Cloth nappies vs disposable nappies.

[karter]

Hi there,

Any experiences with different types of nappy please? We are thinking of using disposable ( eco friendly as/if possible).

Are cloth nappies really hard work and why do people complain of them leaking? Which brands are recommended and do parents stick with them or convert to disposables? Which is better for baby, cloth or disposable? I guess baby k will start off with disposables soon in the hospital.:-S:-S:):))

Many thanks.

[Pickle]

I used disposables for the first 10 months with my son then switched to cloth nappies. My daughter was in cloth from birth. Good cloth nappies don't leak, they are really reliable.

Not hard work at all - throw the dirty nappy in a bucket, every other day put the whole lot in the washing machine at 60 degrees (I also used to put towels etc. in to make up a load if needed).

The huge benefit is that your child will become aware of when he/she is wet quite a lot younger than those in disposables, so you'll be out of nappies quicker!

[Gidders]

What Pickle said - I used disposables until 10 months and now use cloth only in the daytime. Not hard work at all, although you do need to change them more often. We use disposables at night for this reason.

I like using them. They actually smell a lot less, I think because disposables have a chemical gel core which stinks when in contact with wee. The really thin disposables absolutely stank, and since using cloth I notice it a lot more.

My daughter does have an absolutely enormous bum in cloth though. But I think it is quite cute.

As far a brands go, I think it's a personal decision. We did a trial though a website called babykind. Basically they put together a load of different kinds and we had them for two weeks. It was really useful, because there is a mind boggling array of cloth nappies out there. For what it's worth we use real easy nappies by Hip Hip Baby and Charlie Banana.

[sanity girl]

Hi, I used disposables for my first, cloth for second baby (but disposables at night) - wish I'd used cloth for my first. They leak far less than disposables and are not much hassle at all. As said above they also smell less. I have tried a few different types and have ended up using a mixture of smartipants, flip and tots bots easyfit - all nice and trim fitting, quick drying and pretty leak proof. They are also one size so you can use them from birth through until toddlerhood. I got mine from this website Fill your pants - their prices are good and they do good trial packs. Also don't forget you can get your Real Nappies for London ?40 voucher to spend on cloth nappies!

Re. eco disposables - I think nature babycare and moltex are both good, also sainsburys eco ones seem ok.

[LauraHW]

Don't mean to sound sanctimonious and I do use a mixture of cloth and disposables but think "eco-disposables" are a bit of a con. I mean they all end up in landfill sites anyway. What's eco about them?

[Mellors]

I used cloth nappies and wipes right through with both mine, and will be doing again with No 3. If nothing else it saves you ????. The odd time I've used disposables e.g. on holiday, I was astounded to get through about ?10 - ?15 of nappies a week, and the horrid stinky full bin was enough to put me right off. My whole set up, which will have done me three kids, cost me about ?200 - ?300 or so, and I'll have had 3 x ?40 vouchers from the council towards that. ?10 a week x 3 kids x 2 years = about ?3,000 saved by my reckoning?

Mine rarely leaked (and if they did its because I was pushing it and not changing often enough!), and I agree with just sticking them in a bucket then chucking them in the wash every couple of days. No hassle given the amount of washing you're doing anyway. I made up loads with babygros, towels etc.

I don't know if its related, but both mine were out of nappies at just over 2, much sooner than lots of their disposable wearing mates. Hurray!

Plus they look cute :))

[cuppa tea]

cloth nappies are great. Not a hassle. It's mostly about getting used to them. I put my 2nd in disposables at night, as I got a bit suspicious that he was sleeping better because of them, as he felt drier, and was too scared to change it! Used cloth with my first also. I think we have saved an absolute fortune!! Even since my first baby the cloth nappies have really improved their design. You can get really slim fitting ones now. You also get the ?40 from Southwark for each child. The only potential down side is that i need to change them every couple of hours as my kids are nappy rash prone, whereas disposables I can get away with not changing them as much.

I have to agree that I think eco-disposables are also a bit of a con. Moltex are better, but even they don't completely biodegrade. I don't think the Sainsbury's ones biodegrade at all. I do use them as well as cloth, but I really think they need to up their game.

[MichelleT]

Another cloth lover here. Bub is in bambo disposables at night and in a mix of pocket nappies by day. He was a reflux baby so a bit more washing made no difference.

I agree about ecodisposables, but if they use less bleach and plastic in the manufacture, that has to be a good thing surely? And better for the baby's skin too I would have thought.

[mrs f]

No actual experience as I'm still waiting for my baby to arrive, but go to the real nappies for London website to see the cost comparison between Eco disposables & cloth, & if you get a chance go along to one of Molly (aka the nappy lady)'s sessions on cloth to gauge an idea of how easy cloth can be... & the benefits of using them which includes being less prone to leaks (when using a 2 part system) than disposables

I've just brought a set of cloth nappies on the forum for about ?40 and then brought some other bits from the nappy lady website like liners & wipes for about ?60 & have our baby kitted out from birth to 10 months, we will then need the next size up of nappy which will prob be about ?150 new max & we can use this for other babies if we have any more!

Also, not sure Eco nappies are really Eco, but they will contain less chemicals so better for your baby but not really any environmental benefits.

You can do trials of cloth via the nappy lady website too if you still weren't convinced

Good luck with the new arrival!

[karter]

Thanks all. We may do both also as this seems most practical. A plus side perhaps is that if we get caught out at night a trip to Sainsburys will not be necessary for disposables, if we have cloth nappies to hand. Thanks for your feedback and experiences.

[damzel]

I started using cloth nappies part time (my CM didn't want to play ball) when my daughter was 9 months. They were great but I struggled to dry them as I don't have a dryer and obviously I didn't have enough. I eventually stopped using them a year later, not sure why, I just fell of the wagon. HOWEVER, if only I had perservered! Really regret it now as we are having problems with potty training and kiddies that learn from an early age what it feels like to wee and be wet, find the whole process much easier. Nappies that take all the moisture away aren't doing you any long term favours, and babies don't get nappy rash from wee anyway!

[The Nappy Lady]

Hi Karter,

It is well worth giving cloth a go for all the reasons listed above.

Also if using cloth nappies you can use washable wipes too - much, much nicer than either cotton wool or wet wipes (again loaded with chemicals) & on these alone you will save about ?300 over 4 years, which effectively pays for your cloth nappies!

I do my demos on the 3rd Wednesday of every month at Ivydale School Childrens Centre in Nunhead 9.30-11am, however I don't think the April one will happen due to school holidays so the next one will be in May.

In the meantime a good place to start is The Nappy Lady website - take 5 mins to complete the tailored advice questionnaire & you will get a detailed letter back advising on the best system for your specific circumstances. Also lots of information, either to read or by watching the on line You Tube videos. It really does take the headache out of choosing & working out how you use cloth nappies - it's where I started out 7 years ago when pregnant with my first!

www.thenappylady.co.uk

My 2 potty trained at 25 months & 27 months and I'm positive using cloth helped them to understand 'cause & effect'. 2 years in nappies is quite long enough, even for a nappy lover like me LOL!

Good luck with everything.

How lovely to have a cloth nappy thread - not had one of these for ages :))

[cuppa tea]

I'd second washable wipes. They're fantastic and so so easy. Even if you decide not to use washable nappies they are still worth it. I didn't use them with my first kid, but wish i had thought of it.

[23charlie]

Hi ladies

I too love cloth nappies although not used properly yet as little one not here yet (was due April 1st!). Would any of you be interested in a cloth nappy coffee morning once a month to discuss what nappies using at the moment - how well they are working, maybe swap some to try some other makes out for free or trading some that have grown out of/ not getting on with? I am happy to organise and host at my place or we could take turns in hosting at our own places?

Let me know if there is interest. I love cloth nappies and would be great to have a cloth nappy chats in the flesh. Will set a new post up with info of this to try and drum up interest.

Sue

[Otta]

We had good intentions, and tried with cloth, but frankly, there was enough shit to deal with, without making things more difficult. I know, bad people.