Quesions about nappies!

[mards]

How many nappies on average does a Newborn go through? The reason I'm asking is because I plan to use cloth nappies (a combination of Terry Toweling, Flan and Baby Beehind) and am worried that if I use mainly the Baby Beehind type initially (I have heard they fit newborns better because they aren't too large like the TT ones, correct me if I'm wrong), I am going to need heaps (was considering getting around 10 to start with)

What do you recommend I get? How many of each?

Thanks so much!

[Tobily]

Em was in disposables but she would easily go through 10 of those in a 24 hour period. When they're newborn they poop about 6 times a day esp if breastfed...plus all the wees in between.
Cloth I guess would be similar if not more?

[mards]

Em was in disposables but she would easily go through 10 of those in a 24 hour period. When they're newborn they poop about 6 times a day esp if breastfed...plus all the wees in between.
Cloth I guess would be similar if not more?

Thanks Flea, so maybe I would be better off using disposables for the first few months and then change to cloth?

[Fi]

Hi Mards,

I personally wouldn't go for a fitted nappy when the baby is newborn. Especially a nappy like a BB which is "birth to toddler" as its best fit will more than likely be in the 5-12kg range.
What I found worked really well for us was using prefolds and covers for the first 6 weeks or so, and then when bubs got up to about 4.5kg, starting to use a combination of pockets, fitteds, and more prefolds.
The other thing I did in the first few weeks was alternate cloth and disposable, soI got about 6 prefolds, and covers, plus I had a few flanny flats, and I used those in one day, and then when they were in the wash and drying the next day, I used sposies. Eventually I got to the stage where I was only having to use about 3 disposables each cycle before being back into cloth.

This was a great system for me - prefolds are so cheap, and a good cover is a life saver for breastfeeding poo. They just catch everything! It was no guilt cause I was using cloth from birth, but I knew that at any time if things got too much, I would have some emergency sposies there just in case.

If you want to do something like this, I would recommend maybe getting 12 prefolds or flanny flats, and mayeb 3-4 covers (something like a small bummis super whisper wrap) and then maybe get a few small fitteds. From about the 5kg mark when bubs is putting on some good fat (maybe 6-8w old?) you can start using your "one size fits all" and that is when you want to have say 12-20 odd nappies for full time cloth.

HTH
Fi

[Fi]

Its alright shannon - great minds think alike

Flanny flats and prefolds are a really great affordable way to go. And think about the fact that you can get a dozen nappies for about the same price as 1 pack of newborn disposables.... Its a killer!!
The covers are more expensive. To be honest I used a brand called proraps in the first few weeks. These were only about $8 each (as opposed to $15) and they did stain pretty badly, but they also had great leg gussets for catching the poo.
Shannon is right - there is nothing worse that feeling liek you are throwing 30c away when you put a sposie on and 2 min later there is a massive poo in it! With cloth its just a matter of pulling another one out, and all you have wasted is a minute amount of time washing.

And the other thing that is scary is those crystals on newborn bums from the sposies. I used to get so worried when I wouldn't even put any baby bath anywhere near her, but a sposie would leave a crystal on her bum within 2 hrs.

Fi

[mards]

Thanks so much girls, you have been very helpful!

[Tracey]

Yep, I agree I only use Flanny flats in the first 2 months or so & then went to Terry Flats (which I still use when I have all my fitteds on the washing line) But usually now use Fitteds... I have a few different ones but highly recommend BB...

Best of luck!

[Lil_Pearl]

The only piece of advice I can give is this - you'll need more than you may think, (I'm washing cloth nappies every day and I only use them for wiping up baby spew). It may be a good idea to always have some disposable nappies on hand, just in case you have a day where the weather, or circumstances, mean your low on the cloth ones. Up to you, of course!

[Hayseed]

I still use my flanny flats. I used the all the time when Pup was newborn and I didn't know about modern cloth. I had 12 and washed every day. So I guess you could say that I went through 10 a day. It reduced to 7 or 8 a day rather quickly and then to 6 which we are still doing 12 months down the track.