MSE Pregnancy Club 24

mishkanorman

Gillyx wrote: »

for anyone who wants to use re-usables, good buy at little lambs atm.

http://http://www.littlelambnappies.com/special-offers/bn1-labelfb110-bamboo-nappies

I really want to try washables - it just seems such a minefield how many do i need ? what else will i need to buy ? is my washing machine going to be on all the time ?

just seems so much easier to pop to shop and buy some

Gillyx

mishkanorman wrote: »

I really want to try washables - it just seems such a minefield how many do i need ? what else will i need to buy ? is my washing machine going to be on all the time ?

just seems so much easier to pop to shop and buy some

I don't use them yet, but I'm coming round to the idea, the ladies on the MSE group are very in the know. I will get Alison to pop on here and explain it all. Most of the ladies wash every 2nd day. For those ones you'd need to buy wraps too.

Gillyx

Okay apparently these websites are really good for figuring it all out.

http://www.goreal.org.uk/

http://www.thenappylady.co.uk/

mishkanorman

Gillyx wrote: »

I don't use them yet, but I'm coming round to the idea, the ladies on the MSE group are very in the know. I will get Alison to pop on here and explain it all. Most of the ladies wash every 2nd day. For those ones you'd need to buy wraps too.

thanks ! im so stuck on if its just going to be too much faffing / real savings long term . . . . . .

emsbet

I'm still undecided about reusables. I think I will go with disposables while we're still getting used to everything else then look at them later on.

We've just bought the Angelcare sound and movement monitor. I found in on Tesco direct website for £79.95 then I looked again today and it was £74.46. We then had £15 of Tesco vouchers though today so we used them on the voucher exchange they have on at the moment so only paid £44.46 :T So I'm pleased with that

xx

Gillyx

mishkanorman wrote: »

thanks ! im so stuck on if its just going to be too much faffing / real savings long term . . . . . .

I don't think it's a faff otherwise I wouldn't be considering it, I'm a lazy cow you can buy internet cheapies from ebay, to at least try them out, but some people love them, some people swear they're not as absorbant, so you'd need to see

emsbet wrote: »

I'm still undecided about reusables. I think I will go with disposables while we're still getting used to everything else then look at them later on.

We've just bought the Angelcare sound and movement monitor. I found in on Tesco direct website for £79.95 then I looked again today and it was £74.46. We then had £15 of Tesco vouchers though today so we used them on the voucher exchange they have on at the moment so only paid £44.46 :T So I'm pleased with that

xx

I think everyone uses sposies to start I never thought I'd be inclined to use the reusables, but I'm getting there. Good bargain xx

4nnabella

Hi ladies and bumps

I use cloth nappies so not sure if I can be any help at all...

Ok so to use them full time and wash every couple of days you probably need about 20 nappies. However once you start and figure out all the different types I take no responsibility for any nappy obsessions that may ensue. My stash currently stands at roughly 45 nappies... For daytime I find pocket and all-in-one nappies are best. These are as close to a disposable you will find in terms of putting on, they have either Velcro tabs or poppers to fasten. Pocket nappies have (surprisingly) a pocket which you stuff with the absorbent insert (and remove for washing/drying - being able to remove it makes it dry quicker etc). All-in-ones are the same but the absorbent bit is all attached. Totsbots Easyfits are a great example of an all-in-one and I love them. Slim fitting, very absorbent and fab colours, prints etc.

For night time, if you want to go for that (some people tend to use cloth in the day and disposables overnight when you need extra absorbency...), a two-parter system works really well. With a two-parter system you have the absorbent nappy (ones made of bamboo fibres are best as bamboo is an incredibly absorbent material) and then a waterproof wrap that goes over the top. Examples are Little Lambs bamboo or Totsbots Bamboozles Stretchies. I use these overnight and haven't had a leak yet, once the bamboo is up to full absorbancy they will go 12/13 hours!

Other things you will need - somewhere to store the dirty nappies before washing. I use a nappy bucket with a mesh bag. Once the bucket is full (normally after two days - roughly ten nappies) I take the bag and put it straight in the washing machine (no need to take the dirty nappies out of the bag so you don't have to touch them!). The nappies come out of the bag in the machine. I do a cold rinse (gets rid of the urine and any poo bits, also helps to prevent stains from being 'cooked in', then a 40 degree wash and two rinse cycles. To dry, they can go in a tumble dryer on low heat or if possible out on the washing line. Sunlight is a great stain remover so if they are still a bit stained after washing, putting them in the sun will sort them out. You can just wash using any non-bio washing powder, but don't use fabric conditioner as it will affect absorbancy. The exception to the rule is that you can use Bold 2in1 as its a clay-based softener which is ok (except the Bold with Lenor or Febreeze range, you can't use them).

Nappies can be bought 'pre-loved' at good prices if you want to try a few before committing to buying lots. People tend to take really good care of their nappies as they have great resale value. It is also really good to buy one of lots of different types of nappy, as different nappies may or may not suit your baby depending on weight/size/shape etc! What works for one baby might not get a good fit on another so it's a bit of a case of trial and error to find what works for you.

If anyone is on Facebook and is interested in findin out more there are some fab groups on there, with lovely ladies who love to talk fluff and can give great advice. Search for 'Cloth Bum Mums' group for a start. There are also groups for selling pre-loved nappies. I can post links if anyone wants.

Can't think of anything else right now but if I do I'll be back...

Hope you're all ok and those bumps are taking it easy on you!

Xx

mishkanorman

4nnabella,

Thats a great help thanks will have a read in the morning when im not so tired - and after i see if i won the ebay impulse bids that Ive just placed

4nnabella

http://www.fill-your-pants.com/ Also a good nappy website - they sell lots of different types so you can see how it all works. They also have a network of 'Nappy Gurus', ladies up and down the country who do nappy demos do you can see all the types of nappy in person.

A lot of councils have cloth nappy incentives, so you might be able to get cash back when you buy cloth nappies. My council for example give you £25 back if you spend over £50. Some councils give more. Others give vouchers with which to buy cloth nappies.

In terms of costs... you can buy a stash of nappies which will serve from birth to potty training for less than £300, if you buy new. Yes, it's a big outlay but theres no ongoing costs. You can also save more money by building your stash with pre-loved nappies instead of new. Using disposables from birth to potty training apparently costs in the region of £1500. Even taking into account detergent and electricity for washing, you can still save over £1000. Plus cloth nappies can be reused if you go on to have more children, saving you even more money. And then when you're done with them, providing they're still in good condition, you can recoup some of the cost by selling on!

I know I'm probably sounding quite evangelical about them but I really can't recommend them highly enough. I have yet to find a nappy that doesn't work for Amelia, although there are still a few types I haven't tried!

Kitten_Pie

we decided to use cloth nappies. Think the ones we are going with are the smarti pants. Went to a nappy ladies house and she went through all of the different types so I could play with them. Also discussed our house, we don't have a garden so needed something that can either be tumble dried or dries quickly inside.

Worth finding someone to go through them.