Muslins and nappy changing, Clueless!!!

[Asturimama]

As you have probably gathered I am a first timer (due September) and I am wondering how exactly you use the muslins for nappy changing as I am keen to avoid wet wipes except when out and about.

Do you wet them before use? Do you use them dry? Do you wash them in the washing machine after every use, of can you maybe just rinse them (wee only) and use them again?

Sorry for the utter ignorance

i never used muslins for nappy chaning more for feeding and burping why dont you want to use baby wipes.....there more convenient and you do go through alot of them trust me!!

I've never used them other than as a makeshift changing mat. I used wet cotton wool or wet wipes to wipe the baby's bottom. Muslins are great for wiping up sick and food and general baby mess when out and about.

If you don't want to use wet wipes use cotton wool. Muslins can be used as nappies in place of a terry but I just use them as burp cloths.

Ok, muslins are not what you need, I would recommend these. if you decide to use cotton wool I'd recommend the pleats of it rather than balls.

A friend used to keep a flask and a bowl by the changing mat. The flask was full of warm water and she'd tip a bit into the bowl, wet the wipe with it and use. Far easier than trying to get warm water fresh every time with a screaming newborn!

I use reuseable wipes and wash after each use, i 'll be using reuseable nappies thou so thats just easiest thing for me.

Thanks a lot for all the replies. I think I am getting confused by the terminology (I am not British and live outside the UK now, although I also get confused about baby product names in my own language...), probably what I meant was the reusable wipes as WeLoveHaribo mentions.

So, for reusable wipes, do you wet them before use or use them dry and straignht onto the bum?

you would normally wet them first.
some people make a soloution with chamomile tea, or water with a tiny drop of baby wash or something, but plain boring water does the job too

some people put them wet in a ziplock bag (but dont keep them wet in there for more than a day as they will go mouldy, but fine for 1 day trip) but most places have a tap that you can use to wet them, so can keep them dry in your bag.

(or always keep them dry and have a small bottle of water in change bag too to use if in the middle of the countryside or beach etc)

I would wash them after each use, and wash with cloth nappies. Unless a real emergancy i wouldnt re-use them without washing in between.

I would wet them under a tap and ring them out and use.... so not dripping wet

www.cheekywipes.com/how-it-works.html

I've got some of these (first timer due in September too!) reusable wipes and they say put a tiny bit of water in the box you store them in to keep them damp. Not sure if I'll be using the oils they came with but I guess having them a bit damp makes them easier to wipe stuff up

I have some cheeky wipes too and I am due in September.

i've never used muslins for this either... but i guess you could just have some warm water in a top and tail bowl and wet it before wiping. I would have thought muslins would have been a bit harsh on there down below bits. why dont you use cotton wool balls for indoors?

I have actually used muslin as reusable wipes. I made up double layer muslin squares about the size of a face flannel & used with warm water (one use only before washing). I used cotton wool at newborn stage first though. I also used the muslin squares as general reusable wipes as well, face wiping, hankie, burp cloth, etc

I use cheeky wipes ( keep them wet in the box and wash after every use) I don't dry them after they come out of the washing machine, just restack them in the box. I use washable nappies too so the dirty ones go straight in the dirty nappy bucket. My son suffered from horrid nappy rash so I preferred to use these or cotton wool and water. I do use the muslin clothes to dry him after washing with a wet cheeky wipe cloth (or cotton wool and water ) and I use them once per change then add them to the dirty bucket. I'm paranoid about nappy rash having ended up in hospital with DS and a bleeding bottom when he was little. So I never double dip a cheeky wipe in water to rinse it out and it does create a lot of washing but DS has never had really bad nappy rash again. I also talcum powder every nappy change (helps to see he really is dry) and put sudocrem on whether he looks like he needs it or not.
Sorry this is long and more than you asked about but it's close to my heart!
Good luck in September with your new baby and remember there are lots of different ways of looking after a baby and you'll find the right one for you!

Thanks for all the advice to everyone again. I think I'll start with cotton wool at home and try and get some organic or non-chemical wipes for outdoors. Then if I do move to reusable nappies (I think they would be too much for me at the newborn stage) I invest in the cheeky wipes so I can wash them all together, as I am not too keen either in washing the wipes together with clothes...

I used these not so much for changing nappies but for DDs daily washes in the top and tail basin if I didnt put her in the bath, white for top, yellow for tail. But dont see why you couldn't use these for nappy changes. Very easy to handwash and just hang them over a clothes horse/radiator to dry.

Muslins are good for patting bottoms dry afterwards or using as an emergency changing mat. My DH decided that the blue ones we have are only to be used for bum drying (b/blue for bum, geddit? lol)