Cloth nappy help

[mumstheword]

All you cloth nappy lovers and users, can you tell me how you started collecting your stash? Did you get the nappies one-at-a-time or did you go out and buy a whole heap of different kinds and brands? Also did you buy them brand new or second hand first? I am wanting to actually start my stash and I am lost as to how to go about it. It all seems so daunting to me.

By the way, I am buying them to tide me over just until I can get my snap press to make them myself so if you were in my situation would you just buy cheap nappies from Ebay or would you still buy good quality nappies.

Another question (sorry), what are the best nappies for the cheapest price. We are currently a little shorter on funds than we used to be so we have to a bit tighter on our spending.

And another note, I am going to use and buy MCNs.

[Nettie H]

I started, when my sister gave me 6 zappy nappies that she brought and used once, and decided she didn't like them. her tough luck they are great for house nappies!

After that I made a few, now I buy 1 or 2 at a time, do swaps buy some 2nd hand, and stuff like that.

[Beanie]

Here's what I did.

I started out with terry flats and PUL covers, but then someone gave me piles and piles of disposables, I didn't mind at that stage so used sposies till 6 months. By then I was a bit more settled with all this baby bizzo, and felt ready to try out cloth.

So, for a few months I used terry flats. It was ok, but I got put off by the explosive poos and keeping up with the washing, so I started investigating MCNs. I entered a competition and won 3 nappies - 2 fitteds, and an AIO. Thus began my stash!

Then the first GDUNH was on, and in my hunting I couldn't resist buying one hemp fitted and a cover. Then I met up with some local WAHMs and just had to purchase a few of their wares, and then the whole thing just snowballed

So for me, I had the base of terry flats, and built up from there. I still use them all the time, stuff pockets with them or lay them in a PUL cover, especially when all my MCNs are in the laundry cycle cos I've been slack with getting them on the line etc.

That was a good way to do it, I feel, because I had enough cloth to be full time, but I didn't commit to buying heaps of any one brand and then discover it didn't work for us. I took my time building a stash, and have slowly worked out what I like best.

If you don't like flat nappies, you could try prefolds which are still cheap but a step up from a plain flat nappy.

[nangari]

Originally I thought I would buy one a week for a couple of months so that it didn't eat into funds too much. After the first couple though, I was hooked! I spent hundreds of dollars in the first couple of months because I would see another nappy on Buy for Baby that I wanted to try. I have now fully researched and know what I like so I am selling off all my starter stash to fund new ones of the ones I like.

Good luck - you'll be addicted in no time.....

Cas

[Kristie]

I when out and got small packs to trial , some places have trial packs that are some times cheaper, also second hand stuff is good too just so see what works, rather than spend heaps and not work.

All so a nappychino in your state see if anymore what to meet up so can great good feel and ideas form other users.

I chat to you soon on MSN

all the best

[Sheree Scott]

Well, to answer your second question. If you are going to make them down the track, I'd go second hand from Buy for Baby and try out options that you won't necessarily be making for a while or some good backbone of stash type ones.
I reckon some hemp or bamboo fitteds and PUL covers to match (I figure for nights you'd be capable of making fleece night covers pretty quickly). I find hemp (and I assume bamboo is the same) are great for when large absorbency is needed eg nights (and they are boosted) or days for a heavy wetter.
As for your first question. I was not very well planned, but have ended up happy in the long run despite initial frustration. Keeping in mind I didn't want to use pins!!! Or initially velcro!!!
I got a Bubba J trial pack, then added a bulk order Bubba J for my DD2 when she was born. (This added to the extisting flannelette stash from DD1 with department store velcro dodgy covers and plastic triangle snib covers for the first three months.) Since then I have added a few pockets for winter because they dry quicker and now have made some fleece AIO's without sewn in boosting and with velcro attaching, in which I put hemp boosters/trifolds and microfibre supermarket cleaning cloths. And yes I paid a friend to kindly make up some trifolds from hemp.
As for tight budget - flats and fleece covers (home made) has to be the cheapest way to go. If you want MCN then I'd go for home made fleece AIO with hemp or bamboo trifolds/boosters made from material bought on Buy for Baby or bought new.
The Great Down Under Nappy Hunt was a great way to find out what was available - a much larger range in style and price than I ever imagined.
Have fun experimenting, which ever way you make up your stash!!
cheers,

[MadMumof3]

i started with a few mcn from a wahm that i knew well. I was hooked. Ds has a mied stash mainly sized as i started mcn with him at 12 mths so he was in a large in a lot of sizes already.

with dd's stash - i have bought some new ones , some second hand ones. i had a few larger orders initially to get us set up but there are some fab packages out there

i must admit my faves are
Baby behinds 0- bamboo, Cute tushies - cuddle buns, and Whiz kids side snappers. there are several reasons for this but i guess the main one is that we started cloth from nb with DD and i wont need to replace these nappies with larger ones. i do have a few of the "sized nappies' eg itti bitti and wriggley bumz.

i would start off looking on Buy 4 baby there are a lot there at the moment.

if you are looking at making your own then you may be best off getting osfm's as these are generally fabulous workhorse nappies and you wont need to sell them off once they are grown out of.

[AliP]

I started with different brands of fitteds with PUL and wool covers. Then I discovered NC and started building my stash I only bought new in the beginning, and only contemplated second-hand once I realised what a market there is for it.

I would still buy good-quality nappies if I were you, but that doesn't necessarily mean expensive. There are some really cost effective options around. Buy 4 Baby is a great place for 2nd hand good quality nappies.

Good luck

[johT]

hmm im not sure as i dont sew...

i got given a heap of terry flats and had some flannel flats.
i also bought some cheap s/h nappies, a mix of hemp/flannel fitteds,pul pockets, fleece covers...
mainly i just used the pul pockets as covers or the fleece covers with flats (yes i know you said mcn but you can just pad fold the flats with a fleece liner - easy and not that different to mcn) and tried the covers with the fitteds and the pockets stuffed alone. then i slowly added to the stash once i knew what i liked
theres some good ideas in this theread here - frugal nappying

[emd]

I've tried well over 25 different brands of MCN (that's just nappies - I haven't counted the covers).

I started out reading reviews of forums to work out what the "good quality" brands were. I also went to an MCN advocacy stall (run by Alice from Bluegum Babies, and Eilleen) to ask for tips.

When I started buying, I got a few new ones from the WAHMs with the best reputation (Erica's and Bluegum Babies) and lots of cheapies off eBay. I quickly learned that it's best to stick to the brands with a good rep - you don't want to buy a poor quality nappy that puts you off cloth altogether. Try a few brands to find the "cut" that best suits your baby. A good quality used nappy is better value than a poor quality new nappy.