Basic questions about Cloth Nappies

[ozoptimist]

Hi Everyone,

I'm new here, and I have a lot of questions, and I thought this is a good place to start since I have no clue as to where to start looking for nappies...

My wife is 25 weeks and 6 days along with our first baby and we're trying to find out about cloth nappies. Both of us were raised with them, and so it made sense to us to continue the tradition with all of the positives from using them as opposed to disposable nappies.

So here are a few of my questions. I tried finding info on the site from other postings and they only helped us out a little...

1. First off, why in God's name are so many of these cloth nappies so expensive??? :confused: Are they encrusted with diamonds and rubies or something, because as far as I can tell they're made out of natural materials.

Here is a random dancing icon to distract you from my rant. :smiliedance:

And now I continue...

2. How many nappies does one need to start off with?

3. How many different sizes of nappies does a parent have to worry about (starting with a newborn)?

4. Are there cloth nappies that are reasonably priced and work just as well as the expensive ones?

5. What are the main benefits from the different types of nappies?

6. What websites/stores should I check out to find decent, reasonably priced nappies?

7. Are there special types of liners or are they pretty similar and does it not matter too much?

8. I heard from my mum (who only likes to be referred as mom, because to her, "mummies" are preserved corpses wrapped in cloth (she's American like me)), that it's good to use disposable nappies for the first week or so for newborns to prevent infection to their soon to be belly button. Is this true?

I'm sure I'll have more questions soon, but I start with those...

Thank you in advance for any help or advice you can give!

Dad to be,
ozoptimist

P.S. I still feel weird writing nappy instead of diaper as I am American, but I better get used it! ;)

[~Bec~]

1. First off, why in God's name are so many of these cloth nappies so expensive??? :confused: Are they encrusted with diamonds and rubies or something, because as far as I can tell they're made out of natural materials.

MCNs are expensive at face value, however, many of the brands are made by wahms (work at home mothers) who spend a considerable amount of time into each nappy (whether they are plain ones or more ornate ones). The fabrics used can also be expensive. If you're after some cheaper options then there are always the plainer, mass produced nappies or even second hand from monkeys undies or buy for baby. You could also use an OSFM (one size fits most) which has a very wide sizing range - if you're lucky they will last from newborn to toilet training.

2. How many nappies does one need to start off with?
Hard to say - different nappies work better on different babies as well so I wouldn't rush out and get 20 nappies all the same brand.


3. How many different sizes of nappies does a parent have to worry about (starting with a newborn)?
Again hard to say - I probably wouldn't get newborn size as if my DS is anything to go by, future babies will still be in my uterus at newborn size and be born 'small'. There are options like prefolds or terry flats for newborns???? Maybe start with just smalls?

4. Are there cloth nappies that are reasonably priced and work just as well as the expensive ones?
Sure, I tend to make my own though so I can't really recommend brands.

5. What are the main benefits from the different types of nappies?
Different nappies work better on different babies. There is a sticky in this section about "what to look for in an MCN" have a read of that and the other stickies to get a better understanding about MCNs.

6. What websites/stores should I check out to find decent, reasonably priced nappies?
See here (http://www.bubhub.com.au/shopsnappyproducts.php#mcn)

7. Are there special types of liners or are they pretty similar and does it not matter too much?
Do you mean flushable liners - I've only used one brand - eenies I think and they were fine.

8. I heard from my mum (who only likes to be referred as mom, because to her, "mummies" are preserved corpses wrapped in cloth (she's American like me)), that it's good to use disposable nappies for the first week or so for newborns to prevent infection to their soon to be belly button. Is this true?
You can get newborn cloth nappies with a fold down bit at the front for the umbilical cord.

[2boyoboys]

:laughing: That is the funniest post i have read in a long while.

I'll answer your questions in order

1. I have no idea, and postage makes it worse. on the flip side though, all the nappies i have are well made. Just try and get them on sale, or there is a PBC expo coming up in melb if your around that area.

2. I didnt start in cloth, but New born's have about 8-10 nappy changes a day x how often u wash x how long they take to dry.

3. have a look into OSFM (one size fits most) and then you only have to worry about 1 size. Lots of people i know use flats with covers for a new born.

4. Where the nappies are made makes a big difference to the price. eg. Bumgenious are imported so are expensive ($38 ish). Issy bears are owned/ made in australia ($29). and Baby Beehinds are an australian owned company/ made in china ($38-for the OSFM)

5. Benefits- mmm thats a tricky one because every bub is different. AIO are convenient and trim but can take a while to dry. Fitteds are very absorbent, but have the extra cost of a cover, pockets can be customised by using different inserts and dry quickly because the inserts are removed from the shell. That is a really simple run down.

6. Baby Behinds have a great range, and a bit f everything. they are a good place to start looking- they also have demonstrators all over australia who can come to ur house and show u through the products.

7. There are disposable liners, fleece liners and silk. A lot of people use disposable liners because they can be flushed down the toilet.

8. i have never heard of that b4, and lots of hospitals use dispostables now days, might be worth asking at ur next Pre-natal apointment. We folded the top down so it didnt rub. (both my kids were in special care in the first week and at my hospital they only use disposable nappies in SCN)

Phew, i hope that helps, and im sure there are people on here who will have more information than i do, :wave:

it look me so long, someone else replied in the mean time.

[kuddles]

Hi :)




My wife is 25 weeks and 6 days along with our first baby and we're trying to find out about cloth nappies. Both of us were raised with them, and so it made sense to us to continue the tradition with all of the positives from using them as opposed to disposable nappies.
First things first CONGRATS! Being a parent is so wonderful and welcome to Bub Hub (BH)


1. First off, why in God's name are so many of these cloth nappies so expensive??? :confused: Are they encrusted with diamonds and rubies or something, because as far as I can tell they're made out of natural materials.

Here is a random dancing icon to distract you from my rant. :smiliedance:
Hehe... Didn't really work but made me smile. They can be quite expensive if you buy customs! You can get some great bargains of non-custom nice nappies though. The initial price gave me quite a scare.


2. How many nappies does one need to start off with?
Sadly it depends on what type you buy and drying time. Have you ruled out flats for a newborn? Because you can grab some nice bamboo prefold packs from Boorio and use these with a small gusseted cover (thirsties, bummis etc). I used prefolds and disposables for the first while. To be honest due to my c-section and being a first time mum I mostly used disposables because I was too tired/ didn't choose the right MCNs to start with. Newborns go through roughly 8-12 nappies a day.
My DS (Darling Son) is 5mths now and I currently have 8 Lge itti bitti SIO (snap in ones) and 2 Lge itti bitti AIO nappies (go on as easy as a disposable) with 6 extra SIO sets. SIO are nappies which the absorbent parts just snap into the shell. They dry much quicker than AIO nappies. We now go through 6 nappies a day. So my supply work perfectly.


3. How many different sizes of nappies does a parent have to worry about (starting with a newborn)?
If you go with sized nappies (a better more trim fit) then most brands you would need to go through all the different sizes. With Ittis I am told that you can skip med size.

4. Are there cloth nappies that are reasonably priced and work just as well as the expensive ones?
Take a look at BBH magicalls. They are really well known decent nappies. Also look at itti bitti nappies. They are another favourite. Not badly priced.


5. What are the main benefits from the different types of nappies?
Fitteds - are absorbent all over but require a cover. Excellent for night nappies and usually One Size Fits Most(OSFM)
AIO - Go on like a disposable. You can boost them by laying a booster in them. They don't need a cover but take a while to dry
AI2s - The same as AIO with a special pocket to stuff your booster in.
Sewn ins - Are AIO nappies with a booster sewn into them
SIO - Work like a AIO nappy but you snap the absorbent boosters in. Dry quickest of the AIO nappies and you can save money buy buying extra snap in insert sets.
Pockets - Are a shell/ cover with special pocket section where you stuff whatever booster you would like. Don't need as many shells because if they aren't soiled you can reuse them. You can use the bamboo prefolds which you bought for your newborn to stuff the nappies.

6. What websites/stores should I check out to find decent, reasonably priced nappies?


7. Are there special types of liners or are they pretty similar and does it not matter too much?
Many different types of liners depending on what you want it for... Many people just by micro fleece from spotlight and cut it to size to use as a cheap liner.


8. I heard from my mum (who only likes to be referred as mom, because to her, "mummies" are preserved corpses wrapped in cloth (she's American like me)), that it's good to use disposable nappies for the first week or so for newborns to prevent infection to their soon to be belly button. Is this true?
Hehe... love it.:)
You can buy MCNs that fold down to protect the cord. I can't say I used any MCNs until after my DS's cord fell off. I used disposables in hospital and his cord fell off very early. We were in the Special Care Nursery (SCN) for the first week.
Disposables were just my easy option to start with. A lot of people use cloth the entire way through without any problems.

I HTH you. :)

[macsum2]

Welcome ozoptomist! That was an extremely
funny post, its good to see a mans point of view!

Well, here goes -

1. First off, why in God's name are so many of these cloth nappies so expensive??? :confused: Are they encrusted with diamonds and rubies or something, because as far as I can tell they're made out of natural materials.

As a nappy maker, i can tell you, some of these beautiful nappies are hugely time consuming to create, and the materials arnt cheap so we have to price them accordingly, however, you can get plain colored, good workhorse nappies at reasonable prices if you look around.

I too, love the little dancing man..:smiliedance:

2. How many nappies does one need to start off with?
Hmmm, each family varies, I have had customers start out with 6 and build from there.. A realistic number is minimum of 15 in my opinion.

3. How many different sizes of nappies does a parent have to worry about (starting with a newborn)?
Nappies come in small, medium and larges... You can also get One size fits most, personally, i like the OSFM.

4. Are there cloth nappies that are reasonably priced and work just as well as the expensive ones?
Absolutely. You dont need to spend $35 on a nappy, most of the time its the fabrics/embroidery etc that make these nappies that expensive. You can get nappies for approx $22 - $27 that are hardwearing and will last you a couple of bubs if you look after them.

5. What are the main benefits from the different types of nappies?
Main benefits from different types are things like absorbency time, drying time, fit (each bub is unique) and ease of use.

6. What websites/stores should I check out to find decent, reasonably priced nappies?
Becs999 has already given you the best link..

7. Are there special types of liners or are they pretty similar and does it not matter too much?
Disposable liners? Personally ive never used them however i have a friend who wont put a cloth nappy on without one! I think they are just a homebrand type one from the supermarket.


8. I heard from my mum (who only likes to be referred as mom, because to her, "mummies" are preserved corpses wrapped in cloth (she's American like me)), that it's good to use disposable nappies for the first week or so for newborns to prevent infection to their soon to be belly button. Is this true?
As a manafacturer, i endorse cloth from moment of birth, however to be realistic, alot of people use disposables for the first week or two soley because of the disgusting state of newborn poo!! I used cloth from the moment they weighed my daughter after birth and had no problems with her belly button..

You will come across a million opinions and oodles and oodles of info, dont let it overwhelm you, visiting a store can help (depending on where you are)


Good luck daddio..:wave:

[kel72]

I'm not going to be much help, but you've made me laugh today which is just what i need after my blue nappy disaster.

I often see other bub hubbers who have 40, 50 100+ nappies and often wonder how they "afford them" i thought we were supposed to be saving money!

But mcn are truly great, says she who only uses them part time, I love pockets b/c they are easy to use like sposies, and dry quickly compared to AI1. You can get great discounts by buying in bulk from stores, get a few trial packs to see what you like, they can also be swapped with other bub hubbers later if they don't suit.

And remember with the cost, you might spend $600, $800, or $1000 upfront or over time, but with sposies that would be closer to $3000.

And of course you will get "more" value out of a one size nappy (OSFM) they adjust in the rise as your baby grows.

Welcome to a whole new world, hope you enjoy as much as we all do, and its really amazing to see a dad to be shop instead of a mum! :)

And of course you can always buy some second hand, there are some really great bargins to be found!

[MrsErinnElizabeth]

I just had to say that this post made me literally laugh out loud. The other ladies gave great advice, so I don't have much to add...not to mention I have yet to actually USE a cloth nappy (three more weeks!) so my advice is likely not as accurate as some of the others.

PS I'm American as well...I totally hear you on the 'nappy' thing. Except I usually get more thrown off when I forget and talk about 'nappies' to my American family and friends. They just end up confused. LOL.

[Zalia]

Its not a bad idea to start with 'sposies for the 1st few weeks until you get used to baby and sleep depravation. And they grow so quick at first.

A good option for newborns would be prefolds and covers because they contain well, are cheap ish and more versatile for a fast growing bub. Check out thirsties, bummis or motherease for covers. Mandy mac, booroi, haute or bumboo for bamboo prefolds which can be used to boost later, or cotton is cheaper but less absorbant - doesn't last as long but plenty of people use them & like 'em.
(disclaimer: this is from my research not experience, I started cloth when bub #1 was older and bub#2 is still cooking)

For cheap and effective sized all-in-ones check out bambooty, magicalls or itti bitti's. But each fit differently so it depends on bubs shape.

OSFA's are more expensive but last longer. There are lots of brands I haven't tried and could't begin to recommend sorry.

As far as cost goes, I think we pay for:
Quality materials - which its best not to skimp on (ie bamboo vs cotton)
Manufacturing overheads - WAHM ($30-$40) vs mass produced chinese ($20 - $35). The WAHMS are prettier and usually made with great care but the mass produced catch crap just fine.
Or lots are US/UK imports where we pay a premium for transport - if you've got US contacts you may be able to get some cheaper there?

[Sparrowgal]

Hi there Ozoptimist, I think most people here have answered your questions but I'll do it from my point of view! Congrats on ur new bundle to be!



1. First off, why in God's name are so many of these cloth nappies so expensive???

Modern cloth nappies are a bit expensive - plain old flats are cheap! And yeah the best MCNs are made by stay at home mums, and if you think about it youd' probably have to use a nappy about 100 times to get your money's worth out of it (ie to have it compare to a cost of one disposable) but if you wash every second day then that's only 200 days.. and your baby will be in nappies for about 2 years!


2. How many nappies does one need to start off with?

If you want to start from newborn, I'd say about 30, going on use of about 10 per day, and if you wash every day, you'd have 10 drying, 10 getting piled into the bucket and another 10 ready to go...


3. How many different sizes of nappies does a parent have to worry about (starting with a newborn)?

Now I nappied from newborn (well as soon as I got home from hospital - 5 days old) and I had newborn sized nappies with a snap down to protect the umbilical stump which was great. Unfortunately these nappies don't last long! And I ended up selling them when my daughter outgrew them, amazing resale value! for value for money I'd go one size fits most, and use bamboo prefolds in the newborn stage (coz they're cheap and you can always use the prefolds as pocket stuffers, boosters in nappies etc later)


4. Are there cloth nappies that are reasonably priced and work just as well as the expensive ones?

Yes there are! remember that flats are cheap and modern cloth ones are a bit expensive! Bulk buys are always cheaper, and second hand is not bad if you can handle the fact that the nappy is used! I perfer new nappies myself. Baby beehinds were quite reasonable I found. Becs999 put a great link in her post.


5. What are the main benefits from the different types of nappies?

We could talk all day about this! How easy they are to use, how bulky they are on the baby, how long it takes to dry... those are the main different reasons for different nappies.


6. What websites/stores should I check out to find decent, reasonably priced nappies?

becs999's link!


7. Are there special types of liners or are they pretty similar and does it not matter too much?

There are flushable liners which are made from biodegradable cellulose - quite a few diff brands here, i used nature's child and ImseVimse but Eenees makes one as well.
There are non flushable liners which look like chux wipes, you have to throw these in the bin.
And of course there are reusable liners like microfleece which you can put inside your nappy rinse them and then reuse them.


8. I heard from my mum (who only likes to be referred as mom, because to her, "mummies" are preserved corpses wrapped in cloth (she's American like me)), that it's good to use disposable nappies for the first week or so for newborns to prevent infection to their soon to be belly button. Is this true?

There are a few brands of nappy with snap down bits for umbi cords - Kissaluvs and Swaddlebees newborn fitteds and Bambams are some I think! So I didn't use disposables for that.


I hope that helps and some of what I said is basically what others have said. Good luck with it all!