New to cloth nappies - have I made huge mistake?

[carrierchc]

Hi,
I have 6 week old DD and have on the recommendation of a friend who swears by them, bought some Bambino Mio stuff -
2 small wraps
16 prefolds
Liners
plus some fleece liners.

I kind of trusted her judgement and being new to the whole thing didn't realise the choice on the market until I visited this forum. Have I made a huge expensive mistake buying Bambino Mio, as I see it gets bad reviews on here?
Is it the wraps or the prefolds that are crap, or both? DD does not poo much - she is BF though and when she does there's an explosion.
Are they really that bad - does anyone have a good experience with Bambino Mio?We are a bit strapped for cash so I'm worried I've totally wasted my money.

Please don't be put off by what you have read on here. I successfully used Bambino Mio nappies for 12 months with DS1.

They worked really well for me and I think that they have several advantages over other nappies:

• much better value than many of the popular shaped and all-in-one nappies (which can cost up to £15 EACH)
• very quick and easy to dry
• minimal leakage (make sure the prefold is fully contained within the wrap)

If your DD does not poo very often, it is likely that any nappy (disposable or reusable) would leak after a poo explosion.

The only thing I would say is that you probably need a couple more wraps - four is a good number (one being used, one spare, two in the wash).

It's true that prefold nappies don't suit everyone, but I would strongly advise you to give them a go. If you don't like them, there is a good resale market for Bambino Mio so you won't have wasted your money.

I always avoided prefolds precisely because of the bad press they get, but I tested some for a magazine last year and was pleasantly surprised by them. I wouldn't rate them for BF babies, precisely because of the poo explosion thing, but it sounds like you DD is like mine was at that age; nothing for days and then an almighty expulsion that nothing on the market would contain! Also, DD was really skinny, but my chunky DS2 was just fine with them as they need to be really tight fitting to work well ime.

If the size you have is small, she will need something else later on, so I suggest you carry on with them and see how you go, and then you can always change to something else when she is bigger. I'd also suggest maybe buying some other types 2nd hand to see what you like and what suits your baby as not all nappies suit all types. and if you do change to something else like a pocket nappy system, the prefolds make great boosters.

I don't think prefolds like Bambinop Mio deserve the bad press they get, especially as the new breed of all-in-two snap in nappies are essentially just a fancy prefold and bumgenius have just brought out their flip system which is the same basic pad and wrap format as a prefold.

Don't worry.

Don't panic!
I've always used pre-folds with DS. They get really bad reviews, are pretty much universally hated on MN, but they work for us. People tend not to like them as they find them leaky but we've not had too many issues with them. I like them as they dry quickly and are less bulky than shaped nappies as the nappy is just between the legs rather than round the hips too.

We have the Cotton Bottom ones. I did buy some second hand Bambino Mio wraps and I have to say, I don't like them. The fit is not as good as the Cotton Bottom ones.

You are going to need more than 2 wraps anyway, so see how you get on with the Bambino Mio ones and if you don't like them, you really haven't lost out much. You can use the pre-folds with lots of different wraps. Have a look at the Nappy Lady or Twinkle websites. They'll recommend the best kind of wraps to use with pre-folds.

If you find that pre-folds really aren't for you, you can always use them to stuff pocket nappies. I bought some Wonderoos cheap (as they had no inserts) and use pre-folds in them for DS to use at nursery (easier to put on that pre-fold + wrap!)

Or you can always sell them on. There are lots of second hand nappy sites and you should get a decent price for them.

But don't give up yet, some people obviously like Bambino Mio - your friend at least!

Prefolds are okay but you need decent covers ime - get some motherease rikkis if you start using them and have problems - should solve your issues. Fleece liners on top of the prefold also keeps the bottom softer and drier.

HTH

Don't panic. Make sure you have well fitted wraps - espec around the legs, and when you are folding, I would reccomend using nappy nippers so that you make them into a little shaped nappy.

And while you are using these, why not buy a few shaped ones second hand to try them out - there are tonnes on teh market, not all will work for you in terms of size, how you fasten, how bulky they are, how easy they are to wash, and dry, how soft they are etc.

Personally I did tonnes of testing and experimenting, even got into making my own little nappies. But finally settled on terry squares fastened with a nippa and Motherease wraps. And I'm onto my 4th child using these - do soemtimes the fancy ones are not the best solution for you. Reason was the flexibility (2 in nappies, only had to take one set of nappies out with me), drying and they cleaned better so less stains.

I really like prefolds for newborns, they're cheap and they wash well. You must have good wraps though, motherease rikkis great and I love imse vimse, esp the soft cover with snaps.

This site has tons of info on prefolds and how to use them with different wraps. They don't ship over here but you can get most of the wraps from twinkle.

I have some BM prefolds that my SIL gave me when my twins were born. She swore by them but I'm afraid to say that I didn't even try the wraps as they were cotton covered and I don't get on well with them. I replaced the wraps with thirsties ones which are excellent on a newborn. I also fastened the prefold with a nappy nippa to aid the containment of them and added a fleece liner. This turned out to be a really good system while they were tiny. I now use the tiny prefolds as stuffing in my pocket nappies so they have turned out to be very versatile indeed.

Absolutely not a waste PROVIDED YOU WRAP THE PREFOLD ROUND YOUR BABY AND SECURE WITH A NAPPI NIPPA.

Unfortunately BM have a bad press as they do not provide sufficient instructions nor a Nappi Nippa. It is essential you DON'T just pad fold them with a newborn baby = leaks, you need them fanned at the back, wrapped round and secured, then they're just as good on containment as any fancy shaped nappy with velcro or poppers.

You will need more wraps - suggest Proraps or Bummis they're both very good over prefolds

I see the bad reviews too
But I used bambino mio and got on great with them.
They were a bit leaky in the early weeks and I had to change the wraps often - but that does pass.
And I did find some wraps better than others. I think it was 'mio gentle'.

i've been using the bumgenius flip and econobum wraps with bambino mio prefolds I got second hand - have never had a leaky nappy even on the pints of purely breastfed poo my nearly 6 month old produces! The only thing I have found is that I have had to change the wrap with every poo so worth getting more wraps for sure. the flip wraps are here

Thanks all, that is great advice.
Ariela, is this the kind of fold you mean?

Thank you!

i bought cottom bottoms btp pack and instantly regretted it. I usee them birth -4 months and didnt like them. I sold the lot and after trying ever nappy available love itti bitti and sandys. Its a personal thing- they may be right for you!I

It depends what you are looking for. It seems completely nuts to me to spend £15 on a nappy. Nappies get covered in baby sh!t and if you spend £15 per nappy you are unlikely to end up in profit. My favourite is old fashioned terries with a motherease wrap and a nappi nippa.

Presonally I have a mixture of terries, motherease and tots. I did get some prefolds from my SIL, but I never got on with them. However my SIL loved them.