Cloth vs Disposable

[little_O]

Hello!

So i am not actually at the stage of nappies yet...but doing my research. I had always though disposable nappies, but now i am having second thoughts.

Can someone who uses cloth nappies provide advice on what type i should be looking into? Do the liners work well? leakage? Is it gross to clean???

Also is it worth perhaps using disposable for a new born then changing???

Thanks!!!

[glenny_c]

Hiya. I used disposables for the first 4 weeks or so as I had a c-section and I just wanted to reduce my workload as much as possible and then we started using itti bittis modern cloth nappies. I've been using them ever since. I don't find them gross to clean at all, I just use the tap in the laundry to rinse off any "solids" then put it in the bucket ready for wash. I don't use the liners. I haven't found the leakage any worse than disposies, except now maybe that she's moving so much but still not bad leakage, only ever had poo leakage with a disposable.

I will prob do the same with number two, prob put them in disposies for the first month or so, but I'll be doing dd's anyway so maybe not. We'll see. At the moment we're probably in cloth about 80% of the time. Sposies at night and if I can't be bothered while we're out. I don't think you have to be firmly one or the other, both works well for us.

[LuluHB]

I love cloth. I didn't find it really any worse to clean off a cloth nappy than just changing a pooey nappy in the first place.

As for what type. Well. How long do you have? There are so many options for cloth these days and everyone has their own personal preferences. You also will find that while one particular nappy will be fantastic on one baby, it won't be good for another so its best to try a few different types to see what works for you and your baby.

I used one size pocket nappies for my girls - DD1 I only started in cloth at about 4 months. DD2 I started from birth but used prefolds and small fitted nappies initially and then switched to the pocket nappies at about 3 months. I'll do the same for this bub too.

While they can be pretty pricey initially, you save a fortune on disposables. My own experience also says that bubs in cloth are less susceptible to nappy rash than bubs in disposables.

Careful though. Cloth nappy purchasing can get pretty addictive!

[HotI]

Apart from the first few days (meconium), i found the newborn time up until my DD started solids the easiest time to use cloth nappies. I have only used cloth liners and only rarely when bub had cream on her bum for nappy rash. I would take bub's nappy off and put it in a dry (no water) nappy bucket, and every 2nd day i would do a load of nappies.

In the first 6 months, i didn't scrape the nappies or anything- so there was really no difference in 'gross' factor between cloth & disposable.

With bub starting solids, her poos changed and it can be a bit gross BUT you are meant to scrape disposable nappy poos into the toilet too. We just have a dedicated 'poo knife' that we use to scrape the poos into the toilet. The nappies then go in a dry bucket, and every 2nd day i do a hot rinse of the nappies in the washing machine and then do a normal wash.

[Lolpigs]

Hehe I agree how long have you got to discuss the nappies? There are so many different options

This is the set up that was recommended to me for cloth by a friend. My bubs is decided it want's to stay in a little longer so I haven't used them yet but seems simple enough

Newborn prefolds - 3 Doz and 6 Covers
Infant Prefolds - 2 Doz and 6 Covers

Becuase I got addicted to buying the cloth nappies I also have (fluffy mail is addictive LOL)

4 x popins night nappies
10 or more Little britches MCN's
Inserts and other brands as well.

I intend on using liners with mine if it gets icky but washing wise there isn't too much extra work from what I've seen. Nappies are ick no matter what I think

[Eenee]

We've used cloth here 100% of the time even with the meconium I used liners and never found it hard to wash out. The only time I've found nappy changes gross is with morning sickness haha but I'd have that trouble with whatever I was using. I'm the same as HOtI we just threw in the wash up to 6mths but on start of solids we either rinsed in sink in laundry if was loose. But I've found if I give her bananas her poo's are solid so I just empty into toilet easy peasie even DH does that bit for me. I wash every second day and put them through two wash cycles.

Never had leaks unless I put a nappy on her that was too big.
Every baby's shaped differently so it'll depend what your bub is like to see what nappy will suit.

[HotI]

I will be home this time, so easier to use cloth straight away!

[Eenee]

Haha yes that makes it easier!

[~Kim~]

I've been doing cloth nearly 6 years now. What type is relative to what you want. I have an essay somewhere on all the different types if you'd like an explanation, but I find it really individual as to what suits you.
I've used disposables and cloth on a NB and found neither to be harder or easier. Actaully cloth was easier - I didn't cringe at changing and chucking out a nappy 20 minutes after I'd changed it with cloth because they'd pooed.
Grossness - I'm not really qualified for that one either. I was a nurse and then a cop. There is nothing that grosses me out lol.
I've only used liners when I've had a rare rash and I use fleece then.
They don't last as long as a disposable does, but hey you aren't throwing money away when you change more often so no biggie right?
I also found this article that helped make up my mind for my last NB.

[~Kim~]

I also found my essay. Not telling you how to suck eggs if you already knew this. Just thought it might help

There are lots of types;

Prefolds - like an old fashioned flat but smaller, less folds. Great for NBs. Held together with a snappi/pin. Dry Fast, cheap, need a cover.

Fitteds - a fitted (so with leg and back elastic) nappy made entirely of absorbant material. Takes a bit longer to dry than a prefold but not much. No folding. Held together with velcro/snaps/snappi/pins depending on which one you get. These aren't waterproof on their own so need a cover.

Pockets - come in OSFM and sized nappies. A waterproof shell that you stuff with absorbent material. Dry really quick. Held together with snaps/velcro.

AI2s - a waterproof shell with a snap in absorbent bit. Fast drying, easy to use, more expensive. Come in side snap or front snap varieties. Plenty of makers including big companies and WAHMs.

AIOs - similar to a disposable in that it all comes in one package but you wash it. Much longer to dry as the absorbency can't be unfolded for drying. Easy for daycare/dads. Not many true AIOs around any more.

Absorbent materials;
Zorb - cheap man made fibre that's new on the market. Doesn't hold a great amount of fluid and very prone to compression leaks (so if it's full and it's squeezed - like being sat/layed on, it leaks out the fluid)
Microfibre - similar to zorb but hold a bit more. Prone to compression leaks. Nice and cheap.
Hemp - a natural, antibacterial fabric. Absorbs more than microfibre but less than bamboo.
Bamboo - Same properties as hemp but holds more per weight.

Covers;
PUL - easy to use, relatively cheap. Breathable plasticky stuff. Good for day use
Fleece - more breathable than PUL, better for nights and funnily enough not as hot as PUL.
Wool - holds a lot of wee before it feels wet. Needs lanolising. Best for night use.

Liners; I personally don't use them, have never had the need, some people love them
disposable - flushable binable
microfleece - just chuck in the wash with your nappies

My advice is;
-fitteds and prefolds are best for NBs as two layers of protection against NB poospolsions is better than one. Easier to get them to fit tiny bums.
- OSFM is great in theory but often they're still too big for tiny babies and they wear out before they last the journey.
-work out what you want out of them - fast drying? easy to use? funky looking?
- never ever buy an entire stash of one type of nappy unless you know for certain that it works for your particular baby.
-what works for one child doesn't always work for others. Many rave about itti bittis for eg but I don't rate them at all.
- unless you know that is what you want to do only buy a couple and test them out. Some people try them and hate them. It's much easier to write off the cost of two or three as opposed to a whole stash.
-they do sound expensive, but if you work out the cost of a box of disposables over the nappying life of your child you'd be horrified.
-many advise for a nappy bucket with a tight fitting lid - I say chuck the lid out. The ammonia buildup with the lid on is horrendous and breaks down your bamboo, pul and elastic quicker. I have used a swing top bin too. The smell isn't anything really.
-cloth wipes are just as easy to use with water as bought ones and your finger goes through them less. Nothing like poo covered fingers
-dry paling and half washing powder is recommended. Easy as.
-no soaking in harsh chemicals as it breaks down the waterproofing/elastic quicker
-no nappy creams with petrochemical bases as they clog and ruin the nappies.

There are ebay cheapies and they're OK. Don't last forever and you need to buy more boosters than they come with. However saying that even though some are really expensive they don't work for everyone.
Checkout the cloth nappy threads.
There are also a couple of buy and swap sites on FB if you want to try out some second hand cheapies.

[little_O]

Thanks for all the comments so far! thats great!

Kim thanks so much for the break down!! That is really helpful, i feel a bit lost when i look at all the types on the market.

How has anyone found their family with a cloth decision? ie. mother or mother-in-laws using the cloth nappies and being fine with it if baby sitting?

[NaeNae]

I have only ever had DD in MCN.

For the first few weeks of her life we continued with the "old fashioned" flat nappies and snibs but that was only because thats what we did inthe hospital and I was worried about my milk supply so wanted to be sure I was getting the 10 wet nappies in 24hrs.

AFter that we have used Bumgenius Pocket nappies and the Rumparooz Pocket nappies and have been really happy with both.

Like anything (even disposables) if they are left on for too long they WILL leak. I do not find them particularly gross to clean, even with sposies you are meant to flick the poop down the toilet and not throw it in the bin so in that repsect its exactly the same.

We have one of those kiddie wheely bins as out nappy bin so once they are rinsed and wrung we dry pail them in the bin.

I disinfect my nappy bin once every few months and when I throw a wash in, I leave the bin with the lid off outside and in the sun when possible.

I wash every second day and use the Eco Store detergent and only 1/3 of a scoop. My washing machine is front loaded so we do a RINSE cycle first with NO detergent then do a full cycle with the detergent.

I am due to have my second baby in 6ish weeks time an dplan on doing cloth for both. I will need to increase my stash but plan on doing the flat nappies for the first week again (at least).

HTH a little bit.

Nae x

[NaeNae]

How has anyone found their family with a cloth decision? ie. mother or mother-in-laws using the cloth nappies and being fine with it if baby sitting?

we rarely have anyone babysit our DD but as we pre stuff our nappies, its not different for them to change compared to the sposies. I also give them a wet bag (a plastic bag or a properly lined bag) to put the used nappies into. I would rather clean them myself than to have someone use regular soap or detergents on them. Especially at roughly $40 per nappy, if anyone is going to wreck them it had better be me

[Eenee]

Once I showed mumshe was fine with it, but she lives hours away so Im the main nappy changer here. MIL change a nappy pfft she doesn't do anything to help!

[~Kim~]

My mum was OK with it as long as I left them ready to go, or if it was a long day she just bought her own disposables. No biggie really.
MIL has only ever changed one nappy....and put it on back to front ....but she also had issues with my BFing, co-sleeping, BLS, gentle parenting.....yanno. I do'nt think she'd ever had to come up against someone like me , guess that's why DH picked me.
DH was skeptical at first, but he's like the world's biggest enabler. I just showed him this bub's stash and he told me to get more! He is a big girls blouse and gags easily, but seriously he does it all just like me. He happily brought my stash to hossy when DS was born because we sucked at flats that the hospital provided and said he was more than happy to take the dirties home to wash since they looked so much cuter lol.

[LuluHB]

Both my mum and DH had no issues with changing the nappies, but only because I had already stuffed the pockets so just like using a disposable. I actually found sitting down with a basket of nappies and putting them together quite relaxing.

When DD2 was a newborn DH avoided using the prefolds and always grabbed a fitted nappy and cover.

[HotI]

My Mum loves them! i also supply a wet bag and bring the nappies home to wash.

[Lenny]

We just have a dedicated 'poo knife' that we use to scrape the poos into the toilet.

Wow, I'm nearly up to toilet training DS2 and only now i have heard of this idea. A scraper! Where were you 3.5 years ago??