Real Nappies (Merged Discussion Thread)

golddustmedia

We use Terry nappies. These days simple velcro wraps make the job easy!

We have "Bambino Mio" wraps (a bit like velcro tabbed pants) which shape the nappy and the whole thing is easy! (as a new dad even I find it simple!) plus it saves landfill and the wallet!

larissa156_2

Yes, using cloth nappies does prevent adding to the 8 million (!) disposables that are put into landfill every day. Manufacturers also use lots of energy and resources in producing disposables and transporting them to retailers etc, so you are being 'green' this way too.

I would suggest that anyone considering using cloth nappies gets some advice on what nappies are suitable for their baby. Buying a full birth to potty pack from the high street without researching can be an expensive mistake and drive you back to disposables - not an ideal situation! Any of the sites listed above are good for this...... you can also get demonstrations from some suppliers so that you can 'play' with the different types before you make a decision.

I have used cloth nappies on my daughter since she was a couple of months old, and I love them! Sad, but true....

Baileys_Babe

I use terry nappies on ds, with fleece liners, flannel wipes and nappi nippas. When he was younger I used muslins which I now use as boosters as he is a long sleeper. Our nappies are all preloved by many children and are all doing well. The wraps we use are by Disana which are breathable and are washable at 95c. I find terry squares very flexible as you change the fold to suit your needs. They dry quite quickly. You also don't run out as long as you are able to wash them, no having to remember to buy more. He has used them without problems since he was born.

pdoff

i'm using shaped terry nappies with plastic pants at the moment. tried prefolds & various allinones but they all leaked. these don't but baby (6 months) has excema & is worse round hip/groin area. doc says is infected & says we should use disposables instead. really don't want to but if they are gonna help his excema i may have to. anyone else had a similar problem? i change him every 2 hours btw so he not sat in it for ages. think it might be the plastic pants making him sweat but any other things i tried leak after an hour max! roll on warm weather so he can be naked on a towel!

fannyadams

pdoff - it is important to wash and most importatnly DRY the area well (use hairdryer on cool setting if necessary to speed up dring). We use Metainium cream for when DS#2 has bad bum (skin sloughing off - think he has "diaper psoriasis"), and VERY VERY occasionally I put him in a dispo but only if he is crying and crying and can't sit down coz his botty is too sore.
You are right though it is very lkely to be the plastic pants coz the skin can't breathe and the wetness builds up (comparison with cooking on a cold day and your windows steam up).

HTH

katieowl_2

Well my nappy changing days are long over (thank god!) but I looked at it like this.....Once you have bought real nappies...you have nappies!

You don't need to find the Five/Ten Quid a packet or whatever they are these days everys single week. That's from a totally frugal point of view, not taking into account the landfill problem. I didn't even factor in washing them, or drying them, as those were small expenses by comparison each week.

Regards

Kate

QueenB.

I used small muslin squares when mine where little and then moved up to the terry nappies with washable liners and the dreaded pins LOL.

it took me a little while and a few accidents before i fully got the hang of them but worth it i felt. Two of mine where trained quite early, well before their second birthdays but that was because they where ready and i always wondered if part of it was because of the type of nappies they wore. we still have some of the old terry nappies left as they are great for emergency problems.

My middle child has special needs and was not out of nappies until he was about 4 and a half and as he was already at the school nursery by then i did put him in disposables because it was less embrassing for him and easier for the teachers who had to change him.

We did try the new type of cloth nappies, they looked funky, but cost was a big turn off, plus we found our kids could undo them far to easy which became a problem.

What ever ones you go all that matters i that they are right for you and your child and enviromentally friendly.

our local council also have a real nappy scheme running and the green parent has a good article on this very subject.

MacksGirl

pdoff wrote:

i'm using shaped terry nappies with plastic pants at the moment. tried prefolds & various allinones but they all leaked.

I would recommend fleece wraps because they are breathable. https://www.kittykins.co.uk or https://www.nappylady.co.uk have lots of info. My daughter had a bad rash and the nurse advised disposables, which I unwillingly did use and it made everything worse. The doc then said to go back to real nappies. And it cleared up after a bit of hydrocortisone cream too, but at least it wasn't agravated by the disposables. I know a rash isn't excema, but I'm thinking that the chemicals in disposables can't be that fantastic for sensitive skin.

There are pros and cons to fleece wraps - normally recommended as a night wrap - but they really are breathable (and you can get some really funky ones )!

Hope it gets sorted.

fesdufun

pdoff wrote:

i'm using shaped terry nappies with plastic pants at the moment. tried prefolds & various allinones but they all leaked. these don't but baby (6 months) has excema & is worse round hip/groin area. doc says is infected & says we should use disposables instead. really don't want to but if they are gonna help his excema i may have to. anyone else had a similar problem? i change him every 2 hours btw so he not sat in it for ages. think it might be the plastic pants making him sweat but any other things i tried leak after an hour max! roll on warm weather so he can be naked on a towel!

Don't assume that disposables will solve the problem. For some babies they seem to react with chemicals in the nappy and the skin gets even worse!

I would keep trying difference style wraps. I personally use Motherease airflow wraps and have the occasional leak (one or two a week) but nothing too dramatic. Every baby is difference and they are so many wraps out there that I am sure there is a wrap to suit your baby. You could buy second hand and sell the ones that don't suit on Ebay.

It is also worth asking your doctor for the evidence regarding changing to disposable from reusables for children with excema. It may just be a personal opinion rather than one based on fact.

Some real nappies are designed to be drier against the skin than other - I use Motherease Stay Dry on occasions when my sons skin is sore.

Also if you can find any - a few minutes lying on a towel in some sunlight works wonders.

Hope it clears up soon.

Lillibet_2

I am quite positive that the type of washable nappy which is best depends entirely on the child. For us, washable all in ones, Boots own brand, are fab. I buy them 2nd hand on ebay & have re-sold the first size ones AT A PROFIT!!! Yes, you have to upgrade sizes once or twice as baby grows, something which I was keen to avoid, but they just work so well for Spud, they still save money & they are still better for the environment that this is a small consideration.

And Spud gets excema & nappy rash no matter what type of nappy I put him in:mad: Turst me, I have tried them all:rolleyes: