Cloth Nappies....mn cloth nappy users come talk to me!

[ElleyBear13]

Hello again,

Currently 18weeks pregnant with no.2 'rainbow' baby, we started researching cloth nappies last year when I was pregnant with number one.

So far I fancy totsbots and little lamb to try out, either the pocket nappies or the wraps to trial with (possibly using the pocket nappies for the evenings so we can boost the absorbency?). Eventually when I figure out which I'd prefer I would like to purchase a birth to potty pack but unsure if they are worth the money?

Anyways how many nappies will i need?

How many size 1s would you recommend? and how many size twos?

I plan to buy disposables for the first few weeks just in case I can't wash daily/ need to bedrest etc and get used to the nappies. But if everything goes well I plan to wash and dry daily (as I do this at the moment).

Any advice? Helpful hints would be greatly appreciated
x

We used mio solo (i think that's what they're called) purely as that was what they stocked in the shop I went to. I had 17, which meant washing every other day. We gave up on them soon after dd turned 1 as they just didn't have the capacity.
Check and see if your council will give you a voucher to buy some - we got just over £50 as the council want to discourage all the land fill.

Following with interest! Also looking ta tots bots...All in one Easzyfit for day time and 2 part Bamboozle for night time. Anyone have any reviews on them ?

We used cheap wraps and prefolds for a few weeks, then switched to close pop-ins which were great and easy to use (kind of essential to get dh into it). We had 21 of those which was fine for us, from about 8 weeks (they were a bit bulky to use before then). They are supposed to be birth to potty, but we found that around when ds turned 1 they were starting to look a bit tight, so we have switched to little lamb pocket nappies which I absolutely love. We have about 23 of the outers for those, and about 33 inners - the outers dry very very quickly, but the inners are bamboo and take a while, and we're not overly organised, so having the extra inners helps if we don't hang them up to dry in time :)

All the old ones are in the garage, and will shortly be coming out to be washed for baby number 2.

I would suggest getting one of each of a couple of different styles. fill your pants is a really good website, and I think do a trial for £10 where you can try different types - you might find one type fits your little one better, or you just get on with a particular type better.

We used little lamb bamboo and a wrap overnight for a while, but ds was a really heavy wetter overnight and we just couldn't find a combination that worked, so use a disposable overnight. We could probably switch back to cloth overnight as he doesn't seem to be as wet in the morning as he used to be, but just haven't got round to it!

Get a nappy bucket with a couple of mesh bags to put the dirty nappies in (we wash them every 2-3 days), and a good zip up wet bag for the dirties for when you are out.

I loved using cloth and will be using cloth for DC2, due in May.

I used a combination of tots bots with wraps, all-in-one easyfits and some bumgenius (pocket nappies). I think I have about 30 altogether but I didn't need that many - it can get a little addictive with all the different styles and prints, weird tho that might sound.

The only ongoing expense I had was paper liners and the occasional packet of disposables when a tummy bug struck.

You can get free, top-quality cloth nappy advice by filling in the advice questionnaire from The Nappy Lady. She sells nappies via her website but the advice makes the process a whole lot easier and there is also no obligation to buy. She also does hire kits so that you can do a three month cloth trial without the expense.

www.thenappylady.co.uk/submittaq.html

No, I don't work there! I just think she's the best. :)

We use Little Lamb, with three boosters and a wrap overnight on DS. The absolute opposite of knittingirl, we found he wet through every single disposable. I am fairly sure he shouldn't need three bamboo booster but what the hell, he's dry and his bottom is happy!

We use little lamb pockets and also bumgenius. I love the little lamb, but they do have the disadvantage of needing two sizes.

What are your washing/drying facilities? All in ones can be a pain to dry unless you want to tumble, which put me off tots bots ones.

I'm a big fan if the Alva baby nappies. You can order them direct from their website, they are miles cheaper than the bigger brands and better I think.

They come from china so do take about a month to arrive. I used them from when my DD was about 3 months and they are still going strong at almost 2yrs. I fill them with one microfiber (which comes with it) and one bamboo booster (which you can buy from them in pack of 10, 20 etc) and they don't leak.

I did the nappy lady questionnaire at the start and on her recommendation got a whole load of really expensive bumgenius ones and they are nowhere as good as the china-cheapies!

Generally a 2 part system (tots bots bamboozles, little lamb bamboo etc) with a wrap and a fitted nappy will be the most absorbent option for overnight. Pockets are easier and less bulky so good for daytime when you'll be putting clothes over the top rather than looser sleepsuits or pyjamas.

Definitely don't buy tons of one specific brand as different ones will work for different babies. I bought a few cheap ones from tiny nippers and TJs cloth nappies, and some little lambs (fill your pants do 5 for £25) then got a couple of different nappies from more expensive brands - Charlie Banana worked for us when DD was smaller but she's quite a chunky toddler at 13 months and they aren't fitting as well now. Tots bots are ok but we don't get very long out of them even when boosted with extra bamboo inserts. My current favourite are bumgenius, either V4 or elementals. They really suit DD.

Remember that most cloth nappies have excellent resale value so any that you try and don't get on with can be sold on to recoup costs.

We tend to stuff pocket nappies with one microfibre booster and one bamboo. MF absorbs quicker but not as much, bamboo holds tons but takes longer to soak in.

Definitely check if your local council has a nappy scheme, I got £30 off my first order. Also see if there's a local nappy library or nappucino where you can see them in the flesh.

DS has Tots Bots Easyfit - V2 maybe? Anyway the brightly coloured polyester ones. Bought them second hand and they were rubbish on their own but great with a bamboo booster tucked inside so the soggy bamboo is away from the skin. And flushable liners are great - at least once they are doing solid poos. I still use disposables at night though, haven't got round to finding something which will hold the massive volume of wee he produces!

I used Tots Bots with DS1 but got seriously put off by their very non-reusable company policies (read the fine print - they don't recommend that the nappies are used for more than one child, only guaranteed for X number of washes, do not strip wash or you'll lose your warranty...the list goes on) and I actually found they just didn't have the staying power. I also had to make a mental note to change every two or three hours, which was a PITA.

I've now got both boys in Issy Bear nappies (pocket, all-in-ones) and they are absolutely birth to potty - DS2 had them on as a newborn while DS1 was wearing the same nappies as a two year old. You can use the same nappies day and night, with the addition of a night insert. DS2 is a very heavy wetter, but can do upwards of five hours in a day nappy with zero leaks. They are truly amazing!

The only UK stockist is Birth2Potty who also carry a range of other Australian nappies (which Issy Bears are) which run absolute rings around any British nappies for absorbency and durability, and you can get back a lot of what you paid for them by reselling them on dedicated FB sites. Bumcheeks are another phenomenal Australian pocket nappy which last for hours, they just don't have the range of patterns that the Issies do.

I have 30, BTW, and two nappy buckets - DS2 (now 7mo) full-time and DS1 (2.10y) nights only. I wash every other day.

I have noticed that the Nappy Lady is now selling more of the premium brands than she did four years ago when I had DS1. But she does ask about cost and also stocks everything from terry nappies upwards.

I like the shaped nappies - better containment! I got on well with Tots bots and wraps (a good job as I went mad and bought a load of size 1's before he was even born). Am planning to do the newborn hire option this time around. Nappies I got on well with have had a couple of different versions in the last four years - I liked my easyfit v2 for daytime but they are up to, I think v4 now. Not going to upgrade, there are always brand new v2's on ebay for a fraction of the cost of the super-duper latest version.

We used Motherease one size because someone gave us a load they'd finished with, which saved me the bother of making any decisions. They worked really well for us, although I never tried them overnight - having heard too many stories of people who couldn't find anything to last overnight I wimped out and used disposables. In general though I loved the washables, from the cute big bum look to the excellent poo containment compared to disposables.

Beg pardon - I have 31. 30 Issies, 1 Bumcheeks which I was given as a freebie

I never have to boost any of them.

I've tried lots of different expensive brands but my favourites are Little Blooms from Amazon. For night times I use Little Lambs or Bamboozles with a Blueberry wrap.