cloth-diapering vs. disposable??

Jodi - posted on 10/13/2009

Ladies, could you please stop flagging posts just because you disagree with them? I have read through the ones that have been flagged, and while I do agree there are some strong opinions here, I don't believe they are offensive. If you don't agree with someone's opinion and views, that is fine, but (1) please keep it respectful and to topic and (2) please don't flag a post just because you disagree with it. Thank you :)

Kate CP - posted on 10/12/2009

Quoting Jennifer:

Cathy, an apology is more than necessary in this case, I read the entire thread and thought I was on an Environmental Activist Website. It's a bit ridiculous and selfish to be argumentative in a forum such as this. We are moms and we all do what we believe is best for us and our children. To pick apart other posts when all this mom asked for was your input on what YOU do is uncalled for and needs to be saved for the appropriate places. This thread was about personal preferences, NOT arguing facts and trying to make your case like it's religion...we're talking about diapers here. One aspect of the hundreds in our daily lives. Please try to use a little more kindness and etiquette when posting in the future.

As for Emma, I "personally" would gather what facts I could on this subject as well as ask for the opinions of other moms that have had experience and then trust your gut!! Mother's Intuition is a powerful thing. And if you try something new and it doesn't work for you (as cloth didn't for me) then you can always take recourse!

Best of luck to you and God Bless.

Firstly, every one needs to calm down. Second, I saw nothing offensive or insulting in any of the posts thus far. Therefor this thread will remain open for the time being under strict observation. Y'all have been doing good so far, so keep it up.

-Kate Capehart

Cathy - posted on 10/12/2009

I do apologize. It was not my intention to offend. I do get offended myself when I see people who have no desire to use cloth, attacking cloth nappies as some sort of backward choice with what are merely myths propagated by disposable nappy companies. Some people have given very good reasons as to why cloth nappies are not appropriate to their personal circumstances and they have good merit to their point.

Jennifer - posted on 10/12/2009

Cathy, an apology is more than necessary in this case, I read the entire thread and thought I was on an Environmental Activist Website. It's a bit ridiculous and selfish to be argumentative in a forum such as this. We are moms and we all do what we believe is best for us and our children. To pick apart other posts when all this mom asked for was your input on what YOU do is uncalled for and needs to be saved for the appropriate places. This thread was about personal preferences, NOT arguing facts and trying to make your case like it's religion...we're talking about diapers here. One aspect of the hundreds in our daily lives. Please try to use a little more kindness and etiquette when posting in the future.



As for Emma, I "personally" would gather what facts I could on this subject as well as ask for the opinions of other moms that have had experience and then trust your gut!! Mother's Intuition is a powerful thing. And if you try something new and it doesn't work for you (as cloth didn't for me) then you can always take recourse!



Best of luck to you and God Bless.

Jessie - posted on 10/10/2009

Emma, you are getting a lot of information here and I hope you're able to find it useful! For myself, I have used cloth on my LO since he was 2 months old. We have pocket diapers, and now that he is one year we do a wash every 3rd day or so. The brand we have is called Knickernappies--we opted for the sized kind after experimenting with a few all-in-ones, one size, and cloth squares with covers, and they rarely ever leak. You do have to change them a little more often--say every 3 hours or so (we usually change him after meals and naps, like most people I'd guess, and he is fine.) We do use disposables at night. We wash in Tide on hot and dry in the dryer on medium for 1 hour and they are fine. Someone suggested washing on a lower temp setting to help the environment....I don't suggest that with diapers at all because you need to wash on hot to get all the bacteria etc out. You don't want you baby getting some kind of weird skin infection/rash. So wash on hot. You can wash all your other clothes on cold.

Cathy - posted on 10/10/2009

Quoting Jean:

We have a consumer programme over hear in New Zealand called Target, and they have a section called product check. They tested cloth/disosibles, the pro's and con's of each.

I can't find the link, but they had proven that both are just as bad for the enviroment.

They have products that are tested at labs, so all testing is done professionally.

I did look into nappies before I had my son, as to what I would use.

Without providing the evidence, I can't dispute the flaws in their testing methods.

Here however is a link to the BBC climate change page regarding disposables v cloth.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bloom/actions/realn...

This is the update  of the environmental agency report regarding life cycle of disposable and reusable nappies. This is the most conclusive study into this debate to date.

http://publications.environment-agency.g...

It is very important to read further into the details of this report and not just the conclusion as there are further assumptions made that have significant importance. This study assumes that the reusable nappies are normal cotton, whereas there are of course nappies made from organically produced cotton, bamboo and hemp nappies, all of which have a smaller footprint, and are now much more common in 2009.

The final paragraph in conclusions

The environmental impacts of using shaped reusable nappies can be higher or lower
than using disposables, depending on how they are laundered. The report shows that,
in contrast to the use of disposable nappies, it is consumers’ behaviour after purchase
that determines most of the impacts from reusable nappies.
Cloth nappy users can reduce their environmental impacts by:
• Line drying outside whenever possible.
• Tumble drying as little as possible.
• When replacing appliances, choosing more energy efficient appliances (A+
rated machines are preferred).
• Not washing above 60°C.
• Washing fuller loads.
• Reusing nappies on other children.

And I apologise to Emma for turning her thread into an environmental debate.

. - posted on 10/09/2009

Quoting Cathy:

Quoting Jean:

 Sorry Cathy but I'm with Amie on this.

We use disposibles on Dante.

In regards to the whole enviroment thing, disposibles are just as bad for the enviroment as what cloth nappies are. All that time washing cloth nappies, your using electricity (to wash-cia washing machine- and dry- if using dryer), washing powder (chemicals to clean), the water gets dirty, then drying (if inside during winter- what ever heating you use). Then with disposibles, it takes at least a thousand years for them do go down in a dump

 

Firstly, I've done both. My opinion is not based on hear'say or misinformation. When I had my first 6 years ago I tried the old fashioned terry squares and pins and got no joy from using them. I used disposables till he was around six months when i found a better cloth choice. He had an endless nappy rash  problem till I made the switch back to cloth. My youngest went into cloth as soon as they fit ... around 2 weeks. He has had maybe 3 minor cases of nappy rash that have cleared on there own within 2 days. I use disposables on holiday only and can't wait till I can get back home to the cloth.

I think there is a lot of misinformation put out by disposable nappy companies regarding the environmental impact of cloth nappies. Most of this information is based on old data. The simple fact is that I have a choice on how environmental I choose to be with my nappies. My washing machine is A+ energy efficient. I use non biological washing powders (mainly because the biological type will ruin my nappies). When washing nappies I use 1/4 the amount of powder I would for a normal wash. Soiled nappies are rinsed in the toilet before going into the bucket. Even then I know that the water from my washing machine will go into the sewage and be treated before it can re-enter the water table. I line dry my nappies when it's dry weather. When its wet they dry on airers indoors. My heating does not go on unless the house needs warmth. Only when I have no room for drying do nappies see the tumble dryer. When using the tumble dryer I use dryer balls and a large dry towel. This halves my drying time.All these factors not only help the environment but also save me money.

What choice do you have in reducing the environmental impact of disposables? None. That responsability lies solely with the manufacturer. Everything they and  your child put into disposable nappy will eventually, over 100+ years, re enter the earth untreated.

We have a consumer programme over hear in New Zealand called Target, and they have a section called product check. They tested cloth/disosibles, the pro's and con's of each.

I can't find the link, but they had proven that both are just as bad for the enviroment.

They have products that are tested at labs, so all testing is done professionally.

I did look into nappies before I had my son, as to what I would use.

Lauren - posted on 10/09/2009

we use modern cloth nappies (shaped like a disposable with fastenings so no pins) and having used disposables for 2 weeks on holidays would def. never choose to use them at home! i have had more leaks in a disposable in 2 weeks than i expect to have in a year of using cloth (based on current leakage rates which is very minimal indeed!)
cloth is easy, cheap and i seriously do believe environmentally its better, we dont soak the nappies in anything and they are washed with minimal detergents and line dried in the sun. for us its an extra 3 loads of nappies a week in the machine - so not a huge water waste. Considering a disposable takes 500+ years to break down, the amount of raw faeces in landfill contributing to potential disease, and the idea of a smelly garbage bin, for us cloth is a winner hands down!

Jessica - posted on 10/09/2009

I personally have a lot to about cloth diapering but I'll limit my response to this....it's less expensive in the long run. We used cloth with my second until he grew out of the size we had...went back to disposables. Now we are expecting our third and our second is only one so we bought One size fits all (birth to potty training) All In One (just like a disposable, except you keep it and wash it) diapers, 24 of them. They can both use the same ones. As for liners, you don't have to use them. I do use Imse Vemse liners because they can be washed (if urinated on) 3-4 times, and when baby poops you just turn it over in the toilet and flush it away. It's the easiest way I've found to deal with poop and cloth.

About the cost of washing, in the last 15 months I've spent exactly $8.37 on laundry detergent. I make my own, I know that sounds like a lot of work (if it was I wouldn't do it), but it's not. I do dry my diapers in the dryer, but you could hang them for the day.



Hope this helped a little. By the way, our cloth diaper investment is $500. BUT, we spend $800 a year on diapers and once the little one comes it will be double that... I think the $500 is a good initial investment, how about you?

Michelle - posted on 10/09/2009

Not having my own washer/dryer and working full-time was the top deciding factor for me to go disposable. I had far more time to actually play with my child and enjoy instead of having to do laundry while she was awake so I wasn't leaving her alone in the apartment to trudge up/down two flights of stairs and across a courtyard after dark!

I don't even think this was originally a debate; it was more of how do I do cloth without doing disposables liners? And lots of great answers on the board. But as with everything, you weigh the pros & cons and do what you need to do for the best OVERALL health & well-being of your family situation.

Daisy - posted on 10/09/2009

cloth diaper are good butttt u will get tired of washing boo boo out and will eveutly throw them away that happen with me but that was 35 years ago

Jessica - posted on 10/08/2009

We use cloth diapers we bought at Walmart. They work well, and are so much cheaper than ones you order. We usually fold one up to use as an insert in another - to save the expense of buying actual inserts. Our covers have lasted 2 years, and we ordered them from The Baby Lane, with whom we've had a wonderful experience. It has saved us so much money using cloth!

It's not as difficult as some people think: we keep dirty ones in a bucket of water with vinegar, wash them with regular detergent (we use environmentally safe stuff), and when we're out we store dirty ones in plastic shopping bags that we reuse. In the summer, we hang them to dry, but they dry fine in the dryer. They've been better on my son's bum; he got rashes from some of the disposables we used during the first 2 months, probably from the chemicals in them.

We've used pins, which are easy enough for me, but if you're like my son's father and are afraid of stabbing your baby, you can get Snappy's (I believe we also ordered them from The Baby Lane) and they last quite a while. They're a stretchy thing with teeth to hook into the diaper and keep it pulled together and closed.

In my opinion, cloth is the safest, most comfortable, most affordable, and most environmentally-friendly way to go!

Brandi - posted on 10/08/2009

There are, as you have already discovered, an overwhelming number of choices in cloth. I don't think there is one best diaper. You should try a variety of styles to see what works best for you. I like pocket diapers best. We also use fitteds with a fleece cover. When we started with cloth, we were very short on funds. I sewed some of my diapers using recycled materials (old jeans, flannel sheets and shirts, tshirts). There are lots of free patterns online. Check out diaperhyena.com. I found some on Ebay, although I wouldn't recommend it unless you have an idea of what you want. Some of the deals on Ebay are not so great. Diapperswappers.com is an awesome site to find diapers. They also have wonderful discussion boards on just about every topic. I have even found some on Craigslist.

Cathy - posted on 10/08/2009

I did not imply that you were unhygenic, merely uneducated in the area of reusable sanitary care if you think it consists of a bulky piece off cloth.

Amie - posted on 10/08/2009

Firstly Cathy I am outraged that you implied that I am not hygenic, that would be like me saying that you are some kind of hippee with too much time on your hands, but I do not know you so would not say that. But what I am responding too is the comment that disposible nappies leak and are far worse for the environment. I have found that with my use with 6 kids have found that every year new disposables come onto the market that are environmentally friendly and all nappies are constantly getting better with better fit and absorbancy, they have too to stay competitive.

Emma if you are sure you want to do the cloth thing and are commited to it, good luck I hope it works for you. I know of someone who was given a nappy wash service for a year as a baby shower present, I thought that was a great idea.

Tammy - posted on 10/08/2009

I use both cloth and disposable nappies. I just use the standard generic square cloth nappies during the day, and disposable nappies when we go out and when he goes to bed. I find that my son doesn't really go through that many cloth nappies during the day as he is exclusively bf, when he was on formula it was double that. When he was a newborn i just folded the nappy twice into a triangle, now he's three months old I fold it into the kite shape, which works really well. I also re-use the nappy liners (Throw out number two's of course), I just put them in the bucket with the nappies. I haven't had any problems with nappy rash whatsoever.

Cathy - posted on 10/08/2009

Quoting Jean:

 Sorry Cathy but I'm with Amie on this.

We use disposibles on Dante.

In regards to the whole enviroment thing, disposibles are just as bad for the enviroment as what cloth nappies are. All that time washing cloth nappies, your using electricity (to wash-cia washing machine- and dry- if using dryer), washing powder (chemicals to clean), the water gets dirty, then drying (if inside during winter- what ever heating you use). Then with disposibles, it takes at least a thousand years for them do go down in a dump

 

Firstly, I've done both. My opinion is not based on hear'say or misinformation. When I had my first 6 years ago I tried the old fashioned terry squares and pins and got no joy from using them. I used disposables till he was around six months when i found a better cloth choice. He had an endless nappy rash  problem till I made the switch back to cloth. My youngest went into cloth as soon as they fit ... around 2 weeks. He has had maybe 3 minor cases of nappy rash that have cleared on there own within 2 days. I use disposables on holiday only and can't wait till I can get back home to the cloth.

I think there is a lot of misinformation put out by disposable nappy companies regarding the environmental impact of cloth nappies. Most of this information is based on old data. The simple fact is that I have a choice on how environmental I choose to be with my nappies. My washing machine is A+ energy efficient. I use non biological washing powders (mainly because the biological type will ruin my nappies). When washing nappies I use 1/4 the amount of powder I would for a normal wash. Soiled nappies are rinsed in the toilet before going into the bucket. Even then I know that the water from my washing machine will go into the sewage and be treated before it can re-enter the water table. I line dry my nappies when it's dry weather. When its wet they dry on airers indoors. My heating does not go on unless the house needs warmth. Only when I have no room for drying do nappies see the tumble dryer. When using the tumble dryer I use dryer balls and a large dry towel. This halves my drying time.All these factors not only help the environment but also save me money.

What choice do you have in reducing the environmental impact of disposables? None. That responsability lies solely with the manufacturer. Everything they and  your child put into disposable nappy will eventually, over 100+ years, re enter the earth untreated.

. - posted on 10/08/2009

Quoting Cathy:

Quoting Amie:

I started with the idea that cloth was going to be better but a few things changed my mind.
1. A friend of mine had her son in cloth nappies and he always smelt like urine because they don't absorb as well.Disposable nappies stink of chemicals when wet ... cloth nappies will only start to smell of ammonia when then are in need of a strip wash.
2. You have to change them way more often because they can soak through clothes onto furniture, car seats carpet etc and who has time to wash all that with a baby. Disposables leak poop, out the legs and straight up the back. This has happened to me a lot less with cloth. I also use bamboo nappies for night. They haven't leaked once ... they are on for a full 12+ hours.
3. SOOO much washing, and I know of a baby that drowned in a nappy bucket which someone had not put the lid on properly. I do one extra wash every 2-3 days. I dry pail all my nappies.
4. My sister is a pediatric nurse and she said they use disposables in the hospital because they have less problems with nappy rash.My son has had next  to no incidents of nappy rash and in cloth since 2 weeks old.
5. A lot of modern baby clothes are not designed for the big cloth nappies and do not fit properly over them. Cloth nappies are far slimmer than you may be imagining. My BumGenius nappies are only fractionally bulkier than disposables.
6. Someone once put it to me like this "when you have your period would you rather use a shaped absorbent pad or a bulky piece of cloth? Now think what your baby would prefer on their little bottom."  Guess the idea of safe and hygenic reusable sanitary care is lost on you.

 Sorry Cathy but I'm with Amie on this.

We use disposibles on Dante.

In regards to the whole enviroment thing, disposibles are just as bad for the enviroment as what cloth nappies are. All that time washing cloth nappies, your using electricity (to wash-cia washing machine- and dry- if using dryer), washing powder (chemicals to clean), the water gets dirty, then drying (if inside during winter- what ever heating you use). Then with disposibles, it takes at least a thousand years for them do go down in a dump

. - posted on 10/08/2009

Quoting Cathy:

Quoting Amie:

I started with the idea that cloth was going to be better but a few things changed my mind.
1. A friend of mine had her son in cloth nappies and he always smelt like urine because they don't absorb as well.Disposable nappies stink of chemicals when wet ... cloth nappies will only start to smell of ammonia when then are in need of a strip wash.
2. You have to change them way more often because they can soak through clothes onto furniture, car seats carpet etc and who has time to wash all that with a baby. Disposables leak poop, out the legs and straight up the back. This has happened to me a lot less with cloth. I also use bamboo nappies for night. They haven't leaked once ... they are on for a full 12+ hours.
3. SOOO much washing, and I know of a baby that drowned in a nappy bucket which someone had not put the lid on properly. I do one extra wash every 2-3 days. I dry pail all my nappies.
4. My sister is a pediatric nurse and she said they use disposables in the hospital because they have less problems with nappy rash.My son has had next  to no incidents of nappy rash and in cloth since 2 weeks old.
5. A lot of modern baby clothes are not designed for the big cloth nappies and do not fit properly over them. Cloth nappies are far slimmer than you may be imagining. My BumGenius nappies are only fractionally bulkier than disposables.
6. Someone once put it to me like this "when you have your period would you rather use a shaped absorbent pad or a bulky piece of cloth? Now think what your baby would prefer on their little bottom."  Guess the idea of safe and hygenic reusable sanitary care is lost on you.

 Sorry Cathy but I'm with Amie on this.

We use disposibles on Dante.

In regards to the whole enviroment thing, disposibles are just as bad for the enviroment as what cloth nappies are. All that time washing cloth nappies, your using electricity (to wash-cia washing machine- and dry- if using dryer), washing powder (chemicals to clean), the water gets dirty, then drying (if inside during winter- what ever heating you use). Then with disposibles, it takes at least a thousand years for them do go down in a dump

Keegan - posted on 10/08/2009

I use gDiapers since I am on the road with my little one alot. These are a compromise between Cloth and disposable. The refills can be flushed in your toilet or tossed. When we are home we can put cloth liners in them. My son has been in them since about 3 weeks old and they have been great. We tried regular cloth diapers and disposable and found that the gdiaper system works for our lifestyle. We do have leaks every once in awhile but that is our fault because we did not change him soon enough. I like that they do not just keep absorbing, that way my little guy feels he is wet and hopefully potty training will go easier.

GDiaper has lots of sales and you can get the used covers for cheap on the web. Good luck!

Theresa - posted on 10/07/2009

Cloth Diapering is definitely a personal choice. I do it for two reasons. For my children and for the environment. I have cloth diapered my twin boys since the age of 3mo. (now they are 2) and would never have it any other way. The only time I have put them in disposables is if they get a rash (which happened when they cut a tooth or were sick), and at night. My boys wet a lot over their 13hours of sleep. They would sometimes even leak through the huggies overnites. I have a front loader washing machine that is very energy efficient, and I wash my diapers every other day. I don't use a "bucket" just a wet bag for my dirties) Drying them in the dryer doesn't take much longer than a regular load of laundry but personally I like to hang them out on the line. If you are willing to make the investment I don't think you would be sorry. (BTW - I use fuzzi bunz pocket diapers and love them)

Kim - posted on 10/07/2009

Emma,
Everyone is going to tell you "such and such" diapers are the best- i was a huge fan of bumgenius (they almost always had the highest ratings) but that was before I even used them. Don't get me wrong- I LOVE them, but my baby has such a sensitive bum that I ended up only being able to use the free prefolds I got from my mom and a friend- and the $200 I spent on BG just sat there! Now I use both. Well, actually DH uses the BG- I prefer the prefolds. If you can sew, I suggest looking up and purchasing the KCK pattern and making all of your own. The one thing I love about the prefolds that I have- I can put diaper creams and Vaseline and Bag Balm on them- and I don't have to worry about ruining any special fabric!

One thing about cloth diapers I wish someone would have pointed out--the special detergent! It can get very expensive. I found a detergent that I can use on them and it is actually cheaper than anything you can get at the store, so I use it on all my laundry. PM me if you want more details.
oh! And to find AWESOME deals on diapers- www.diaperswappers.com. It's kind of confusing at first, but the deals are better than anything at ebay and you talk directly to moms.

and as far as smells that the previous poster said: I put the dirty diapers in a bucket of water with baking soda- and even my sensitive nose can't detect them. and the drying? If you get prefolds, they dry just as easily as any other clothes. Well, maybe a little longer, but not by much.

And I have one baby who goes through about 10 diapers a day (not including the 2 disposable at night) and I do a load about every 1.5 days. That's how long it usually takes for my 2 gallon bucket to fill up.

happy hunting!
-Kim

Phyllis - posted on 10/07/2009

i used cloth diapers with both of my boys. it was so much easier to wash than to keep up with the trash collection. also both of them potty trained extremely easy. they were already used to the cloth and wet on them and didn't like it one bit. good luck and i hope you find it as good as an experience as i did. Oh yeah, and I worked full time during their diaper years. So it really is easy to keep up with. Problem was finding babysitters who knew how to pin on a diaper

Shelagh - posted on 10/07/2009

One more thought - it's not just the cost of washing, it's the cost of drying the cloth ones. Do you have somewhere the nappies/diapers can be dried outside? If not, you're going to be spending a lot on tumble drying, or else you're going to have nappies permanently hanging around radiators etc. I started off with cloth ones, and ended up using disposables simply because of the difficulty/expense of getting them dry before they were needed again.

Cathy - posted on 10/07/2009

Quoting Amie:

I started with the idea that cloth was going to be better but a few things changed my mind.
1. A friend of mine had her son in cloth nappies and he always smelt like urine because they don't absorb as well.Disposable nappies stink of chemicals when wet ... cloth nappies will only start to smell of ammonia when then are in need of a strip wash.
2. You have to change them way more often because they can soak through clothes onto furniture, car seats carpet etc and who has time to wash all that with a baby. Disposables leak poop, out the legs and straight up the back. This has happened to me a lot less with cloth. I also use bamboo nappies for night. They haven't leaked once ... they are on for a full 12+ hours.
3. SOOO much washing, and I know of a baby that drowned in a nappy bucket which someone had not put the lid on properly. I do one extra wash every 2-3 days. I dry pail all my nappies.
4. My sister is a pediatric nurse and she said they use disposables in the hospital because they have less problems with nappy rash.My son has had next  to no incidents of nappy rash and in cloth since 2 weeks old.
5. A lot of modern baby clothes are not designed for the big cloth nappies and do not fit properly over them. Cloth nappies are far slimmer than you may be imagining. My BumGenius nappies are only fractionally bulkier than disposables.
6. Someone once put it to me like this "when you have your period would you rather use a shaped absorbent pad or a bulky piece of cloth? Now think what your baby would prefer on their little bottom."  Guess the idea of safe and hygenic reusable sanitary care is lost on you.

Amie - posted on 10/07/2009

I started with the idea that cloth was going to be better but a few things changed my mind.
1. A friend of mine had her son in cloth nappies and he always smelt like urine because they don't absorb as well
2. You have to change them way more often because they can soak through clothes onto furniture, car seats carpet etc and who has time to wash all that with a baby
3. SOOO much washing, and I know of a baby that drowned in a nappy bucket which someone had not put the lid on properly
4. My sister is a pediatric nurse and she said they use disposables in the hospital because they have less problems with nappy rash
5. A lot of modern baby clothes are not designed for the big cloth nappies and do not fit properly over them.
6. Someone once put it to me like this "when you have your period would you rather use a shaped absorbent pad or a bulky piece of cloth? Now think what your baby would prefer on their little bottom."

Cathy - posted on 10/07/2009

Your choice should fit with your lifestyle.
I like pocket types personally. They come in birth to potty or sized fitting. The BTP ones don't fit tiny babies or chunky toddlers so aren't ideal if you are starting later with cloth. My son is on the largest rise fitting at 9 months old, if I was only starting now i'd probably go for a sized option.
Fleece or organic velour .... If you are really eager to keep natural fibres next to your babies skin opt for the velour, otherwise fleece is the easiest to remove poop from and is much better and locking wetness away from babies skin.
Fabric- Microfibre, quick absorbing and quick drying, average absorbancy
Cotton, average drying time, average absorbancy
Hemp, Medium drying time, slim fit, good absorbancy
Bamboo, Long drying time, excellent absorbancy (highly recommend for night time).

See if you can buy trial packs including types you'd like to try before purchasing a bulk load. Every make has a different fit that might not be suitable for your child and you do not want to end up with a bulk load of bad fitting diapers.

Caroline - posted on 10/07/2009

I only used them for child number three and I wished I had found them sooner they are fab. I was lucky enough to get some free from my local council and then I just added to then one at a time when I could afford it (Waitrose sells them in ones about £5.50 a nappy). I found that I did not need any where near as many as is recommended and they do get better with washing. I too used the squares when baby was little as they are so cheap to buy, but found I needed the shaped ones later. They really last and last and are sterilised in a 90 degree wash, so if I had to buy from scratch I would look on ebay as people sell them on when they are done for a fraction of the initial cost. The thing about all in ones is that you need a different size for each age and they take longer to dry, where as with the seperate nappy and outer the nappy is a one size fits all (you use different popers to do them up, depending on babys size) and you only need two different sized outers (one for newborn another for older baby) and you only need three outers full stop as you use the outer for 3 nappy changes so if you hand wash it and hang it to dry it is ready for when you need it again, they also dry a lot quicker. When baby gets to about 15 months older they do struggle to cope over night but you get the benefit even if you need a dispoable just for night time. Hope that all makes sense.

Michelle - posted on 10/07/2009

i used cloth for my first child and used to have to double them up when he got to six months but when 2 came along i just couldnt spend that kind of time doing the laundy its a pesonal choice but have u thought about buying in bulk

Sharon - posted on 10/07/2009

I use the cloth squares... when bubba was tiny I used liners (for all the poo) but now, at 9 months, just the nappy. Babies in cloth nappies are just so cute!!!



I also bought some of the cloth ones shaped like disposables, but didnt find them absorbent enough.