Cloth Nappy General Discussion #202

[Frangipani Lou]

What do you thinks happening Ladylove? Is your DD perhaps a bit dehydrated? Could it be the food that she's having?

Thanks all for info on heavy wetting. I've been thinking it over. I've started putting the extra boosters that I have in the nappies and its helping. I'm getting maybe 3 hours out of a nappy now. I'm also in the process of strip washing again but on 60 degrees. Time to but some more boosters!

[Frangipani Lou]

Another quick question...
What's more absorbent please ... Microfibre it bamboo?
The mini bamboo soakers are out of stock and I haven't used microfibre before.

TIA

[Ladylove]

Hmm I'm not sure it has anything to do with dehydration? It was a wet heavy nappy.

Not sure which inserts would be more absorbent.

[LuluHB]

Bamboo is far far far more absorbent than microfiber, but absorbs more slowly than the microfibre does, but a combination of both works best here because microfibre absorbs very quickly taking the wee away from her skin, and then the bamboo starts absorbing keeping it all in and preventing leaks ITMS. Most of DD3's nappies now are bamboo with a microfibre topper of some kind.

[Pholi]

Ladylove, I know exactly what you mean with the ammonia wee and redness that isn't a rash. DS (11 months now) gets that in bouts, and it seems to be associated with teething or sickness. A few weeks of this resulted in the deterioration of so many of our nappies when he was about 5 months. We got through another big bout at 7 months, too.

Watch out for that redness, it is effectively a light acid burn, and if it keeps going, can result in layers of skin peeling off (like in bad sunburn.) It also is prone to blistering, for us the skin where the elastic sat was where this happened. I think it's because the elastic made the skin in strong contact with the acid wee. We use lots and lots of Magic Stick but it didn't seem to have any real protective effect. You might have a better MCN friendly balm, or be prepared to use the zinc-based creams. Frequent nappy changes made sense to us.

Re the nappies, consider rinsing them immediately, or wetpailing to dilute the wee, and/or washing every day instead of every second day. People suggested bicarb soda in the nappy bucket, but I think I would have needed heaps (like cupfuls) to have made a difference. Certainly a generous sprinkle didn't make a difference.

On the plus side, inhaling a lungful of ammonia fumes seemed to clear up a cold I had!

[Ladylove]

Thanks Pholi I read somewhere else that it could also be urine residue in the nappies so I might have to strip wash. My problem is we can't get hot water into our washing machine, the pipe always locks if we try and only cold comes out. But I've soaked in hot water in the laundry trough before, with a bit of eucalyptus oil, then washed in cold in a long cycle then rinsed lots.

[Saffy]

ladylove we have frequent ammonia wees, esp after a night in the same nappy, it is coinciding with teething symptoms here. I can smell it when i walk into the bedroom at night!!! DD gets a red bum but it is very temporary and Magic Stick clears it usually.
It nearly knocks you out- not surprised Pholi it cleared your cold lol
My sisters bub has it too ( in sposies).
My nappies smell normal after a wash tho, I rinse and dry pail, then wash in warm water.

[Jennifer13]

What is this Magic Stick? I use MooGoo, but would like an alternative.

WOHB: Random NN with booster, wool cover

[Pholi]

Magic Stick is a Grovia product. It's an MCN safe (obviously), wind-up stick one, which I love, cos then it doesn't get on my fingers.

Even at the height of our ammonia wee stages, a normal nappy wash was fine - the nappies smelt totally clean and fresh after a wash. I never did a strip wash, and his nappies and wee returned to normal once the teething settled down.

[Ladylove]

It could be teething actually because being 18 months, the teeth have been coming thick and fast for the last few months- she almost has a full set! Just missing incisors and bottom back molars. Everything else is up or just cutting.

[Frangipani Lou]

An update on the leaks. I spoke with Georgia at itti and she wants me to send some pics of DD in her nappies to see of they are fitting right. I'm sure part of it is how I put them on cause its always around her left leg where it leaks. Im also sure that she's become a heavy wetter cause of the amount of water she guzzles. While I wait for more boosters, I'm using bamboo Swaggers wash cloths as boosters and its working well.

[Jennifer13]

Thanks LL, must be why I haven't seen it around, because GroVias didn't work for us in the NB stage so I stopped looking at them.

DD2 has heaps of teeth too now! She already has all her back molars and just a few gaps in the middle towards the back top and bottom. Quite bizarre really. I didn't notice any difference with DD1, but she does not have sensitive skin where DD2 certainly does. Still staying on top of the rash with MooGoo, but it's not cleared up for more than a day at a time.

I need more liners too, so might go online shopping.

WOHB: This morning - White pea pods, but DP is home with her today, so probably a TotsBots by now

[Pholi]

FL, Thor has been drinking heaps of water recently, too, as he increases his solids intake, I guess, but also because he has recently learnt to use the hand sign for 'drink', so he can ask for one whenever he wants (which is about 20 times a day!) we had a bad day a couple of days ago, going through 4 pairs fo trousers in a day!! Despite boosters! Then, he's been fine again since. :shrug:

[Lady-bug]

Hi ladies, I'm after some new nappies, I'm pregnant with number 3 and DS2 just used all of DS1's nappies but they have pretty much had it now. That was over 4 years ago. I mainly used Greenkids and BBH's. I'm not a fan of itti's.
So what are popular nappies now, what does everyone love?

[Ladylove]

Cheeky Butts are super cheap if you catch the sales and clearance items. I also love Bambooty, I've used them on DD since birth (sizing up as she grows) and they are a lovely compact nappy although when she was younger, pre-solids, we did have leak issues as she was a heavy wetter but boosters fixed that.

I also have Coco Baby, really beautiful prints but not the best fit around the hips as my others.

I also have Itti, probably my favourite brand!

[Jennifer13]

I have a very mixed stash, lots of secondhand purchases and giveaways. If I were to buy new I tend to go BBHs and I would probably get some more Swaddlebees and Peapods. But honestly, see what kind of sales are on and what worked for you with your two DSs. Congrats btw! I'm cooking no 3 as well, but only used MCNs for DD2.

WOHB: iPlay swim nappy (swimming lessons with DP!)

[Ladylove]

As a side note I only just worked out what WOHB means.

Most of my stash is sales stuff too. I don't think I've ever bought a full price nappy. I've always wanted to try Twinkle Lily Trimesters.

ETA-

WOHB: Cheeky Butts OSFM pocket in retro apple print.

[HotI]

Most of my stash is sales stuff too. I don't think I've ever bought a full price nappy.

I am the same. never bought a full price nappy. I have an eclectic stash made from many second hand ones and sales. I have some lovely genesa forge nappies. i have a great newborn batch, with many fitteds but i m not sure of the brand. wish i knew so i could look out for more.

i also have a bag of nappies that need elastic repairs, but i'm not sure if they are worth it, i don't know if i could sell them at all. i guess i could repair them and then pass the ok ones on to someone just starting out.

i am loving wombutts pull-ups on DS at the moment. fit well, very absorbent and not too big in his pants.