Anyone evee used reusable nappies??

[PFin]

So im not really eco friendly and all about being green or anything usually, i recycle my bottles and glass and thats about it lol however, this is my 2nd baby and ive been thinking about reusable nappies and just wondering has anyone had any experience using them? Its only a thought atm I was maybe even thinking a kind of combo of both and use disposible when out and about. I just remember the sheer amount of nappies binned with my first, its crazy 😑

https://littlelambnappies.com/products/bamboo-nappy-1

We use these op, they are brilliant! Got about 22 for our toddler and 7 waterproof wraps that go over the top. Plus 5 boosters (strips of material to make a nappy last longer - we put one in the nappy every evening to make the nappy last all night).

Stuff we also use:

Tots bots nappy bucket to store dirty nappies and wipes

Cheeky wipes

Little lambs disposable nappy liners (to deal with poo easily!)

Little lambs mucky bag to store dirty nappies when out of the house

Earth conscious natural baby balm

Mummy of 4 uk on YouTube does some good videos on the subject of reusable nappies but this is what has worked for us personally. Expensive to set up and a bit of a faff for the first couple of weeks to find a routine but after that smooth sailing and no regrets. We started at 18 months and I really wish we'd started sooner! Good luck and go for it

I'm due with my first, and planning on using reusable nappies. The thought that the nappies that were on me as a baby are still kicking about in landfill brings me horror!

I don't really have any advice but I'm sure there will be people with experience that can help. What I can suggest is check out if you have a local nappy library, you can hire reusables to see if they suit you. Think I'm going to pay £30 for a newborn kit that will have everything we need for an 8 week trial. We can then decide what brands suit baby best without forking out so much money at the start. They also have baby kits with the bigger nappy sizes too

I always thought reusable nappies were slightly off putting, but they hire them now???!!!

Check out The Nappy Lady website, lots of advice and explanation of all the different types of modern nappies (she has youtube videos too). You can fill out the questionnaire for recommendations on what might suit your family with no obligation to buy.

You can save alot of money buying second hand through facebook groups like Cloth Bum Mums sales and The Nappy Lady FB groups.

Some nappy libraries are still hiring out kits so you can try different types to see what works for you.

I love our cloth nappies! We've saved alot of money and alot more waste with one child and will save more with child number 2 on the way. I started on modern cloth nappies (similar to disposable in style) and converted to terries and waterproof wraps as they are alot more adjustable and dont leak. I keep a few pocket nappies/all in ones for out and about as changing terries can be a bit fiddly sometimes! I sold anything that I wasnt using and got my money back. After baby 2 I will sell the lot which makes it even cheaper over the long run.

I started with them because money was tight, but continued because they were more reliable and I couldn't stand the waste the odd times I used disposables on holiday.

I'm also not the most eco friendly person but I absolutely love using the cloth nappies for my DD. They come in so many cute prints! Also they smell much less than disposables and also we've had less poo explosions in reusables.

I would also suggest filling in The Nappy Lady questionnaire: www.thenappylady.co.uk/nappy-advice-questionnaire.html
It will help loads with choosing which nappies will work for you best.

@laura2109 @PlanBea yeah the thought of hiring them is bizarre to me but it does sound like a good idea instead of buying the initial 'kit' as obv a bit more money initially than disposable.

@firstimemamma yes i'll have a look at your suggestions. Dirty nappies are obv never pleasent lol but would you say there are any downsides? And would you save alot? Hubby is quite against it, gunna take a wee bit of convincing!

Thanks ladies!

Oh I will defo check out the nappy lady, im particulary clueless here lol! Agreed tho the thought of all those nappies is a sin!

I am using reusable nappies with my 5 month old. We started on day 3 when we got home from the hospital. We aim to cloth full time but we do supplement with disposables when I miss time washes or when a few days off washing.

I would recommend doing the nappy lady questionnaire and/or joining her nappy advice Facebook page there are lots of knowledge mums on there.

We started with muslins and a waterproof wrap. This is a good cheap introduction to reusable nappies although the folding of the muslins can be off putting to some. I have found the folding fairly easy to pick up and have fallen for "flats". I now use a mix of muslins and old school terrys! They are pretty bomb proof in terms of containing poo and I don't have leakage problems.

You can also have 2 part systems where in place of the muslin/terry you have a shaped nappy very similar to a disposable nappy and then the wrap. The wraps don't need to be changed each nappy changes.

Other nappy systems are pocket nappies where there is a pocket to put an absorbant insert in and all in one systems where every is contained within the nappy this can be a good option if you are supplementing disposables with some reusables but it can be a pricey way of doing cloth nappies and they can be slow to dry

I would also recommend cloth wipes

We did a long journey returning from our support bubble and put her in disposables for the journey. She did a poo mid journey and resulted in a full outfit change and 6 or 7 wipes to clean her up. In reusables it would have been contained within the nappy and would have taken probably 2 cloth wipes. Another plus point is cloth nappies don't smell like disposables do.

I would recommend everyone to think about reusables you don't have to do it full time even just doing reusables one day a week will make a difference over the life of baby. Be wary it is easy to go overboard with collecting all the pretty nappies which defeats the environmental and financial gains.

I did a bit of both. More disposable with my second just due to the time. We used bum genius and I donated them after to another family. I think reusable are great and would definitely recommend giving them a go!

I'm the worst generation. Babies born late 80s/90s. Nobody I knew used terry nappies, and the current cloth ones hadn't been thought of yet. I vividly remember being stressed about disposables but using them anyway.
We were told to flush our sanitary towels and tampons too, and we did, not knowing any better.
I have younger friends who've used cloth nappies and they sound amazing. I gather there is/are fb pages just for the joys of discussing them. I love that they can be kept for future babies or given away.
They come in great designs too!
Congratulations and good luck

We have used reusable nappies since 4 weeks old (will be 2 end of the month). He now chooses which pattern he wants next!

I find them mega easy we have all in ones so very little effort but we have used boosters with them since about 7 months. We also use biodegradable disposable liners rather than reusable. These are our only expense which isn't a lot every couple of months.
Very occasionally we have had to use disposables but my son reacts to them.

Once your in a routine of washing its pretty easy and my son goes to nursery with his nappy bag.

Definitely recommend hiring if you can in the first instance as each baby fits different brands and also you work out what works best for you.

My DH was sceptical at first but it works brilliantly, no full bins, no having to think I have only a few nappies left etc just wash and off you go again!

I don't want to shoot down an idea that I don't know much about. So, ladies, what are your top 3 reasons for using reusable nappies?

We did but nursery said they won't accept them due to increased covid risk I'm not sure how they spread covid but we've tried to challenge and been told we'd just lose our nursery place so had to concede.

For me the reasons are wanting to reduce what I send to landfill. For most people it is cheaper in the long run although does have a higher upfront cost. No poonamis all the poo is contained within the nappy or wrap. Disposables stink even on the baby.

I used cloth santiary pads post partum for the first time and they were so much nicer than the disposables it helped spur me on with cloth nappies.

We love reusable nappies! They took a bit of getting used to but now we are in the swing of them they are amazing. Sure they can be a bit icky in that you have to essentially flick the poo off (my sons can be quite messy) and once a few dirty ones build up it is quite a smell getting them into the washing machine, but to be honest I barely bat an eyelid at those things now. We still use disposables sometimes, eg if we’re going out atm as we know changing facilities are limited cus of covid and it’s easier to change a pull up in the back of the car lol... or if he’s teething and his bum is really really sore as it becomes very difficult to change his nappies. I think using them for any time you can manage is great!!
We use all pocket nappies and we add boosters into them to change the absorbency... we use a mix of baba and boo, alva and mio bambino’s. Alva are a great cheap and cheerful choice and loads of different cute designs!!
I hope you decide to give them a try, you’ll be converted!!!

@laura2109 1: It contains all poop never had a poop up the back with a reusable nappy we got these regularly with disposables

2: it's better for my sons skin - he reacts to the chemicals in disposable nappies

3: I save money and don't have to worry about running out-they also have a resale value - there is a big second hand market

4: My bin doesn't smell and is never full given we have bin collections every 2 weeks it's a definite plus side especially in summer

5: I haven't sent 6000 nappies to landfill.

Sorry its hard to stick to 3 as we have many reasons for using them! I'm not massively eco friendly I recycle where I can but actually they are so easy and you do loads of washing with kids anyway a nappy wash every 2 days isn't much ontop.

@laura2109 I was a bit unsure about hiring at first, but they only rent out ones in good condition and they're thoroughly cleaned. Also lots of the one size nappies don't fit newborns so the thought of having to buy a whole set of nappies for a couple of months then buy a second set of nappies for 2 months - toilet training seemed like a waste. Particularly when newborns need more nappy changes so you need just as many if not more! Plus figuring out which brands suit us best etc, it just made sense. But I will probably still give them a thorough wash myself once I pick them up!

I wanted to love them, I really did! I tried with both DC. In reality I am way too lazy for cloth I dislike the way they stink unless you do a special hot wash just for nappies that I'm not organised enough to do. I don't like the bulk of them either. Disposable just always seemed more comfortable for babies to me, which surprised me as I much prefer reusable pads to disposable ones, so I expected to find the opposite.

I know a lot of people get on really well with them so hopefully you will as well :)

I used reusable on both my children. Eldest was cloth during day and disposable at night, second was cloth full time until he started childcare at 15 months. He is almost potty trained but we have used a mix of both from 15 months old until now.

There are so many positives and it is definitely manageable. Best advice I can give it to check out Nappy Lady and some of the many cloth Facebook groups to get a feel for it before parting with any money. Some go absolutely crazy for prints and will spend hundreds on a single nappy - each to their own but it can be a slippery slope if you go chasing prints.

Everyones priority is different in what they want in a nappy so you can gauge that better by following other posts and asking questions. Then start with a couple, see how you go and gradually increase the number you own

@laura2109 my main reason to even think of it in the first place is the environment. As i said the sheer amount my one baby went through was nuts. They also seem to be kinder on babies skin and are a cheaper alternative, not initially, but once you have the bits you need!

Thanks everyone i think I am defo going to give it a go. I filled in that questionaire. Hope it works and and me and hubby esp can both stick to it.

Thanks for the reply op. I can't think of any downsides other than what I've already mentioned (the upfront cost and faff of settling into a routine) but I wouldn't really consider them to be downsides as after a couple of weeks they are in the past and no longer an issue.

Obviously some might consider doing an extra load of laundry every other day as a 'downside' but I don't as I just love using reusables so much and once you're a busy mum doing laundry anyway it really doesn't feel like extra work. I find it straightforward and my friend had 2 under 2 in reusables so if it was that hard she wouldn't have done it and she was fine. The machine does all the work and the hassle of constantly buying stuff is taken out of the equation. I can't really boast that we've saved hundreds and hundreds but that's only because we didn't start until 18 months. Next time will be different!

Google the damage disposables are doing to our planet and show your dh if he needs convincing. If he's still unconvinced maybe you could compromise and agree to disposables when out and about and reusables at home. I know a family who does this as one parent was keen and the other not bothered and it works well and they're still reducing their waste dramatically.

I tried them with our 3rd as we got a free starter pack from the council.
Her skin was very irritated with them (girls tend to have stronger urine). They're not the nicest to clean in your own washer, you can pay for them doing but you'd need a large stock.
Personally... I wouldn't use them again.

I use reusables a during the day but I the only ones I found that don't leak at night were motherease wraps and they were huge on my baby and she couldn't move once she had one on. So we use one disposable nappy at night and I tend to put a disposable on if we are doing a long car journey. I will probably go back to the wraps now that she is a bit stronger and bigger.
I use Alva nappies as they were the cheapest to buy as a full set. They aren't the 'best' that you could buy but they work for us and are pretty.

Cloth bum mum here. I first used them with my eldest because my sister and sister in law were using them and I felt the need to join in! Soon fell in love with the patterns etc.

When my youngest came along in july 2019 I’d already decided to cloth bum, but only part time. I’d also worked out which brands I preferred. I never bought newborn ones, so only started her off once she was 6monthish. She was doing about 3 days in cloth, 4 out. Then lock down happened and there was nothing else to do and nowhere to go to worry about on time changes etc so she’s a full time cloth bum! Well, nearly - Days only, and her nursery won’t do cloth.

I’d say you won’t save money if you buy the expensive brands, I like close pop-ins, but they’re between £15-£20 a go for new. I’m not keen on buying used because the elastic can be a bit rubbish and then you get leaks.

You need to be aware of changing them nice and frequently. That’s no issue with a tiny as they poo all the time, but My two both seem to go once a day once weaned. I reckon on changing her every 3-4 hours or she’ll leak (or ‘out wee’ as we call it !) as she’s good at drinking.

As others have said, the washing really isn’t onerous. I wash every 3 days, if you part time cloth don’t leave nappies longer than this before you wash them or they can get stinky.

Enjoy your cloth journey!

I do!

I could not recommend The Nappy Lady more, you’ve done the right thing getting in touch! They are so knowledgeable and if you have any questions after purchasing nappies they are so quick and informative in their responses.

I feel good literally every time I don’t put a nappy in the bin. And if I have another child and use the nappies for them too, even better!