clueless...thinking about reusable nappies

Chantel - posted on 03/06/2009

Laura...All in ones are great...but I hear they hold more smell...and take a long time to dry...I prefer pockets myself as they are water proof...and you can stuff them to the proper absorbancy for what your need is...also they dry quickly I don't even put my diapers in the dryer very often as they dry in a few hrs hanging inside and very quickly on nice days outside!!! they wick moisture away and stay dry against babys skin!! The brands I have and love are Bum Genious 3.0, Baby Kangas, Happy Heiny, and my absolute fav is my Blueberry Bamboo...all of these are one size diapers as you will get more use for the cost!!!!...they are also relatively trim!!!! Good luck and happy diapering

Laura - posted on 03/05/2009

Thanks for everyone's input into this query. much apperciated. all they help has been very useful particuarly vilate's webpage. i think if more information on reusable nappies was available then more mums would use them instead of disposables. many thanks and any other information or tips would be very welcome...thanks again x x x x

Vilate - posted on 03/05/2009

laura,  I have been considereing making up a webpage for information about CD's I was fueled by your question, so here it is,  http://www.niftynappybyvilate.weebly.com    I am still working on it, but the most of it is there.  check it out and any feed back would be appreciated.

Chelsea - posted on 03/03/2009

The diapers themselves are not waterproof but the covers you put over them are waterproof.  I use chinese prefolds and they are very absorbant, you have to wash and dry them 3 times before using them to make them absorbant.  They are much more comfortable for your infant and I have two dozen and wash every 4 days for my 5 month old.  

The best in my opinon are the chinese prefolds with gerber plastic covers and held togeher with snappis.  I bough the delux package with enough diapers until my baby is potty trained for $200.  There were two sizes infant and regular.  I used the infant ones for about 3 months and will use the next size until she's done.  You should treat them just like regular diapers in the diaper pail sense.  Just use a regular diaper pail and put them in it and when you are close to running out wash them in hot water with 1 cap of detergent 1 1/2 cups or bleach, second rinse and dry on high heat.  For outings you can just pt them into a plastic bag in your diaper bag and put them in the diaper pail when you get home.  Mine have never smelled or stained.  When your baby gets on solids and the poops change you should flush the poop down the toilet.  

I bough my diapers from katies kisses which is an online company.  

Jessie - posted on 03/03/2009

That last post was great - basically all the info you need. Do a little research and you will find what works best for you. I would recommend trying a few different types before spending a lot of money. Probably the easiest route to go is all-in-ones but I also have some with covers and it really doesn't make that much different. We use disposables when we are going out for a long time but you can still use the cloth, just need to count on the extra baggage. The extra washing isn't really a big deal - since this is your third baby you are probably constantly doing laundry anyway! Just find a time that works best for you, I like to put the wash on before I put baby down for bed and then throw them in the dryer after that way they are ready for the morning. A lot of mom's seem to love the bumgenius 3.0 the best - i use them at night because they keep her driest but during the day I use motherease because I am changing her more often. It's not only great for the environment but much better for little bums too! You rarely need any barriers or creams. My mom used cloth with me and my 3 siblings and not one diaper rash! Good luck!

Vilate - posted on 03/03/2009

Laura,

I am going to post this, and i hope it doesn't scare you away because it is a lot of information at once, but at least it is all in one place.

diaper types::
pre-fold- a pre fold it a piece of flannel that has been pre-folded and sewn with a bulk in the middle. You have to do some folding and tucking when you use a pre-fold. You also have to use some type of closure be it a snappie, pins, or a cover. People like the pre-fold for the price. A pre-fold can be a little bulky though it doesn't bother most.

fitted- a fitted is a diaper that has been cut and sewn into a diaper shape. There is no folding involved and they usually have elastic to fit better. They usually close using a snap or velcro. They need some sort of cover too.

all-in-ones (AIO's)- these are like the fitteds except there is a layer of PUL (poly urethane laminate) that is water proof. This makes it so this diaper doesn't need a cover. Some people love these, because there is less to deal with. On the other hand they aren't breathable and if your baby gets rashes this can make them worse or cause them.

Pockets- these are like the AIO's except all the absorbent layer isn't sewn into the diaper. You have to stuff the pocket with an insert for absorbency. These are nice for drying purposes with the insert separate they dry faster. These may or may not require a cover depending on if they have a PUL layer or not. They usually do have a PUL layer and so don't need a cover.

Which is easier: this is just a personal preference.
pins- I hate pins, I was always sticking myself and worried about sticking the baby, but they do let you customize the fit of the diaper. And they are a cheap alternative! You will only have to use these on the pre-folds and some fitteds.

Snaps- I personally use snaps. I bought a snap press with resin snaps. I put lots of snaps on my diapers, so I have quite a bit of different fits in one diaper. My diapers fit from  7-35 lbs.
velcro- when you use velcro on diapers you don't want it to be velcro you want it to be aplix. The aplix holds up better, and you want to make sure that it has a washing flap. so that you you can attach the aplix to something while washing or you end up with a bunch of diapers all stuck together and your aplix won't hold up as well for as long. I personally don't like this, I found it to difficult to work with, and the kids can take off the diapers easier as they get older.

There is also a snappie you can go here to see these
http://www.tinybirdsorganics.com/mini-sh...

for outings people use what are called wet bags.  They are made out of the PUL so they don't leak and you can just trow them in the wash with the diapers, or some use wool bags.

For one baby I would suggest between 15-20 diapers.    I had 20 diapers for 2 kiddos, but now I have only one in diapers and she is older so diaper changes are less frequent, so I can make do with 10 diapers.  You have older kids if they are younger and still in diapers there are diapers out there that are kinda a one size diapers so you only need one style of diaper for all.  My diapers are that way.
There is a lot more info, but I don't want to overwhelm you. So, let me know if I can help you at all.  And any other questions ask away.