Hi

 I am going to buy some reusable nappies.  There are so many different ones out there and wondered if there are any mum's out there that are using and can recommend them to me?  I just want reusable nappies that are comfortable and good for the baby and for washing. I have no issues with prices... so please help me out here. I heard that Bambino mio is good, but then read somewhere a mum did not like them do to the stick on patches after a couple of washes don't stay down and rub on the baby's belly, being uncomfortable.

Emma x

Hi Emma

 *clears throat*  My name is mG, and I am a cloth nappy addict! 

 First let me say "woohoo!" at you deciding to give them a go - they are fabulous, and you're right - there are a zillion different kinds available nowadays - right from the humble terry square up to the rather luxurious Blueberry nappies .. 

I could spend days and days talking about all the different kinds available - but rather than listen to me waffle on - I will first of all recommend this website www.kittykins.co.uk

They sell every kind of nappy under the sun - and have a comprehensive "which nappy?" guide on there too.

They also sell fantastic 'trial packs' for £30 (the amount you can claim back from your local council if they run the cloth nappy initiative)

I have so many favourites types of nappies for different things - I used Tots Bots and Little Lamb nappies during the day - which are shaped terry nappies that fasten with velcro or a nappi nippa (a fantastic stretchy widget designed to replace the nappy pin) - those nappies require waterproof wraps over the top - meaning that you have double the protection from those explosive nappies your baby will produce !

My favourite all time wraps are Motherease Airflow wraps - they fasten with poppers, and I love them!!!!!  

I also use a variety of 'pocket' nappies - my current favourite day-use pocket nappy is BumGenius - they are suitable from birth to potty - so you only buy one size and adjust the absorbancy you stuff them with accordingly

I love Nappies by Minki pocket nappies for overnight once your baby starts to sleep for longer periods - they are fleece lined inside which means any moisture is wicked away from their sensitive bum - also - fleece doesn't stain  

I stuff my pocket nappies with Cotton Bottoms prefolds - they are excellent flat nappies which dry super quick.  (identical in design to Bambino Mio prefolds, I just don't like the idea of using them just sitting inside a wrap - I think they work better as pocket nappy stuffin)

 I could honestly go on for pages and pages - but check out the kittykins website - and I would recommend the trial packs.

Another good website if you want pick some up 2nd hand (for instance size 'small' wraps are used for such a short amount of time that you are buying them almost new 2nd hand!) is www.usednappies.co.uk  - I admit the website name could use some work but it's fantastic for picking up a bargain

www.littlelamb.co.uk  do a variety of *excellent* value kits - I bought their cotton size 1 complete kit for my 2nd baby 2 years ago and it came with 20 nappies, 10 wraps, fleece liners, paper liners and a bucket for £99 !!  I think the price has gone up a little now - but it's still excellent value.

Drying time and how many nappies you will need is something to take into account when choosing which ones to buy - microfibre nappies are synthetic - but they come out of the washing machine practically dry!  Bamboo fibre nappies are super for absorbancy - but do take longer to dry.  Cotton nappies are a good all round nappy for absorbancy and drying time.

One thing I would recommend you get is a nappy wash mesh to put in the nappy bucket - they're fantastic !  You just put the nappies in the mesh in the bucket, and when it comes to wash day you just lift it out and chuck in the machine.. no man handling stinky nappies! 

oh, and if you google 'Wee Notions nappies' they sell the *best* wet nappy bags - they are a little more expensive - but oh my you get what you pay for!!  You can fill them with water and they don't leak!!!

 Anyway.. omg look at how much I have rambled???

I hope some of that is useful information!!

mG & boys x

I also recommend kittykins- i got mine from there and they are v helpful if you have questions. The online stores offer much more variety of nappies than you'll find in Boots or mothercare

Here are some things to help make your choice, disregarding brands for the moment:

Type of nappy:

1. terry squares- advantage: v cheap, dry quicker. Disadvantage: have to fold them

 2. shaped nappies with waterproof wraps: come in microfleece (v quick drying but not "natural fibre". Also I find them v bulky (totsbots fluffles) so you really get "big bum"; also cotton (regular or organic), bamboo mix (v absorbent and less bulky but can be a little longer to dry), cotton/hemp (ditto)

3. shaped "all-in-ones": as above but with the wrap integral so you don't use a separate one. As easy to use as a disposable but take longer to dry

Fastening:

1. "nappi nippas": the modern sapefty pin. For terries and some shaped nappies. Unlimited adjustment for fit, can be fiddly

2. poppers (my preference): can restrict your fit (negligible IMHO) but won't fluff up and stop sticking like velcro/aplix can

3. velcro/aplix: v easy to use but can have limited life (see above); also reportedly easier for toddlers to learn to undo!

Practicalities:

you will need a nappy bucket- i like the bambino Mio bucket, it's a good size. Most people "dry pail", is put nappies straight in, no soaking and then wash on 60C with or without napisan (no fabric conditioner: it "waterproofs" nappies!). using a nmesh bag as above helps. So does a few drops of tea tree oil in the bottom of the bucket to minimise smells

Depending on the number of nappies you buy (and how many your baby goes through in a day) you'l wash every 1-2 days. bear in mind that some fabrics (esp bamboo and hemp mixes) can take up to 24 hours to dry if you don't have a tumble dryer

I have mostly Baby Beehinds bamboo/cotton Birth-to-Potty nappies (with a few Size 1's (small) and I *love* the baby beehinds. they look very cute and are soft and I haven't had any leaks so far. I use the Motherease Airflow wraps with them. My friend uses Motherease Onesize cotton nappies and has done so on 2 babies and is happy with them

HTH

Hi girls

Thank you so much for your feedback, it makes very interesting read.  I find that everyone has their favourites and not often the same brand... so there are loads out there and I am still slightly overwhelmed as to what to get....

My hubby thinks Bambino Mio is good.. but I want to make sure first... anyone use this brand?

 Emma xxx

Hi,

Been reading the above info with interest as I have thought about using re usables but don't know anyone who uses them to quiz about it!  It's my first baby and i really don't want to make things more complicated!  Are they really easy to use?

The only lady i've spoken to who has used them was at my ante natal group and she stopped using them after a couple of weeks as she was so dissapionted by their performance. Emma, she used the bambino mios and was so put off she didn't even bother trying another brand.  Obviously thet's not my own personal experience but thought I'd pass the info on as I thought they looked good too but probably wouldn't try them now!

Gem

Hi Gem

Thanks for your feedback... I have also heard from a lot of new mums about reusable nappies and they go back to disposables... makes life easier as they say.  But just thought maybe some mum's out there will have recommeneded just one they love... but does not seem to happen.  I am really weary, as reusables is a lot of money to spend on and then if it does not work... i could have bought tons of disposables with the money. I know a lot of them do trial packs... and they not cheap either.

Em x

Hi ladies

I am really not a fan of the bambino mio prefold ones as nappies themselves, they are not designed to 'fit' around your baby at all- I much prefer 'shaped' nappies like tots bots, motherease, little lamb etc. or even the terry squares.

I have a few prefolds in my collection but they are used as stuffing for my pocket nappies which I find they are much better suited for!

I would recommend a trial pack from kittykins.co.uk or picking up a few cheap ones from www.usednappies.co.uk to try and see which you prefer - everyone has their favourites!!

Gem - I find them *incredibley* easy to use - I really do.  Yes,  They are more "hard work" than disposables - but only because you are not just taking them off, wrapping them up, and throwing them in the dustbin!  I really do feel quite at the idea of poop filled disposables sitting in my dustbin for a week! 

I manage to do a nappy wash every 3 days - but then I have 2 big (16ltr) buckets and about 50 nappies !!  

When I had both my boys in cloth nappies I was doing a wash every 2 days.

I would strongly recommend using flushable paper liners in your nappies though - (whichever ones you choose) because it makes life much easier for lifting out poop and flushing it down the toilet. 
They cost about £5 for 200 liners which lasts agggges once you get past the milk only baby stage (when they seem to poop every 10 minutes some days!)  I used to cut the liners in half when Benji was a newborn and got double the use out of them

Emma - If your husband is keen on the BM ones for the ease of drying etc. I would recommend maybe trying terry squares instead -  because at least they can be folded to 'shaped' around your baby's bum meaning less leaking!

Salome2001 - very comprehensive help there!  I am useless at doing anything but rambling but that was very informative!!

Emma - You could always just try a few along side disposables and then make your decision about an investment or not!

My local council ran a nappy trial loan scheme - you paid £30 deposit and they gave you the nappies, wraps and bucket to take home for like 2 weeks to try them out - and then you can make an informed decision about which (if any) you liked.  You then returned the nappies and stuff and got your deposit back.

 Might be worth asking if they do it in your area? 

Hi

Terry Squares will be ones for me to try then... you can get trial packs?  I will have a look at kittykins now....   Thank you soooo much for your amazing feedback and info.. you seem like the queen of reusable nappies... hat off to you!!!!!

I am known in some circles as "The Mad Nappy Lady.." 

(...It is a title I am quite fond of.. )

Little Ewe Terry squares  - Kittykins sell them individually   Or you can buy them in packs of 6 or 12 in Mothercare.

You will need a nappi nippa to fasten them with - and a seperate waterproof wrap.

Because terry squares are traditionally "one size"  (although that newborn Little ewe square is adorable!)  it is more important to have a properly fitting wrap.
Motherease do a good range of sizes in either their popper 'Airflow' or velcro 'Rikki' wraps - and they sell 2nd hand *very* well so you can either pick them up 2nd hand yourself to try/use or if you buy them new be assured you will get half the money back on average once your little one has outgrown them

Hi again

I have ordered from kittykins (fab website) nature baby diddy diaper just one to try first...  have you tried this one.  As I filled in a questionaire.. as I live in Hertfordshire, Stevenage, Our water is terrible.. its soooooo HARD.. you eat this water and not drink it. and it is recommended... so have ordered it and will see if my little boy likes it. x

I have used similiar microfibre nappies before - If I am correct in guessing you ordered the 'Micro Diddy Diaper'  - (I live in Buckinghamshire and we too could eat the water some days!!)  I have a number of Tots Bots fluffle microfibre ones and they are *fantastic* at staying soft!

Hope it agrees with you and your little boy! 

Don't forget a waterproof wrap! - and a nappi nippa!

mG x

Yes Micro Diddy Diaper... do they also sell waterproof wrap and nappi nippa? I will have a look

I would recommend the Motherease Airflow wraps - very practical to use #

How old is your little one?  How much does he weigh?   I used a Motherease Airflow size Medium (10lbs to 20lbs) on Benji from about 10 weeks old - he was a porker though lol

and yes Kittykins should have nappi nippas on the 'accessories' section

Ordered them....

Ryan is three weeks and one day old!  He weighs at the moment 7lbs 8oz. he was born 4 weeks early!!!!!  He is gaining weight fast. So all good. Thanks for your help.

aww bless him!  Well I wish you both the best of luck with them

My two were both monsters at 8lb 10.5 oz for Jacob, and Benji who was 8lb 15 oz!  Benji didn't fit into *any* newborn clothing at all.. serves me right for buying it!

ha ha... i had to rush out to get smaller clothes for Ryan.. he was born 5lb 13 oz. I still had to be cut to get him out... so thank goodness did not have a bigger one then.

hey i've missed most of this!!

just wanted to encourage you to go for reusables. the environmental savings are enormous (for a really comprehensive comparison check the womens environmental network. There are a lot of places where you'll hear that there's no difference since you have to wash reusables, but when you take into account all the resources used to make nappies that you either chuck into landfill after a few hours (or minutes with my one!) or alternatively use again and again, the reusables win hands down)

Plus they look cute, feel soft and lovely (rather than scratchy paper) and really aren't that much more hassle, especially if you go for shaped nappies - putting them on is the same as using a disposable (BTW I forgot to mention liners: these minimise the poop in the pail - you line the nappy with the liner and depending on your skill at placement, it catches most if not all the poop which you can then flush).

I admit we still use naturebabycare disposables occasionally- mainly when we go out for the day as the reusables are quite bulky to carry around in the changing bag, but at home it's baby beehinds all the way, and my husband loves them.

BTW, we didn't like prefold/ pocket types: looked like more hassle to us. Most of the shaped B2P nappies can be "boosted" with extra fabric strips for greater absorbency when you need it: the BBs come with these (one large, one small)

One last thing: because the baby can actually sense wetness on real nappies, they often can be potty trained earlier than if using disposables