look here for more contacts?

When I had bad case of baby brain, having a nappy advisor's input was really a big help.

I have never had to buy bigger trousers for mine - they all fitted - the only ones that were too tight were some jeans, which I can't stand on small babies anyway!

Nappy rash is caused when wee and poo mix together, teething, citrus fruits or allergies - not from wearing a cloth nappy.

A list of people who do trial kits can also be found on Go Real.

You will also be entitled to Real Nappies for London vouchers too!

x post - on her link!

Nappy rash I thought was caused by leaving a baby in a wet nappy for too long without changing it - disposables have gels which absorb all the wetness so they are going to feel dry for longer. But any nappy with a fleece liner will draw moisture away from the skin anyway. They do need changing more often than disposables, but it's not that much of a chore I find. I didn't use a barrier cream with DS but I did use a spot of calendula cream (Weleda) if DS ever got sore looking patches - I just let him kick around naked on a towel for a bit to let it soak in before I put the nappy back on. Some nappy free time every day is helpful for avoiding nappy rash too.

Fleece does draw away the moisture. Thats why lots of pocket nappies like fuzzi bunz and BG have fleece pockets. But babies can wear cotton overnigt for 12 hours and it doesn't necessarily cause a rash - think alot depends on the sensitivity of the baby. Silver liners are good for healing rashes if they do get one.

I used tots bots, they just had a new new one out (as my DD stopped using them) called a fluffle (or something like that) worked well & dried quickly. The cotton ones were great too. Although if you can find a bamboo one anywhere, its well worth giving it a go. Bamboo has naturally anti-septic properties and (although I wouldn't advocate this) you can leave a damp bamboo flannel in a heap for a couple of days, come back and it doesn't stink. Also dries more quickly than cotton. Good luck.

Thank you all for your posts! Definitely some more food for thought.

I've just done the Nappy Lady questionnaire and I'm going along to a Nappy Event on Friday so hopefully things will be a bit clearer then. It's great that there is so much help out there.

Unfortunately, Lambeth doesn't offer any incentive so I don't think I'll be entitled to any Real Nappies for London vouchers.

I found that the only time my DS got nappy rash was when I changed from cloth to disposables (holidays etc) or vice versa. No idea why! A bit of fresh air and/or some sudocream seemed to sort it out.

Whereabouts in Lambeth are you, Orange? Do you want to meet up and stroke my fluff look and my nappies?

Thank you for the offer! I will go along and have a stroke and a poke of all the ones on offer at this Nappaccino tomorrow and let you know how I get on from there.

I use Itti Bittis with DD as they're the most compact nappies I've found - they fit easily under trousers and tights. The two inserts popper in with colour coded poppers and they don't require anything else so DH can work them out too - very important! The outers dry quickly but the inserts need to go on a radiator in the winter if you don't have a drier. Also, you can re-use the outers if only the inserts are wet, so makes it a bit cheaper. I have 5 outers (with inserts) and 10 extra insert sets.

www.babykind.co.uk do nappy trials and Helen, their advisor, is brilliant with suggesting suitable nappies for your needs. I did a trial with them for night-time nappies and had 7 different types to try and had them for three weeks.

Hope that helps.

I haven't had to use bigger clothes with DS2 - I can still get 6-9 months on him and he's 10 months and not particularly small! I use a mix of nappies but find Itti Bittis the quickest drying and then BumGenius, both are reasonably compact.

I contacted lollipop and visited a nappy advisor in my local area, we were able to touch and even try on the nappies for size which was really useful. She even provides a follow up service and is happy to answer any questions afterwards when using the nappies.

I initially had to buy bigger clothes for DS2 with the cloth nappies (we use a 2 part system for maximum containment--popolini shaped nappies and a mix of popowraps and motherease wraps, which seem to be virtually identical). They were very bulky on him when he was tiny but he quickly grew into them. We also got used to seeing him with a big padded bum, so now he looks odd if we have to use a disposible.

He's 3 months old now and just growing out of 3-6 month clothes. It isn't actually the cloth nappies that are the problem, it's that he's really stupidly long and we need clothes with longer arms and legs. In fact, wearing the cloth nappies actually helps to bulk him out a bit so he doesn't look so odd in clothes that are stretched length-wise but very baggy width-wise (he's far from a chubby baby).

I ended up using terry squares as they can be folded to fit really well, and they dry overnight on an airer. I like motherease rikki wraps/covers (the velcro ones). My babies are skinny little things so disposibles always leak when they do a mahoosive poo - and I have never had to wear clothes that are bigger on them as I fold the terries nice and non bulky. There are 3 (might even be 4) different sizes of terries and they are really cheap to stock yourself up on. You can use the little ones as boosters as the baby gets bigger - and if yo uhave more than one in nappies, really handy to carry a couple of terries that can just be folded to fit whatever sized baby.

Fleece wicks away the wetness and also catch the poo so easier to rinse out in the toilet.

I dry pail, which means just stick the used (rinsed out in toilet first) nappies in the box and stick the lid on - got a big giant toy box (that seals shut) rather than using the small thing you get out of mothercare.

And I u se cut up towelsand tshirts as wipes and just dip use warm water to clean my baby's bum. I use normal wipes when out and about just cost it's easier

Good luck with going across to cloth. You won't look back - I LOVE them and would never go to disposibles. They just seem so cosy and comfy on the baby. And no bin full of nappies every week!