Saving money on nappies

[Eva1]

The biggest way to save money with nappies is to use cotton washable ones rather than disposables. !

Washables save on average £600 per child. :D

Modern ones are either velcro or popper fastening and have breathable waterproof covers so are just as convenient to use as disposables. !Pins are a thing of the distant past. You can also buy flushable liners so that they are much easier to deal with. !

They are washable at 60 degrees and do not need any special attention - except a prewash cycle - it is the same as washing any other item of cotton clothing.

There is also the feel good factor of knowing that you are not contributing to an ever growing landfill site somewhere and that your baby only has cotton next to it's skin and not plastics or chemicals.

I am involved in a shop and internet business that sells amongt other things a wide range of modern cotton nappies and you can find out more here http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=Referrers;action=display;num=107661 3529

Save even more money by getting fleece nappy liners which wash at 60 like all the rest of it with no special treatment (after a good rinse in the loo). They last the lifetime of the nappies and you can economise even more by getting the fleece material from a market and cutting to size yourself - this can save half again on the cost of getting liners from a nappy trader. Remember to make sure the fleece is safe for washing at 60 and get a reasonable quality one. Cheap stuff does pack up after a couple of months and go hard and bobbly.

;D

I'm so glad we're in agreement on this I use cloth, it's great, no hassle, and soooo much cheaper...come on everyone, give it a go!

:o

[PhiL_P]

For loads of useful and unbiased info on re-usable nappies check out:-

http://www.theclothresource.co.uk

Should point out that it's run by my wife, but doesn't sell anything and is non-profit (dammit!) !:)

Oh and you can see my special little guy on the front page :D

[susieb]

HI
Well I made my own from old towels and some old fleece and they work really well too. Get a decent wrap and your away
Sue

hi from a completely new user, I have gotta point out that of course washables are even more cost effective when they get used for subsequent babies and then, can be sold on so reducing the cost on resources too. Second time around I don't need to soak or buy degradable liners, and found the best bleach is sunshine! How cheap is that?

;D I love my nappies, even my husband is a convert!!
The cloth resorce is a fab site, and my fav. nappies are Minkis Nappiesbyminki.co.uk
Another tip is to check your local council, some do free starter kits, or even cashback on nappy purchases. Martin might feel like finding out which locality does what ;).

[Tricky_Ricky]

::)
We have used washables on our 18mth old since birth and even take them on holiday! They are so easy to use and no hassle to wash once you get in the routine. It took me 3 weeks to really get used to them initially but they are no different than dispos to put on. I worked out that we have spent £200 in total which includes wraps, prefolds, biodegradable liners (which you can wash at 40 deg several times if they are only wet), and tea tree oil for soaking. The average cost of a pack of nappies is about £5 so that's the equivilent of 40 packs which would probably last about 9 months (1 pack a week??). And as someone else mentioned, you have them then for the next one and the next one.......

I know that disposable nappies are a financial rip off,but I can tell you definitively, based on 17 years experience as a consultant dermatologist that the risk of nappy rash is much much greater with towelling nappies than with disposables, and that anyone who has ever seen a baby screaming in pain through a severe nappy rash would never use them again.
Disposables have solved what used to be a common and very distressing problem

Sorry to be negative, but I am afraid that it is true.
By the way disposables are much cheaper in the French hypermarkets, so next time you are on a booze cruise, buy some padding to stop the bottles rattling

Washsables do not cause nappy rash - my baby has severe eczema and had the worst nappy rash you have ever seen but disposables did not help (the doctor confirmed this). We now have the rash under control and always use washables. You have to change baby more often and use a liner.
Disposables contain chemicals that are absorbed into baby's skin. They then sit around on landfill sites for hundreds of years infecting the environment around them - disgusting.
We got our nappies, wraps and bucket free from the council as part of a trial and now use them on our second - bargain!
Cheaper and better for the environment, what more can you ask for?!!

[tomek]

I live in Suffolk, where the council is trying to encourage people to use washable nappies and they will refund £30 of set up !!!

Check with your local council, or suggest to their environmental department to start up a similar scheme.

[laurmurf]

I'm with disposables all the way... I have 4 children all of whom have had, or still have, renal problems which means they still wear them at the age of 8. They feel they keep their dignity with 'pull-ups' in a way they couldn't with 'old fashioned' nappies.

Outrageously expensive though! I rely on fixtureferrets.co.uk for updates on cheap disposables... a site that Martin Lewis put me onto from this website. Thanks Martin, from the whole family!

[Trix]

Laurmurf - aren't you entitled to free nappies/incontinence products? My daughter is disabled and was entitled to them from the age of three as this is the age the majority of children are considered to be out of nappies. She only needed them for another year after that but they were Pampers she got - not dodgy bulky cheap things. Your health visitor should help you out on this one.

[laurmurf]

Thanks for that! I will get in touch with my health visitor straight away; it's never been mentioned to me!

[Trix]

That's OK ;D

As far as I know this applies to anyone with a medical condition that requires the use of nappies/incontinence products over the age of three years old.

If this does apply to you - it's a disgrace that your health visitor or paediatrician hasn't pointed it out, especially as it has been with all four of your kids. What a waste of YOUR money!

Let me know how you get on out of interest - either post here or pm me- good luck!

[Trix]

Free sample of eco-disposable nappies at this website http://www.spiritofnature.co.uk/acatalog/sect7290.html

Free sample in mini, midi, maxi and junior. It's only one nappy in a sample but get all your family & friends to send for one and you might get a couple of days worth ;D You get a £1 coupon in the sample as well as far as I could tell.

Scroll down and each size has a free sample under the priced product.

They also do washable nappies!

[Caterina]

Of course, parents, don't forget that as the weather gets warmer, (or if you have a well-heated, draught-proofed house) it is possible to let the baby kick freely with no nappy on (disposable or otherwise). To avoid too much mess you just put the baby on a thick, old towel on the floor or other safe surface (changing mat ok provided it is not high up). DO NOT LEAVE BABY UNATTENDED ON A HIGH SURFACE, EVEN IF VERY YOUNG!

Babies (except, perhaps, newborns, who need a bit of cocooning before getting used to being 'out in the big world') love being naked and enjoy the nappy-free freedom. It is also a good preventative against nappy rash.

Ciao from your friendly doula ;)

Caterina

[kat_pond]

I know that disposable nappies are a financial rip off,but I can tell you definitively, based on 17 years experience as a consultant dermatologist that the risk of nappy rash is much much greater with towelling nappies than with disposables, and that anyone who has ever seen a baby screaming in pain through a severe nappy rash would never use them again.
Disposables have solved what used to be a common and very distressing problem

Sorry to be negative, but I am afraid that it is true.
By the way disposables are much cheaper in the French hypermarkets, so next time you are on a booze cruise, buy some padding to stop the bottles rattling

I disagree. There has been no real evidence to prove that a particular type of nappy causes nappy rash. According to an independent study published in the British Journal of General Practise in 1997 "infrequent changes could cause nappy rash in any nappy type" and they go on to say that "nappy rash may also be a symptom of teething, or a reaction to new food that the baby's digestive system isn't ready for, or to perfumes, detergents and other chemicals"

Of course problems may arise in babies with sensitive skin when wearing the old fashioned plastic pants but plastic pants have long been a thing of the past. Modern reusable cloth nappies are now worn with breathable fleece wraps or breathable PUL (Polyuerthane Laminate) waterproof wraps and I would argue that having used both disposables and modern resuable nappies that neither are 'better' at preventing nappy rash.

Kat xxx

I agree with Kat.
We have less nappy rash in coth than in disposables.
Also regarding dignity : to me modern cloth nappies = underwear but papaer disposables = paper knickers - I know which I prefer.
Karen

[ladyjane]

My son had terrible nappy rash so I switched to cloth and put in a silk liner - and rash disappeared
I am now addicted to cloth nappies and NO WAY would I got back to dispicables!

[Galstonian]

3 children, all disposables. Sorry, know the arguments but went for the "easier" option. If we were able to use one of the nappy services then perhaps we might have gone that way but none operate(d) close enough.

Anyway my point is, no nappy rash except while teething, worst for girl. Does this prove anything? Probably not, like has been said already, more frequent changing and a bit for nudie time on the carpet is more likely to help nappy rash than get caught up in the cloth/disposable argument.

(Karen, when was the last time you wore paper knickers?!)

[ladyjane]

I've just had my 6th child - do LOADS of washing as I also have 2 childrens clothing businesses (one is resale) and I too thought cloth was more hassle than it was worth
How wrong I was though - the amount of extra work is minimal - washing is easy and I wash them around every 4 days. No soaking needed.
I find it fun choosing new nappies

My other children didnt have nappy rash either when wearing disposibles but I didnt get such a 'kick' out of using disposibles. Now nappy changing is fun!

I have to say my daughter has really bad eczema, and I find the softest and least agressive thing to have next to her skin in cloth, cotton and fleece again, I know what I'd rather be in.. (have you ever actually smelled a disposable? :-X ) and obviously I put my girl in!!

Also if anyone is interested in money saving alternatives to sanitary produce.. ;)

[Galstonian]

"I know what I'd rather be in"

And I know that if I did sh!t myself I'd want changed pretty quick regardless of what I was wearing....

I used disposables with both of my first two childrenand started off on disposables with my last child now 14 months and I deaply regret not using cloth sooner!

if I try to put a disposable on her now, she screams ripps it off and goes to the nappy box of a cloth nappy, so that initself appart from the enviromental issues etc is good enough reason for me! they look better and are not as hard scratchy or cold when damp as disposables.

I now never run out of nappies and have to dash out to buy some more.

I wash every 3 days which is no hassle, there are no nappy pins and no soaking in water and nappy solution, i dry pail them the wet ones go straight into the nappy bucket they pooey ones get a sluice in the toilet flush to clean the poo off so to speak, then they to go in the nappy bucket till I do the next wash. What people forget is that you are supposed to sluice poohey disposables in this way too not just wrap them in a bag including the contents :-[ and bung them in the bin for them to sit there a whole week waiting for the next rubbish collection :-X

Try using a nappy wrapper then you will see just how many nappies you use in two days and how heavy and smelly they are when used and in the bin :-X

A line full of clean nappies blowing in the breeze looks lovely. so does your babe in summer when wearing just his/her fancy nappy to keep him/her cool when out and about. A great talking point for people spoting your babe and saying how lovely he/she looks in summer!

some one mentioned on a previous post that ther is a site giving out free eco disposable samples for just the postage costs. This site is also giving out cloth nappy samples for just the postage (I am currently waiting a brand new bright bots which is winging its way to me for just £3.95 postage costs!!

so go on give it a try all you disposable users out there you will be surprised at how easy it is and NOt a faff or mess around! There are also other very good sites out ther such as wahmall and ukparents who you can get new and second hand nappies from and endless reams of help and advice from all other cloth nappy users allways will to lend a hand.

People forget that these days nappies are not just plain white or un-bleached you can get endless numbers of patterns tv characters etc on your cloth nappies and wraps much nicer than looking at boring disposables. you get the satisfaction of knowing that when your great grandchildren are born your childrens nappies are not still sat on a landfill site festering somewhere :-X so thet you future familty will not be fighting for space amongst the rubbish!

I can also say that ANY nappy if not changed at regular intervals will result in nappy rash and a rather sore babe. I have spoke to people who have proudly announced that they only use 3 disposable nappies a day ??? POOR BABY the parent sould be made to sit in soggy clothes all that time, no wonder babe gets nappy rash! :'(

Also regards to the wearing paper knickers comment - a lot of us mums wore paper knickers (disposable maternity type) on the maternity ward so as not to spoil your underwear with inevitable leaks after giving birth, these paper knickes are non to pleasant to wear either and if I had my time again and new what I know know I would have bought really cheep knickers to wear after borth and wash them though instead of throwing them away!



Now having said all that I am going to change my babes bum into a blues clues SOFT :) flannel nappy and put on her leopard print Breathable pul wrap. and feel satisfied that I have done my little bit to help the world.

and I will now gracefully get down from my soap box!!! ;)

[Galstonian]

"I will now gracefully get down from my soap box!!!"

I don't have a soap box. Do you get one free with the nappies?

;)

i feer i may face some ones wrath over this

but

isnt there argument that the savings of not buying disposables is eaten up by the cost of extra electricity, wear and tear etc on the washing machine over the longer term, not to mention the cost to the environment. i read somewhere that the cost equaled out over time and that the cost to the envirionment was roughly the same whichever type of nappies were used

slycod

For the lady whos children are in Pull-ups...

there are many cloth equivalents of pull-ups - which although they are generally quite expensive per item work out a LOT cheaper than the disposable ones...

and have lovely bright patterns too!

[Caterina]

Just another point re. nappy rash:

It is much more common in bottlefed babies (formula-fed) than in breastfed ones!

Please breastfeed your babies!

Caterina

Galstonian - 'when was the last time I wore paper knickers?'
You've made my point for me! If I don't dress myself in paper underwear then why would I want my sone to spend 2-3 years in paper pants??!! (the answer to your question is, in hospital after giving birth).

Re: energy. I believe it takes 5 times more energy to make a disp nappy than it does to make & launder a cloth one.
Studies have shown it costs about £125 to wash nappies for one child's use (about 2 1/2 years). So it still ends up cheaper than disps.

Karen

[plumpmouse]

As a new mum I have been using disposable nappy. No-one has every mention re-usable ones to me before but i am planning too look into it.

However I do feel that every mother and father has the right too choose what is best for them and their baby and not too be told by people who don't know them.
Also regards to the breastfed babies having less nappy rash it is there again a personal decision. I have exculsively breast fed my little boy for 5 months but do feel that women who bottle feed are often criticise too freely. Some women can't breast feed at all and others have many problems. I can quite understand why a women who is in pain from the labour and emotional from all the hormone changes would decide not too breast feed if it was to much for her.

Everyone is entitled too decide for themselves and no-one should be criticise for their decision

I have 3 children, 2 were in disposables until toilet trained, my daughter is in cloth. I wish i had had the information about cloth when i had my sons. Im sure i would of used cloth with them as well. The claim that nappy rash is worse with disposables is totally ridiculous. I have used both, and from my experience since changing to cloth we have not had one case of nappy rash (maybe because daughters bot isnt in contact with chemicals all day). I feel that for a profesional person to make this claim is simply irresponsible. Surely we should be trying to encourage the use of cloth, which is kinder to our babies skin and our enviroment.

[mistral]

I have just one thought .....


God bless Pampers !!!.


P.s Has anyone actually stayed around for 100 yrs to see if they bio degrade ?

[plumpmouse]

I agree Mistral Custom

By the way pampers are on 2 for £14 at Boots so you can save a bit without swapping to reusable

[mistral]

My little boy was breast fed for 14 mths and never once had nappy rash !

Lucky I guess but it does make you wonder .

His bum however has kept pampers in profit !!!

It took a lot of hard work and tears for my girlfriend at first to start breast feeding after a c section .

This combined with the hospital trying to give formula by bottle without my permission even though we had stated we wished to breats feed .

I then had to throw the health visitor out the door after she was hassling us to start on formula .

Guess what the milk flowed soon after and all was well .

But the G/F deserved a hero award for all the hours spend feeding and then expressing .

Any excess being frozen .

I think a lot of people just cant be bothered with the hassle .

My boy seems to be slimmer than some of the formula fed babies

[misty]

A lot of pressure is put on parents by the "natural" brigade who seem to imply that if your not breast feeding or handwashing poo filled terry nappies that you are in some way a worse mother. !>:(Not talking about people on here specifically but generally a back lash against formula.Don't forget breast is best!Not likely to, when it is chanted from ante natal clinic to maternity ward to health visitor and now formula milk being withdrawn from baby clinics to force(sorry encourage)breast feeding. Formula milk was sold considerably cheaper in baby clinics. For mums who were unable to breastfeed, that adds pressure on to the already stressed heads - worrying that their babies will be smaller,asthmatic, less intelliigent versions of their breast fed contempories! !:(I was able to breast feed but my friend cried with the pain of trying to continue to breastfeed at the fuhrer's (sorry nurses) insistance. !>:(Then you've got to come home and start washing terry nappies!! Disposable nappies are fantastic. I'd sooner stick pins in my eyes than use fabric. The environment suffers? I already recycle,avoid CF gases etc and you can't do everything. !::)

isnt there argument that the savings of not buying disposables is eaten up by the cost of extra electricity, wear and tear etc on the washing machine over the longer term, not to mention the cost to the environment. i read somewhere that the cost equaled out over time and that the cost to the envirionment was roughly the same whichever type of nappies were used



According to environmental footprinting analysis by Best Foot Forward (see Contacts) overall, disposables have almost double the environmental impact of a home-washed nappy system.

The Women's Environmental Network did some research on costs too, and found that even taking into account washing costs, powder, electricity etc, cloth nappies were still significantly cheaper.

Has anyone actually stayed around for 100 yrs to see if they bio degrade ?

The first disposables were invented around 50 years ago, and yes, they are still around in a landfill somewhere. When you think about it, with them being made largely of plastic they aren't going to decompose any time soon.

just a thought
ive never heard of the womens environmental network, i would be intersted to see peer review of the research they did

sly

It's been fun reading your comments on nappies. I've got three children aged 4 and under. I started with disposables as I couldn't find info. about washables. Once I got info., I switched to cloth and at times have had two in nappies at the same time. I have found the nappies very easy to deal with and have had no problems. Where I live in Norfolk, the local county council will provide £30 of free nappies (including training pants and swim nappies) per child - so I've had £90 worth of free nappies. A quick plug for my native Scotland is Totsbots nappies - which I think are great! By the way I've worn paper pants too in hospital and I wouldn't want to make my children wear them.

[jo_b]

Don't use reusables at the moment. Gave them a try when my son was born but found them too much faff!

Plan to use reusable 'trainer pants' when I start toilet training. (Assuming these are all-in-one and without the faff) Where is the cheapest place to buy these (bearing in mind postage costs?)

Also use reusable swim nappies and want another pair ready for Summer hols. Where's best (cheapest) place for these?

[trafalgar]

All my kids were in terry nappies, probably cause I couldn't afford throw away ones,and funnily enough all my friends used to" borrow "terry ones when their kids ended up with terrible nappy rash and the doctor adviced

Put them in terrys till the rash has gone, because the pee seeps away better/using 2 nappy liners to help

Worked every time


And it was so much easier to check if they had wet at all


Wouldn't catch me breastfeeding though :-/
It just wasn't my thing I'm afraid

Besides none of them suffered
All three are happy and healthy ;D ;D ;D ;D

Seriously, I think everyone should make up their own mind and not be pressured ;D ;D

[Pal]

We have used disposables but Pal Junior's nursery used to use disposables when he was with them during the day. They used to change his nappy every hour and half (minimum) but he still ended up with nappy rash.

He has now moved totally to disposables and never gets nappy rash. In fact the only time he ever gets sore is when we use wipes instead of cotton wool & water.

Conversely, some of the mothers from our NCT group use terry cloth nappies, and their babies have had major nappy rash problems.

I guess it could be due to the babies being sensitive, or it could be that the mothers are not changing the nappies quickly enough, but I doubt it. Modern disposables are designed very, very well.

They are, however, a lot more expensive.

[PhiL_P]

Modern nappies designed very, very well? Sorry Pal I have the disagree there, otherwise we wouldn't have a few billion of them sitting in landfills all over our planet... !:(

A lot of pressure is put on parents by the "natural" brigade who seem to imply that if your not breast feeding or handwashing poo filled terry nappies that you are in some way a worse mother. !>:(Not talking about people on here specifically but generally a back lash against formula.Don't forget breast is best!Not likely to, when it is chanted from ante natal clinic to maternity ward to health visitor and now formula milk being withdrawn from baby clinics to force(sorry encourage)breast feeding. Formula milk was sold considerably cheaper in baby clinics. For mums who were unable to breastfeed, that adds pressure on to the already stressed heads - worrying that their babies will be smaller,asthmatic, less intelliigent versions of their breast fed contempories! !:(I was able to breast feed but my friend cried with the pain of trying to continue to breastfeed at the fuhrer's (sorry nurses) insistance. !>:(Then you've got to come home and start washing terry nappies!! Disposable nappies are fantastic. I'd sooner stick pins in my eyes than use fabric. The environment suffers? I already recycle,avoid CF gases etc and you can't do everything. !::)

some one mentioned on a previous post that ther is a site giving out free eco disposable samples for just the postage costs. This site is also giving out cloth nappy samples for just the postage (I am currently waiting a brand new bright bots which is winging its way to me for just £3.95 postage costs!!


Where does it say about this on the website? I can't find it!? ???

[loverduck]

I am thinking of using these for my daughter. Anyone know of any websites? :D

[Queenie]

Wow I'm amazed ... thanks to this thread I have looked up our main County Council website - checked their "War on Waste" campaigne .... if I buy cotton nappies from one of their affiliated suppliers, I can claim back £30!!!! !
Do a google search for your County Council web pages and see if they run a similar scheme.

Where in the country are you Loverduck? you could try the cloth rescource http://www.theclothresource.co.uk/nappysellers.htm
and contact someone near you to see if there is someone to do you a home demo. (lots do,, I do in Leicester!!)

back to saving money......join up to as many baby clubs as you can (tesco, Huggies, Sainsburys) and fill your details in on any vouchers you get in the bounty packs and you'll get sent lots of £1 off nappies vouchers!

Even if you use cloth nappies some supermarkets will take vouchers for products they sell even if you don't buy them.

With both of my girls I got about £5 off my shopping a month this way!

[AUSTIN]

Terry v's Huggies

My son has worn disposible nappiess all his life(don't worry-he is just 19months) I can see that there is a case for and against but I know as a working mother I just don't have the time to mess around. Oh and for the breast feeding argument-I also had a c-section and couldn't breastfeed, I tried with all my heart for a week but I was starving the poor little man. It's very easy to slam women that don't breastfeed-just don't forget that not everybody can, oh and if you read the latest research there has been a case of dangerous chemicals being found in breastmilk..........

[plumpmouse]

It's very easy to slam women that don't breastfeed-just don't forget that not everybody can, oh and if you read the latest research there has been a case of dangerous chemicals being found in breastmilk..........


Do you realise that you've just done exactly what you've criticised others for. As a breastfeeding mum I am well aware of the reasearch and feel torn between trying to do the best for my little boy and what medical experts are now claiming.

I believe that breastfeeding is best but I would never impose it onto somebody else, perhaps you should do the same!!!!!!!

Oh and i can sympathise with how difficult it is to breastfeed. I had an exceptional easy time at first but my son got thrush in mouth and past it on to me. The pain was awful but i persevered and managed to come through it and continue to breastfeed.

[Lemoncurd]

For anyone who is interested in reusables there is a special offer in Waitrose on "Motherease" nappies and wraps until 14th April (I think). If you buy 5 you save £7. This is one of the brands we use for our little girl and they are pretty good - no leaks or nappy rash (she often suffers both when I put her in disposables).
Got to admit though, when I worked out how much it costs us to use reusables the per nappy cost isn't that much different to disposables so for me using reusables is just a personal choice rather than a bid to save money.

::)THANKS FOR THAT WILL TRY BOOTS THEN . TRY BULK BUYING . AND AS FOR THE BREAST FEEDIN THING I COULDNT DO IT AS MY DOCTOR UNKNOWINGLY TO ME PUT ME ON A PILL THAT DRIED UP MY BREAST MILK . NICE OF HIM HEY

[trafalgar]

::)THANKS FOR THAT WILL TRY BOOTS THEN . TRY BULK BUYING . AND AS FOR THE BREAST FEEDIN THING I COULDNT DO IT AS MY DOCTOR UNKNOWINGLY TO ME PUT ME ON A PILL THAT DRIED UP MY BREAST MILK . NICE OF HIM HEY
Hope you changed your doctor :)

::)TRIED TO SUE BUT THEY SAID THAT BECAUSE HE SAID SORRY THAT IT WAS OK AND THE CASE GOT KICKED OUT. ANYWAY BACK TO NAPPIES DONT THINK I WOULD AVE THE TIME FOR THESE REUSABLES . GOT ENOUGH TO DO .

[deronda]

I have to agree that towling nappies do save money.

Nappy rash - I have twins so I used towling nappies mostly but when we went out or stayed with relatives I used disposables. Certain brands of disposables caused boil like rashes and blisters on my children. Shops own brands never did.

I now find that now my children are teething we are unable to use towling nappies as they get a rash within half a day of wearing them no matter how often they were changed or how much cream they were smothered in.

What nappies you use seems to be determined by your childrens skin rather than whether or not you want to save the environment.

Cheap nappies can be found in ASDA a box of nappies roughly 84 for 19 month old children can be purchased for around £10 the cheapest and best I have found or used!

Good luck with whatever route you or your children decide is best for you. Do not give in to peer pressure!

[Fran]

they get a rash within half a day of wearing them no matter how often they were changed or how much cream they were smothered in. !

Could it be that cos it's been winter or wintry, they have been convered up a lot, but when it gets warmer, fresh air is better than "smothering them in cream"? Good luck with your twins.

[deronda]

Thanks for the advice.

Done the fresh air thing. Done the plenty of baths thing. Done the chasing around with a cloth cleaning up after the fresh air thing!

They were alot better in the summer as they spent most of the day in the paddling pool! Lucky for me potty training is just round the corner but with boys who knows how long this will take!

[gibby]

Aonther reason not to buy the 2 main brands is that both companies advertise very heavily - which we pay for.

as equal disposable with the supermarket brand are less than half the price and just as goo.


also Proctor & Gamble & Unilever test massively on animals - purley to keep thier insurace rates down.

I dont any animal should have its throat cut while concious just to make fairy liquid no 1


sad little world

www.uncaged.co.uk


G

[cheryl020]

If you are going to use reuseables dont make the expensive mistake i did! I bought a pile of nappies before my son was born with the best intentions of using them from when he was a few weeks old. However i should have bought one of a few types and tried them out on him as i found the ones i'd chosen never fit him properly. So i now have a large bag of nappies sitting around that i will try to use on next baby (due 3 weeks!) but son no:1 (18months) is in disposables and i cant afford to buy a new range. Didnt know you can get pull up style ones though, will have to look into that and maybe get one or two if i ever have some spare cash!

[kolakube_]

cheryl - have you thought of selling the nappies on ebay (either now or after you have used them on your new baby)? just put "nappies" or even the make of nappy, into the search on the homepage, and see what comes up. I had been on ebay for ages and didn't even realise there was this huge resale market in cloth nappies but ended up selling mine for way more than I would have guessed! or some of the cloth nappy/general baby sites might have a message board where you can sell them (I think www.babycenter.co.uk does). Maybe you could buy one or two different types secondhand too, to try. Some of the best known kinds which are available in big stores are not very good even though it costs a lot to buy a set. I am sure that many sellers also offer trial sizes or even hire them (could work out at a simlar price to buying disposables). www.thenappylady.co.uk or www.plushpants.com do this, you get some of your money back when you return the hire set I think (though I realise if money is really short it will still be difficult) - good luck with the new baby!

[Judi]

My newborn daughter came out of hospital with nappy rash. I couldnt understand why as it was quite bad for a 48 hour old baby. For months i battled with her soreness, even hounding the doctor and health visitor, until someone told me to try a terry nappy as sometimes the bleach used in disposables sometimes causes a reaction.

So i did, and the nappy rash went away very quickly and never came back.

However, when i gave birth twice afterwards, i continued to use disposables.

[mousie]

It's very easy to slam women that don't breastfeed-just don't forget that not everybody can, oh and if you read the latest research there has been a case of dangerous chemicals being found in breastmilk..........

>:( Yes this is true, but if you read full reports or watch the whole program, health professionals and those who conducted the research will tell you that despite these toxins, breastmilk is still better for the baby rather than formula. I hope to be a toddler feeding weirdo !;D and I breastfeed in public, never in a changing room (well, would you eat your dinner in a toilet cubicle?). I can't stand people who make bottle-feeding mums feel guilty (as I had to bottle feed for 3 days because of cracked nipples and mastitis leading to PND and have never felt more guilty in my life) but I understand the pressure to breastfeed - feeling guilty is something that happens everyday as a mother. HVs and midwives are terrible breastfeeding councillors IMO, so don't rely on them. If baby won't latch on, put your nipple into his mouth using your finger - your cracked nipples won't heal up otherwise!

:) I use Tescos own brand nappies on my son. They're more absorbant and much cheaper than Pampers & Huggies. Can't be doing with reusable nappies - can barely pull myself together enough to do my own washing without having to do his nappies too. I do my bit for the environment by walking (ok, it's only because I've failed my driving test but hey ho!). I'd read that Boots & Huggies are made by same factory and are actually the same nappy, just a different picture on the waistband.

Nicki x :-*x

Back on topic: ie saving money by using Terry nappies....

My wife and I use cotton washables for both our kids, and don't regret it a bit. They work fine, and the environmental impact is clearly lower. (Oh, and yes I do wash them as well - I don't leave that to my wife all the time!!!!) They're actually not a great deal more work than using disposables, but you do have to be organised. You can also buy genuinely biodegradable disposables if you want, by the way, for around 15% more than the big-name brands cost.

Having said that, if you're considering terries from a financial point of view, consider these points:

1. You may find yourself using disposables overnight if your child is a heavy wetter, because they simply can't hold as much pee as the hydrophilic chemicals in Pampers. So you could end up buying some disposable ones as well as the expensive cotton pack.

2. Holidays: it's not to everyone's liking to have a nappy bucket in their bathroom, or let you use their washing machine for nappies. So you may also find yourself taking disposables away on holiday with you, adding more to the cost.

3. If you plan to send your child to nursery while still at nappy age, consider that the cost of nappies is included in the daily charge of many nurseries, but you will probably not get a reduction for supplying cotton ones for them. So although you aren't paying extra, the calculated cost of how much you would spend on disposable nappies over 3 years effectively goes down.

4. You may also find that some nurseries will refuse to take your child in terries. This will probably reduce as they get more popular, but when finding a place for our boy we were told: that it was too much hassle; that they didn't have time to retrain all their staff; one even told us it was against the law because they'd be breaking Health and Safety rules by putting a cotton nappy in a bag for us instead of out in their refuse bin! The nursery we chose said they'd try it out, and we've never had a problem since.

So all in all, over the nappy wearing life of two children, we will save money by using the cottons, but nowhere near as much as you'd expect from the comparisons you'll see on websites advertising them. But to be honest, you don't do it for the money anyway, you do it because you think it's right, and if it works out cheaper too then great.

Best of luck
Andy

To be honest, this thread upsets me a bit, because I think there isn't a lot in it either way. I tried to cost up my use of cloth nappies plus some disps (holidays, nursery 2 days/week), for one child, versus what I would have spent for 100% disps on the same child for 2.5 years. And the costs were very similar:
£360-£370 for disps
£310-£320 for cloth+some disps, including washing powder, electricity, wear & tear on the machine.

We air dry, were given quite a few naps+wraps, and only wash full loads, which reduces costs for cloth. And, I am happy to use the super cheap shop's own disps until they are almost bursting, rather than premium brands and changing frequently, which habits bring the disp costs down a lot, too. I haven't tried to cost in my time, either... cloth does take more time, IME.

However... I will have used my cloth nappies for 3 children, not just one, and most will have some resale value -- so in fact, I would assume a total cost savings of about £400-£500 for all 3 children.


isnt there argument that the savings of not buying disposables is eaten up by the cost of extra electricity, wear and tear etc on the washing machine over the longer term, not to mention the cost to the environment. i read somewhere that the cost equaled out over time and that the cost to the envirionment was roughly the same whichever type of nappies were used

slycod

Some references for you, Sly:
http://www.wen.org.uk/nappies/cost_comparison.htm

http://www.familiesonline.co.uk/article/static/31/

I think the main WEN critiques of the Proctor+Gamble studies were that environmental costs of manufacture and disposal costs weren't properly accounted for, plus, most cloth nappies can be used for many children and I think the P+G study assumed just one child. However, (speaking with my pseudo-env.economist hat on), it is very difficult to cost those manufacture/disposal costs up, reliably, because there are so many assumptions one has to make. For instance, on materials alone: cotton, organic cotton, hemp, silk, wool or fleece -- all have different life cycles and resource inputs.

[MATH]

I used terry squares for all my three children (10yrs ago when it was through mad!) There were no nappy services and liners etc where difficult to find. Things seem to be much better now.
This was the first time I realised I could make choices that saved me money. Squares are more fiddly but they dry much faster, don't have to be replaced for larger sizes and have hundreds of other uses when not wrapped aorund a bum. I'm still using them for cleaning etc.
I don't know how much I have saved but over three children it must be a bit and I glow with pride and satisfaction that I did it when everyone thought I wouldn't stick it a week. (Once you get into a routine it's fine) When all my children were toilet trained which was at 18 months I even missed my old nappy routine. I didn't have to buy mine I just asked about and collected over 80 unused terrys from new mums who's mother in laws had bought them a dozen which they didn't want. It's worth asking!

Don't bother soaking in Napisan. I kept used nappies in a dry bucket and pre & main washed on hot. They were fine

[CurleyGirlie]

I can't stand people who make bottle-feeding mums feel guilty (as I had to bottle feed for 3 days because of cracked nipples and mastitis leading to PND and have never felt more guilty in my life)
Not really related to nappies but note to all new mums planning to breastfeed – I highly recommend Lansinoh for your ‘nips’ – it was fantastic - really helps prevent soreness and cracking- bit expensive (about £11 a tube) but worth every penny to those mums praying for baby to stay asleep so they don’t have to feed!!!

I would also highly recommend for baby’s sore bum a cream called Morhulin – you only need a tiny bit – doesn’t seem as heavy as Sudocrem and it is not expensive (bout £2 ish?). My sis in law works in healthcare and they use it extensively for bedsores and such.

[Jay-Jay]

curleygirlie I totally agree about the Lansinoh ointment (Available in Mothercare) Lansinoh also do breastpads which have a kind of gel in them, a bit like Always Ultra, which absorbs leaked milk instead of just going soggy :).

[shaznmark]

:) Staffordshire county council offer £30 cashback in 3 lots of £10 to encourage people to use cloth reusable nappies for the environment.

I have purchased a set of cotton bottoms from Boots in newborn just to try them out, has anyone used them please. I'd appreciate feedback on them, although I know it comes down to personal choice. Can you tell me where to get some snazzy waterproof pants to go over the top aswell please. Thanks

[sabah]

I breast fed my son for 19 months – I think I would have stop earlier but my husband and his family were encouraging me to do it until he was 2. My son never use to eat anything, only breast milk and that use o worry me a lot, and every time I tried to explain why I was going to try and stop breast feeding I felt like they were thinking I was making accuses to stop.

When I stopped it was hard but he started eating proper food, he is just over 2 now and quite slim but very active too!!

[sabah]

I bough 'Kusshies'washable nappies from Tesco - 5 for £45.99, but I got mine for £25 as the nappies were discolored . When I went to buy more and was going to pay the full price I checked to see if they were discoloured and one was so I asked for a discount - and got £5

[jellyhead]

great thread and some good advice on the cloth resource website. i'm now seriously considering buying reusables for my new baby. i used disposables on my last and he never had nappy rash.

it mentions free nappies earlier in the thread, i got them free after he was 3 years old, half of what i needed. health visitors can sort it out, mine wouldn't as my son wasn't diagnosed with a specific condition but as he was going through a diagnostic process at the child development centre the speech therapist mentioned it to me and i think it was her that sorted it out for us. my son was diagnosed with moderate developmental delay, i don't know what other conditions would be accepted. he came out of nappies 6 months after they were provided for free. i realise that all children are different but if this new baby isn't toilet trained until nearly 4 then it looks as if cloth nappies are going to be cheaper, i also don't like proctor and gamble as a company.

regarding breast versus bottle, some women really can't breastfeed no matter how much they want to. i didn't have a drop of milk even after i'd had blood transfusions etc. - it just never happened. i don't think women should be made to feel guilty about bottle feeding although i will try breast this time if my body lets me.

[holy-foley]

hi i use tots bots and they are great,pins are a thing of the past as you can now get things called nippas,my daughter never had a rash and loved her nappies which i am now getting out of the loft for baby number 2 due soon!!!!cloth is great and can save you heaps ;D ;D ;D...julie

[tanny]

hiya, have just discovered lidl nappies!!! they are great and much cheaper than the pampers i used to buy ;)

[anit]

i was just coming in to say that lidl's nappys are 5.20 for 50 :o and i've used them a few times and really dont have a problem with them.

blinking cheaper than anywhere else. ;)

[Peakma]

We have been using pampers active( after testing most of the major brands) since my 18 month daughter was very small, they're one of the most expensive but look the comfyest to wear. Recently bought aldi mamia ones, much cheaper and realy good(next best after pampers active.)Aldi wipes very good too.

[SaraSeahorse]

sorry if this is not allowed but I see people giving links on here to ebay auctions all the time

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=26269&item=4347380 493&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

buy it now for 50pounds plus p&p for a nearly new set of nature babies stuffables (12) plus inserts, wash mesh and wet nappy sack

[mum2kids]

:)
I have been reading this thread with interest, i could not b/f either of mine due to no milk and both started to show signs of 'failing to thrive' proof that breast is not always best, and it may be something that b/f mums may want to think about before speaking to other new mums. !with first baby I was too embarressed to bottle feed in public!!

As for cloth nappies, they are great. !One tip though go for the one size ones, rather than brands such as kooshies as these need to be replaced once they are outgrown.

With a one size they adjust with poppers and as the baby grows you do up less poppers. !all you need to get are larger wraps, if you go for a good make such as motherease or nature babies you can re sell these on ebay. My nappies cost me around £150 and I am using them on baby no 2 they will also have a resale value when I have finished with them.

[elona]

I hate to sit on the fence but I agree with both points of view.

I had twins and started out with disposables but it cost a fortune so after a few months I tried terry nappies and they worked well too.

I eventually put the money I would have spent on disposables in a savings account and have kept this up for 19 Years.

On the subject of nappy rash the only time mine got this was when I changed from Huggies to pampers but this was probably coincidence or else perfuming in product.

[Jodie1975]

I use cloth too, Wonderoos are my favourite. I tried him with Huggies when he was a newborn and he got the most awful rash from them so I vowed never to use them again! We also use washable wipes as they just go in the wash with the nappies. I love my cloth nappies and there are so many different cute nappies on the market so you can never get bored. I used a disposable the other day (freebie in the post) and I'd forgotten how much they stink once full of wee ... I'm sure they add something to them to make them smell this way, therefore needing to be changed more often = more money for them!!

Also, another point to remember - a lot of these nappy companies test their products on animals, like procter and Gamble, so I would not buy from them anyway.

If you are considering trying washables then I'd say definitely give it a go - I'm glad I did!

[jellyhead]

i've bought some bambino mio nappies off ebay in newborn size (but i think maybe i should have just got small, never mind, these should last until baby's 11 lbs and second hand means they're still probably cheaper than 3 weeks of disposables (i'm assuming baby will be under 11lbs when born but apparently hubby weighed more than 11, i didn't know that until i'd bought these nappies lol!). if i buy the same kind of wraps then the nappy bits will also fit other size wraps i assume and i could use them maybe as night time boosters when he gets a bit bigger.

can anyone confirm how these should be washed? is it best not to use fabric conditioner? do they need a pre-wash as well as a main wash? sorry to be so thick but i don't know anyone using washables!

[flea72]

just wash on hot and use distilled vinegar instead of fabric conditioner - some people do a rinse and spin, and then put on for the longest wash setting you have, (i think that includes a pre-wash) - but dont add the exta powder, as you would normally do with a prewash -the less powder you use the better - even better still, make yourself some gloop

most wraps will fit most styles of nappies, but some fit better in different ones, depending on the cut

i take it the bambino mios are prefolds, so yes you can use them in future as boosters, and then after that they make lovelly cleaning cloths - or you could sell them on again

[joelle]

I've been using bambino mio washable nappies without many problems since my baby was born and he is nearly one. I found the cheapest birth to potty pack (other than second hand nappies) was on www.kiddicare.com, cheaper than buying direct from Bambino Mio or from a high street shop.
I must admit I do cheat and use disposables on holiday and have never had a problem with Lidl nappies for a fraction of the price of the leading brands!
I try and do my bit for the environment so am really happy that I made the choice to use washables even if a few of my friends thought i was mad!
I don't own a tumble dryer but have found there is enough nappies in the pack to manage and the they seem to dry pretty quick either indoors or out.

[jellyhead]

i got some second hand kushies ultra too but i suppose if you don't have a tumble dryer the prefolds are a better option. it will be july when little roo (if i keep calling him that hubby might bend and allow me to call him rueben lol!!) arrives so i can line dry. i know it sounds soppy but i'm looking forward to seeing a line of nappies blowing in the breeze, much nicer than a wheely bin full of disposables (although i will take disposables when we go away, will try lidl's as loads of people have said they're good).

[flea72]

just as a note, you cant tumble the kooshie ultras, and they take ages to line dry - they also dont last well, as the plastic isnt very good, and tends to split along the stitching lines

line drying is good for using the sun to bleach out stains, but be warned they come off the line very crispy in the summer, and dont feel that nice against the skin - although a quick tumble or rub, softens them up again

if you think youll like the sight of nappies on the line tho, you should really be going the terry square route, they really fulfill the image

[GirlySquare]

Hi, I'm with Austin on this one. I also had a c-section and a 5.5lb baby daughter who had trouble feeding. I tried breast-feeding for eight weeks with the HV's encouragement, eventually my GP said she would have to go into hospital if she didn't gain weight - I started bottle-feeding the same day.

Reusables just don't seem practical for me. I have tried eco-disposables and the Nature Boy and Girl brand are as good as Pampers in my opinion (Boots and Sainsburys stock them). However, money is tight and Pampers are cheaper.

[jellyhead]

oh no, i've bought 15 kushies now. off ebay so i can't take them back lol!!

i couldn't breastfeed my first baby, i'd like to try with my second but if it doesn't happen then i won't feel guilty.

[newbiemum05]

I'm having my first baby any day and was quite interested in re-usables as there is a pick up/drop off service in our area (also have a midwife who raves about them !!)

But then low and behold I had the best bit of luck - my husband entered a pop-up competition with pampers and won a voucher booklet with vouchers in 5 pound increments (total value 400 pounds !!!), to last for the first year.

Can't get cheaper than free ! Never used to bother with competitions but do now !!

Would like to change to re-usables after the vouchers run out though - any recommendations (preferably popper ones as am all fingers and thumbs !)

[jenpoptab]

newbiemum 05- There is usually good demand on ebay for these vouchers if you wanted to get rid of some of them.

Bambino mio were excellent to start with but leaked after a while of use. Look for trial packs or contact lollipop or real nappy network for more info.

Good luck with baby.

[jellyhead]

actually can't you just use the pampers vouchers off your shopping anyway? in asda or tesco you don't have to buy pampers, you just hand the voucher over :D

[Bun]

Good luck with all the imminent babies - it seems to have been ages jellyhead! Keep us all posted when you feel up to it!
Bun
:D

[jellyhead]

thanks, ten days to go ... i have been pregnant forever yes :rotfl:

[jo_b]

thanks, ten days to go ... i have been pregnant forever yes :rotfl:

Good luck, Jellyhead! Keep us updated with any twinges! ;)

[Gingham Ribbon]

I found Kushies ultra haven't split or cracked on the plastic, but I line dry them. I also found that adding vinegar gave my son nappy rash, but a level teaspoon of nappy soak in with the washing powder seems to keep them fresh. (It says on the box 2 heaped tablespoons. What a con!)

The problem I'm having with the Kushies is that at 31lbs, he no longer fits into the toddler size ones, despite the label saying they go up to 45lbs. Kushies never responded to my complaint.

[HappySad]

Decent washable pullups.


Hi. I am new to the washable world. My son now 21months has been using disposable. In the next few months I want to start potty training him & I have heard that washable pull ups are good for this, because when he does a wee in it he can feel the wetness of the nappy. ... and that teaches him that when you wee you will feel unconfortable with a wet nappy.

I have seen some washable pull ups in Mothercare, but they are only pants with a thin layer of toweling. I am sure that with one wee it would leak all over ther floor.

So my question is where can I get decent washable pull ups pants with a good amount of towelling.

Thanks
HappySad

[HappySad]

I have been using Netto nappies and find them to be just as good as Huggies & Pampers.

[larmy16]

I have to say my daughter has really bad eczema, and I find the softest and least agressive thing to have next to her skin in cloth, cotton and fleece again, I know what I'd rather be in.. (have you ever actually smelled a disposable? :-X ) and obviously I put my girl in!!

Also if anyone is interested in money saving alternatives to sanitary produce.. ;)

I have been using my own home made ST for a couple of years. I prefer to use a commercial pad for first heavy days, but these more than suffice for the subsequent "dwindling" days. I just made them from one of those old candy striped flannel sheets and they are incredibly comfortable to wear.

[sooz]

lidl having special sale week on their nappies next week, from monday 25th, 25 percent off their already cheap nappies

[Gingham Ribbon]

Perhaps someone can offer some advice to me if possible! I've been using Kushies toddler on my son but he's extremely big for his age and they don't fit any more. We've only ever used disposables at night and the Tesco value ones did the job a treat. They suddenly don't fit either. He just fits the size 6 Morrison's own brand but they're snug and leak and he doesn't like disposables. ('Things' end up being pulled upwards and there is usually a fountain which appears at the top of the nappy!!!)

Anyway, I was shocked to see how much disposables cost but needed them while I was waiting for some wraps to come through to use with a terries. Even the terries are a bit hard to use as the kite fold is stretched a bit thin and after only 2 days he's getting a red bum although he's in breathable wraps.

Any tips would be gratefully received! Thanks. I really don't want to start on disposables having used washables so successfully for 19 months but don't want to shell out loads for bigger shaped ones since he's getting nearer potty training. :eek:

Oh. And apparently the reason Kushies didn't respond is because I sent my complaint to a completely different company! :doh:

[mum26]

Hi all, i'm a mum of 6, aged 9, 5, 3, twins of 21 months and a 6 month old baby, the youngest three are all in cloth nappies and i'm a nappy agent too!

I swopped to cloth because we'd had a lot of nappy rash problems with disposibles and i also wanted to give the cuter option a whirl and i found i got on with them really well, i still use disposibles on holidays etc purely because of the amount of space it would take up to cart 3 childrens worth of nappies, lol!

I do find that there are a lot of preconceptions about cloth nappies:

1) they take a lot of time - how long does it take to take a lid of a bucket? or to put a mesh bag of nappies into a washing machine and switch it on? 5 mins ever couple of days?

2) they are complicated - come on! how many women have difficult careers or demanding children to manage? do you honestly think a bit of terry towelling is going to defeat you?

3)they use lots of energy etc - er - bit of a no brainer this one, most clothies will tell you:
a) you need to use very little detergent, using too much can clog up your nappies, i use about a third of the recommended dosage for 2 days worth of nappies
b)washing at 40 degrees is FINE! you'll be surprised how nice and clean they come out at that temperature
c) if you are very green minded, buy organic unbleached, that way you are minimising even further
d)switch to npower juice for your energy!
e)most nappies can be line dried, some stay softer than others so you won;t be using a tumble dryer unless you have to / want to, i line dry most of mine and the few that go still go in the tumbly with all the towels

if you fancy havign a go with cloth, don;t let all the doom sayers put you off, they usually have absolutely no idea of what is really invovled.

how many disposible users tip the poo down the loo as you are supposed to?

also the gel in disposibles worries me, i wouldn't smear water retaining gel form my garden all over my babies bums after all, lol.


Gingham ribbon, have you thought about toddleease nappies, which are large sandies, you may even be fine with the large size sandys nappies as they are very stretchy, my twins weigh approx 2stone 4 pounds each and they fit fine.

i would tend to avoid kushies, bambinos etc, sorry to all who have got them but i don;t rate them, they are overpriced and underperform - you really can;t go wrong with:

good quality terry squares
tots bots (new version coming out soon - super nappies!)
bumbles
motherease wraps

I also love "april cottage" nappies from ebay
wee wonders by wee notions on wahmall are excellent.

hope this helps xx

[Gingham Ribbon]

Thanks, mum26. But as I said, I'm struggling with the terries. He's got a rash after only a day. Although, I'm trying just a straightforward triangle with a kushies booster pad which at least is big enough! I'll see how he gets on with that. I don't want to buy a whole new set of nappies because of his age.

The Kushies never leaked once in 19 months and still have plenty of life in them for the next baby. However, it's just that they're too small now. My friend has motherease wraps but they're too small too.

Like I said, the kite fold is too small for him, but if anyone knows of any good folds for great big kids, I'd love to hear about them!

A lollipop advisor gave me some breathable pull on pants which are just the right size so hopefully we'll get it sorted.

[mum26]

hm have you tried fleece liners? or silk ones?

hope you get it sorted, if i find a big fold i'll come back!

you've probably tried the nappy lady site but this one looks worth a try, bit mind boggling though, lol!

http://www.thenappylady.co.uk/Advice/Instructions.asp?InstructionID=2&index=9

[Gingham Ribbon]

Thanks for that.

Tried the nappy lady. Advice was detailed and helpful but far too expensive as suggestions involved starting again with new nappies. Having a better time today with kite fold. It takes a bit of an effort to get it to meet in the middle but seems better on than just folding it diagonally.

What a palaver! Poor lad is a bit bemused. We've been doing his nappies with him standing up since he was cruising. Now he's expected to lie still! Got to hand it to him. He's trying really hard cos he thinks it's funny at the moment. Can't see it lasting. :rotfl:

[mum26]

bless him!

how many nappies did the nappy lady suggest btw? recently i've had a lot of people come to me and the quotes they were given were astronomical, i kitted out a twin mum for about 40% of the nappy lady quote, lol, crazy!

[Gingham Ribbon]

Can't remember exact figure but it was out of the question!

We're doing better with the terries by the way. Been at big play centre today and he's been running round like crazy. He came home with no leaks, no sore bum and nappy still on. Success!

Thanks for your help!

[jellyhead]

probably a dumb question but it's not your washing powder causing the rash? it could be the terrible heat we've been having, it must be sweaty in a nappy, whatever kind. or thrush, eczema etc?

i love lanes tea tea and witch hazel cream on rashes, it's fab. my boy only had a rash once and it cleared it up straight away but i regularly use it on myself, my sister loves it for her eczema too.

i've bought kushies and bambino for my baby lol! but they were so cheap on ebay, second hand - if they underperform i only spent a couple of packets worth of disposables on them, i can cope if i have to buy other brands, also second hand on ebay. i've got some terries and motherease wraps too.

i have read a lot about silk liners, i haven't tried them myself but people do say they work wonders on nappy rash.

[Gingham Ribbon]

Not the powder, thanks. We've used ecover from the off. It's much better today. I've been putting talc on him and it's helping to keep him dry. Because I have to stretch the fabric so much cos he's so big, it seems wetter than the kushies. Although the boosters are helping.

I got some of my kushies half price in mothercare and the rest from a seller in Canada on ebay as they're much cheaper there. Even with postage we saved quite a bit. They're ridiculously easy to use compared to terries. Just do up the velcro and off you go!

[mum26]

thats good!

i was going to say depending on how often you wash perhaps you could get away with 8 shaped nappies? then use the terries if you run out, as you already have pull up covers you shouldn't need much more, you could always make some terries into boosters after all! I worked out 8 brand new toddleease for £62 which isn't bad as you'd probably sell them on for about a fiver each, lol!

glad you've got it sorted but if you need any "help" in the future just let me know xxx

[Zziggi]

thats good!

i was going to say depending on how often you wash perhaps you could get away with 8 shaped nappies? then use the terries if you run out, as you already have pull up covers you shouldn't need much more, you could always make some terries into boosters after all! I worked out 8 brand new toddleease for £62 which isn't bad as you'd probably sell them on for about a fiver each, lol!

glad you've got it sorted but if you need any "help" in the future just let me know xxx


mum26... have you got a weblink to the site from which you advise about cloth nappies please? (i'm interested )

[J_Tous]

bless him!

how many nappies did the nappy lady suggest btw? recently i've had a lot of people come to me and the quotes they were given were astronomical, i kitted out a twin mum for about 40% of the nappy lady quote, lol, crazy!

We just recently had a home demo from the Nappy Lady which was brilliant, it was nearly 3 hours of practical advice, and there was no pressure to buy their nappies or anything, just a quote through the post later with loads more useful information. They might be a bit more expensive but then you are getting a personal service and follow-up advice, and they suggest ways of spreading the cost or making it cheaper. As I am pregnant with my first baby and have absolutely no nappy experience, I found this really useful.

One money-saving recommendation from the nappy lady was using muslin squares on small babies in exactly the same way as you would use a Terry square, they are cheap, dry quickly, and you can use them for other things afterwards.

Luckily I have since found out that my sister has a load of Motherease nappies which I can have so I won't need to spend so much hurrah!

Anyway, I think its definitely worth checking out all the options wherever you buy the nappies from, there is lots of advice on the web nowadays and lots of enthusiastic people willing to help. I am now quite looking forward to trying out the washable nappies, even my boyfriend is enthusiastic!

Also there was a long debate about nappies on this forum a couple of months ago - it was called The Old Moneysaving Nappy Debate.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=55536&highlight=nappies

[Gingham Ribbon]

Update on the terries! Not only have I got the hang of it, my son LOVES them! When I say it's time to change his nappy, he gets all excited and runs to get one, then lies down with the nappy over him, waiting!

Thanks for your help everyone. There's a bunch of them on the line now and they look beautiful. A capful of vinegar in with the washing powder seems to keep them beautifully soft.

[HappySad]

I have been looking at the "Nature Boy and Girl" nappies. I believe their are about 80% degradable and are made of natural ingrediance. Are they made of less chemicals and for this reason are safer?

""The gels and chemicals that make up ‘disposable’ nappies ‘absorbent layer’ are not subject to government controls or independent testing. Sodium polyacrylate, the superabsorber that makes ‘disposables’ so absorbent, was removed from tampons in 1985 because of its link to toxic shock syndrome. Its possible effect on babies’ thin skin and reproductive organs remains unstudied. Meanwhile, troubling anecdotal evidence about health concerns and these chemicals continues to build.
""

Would the Nature Boy & Girl nappy not have this chemical?




What about this nappy http://www.naturebotts.co.uk/moltex_oko_nappies/ They are 100% biodegradable and they say that you can put them in a compost bin.

My only problem with using them is the cost. Does anyone know where you can get them (say in bulk) at a much lower price?

HappySad

[jellyhead]

are these any cheaper? http://www.spiritofnature.co.uk/acatalog/sect7290.html
you can order a free sample nappy to try.

[HappySad]

I'll see if they are cheaper.

[popsie]

I cannot more highly recommend the nappies I'm using - Motherease with Air Rikki wraps and fleece liners. I've used disposables before and I wouldn't go back to them even if they paid me to. Our nappies are cheaper (I reckon I've saved over 1500 quid for this child (my third), they're really easy to use once you get the hang of them, cheap and easy to launder (I put them in on an initial wash every morning, or every other morning then add whatever whites I have to them in a main wash). I only have 15, and don't tumble dry them, I hardly ever run out unless I'm really disorganised about it. My baby's only ever had nappy rash if I've left him too long in one (I change him 6 times per day on avg). He's been breastfed, which means runnier poos, but we've had only 2 - 3 leakages (from what I can remember from previous disposable usage, that's a miracle!).

He's now 10 months old and we're still going strong! I recommend the Nappy Lady's website for excellent advice and also sales, I also live in the US and can buy them from the Motherease website directly (massive saving again). I don't feel bad if he messes up a clean nappy as I know it's not going to cost me anything extra to throw that in the wash and I just get another out of the drawer, whereas every disposable costs you Xp and I remember that awful feeling of wasting a perfectly good nappy just because your babe decides that a bit of fresh air on his bottom is a good time to start pooing again!

They're better from an environmental point of view, cheaper than disposables, easy to use, easier to potty train your child (so I understand - haven't got to that stage yet), I fly across the atlantic a dozen times a year and still prefer to use cloth nappies on the plane - plus I'm planning another baby next year and will have an even bigger money saving then. If you're squeamish about dealing with the poo, that might be the only drawback, but as a mum I find one has to deal with it anyhow!

I soak nappies in water and a bit of vinegar which cuts any smell of ammonia. I rinse the washable fleece liners out straight away in the loo if there's a poo to deal with. I wash on a first, hot (60) deg pre-wash and then, once the wash is over I add anything white and wash again at 40 deg. Normally if I do this in the evening, they're either dry by the morning, or sometime that next day. I've managed on 15 nappies and 10 fleece liners, plus 3 night-time cloth liners (come with some Motherease nappies) for 8 months, then I got another 6 nappies and some more liners as I was travelling more. The ones I use go from newborn to 2 - 3 years old, it depends on how you put them on as to how they fit. the Nappy Lady gives complete advice, free of charge, no purchase necessary (I have no link to them, just a v satisfied customer). Also there's a good second hand market for cloth nappies, which I may try later when I'm done with mine. Money saving par excellence, plus environmentally responsible!