[Fifi-G]

Hi guys,

Just really want your opinions or advice.

I am keen to do the whole MCN thing and have bought a selection of Ittis and BBHs to try (when baby comes). I was planning to do prefolds and covers until baby grew a bit to fit into the OSFM or other MCNs, but prefolds just don't really seem that cheap.

If for example I look at Real Nappies cotton prefolds which are highly recommended, a six pack is $22. Now it seems you need about 30 for a two day washing cycle, which makes five x six packs at $110, PLUS the covers you have to buy - and would I have to buy multiple covers in two different sizes. And then would I need more than one size in prefold, hence even more cost?

Am I better just going down the disposable route to start with for the first 6 or so wks (just guessing)? It somehow feels like i'm cheating, but will it be more cost effective and easier as a first time mum? I guess the only saving is if I use the prefolds when we have a second child or if I use them in pocket nappies (if i decide i like pocket nappies)

TIA

This post has been edited by Fifi-G: 15/04/2012, 11:40 AM

[Bek+3]

I absolutely love pre folds to death. My son is 4 months and he is the first baby I have used them on. I would never use MCNs on a new born again. Pre-folds dry in about an hour and they take up very little space. Plus they are cheap as chips... all of the above unlike MCN's.

My washing machine goes around daily and I only have 10 prefolds so that is perfectly sufficient because they are so quick drying. I also have some one size fits all though AIO's (Bum Genius Organics and Pop In's) if I do get caught short that were DS2's.

I use Green Kids covers over my pre folds as they are one size fits all so I use them on my baby and he will grow into them too. I used Green Kids with my second as well as pocket nappies. The beauty of buying a one size pocket cover to put over a prefold is that when they are too small for the prefold to wear as a nappy... you can fold it up and stuff inside the pocket saving you money on specific inserts.

So, in short... I say go for it. I know newborns poo a lot but if you wash every day like me, you wont need that many. Maybe a few more then 10 like me if you don't have back up but 30 IS a lot!!! I don't do a special wash for mine. They go into a bucket of water after use to dilute all the pee then go straight into the washing machine with everything else. It all comes out clean.

This post has been edited by Bek+3: 15/04/2012, 11:42 AM

[bubzillaiscoming]

I have never used cloth nappies, but my sister did. I know she struggled at the beginning esp for the middle of the night changes esp when you're trying to keep the light low!!

She now has the insert things and totally loves them and also claims her DS has never had nappy rash

I would say that maybe when you're settling into motherhood you could use a combination - go easy on yourself.
I don't know if I have actually answered your question...!

But good luck

[Strawberry Welli...]

I actually did the calculations for this and came to the conclusion that if you are planning to use MCNs from about 2-3 months of age anyway, then it's cheaper to just get a few boxes of newborn disposables (I did the calculations with huggies) for those first few months.

By the time you fork out hundreds of $$$ on a stash of MCNs, you then have to pay a substantial amount for the prefolds and covers which are only going to be used for a couple of months. Yeah, you can use them as stuffing for pockets which is good (if you have a stash of pocket nappies) but most pockets come with inserts anyway so they are more like extras and you might not use them as much as you thought. Alternatively you could use the prefolds for about 6 months or so and then just move into medium MCNs - something like that might work out more cost effective? I'm not sure. Or buy only pocket nappies like green kids which don't come with the insert standard, that way you can just use the prefolds as the pocket stuffers so they would be used for 2+ years.

I've just decided to get 2-3 boxes of disposables for the early months and move into my OSFM MCNs (mostly pockets) from then on. MCNs were too big for my daughter until that age, and I did try prefolds when she was a newborn, they worked really well but I found them quite fiddly and preferred to use disposables at that stage.

[vintage.blue]

With DS1, I used disposables until he fit into the MCNs I bought. He went into mediums at around 5 months old and they lasted until he was toilet trained.

With DS2, I used prefolds from when he was a newborn for a few months. I had a small number of sized small nappies that fit him from around 6 weeks too. I'd switch between the prefolds and the small nappies until he fit into DS1's mediums.

With my third baby, I'll be using the prefolds again. I have around 20 I think?? And that was enough. Just make sure you have good covers and they are easy to use

As for saving money? I worked it out at the time and found it cheaper to use the prefolds and now that I'll be using them again, they are definitely worth it.

But, disposables can be good for the first couple of months until baby fits into your stash

[new~mum~reenie]

Do you have a sewing machine? Or your mum/mil could whip some up with you/for you

There is heaps of YouTube instructions and websites on making your own nappies and prefolds - one I watched made prefolds out of $1 tea towels from Ikea, but you could get cheap of cuts of fabric at stores or in op shops
Here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4_MYoRNtQY...be_gdata_player

There is also instructions on making them out of old t-shirts etc.
You don't HAVE to spend lots of $.

[MrsWidget]

aqua.lime do you prefer sized or OSFM covers for prefolds?

[babybec]

Buy some second hand prefolds and covers to mix in with new ones. You don't need to buy everything new and get some disposables for the times you don't feel up to it. Be easy on yourself, the early months can be hard especially with your first, I did some of both. Every time you use a cloth nappy you're saving one disposable going to landfill, that's the way I look at it.

[tamjk]

If you are going the name brand route for cloth nappies yes it can be cheaper to use disposables for the really little stage.

Real Nappies and Bambino Mio are overpriced. You're better off just ducking into Target or Big W for a couple of packets of Dickies, Big Softies or Actil. Yes they are flat folds but you still need to fold prefolds and it's really no more work to fold a flat fold.

I used flat folds on DS until I had enough of a stash of pockets to go full time pockets (I was buying one at a time as I could afford them). Flat folds were adequate but I preferred pockets for him. For DD I started out in exclusive pockets because I had built up a good stash, but now I tend to do flat folds more with her because she has horrible sensitive skin and it's a LOT easier to get detergent residue out of flat folds than it is pockets.

[Fifi-G]

Wow, thanks for the fast replies.

I must admit, I don't like the idea of disposables contributing to landfill. Maybe people can suggest some cheaper good brands of prefolds?

Thanks