Washable Nappies

spaghetti_monster

Thanks again!

I bought the nappies new. I just tried the 100ml water test and it soaked through immediately and went straight to the insert - no puddles.

Our machine was new 3 years ago and I recently "calgon-ed" it. The reason for using Ecover isn't really primarily for green reasons - it was recommended to use a powder (rather than liquid) with no bleach or enzymes and that was the closest I could find (although it has a small amount of enzymes).
What powder do you use? As I use so little it could be worth it to order some from the UK (and I could definitely bring some back with me when I next visit at the end of May).

mummy2mygirls

shellieholly wrote: »

Mummy2mygirls - what totsbots do you have. Easy Fit? Flexitot? Never heard of an ebay cheapie out performing tots - unless we're talking pockets or all in ones.

Ive got some easyfit V2's They are good but I will get leaks if I leave them on a little two long - on both DD and DS..... Ive brought some Teenyfits for the new baby aswell and cant wait to use them

I use pockets. The ebay pockets are about £3.50-£4 a nappy and they do seem my best nappy! I use a MF insert it comes with and also extra boosting with a MF cloth and Little lamb bamboo booster. So they will last ages without leaks - even if they fall asleep in one!! Also my Naughty baby ones last ages! without any leaks - But only good on ds and dd likes to undo the velcro

lauren_1

Dont forget to bear in mind the clothing issue when using washables.

My dd was lucky as we could get away with lots of dresses and tights but with ds1 it was a lot harder and ended up having to go 2 sizes up in bottoms even in dungaree's we had to go 2 sizes up! they looked awful, bulky and nearly made me give up on washables.

with ds2 we had a breakthrough, i bought a lot of plain baby girls legging in blue, black, red, purple and green, well every colour apart from pink. He wears these with a cute t-shirt ( i like them slightly baggy so went up a size too, sort of evens out his proportions with a washable on) and when it was chilly i put a long sleeved vest under the t-shirt.
Dont be alarmed if a 12/18month pair will fit your 6 week old baby, its slimmer fit on the legs and wider waist that your after so pay no attention to the size (i honestly think sizes are warped anyway)

The leggings are stretchy so accomodate a washable better than jeans but they still designed for sposies so we still go up 2 sizes, sometimes 3 if they look small but i dont need to roll the bottoms up on these as many are 3/4 length. we even have some jeggings for him too.

im not a fan of the bubble bum look at all but have finally found a way of minimising that look

Nicki

Depends on the size and shape of the baby though. And which nappy you use as some are a lot more bulky than others. My DS is a skinny thing with no bum or waist, but quite tall, and he easily fits into all his clothes in the correct size for his age even with a padded washable underneath. Some makes of clothes are better than others for bigger kids wearing washables. I believe Tesco are cut generously for example. If you hang out on some of the cloth nappy forums for a while, there are usually discussions about which makes of clothes are better than others to accommodate the extra bulk. It is important to have well fitting clothes as if vests or trousers are tight around the nappy, this can squeeze moisture out over the top of the wrap causing leaks.

lauren_1

Sorry it sounds as if i have trodden on your toes a bit. Just giving a bit of advice that has worked for me.

Nicki

lauren_1 wrote: »

Sorry it sounds as if i have trodden on your toes a bit. Just giving a bit of advice that has worked for me.

Eh? I was just adding some additional info related to your post about where to find bigger clothes for use with washable nappies.

I am confused as to how your post would have trodden on any one's toes, but certainly not mine

SwipernoSwiping

Clothes are often a problem, especially if you are a designer sort.

Two parter nappies are bulky, and I would find that on things like next jeans they would be far too tight around the thigh by the time dd1 reached the end of the sizing (eg six months of the 3-6month sizing)
dd1 was long, and chubby too, where dd2 is a shortie and "just right" so doesn't have this problem as much.

There is available now something called "Baby Legs" -- legwarmers for babies basically - various patterns and designs from zebra stripes to car prints and more. - Of course you can find cheapy versions on ebay.

It's also worth mentioning that if your using the pocket/stuffable types they are no were near as bulky around the waist area. Yes this means changing more often, but it also means you get to wear the designers clothes.

As to what washing powder I use, I usually use either Aldis own, or Persil non-bio - less than half the recommended dose +Soda Crystals. With a spoonful of Bio D nappy fresh every now and again. Probably overkill to be honest.

SwipernoSwiping

mummy2mygirls, Teenyfits are supposed to be excellent. Tots have always said that their Easyfits aren't the best for preventing leaks. They had a statement on their site about it.

sparkle76

Thanks all for the suggestion re: wraps, I will take a look online and see what I can find re: MotherEase, Tots Bots and Nature Babies, as then I still have to choose between small and medium, or buy a couple of each... I imagine the small won't be used for long and could prob be sold afterwards...

spaghetti_monster

They don't seem to do non-bio in Dutch supermarkets - each brand has a colour and a white version. Everything has enzymes in it.

The nappies still seem to have a bit of a smell, so I'm trying (instead of a 40 degree wash) a 60 degree one with pre-wash and an extra rinse to see how it goes...