Reuseable cloth nappies

Kat78MFW

If you have a small newborn, you will likely need to start with muslins and a booster (can use a thin flannel folded in half) and a xs wrap. My favourite wraps were Thirsties and Motherease. You need to just make sure that all the absorbant Terry fabric is entirely tucked away into the wrap to prevent wee wicking onto clothes. Velcro fastening wraps are easier to ensure a good snug fit around the legs and waist. If you have a chunkier newborn then you can go straight into the terry squares. 

I used to use a newborn fold from the nappylady site and a nappy nippa or two are essential. To keep babies bottom dry, you need a layer of fleece between the nappy and their skin. You can use an old fleece blanket or a metre of fleece fabric from eBay and cut it into rectangles about the same size as a flannel folded in half.

Initially, you probably need about 12 muslins, 12 boosters and 12 liners plus 2 or 3 wraps. You only have to change the outer wrap if it gets soiled or once a day. No need for the papery disposable liners that you can buy. The washable fleece ones are much better. Newborn poo is just liquid anyway and once eating solids you just hold the fleece liner in the toilet and flush the solid away. Or use a bucket and a hand held shower spray to rinse and pour the bucket contents down the loo.

No need to soak - just store in a lidded bucket and throw it all in the wash. Any stains from newborn poo will bleach out if you can get the nappies out in the sun. Good luck and come back and ask questions if you need any help. It's definitely worth persevering with washables as you will save money as well as the reduction in your rubbish. Also, once you have completed your family, the muslins and terries can be cut up and used for cleaning cloths and the wraps can be sold or passed on. 

YBR

rach_k said:

Cotton terries are useful for years after you've finished with nappies, so if you buy a few and don't get on with them it'll never be a waste.  I still use them now and my youngest is 9 years old!

My mother still uses them, and I'm 44!
We don't know what people do who never had Terries.

TomokoAdhami

Though a variety of reusable nappies are available but if you want economical ones then I can suggest TotsBots Bamboozle. They are good absorbents and the UK made ones. Similarly, I love the fluffy stuff of LittleLamp. They are not only economical but also super handy. You can pick size 1 for newborn from 7lbs to 20lbs. By the way, there is also options of size 2 and 3.  

vulpix

Very interesting views here.I used terry nappies 29 years ago for my son and the same ones for my daughter two years later.They were actually the nappies my Mum had used for me and my brother.They were getting thin by the time my daughter used them but I used two together.They then served many more years as cleaning cloths until they finaly became floor cloths and binned.It was "oddball" to use terry nappies 29 years ago but I was and still am eco aware.There were at the time commercial cloth nappies with shape and velcro.They were very soon discovered to be inferior.As for wet bedding,I never experienced it once.It is more work but to me a small price.My routine was flush solids or rinse off in the toilet then rinse in the sink then into a bucket with water and soda crystals.When the bucket was full empty into the bath squeeze out and wash in the washing machine.I never had stains and I loved to see a line of nappies blowing in the wind.In winter I had a clothes maiden and radiators.No fabric softener as it inhibits absorbency.I must also say both my children were toilet trained early.I think it is because they could feel when they had "been".Modern disposables are so absorbent a child cannot tell if it is wet or not.
Horses for courses of course but give it a go,

musharoom

Thanks for the helpful advice!
I've got a whole load of muslins at the ready, some boosters, 4 wraps and some fleece liners at the ready.

I intend to dry the flat nappies in the same way I dry my regular laundry - on an airer or next to a rad, but as I don't have much space I won't be able to leave thick modern 'all in one just like disposable but not' nappies hanging for days on end as I'll have more washing to do before the first lot are dry!

I wonder how long I'll be able to use muslins for? Any ideas whether they'll last baby 2 weeks, 2 months or more?!

Drawingaline

Hi

I used Terry squares with all of my four. (Oldest is 16, youngest is 8). Two ways of folding, one when they are baby is smaller and one when they are bigger. I used muslin squares from two weeks until maybe 4-5 weeks (eco disposal from birth to two weeks.) I used nappy nippas to hold them together and either disposable liners or cut up fleece blankets for liners.

I never got on with the top wraps and always used plastic pants, cheap ones from boots, or better quality ones from twinkle on the web. 

I loved them, and my husband got used to them too. We did have a tumble dryer, we had a flat with no central heating when I had our first, so a dryer was a must. But they would dry on an airer with some sort of heat source fine.

I also used disposables on occasions. I would always have one in my nappy bag pocket. So would pack one or two reusable and a spare covering, but sometimes we would be caught out and the disposable was a lifesaver. I also used them if we were staying away from home, and as they got bigger I found them better at night. So if you find reusables hard work, maybe think if a system where by you can use disposables part time, minimise your waste and environmental impact, but don't put yourself under crazy pressure. 

And do bare in mind that clothes are often not cut for reusables. Number 4 lived in cute £2 leggings from eBay which had a lot of give around the bottom. 

Cjstonemk

I use terry squares with my 20 month old daughter, along with a few modern cloth nappies. Terries are great! They're versatile, absorbent, easy to wash and once you have the hang of the folds they're easy to use as well. I couldn't stand the thought of thousands of plastic nappies ending up in landfill so we've used reusables and I'd never go back. I use cotton terries for night with a bamboo booster and I use 100% bamboo ones for the day as they're a little slimmer to fit under clothing. Good luck! 

clarejones

I would def recommend the modern style of reusable nappies.