What to put in my starter kit

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

I liked all the same at first, now I like a mix of nappies depending on what we're doing that day.

I'd say you'll need 2 nappy buckets (so you aren't washing every day - 2 buckets is a full load for me). Flannels for washing the bum and a small pot for warm water - or just prepare the flannel before you remove the nappy. I use old plastic shopping bags as nappy bags when we're out for just a couple of hours as a "just in case" - they're free and you can throw them when you get home and take the nappy out.

I'd suggest about 30 nappies so if you can't wash one day you can wait a day without worrying about nappies.

Different types of nappies...

Grab some big one-size ones for night-times. OK, you'll change in the night more often at first but later on you don't want to be doing that. Maybe 4-5 of those, I'd recommend a nappy with attached liner that you can stuff up a bit, like a fluffle. And you won't need to replace these as your baby grows.

Grab 1-2 all in one nappies too. They're handbag sized and easier to change in a shopping centre.

Fleece liners - make these from just cutting up a big bit of fleece.

If you're going to line-dry, microfibre and fleece nappies are soft so great for nappy rash. Bamboo, cotton and hemp go very stiff but are wonderful when tumble-dried - I often give mine a quick 5 mins in the dryer once they are dry.

Check out on-line nappy retailers, especially ones that sell different named products. If you like a particular brand, these often have a no-name generic one that is IDENTICAL (believe me, I've tried) that's often up to ?5 cheaper (that's over AU$10).

Good luck with it all.

Oh, and don't be afraid to buy a pack of disposables for use in the hospital or in the early days. We usually have a few disposables hanging around. If you sign up to the big brand baby websites now they send you free nappies and money-off vouchers and we have those as emergency nappies! It really saves a LOT of money, especially if a grandma wants to babysit but can't cope with real nappies - although the bumgenius and the AIO nappies are great here. (I let the grandmas buy the disposables, btw, but some people are a bit kinder to their free babysitters.)

Have you thought about a swim nappy or is that not on the agenda yet?