Complete newbie - but very keen to learn!

[Lenny]

Hi,
Newbie to all things parenting...not just nappies!
I really really want to use cloth nappies, and so far I have been taking my mum's advice. She works in a childcare centre, so she sees and changes loads of nappies!
I like the look and price of peapods, but my question is wouldn't it be easier if there was a little liner on the inside of the nappy, as opposed to the pocket liner. What i mean is wouldn't that make disposing of the poo easier - i.e. flushing down the loo, like some other nappies. Or, do those kinds of 'non-pocket' liners tend to move around?
I am just balking a bit at needing so many peapods in order to go full-time cloth, seeing as each one needs to washed after every change.
Hope someone can help - and btw, i have started reading all the other threads...and I have already learnt such a lot!
TIA
Jo

[Tanya]

I don't use liners but I think a lot of girls do. I find with newborn poo it spills off the liner anyway. With the pockets that I have thus far the material that sists agains bub's bum dosn't hang onto the poo and is easily washed away (can't flush it cause its almost liquid).
I remember using liners with Alecia and I didn't like them. I am going to have another go at them sometime soon. I think it's all about trial and error

Good luck

[KymH]

I may not be much help, as we started using pocket nappies when DD was 4 1/2 months old - (I tried not to overestimate my abilities as a new mum and went disposable till I felt I might be able to cope!!!).

Tanya is right, when the poo is more solid they kind of slide off, but newborn poo prob won't do that and would leak out of the confines of a liner anyway.

I do use liners but only in the mornings, as DD is fairly predictable these days - well I put liners in from waking in the morning until she does a poo - usually within 1 or 2 nappy changes!

I really like the natures child liners, (available on their website, but also at Babies Galore and prob lots of other places) but I'm sure there's lots of good ones.

But the key is rinsing for me - DD can do some nasty ones and liners might only capture 90% - I rinse very thouroughly using gloves as we don't have a nappy sprayer then put in dry bucket. And as some wise people told me early on - SUN is also magical! The sun just seems to bleach away any little remnants of stain you may sometimes have after washing.

And I definitely don't want to put you off, as I haven't got any peapods myself, but do check out some of the threads here about them, I have heard from here and other sources that they can be a pain for leaks....

We use Fuzzi Bunz - they are v. similar to peapods, but from USA. But the Australasian distributors in NZ have had some probs with them lately and now are making their own - they are called Honey Child - you might want to check them out.

Oh, and regarding numbers...... again, it's hard for me to say with a newborn, but I think you are right, you might need HEAPS! I am a little on the lazy side and have 13 nappies, plus extra boosters and inserts for doubles at night. This is a comfortable number for me, but I can imagine I would have needed more if we started earlier. But do the sums for yourself, a big investment now will probably still save you over time..... And saving money wasn't the main reason for us going MCN, it's just a nice bonus!

All the best - it's a great journey!

[~Raven~]

Peapods are a good cheap nappy! I have 4 of them but there are better ones out there IMO I would advise you to try few different ones JIC the cut of the nappy doesn't suit your bub. It's amazing how they differ.

With pocket nappies the whole idea is that the inner layer acts like a liner and lets the moisture pass through the booster without absorbing so the bott stays dryer.
The wicking effect won't work with two layers though. It will be too thick to let the wee through and it will just run out the leg.
For runny poo a little rinse in the laundry trough or a little squirt in the loo gets it off before the wash. Solid poo just comes off in a clump!

I understand your apprehension about the cost outlay. I was the same when I started using MCN but I'm doing this for my third child. The other two were mostly in sposies and it's cost me at least $5000 ($1000 per year per child) as Mason didn't TT till he was 3 1/2. That is something to baulk about!