Questions for cloth mummas

[pookiesossige]

Ok so I'm DYING to order my first batch of fitted cloths!! :smiliedance: I see how it can become addictive already and I havn't even started. But I have some questions to ask of all of you experienced cloth users that I see everywhere I turn in these forums:

1. Can you buy different kinds to see which one you like best (ie a couple of peapods, a couple of Greenkids, a rumpster or two) and then wash them all together?? Or does the velcro stuff them all up or do they have conflicting wash requirements?? Do I have to have all the same kind?

2. Are all cloth nappies lined with synthetic materials? DD has pretty persistant nappy rash and I wonder if there are some lined with terry/cotton or something natural instead of microfibre/polyester because I assume that the hemp is not against babies skin... or am I wrong?

And lastly...

3. What is your fav nappy for fit, price, bits included, and performance?

I hope I'm not asking too much of you girls, but you seem to really know your stuff and I'm getting ready to start shopping!! :smiliedance:

[pookiesossige]

Bumping my thread because it was shuffled down the second I started it! :D

[MamaSage]

Personally, I do not like pockets much, as I don't like synthetic materials. I prefer hemp or bamboo, or organic cotton. Most nappies with velcro have fold back tabs for washing, (another bit of velcro to stick it to so it does not stick to other stuff) and most people wash altogether. Hemp is fine against babies' skin, it is microfibre you need to watch as is is highly absorbant and the theory is that is will drastically dry the skin out. Personally, I make my own nappies, but the things I like are Narrow crotch, snaps, lay in boosters for quicker drying and natural materials. I prefer fitteds with a wool knit cover too, as opposed to PUL covers or all in ones. Hope that helps!

[pookiesossige]

The websites I've looked at say that PUL is waterproof, yet breathable, so I was thinking that this would prevent rashes.
Doesn't everything get wet with a wool cover? I have a heavy wetter..

I love the sound of the Green Kids nappies, expecially seeing that one size fits all and have a waterproof yet breathable cover, but it looks as though the 'suedecloth' sits against babies' skin.

Does anyone know what this suedecloth is made from?

[Oscar's mum]

Does anyone know what this suedecloth is made from?

Suedecloth is a woven polyester and actually draws the moisture away from the skin (wicks);)

You will find that when you take the nappy of in other words the layer that was touching the skin will still be dry only the stuffing inside the nappy will be wet (does that make sense)?

[M O P]

Apparently the wool knitted soaker I have (which I love) traps moisture between the fibres and dries them, I think that's the pretty simplistic idea anyway.

I chuck all of Hugh's nappies, PUL & fleece covers, microfibre, bamboo & hemp inserts, sheets, clothes, spewies all in the same wash- warm machine wash with 1/2 amount of Omo Sensitive.

I quiet like the Babybeehinds nappies, I have hemp but awaiting a trial bamboo. I also have prefolds I like to use during the day, cheap alternative- don't last as long between changes though, within a cover.

[Oscar's mum]

Apparently the wool knitted soaker I have (which I love) traps moisture between the fibres and dries them, I think that's the pretty simplistic idea anyway.


I found this which helps explain the wool covers more (as well as fleece covers):


Fleece and wool covers both work quite differently from PUL. With PUL, the cover is supposed to contain the moisture, while still allowing a little air to pass through to prevent things getting too "steamy" inside the nappy. Fleece and wool allow much more air in and out of the nappy and this air-flow causes evaporation of moisture from the nappy. So instead of just containing the moisture, they actually get rid of some of it - which makes them particularly good for use overnight when large amounts of wee are produced. It also makes them the coolest option as the cooling effect of the evaporation makes the cover a personal, bum-sized air conditioner.

Of course, fleece and wool both also act partly as a barrier to prevent leaks as well (especially with leg elastication) and since fleece and wool do not hold water (as with fleece liners) they work well. One word of warning; wool is only made water resistant by the presence of lanolin. Wool covers need to be relanolised every now and again by soaking in a diluted lanolin solution. It sounds like hard work, but given they only need washing every 'now and again' they are actually incredibly easy to use and maintain.

The only time when fleece and wool covers are not a great choice is when there is not much air-flow, eg very long periods spent in a car seat or a pram. In that case there will not be much evaporation going on. As they are not technically water proof (though highly water resistant) you could get leaks - unlike with PUL covers.

There is another nifty thing to point out with woollen covers. The lanolin in the wool has an interesting effect - it actually breaks down the elements in the urine so that the cover rarely needs to be washed! Yes, it sounds icky but it really does work. Frequency of washing depends on the frequency of use but as a guideline:- if you use wool at nightime only then you can expect to have to wash it roughly every four to six weeks (unless it gets soiled) and relanolise it every eight to ten weeks. And the best bit is that the covers tell you when they need to be washed - there is no guessing! In the meantime, though, it is incredibly effective and no work at all!

[tickle]

Hi:wave:
My DD has extremely sensitive skin, she got a rash in every type of disposible nappy she was put in (and I tried a lot!). Since being in cloth the only time she got a rash was when I didn't use a fleece liner in my hemp nappies overnight.
I no longer use hemp nappies and stick to pockets. I just find the drying time is HEAPS quicker and I like choosing how much to boost etc. They are also nice and trim.
My best advice would be to order a few trial packs and take it from there. Good luck with your decisions! :D

[Mum2Lucas]

I buy the baby eco organic fitted terry nappies from darlings down under. They're really good. They have a clip in insert that comes with them and you just fold it up into the nappy and clip it on baby. There's no velcro on the nappy at all.

[pookiesossige]

Tickle, that's really reassuring... I was thinking that the disposables were helping her nappy rash- but she always seems to have one! Clothies might be better for that after all. Do your pockets come with a cotton or polyester PUL cover and does your DD encounter any problems with PUL? What's your fav pocket nappy?

Mum 2 Lucas- I'm going to check out these fitted terries, I like a natural fibre. :yes:

Thanks for the info Oscar's mum and Kazza, I was hoping I could do the same, just chuck everything in the wash together, glad to see I can and very happy that I don't need to go crazy with detergent.

[Oscar's mum]

Check out this site for some handy info about cloth nappies:

http://www.allaboutnappies.com/understanding.php

That is where I got the info about the wool/fleece covers from!;)

[pookiesossige]

Thanks Oscar's Mum- Although she says in that website that Essential Baby is the only Australian forum where cloth nappies are discussed, so I emailed her and put her straight :D

[Oscar's mum]

Thanks Oscar's Mum- Although she says in that website that Essential Baby is the only Australian forum where cloth nappies are discussed, so I emailed her and put her straight :D


omg where does it say that?

[kymmy]

I prefer natural nappies ie. bamboo, hemp, organic cotton.
Some that we use include BabyEco, BabyGreens and BabyBeehinds.
I also prefer the snaps over velcro.
Also we prefer wool covers - they work suprisingly well - they hold their own weight in water. If my baby wets you can't tell til you take the cover off - truly amazing.
I would suggest maybe getting a starter pack from nurturenappies which offers diff styles.

[~Chick79~]

Hi Emma :wave:

I have been using Baby Beehinds Bamboo fitted nappies with a PUL cover and have had no problems! DS1 used to suffer from really bad nappy rash but no more!

Just recently i brought a trial pack from Green Kids (bubhubbers were raving about them so I thought I would try them for myself) and I love them!!!!

If it were me I would buy a trial pack from Baby Beehinds and a trial pack from Green Kids - this will able you to try both fitted and pocket style nappies.

Good Luck!

[LucyE]

The other ladies have answered your questions, but I just thought I'd add my 2cents worth too :)

1. Can you buy different kinds to see which one you like best (ie a couple of peapods, a couple of Greenkids, a rumpster or two) and then wash them all together?? Or does the velcro stuff them all up or do they have conflicting wash requirements?? Do I have to have all the same kind?
Nope, you don't need the same kind to wash together. It's actually advisable to buy a couple of different styles and brands to try first because they are all slightly different and will suit different babies better. Regarding the velcro, all the decent brands have good fold back tabs to prevent 'washing chains' of velcro sticking to other nappies but some of the cheaper ones don't do a very good job of it. They all look the same at first (eg. extra tabs) but for some reason, some just don't perform the way they should. This is just another reason to stick to reputable and well reviewed brands.

2. Are all cloth nappies lined with synthetic materials? DD has pretty persistant nappy rash and I wonder if there are some lined with terry/cotton or something natural instead of microfibre/polyester because I assume that the hemp is not against babies skin... or am I wrong?
Not all cloth nappies are lined with synthetic materials. With most fitteds, you add the liner in yourself and most people choose microfibre because it gives a stay dry feel so bub's skin isn't touching wet fabric for ages. If you are against synthetics but would still like a liner of some sort, raw silk is supposed to be very good for rashy bots. Most pockets are lined with a synthetic material like microfleece or suede cloth as are most AIOs but there are always exceptions in the cloth world ;) Because I'm a bit of a lazy mum, I don't/didn't change after every wee, so I found the microfleece to be really handy rather than allowing DS to sit in a wet nappy and develop a contact rash.

3. What is your fav nappy for fit, price, bits included, and performance?
This is not a fair question LOL My fave nappy changes with the age/stage of the child.

Eg. for the newborn, explosive bf poo phase, I like a fitted plus cover for extra protection. Something like a Tots Bots snappi-able or this time 'round I've stocked up on some custom Erica Hemp blends (but with bamboo instead).

Once DS started to poo less frequently, I developed a passion for pockets. Fleece has never worked well for us (as a pocket or cover) so it's been mostly PUL pockets. My fave brand would be Sandra's Stuffables side snaps because they just fit my DS perfectly. Some people don't like the 'puffiness' of them but for me, that's part of the appeal because they leave ample room for stuffing. I also prefer snaps to aplix/velcro like fasteners because DS can't undo them.

With covers, my fave are wool. They are so easy to care for and actually take less effort because you only need to wash them once every few weeks. I have a wizz bang frontloader which has a very gentle wool cycle too so I don't even have to hand wash them. Can't really recommend a brand because most of the ones I have are no longer available and I'm stalking some custom slots of new-er WAHMies but haven't actually tried their product yet :p

A few really simple velcro type fastening pockets or AIOs are really handy for occassional care givers/nappy changers like my DH, MIL or my parents. If the pockets are prestuffed, it is literally just like changing a disposable. In the beginning, I learnt to have a couple of 'easy' nappies around for DH which I wouldn't use in our normal rotation and saved for when he changed nappies. It meant he didn't have to learn all the details of liners, covers etc and could just grab something familar and simple to use. I also found with my MIL and parents, that they found snaps difficult to manage, so for them I avoided providing nappies with snaps.

Edited to add that when Elizabeth and Deborah set up allaboutnappies, EB was the only Aussie forum to be discussing modern cloth. At that time, it wasn't possible to buy MCN in Australia and you had to order from overseas. It's wonderful that there's been an explosion of interest and a whole cottage industry has sprung up of devoted cloth fans.

[waawa]

Edited to add that when Elizabeth and Deborah set up allaboutnappies, EB was the only Aussie forum to be discussing modern cloth.

This is the nitpickiest of nitpicks, but Ozclothnappies predates the allaboutnappies domain registration date by a good three weeks :)

Lara

[LucyE]

:p Lara

maybe I should have said 'when they were in the process of...' LOL

might I add, that one of my favourite nappy information sources would now be www.ozclothnappies.org and it is where I refer any newbies interested in modern cloth nappies because it is soooooo comprehensive and up to date ;)

[pookiesossige]

omg where does it say that?

Where it talks about buying direct in the section 'Getting Started'. Here's a quote:

"The best discussion forum we know is here (www.ukparents.co.uk) and another good one is here (www.babyworld.co.uk). The only Australian forum that we know where cloth nappies are discussed is here (www.*************.com - natural therapies forum, but it's not nearly as good as the others."

They know different now! I just thought I'd send her an email and update her. OMG she didn't know about bubhub!!! :eek:

[pookiesossige]

Guys, you've been sooo helpful. I think that I'm gonna get a trial pack of Green Kids and another brand- maybe some fitteds with covers... I'll check out this tots bots site. As I type, DD is exploding up the back of her 'sposie... so maybe the extra protection of a cover over a fitted is good... No time to ponder this- gotta get to the change table!!!