Cloth Nappies from Birth?

[mum22ttc#3]

Last time we didn't switch until around 5 months so I'm just wondering the best way to go about using cloth from birth?

I don't want to spend a fortune as this will defiantly be our last so they won't get used again. Also how many will I need until I can hopefully swap over to our previous stash, the majority of them were Tots Bots easyfits and during the night we used Tots Bots Bamboozles?

Any advice appreciated

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

I used cloth from birth and had about 24; all my newborn stash was fitteds and wraps (little lamb bamboo, tots bots stretch s1, tots bots fluffles and easy peasy banbeasy.) I had nature babies wraps. It was all fine, then we added a few real easy (in small) at about a month. Scarlett is a tiddler and didn't fit btp til 10 weeks ish.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Ll bamboo sell cheaply pre loved and they are often in sale new.

 

[Rachel_C]

I would go with all or mostly fitteds too, or flats if you fancy them (I prefer terries to prefolds). We had something like 10 Little Lamb bamboo, 5 TB Bamboozle Stretch, another 10 or so fitteds of various brands, a few flats as back up and some AIOs for the changing bag. The AIOs were only really used in the first couple of days, then they were back up in the changing bag but never used.

Ours were quite slow to dry as they were nearly all bamboo, so we probably needed more than if they'd been quicker drying nappies. I'd aim for 24 as a minimum, to wash every day.

I bought our LLs in their silly sales for something like £4 each, then when I sold them I sold them for the same amount so I only 'lost' the cost of postage and we'd had a good few months' use out of them in the meantime. I bought everything else preloved or during RNW so didn't lose much on anything. I certainly spent less than I would have on disposables even when you consider the washing costs.

We had a couple of OS nappies fit from a few days old (Tuttos were good, but not small sized Ittis) but most started to fit somewhere between 4 and 6 weeks old. It was the same with my older daughter who was a bigger baby too.

 

[mum22ttc#3]

Thanks.

I've just looked at the LL's and quite like the look of them. How long would they take to dry though (the bamboo's) as I'm not due until December and we don't have a tumble dryer so that worries me a little. Would Microfibre work aswell as bamboo as it says they dry alot quicker?

Also with fitted's how many wraps would I need, one for every nappy or less? Did you both also use LL's at night too?

Sorry for all the questions

 

[Rachel_C]

LL bamboo take a bit longer to dry than TB Stretches (is it the bamboozle stretch you use at nights?) as the legs are more gathered so I found them to take half a day longer to dry.

When it was cold, if I put them away from radiators it could sometimes take up to three days for them to dry! But near a radiator it's more like 1.5 days (radiator only on for a few hours) or in the airing cupboard it's more like a day.

The microfibre ones would probably be dry, away from the radiator, in a day but they are less absorbent than bamboo so you will use more of them. It probably averages out to the same - if they take half as long to dry, you will need to change them twice as often! A mix might be a good idea, so you know you can get some washed and dried quickly. Or cotton terries dry really quickly, especially if you can put them on a radiator. Bamboo doesn't like direct heat but cotton is fine with it.

With flats or fitteds, you would probably want one wrap for every 4-5 nappies. Fewer for an older baby but young babies can do explosive poos so you want a few on standby!

 

[doggylover]

I have LL bamboo and microfibre which I have been using on my 7 week old since she was 12 days.

The microfibre dry overnight on the airer in my garage, or in a few hours on the line or in the airing cupboard.
The bamboo take minimum 24hrs to dry on the airer, they can dry in a full day outside, or dry overnight in my airing cupboard (which is really very warm. I should also say we have a boiler in our garage which probably makes it warmer than your average. I know the heating system we have is very different to any my dh knew of in England)

I personally would pick the bamboo over the microfibre. I feel like the microfibre is more bulky, and not as absorbent. When I use a mf nappy, I put a bamboo booster in it. I have 10 bamboo and 4 microfibre, which I got as I also heard they are quick drying, but I wouldn't get anymore mf.

 

[solitaire89]

I cloth bum'd from birth and only ever use tb easyfits and bamboozle stretch! Admittedly, the bamboozles didn't come out to begin with but when she was about 6months. They were a little bulky I suppose, but they never seemed to fuss her at all. We just popped them down to the lowest size setting, and away we went.

 

[lily28]

My baby is 1 month old, and we started using cloth the last 10 days. I have the Disana system (tie nappies and wool covers) and I'm very glad I got it, it has no size restrictions, it was super affordable (I payed 130 euro for the whole system), the nappies are easy to wash and dry, they have no synthetic materials and is all organic.
My only problem was with relatives questioning the idea of using such an "old" style of nappies, but they have come to terms with it and they do see the appeal now.
my granny for instance who is all for cloth, she was only familiar with pockets so she was hard to convince...

I use about 10 nappies every day, I wash and hang them to dry before bed so in the morning they are dry and sunned ( not a single stain so far woohoo) ready to use again.

My only concern is that the wool covers from Disana are too thick for our Meditaranean weather (we already have 30+ Celcius), so I just ordered 2 more covers from Engel that are thinner for day time https://www.littlespruceorganics.com/engel-organic-merino-virgin-wool-nappy-pants/

The Disana woolies however are soooo effing amazing, I 've yet to experience a leak. The sposies I used the first 20-25 days were leaking like crazy. I swear by them for night time.


I ordered some newborn alvas to try out, but they got lost in the mail, I really wanted to try them... They have very good price.
I also have LL OSFA and ebay cheapies to wear when he gets a little bigger, I got them because they were cute, perfect to wear out, and easier for grandparents to use if they babysit.

 

[Feronia]

We have used prefolds since birth and love them! The Bummis kits are super affordable. We didn't end up using the Infant Kit, but we are using the Baby Kit now. https://www.bummis.com/ca/en/organic-cotton-diaper-kit.php

We used the Econobum kit with separately-purchased Bummis newborn covers and prefolds for the first 3 months or so. If I had to do it all over, though, I would just buy the Infant Kit from the beginning. We got by on 15 prefolds and 3 covers in the very beginning doing laundry every day, but again, I would just buy the Infant Kit and do laundry every other day if I were to do it all over.

 

[discoclare]

I used mostly Little Lamb fitteds size 1 for newborn. I also had a few other bits like Blueberry newborn pockets, Bambootys, small Fuzzis etc.
I had bamboo, cotton and Microfiber LLs and that combo worked well for me. The MF are less absorbent but dry fast so I tended to use MF for round the house and bamboo / cotton for going out and for nights (then pockets / AIOs for the changing bag).

 

[mum22ttc#3]

Thanks for all the replies
Did any of you use cloth from day one or would it better to wait until baby is a week old or so. I've heard a few people say that they wouldn't right away?
My initial plan was to use cloth from day 1 with disposable liners.

 

[JenX]

Well, not from day one, as we were in the hospital for 3 days and they provided disposables. But as soon as we got home from the hospital we started with cloth. We tried lots of different types and have settled on Cloth-eez prefolds from Green Mountain Diapers with Bummis Super Whisper wraps. I don't generally reuse the wraps, though- I use a fresh one each change. I got newborn sizes, but didn't worry too much about the expense as the resale value is so high. I will sell them when outgrown to fund larger sizes.

 

[LittlePants]

I used terry squares from day one with all mine - even in hospital. Only ever used disposables on camping holidays. They are still my favourite nappies