My plan for nappies - am I crazy?

[Maruschke]

Hi all,

I am eight weeks pregnant with my first child . We don't have many friends with babies and we are the first of our siblings to have children.

I would really love to have my child sleep in cloth nappies at night time, especially when they are sleeping through the night.

My plan was to use disposables for the first few weeks while I am finding my feet. Then I would switch to cloth for the longest sleep of the day / night, and if I felt I could cope with the work / if it worked for us, gradually buy more cloth nappies and phase out the disposables unless we were travelling.

Do you think this would work?

I am returning to work two days per week (one day from home, one day at work) when bubs is six months old. DH will work from home the day I am away. I don't want to be super busy washing nappies all day but I do love cloth. My friends have just laughed at me when I bring the idea up. They think I am a glutton for punishment!

Your honest opinions would be great, even from those of you who use disposables all the time.

EDIT: Forgot to add, I would like to buy the fitted cloth nappies on ebay, has anyone tried them?

[Arimeh]

Hi

I used disposables on DS until he was around 15 months old, and then switched over to cloth.

I brought a few so i would have a days worth of him in cloth, and built up my stash so now I have both kids in full time cloth. Including nights. DD is easy at nights still cos she wakes up so we change her, no special night time nappy required. DS has night nappies (and is a big wetter) but he used to leak through disposables (huggies)

I think I had DD in disposables for the first two weeks, cos i didn't want to deal with the horrible black poos you have at the start!!! YUKKOOOOO...

I do a load of nappies every two days, and its not that much work. Its only the one load.

I get a certain pleasure from rolling my trolley straight past the disposables at the supermarket every week!!!!

[visitor1]

I never started cloth til DD2 was 12 weeks old.....couldnt handle to poo in sposies...so no way was i going to attempt it in cloth!!!

I do use sposies when travelling, FDC and if im going to the shops....but cloth for home and night time

ETA: Depends what fitted you looking at eBay....id only buy 'name' brands...least then you know what your buying cos people can give you feedback on them!

[~Raven~]

I don't want to be super busy washing nappies all day

Seriously this won't happen! One load every second day, 10 mins to peg out and 10 mins to bring in an fold. That's it! You'd probably spend more time matching and folding socks together

I did a mix of sposies and flannel nappies from birth. I ended up not using them most of the time and reaching for a cloth from the pile. I found I was getting more leaks from the sposies and having to wash more clothes and bedding so using sposies wasn't making it easier for me!

Be really careful about what you buy from ebay. There are some good ones there but there is also a lot of rubbish too.

[Rach75]

I used good ole fashion flats from when Jack was about 4 weeks, we did use disp when going out or away, and I continued thru tillhe was about 9mths when I noticed he had trouble moving around with the bulk he was a biggish baby, so we went to disp fulltime...btu yeah its possible its not hard...

[Nai]

I put DD in MCN's at about 2 weeks (after the yukky black poo phase) and she has been in them ever since. I work 4 days a week and DP works full time. The washing has minimal impact on our lives. It takes approx 5 extra minutes per day to use MCN's over disposables plus you don't have to keep taking out the rubbish

Your plan is completely do-able although I would probably do it the other way round first ie. have disposables for sleeping and MCN's during wake times. They look so cute in them that you want to see them awake in them.

[Visitor7]

I use mcn full time on both girls as well. When Nina was a baby I used flat terries, but I've now discovered mcn and wouldn't go back to flat terries. Like the others have said, it's only washing every 2nd day, and it doesn't take very long to hang them out, and bring them in.
I too would start using them during the day as opposed to night.

[maz]

I had Mateauz in cloth from day dot and that is with a 2yo in cloth aswell. You'll be thankfull for the 10mins at the washing line for some 'me' time hon. If your worried about time....get a clothes horse for your nappies and one of those round cloth peg holder....you can put all the washed nappies on the clothes horse and peg holder inside and fold it up and move it without rehanging it at any time

I to wash them only every 2nd day. I have no problems with keeping up with the keep of them and it makes me happy to know not only am I saving $$$ off our shopping bill by not buying disposables every week that im actually doing something positive for the enviroment that our children are going to be becoming adults in years to come.

its funny how many people think your mad about something like this....cause its not the 'norm' to do anymore. Its sad that something so simply and easy is seen as insane

Honestly...id stear awayf rom ebay nappy sellers...for the price you pay for them on there you can get decent top of the range nappies from online store. Most offer layby and are very reasonable...and really for the investment of approx $500 for MCN (which you can spend your maternity allownace from the gov from) you'll see your child in cloth until they toilet train....or you can go the sposie route and spend approx $2500.

[Maruschke]

Thanks all for your replies. I have been amazed that the only positive feedback I have received about cloth nappies has been from fellow BB members. Everyone else thinks I am nuts! How annoying .

[Arimeh]

Hey, if you ever want to see some cloth nappies and check out the different brands, let me know and we'll have a meet up and I'll bring some of my stash.

Or you could come up to the coast for a day and I'll show you my entire stash (yes its that big I can't bring it to you.. LOL)

I find it helps when you can actually SEE what we are talking about, touch fabrics, see how things do up, what goes with what.. etc..

[Nai]

I have been amazed that the only positive feedback I have received about cloth nappies has been from fellow BB members.

We are actually a secret cloth nappy cult

Seriously though you will get that respose from people who have never used cloth as their perception is very different from the reality.

[Maruschke]

Oh wow Mel that is incredibly thoughtful of you! Thank you so much.

I am going to the Brissy meet-up, would it be too much to bring your favourite then? If not, I go up the coast once every few months and I'd love to pop in and say hi!

[Maruschke]

We are actually a secret cloth nappy cult

[kellsbells]

I started using cloth nappies full-time when bubs was 1-week old. They were hemp fitted with PUL covers and I loved them. I even used them for outings, 12-hour drive to Melbourne (5-weeks), and trip to the US (8 weeks). I probably would've used disposables more if I had known that the reason the Huggies we had were leaking uncontrollably was because they were too small. Though, it gave me a great opportunity to feel completely comfortable with cloth.

My tips are to get a cloth nappy for nighttime that has good reviews for nighttime absorbency or double up on less absorbent ones. It may take a bit of experimenting to get the right combo so try not to give up on cloth if bubs leaks the first couple tries. Also, unless you are putting bubs on a schedule or you are blessed with a good sleeper, you may find he/she doesn't sleep through the night for many months or even a year or more so you might not want to stock up on expensive nappies in a small size if you'll never really use them.

[Gigi]

i think the reason so many people (who do not even have babies) have such a negative view of cloth nappies, is that they remember the OLD type of nappies. Flat squares of cotton terry, sweaty plastic PVC pilchers, pins and soaking in buckets of Napisan.

If it was STILL like that, i would agree.

but it's not like that anymore. Time has passed, technology has advanced.

WAS cotton flats .............. now is fitteds, prefolds, pockets, AIO's,
WAS pvc pilchers .............. now is PUL, malden mills fleece and wool covers
WAS nappy pins .................now is aplix (industrial velcro) or snaps
WAS soaking in Napisan ........now is drypailing

plus there is the Little Squirt - attachment to your loo which you use to squirt the poo off the nappies.

to learn how to use MODERN CLOTH NAPPIES (MCN),

read up and join some forums like
ozclothnappies
nappycino
check out the MCN threads on belly belly

go to modernclothnappies website to find out about Re-usable Nappy Week, coming up 13 - 19th October. Events are scheduled allover AUstralia.

see the IN REAL LIFE MCN SHOPS list on ozclothnappies - just so you can see some MCN in real life.

Our experience:
we used MCN on our newborn from five days old. THe tar poo was not a problem. We put microfleece liners in her nappies and it came off the liners with using the Little Squirt. We got leaks in sposies and they made her bottom red.

We used MCN night and day from five days old, for all car trips too. Have never had to clean the baby car seat, or change bed linen, due to nappy leaks - so somethign is workign well! Our bub is now 23 months old and i can honestly say i am very happy we have been using MCN on her. It's saved us money, has been very reliable.

Even after a horror C-section, and a very long recovery period for me, i still managed to use the MCN. We raised the nappy bucket next to the loo, we raised the washing machine and the drier inthe laundry, and i changed the nappies on a changetable. so we made it work.

If you are set up to do it, it will work.
If you are not set up to do it - of course it will fall in a hole.

You need to think out the practicalities
- have enough nappies so you don't have to resort to sposies (cos you don't have enough MCN)
- buy a nappy bucket (or two)
- research the little squirt if you are poo phobic like me!
- research the fabrics that MCN are made of, that will enable you to make wiser buying choices. Avoid buying lemons. cos they ARE out there. You need to know WHAT you are buying.
- if you can sew or knit, research the DIY threads on Nappycino and here at belly belly about sewing and knitting MCN.

and ESPECIALLY for childcare
- get a few wetbags (one for bag, one in the wash)
- get flushable liners
- great info on "childcare and MCN" on the bubblebubs site, under INFO
- try and send a consistent set of MCN to CC, ONE process for them to understand. We send pocket nappies (for my 23 month old), but at six months old, depending on your child, you may need to send fitteds and covers that young. (fitteds + covers cope with runny poos better at that age).

there is great support online

like you, i knew NO-ONE who was using MCN when i started researching the topic.

i had heaps of questions, especially after my baby arrived adn i was using the MCN on her FOR REAL (not just practicising putting MCN on a teddy bear!!!). the online support was so good, and still is (now my questions are about Cloth Training Pants!).

so, all the best, and don't forget - people love to say negative comments about things they actually know NOTHING about! Just nod and change the subject. You just can't win with such negativity.

if MCN was utter rubbish, i wouldn't still be using on my child 23 months later - it DOES work.

forget the naysayers, if YOU want to do this, it's entirely do-able (and quite a bit of fun too - how many sposie users would say that???).

[Sammiejane]

Hi there, Firstly congratualtions on your pg

I dont think that you are crazy at all for wanting to use cloth... I cant really add any additional info as you have it all above!!! just my opinions and what i have done...

I have NEVER had DD in cloth, she is my first, she is the first in my family (7th on DH's side) and none of my friends have used cloth and SIL used cloth, but that was 16 yrs ago now so totally differet.
Everyone thought i was crazy, people in my Mothers Group think that i am a hippy/alternative as i exclusively BF and use cloth and people thought i wouldnt last a few weeks cos of the work...

Well, i think that there is very little work involved, as the others have said its one load every 2 days, you will wash more baby clothes if you have a chucker like i did.
In the first few weeks i used flats and trifolds, i found them easier to start with (and they dried heaps quicker), but soon i switched to the fitted and then started buying other types and trying them out and then the additction took hold!!!

For what its worth, I have only had a leak from an AIO nappy or an ebay nappy, not a fitted or a pocket. Molly Jane has never had nappy rash and as others have said i take pleasure in the fact that she is in cloth... there is something very rewarding about folding the nappies and putting them away... Oh and fluffy mail is so very exciting.

I went on holiday when MJ was 2 weeks old and she remained in cloth.

I wish that i had decided on cloth at 8 weeks, cos i would have bought more nappies whilst i was pg and still working.
I decided NOT to buy ANY disposibles, that way i could not just pop her in one , i figured if i did that i may not go back to cloth, also a few people i know that planned to start cloth when there bubs was a bit older never made the switch, so if you are serious, i would just start from day one.
The tarry poo in the first week is fine if you have a flushable liner... i switched to fleece liners and would chuck them in a soaking bucket (not the nappy though) so i didnt have to deal with it.

I have recently purchased a little squirt and i can tell you that they are a MUST, i ummed and ahhed over it for a while and now wish i had it months ago!

HTH

[loulabelle]

Everyone else thinks I am nuts! How annoying .

I had the same thing when I started cloth, even from my mother.Until I showed her what a MCN was, until people see them, they just have no Idea.I have actually lent them out to about 5 people just so they can see what all the fuss is about.

[*charmalea*]

i go cloth all the time cept for over night , i use only one a night , but since having a NB i have found that i have been soo busy that she is in spoies alot , i am having trouble find a cloth that is perfect fit on her ... so i mostly use prefolds for dd and fitted for ds and after their baths i put them to bed in a sposie , i am planning on changing this once summer comes , then ds can just have a nappy and singlet on ..

but its super easy and so convienint to use cloth ... it also propmts me to do the other washing too .. if i didt have a nappy bucket i would for get to use the laundry ..