disposable vs reusable nappies

[curly amy]

hello,

i wonder if anyone can offer me advice on nappies? my baby is due in 7 weeks and i have bought an initial batch of newborn huggies to see me through the first few days/ week.

I am interested in using a more ethical nappie solution and wondered if anyone knows of a scheme where a company brings reusable nappies and takes dirties in the local area? Or whether there are any particular thoughts on or recommendations for reusable nappies?

Hoping someone can help me get to grips with this!

Thanks,

amy x

[Pickle]

Hi Amy,

Cloth nappies have been discussed a lot on the forum, the most recent discussion is here.

There's a link to another post in that thread, but I think there's been a clearout on the forum of old messages so it doesn't work anymore which is a shame as it had lots of good info in it. It's well worth contacting Molly (The Nappy Lady), she's the lady to speak to with regards to nappies!

I'm sure there are laundry services provided, but I've never felt I needed to use them - I had both a baby and a toddler in cloth for over a year and never found it too difficult to get them washed and dried myself.

Good luck.

[The Nappy Lady]

Hi Amy,

I would be delighted to help you with this dilemma!

The Nappy Lady is a free advice service which is designed to help those who want to use cloth nappies to do so successfully.

A good place to start is our website www.thenappylady.co.uk which has tonnes of useful info on it (including this list of pros and cons to nappy laundry services):

http://www.thenappylady.co.uk/public/articledetails.aspx?id=53

You can also complete a Tailored Advice Questionnaire on our website, from this I will prepare a detailed advice letter for you, with loads of info and details of the system I feel will best meet your personal priorities.

You can then come along to one of my demos in Nunhead if you want, but we also have demo videos on You Tube now, broken down into various sections, so it makes it very easy to find out all you need to know by watching these in your own time at home. The various sections are listed on this page of the website;

http://www.thenappylady.co.uk/public/articledetails.aspx?id=281

I hope this helps, and look forward to maybe speaking to you soon. If you call and don't get me just leave a message - I fit this in around another part time job, 2 kids and a demanding hubby, so can't always get to the 'phone right away!

Molly

molly.dilnot@thenappylady.co.uk

07977 130318

[trinity]

Lots of people worry about the laundry of the nappies but really it is very little bother to wash them yourself.

The Nappy Lady has lots of info on how to make it all as easy as possible eg using liners and the mesh bag for nappies in the nappy bin so don't let the thought of the washing put you off.

[sparkle]

dear Amy,

re-usable nappies are definitely a good way to go, and as pickle says, the washing part is really not that bad. I'm not sure exactly how the laundry services work, but to some extent you'll be dealing with the poo anyway. If you get good, shaped nappies with good wraps and liners, then most of the time you will just be washin wet nappies, which go straight into the machine. Especially once they are weaned.

If you are wanting an ethical option then using a laundry service may not be the answer- in a study they came out, i think as the worst environmentally. This was compared to washing yourself, and I thin (if i remember correctly) to disposibles. This is beacause of all that extra petrol coming to collect, and they wash the nappies a lot hotter than you need to at home. They are also fairly pricey.

[hanstands]

I love my reusables and don;t mind the washing part at all - some nappies dry faster than others...some are more easy to put on off, some are more reliable, some more colourful...I guess you;ve to decide what your priorities are and try few different types and brands of nappies. I did this v cheaply by buying secondhand on: http://www.clothnappytree.com/forum. When I found a style and brand that worked for me and baby I bought some newer ones, either from this site or from other companies. I must add though it is very hard trying to choose your nappies until baby arrives as the baby's shape, size and gender all affect which nappy would be best for you.

The ones I prefer are brightly coloured+crazy designed 'pocket' nappies, these are very easy to put on/off [they don;t need a wrap] and quick to dry [brands include: Minki/Weenotions/Bumgenius/Wahmies/Mommy's Touch/Funky Nappy]. I also use fitted nappies with wraps as they usually last a little longer between changes [brands: Tots Bots 'Fluffles' are my favorite as they are super soft and snuggly and quick to dry - I use these with a MotherEase velco-fastening wrap.

Hope this helps you a bit! Am also happy to show you my nappy stash if you think that might help too...[but I have none to sell you though]...

[curly amy]

sorry for lack of response on my part ladies - internet went down!

THANK YOU THANK YOU to each and every one of you - I really appreciate you taking the time to response.

Will def be plaguing the nappy lady for more info - thanks.

Amy xxx

[curly amy]

0

[esme]

my baby is due on 22 march - i got a voucher from southwark council (?40!) and just bought some nappies online from clean green nappy machine... am slightly fearful but have heard so many good things about how easy reusables are that i have just got a cpl of packs of pampers and some enviro friendly ones (which health matters on lordship lane stock but larger Boots stores do cheaper, as i guess they can buy in bulk). ooh all very exciting (not the poo obviously but the whole baby thing!). maybe we can compare notes when the time comes!!

[The Nappy Lady]

....sob....esme.....how could you??!!!!

Molly ;-)

[SparkyUK]

I've ordered nappies from babipur.oo.uk a couple of times. They are lovely people and helped me out when I had a few problems. Fav brands are bumgenius (and their new Flip) and I do love the itti bitti d'lish but they aren't the best fit on my son as he has chunky thighs and great a big tum-drum too! I find the all-in-2s or pockets the best for ease and fast drying - never did get on with the inner plus wrap systems but I think you really can get used to anything.

I haven't found washing to be a problem really. A bit nicer in the summer when we can line dry (and I was surprised at how the sun really does bleach out stains!) but still not that bad in the winter.

[The Nappy Lady]

Hi Sparky,

Just seen your other thread...you will probably find pockets leaky with your new baby, but you can use a folded muslin fasted with a Nappi Nippa underneath and then use the Bumgenius just as a wrap over the top. I know you said you don't like two piece systems in general, but for those explosive newborn poos this is your best bet if you want to use cloth from birth this time (not sure what you did first time around).

If you want to see the latest nappies and things first hand I have a huge demo stash and am based in Nunhead, just the other side of East Dulwich, so a lot closer than babipur (I see you are not in East Dulwich from the other thread, so thought you might not know about me / the service).

Good luck with baby number 2.

Molly

x