Why do we complicate cloth nappies?

[LittlePants]

Modern Cloth Nappies are great, but people new to cloth are now so confused and be-muddled, as there are so many choices. So much so now, that I believe this is actually starting to put people OFF using cloth. Newcomers to cloth nappies all believe that MCN.s will be better than traditional terry squares, but have no idea where to start. They are faced with which system, which fabrics, which fastenings, which nappy shape is going to be right for their baby, which prints they would like, what outfits will go together and loads of other things. And yet those who try both MCNs AND traditional terries almost all agree that traditional nappies do the job better than any MCN, wash better, dry quicker and last longer, as well as being more economical. Yes you need to learn to fold them, but that really doesn't take much practise, and apart from that, they are just as easy to launder as MCNs. Certainly a few MCNs in your stash make it easier for babysittersm child minders and nurseries, but for full time mums, just starting out, a few minutes learning terry folds is such a fantastic investment. And it will take far less time to do this than to work out which MCN's will be best for you and your baby!

The same applies to washable wipes (amongst other thigs) Original wipes were just small flannels, or small rectangles of double sided fabric (fleece one side and terry the other) and you used warm water with them.They worked a treat, didn't need preparing or soaking or special preparations. Now they come in fancy boxes with fancy names, oils, sprays, and 'recipes' for cleaning solutions, and are far more expensive than a few cheap flannels or muslin cloths. The reuslt is that now parents are getting concerned about smelly wipes, slimey wipes, what the best cleaning solution is going to be etc. At home, warm water is always available, and if you're out and about and need to change your baby, the most likely place you will go is a shop toilets, where there is always warm water. You really don't need a box to keep wipes in - just stick a few in your bag.

And I guess most of this is to make money for the companies producing them, and not really for the benefit of parents and babies.

I would love everyone's opinions, so this could prove to be a lively thread!

 

[AnneD]

I more or less agree people complicate too much.

 

[JenX]

Definitely true about wipes- I've always just used warm water and it has been great. I have the two sided wipes you mentioned, flannel on one side and terry on the other.

I'm not sure if we have the traditional terry squares here in the US, but I agree that simpler is better. I use prefolds and find them pretty simple and very easy to keep clean.

 

[SarahBear]

Yeah, I didn't do a lot of research when I got cloth for Violet. I basically got pre-folds and covers and called it good. The covers I have aren't super great on a mobile toddler, so we switched back to disposables though. I plan to do something similar with the next one. We'll probably do disposables the first couple weeks, then switch to cloth. Then when the next one becomes too mobile and the velcro stops holding up, we'll switch tho disposables again.

I didn't realize wipes were a complicated thing. I guess I didn't do much research there either! I just bought a bunch of baby wash cloths and called it good. For "wash" I used warm water. the wash clothes are a bit worn out by now, so the next one might use some random cloth cut up into pieces.

A lot of baby products are just to make money. I'm not really one for spending lots of money on baby things. For my next kid, my in-laws bought us a car-seat, and that's all I needed for my "must have" items. Sure I saved things from the last time, and sure there are a number of things I'd like to have, but marketing would have me thinking I would need to know first of all if the next one is a boy or a girl, and if it's a boy, I would need all new things... then there's the number of things they say you need... caring for a baby really isn't as complicated as they want you to think. It's repetitive to the point of making your head nearly explode and I'm sure it's a lot harder with kid number 2 since you have kid number 1 to take care of, but as much work as it is and as hard as it can be at times, the work itself really is simple.

 

[minties]

I can't get over how complex the cloth bumming world is. And the prices of some nappies and fancy wipes? OMG! $40 for one single nappy?! I see a lot of that. It's just there to hold poo and pee...

 

[misspriss]

Having started with modern pockets with modern fabrics, a disaster that put me in disposables for months, I understand. I went to flats at wool after, switching to PUL covers for my babysitters, and flats are the bomb. People knew what they were doing back in the day.

However, the snappi is modern and the best thing to happen to flats!

 

[LittlePants]

IMO bamboo terry squares, fleece liners, nappi nippas and wool covers just cannot be beaten. I adore wool covers. It's great to have a couple or so if all in ones, for those out and about quick change needs, and for babysitters who are used to disposables,

 

[misspriss]

I never tried bamboo, as it is a bit more delicate to wash than straight cotton (I think terry squares are a lot like flats). Is it significantly better and worth the added cost and laundering requirements?

Nappi Nippas are the same thing as snappis, right?

I used fleece liners at night, but tbh I wanted DS to be able to feel when he was wet, so we avoided them during the day. I used wool for a while, but my caregivers go tired of washing poop off of them so we switched to PUL, that and the ones I bought ended up being way large on him because I had no clue how tiny he'd stay being a prem.

 

[minties]

I have never done anything different wheb washing bamboo? I love bamboo!

I do prefer fitted nappies but used prefolds with my son for a couple of years. I found 5 size 3 old tots bots cotton fitteds and use a snappi with them, but my snappi broke after only a few weeks . Back to safety pins.

 

[misspriss]

Really? I didn't think they were supposed to be washed on super hot or something, and they cost a lot more, so I just skipped them for cotton. Maybe I was just reading something weird! I did some research before buying and maybe I read it it some review somewhere, because all the ones I look at now have the same washing instructions...it's been a couple years now though, who knows what I read!

 

[paintrider89]

Hi,

Great topic!

I decided to do cloth, and got a lot of negative feedback from dorm people. My mom and I purchased pockets, prefolds and some covers. I LOVE my pockets. I went with a simple 'China cheapie' brand, and I couldn't be happier with them honestly. My mom likes the prefolds, so DD wears those when she is with her, and at home she has her pockets.

One thing I have made note of, pockets are more husband friendly. DH watched to put a prefold with a snappie, and told me no way was he going to attempt that, however the snap and velcoro pockets are his cup of tea, so to speak.

I do however have a love for WAHM diapers, and have been slowly adding to my stash, and selling off some of my other, cheaper diapers. I think it works different for every family and every baby. My best friend has been buying a stash of $40-$50 diapers, she loves the brand and the patterns, her and her DH have the money, and they are supporting a small business, more power to them.

 

[wish4baby]

I was new to cloth diapering with this baby (she's 9 months now) and, omg, it was SO complicated when I first got into it!
Now, I've gotten in the swing of things
I bought a few of just about everything because I heard all that nonsense! Seriously, a couple of every fabric, every system, even different brands of the same fabric & system, ugh...I was so worried about what would work for MY specific baby...

Anyways, turns out I love pockets, pretty much any brand works but I do have a few I prefer. And I love stuffing them with hemp flats. I fold them up into a rectangle and slide them in, no leaks at all. washes easily, dries super fast...what more could a girl want lol
I do have several all in ones that I like, but I don't/can't use them over night & they take forever to dry. So - not super functional honestly. Only benefit is like 3 seconds of saved time - when I launder her diapers, I stuff them, or put them together, so for 2 -3 days everything is ready to use, exactly like an all in one.

And wipes! Now, I just use flannel squares & water. I keep clean, dry flannel in a little plastic tub. I usually get 1 or 2 wet with the sink right before I use them, but I also carry a spray bottle of water in my diaper bag & have one at her changing table just in case. If she's just wet, I spray her off & dry it with the flannel. Works perfectly

 

[Insomniash]

I am a ftm and I am going to be cloth diapering, and everything you said couldn't be more true. I was so overwhelmed by the choices, and the ridiculous start up cost associated with it all that I was on the verge of throwing in the towel. Then I thought, no, I want to do this and I looked into prefolds and covers and decided that was the route to go. I felt much better because it would be much less expensive.

However, the cloth diapering gods were smiling down on me because I happen to live very close to where Kawaii Baby ships from, and just yesterday I went to a factory seconds sale they had. I walked away with 42 pocket diapers (10 newborn and 32 one size), 20 liners, and a wet bag all for only $80. I didn't even know about Kawaii until I decided to look into buying used diapers, and went on Craigslist and saw their advertisement. They are "imperfect" products, but apparently all that means is that a label is sewn on crooked or a stitch or two might be overlapped or slightly out of place. It is all cosmetic and for something that is just going to be pooped in I would say that no big deal lol.

 

[misspriss]

Oh wow! So lucky!!!

 

[Insomniash]

I know, I can't believe how lucky I am. I was looking into used cloth diapers because I wanted to keep the cost down and as I was searching I stumbled across their advertisement for the sale. I was so excited about it that I barely slept the night before. I was like a kid in a candy store while I was there and I have been excited ever since lol. I am sure the excitement will wear off once I have to clean poop out of them, but for now I am just enjoying the fact that everything is coming together nicely.

 

[Kess]

I dunno, I like the fact there are so many options. I have bamboo fitteds with PUL wraps, pockets, and AIOs. I love being able to choose whichever is appropriate for the particular circumstance and person who's going to be changing the nappy (took DH about 2 years to bother with fitteds, but he was always happy with an AIO or a ready-made-up pocket). And I have lots of pretties, which make me happier than using boring fitteds under only a very few wraps.

It is complex at first, but there are lots of places to get advice and most nappy sellers have guides on their websites and many are happy to be phoned up and answer questions.

 

[noon_child]

I went down the nappy trial route because there were so many options. Meant I could see what suited my lifestyle. It is odd that things that other people love I couldn't get to work and vice versa.

 

[morri]

My dd gets a rash from wool so i wouldnt use woolies. I like choice though and while it takes maybe some reading into, i still prefer it.flats are really quite ugly and bulky and I think having colourful choices and more absorbent material is brnging said people to cloth.

 

[misspriss]

My dd gets a rash from wool so i wouldnt use woolies. I like choice though and while it takes maybe some reading into, i still prefer it.flats are really quite ugly and bulky and I think having colourful choices and more absorbent material is brnging said people to cloth.

Although beauty is in the eye of the beholder (I find flats adorable!) flats are not necessarily bulky. As a day diaper (not doubled up for night) they are one of the trimmest options I've used.

 

[morri]

Also problem I came across, there just arent any terry nappies here, most use muslin which I think isnt even half as good. I have some Little lamb fitteds and other aio and pockets. It is hard to get it terry types here because for some reason a lot of online shops in the UK dont send to Germany..