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Pros and Cons of Reusable Nappies???

Hi everyone :\) ,
I wonder if anyone can help me out. I am considering using reusable nappies....not really sure why as I don't know anyone who uses them. I just like idea, it seems wholesome and lovely! My Hubbie is not at all convinced by the idea and I am wondering if it is just too much hassle?? Can anyone help me out with the pros and cons of reusables so I can make a decision? Also any recommendations of the best brands and when to start using them if anyone has any pearls of wisdom to pass on!
Thank you x

Replies

  • We are using bambino mio - so far 14 weeks on they are great.

    For us:
    PROS
    Cheaper
    Better for babies skin
    'wholesome and lovely' (I love that!!)
    More absorbant
    Better for the enviornment
    We can have different fold for different goings on down there
    Lots of different sizes so they fit well
    Bambino mio wash well on a 60 degree wash and dry really quickly

    CONS
    Explosive nappies! Can be a bit messy, but that can be said for disposables
    Bit a faff folding them all off the washing line!
    Have to be organised - many time I have neglected my nappy washing and had to use my emergancy disposables!!
    Not sure they are as hygenic, but then i keep a bottle of hand sanitiser with my nappies for after I have disposed of nappy

    I like my reusables - as you have said I do feel much better using them and Emilia has not even had a hint of nappy rash and she can wee for England!!

    The only thing I would say, which we didnt do, is get some samples to try. I think the real nappy network has sample buckets you can try to find the right brand for you.

    Joanna x
  • Thanks Joanna, that is really helpful! I am definitely leaning towards them but have to convince hubbie!! Not sure the 'wholesome and lovely' thing is working with him.... Love the name Emilia BTW-gorgeous name.

    So, how much cheaper is it than disposables, does anyone know?
    Anymore pros and cons anyone?

    Thank you x
  • Hi there
    My son is 9 weeks old and we've been using washables for about 7 weeks now, although if we go away for the weekend we go back to eco disposables.
    I agree with what Joanna has said but will add that our lollipop nappies have never leaked poo where as we've had leaks several times with disposables which have resulted in nasty orange stains on his clothes. That said, I reckon the disposables will hold a lot more wee before they leak - with our washables I have to be very strict about changing after every single feed where as you could probably get 5 hours out of a disposable.
    Washing-wise I thought it would be a load of hassle but it isn't at all, I just shove them in the nappy bucket with some tea tree oil then put the mesh bag with them all in in the wash every other day. They take 5 mins to hang out and dry in a couple of hours. It can't add up to more bother than having to go out and buy disposables all the time and I feel so much better about the amount of land fill we produce!
    I believe you save about ??800 using washables with one baby but obviously it is even more with second and subsequent children and depends on how many nappies you buy. The way you could sell it to your hubby could be that you could afford a cleaner for an hour every week with the savings!!
    We bought our nappies from lollipop at the Baby Show after speaking to several people. We spent around ??300 and for that we got:
    10 polar fleece lollipop nappies in size 1 - that's up to 16lbs - so that baby wouldn't be in birth-to-potty nappies at the start as I thought they might be quite bulky. They have separate waterproof wraps.
    5 bamboo lollipop nappies for night time in size 1 and 5 in size 2 - they are much more absorbant than the fleece but are bulkier and take much longer to dry. To be honest we could have got away with 3 of each because I do a nappy wash every other day.
    We also got 10 pop-ins nappies that are birth-to-potty which I am yet to try out but they look lovely and I like the fact they are an all-in-one to make nappy changes that bit quicker and easier. I pre-washed one today and it dried in no time so that's good start at least!
    The lady I spoke to at lollipop was very helpful and their website is good for info on all the different types, I would def. recommend them.
    Give me a shout if you have any more questions.
    xx
  • Hi,
    I started using reusables last week, my baba is 14wks old and I could not find a suitable biodegradable nappy. I purchased a tots bots bamboozle size 2 stretchy nappy pack from friendly baby.co.uk. They are organic bamboo stretch nappies that suit from birth to potty. I found the quality to be fantastic, took me a little while to figure out how to adjust it to size but once i sorted that out I have had no problems. My baba is thin and long and the nappy is a wee bit bulky but they are so soft and stretchy this has not caused a problem. They wash and have dried well on the line in this fine weather we have just had. Ive have had no leaks so far and they are very absorbent. I would research all the products if I was you though because there is so much to chose from, I found cheeks and cherries helpful on the website although I could never get through on the phone for a chat. I wish I would have tried the trial packs before purchasing the tots bots, even tho I am happy with them I would have liked to have tried the other brands first, especially the all in one sized nappies. Its what suits you at the end of the day, my husband is fully supportive and has had no problems putting these nappies on and we both feel happy we are doing our bit to reduce landfill. The only complaint I have is that the bamboozle stretchy has to have a nappy waterproof cover on and I had to purchase x4 size 1 in addition to the above pack which had x 4 size 2 that wre far too big for my baba, Having said that I have managed without putting the cover on because you do have to change the nappy more often than a disposable and because the nappy is so absorbent it has never got damp on the outside. There are about 20+ different types of reusable nappies and just as many websites selling them so do some research and good luck. x Oh and some local councils will giv you a nappy grant which you can look into. x
  • scubachick and lisa, thank you so much for taking the time to reply - sorry I haven't been back sooner to reply. It was so helpful to hear your experiences. I will check out the nappies you're using.
    I bought a few used ones from an NCT sale and still really keen but hubbie not so image He reckons there's a reason why the majority of people use disposables....I guess it's just time and priorities really though and I really want to do it. Som am doing some research to convince, but in the end if he's not up for it I don't think I should go for reusables as he'll always have an excuse not to change the nappy then!!
    Thanks again xx
  • Hello, my hubby is not keen on reusables either so what we do is Monday to Friday I use reusables with lo as hubby is at work. At weekends and overnight we use disposables so hubby still can't get away without doing his share of the changing. It works well for us, might be worth a go?
  • i found this extremely helpful, I am going to consider buying some re-usables for my little girl now!

    thank you xx   

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