starting with cloth?

[mellybelly81]

Hi girls

I have been reading all the posts about cloth nappies and have been getting very overwhelmed! I am still ttc, but I am looking into using cloth when I get utd. I am wondering where to start!!

I am trying to sell this to DH as an economical choice but I am worried that I will spend a small fortune trying to find my favourites. (Not to mention how much I spend once I do and I become addicted like many of you in here!!)

I have no idea whewre to start my stash and I was wondering if you lovely ladies could give me any tips on where to start and what you have done?

thanks!

[SmileyBJ]

I'd probably go with a couple of trial packs of different nappies from the most popular nappy companies... then waiting to see which fit and work best for you.

Our favourites are itti bitti, baby beehinds, greenkids and issy bear ... all of which have great trial or small packs. :)

[LeeJ]

:wave:

i started on the MCN journey only a month ago!

i would recommend trial packs for sure!

my favourites now are
itti bitti's -nice and compact, so fit under his normal clothes- con-sized.
issy bears - will fit till TT, VERY cute designs, ultra absorbent - con-bulky
bumgenius-one size, not a great range of coulours, and really $$, when i dont think they are worth it.

im waiting on some bambooty, they have had rave reveiws.

they are on sale till tomoz 30% off, perhaps get a trial pack, see if oyu like cloth, then look more into what you like about those ones?

im happy to chat more, im still new at it, so understand the how overwhelmed you are.

oh, it's costing me about $500 to get a stash for full time day use, and some night nappies.

current estimates are are $3500-4500 on sposies:eek::eek:
and the enviro, 500 years for *1* sposie to decompose:eek: plus the poo's creating more methane... mind boggling!
there is a sticky with all the info in this section too.

[Me]

I think that by dd2s age(5mths) if I were still using sposies I'd easily have spent $500 on nappies. Criky I'm spending $30ish a month just on sposies for dd1 to wear to bed(1 per night!), hopefully I'll soon have her in cloth overnight too:D.

On mcns I've pretty much bought a whole new stash for dd2 and so far I've spent say $500 but that's enough for 4-5 days and nights as I like having a large rotation for if/when the weather isn't favorable for drying as I don't use a dryer.

[mellybelly81]

thanks for all the replies girls! I think I will just keep on adding all the info to my little spreadsheet I'm collecting! I'm a spreadsheet nut!

[kotakai]

I would also set up a nappy savings account & put a little in each week. Then once you have a bub & have tried a few different brands, you can just buy bulk packs of what you find work for you.

There is also a try before you buy service, that you can 'borrow' 6 nappies for $48 for 2 weeks. (pretty sure they were the prices) She has lots of great brands already & by the time your bub is ready to use them, she might have more. This is a good idea as you can see if they work without having to waste money on ones that don't.

[oliviasmumma]

and remember you can always swap the ones you dont like or dont fit well!

i hope you dont get too overwhelmed with this. I'd also suggest a few trial packs, maybe even get to one of the Parenting Expos - you can then have a look at them.

[jjules13]

im really happy with my babybeehinds all in ones. they are well made, good price, very absorbant, quick drying if line dried turned inside out. i have cloth nappied 2 babies already and these are good just got more for bubba #3.. pea pods are pretty good value if you want to try a pocket nappy. sizing wise they are generous. they arent the most luscious nappy but you get what you pay for and they work JUST fine for us!

[CaitlinsFood]

From my experience, I think it's better to find out what you are looking for
choose from:
-velctro or front snap or side snap
-sized or OSFA
-AIO(easy to use but taking longer time to dry) or AI2(pockets/snap in) or fitted with covers
-outer materials(minky,fleece,cotton etc)
-insert materials(bamboo, hemp, microfibre)

for eg i'd prefer OSFA snap in AI2, then I read other people's review on those and try one nappy from the brands they recommend,also i'd go for the "try before you buy"service, mind you the nappies avaliable are not necessary what you're interested in

if you have something you don't like you can swap,sell or even return it

HTH

[tinlizzy]

Yep :iagree:it's worth doing a bit of research into what you think would suit you best, or what you fancy, then try a couple of different brands that fit the bill. And if you get well known/popular brands then you can always swap or sell them :)

[oliviasmumma]

:iagree:if you have a friend around, maybe see if you can try one of theirs... try before you buy.

[kuddles]

Hi.
I was worried that I would catch the bug as well. As much as I'd love to buy each and every nappy out there to try it I haven't.
I started out buying eenie weenies. These were really good but I bought the newborn size and once padded they felt really bulky. My Aunt used these and loved them. When I used to change her little ones nappies I was really impressed. I believe they work better for babies once they are a little bigger.
My next purchase were small boori Bamboo prefolds, snappies and small BBH covers. I found that to start with that the prefolds fitted perfectly but the covers were way too big. By the time the covers fit the prefolds were too small and I couldn't hold them together with the snappies. I then had to use them just folded into a rectangle and placed inside the cover. Bulky but so absorbent and worked quite well.
Next I bought BBH Magicalls which I loved. They took a while to dry and were quite bulky. They leaked abit until he got chubby and his thighs filled the legs. I found the velcro ones worked better than the snap ones.
My newest favourites are itty bitti snap ins. I bought a trial pack and some snap in seconds. They are AWESOME!!! They are the trimmest ones yet and I haven't had a leak yet. Not even when I first got them. I love snapping them together. You can pull all the layers apart so they can dry quickly. I love the bamboo fabric. I'm definitely going to buy another 6 and 6 insert sets. Some people suggest that if the outer minky layer isn't soiled then you can leave it to air and snap in a new clean insert set and use it again. I'm not sure if I'd do this. I do plan on buying extra insert sets (only $12.50 each) because the minky outside bit dries so quickly. Once its dry I can use it again while I wait for the inserts to dry. =)
Good luck with your quest.
I will also add that the customer service of itti Bitti makes it a pleasure to buy off them.

[CaitlinsFood]

My newest favourites are itty bitti snap ins. I bought a trial pack and some snap in seconds. They are AWESOME!!! They are the trimmest ones yet and I haven't had a leak yet. Not even when I first got them. I love snapping them together. You can pull all the layers apart so they can dry quickly. I love the bamboo fabric. I'm definitely going to buy another 6 and 6 insert sets. Some people suggest that if the outer minky layer isn't soiled then you can leave it to air and snap in a new clean insert set and use it again. I'm not sure if I'd do this. I do plan on buying extra insert sets (only $12.50 each) because the minky outside bit dries so quickly. Once its dry I can use it again while I wait for the inserts to dry. =)
Good luck with your quest.
I will also add that the customer service of itti Bitti makes it a pleasure to buy off them.

:iagree:that's why i love snap in AI2!

[mellybelly81]

thanks everyone! you are all so helpful :)