Why did you pick to use disposable/cloth nappies?

[tk1999]

I have found this thread very informative - it is interesting to see how people came to their decision re what to use.

Also, I have been wondering this for a while... but what is EC?

[sazzafrazz]

This thread is so great: everyone having their say without getting all Upity about their reasons


EC is elimination communication. It's a system of recognising the cues a baby gives when they need to wee or poo and then holding them over a container/toilet/bit of dirt for them so they dont have to soil a nappy. Very popular in some cultures. Most westerners are too wrapped up in everything else in thier day to notice the cues so it isnt used much here. Growing slowly in popularity though with special clothing available now to make it easier. I havent been brave enough to try it although DD is always very proud if I ask her if she is doing a poo.

Lets keep up the open, accepting attitude here people! So nice to see everyone can be accepting.

[tk1999]

Thanks Sazz... to be honest I have never heard of it before must be because I spend most of my time under a rock he he he

[Glamourcide]

^ Lol I'm trying EC with DD at the moment (probably to no avail because if I get her toilet-trained, she will probably regress in a few weeks when bub arrives so I'm not pushing it too hard, more doing it just for kicks, iykwim?), but it doesn't seem to be working... she will tell me 'pee! pee!!' and then sit on her potty for a while without doing anything... then she toddles off and pees on the floor ten minutes later!

Anyway, there was no doubt in my mind that I would use disposables with DD. I have no shame in admitting that I'm lazy and will cut as many corners as humanly possible when it comes to housework etc, so the mere thought of all the soaking, washing, hanging, folding, changing etc terrified me. I don't know anybody IRL who uses cloth nappies (by that I mean people around my age, my parents used cloth with my brother and I but sposies in those days were pretty poor, kwim?) but that wasn't really a factor in my decision, I don't care much for what other people think of my methods.
DH and I noticed that most baby clothes these days are built to cover sposies, not bulky cloth nappies, and we confirmed that when my mum would try putting DD in cloth - she'd have to stay half-naked because nothing would fit over her bum!

My mum insisted that we use cloth, because she 'did it the hard way, so can you' (I should add that she also didn't want us to find out the sex at our 20-week scans because 'I never got to, why should you?'), and went out and bought us the bucket, Napisan and two dozen cloth nappies, but we just never used them. If I left DD with mum for a few hours, I would come home to find her in a cloth nappy, with terrible nappy rash (which she doesn't get with sposies, I guess because the sposies draw the moisture away), and mum's laundry is downstairs, with a tiny washing machine, meaning one decent load of nappies would end up being two or three loads because it just doesn't accommodate a decent amoutn of laundry. (I admit, it would be easier for us now because we're in our own house, with the laundry inside, and the washing machine is gigantic, but meh.)
So, it just seemed far too time-consuming and too much effort for me, especially in those early weeks when I was getting zero sleep and DD refused to be left on her own for two minutes (I couldn't even pee in peace for ages! She would just cry and cry and cry if I left her). I also found that (and here's that laziness coming into play again!) that with sposies I could change her less often - she could pee a couple of times before her nappy would be 'full' and so I would just leave it until it got wet, whereas with the cloth nappies, the tiniest dribble of urine meant a nappy change was needed to stop her getting a rash.

I have a lot of admiration for the dedicated ladies who use cloth and don't give the extra work a second thought - hats off to you!! It just wasn't a sacrifice I was willing to make, and DD doesn't seem negatively impacted by it at all, so I'm happy to use sposies.

[Pretty Butterfly]

Gothmum, I used terry flats on my first two, and would never do it again if you paid me!!!

I stuck to it for all the "good" reasons for a while, but just couldn't keep it up...

Where were the mcn's 12 years ago!!??

[briggsy's girl]

there is definitely a huge difference between MCN's and flats - so much more work with flats! i will have flats as "back up" but primarily it will be MCN's - no soaking, simple washing, simple drying, sun bleaching... noice and easy!

[Astrid]

Gosh must be different here, I did not find MCN easy at all and please I don't need anyone telling me I was doing it wrong, as I really tried.

[MrsB26]

I got interested in the idea of cloth nappies when i was still ttc. I had never heard of MCN's before joining BB and whenever i heard cloth, always thought of the terries that we were in a kids.

Once i fell pg i started to research it more and OMG i fell in love! To be honest, for me, it was all about the cuteness factor.

I love how easy they are to use and its great not ever running out of nappies. We are in cloth f/t now but ds was in sposies for the first 2 weeks after birth as it was hard enough trying to rest let alone wash.

The washing and folding dont bother me, i love folding them cause then i can stoke them!!! So soft!!!

I also love saving money and the fact that i dont have a stinky garbage bin full of poop. The only down side is holding your breath when emptying the nappy bucket into the washing machine (but if i ask nicely DH will do it for me )

[alioops]

Right now with my pelvis the way it is, MCN are more work for me. But I have worked out a way to get them to the laundry without huring myself. Prams make good laundry trolleys. I also can't afford to be buying single use nappies for anything other than a dietary reaction at the moment, so I just make do with what I have.

Em prefers MCN, because it doesnt sweat. Many MCN have stay dry liners, so I can touch the top of the absorbent section and that is dry against her skin, but I can touch the underside and it is very wet, not like the flats because flats don't have a stay dry inner. She is quite happy in them and doesn't pull at them as much as disposables, unless she has poo or wee in them.

With 2 girls I find that if the pants don't fit I will use the next size up, because I already have it. The only brand that I have trouble with most of the time is Bonds, because they are much more fitted. They are good for early toilet trainers though because they will also stay up when DD1 is wearing knickers.

I occasionally use a terry flat, but only for the between bath and bed nappy, so not long at all.

[Cassius2]

we use cloth (mcn). love them! we decided to go that route as it was an environmental factor (i got bad mumma guilt one day as i watched a doco about how long nappies take to break down, so it was downhill from there LOL!). i knew nothing about the cloth nappy revolution (ie moving away from terry flats), so went google searching and stopped when i found the bum genius and havent looked back.

in the first few weeks we had to use 100% biodegradable nurture nappies as DD was born small and we found it too hard to fit the BGs on her. but after she passed the 4.5kg mark it was all good. (which i was thankful for as the biodegradable nappies cost a bomb LOL!).

i like that there is no soaking or folding involved!

[Glamourcide]

*ducks*
I still don't have the slightest clue what an MCN is! I only know sposies and terry flats!!

[briggsy's girl]

Gosh must be different here, I did not find MCN easy at all and please I don't need anyone telling me I was doing it wrong, as I really tried.

no judgement here Astrid! my comment was just a general one - for DH, the idea of flat nappies sends him into a tiz - not the folding (he knows how, his sister has four older kids that alos have kids, so he's been around them a lot) - it's more about the caring for them cos he's seen the soaking bleaching cycle. he likes the convenience of the shaping of mcn's and the "no soaking, no bleaching" thing.

for me, convenience of never running out was definitely a huge factor (not sure if i said before lol) - as it stands at the moment, i can go anywhere up to two or three weeks without going near a store that would sell sposies, and when i do go there, i am guaranteed to forget things, so it's better for me to have everything i need at home. so far, with prewashing, everything is getting air dried on an airer, which i can move into sunlight for bleaching stains if needed. i do have a dryer, but don't use it on my own clothes so can't see my being keen to use for nappies unless absolutely necessary and no alternative

plus, and this is vanity - i like the idea of my girl having a spunky little butt! we've even had custom covers made to show off to people who are likely to argue that cloth is no good! just for the "stick it up them" factor! lol

[Nelle]

What made you decided to use dispoable/cloth nappies?
To save money. That was it.

Did you research before hand or did you use jump in cause you thought it was what everyone else was doing?
I researched heaps, and I think that made things a bit easier - I knew what kind of nappies would suit my lifestyle before I bought them. I'm the most cautious nappy buyer in the world I think.

Astrid, you made me think - I've found MCN to be really difficult at times, and the easy times have been when it's all been organised - like all the nappies in the right place, put together, ready to go. When I have to hunt for a cover here and an insert there and scrounge for a wipe, that's when I'll reach for a sposie - it's a good warning for anyone thinking about using MCN, you reeeallly need to set your change area up well, or it's all over. Not lecturing, it was just a thought that sprang from your comment.

ETA: Goth, Modern Cloth Nappies.

[Pretty Butterfly]

*ducks*
I still don't have the slightest clue what an MCN is! I only know sposies and terry flats!!

go googling "modern cloth nappy" babe...

[briggsy's girl]

*ducks*
I still don't have the slightest clue what an MCN is! I only know sposies and terry flats!!

GM - if you jump into the cloth nappy general chatter thread and have a read, lots of brands of modern cloth nappies will be mentioned. they're essentially cloth nappies that are shaped like sposies, can be all in one or need a cover - depends on the type of nappy. there are some gorgeous ones out there!

[Pretty Butterfly]

And dont worry about thinking they are the bomb, but not wanting to change from sposies.....
My sister loves my mcn's, always checks my kids butts out and thinks they are just the best thing ever... but it will a cold day in hell before she ever used one!!!!

[maz]

Astrid - no judgement what so ever........not everyone likes coffee either hon

I have a funny one for you......this is for you 'sposie' girls..ye syou can laugh at me I dont mind

Mateauz had chicken pox....all around he recycling shoot...anyway our decission was to buy sposies so we could lather alot of cream down there and not ruin our cloth (yes cream can leave build up and cause disgusting red and black mould)...so I stood there at the supermarket for 1/2 an hour not knowing what sposie to buy...when I bought them for my boys...they were all multisexed and in easy to read sizes...OMG I was so confussed that I had to get someone to help me.

And yes there are down sides to cloth.....having to watch for reactions of synthetic materials on your child's bottom and what creams are natural and what creams wont leave layers that make the material non absorbent. Im still learning and researching and its been well over 2 years.

In the early days I often would reach for a sposie....I miss the convenience of sposies.....especially with 4 children, doctors appointments and my hectic business schedule (oh and husband )

[alioops]

Donna - Many MPM's have MCN businesses, or consultancies. Have a look at some of the MPM links in signatures. They have pics of the nappies and use intructions.