Decision time

[sherlock]

I'm planning on using cloth nappies but am still really stuck as to which ones are best. I've read reviews and product info on quite a lot of brands. MY head has almost exploded on occasion 20061008

My problem is, some Mums find certain brands leak, other say they have never had a problem. Hard to know quite how I'll find them of course.

The brand I like is Bambino Mio, as they are so slim fitting and not quite as bulky as other makes we looked at. But some reviews say they leaked. I've been into my local independant baby store and she stocks them there with a mini pack to try.

I know if I buy some I can hopefully sell them on again if they turn out to not be the ones for me/us, but still worry. I'd have to pay out for another set of nappies before selling the old.

Is it worth looking at 2nd hand ones to start do you think? And seeing how they do before buying new ones later on?

What have been your experiences when trying to find the brand for you and your baby? :help2:

[shazgh]

When I started out I bought a selection and mosty used terries for first few months, then I tried totsbots, They are the nappies I liked best, I used the shaped cotton ones, then for dd2 they brought out the bamboozles, which you will prefer if you like slim fitting with the added bonus of being alot more absorbant than cotton.
Downside is they take a while to dry, which wasn't a problem for me as I can hang outside in good weather or over radiators in colder weather.
I used both motherease rikki wraps and totsbots new style wrap with leg gussets, there is not much difference between them.
Hope this helps

[Justenuff]

I used tots bots size 1 when he was little (you can easily pick them up second hand at a good price) and Motherease wraps. Luckily I have a friend who uses cloth so I had some hands on experience with them and got to grips with different fittings and styles before starting out. Then once I'd got the hang of it and decided I did want to keep using cloth I got in touch with my local Lollipop agent and borrowed a load of nappies to see which suited in terms of drying, fit etc. There are other places that do trial schemes too and it's well worth doing this even if you have to pay a little for the loan as it can save you a fortune in the long run.

The fit really does depend on your child. I have a skinny waisted 6 month old boy but he's a very heavy wetter so even though he's only 16lbs he needs the nappies for 20lbs+ but lots of these are too big for him at the moment so we need ones with crossed tabs at the front or nippa fittings so have a selection of Bumgenius pocket nappies, tots bots cotton (bamboo take too long to dry in our house), Thirsties, Fuzzi Bunz (although these don't fit as well as the Bum Genius and tend to leak poo so I'll wait till he's weaning before I use these much).

Personally I would say get some size 1 nappies as cheaply as you can - the most common seem to be tots bots and bambino mio and then see what your baby's like. If you get a birth to potty set you may find you still need to supplement with different nappies for night time (if you use them at night) or for out and about when sometimes having an all in one or stuffable can be easier than a 2 part system.

Also see if anyone does a nappucino in your area (google your county and 'cloth nappies' is a good way to see what's around) and don't be afraid to ask other mums as recommendations for both sellers and nappies are always useful (that's how I found the Bum Genius).

[smirnoff]

i loved fuzzi bunz! soooo easy!

[sherlock]

Thanks ladies. Given me lots to go on :)

I shall look into a few trial packs etc and then see which seem to work and fit LO. I'm checking sizing also as I am told LO is a big baby - I know they can be wrong on this so am not quite believing but both myself and hubby were almost 9lb and hubbys brother was 9'6lb! So I am wary of getting them too small just in case.

At least I've still got 8 weeks or so to find some.

[Emsickle]

I'm using size 2 tots bots on my 4 month old. I've been told that you can use Size 2's as a birth to potty too by folding down the front and using a nippa to fasten.

HTH

Edit: Oh he's about 19lbs now btw too - so you know how big he is :yes:

[ladraven]

It might be worth seeing if your council do the real nappy campaign. For £15 I got a pack with various types of nappies, Motherease, Tots Bots, Bummi's and loads more all in all it was more than £50 of nappies for £15. Once my son was born I tried them out and am currently using nappies from the trial pack, bummis and Kushies.

[baby oaks]

After trying lots of brands out on my daughter I have realised that it really does depend on the size and shape of your little one and also their weeing habbits and these factors may also change as the baby grows older.... my baby for example is really wet at night so i need a super absorbant nappy for her, she is also somewhat of a 'chunky monkey' so the smaller fitting ones are no good for her but might be great for the skinnier babies out there. We use Baby Beehinds at the mo which seem to do the trick. I sell them so could always send you a sample sherlock? x

[greenmum]

Yes, I'd definitley check with your local council to see what they offer. In plymouth you can borrow a trial kit which has quite a few different nappies in it. You can use the kit free for one month to see which nappies you like best.

I've tried quite a few and I really like tots bots and motherease. We generally use tots bots at night - they're really easy to boost which is handy as your little one gets older.

I'd definitely recommend the motherease wraps - they are really hard wearing and easy to adjust the size. Bamboo is a great material, lovely and soft and more absorbent, so long as you don't mind the extra drying time.

If you dont get any luck with your council then getting a few second hand ones could be a chance to try before you buy

[jd28]

Really does depend on your child. I found she grew out of bamboozles long before other tots bots nappies the same size. I found prefolds a total disaster, as she has splattery bowel habits (sorry, tmi!) Motherease hopeless as not enough absorbency - leaks in under an hour! I bought all my nappies second hand, so I didn't mind if some didn't work out. I found tots bots and little lambs the best. The nappy lady website is very helpful for advice.

[sherlock]

Thank you for all your replies ladies :) Much appreciated.

I shall call my local council next week and see if they run this nappy scheme.

If not I shall order some trial packs of 3 or 4 makes you've recommended and when LO arrives I shall see what works best to begin with.

We've also bought some biodegradable throwaway nappies for newborn baby just in case. Only a couple of packs for the first week or two if I don't get them washed quickly enough or something.

[BebeCannelle]

You need to try them out to see how they work for YOUR baby. You may find a particular brand is perfect for you and if you have nother LO, it's not good.... so deffo buy a few second-hand and see how it goes. After that, you can buy loads :D

Personally, I love the Ella House's. Good luck :kisshands:

[josfab]

I've tried loads. We loved bambino mio's while she was small but once she got to about 3 months they were pretty useless, lots of leaks and needed changing really frequently. We favour Motherease staydry, and actually managed to get a lot preloved - still in great condition after our 9 months of use, I'm expecting them to last to potty training. Also tried bumbles, petit desous, tots bots rainbow (cotton I think), wee notions and probably some others. Some of those come in nice fancy fabrics so make you smile even though you've got to wash the bloody things! The Mio's were great to begin with as they were nice and slim fitting for a new baby ... if you can get some used so not too expensive then have a mix. Mio's do dry quicker as open up flat.

[Marsha]

stick urself to one brand.I feel organic disposable nappies are good to use

[josfab]

sticking to one brand is ok if you know what works for you, but you don't til you've tried some do you. Motherease were brill for us, but someone earlier said they leaked for her ... although we often use a booster too. Iagree on the disposable - the naturebabies (I think that's the brand) are biodegradable and worked well for us. One of my neighbours found they leaked though and she prefered the moltex brand .. again biodegradable. My OH puts them in the compost ... thank goodness we only use them occaisionally!!!

[Trinity]

I do miss my nappies........well, not my own personal nappies but I loved using cloth.

For me my favs were Tots Bots and Stuffies. I also liked the Minki all in ones.

[sherlock]

We plan on getting a few trial packs once baby is a few weeks old and things have settled down. Then will see what works for us and baby. We are using the Naturebabies ones till then :)

Thanks for all the replies ladies :)