Cloth Nappies and buckets

OK- So, I am pregnant with our first and I have a couple of questions for you girls if I can.....

We have definitely decided to go with cloth, and I am stunned by the choice out there. I like the look of fitted MSN's rather than one size fits all. I have two questions please-

1) Are MCN's really so much better than the old flats that they are worth 10x more in price??? I was looking at the old fashioned terry toweling ones as that's what I used when I was nannying 10 years ago. I am overwhelmed with all the different MCN's on the market AND their cost!!

2) as far as nappy buckets go. My DH wants to get a flip top bin for dirty nappies, one you step on the pedal and the lid opens. I am thinking that isn't going to be as air tight as a proper nappy pail with the lift up lid. I am thinking about smell. Opinions??

Also- any of you that buy disposies as emergency nappies for going out etc. What brand is best? We don't intend on using them much but figure it would be worthwhile to have some lying around in case we need them.

Thanks girls

Nappy bucket. Just an ordinary one with a sealable lid...

As for mcn's v terry cloth... I used both, and will do again. Yes, mcn are expensive but they are made to be as effective as disposables I guess.

It's so much fun learning about mcn's :)

We use a nappy bucket with a secure lid. It's from Bunnings! We only wash every second day and it's day 2 that creates the smell. We bought a spray that is 100% natural and actually designed for wheelie bins. One spray and the smell is gone, it's great.

We use a combination of fitteds and osfa/osfm. The fitteds are better because they fit better early on and are less bulky. The osfa are great for dd now (10 weeks) and I love that we can use them until toilet training, so economical.

I honestly believe mcn's are worth the money. The old school terrys have their place but my SIL planned to use them and started but her dh gave up on the nappies very early on. It wasn't the washing etc that put them off, it was the fit of the nappy. Apparently they were so large they felt like the babies legs were pushed into an unatural shape.

Best of luck with your research and I wish you a wonderful pregnancy.

Hi and welcome to the addictive world of MCN.

First of all I agree that MCN are expensive but they do last a lot longer than the cheaper brands. In saying that I rarely pay full price for our MCN but by them second hand from a number of sites on the web (PM for the addresses) But to get an idea of the types of MCN BBH's website has a really good feature with all of their nappies they go through the pros and cons of each type of nappy they sell so it is a good starting point to get your head around all of the types.

I also chose to start making my own as I enjoy sewing and loved the challenge.

RE: Nappy bucket I don't keep the lid on my bucket - it produces less smell that way and I know that a couple of other ladies on here use swing top bins as well.

I don't bother with sposies at all, I find taking 2-3 nappies and the wet bag everytime I go out is usually fine, and always have a spare change of clothes, but you would probably have that with you anyway.

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask! :)

Oh hi! MCN's are the best thing ever... i'm addicted :) I prefer sized AIO's because I find them easiest (I'm lazy :p) and I like the trim fit of the sized ones as opposed to the OSFM. MCN's are expensive to start up, but i've saved money in comparison to disposables in the year i've had them, and can use them on this baby too!

I wouldn't bother with Sposies if you've decided you want to go with cloth full time unless you're going away for more than a night... I bought a pack of newborn sposies just in case but never needed them anyway so I still have them sitting in the cupboard.

I use an open top bin... I use biodegradable, flushable liners that go straight into the toilet, which gets rid of most - if not all - of the mess. When they start solids and get that acidic urine smell I give them a quick rinse then put them in the bucket, but that's more to protect the lifespan of the nappy.

Short answer...1: Yes, they are. But having said that, I used flats for the first 3 months of charlotte's life, as you change them so often anyway, flats are brilliant. MCNs are fab for under clothes and once they get to moving around a bit more, they are less bulky.
And despite their upfront price, you will still SAVE money using MCNs than you will in full time sposies.

We used Huggies if we used sposies at all, they were simply the best. This wasn't often, but we did use them extensively when we had to go interstate for extended period when mum died as it was too much room taken up by the cloth in the suitcase lol

2: Nappy bucket, sealable lid, kept in the laundry.

lol be warned, your addiction could get very pricey!!!
We had the flat type cloth nappies given to us with DD1 and used them for both girls until they fitted into medium sized MCNs
we werent sure how long smalls would last and given the outlay for med and large, thought it was the best option for us.
but to answer ur question yes they are better. you dnt need to change them as often as a terry flat because they matierials are much more absorbant, u dont need to fiddle with covers/snibs ect and well, theyre just better to look at too!!

Nappy bucet wise, we have an elmo one from target, doesnt necessarily seal tight but we dont have a smell issue with it at all, stays in the laundry.

Disposables- we never need them...ever! lol once u get the hang of MCNing it really doesnt cross ur minid to take disposables out with u, just take a few MCN's and wetbag! too easy.
But if u still feel like u need to buy some (which by the time u get around to using them ur bub will probably have out grown them!) i always found huggies to be the best.

Have fun!!
xx

We use a variety of MCN's, now that DS is 7 months and has filled out more I am loving mulitfits and OSFA...a much cheaper system than sized too. But for a more trim fit a sized system is great and works well. I have a large nappy bucket that I bought from Kmart, it has a clip on lid and contains all smells. I actually use a large wet bag that sits in the bucket and when washing my nappies throw it all in the wash together! I always rinse the nappy bucket with some hot soapy water and dry out in the sun after each time I wash my nappies. I wash every second day. MCN'S are very addictive as the others have mentioned;) I do carry sposies aswell, as I'm still trying to convert nanny to use them when she watches DS (she finds the snaps confusing).

My nappy bucket sits in the laundry with no lid on. I wash nappies every 2-3 days and the ones at the bottom of the bucket sometimes smell a bit off but it doesn't last. I occasionally rinse the bucket in hot water and sit it outside in the sun to air it out a bit.

I use terry cloth full time and have to say I love them. I had a few MCN when DD was a newborn but I much preferred the terry flats. I use Baby Beehind covers, so still get the 'cute and colourful' effect. Lol. They do dry a lot quicker than most MCN's as well which is great especially during winter if you don't have a clothes dryer. maybe get a mix of both and see what you prefer? I sold most of my MCN's, DF was like nooo keep them because I like using them (I could count on one hand the number of times he has changed DD's nappy since she was born :rolleyes: ) but I wasn't using them and I only had newborn ones which she grew out of a long time ago so I was happier to see them go to a new home rather than sit here for a year or two waiting for the next bub to arrive...

I used to use sposies when we were out, but really it's just as easy to take cloth nappies. And after we had poop explosion in the car when she was wearing a sposie I am not too keen on them anymore..haha.

Thanks girls!! Am leaning towards flats!!
Other question, when they are in the nappy bucket- do you soak them in anything? I was thinking a bit of bicarb would do the job??

I will be starting out with prefolds, flats & covers. Prefolds are a bit like flats, but not as bulky. I haven't used them yet, but am really liking the idea. Maybe look them up & see what you think. They are about $7ish each depending on where you get them from. You still need a snappy or pins, but snappy's are pretty simple to use :)

I dry pail my nappies ( no soaking) & wash them in bi carb usually, instead of washing powder, which my DS is sensitive too. If I've run out, I'll just use water, hot water if I'm worried.

I have the nappy bucket with lid, will be keeping it in the bathroom in the middle of the house so I don't gotta go to the shed/laundry in the middle of the night.

I just leave mine in the bucket as is. I used to soak them in hot water, but it was too much effort having to wring them all out before they went in the washing machine.

we use a combination.

flat terries during the day (there are so many different ways to fold them, we haven't had trouble with bulkiness) with snappies and plastic pants over the top.

MCNs overnight, with two pad inserts (we found some on ebay which were very well priced - but no where near as adorable as the ones that you can find from other places)

disposables (whatever's cheap at the shops) for when we're out somewhere when a dirty nappy would be too much of a hassle.

we also use biodegradable liners, but because bubba is exclusively breastfed, his poo is still basically liquid, and the poo goes right on through.

with buckets, we have ones with snap on lids, so when bubba is older, he won't be able to open them up, and play!

and we dry pail, and then do a load (soak and then wash) every other day.

any questions, let me know.

nope don't soak them in anything. It degrades the bamboo and the elastic at a much quicker rate.
My nappy bucket lives on the bench in the laundry with no lid. A lid that seals lets the ammonia from the urine build up and a: cause an awful smell, and b: ammonia is caustic and will also degrade the bamboo and elastic much quicker.
I've travelled a lot with MCN and rarely buy sposies except when luggage space is too tight, other than that I use MCN and reusable wipes and liners all the time.
When i do have to buy them the only ones up to DS' task are Huggies.