Disposable versus washable

Baileys_Babe

Caroline73 wrote: »

You can get fleece liners and these are even better than paper liners. You can buy them ready cut but I bought one and a big square of fleece fabric and made my own.

We use fleece liners, which I made by cutting up a cheap fleece blanket (£2 from ikea I think).

I've had no problems with reuseables. We use them all the time, including camping holidays.

painted_lady

I used a mix on DS (who will get the hang of potty training soon) and def cheaper with washables. I used them almost excusively from 3 months to about 18 months, then I found they leaked on him and have unfortunately used own brand disposables since then. I used to dry pail them in a tommee tippee nappy bucket and wash on 60 degrees, they always came up fine. I used the tommee tippee cotton bottoms (no longer available but were same as motherease etc). I had to fold the nappies as OH cant do it, but they were easy to use and easier than the couple of all in one types we tried, which I found didnt fit him aswell. I also made the move to cotton washable sanitary protection, which I havent looked back, might be worth considering this for the post natal bleeding. I had 2 days worth of nappies as I tend to wash at least once a day anyway. I didnt get on well with them at night though, where we used pampers.
If I had another baby (dream on!) I would like to use them again, but as others said, think the first couple of months are so tiring and busy I dont know how I would find time to wash them, but def give it a go.

Bitsy_Beans

I tried some Cotton bottoms and quite frankly the way the insert was folded for a boy was ridiculously bulky. I couldn't get clothes to fit properly (trousers were a nightmare) so in the end I switched to own brand disposables.
With second child I am very lucky as my grandparents help me out with the cost of disposables and I buy the Babycare eco nappies. these are fabulous and worth the money. I also use Sainsbury's Eco nappies but these don't hold night time wetness as well as the Babycare.

hungrynurse_2

we use totsbots bamboo nappies. We dont soak them, and go in a normal 40'c wash with the rest of the washing. They work out slightly cheaper, but then for baby 2 only wash costs! You will be putting on enough washing anyway, so no hastle in throwing these in with

miss_corerupted

i bought a birth to potty set on usednappies.co.uk. and they are brilliant. my son is 7 months and that is the total i have spent!!! they are justas easy as disposibles. i just wash them normally. i don't soak them either. i just have a bucket with lid for the smell as i have enough to wash only about every 4 days.

I also bought cheap flannels and cut them up to use as wipes (much better) they don't smear the poo like wipes do.

angelpye

Wow, thanks guys! :j

Cutting up a fleece blanket sounds like something everyone does?!! All these little things you just don't know about! Like Caroline I think I will buy one and use it as a pattern - I don't even know what they look like as no one I know has gone down this road with nappies. My partner is really up for it though as he is keen to do his bit for the planet so that should make it easier. Bailey's babe, I am going to the new Ikea in Southampton next week so will definately check out the fleece's in there - what a bargain!

I feel quite reassured about traditional terry's too - too many of you to name (as I have been off line for a few days) to thank but you have calmed my anxiety. I was concerned about how to fold then thought doh! My partner's mother would have used them and will be a nice thing to ask advice about. Although I am sure that you tube has a 'how to'! I think some all in one's would be great to have too just for convenience and will be looking into second hand ones.

Bailey's babe - how did you use the muslin squares? And for how long? Obviously you need a waterproof on the outside? Sorry if sounds silly but that's definately something I hadn't thought of.

Also what are the booster's for? Just night time? How many of those do I need?

angelpye

Hi, hope you all ok out there?!

Can anyone tell me how many boosters I would need and what they are used for? Such a novice!

radiohelen

You know it really depends on your baby - I've got four for my motherease nappies and I have hardly ever used them with my lo. He's just not a heavy wetter (get used to this phrase - you'll hear it a lot ). We use them at night. The tots bots have always coped without extra lining inside. They do help to contain little boy's wee at the front though - little girls don't have so much of a problem if my friends with girls are to be believed.
I would get a couple and see how you go. To be honest I don't think you need them when babies are brand new because they are so little. My tots bots coped admirably - mostly because they looked enormous on him. Now I look at the size ones and think - my god was he ever that small, and it was just a year ago!!!!!:eek:

ktpie

My little boy is a year old now and we started off with a daypack of Tots Bots and a pack of terry squares along with motherease wraps. The Tots Bots have hardly been used, we found they still needed some degree of folding and took so much longer than the squares to dry it just wasn't worth it. The motherease wraps were a great buy. We do use disposables when out and about and definitely on holiday! I use the papery liners that can be washed and find them great, a roll lasts for ages. I dry pail but use a net bag from Junior Joy (got a pack of two from ebay) inside the nappy bucket then just pick the whole lot out once it's full and put it in the washing machine (we leave the bag open in the wash so that it doesn't unbalance the washing machine!). I also use washable wipes (also Junior Joy), considered making my own from towels but it was cheaper to buy them. They are one of the best things about using washables, they are just so much more effective at actually removing the poo than disposable wipes. Whenever I use disposable wipes I am cursing the way they just smear the poo about! I've heard about people making up wipe solutions but we just put them under the tap to wet them as we need them. We've never bothered with boosters.
I would say don't panic too much about getting loads of stuff before hand, see if you can get a couple of different things to try, you won't know what suits you best until you are actually using them. You can always get more. Also we found that the reusables were knocking his umbilical cord when he was born so put him in disposables until it fell off, and in those first few days of a new baby there is plenty of new stuff to get your head around!
We learnt the Jo fold and have used it ever since, I found lots of folds here

angelpye

Thanks radiohelen, here's hoping mine isn't a heavy wetter! Lol!