using cloth nappies just after a c/s?

[Lyglc]

Hi, I have bought heaps of mcn - varying sizes, including newborn as these are what i was planning to use (will occassional use disposables for going out and maybe for at night time when sleeping through a bit longer).

I now know that I will be having a c/s. Has anyone got advice (especially if you've had a c/s yourself) on whether I should just use disposables for the first 6 weeks (as you aren't meant to be doing washing) or ways that I can still use the mcn's.

As it is I will be needing extra help from family and friends , especially as I have 2 other young children, and I don't want to burnder them with having to wash dirty smelly wet nappies - I'm happy to do this myself, but it's a bit different when they are not your own child's.

Would love to hear any advice.

Thanks.

[Tea Lady]

Personally, I would use disposables as I'm sure you'll have plenty of other things to worry about for the first few weeks! The last thing you want is to over do it and then put yourself off the whole thing so you don't want to keep going IYKWIM.

If your baby has a predictable pooing pattern (yeah right!) you could try to save the cloth for wee-only nappies to make it easier for helpers to clean up.

I guess it also depends how keen your family and friends are on the whole MCN thing. If they really want to make it work they might not mind washing them, but you're right that it might be a bit much to expect them to help with work that could be avoided.

Good luck with it anyway :)

[Js Mum]

I too had a c-s but used cloth during the day and disp at night.

Had heaps of cloth, so put them in a bucket and just washed them every 2 -3 days. Then put them through a rinse on their own and then washed with the rest of bubs things.

But I was lucky - AMAZING OB - had NO pain at all from my c-s and took no after op pain meds (even so far as I pulled part of the stitch out and didn't feel it or do any damage..)

[Student of Life]

Hi the washing thing is more about lifting the heavy washing basket so it wouldn't stop you from doing the actual washing of the nappies. That way it would be easy for those helping you to just hang the washing out for you. So ultimately it is up to you but you can make it work if you think about it.

[Ange&Seth]

Yeah I thought the no washing thing was the heavy lifting of the basket and the repeated up and down of pegging stuff out, not the actual washing itself. I'm sure if you got most of the poo off the nappy when you change it (or maybe use disposable liners for them so they can be flushed down the toilet to cut down on washing) and then put them through a hot rinse every day or every second day then it wouldn't be a problem for your helpers to peg them out and bring them back in.

[mummeeto2]

Do you have a clothes airer that you can put outside to hang the nappies on? That way you're not reaching up or bending down too much. I've always kept my nappy bucket in the laundry so I'm not lugging it thru the house each wash day.

[Chunkydunks]

I used cloth from day 1 and I had a c/s. I did have help for 2 weeks though. My SIL pegged things out for me once I'd washed them. She did try to do everything for me bu I kept insisting I needed to do thing for myself or else I'd be lost when she went home. After that I found I still needed to have something so I didn't have to bend down all the time. Thats when I bought my washing trolley. It was very handy on those days I was very sore.

Good luck with everything

[squiglet]

You still have to do the washing anyway. Well I did so a few extra things in the wash isn't going to make all that much difference.
I just did things a whole lot slower.

I did have a spewy leaky baby so washing had to be done every day. Was that just me?

[squiglet]

I used cloth from day 1 and I had a c/s. I did have help for 2 weeks though. My SIL pegged things out for me once I'd washed them. She did try to do everything for me bu I kept insisting I needed to do thing for myself or else I'd be lost when she went home. After that I found I still needed to have something so I didn't have to bend down all the time. Thats when I bought my washing trolley. It was very handy on those days I was very sore.

Good luck with everything

Wow a washing trolly is such a good idea. Why didn't I think of that:doh:

[Sparrowgal]

I had a C/S and used cloth as soon as I got home. Though I have a front loader on the ground, so I had a stool that I sat on while I loaded the machine and pulled the stuff out of the machine. I figured that 4kg was the limit of my lifting because that's how heavy a baby is. So you can take smaller loads of washing out (which is what I did, but make a few trips) and I hung my nappies on the clothes airer (I also had those fold out things you can hang on the ends of the airer which have lots of pegs attached. I loved them coz I could sit on the ground or stool and peg the nappies on it).

Hope that helps and good luck with everything!

[Lyglc]

thanks everyone - I really appreciate your replies - you've had some great ideas. I might give myself a coupe of days at home with disposables, just while I get used to things a bit, and then if I'm feeling up to it start using the cloth nappies. Hopefully I'll be one of those lucky ladies who feels really well after having a c/s.

thanks again