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help - real nappies or disposables?

Hiya!!
I use both!!!! Here is my experience, its a bit of an essay!!! sorry!!

I was determined to use washable nappies as i am an environmentalist (my partner liked the fact that they were cheaper!), and like you people looked at me like i was mad! I chose tots bots bamboozles as they are very absorbant and soft, plus they dry easily. They are shaped like a disposable nappy with a tongue attached that you fold according to the sex of your baby. You line the nappy with a disposable liner, i use boots own make at about a pound for 100 or so, and use a waterproof wrap!! They are dead easy to wash and dry, you don't use conditioner as it affects absorbancy. I tumble dry them for about half an hour to soften them and then put them on the radiator overnight. They also dry very well on a line but again i use the dryer to soften them. My little girl is beginning to crawl and get mobile and they don't hinder her at all. The nursery are fine about using washables too! We use washables about 85% of the time.

The rest of the time we use disposables, that is at night and when we go out for the day as I wouldn't want to carry smelly nappies round with me.

The only time Bronwyn got a hint of nappy rash was when I was being lazy and relying on disposables. As soon as she went back into washables it cleared up.

The only downside to washables that I have personally found is that the majority of trousers don't go over them very well. You have to buy a bigger size, or there are companies that make washable nappy friendly clothes.

Yes you need to be organised with washing, but you soon get into a routine!

If you have any questions please feel free to ask!!

Replies

  • Disposables maybe more absorbent?
  • Oh and just to add if I was doing it over, I would certainly consider using reusables xx
  • I use them at night more for convenience, with washables I found that they really need changing during the night. If i use a disposable and Bronwyn sleeps through then I don;t have to worry about changing her. I didn't want her sleeping for 10 hours in a wet nappy. I have used them overnight and plan to start using them more regularly.
  • I am the same as caroline, i use reusables during the day and disposables at night.
    I was very very lucky that i actually didnt pay out for any of my reusables. When George was 6mths i offered to test reusable nappies and was given them free of charge in offer for a "report" about each type.
    I have treid Bambino mio (hated the frefolds)
    Tommee Tippee (again hated prefolds)
    Tots bots (love love loved them!!!)
    Kushies (still use these)
    kushies are all in ones where you dont need a waterproof cover for them and you just use a booster pad and the liner..

    I too found that when George uses disposables for a long period of time he gets a nappy rash too.
  • From my own personal experience of disposables none of mine have really suffered with nappy rash, only when they have been teething they have had a little bit, which usually clears up within a day with sudocreme, or metanium.
  • well sally i'm busy getting my self a collection of real nappys together to try out on nicole. got about 6 different types to try at the mo.
    i've personally decied not to use real nappys for that newborn flying poo stage, i wouldn't be able to cope with the 15 to 20 (30 to 40)nappys a day wash. but i'm going to use them for that 3mths plus stage when you know when there going to poo and ob for nicoles age (15mths) so i would end up using about 6 to 9 (12 to 18) ish nappys per day and with two kids you can handle that better.
    there's a lot to take in about real nappys, i'm just learning it all now. you do need to change them every 2 to 3 hours ish to keep there skin dry a disbosable as long as it's not dirty of course can stay on for 4 to 6 hours before wetness will show on there skin. pamper's of course stay dry for 12 hours.
    today was my 1st day in real nappys we tried out the tots bots ones, must say i was quite impressed so far.
    cost wise, think there's a lot you need to buy for these real nappys, more than just the nappys.
    any way hun i'm trying a few out if you want i can give you a sort of review on them?
  • I also used the newborn disposables for the yucky poohy stage!!!!
  • I intended to use 'real' nappies on Milly to start. But as with others, wanted to use disposable nappies for the first few months. I must admit to finding the disposable nappies more convenient than I first thought.
    Also, in the eco-warrior thought pattern, you may reduce the landfil space by using the re-usables, but how much energy are you using to wash and dry them. Its fine during the summer when they can be line dried, but during the winter after a bought of the runs, how much are you prepared to turn up the heating to dry them. that isnt counting the washing in itself, the 'eco' wash wont get the carrot or tomato out of cotton, would hate to think about stains out of nappies.
    I think that the solution is being thrifty with the nappies them selves, reusable or disposable. Discountig any sickness I try to keep it to 3 nappies a day per baby. A change first thing, once mid afternoon and another before bed. I find this cuts down on what i have to throw out. I only change a dirty one, unless its saturated. Yes, my family have had their share of nappy rash, but I have attributed this to Teethig.
  • I have the heating on very low as to cut back on the gas i use and even then the tots bots only take 5 or 6 hours to dry.

    I generally wash on a 40 degree wash, unless they are really bad and then i use a 60 wash.

    I am really pleased with mine, and will use them on Smurfy too!!
  • I wanted to use tots bots fluffles on Hollie but never got round to it. We decided to wait and see how big she was before buying any nappies and also for the newborn stage to pass. But i am ashamed to say we are still using disposables out of sheer laziness. But saying that i am seriously thinking of getting a set of terry's to use on her, especially as the weather is on its way. We don't have a tumble dryer and don't really want one so that is why i am planning on using terry's as they are quick drying.

    Hollie has only ever had nappy rash once which lasted a while as we used sudocream and bepanthum (sp?) and this made it worse. After cutting out using wipes and letting her bum to the air it cleared up pretty well.
  • there's this yellow stuff called metulim or something, it's great for nappy rash.
    anyway, back to the nappy thing. you know you can buy eco friendly disbosables from boots, they take 10 years to decompose rather than the 50 years it takes a pampers nappy? there ok, not bad nappys at all.
    my tots bots and terry squares dry quite quick, haven't tested the others. i'm still using disposables on the night time thou. maybe you can do a mix? have both, cloth for the house type thing? just a idea.
  • Kristy how do you find the terry squares are they any good? My mam used terry nappies on all 6 of us and found them great, i was thinking of these because they are cheap and dry quick.

    Karen xx
  • I am trying Lidl disposables at the mo as my mates have recommended them. Bronwyn wore them today for nursery (i ran out of clean tots bots wraps) and when I bathed her tonight I noticed that she has mega nappy rash. I am not impressed, i have smothered her in sudocrem. I won't be buying them again. They are very good at not leaking and fit well but i am not impressed with the rash! Bronwyn has never had any more than a few dots of nappy rash.
  • Kristy, was it Metanium you were thinking of? I agree it's pretty good! x
  • The new Mothercare set looks good, you can use them as either reusables or disposables. Definitely worth a look!!
  • yeh that was the stuff tasha, its good.

    today we tried out the fuzzi bunz, i put a 2nd boaster in it and tried a different liner.
    the nappy looked ok and fitted nicole well, she seemed comfortable in it, 4 laters she pooed in it so i couldn't tell how dry her skin would of been, i tested one of the new liners on there own and was not impressed so not using them again (green babys) the poo also went on the nappy. anyway chucked it in the wash and it cleaned well and dried on the radator with in 3 hours, but the boaster took 7 hours to dry!
    then we tried natures babys lovable with a boaster and fleece liner, after 3 hours the nappy was dripping wet, this nappy i had to use a wrap with, i used the cotton bottoms wrap, at 1st i wasn't impressed with it as they seem a little small made but big inbtween the legs, anyway after the dripping wet nappy came off her and the liner kept every thing i thought it wasn't to bad. nicoles skin was damp when i took the nappy off thou.
    yesterday we used tot's bots, these fit small but look cute, i also used the tommie tippee liner with this one, these liners worked best so far, they kept nicole's skin dry and the nappy was wet, she only had this one for 2.5 hours thou on the test, it washed easy and dried quick.
    now i've just got my terry squares wahed ready to try tomorrow, they washed so easy and dried in 40 mins in the dryer, so far easyest to wash and dry. just got to see how they are tomorrow when she wears them and i'll let you know.
  • I wanted to let people know that bambino mio are giving away a new limited edition heartcover desgin, they want you to recommend what print they should do next!!have a look on their facebook page! xx
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