reusable napies

[jazz412]

now I know they're supposedly much more effort than disposable (understandably) however as this is my first I'm figuring I won't know the difference in the work load if I don't let myself :)

On MoneySavingExpert.com it states that you save a considerable amount of money doing things this way (honestly this is my main reason...!) but it also helps the environment :)

Just wondering whether anyone has any experience of reusable nappies (I'm not really looking for the clip it together with a safety pin sort more the sort you can whack on easily!)
Really interested in using them but worried that I might be wasting my time/upfront money, is it all worth it??

any advice greatly appreciated! :)
xx

Childminders can set any terms they like really, they're not obliged to comply with anything. The nursery my ds will be going to have been a bit non-committal about cloth nappies so far, but have said they'll look into it.

What's a rabbitt mat??
Total Novice here! x

Bum Genius - I've used them from when my son was 4 weeks old and they're still going strong (he's 2). I plan to use them with number 2 as well. They don't need tumble drying as they dry so quickly so you save even more money that way.

CrystalQueen I use the original pads with hemp or bamboo boosters behind and get 4 hours out of them. I buy extra boosters from babykind.co.uk - the Blueberry combo pads are really good and £4 each. Tots bots bamboo boosters are a couple of quid each and amazing; they seem to hold loads. At night I use two microfibre pads and hemp pads (Green Acre? or Green baby it might be called do good ones, or Ellas)

Definitely go for a selection of different re-usables rather than buying a 'birth to potty' pack. I can highly recommend 'Diddy Diapers' for the first couple of months. Pocket nappies has been great for us too as you can stuff them as much or as little as needed, they dry quickly and are as easy to put on as disposables. Also love Tots Bots.

I can HIGHLY recommend visiting kittykins for advise & a huge selection of diferent kinds of nappies.

Another novice here but I'm very interested in reusables.

Just wondered if anyone has had any experience of nappy laundry services? I'm sure it'll cost a bomb but I'm extremely lazy and hoping it might not be as bad as I'm expecting. [hopeful]

I used bumgenius on dd1 from 8 wks to 12 months. Very easy to use and similarity to disposibles meant DH and nursery happy to use them. They did need to be changed more often than disposibles which is where nursery started getting funny about it - that combined with a couple of weeks of toddler trots led to night-time use only from 12 months.

I definitely plan to use for dc2 perhaps earlier than 8 weeks this time and def for longer.

Pros:
Held runny poo better than disposables.
Saved landfill
Saved nappy stench from bins in a tiny courtyard garden in summer

Cons:
Quite expensive outlay but going to recoup with dc2
The amount of washing and tumble drying didn't feel very Eco friendly but I have more indoor space and a wasking line this time so I might cut back on the drying (although with bumgenius I think some is needed for absorbency?)

My top tips are:
Tea tree oil on a cloth in the dry pail
Monkey foot designs wet bag (google for a seller in the UK) for out and about.
Fleece liner dunked in cold camomile tea works wonders on nappy rash.

Just adding my tuppence' worth.

We use Close-Parent pop-in nappies. We got a birth-to-potty pack. They're bamboo and we love them! They actually fit our newborn and she was a small 6lb baby. You can adapt the size. She's now 6mo and we can only hope they'll continue to fit her till potty-training.

They are SO absorbant. I laugh (inwardly) at my friends using leaky disposables and having to change entire outfits regularly because the nappies have leaked everywhere. NEVER an issue with us.

Also - nappylady is a great website, but I'd be very hesitant to order from her as things take ages (and I mean weeks and weeks) to arrive. I ordered a (reasonably priced) nappy pail and nappy liners from her (not using liners atm btw - no need) and thankfully I put my order in ages before DD arrived.

A rabbitt mat is a mat with straps to hold the little treasure down while you change them!
cgi.ebay.co.uk/RABBITTS-Safety-Changing-Mat-use-with-without-chg-unit-/310179580870?pt=UK_Baby_Baby_Changing_Baby_Changing_Mats_LE&hash=item483824cbc6

Terry squares really aren't too hard - even DP got the hang of them. I used to pre fold them and have a stack ready to go! With DS1 I didn't have a washing machine so I would put them in a bowl each night with some washing powder and boiling water and then wash them each morning although I was young and had lots of energy! With DS2 I would put them in the machine last thing at night on a boil wash.

I miss having little ones, blub!

so with all reusable nappies do you have to hot wash them? x

No, just 40c - 60c if they're really dirty. Also washed them at 60c when my ds had a thrush nappy rash.

does it help to wash them at higher degrees to reduce nappy rash?? wow!
what about all in ones (ie not terry nappies) do you wash those at high temp? (scared it would melt the waterproof part... lol!!)
x

No, it was purely to do with thrush - ds had oral thrush too so everything (breastpads, muslins, dummies) had to be hot washed or sterilised. It's a fungal/yeast infection.

Normal nappy rash there's no need - but ds has never had normal nappy rash in cloth.

oh right like actual thrush, knew u could get it orally as well but didn't know children got it!

Quite common in babies, especially if you're breastfeeding - we got it because we both had a course of antibiotics. You can get it in your nips and breasts too and it's a bugger to get rid of!

warning, i washed my bumgenius at 60 and the waterproofing melted
However it was by accident and i find that washing nappies at 40 is absolutely fine and i chuck in some stain remover if they're really dirty.
Rolls of paper liners are fab for catching the worst of it and each sheet can be washed a few times too.

Get them out in the sunshine for natural bleaching when you can

Don't use fabric conditioner (it stops the absorption) and 'strip' them every once in a while by washing with no powder.

oh, and we have only ever gotten nappy rash for 24hrs on 2 occasions when ds was teething particularly badly

You don't have to boil wash them??? Why did I not have mumsnet 16 years ago!!!

no boil washing required, and mine dry overnight (bamboo inners take longer on the radiators)

stewmaker I had thought that might happen - thanks for clarifying but sorry if you ruined your nappies! xxx

I only ruined 6. still they are expensive and i was annoyed!

I love my bumgenius

:) i like the look of them too x