nappies..cloth v disposable

[BabyHMummy]

Ok folks so this has prob been done to death but am a relative newbie at this baby lark.

All my friends have used disposable and have been you guys discussing the pros and cons of the various types of cloth nappies and am trying to work out which i am going to use.

Have done some research so i know the green debate is pretty much a mute point as work out about same risk to the environment and cost lose electricity being an ever increasing cost means that by and large they cancel each other out. So which do i pick.

Please help by telling me What choice have you made and why?

The one thing I would say to anyone investing in cloth prior to baby being here is don't get loads of the same thing! You might find those particular ones don't suit at all ... for example everyone kept raving about little lamb nappies and wraps. I brought a few but ds was a chunky little thing and little lamb nappies are fairly bulky as it is and with a wrap on as well he could hardly move!! People do love them and fair enough but I'm so glad that I didn't invest in a whole set of them.

I built up my stash slowly, spending some here and there on different types and nowI am set up.

Also don't expect things to work straight away - I brought some blueberry basix nappies because I loved the prints and they fit brilliantly but they just kept leaking. I added a bamboo booster and hey presto - fantastic.

I sold my first lot of cloth on eBay (little lambs, tots bots bamboozle again for being bulky, a geny wrap and some others) when ds was about 3 months old. I gave up and went back to pampers for a bit. And then slowly started with Charlie banana, blueberry basix, cheapo Chinese nappies from pixie pants and so on .. all work really well.

How do you find the cheapy chinese ones? considering getting a few

Definitely recommend cloth nappy tree for some second hand bargains! I've been using nappies for 6 years (3children) and all being well will be used for dc4 in about 3 months time. Some of these nappies were bought second hand so will have been used by up to 5 children! And still work perfectly. Even if you don't plan any more children you can always sell them after you don't need them and the benefit to the environment will be even greater. Honestly give it a go, it's easy. I love my washables!

I like the cheapy Chinese ones (think they are Alva nappies ???) But I do boost them a lot.. so they come with one microfibre insert and I also use a bamboo insert and a hemp one (all from pixie pants on facebook.. the nappy and one insert is £4.50 so very cheap). I really like them and they fit my ds who is in size 18-24 month clothes well !! (He is 10 months).

But for reliability and bomb proof dryness I still reach for my Charlie banana with 2 inserts!

Definitely worth having a few of the Chinese ones to bulk out a stash cheaply though.

Cost and green arguments both stack up. I would not be parted from my terry squares. I have about 40, some secondhand some new so a nice mixture of thickness. I use Motherease wraps and we rarely have leaks. I use them overnight too.

I don't soak and I have a big washing machine so I only have to wash twice a week. Terries also dry very fast (no tumbler here) and if you have any problems with them you can just try another fold. And they're cheaper than other cloth nappies.

Also don't forget washable wipes. Cheap flannels from Ikea do a much better job on poo than wipes and you can chuck them in the wash with your nappies.

Will go and have a look at pixie pants, thanks :)

foof Alva do a newborn size too! I've just got some. They look very similar in size to the totsbots teenyfits I have. Can't say about leg gape yet obvs, but for the price it wouldn't break the bank to try a couple! I have a cream, and a dinosaur minky print :) I can't justify anymore newborn ones now, but will get some of the one size ones for them to grow into.

I used terry nappies for my second child as she had eczema and the GP said there had been an increase in cases of it on the bottom with disposables, probably due to chemicals - poor kids skin would split and bleed. We switched even though the chemist tried to talk me out of it, said about the washing debate using more energy etc... She had no more problems!!! The sore skin stopped and I used them for the third daughter, and this time also used wool and fleece wraps - worked wonderfully, and saved a fortune! The nappies after a few years were used as cleaning cloths round the home. So got to start again, but it has been ten years! I Also used Moltex Eco when DD went to grand parents etc, and they can be composted.

We use cloth.

Why? Well, the big one is the fact that disposables are FULL of chemicals that are harsh on babies skin- especially when they are a newborn. It can take hundreds of years for them to decompose- and if they are wrapped in plastic nappy bags- you couldn't put a number on it.

Not to mention it is cheaper. I sewed over 150 nappies for DD2 was born and it cost me about £500 for all the materials. You can easily spend £2000 on nappies between birth and your child turning 2- some are PT before this- but some go on to be in nappies until 3+.

I meant to say- those nappies will do her until she is training pants.

Ooo yes, Celtic, washable wipes here too. I bought a big fleece blanket from ikea for about £3, I cut it up into about 25 pieces and use ds's top and tail bowl to wash him :)

And re cost of the disposable ones, we used mamia from aldi until about 4 months ago as they changed them and they started leaking. We now use Little Angels from Asda. He probably goes through a £5 pack every 8 days.

I have a four month old and put off using reusables until he was three months old. I thought they would be more of a hassle but they really aren't. I only have 6 so use disposables on alternate days and at night. Washing them is easy, no soaking or anything required and it has reduced our waste a lot.

I borrowed a couple types from friends to try them out and ended up getting Charlie Bananas, they are birth to potty so you adjust them as the baby grows.

I would recommend giving reusables a try if you are interested. I think in the summer i'll use them even more so we don't have that foul nappy smell coming from the bin!

pop some essential oil in and it'll mask any smells :) tmake sure the lid fits too ;)

Another big, big fan of cloth nappies (and wipes) here. Do you get 'fans' of disposables?
My main reason is it keeps the weekly/monthly shopping bill lower - I don't have to buy a pack of nappies every few days/weeks.

I never run out of nappies or wipes, I'm a last minute person and would run out of disposables but the cloth nappies are ready to wear again in a few hours.

So with cloth wipes you just cut up a fleece or flannel and use that instead with water? (Warm, cold?) and then pop them in with your nappies for washing?

I bought 10 packs of the baby wash cloths in Poundland, they are just the right size I reckon.

oh and will be making my own wash stuff with water, a bit of essential oil and sticking it in a spray bottle (Poundland again) and quick spray on baby's bum and wipe

Yes, reuseable nappies and washable wipes here. Just cut up a flannel, use it in a top and tail bowl (am I the only person who uses one?) and stick it in the nappy bucket with the nappies.
Going to check out the cheapy chinese ones as the rate DS2 is not potty training, I'm going to have two in nappies come September!

Washable fleece liners best for newborn poo. I like bambino mio nappues best but they're not everyone's favourite. Our local council will lend you 6 nappies and bucket free to try.

www.fill-your-pants.com/cloth-nappy-trial/nappy-trial.html

This is a really good deal for someone new to cloth.. gives you a chance to try out some different types. You pay £110 but 100 of that is a deposit and you get that back at the end of the month - so the trial actually costs £10 ! :)

Weebarra, I use a top and tail (see previous post), I always have and ds is almost 20 months! I bath him every night and wash him with the t n t every morning before dressing, I couldn't do without it!

I use a top and tail bowl too, I put the wipes in one side and the water in the other.

We just use cheap Ikea flannels (run under the tap as we change him in the bathroom) for wipes