Disposable Vs reusable nappies

da4

Hi all,

This question has probably come up before but I thought I'd ask it none the less.
We are expecting our first child in 6 weeks or so and we had always thought about using disposable nappies. That was until we found a leaflet about reusable ones which got us thinking.
I don't know much about nappies and no one in our family has used them in the past 25 years. Of course the environmental impact is great but we are a new couple and money is something we need to watch out.
From what I read up, you need to wash the nappy and pad thing then throw away the liner? I have found websites that sell 100 liners for £3.
Are reusable nappies worth it? I have seen figures given that they can save you £500 a year which seems wrong unless you buy very expensive disposable nappies which we aren't (Lidl and Aldi for us).
We did also toy with the idea of a few disposable ones for when we go out on day trips and reusable the rest? If anyone has used disposable ones I'd be interested to know how it went please?

Thanks
Darren

General_Applause

All I can say is that the Aldi and Lidl nappies are cheap for a reason.


However, that was some years ago now so maybe they have upped their game.

Ergates

Reusable can save you money in the long run, but £500 a year seems excessive. You have to take into consideration the cost of buying the reusables and the cost of laundering them. (plus the liners, but they're pretty cheap). The laundering also cuts into the environmental benefits (however, reusables still come out slightly on top).

You might also still need to use disposables some of the time - e.g. over night as the reusables are less absorbent. Out and about, they're fine - the only difference is you need a bag to store the wet nappies in to take home. This isn't as gross as it sounds - baby urine doesn't smell as strongly as adult's does.

One thing to consider - join NTC (or similar) and go along to their sales - you can pick up 2nd had baby things for a fraction of the price of new, including nappies. This might sound icky, but they've been washed (and it's not like new ones stay pristine for long!)

We used reusables with my sone for most of the time - apart from swimming and overnight. We switched to disposables for his last few months as we moved into a flat whilst relocating to Scotland and we just didn't have space to dry the nappies (and the contract said no hanging out wet washing).

rach_k

Try looking for a nappy library near you; there's a network that covers most of the UK and some will do postal loans if you're not close enough to visit in person. They'll explain all of the different options - 'nappy and pad thing' is just one type of several main kinds - and let you try them out before you buy your own.

A major strength of cloth nappies is that there's something to suit every lifestyle and shape of baby, unlike disposables which are all pretty similar, but that does make it slightly harder to choose the right ones in the first place. Most people end up with a couple of different types to suit different occasions. It's definitely best to try before you buy so you make sure you're spending wisely.

The usual figures for washing are around £1 per week. If you went for the most frugal options, buying new, you could probably buy cloth nappies to last from birth to potty training for £60 (or cheaper if you went for some preloved) so around £200 total for everything, but you could spend a lot more if you wanted as there are some very fancy options out there, and lots in between!

Drawingaline

I loved using reusable nappies. I always went traditional and used Terry squares which are super cheap, but can be more complicated with folding.

There are loads of options out there. You can use reusable fleece liners rather than disposable ones, I used disposables at night and when on holiday otherwise reusable all the time. I had two in them at one point and they were no hassle. In thq early days I was washing every two days, after six months every four days.

A nappy library is a good call, they will have lots of different ones to take and try. Ebay is fab for second hand ones and they have a good resale value. Apart from terriers I found little lambs good and sold them for 10% less than I paid for them new.

jwil

It's saving up to £500 per child, not per year. You can save more than this or less. If you use the nappies on more than one child, the savings can be much higher.

I used cloth nappies on my children. There are lots of different types, it's worth looking to see if there is a cloth nappy library near you where you can find out a bit more.

If not, there's loads of information online, and facebook groups etc where you can get advice.

You can save a lot of money buying second hand nappies and then reselling them once you are finished with them.

It's worth trying a few different types of nappies to see which you prefer. This is where a library or second hand is useful as you don't spend a lot of money for something that doesn't suit. (The same advice stands for disposables too - don't stock up on huge quantities of one type or brand, as you don't know what will suit your child).

You can absolutely use cloth nappies overnight, they just need an extra booster. It's personal choice though, you don't need to use them full time if you don't want to. Every nappy saved from landfill will be a massive bonus!

On disposables - Aldi and Lidl nappies are both very good.

Nicki

The other thing to bear in mind is that you don’t need to buy your nappies before the baby arrives so can wait and see what gender and size and shape they are before making your choice.

For the first week I’d strongly recommend using disposables as the first few bowel movements are very thick and tarry and hard to wash out of a reusable. You can then use muslin clothes folded into an outer liner for the next 2-3 months as most nappy systems are a little large until the baby reaches 3 months or so. By that point you’ll probably have decided whether you want to continue with reusables or have already switched to disposables.

rach_k

We just used a fleece liner for the meconium. Wipe it out with some loo roll and then the rest washed out fine in a normal wash.

There are 'one size' or 'one size fits most' nappies available that will fit most babies will from around 8 weeks old until potty training. Some fit from birth but they can be bulky! There's no harm in bulky nappies (it supports the baby's hips in a good position) but if you prefer a smaller look, you can buy smaller newborn nappies or many nappy libraries will lend you newborn nappies for a couple of months so you never need to buy them.

DigForVictory

+1 for nappy libraries if humanly possible

+1 for disposables for a few days as my lads' meconium made marmite swirled in engine grease look approachable. It is not an inherently Bad Thing to have a few disposables in case whilst intending to operate largely in cloth.

Whatever you do, be prepared for criticism, but face it down with a robustly cheerful small person. If your little person is happy, the critics can go take up nalbinding. (Very historic way of wasting time with a single needle & short lengths of wool - those skilled thereat are cherished & can still be stone wrong on what makes your little person happy.)

Do not fall for the classic "Terries must be white" - the Australians do them in All Sorts of colours & they are great fun at baby clinic, perfectly functional & not harder to wash. They also photograph brilliantly, but you may prefer to reward only those who do nappy changes with the dazzling colours.

Nor that "nappies must be terry cotton" - a small baby in the coming hoped for heat will appreciate the miracle that is muslin, and as time passes you can extend the range of fabrics to tots in tweed (wool is definitely possible) & huggable in hemp. (Your nappy library may struggle but if you don't ask & try you certainly won't get.)

Liners - abakhan do fleece by weight - cut your own from all varieties and patterns of fleece & enjoy the freedom of expression! (Offcuts can be made into a crib blanket & generally used to spook the sensitive.)

Very best of luck & likewise with the remaining few weeks & delivery!

mr_knight

I'm a huge reusable fan but I would recommend either visiting a nappy library as suggested, or contacting the nappy lady. I used reusable day and night and found them bomb proof. For me it wasn't just the money but also the huge environmental impact disposable nappies have. They're also better for babies hips.

However I didn't use them fir the first few weeks because they poo so often, the last thing I needed was a ton of washing. I also didn't use them on holiday because its easier not to worry about the extra washing when you get home.

YBR

Start with disposables until you're over the first few weeks.
Then visit a nappy library and choose what suits before spending on it. Alternatively the NCT and 2nd hand sites may make it cheaper.
Don't feel guilty if you switch back to disposables on holiday, or carry round one or 2 for emergencies.

Then consider washable wipes (some brands like cheeky wipes but you could equally use flannel cloths). We used these at home but not when out, whereas we used washable nappies most of the time. We very rarely used liners in them.

I found that washables were much better than disposables at containing a poo-splosion, but the velcro wore out on 2nd child (I managed to replace it - the nappy maker sold replacements) so you may find poppers are longer lasting.

I now have a huge stack of cloths (cotton and bamboo nappy stuffers) for every cleaning job under the sun. My mother still uses the terry cloths from my infancy in the same way. Very good value!