When I first looked into cloth nappies, I couldn’t believe how many different types were available. I was expecting lots of white terry nappies, but to my surprise the reality of the cloth nappy world was poles apart from my expectations. It seems that after the birth of KW1 the cloth nappy market really began to grow and expand, particularly online and through social media such as Facebook. It really is mind boggling can appear quite daunting and scary!

Here is a list of the basics that you need to consider when thinking about cloth nappying.
What types are there?

Fitted nappies– these are usually made of bamboo or microfibre and require a waterproof wrap.

We have found these to be bulkier, so personally we prefer these at night time

Shaped nappies- these are similar to fitter but equire a nappy nippa to keep them tight

Prefolds and terry towelling again require a nappy nippa ( shape and fitted I have less experience of, as they were a bit old school for me)

Pocket Nappies– basically the nappy has a pocket in it which you stuff to suit absorbancy you need. These range in price and can be bought as cheaply as £2 a nappy (TJ cloth, little bloom, ebaby cheapies) and then at the opposite end of the scale you have the Milovia pocket at approximately £18.99 a nappy. I would love one of these but really can’t justify the price…

All in Ones

These have a booster attached, this often folds/pops into a pocket in the nappy (not fun to pull the soaky booster out though). We have a few tots bots easyfits, one miosolo (recently purchased, waiting for it to be pre washed)

All in Twos

These have other parts that essentially snap into the nappy. Grovia is a hybrid but a bit like an all in two, the soaker snaps in and as unpopper prior to washing. Close parent pop in’s  are a good example of this and again the prices vary.

How do I choose which one?
Different nappies work best for different babies; it can also be true that the same applies to adults (my hubby hates two partners as too faffy). Also, what works best at 8 months might not be the best with an 18 month old. Chunky things, skinny thighs, potbellied, long bodies… All this affects how well the cloth nappy fits and contains wee and poo explosions. The nappy lady is a fab website which helps you establish which type of nappy might suit you and your baby best. Goreal and The Great british nappy hunt are also fab websites to help, sometimes they have fantastic giveaways too.

Where to get them from
Lots of online retailers,with often lots of special offers (ebay/yellow bloom, tj cloth nappies, babipur, clean green nappy machine…) Check out your local council too, they may offer an incentive scheme.

In store- kiddicare, large supermarkets, little shops

Preloved- all world of Facebook pages devoted to cloth nappies, (preloved cloth nappies, cloth bums uk, and branded pages too)
Council incentive schemes- some are better than others
Cloth nappy libraries- kits to try out.

Preloved is amazing for buying and selling, and if you look after them, you can sell them for not much less than you paid for them.

What you will need
Nappies ( amount depends on the age of kiddiewink and frequency you want to wash, drying time of nappies)
Liners- fleece or disposable? Personally I prefer fleece as I hate putting something less soft in a lovely fluffy nappy
Somewhere to store them( we use a lidded bucket with a drop of tea tree oil in, surprisingly unsmelly)
Wet bags for out and about, preferably zipped as they contain the smells better.

Argh! Poo, what do I do
If lots and lots of poo, I either wipe worst off with toilet roll and flush, or solid poo literally flicks of a liner into the loo. With disposable liners, just flush the lot. Easy peasy. If out and about, throw the dirty nappy into the wet bag, if you use reusable wipes, you can just throw those in too. If at him, we store them in a lidded bucket until ready to wash.

We are cloth nappy converts, if I had known are easy they were and how gorgeous they were, I would have defintely have used them with Kiddiwink 1.