Anyone have experience with cloth diapers/non disposable nappies?

[jessie_m]

I know in some countries they're called cloth diapers, and i think UK ladies call them non disposal nappies? Not sure on that one. Lol!

Anyway I know that cloth diapers can save a ton of money so me and OH are 90% sure that we are going to go the cloth diaper route, but we were wondering:

1. are they are really worth it?
2. are they a huge mess?
3. we're concerned about washing them in the wash machine. Do they make your other clothes poopie/transfer bacteria? (I know, stupid question...)
4. Are they a huge hassel in public?

Thanks for any advice you can give ladies!

 

[Rachel_C]

Head over to the Natural Parenting section where you'll find most people use cloth nappies (which is what we call them in the UK. You may also see them called MCNs - modern cloth nappies - by Aussies).

In quick answer to your questions:

1. Yes they are worth it! You can easily cloth nappy a baby in good quality brand name cloth nappies from birth to potty training for under £200. Compare that to the £1000+ for disposables!

2. No they're not a huge mess. You can use a flushable liner if you want to make poo cleanup easier but most people don't bother. Lots of people find they leak less than disposables so that's less to clean up to start with

3. The only way washing them in your washing machine would be unhygenic was if your machine wasn't working properly, in which case loads of your washing would be unhygenic with a baby!

4. They're no more hassle in public than any nappy. You change baby's bum, you shove the used nappy in a bag and then pop it back in your changing bag.

 

[My4thmiracle]

I found that they leaked when baby was under 10/11lb cos there's not enough meat in their little legs. When they get chunky they were good. I used nappy liners. Never had no problems with washing them, just a pain with British rainy weather drying them.

 

[PinkyPonk]

I am currently practicing with cloth nappies (using my DD lol)
they are such cute designs you just want to buy more cos they look so adorable, it depends on what you want to use I'm using disposable liners so if she poos i just put the liner in a nappy bag with the wipes and in the bin and the rest of the nappy goes into the machine, you will need to practice them and look alot up, I ended up making the mistake of not boosting the bedtime nappy and my DD ended up soaked up to her armpits
its so confusing at first but well worth it

 

[DarlingMe]

You can always switch to disposables if you are worried about someone else watching LO or if you dont trust them out in public. Just because you decide to use them doesnt mean you are unable to use the other kind. I thought about buying a couple cloth ones just to see how we like them. They can be expensive if you decide to only use them for a couple tries! You can always buy more of either one later.

 

[inperfected]

I've brought some to use after looking at 100's of reviews and prewashed them today to get them absorbant

From my few hours of drying them, if you are in a cooler (at any time of the year, not just warm summers!) climate, then consider Close Parent Pop in Dream Dri's... Out of all the nappies I've got these were the only ones that came out of the washer nearly dry already.

 

[discoclare]

1. are they are really worth it?
Do you mean financially? Yes, unless you develop a crazy addiction for custom made and personalised ones! I started for less than 100 pounds with 19 nappies including liners, my nappy pail, wet bag, mesh bags etc. I have now spent a lot more as I have over 50 nappies (you don;t need anywhere near that many!) as I wanted to try lots of different brands. I plan to sell some on so should get some money back.

2. are they a huge mess?
I don't think so. You can use fleece or paper liners to catch poo. When I used to use sposies I had so many poo leaks I was in a much bigger mess!

3. we're concerned about washing them in the wash machine. Do they make your other clothes poopie/transfer bacteria? (I know, stupid question...)
No. BTW even if you use sposies you will have baby clothes covered in sick, milk and poo sometimes so this stuff will end up in your washer anyway. But you put poo in the toilet before you wash the nappies.

4. Are they a huge hassel in public?
Not usually but I would say depends on the type. If you use the kind you have to fold it would be a bit harder in public. If you use an AIO (all in one) with aplix fastening (velcro) then it's exactly the same as changing a sposie (except that you take the dirty one home with you in a wet bag, which contains any smell and moisture). I always take my "easy peasy" AIOs in my changing bag so it's exactly the same as changing a sposie. It may take you longer though as other mums may ask questions and want to talk about the cute prints and colours! Most people have never seen a modern cloth nappy so it's a bit of a surprise to them and a talking point.

 

[Bexxx]

I don't have any experience as of yet, but I have loads of cloth nappies, can't wait to have a LO to put them on

 

[jessie_m]

Wow thank you so much ladies! This was very informative! I didn't know there was so much involved in the different types of cloth diapers, liners, etc. so I guess I better get some research done! Thank you so so much though!

 

[LuvBeingAMum]

Im considering these too x

 

[k8y]

I used them with my son. When he was first born he was only 6lb 9oz they were all way to big so we had to use disposables for a while. Then they were fine. It's not the nicest of jobs to wash them. If you save them up in a bucket till you have a few so you can bung them all in together I did find that the wee smell could be a bit over powering.

We used them up until little one started crawling and moving about more and then we found they leaked alot so we moved back to disposables and I felt I was just doing so much washing as LO was getting through more clothes as he was on the move and getting more grubby. They lasted us a few months and I loved them while I was using them, but I love disposables more.

I found that I started looking online for cute patterns and ended up spending quite a bit. I wont be using them this time round.

 

[cutie4evr01]

I use cloth on my LO most of the time but she wears disposables at daycare (3 days/week) and overnight. We are using gDiapers and they weren't too expensive at all - we have definitely gotten our money's worth out of them. We started using them when she was around 2 months old (I had read cloth doesn't work as well in the early stages, plus they poop like 6 or more times a day for a little while there), so we've been using them for over a year now. They are a nice compromise as you can put a cloth insert in them or a disposable insert which can be flushed, composted, or tossed, and the outer covers rarely get dirty. If you have any more questions about this brand, feel free to PM me.