I've bought my first mcn- I'm crossing over to the dark side!!

[Lolli]

*ahem* I never thought I'd be posting here the laziest person on earth has bought her first mcn.

I've been meaning to for a while, but it's all been too confusing. There was too much to choose from, and I've never seen them for sale IRL. But today i was walking past a new shop and they had them for sake. So I bought a Pea Pod for $20.

So, my questions are- Is that an ok price (did i get ripped off) and are they an ok brand?

Do I really not need to soak them? can I really throw them in with the rest of my wash? i do a load of washing every night, can i just pop them in with that? (Noting here that atm we don't have very many poo nappies from dd- only one a week- but I'm thinking I'll invest in one of those Little Squirt thingies before we start solids @ six months). Can I really put them in the dryer?

And if I decide to go full time, how many will I need? And what's with the liners?

Sorry, lots of questions. Any info much appreciated. i'm off to have a lurk around this previously unexplored part of the forum

[*TripleJ*]

welcome to the dark side lol

im not sure about the brand coz ive never used them but i havent heard good things

i wouldnt reccomend putting them in with ur other washing as they only need half as much powder as ur normal clothes and if they have PUL in them i also wouldnt reccommend using the dryer

we have about 24 for full time and thats 3 days worth washing every 2 days so theres some while drying

HTH

wow i just realised i have over a thousands posts lol bit slow

[Lolli]

Hmm, J I only use half a scoop of washing powder with our clothes anyway, is that the only reason you can't put them with the rest of the wash? i think when we start to get more stinky ones I'd wash them seperately.

Do you soak them in water between washes, or dry soak them?

[briggsy's girl]

Lolli - i dry pail DD's nappies all the time - never soak them - even if we have a dirty nappy, it gets rinsed and just put in the bucket as is. soaking is bad for the elastic in MCN's.

i don't wash nappies with other washing as we have a washing machine that has a nappy cycle - it pre-rinses the nappies, washes them on a hot wash (i only ever wash clothes cold) and use minimal powder. i never dry the shells in the dryer, but in the worst of winter have put the booster/inners to dry in the dryer when it's taing took long to dry them on the airer.

i too havent' heard great reports about peapods so don't have any in my stash

[*TripleJ*]

mine just go into a bucket i rinse them if they are pooey and they go in the bucket 2 but if u do do full time u will end up doing a load every 2 days of just nappies

[Lolli]

Thanks girls, all very useful info

Do I take the liners out to wash them? (All very dumb questions, I know, sorry )

What's a goo brand, and where is a good place to by them online? My dd is fairly tiny (6 kilo) and average chubbiness, wide a wide leg space (is that relevant info?). I want something that will last for a fe months at least.

[wysiwyg]

I got some PeaPods (Pocket style - bamboo inners x4) second hand from my cousin, and while they are not my favourite, they seem to work ok, but I do tend to only use at home. I have also used the inserts in my other pocket nappies (BumGenius and GreenKids pockets which really like, are not very trim but neither is my DD and these will last till she is out of nappies) so have come in useful when running out of dry inserts.

I just take the middles out put in dry bucket, until wash. I wash nappies every other day, do a rinse cycle before the wash cycle and I often add baby clothes after the rinse cycle and seems fine. I don't have a dryer so not sure about that.

[briggsy's girl]

there are a number of MPM's who see MCN's (won't list cos i don't want to inadvertantly miss someone!)

if you jump into the cloth nappy threads you'll see a lot of names crop up. i would probably jump in there and explain your DD's body size and get some feedback on nappies that will be a good fit. some factors can make or break a nappy for an individual child - crotch width being one of them. as long as you can get a nappy with good crotch width for your bubba (thankfully DD fits most nappies, but some border on too wide) and to ensure it isn't too big around the legs (leg gape = leakage!)

you can look for nappies that are one size fits most but they tend to be wider in the crotch and may not fit so well at the moment...

[~Kim~]

So, my questions are- Is that an ok price (did i get ripped off) and are they an ok brand?
You didn't get ripped off.....they're usually $17-$20 ish. Look Peapods don't get a great rap, but I started with them and they suited us just fine. The red one sucks cos they always leak, but the other colours are fine. I still use my boosters (the pockets dies long ago) and they are nealry 3 years old

Do I really not need to soak them?

Don't if you don't have to. It ruins the elastic

can I really throw them in with the rest of my wash?

Yep, If I've only got wee ones I do. Poo i don't though. But we go through enough that there is enough for a load on their own at the end of two days.

Can I really put them in the dryer?

You can but sun is better for the PUL and the elastic in the long run

And if I decide to go full time, how many will I need?

how many times a day do you change her? Add a couple of extra and work out how many days you want to wash. I've had plenty in my time. Nate had up to 60 in rotation to start with. I've culled and we're probably down to about 30 I reckon....but I love them and have had them since DD was small.

And what's with the liners?

I only use liners (micro fleece not disposable or flushable) if he's sick with gastro or got nappy rash.

There are heaps of online stores. It also depends on the make of your bub as to what works best. SOme of the nappies everyone else love on here just don't suit Nate, whereas I have a few that others don't rate.

[~Kim~]

woops, just got what you meant about 'liners'. Did you mean the stuff that goes in the pocket?

I leave mine together in the pail and pull it out when I put them in the wash. They don't come out on their own.

[Lolli]

woops, just got what you meant about 'liners'. Did you mean the stuff that goes in the pocket?

Umm, yeah, that's what i meant- the bamboo thingy that goes in the pocket But I was going to ask about liners too, so you saved me the trouble!

Well, I just used the pea pod on dd for three hours (including a two hour sleep) ad I am sold on mcn's. No leakage at all, just as dry as a disposable, and so cute with the big bumness

i think I'm going to try an IttiBitti and a Baby Beehind, see what I like and go from there

What do you do for night time? DD is sleeping through, and i'm reluctant to wake her to change her nappy.

[briggsy's girl]

i use baby beehind hemp or bamboo nappies with a maz cover overnight - DD doesn't have a nappy change for 12 hours-ish, and has never leaked from that combo

[wysiwyg]

I use a Green Kids with a bamboo insert and also have never had a leak in the 12 hours on.

[leckert]

I just wrote a nice reply and the computer ate it
Anyway,

I love the ittis o/night and DS rarely needs a change. I only change if he smells like he needs one (wee or poo) as he still wakes during the night. Some nights I don't change at all, and others only a couple of times at most. With the ittis you can get an extra mini booster to snap in if your child is a heavy wetter, mine's only a medium so I don't bother with it (got one to try but didn't need it).

Occasionally I'll use a green kids (GKs) pocket nappy with a bamboo booster and insert in it (usually only if it's close to when he might go down but might still stay awake/ have a short nap but sometimes he surprises me and goes for a longer nap) I think for me the itti's have more absorbancy - well I trust them more than the GKs even though they probably are as good as each other.

[*TripleJ*]

we use dedicated night nappies coz DS is a heavy wetter
we have a bubblebubs Good night sleep tight and a wild child night nappy but i did use the babybeehinds bamboo before he wet that much
and im currently waiting on some of babybeehinds new night nappiesn have to see how they go

[briggsy's girl]

ihave some Mazalicious night nappies too - forgot about those! they are absorbant - use them more on cooler nights when she has had a lot to drink during hte day...

[Lolli]

Hehe would you believe she just had a sleep in a 'sposie and leaked?

'Nother question- is the pea pod a pocket nappy? Can I add more inserts to make ot them more absorbent? What's an all-in-one?

They seem so spensive, I have to keep reminding myself they aren't, really, in the big scheme of things.

[leckert]

Can't help with the peapod (avoided buying these) but All-in-one (aka AIO) is treated basically the same as a sposie - as in it's all in one piece - just rinse (if pooped, or after being on all night - usually stinks), dry pail and then wash, hang out to dry and then use again. You don't have to do anything to with inserts or snap in stuff. they do tend to take longer to dry though.