OneLife - more like one hour - any tips, am about to give up?

[CairoLucy]

I live overseas and got the whole kit-and-caboodle of OneLife nappies when I was in UK for DD's birth 3 months ago. Wish I'd got trial packs of various different cloth nappies and wraps to try but didn't have time, so am now stuck with the OneLife ones - can't get other kit here, and don;t trust local post to deliver imported goods, so can only ask our occasional visitors to bring stuff with them from UK.

DD (EBF)is a chunky monkey (already 7KG) and a big pee-er and frequent poo-er, so even with booster, the nappy is wet through to the front popper flap within a couple of hours, so I use disposables when out and about and at night. DH finds whole system a big faff and never uses them, only disposables.

And I'm about to give up too, at least until DD is a bit bigger and the nappies fit better. Now DD is wanting to sit up and roll the whole time,and the OneLife nappy is so bulky (even though DD is so big that we don't need to fold down the popper flap) that she can't bend in the middle and so her movement is restricted - and she needs to move and exercise!

Really want to be green (and not waste the money spent on this nappy system) but losing patience as DD gets frustrated. Any tips about how to make the OneLife nappies work for us, bearing in mind that we can't get hold of any other products for a while?

Many thanks

I had one, it was shite, sorry. I kept it as an emergency spare in the nappy bag as it folded small and used Bimbles the rest of the time.

BUT do remember that in cloth 'wet through' doesn;t mean 'needs changing immediately' - if he wees against the front flap it will feel damp but if the rest of the nappy is still quite dry it'll probably hold a lot more as it soaks round (iyswim). ANd using boosters at night (when it doesn;t matter how bulky they are) will help.

hopefully others will have more specific tips...

Thanks Mrs B - suspected I might have made a bad investment. But wet-through is wet though, whole nappy, even with booster plus fleece liner, within a couple of hours. My DD never complains about a soiled nappy, and doesn't suffer from nappy rash, but I don't want to keep her in a wet-through nappy for too long...

sorry i never got on with onelifes, it's one of the only nappies we just haven't got on with 8(. Hope you figure them out

Thanks also, xDx, looks like I was badly advised by Lollipop lady. What a bummer, if you'll excuse the pun. Anyone else got any ideas?

put a microfibre cloth in with the booster (the sort you get in poundland) they are universal, you must be able to get them whereever you are. in the cleaning section.

merkin, if the OP's name is anything to go by, she is in Egypt - not sure they have Poundlands

Flat terries and nippas under the Onelife wrpas till she is bigger? perhaps consult local grannies for suppliers?

HOw about getting some bamboo or hemp boosters to use with them? Pop the booster between the outside of the nappy and wrap or inside the nappy which every gives the best fit.

My first is washables was the heaviest wetter ever and ended up in bumbles double boosted with air flow wraps!

I have a couple of new microfibre boosters if you're interested in them but hemp/bambbo are the most absorbant fabrics.

All good suggestions for added absorbancy,for which thanks, but will have to figure out what's available in Egypt (well spotted, Mrs B, thanks for your understanding!).

Excuse me for being a bit dumb, but I'm sure I could find microfibre here if I knew what I was looking for? What am I looking for? What is microfibre? I know for a fact I won't find bamboo or hemp fabric! (For example, organic cotton, which is grown in Egypt, is only now becoming available on the local market!)

But my main issue is how BULKY the nappies are, which limits my DD's movement (with the OneLife on, she can't bend at the waist), at a time when she wants to sit and roll and fly. Adding more layers will only restrict her further. I think I'll just have to wait for her to grow into them...

IMHO this is what you really need

cgi.ebay.co.uk/Twelve-New-Bambineo-Bambinex-Bamboo-Size-Two-Nappies_W0QQitemZ350017719459QQcmdZViewI temQQptZUKBabyBabyChangingNappies_LE?hash=item517eae8ca3

microbfibre is synthetic fabric with a sort of tiny square texture to it, makes good duster/cleanin cloth?

except not in size two!

I would also counsel against buying a big package again in case you find the new ones rubbish too

Wise counsel indeed, Mrs B - have to make do with what I've got, due to circumstances, making adaptations according to what's available locally (as well as not wanting to make another expensive mistake).

Will experiment with what I can find here in Egypt, and failing that will try OneLife again when DD is a bit bigger, and it fits better, without restricting her movement.
Wonder if I can find a decent microfibre fabric in Egypt to use against my precious baby's gorgeous bum...

When next in UK (not for a few months), will try picking up other bits and pieces to enhance our OneLife system.

Thank you all for all your help, still hope to hear from others who may have suffered - and solved - similar problems.

Hi Cairolucy
I work for lollipop but have never sold onelife (I have tried them and preferred others) but others swear by them am also quite new to lollipop, can suggest that you email whoever sold you them,I am sure she will try to help you as best she can, we all offer after sales service so try and email her I am sure she will be only to happy to help you. Sorry you are having troubles with them.

I like onelife - have mountains (and mountains of others too)of them for years - they are a good nappy but there are obviously causing you problems. I can use them overnight with a fleece cover with no leaks and during the day with a PUL cover for 4 hours and I have a very heavy wetting toddler. Onelife are not a bulky nappy compared to lots of others - there are some more slim ones coming onto the market like itti bitti and coolababy but as far as two parters go onelife are not bulky.

Are you using the velcro covers? The velcro band width on any cover can restrict movement and popper covers can be much much better.

I personally would say that a slimmer nappy may suit you better but the extra investment is not what you want at this time. Bamboo boosters would solve the absorbency issues. Lollipop do these (someone else mentioned them) and they do international postage.

Everyone has different opinions about nappies but it really dpends on the baby - don't give up - just get good advice - saying a nappy is shite (apart from prefolds and kushies ultras lol) is not the best advice esp when you have invested so much already. You need to work with them and figure out what the issue is.

As you dd is 3 months old unless she is tiny then I would get size 2 bambineo etc I used them from birth!

Def worth asking for nappies on the for sale board and buying a few different ones to try out.

ah I was thinking of size 2 in the Bimble scheme of things, which my 2.5yo still wears...

I second the idea of contacting your nappy agent. Lollipop have good customer service and may be able to offer a solution for you.

If not, microfibre cleaning cloths worked for us for boosting nappies overnight. The microfibre ones are the ones that feel a bit wierd on your hand, kind of like a soft cats tongue licking you!

Z x

Thank you all for your advice - and hope you all have a very happy holiday (Christmas is, as you can imagine, rather subdued in Cairo).

In the new-born blur and the move from UK to Egypt I lost my Lollipop lady's email. Will try improvising with materials available here in Egypt.

Maybe I had unrealistic expectations of modern cloth nappies regarding their bulk and absorbancy, but my little darling, who weighs a whopping 7kg at 3 months, needs to be encouraged to be active, and even with the popper PLU wraps, her movement is restricted.

I think I'll avoid the stress for now (I'm feeling homesick) and use disposables over Christmas, and try again with OneLife in the New Year.

Hope you all have a peaceful, prosperous and fulfilled 2010.

Thanks, Lucy

PS I know Lollipop do international postage, but I just don't trust the Egyptian Customs and Postal service to deliver the order once they arrive in the country - letters fail to arrive, never mind scintillating parcels...

Lucy,

We have sent nappies to UAE and Egypt a couple of times and they have arrived successfully, as long as the sender uses a courier service, they should arrive unharmed, although this it is expensive to do this, but it all depends on the weight of the package.

Hi CairoLucy,

I am your Lollipop advisor!!! Hello! I've got lots of good advice I hope, though as I don't think you have been ill advised. You wanted a realtively quick drying nappy because of the rainy season times - Onelife meets that criteria - I wouldn't consider the recomendatoions of bamboo for that reason. A microfibre booster could be a good option. Your little girl is at her heaviest wetting at the moment for the next 6 or 8 weeks. Just before babies go onto solids they drink vast quantities of milk. As soon as she goes onto solids her poos will firm up and you'll notice that she's drinking less milk and have less wet nappies. So if you can get past this very very wet stage then the OL nappies will be absolutely fine for absorbency and you shouldn't need to add any extra absorbency - at least not during the day.
With regards to the bulkiness - again OL aren't amongst the most bulky nappies on the market, there are plenty more that are alot more bulky. Again this phase when it might be hindering your LO from sitting or rolling over is very very short lived - a couple of weeks at most. When she grasps rolling over in her nappy there'll be no stopping her - yes it might be a couple of weeks later than when she isn't wearing a nappy but in the grand scheme of things it really isn't going to hinder her development. An often quoted statement is that Sebastien Coe and Linford Christie will have worn bulky terry squares and it certainly didn't harm their physical development! And babies in clot nappies often master walking a bit quicker as it doesn't hurt so much when they fall down! Also she'll have a more stable bottom in a cloth nappy for sitting on - she's a bit young to be sitting up unaided but when she does she'll be more stable than a baby in a disposable.
I hope all that makes sense, as I obvioulsy do want these nappies to work for you. I have literally sold several thousand of these nappies - they are a nappy that I sell with 100% confidence. My only reseration in ever recommending OL is that about 50% of my customers find that they need something more absorbent for overnight, although 50% are fine overnight.
Do feel free to contact me if there's anything more I can help with.

And if it's any consolation - although the beginning of the week was white and snowy - it is now grey and rainy in Oxfordshire!!! And Christmas TV is crap beyond crap this year - please don't feel too homesick!

I agree with NappyShed Sal - I think considering the climate you live in - you have made the right choice. You can buy pocket nappies which are slimmer but onelife are a good natural feel nappy with a sep cover which can give much greater flexibility. If NappyShedSal is your advisor then be assured you are in good hands - she has lots of experience and know what she is talking about!

When I had my first ds I was convinced he wasn't crawling because of his cloth nappies, so stopped using them for about two months - nothing changed!!! Then two weeks after I put him back in cloth he started crawling and then walked 2 weeks later at 9 months old - very early!!! My other two have worn cloth, they crawled earlier than him but walked later. It really doesn;t make any difference.

Have a break over christmas, then try again when you are ready int he new year.

Do contact NappyShedSal for advice - she knows alot about nappies!

And the best thing on tv by far has been the gurffalo which we have watched 5 times already!

Hi, Sal, how nice to hear from you. Sorry for my little outburst - was getting exasperated 'cos homesick and DH whingeing about nappies and my little one can't, at the moment, bend in the middle in OneLifes, when just at the same time when she's wanting to roll and sit. Am not worried about her physical development in the long term but just want to ensure that she gets enough physical activity, as she's on the fat side - don't want her to be static and stuck on her back.

As you and Octohohohoho say, it's probably a temporary phase, and our chunky monkey will soon grow back into them, so I'll try improvising with more fleece and microfibre cloths and when next in UK, maybe get some bamboo ones for when it gets warmer, and they're easier to dry.

Have yet to discover the charms of the Gruffalo but have all that ahead of me in 2010. Have a peaceful, happy, prosperous and GREEN new year and new decade.

Lucy

Hi Lucy,

you'll be fine, as will your little one! Do get back in contact when you're back in the UK if you do need any further help. I can always drop things off in Oxford.

And you neeeeeed to aquaint yourself with The Gruffalo -it really is a fab book. As is Monkey Business by the same author!

Oh and Thanks Octo for the praise

And thanks Mr BabyBot for your advice about international delivery. I wonder how far afield us MNers (and Dad-netters) spread? Maybe I should put up a thread asking...