Cloth Nappies

[Cat]

Okay cause I know people are more likley to see it in here!

In the next week or two I will be buying a whole load of cloth nappies, so Iwanted the opionions from those who use them. I need something that will dry quick cause I dont have a tumble dryer, and I prefer the idea of a birth to potty one size to keep costs down, but Im open to ideas. I think Iwill be getting the Tots bots fluffles, but dont know how much longer the bambozles take to dry? as these Ibelieve are more absorbent and better on the environment.

Anyway, what nappies do you most recomend, that you get on well with, dont leak, good absorency, easy to use etc etc and which ones have you hated and found to be ruish, fiddly, leak, feel or fit horrible etc?

Any guidance would be much appreciated!

 

[KX]

Yeah and any good deals? Not hijacking ur thread Cat as I will be using cloth with the next one so I need advice too

 

[Cat]

KX something I have just discovered from searching the net, is that you can see a 'nappy advisor' who will come out to see you and show you all differnt makes and sizes of nappies, and go through what your requirements are, also hire them and try them out, so you dont have to commit to buying a load of nappies you dont get along with. If you look for information from your local council they sould previde you with contact information to places in your area. Also some councils run incentive schemes for example Norwich City Council where I live give you £30 back if you buy cloth nappies.

 

[Cat]

Woohoo I have arranged to see a nappy advisor on Thursday night. She has a daughter the same age as Noah, and loads of stuff to show me, she seems really nice.
Only problem is she doesnt have any Tots Bots Fluffles to show me, cause she hates them, says they feel horrible, anyone else found this?

 

[Minxy]

Microfibre (like Fluffles) has in the past felt quite 'sticky' but I understood Tots Bots rectified this AGGGES ago, tell your advisor she's out the loop Mine feels just fine.

My favourite nappy ever is the Bamboozle, bamboo feels so silky soft! I don't have a problem drying them but I use a tumble dryer. I think if you can put them close to rads it wouldn't pose too much of a problem.

Hemp is another super-absorbant 'greener' alternative to cotton but I've never found a hemp nappy I liked, they're all quite hard and 'crunchy' You may though.

A cotton terry nappy which might help you with your drying issues is the Kiwi kwikflip
https://www.thelittlekiwibabyshop.co.uk/shop/

It's a relatively new WAHM nappy that I haven't tried myself yet but it folds out thinner for quicker drying, maybe get a trial pack?

Just a word about wraps too. Finding a non-leaky wrap was the hardest part of getting used to cloth for me. I highly recommend Motherease wraps as the only sort to be completely bomb-proof on Stanley

 

[Minxy]

Cat I know your nappy advisor!

She runs a cloth forum I frequent and asks us for ideas about what to show her customers. The lady she's describing today has got to be you (toddler and one on the way, no tumbledryer, keen on Fluffles). She's even put how she thinks they feel funny! Small world, eh? She's lovely and has THE cutest little girl Have fun xxx

 

[KX]

That's excellent Cat. Let me know how it goes.

Thanks Minxy for the help

 

[Kina]

Sounds like a great idea Cat.

Right I've used a variety of different nappies, but not fluffles. Bamboozles are silky soft but I've heard (Minxy don't know if you have too?) that tumble drying bamboo on high is not a good idea as it affects the absorbency? And my tumble drier only has one setting (furnace!). Anyway they take a while to reach maximum absorbency when bought new (think around 8-10 washes). I love the feel and fit, but don't find them as absorbent as some nappies. You'll need liners (either disposable or fleece) and wraps to go with these.
My favourite nappies, but sadly the maker is on maternity, is the Wee Notions ones. I really like their pockets and normal shaped nappies (they have built in liners so you just need wraps). www.weenotions.co.uk
At the moment we're using a lot of pocket nappies stuffed with prefolds. I really like Fuzzi Bunz but I also have a lot of Wonderoos which are birth to potty sized (they have poppers to shorten the body). We use Minkys at night and they keep Ella really dry (boosted with a prefold and a couple of smaller boosters).

I've bought some smaller nappies for the new baby and some small wraps. Although the size 2 tots and the pockets I have could fit a newborn, I personally think that the fit will be better having some small nappies. I got them all 2nd hand and didn't pay a lot for them. So far I have a collection of Kissaluvs https://www.kittykins.co.uk/cloth-nappies/type/5/brand/kissaluvs , Bimbles https://www.thenappylady.co.uk/Shopping/ProductDetails.asp?ProductID=71 and small Fuzzi Bunz nappies https://www.babykind.co.uk/fuzzibunz.htm plus a couple odd nappies.

www.babykind.co.uk is a good website as it explains the different types of nappies well and what you need to go with them (boosters, liners, wraps etc).

 

[Minxy]

I hadn't even though of pocket nappies but they're a great option if you're worried about drying, you take all the stuff out to wash.

I like Minkis and Weenotion pockets, and the great thing about any pocket nappy is that you can stuff 'em with anything! I use old terries and pre-folds but believe microfibre cleaning cloths are good!

 

[Cat]

My god small world! reckon that has to be the same woman, I know she said on the phone that she also has a forum for cloth nappies. Do you have a link at all I cant remember what she said the site is called. I think she is a nappy advisor for that babykind website, Iknow Iwas looking on there loads today.

Ihave short listed at the mo several nappies which I think look like good options for me.
Tots Bots Fluffles
Motherease MultiFit
Nappy Nation No Fold Terry
Fuzzy Bunz
Happy Heineys

The last two seem to be the most expensive options, as I will need to keep buying more as they move up each size, plus Iwill need to buy further stuff to stuff the pockets with.

Also I dont know if any of you have ever come acorss a site called time2change their prices are amazing, per nappy they average £1 less! They do the Nappy Nations ones for only £6 each! Plus if you get them to put together a nappy bundle for you, you can get up to a further 15% discount.

I think initially for wraps I will buy 4 different ones then I can see if any are rubbish. Also if after Tursday Im still undecided Iwill look at hiring some to trial for a couple of weeks before making my purchase.

Thanks for the tips girls

 

[Minxy]

Happy Heineys were realy leaky for me

It's definitely her, (and she hasn't felt the new Fluffle!) the forum is called clothnappyaddicts and should come up on Google (links play up sometimes)

 

[Cat]

Hi another question!

How many wraps do you get through in 24 hours? do you use a seperate one over night? I was looking at Minki Huggles as a good night time nappy, but will need bigger wraps for these I think.

Also Noahs poo is normally pretty lose and normally spreads right to the leg holes of his disposables, will this get on the wraps each time and mean I need a lot of them?

 

[Minxy]

I found poo leakage doesn't happen nearly so often with cloth so may not be as much of a problem as you think. I usually use just one or two wraps a day but as I don't launder very often I use 6 on rotation just to be sure.

I use wool trousers at night instead of a PUL wrap (wet-resistant but breathable). However that really is a WHOLE different ball-park and I don't want to confuse you too much! Wraps are fine for night, you shouldn't need a different one.

Huggles are very popular (think Kina likes them) but they were just too ridiculously huge to fit anything over for me, and I didn't find them all THAT much more absorbant TBH.

I should strees everyone's nappy needs are different but can only tell you what worked for me! We use a well-boosted bamboo nappy for night, as they tend to be thinner and thirstier. Sometimes we use a boosted pocket like the Minki.

Keep the questions coming!

 

[Cat]

Right no worries I will stay away from the Huggles, I dont really see the point when they are ment to be VERY slow drying. Iwill just stick oosters in any night time nappy.
I think the ones that are looking the best option for me are the two part systems, as all in ones or pocket nappies seem to work out very expensive, and prefolds and other ones that involve folding and nippering etc will prob be a pain, as noah is very wriggly when it comes to nappy changes, he will never lie down for a nappy change, and I have mastered changing a pooy nappy in a standing child! something I can either pull up him like pants or will fasten qickly and easily is a must.

Also I think I have found a good solution to our drying needs, we have a combi boiler which is fitted in what was the airing cuboard, which is now just used to store the ironing board and hoover, so we are going to take them out and fix up a load of lines in there instead, so when I cant use the washing line outside Ican dry them all in there, as its warmer than just airing in a room, but without the expense of running a dryer and saves having them hanging up all round the house. This should give us a few more options in terms of nappies too, cause we wont just have to get the fastest drying. When I get my trial kit I will do this and time how long it takes each make of nappy to dry.

Also with the Tots bots, the bamboo ones are slimmer cause they are more asorbent, so with making them slimmer do they last the same amount of time between changes as say the fluffles, or do they still last longer/hold more?

 

[Minxy]

I've not found them longer-lasting that Fluffles really I change Stanley every 4 hours-ish regardless of nappy. The slimness comes into play at night becasue they can take mega-boosting (I use old pre-folds or terries) with being ridiculousy huge and Huggle-esque!

The pockets can work out as cheap as any nappy when you bear in mind you don't need expensive inserts. Anything will do as absorbancy, I've got some microfibre cleaning cloths (60p for 2 from Tesco) which do the job fab! I've even used old towels. Pockets really come into their own during summer when they're fancy enough to wear instead of shorts, saving money on clothes.

Saying all that, I've only got a couple and use mainly two parts myself, i just find them less leaky and more reliable.

One tip for tricky nappy changes, go for popper fastening nappies as you can do these up first and put them on like pants. Velcro is easy but noah is big enough to rip 'em straight off! Nippa might be good for the LO though.

What time is your appointment tonight?

 

[Cat]

Yeah see the pockets I looked at were about £12 each at least, then Iwould have to get some terry squares or boosters to go in them. Where as the bumbles or nappy nations wer only £6-7 each, plus they did one size, so only one investment, (or maybe some newborn ones too) where as the pocket ones only seemed to be sized, and Iwouls then have to shell out for 4 sets. Also cause I want to wash every third day, I need 4 days worth of nappies so would be a fortune in pockets. And the Wooderoos too, they are £15 each!!! no way!

My appointment tonight is at 8pm, were going out double buggy shopping first

Im going to hire the following list:
Motherease multi fit
Bamboozles Tots Bots
Fluffles Tots Bots
Bumbles popper nappy

Motherease Riki Wrap
Nature Babies Classic Covers
Tots Bots Wrap
Plus liners and boosters

And buy a nappy nation nappy to try, as I cant find anywhere that hires them.

 

[Cat]

Oh and another question, wipes, I cant make my own, as having movd house recently I trew out all our old towels. I have however found a site that sells basic wipes very cheap in either freece or terry which do you think is best. fleece should dry quicker, but I should imagine that terry is better at handling sticky poo?

 

[Minxy]

yep, go terry. Fleece doesn't pick up much I find. Although I've got double sided ones from Minki.

See if you can try a Motherease Airflow (popper) wrap as well as the Rikki (velcro)

 

[Cat]

See if you can try a Motherease Airflow (popper) wrap as well as the Rikki (velcro)

hmm the air flow ones look good for a night time wrap, but I was put off them as a day wrap cause they looked all big and baggy.

I will have a look at them tonight.