Reusable Nappies

I use cloth nappies as well.  Never used them on my children before and decided to have a go with my newborn.  I went with BumGenius and they are FABULOUS.  There's no folding because they're shaped like disposables and no pins because they have velcro closures.  There's a hidden pocket inside where you put the fleece liner that absorbs the wetness.  My son is rather small, only 6lbs 6oz at birth and the nappy is quite big on him, but we've still been using them without any problems/leakage.  I bought my nappy kit from here: http://www.fill-your-pants.com/product/85/109/your-complete-nappy-kit--plus-  The kit is a bit pricey, but when you consider these nappies are one size and grow with your baby, they will be the only nappies you will ever use.  So they make an excellent investment.  The kit came with two rolls of flushable liners, so I used those the first few days while he passed merconium, but haven't bothered using the liners since. 

It might be worth seeing if your council offers any sort of incentive for using real nappies.  I live in Nottingham and received £25 from the council for using real nappies.  I just had to fill out a form and send in my receipts from when I purchased the nappies. 

Brigette

  Plus I can actually prefold all the nappies after washing and drying...and then it's just a quick insert inside the nappy cover during changing time.  I already got some fleece liners although I'm not really sure what you're supposed to do with them...I assumed you just placed them on top of the nappy but in the picture diagram it is going the opposite direction and I can't figure out how that works.

Yeah, we fold them with a liner around the middle and stack them in a nappy stacker ready to go.  Fleece liners, depending on shape I'd put them across like the mio flushable liners maybe?  I dunno though we've only used the flushable sort.  There's always the solid white mio covers if you want truly neutral, but I find the stars etc. neutral enough for us if we have a boy next time.

I've always wondered why so many have a hate thing against paper liners, but I just bought a BIG stash of Junior Joy liners, and I absolutely hate them.  I've used paper all along, but they weren't a big deal at all and some brands were almost cloth-like.  I would even throw them into the wash sometime with the rest of the nappy and get several uses out of them.  These Junior Joy ones just feel like harsh paper--yuk!

OK another question...how do you get the nappies from the nappy bucket to the washer?  My mom said that when I was a baby, she would dip the nappies in and out of the toilet and hold the corner while flushing to get the majority of the yuck off (I know someone else mentioned doing this earlier in the thread also).  But if you are soaking them in the nappy bucket, there has to be some yucky that gets in the water.  I just have a vision of sticking my bare hand into poo-infested, stinky, greenish-yellowish-brownish water to get the nappies out.  (I know this is probably an exaggeration but it's what I imagined myself doing when I woke up at 3am this morning and couldn't sleep.)  How much water do you actually put in the nappy bucket (is it full, just an inch or 2)?  I know some nappies advertise that you don't have to pre-soak them...so do you even put water in the bucket at all?  Also, do you wring them out at all or just throw them into the washer wet?  The reusable wipes I bought included a mesh bag that you put the wipes in, then you just throw the whole bag into the washer so you don't have to touch them again.

I'm a firm dry pailer--don't soak and wouldn't want to.  I don't want to mess with a bucket full of poopy water sitting in my daughter's reach or stinking up my bathroom.  It smells much less and is much easier to dry pail for me.  Sometimes I'll run a pre-soak if it's been a particularly ripe load, but I'm usually fine with a regular wash.  I did more pre-soaks with the breastfed poo before weaning.  As long as you wash them around 60 degrees, they'll be sterilized, and most nappy manufacturers actually don't recommend soaking the nappies in anything.  You can then just load them into the laundry like any other wash item.

Here's an article that I found really helpful.  It covers a lot more than just dry/wet pailing, but I figured you could use the other info too.  Good luck!
http://www.thenappylady.co.uk/public/articledetails.aspx?id=284

Simple answer - you use a mesh bag to line your pail!  I would never put poo-filled nappies straight into a pail because then you're forever washing out your pail?  I have 2 mesh bags so when one's being washed, I can refill the pail and put a fresh one in.

When you're ready to wash, you pull the whole thing out (they have a drawstring top) and shove into washer.  No mess.

We have two mesh bags we use with the soaking bucket, just pull up, wait for a minute to let most of the water drip back in the bucket, and sling in the washer.  Then tip the used water in the toilet. 

We have a dry bucket with lid we keep in her bedroom beside the changing table which gets brought downstairs a couple times a day.  The flushable liners (with hopefully most of the muck) get flushed and the nappies and or covers get dropped in the other bucket full of nappy soak.

I second (or third) the dry-pailing method.  When they're newborns (or breastfed) the poo is liquid and will wash right out of the nappy in the machine like any other soils - no further intervention needed.  When they're on solids, the poo becomes more play-dough like and can be popped out on a liner and will plop right into the toilet (and peels off liner if you're using fleece when you just twist it a bit, no pooey hands).  Dry-pailed cloth nappies stink far less than disposables (there's never been a smell in our nursery), but you can always sprinkle a few drops of EO if you want, even on a net bag. 

As long as you wash them around 60 degrees, they'll be sterilized, and most nappy manufacturers actually don't recommend soaking the nappies in anything.  You can then just load them into the laundry like any other wash item.

The Bambino Mios can be washed at 40 if you soak them first, that's why we soak.

I know this subject has been beat to death but I had a few more questions so I was hoping you guys could help me out.

First, can prefold nappies be used as inserts for shaped nappies?  I thought I remembered reading somewhere that someone did that but can't seem to find it now.  Just wondering if I'll be able to double up on the prefolds (use them as a regular nappy or a booster).

Second, how often do you need to change the wraps (for prefold or shaped)?  I've got 3 covers already but I've seen a few stylish ones that I wanted to try out.  They're quite expensive (compared to 'plain' wraps) so I didn't want to buy more than necessary.  I'm having a summer baby so I thought it would be nice to buy him a few nice wraps to show off.  I was thinking one size wraps (because that seemed cheaper in the long run) but thinking now I might buy the sized ones just so we'll have more of a variety.  Also, have you found any wraps that aren't compatible with certain nappies or do they all seem to work with any nappy (i.e. can I use a Motherease Rikki wrap on my Bambino Mio prefolds and my Bambino Mio covers on a shaped nappy)?

ETA:  Do you guys like the popper or aplix choice better for wraps and why?  Also, if you have an AIO (or pocket nappy with inserts) are you able to just change the insert and reuse the nappy or do you have to change the entire AIO every time you change the baby?

First, can prefold nappies be used as inserts for shaped nappies?  I thought I remembered reading somewhere that someone did that but can't seem to find it now.  Just wondering if I'll be able to double up on the prefolds (use them as a regular nappy or a booster).

Not sure as I haven't done prefolds at all and haven't heard great things about them, but I think I may have read that you can use them as boosters somewhere.

Second, how often do you need to change the wraps (for prefold or shaped)?  I've got 3 covers already but I've seen a few stylish ones that I wanted to try out.  They're quite expensive (compared to 'plain' wraps) so I didn't want to buy more than necessary.  I'm having a summer baby so I thought it would be nice to buy him a few nice wraps to show off.  I was thinking one size wraps (because that seemed cheaper in the long run) but thinking now I might buy the sized ones just so we'll have more of a variety.  Also, have you found any wraps that aren't compatible with certain nappies or do they all seem to work with any nappy (i.e. can I use a Motherease Rikki wrap on my Bambino Mio prefolds and my Bambino Mio covers on a shaped nappy)?

Personally, we don't change the wrap tons.  I've been able to get by fine with just four or so.  I change them each morning and/or after a messy nappy.  I LOVE my Motherease Airflow wraps.  I've heard better things about them than the Rikki.  I personally have had much better experience and less leaks with the poppers.  I use a nippa for my nappies, but like the popper wraps. I've just had better experience with the poppers and you can adjust them well with the Airflow wraps.  Then if a baby gets bigger in the tummy, you can let it out a step there and leave the legs at the right tightness, or if the legs are getting bigger you can adjust there and leave the waist where you want it.  I guess it's kind of like how we women always complain about finding jeans that fit in the thighs but are too big for our waists   With the poppers on the Airflow, I can adjust it to fit in both areas.

You could always just stick with the wraps you have then try some other fun ones here and there for the heck of it.  I was lucky and had a friend loan me several of hers so I could feel out what worked for us without tons of expense.  I don't think you need to feel pressured to have many more, if any more, than you already have.

I'm curious about you finding one size wraps.  I don't remember ever seeing them.  I've seen that in nappies, but never in wraps.  It's worth it to have the right size in a wrap.  I can't imagine a one size fits all thing working on the wrap since you want a good seal (for lack of a better word), but since you only need a handful of them, it really isn't an issue.  My DD has been in the medium sized ones forever and has been fine, so it's been very little expense. 

ETA:  Do you guys like the popper or aplix choice better for wraps and why?  Also, if you have an AIO (or pocket nappy with inserts) are you able to just change the insert and reuse the nappy or do you have to change the entire AIO every time you change the baby?

see above on the poppers.  I personally haven't used AIOs b/c I was very worried about drying time and leaks since I started in a small flat with no clothesline.  I do hear good things about BumGenius for day use though, although I'd use a more absorbent one at night like the Bumble with a good wrap.

ps.  good luck and don't worry about asking us questions.  I find people who use cloth are usually happy to talk to others about it b/c it really helped us to have our questions answered when we were getting going ourselves.  We're glad to help ya out!

Ditto on the Motherease Airflow.  We looooove ours and only time I've ever had leaks was when I didn't tuck the nappy into the wrap properly :p.  I've also heard the poppers are better than velcro, but this is likely down to durability and when the child gets older they can't take their nappy off with the poppers!  I use my Airflow wraps with several different nappies - terry squares, Motherease One Size, the odd Sandy and the odd Lollipop and off brand shaped nappies I have.

I change the wrap roughly once a day unless it gets dirty earlier from poo.  Occassionally on laundry emergency days I'll use a wrap 2 days in a row and doesn't seem to matter, as it dries out overnight (because we're lazy and still use disposies at night!!).  It's all very flexible, you'll very quickly figure out.

Best website for used nappies (since eBay has banned them): http://www.thenappysite.co.uk/used-nappies/second-hand-nappies.php

A lot of people buy them and rarely used them, so you can often pick up almost-new stuff.  I just got some wraps in the next size up that look like they've never been used - and cost me less than half price new!

I also don't use AIOs because of concerns about drying time and have heard they tend to be much leakier.  Using a multi-part system only takes a couple seconds more, so I figure why bother?

Ditto on the Motherease Airflow.  We looooove ours and only time I've ever had leaks was when I didn't tuck the nappy into the wrap properly :p.  I've also heard the poppers are better than velcro, but this is likely down to durability and when the child gets older they can't take their nappy off with the poppers!  I use my Airflow wraps with several different nappies - terry squares, Motherease One Size, the odd Sandy and the odd Lollipop and off brand shaped nappies I have.


I also don't use AIOs because of concerns about drying time and have heard they tend to be much leakier.  Using a multi-part system only takes a couple seconds more, so I figure why bother?

My feelings exactly on all in ones.

On the velcro, I also like being able to just throw the nappies and wraps in the wash without having to do them all back up again while they're messy so the velcro doesn't catch on everything in the laundry.  Motherease also changes their poppers as you get into the bigger sizes so the snaps switch sides toward the back to make it trickier for little fingers to undo them.

Thanks guys!  I've been watching a few used nappy websites and found some really good deals (I have a bid in for £5 for 12 mixed pocket nappies and a few single pocket nappies for £0.99!).  I thought if we could save money by stocking up on some cheap (but good) used nappies, then I could splurge a bit to buy some of these blingy ones (unfortunately I've had trouble finding these type used):

Since I'm having a summer baby, I thought it might be cute to let him lie around in nothing but a stylish nappy every now and then.  I'm such a dork...getting excited about baby diapers.   

That is too cute and looks awfully soft too.  How fun. 

I got a bunch of mine used.  Some were like new, others were way more used than I realized, but I've been able to use them okay although they may not pass on to my next little bubs.  It is a bit addictive, isn't it?  I was fairly obsessed when I first started.