questions and hints

How many nappies to buy?
What if I just want the easiest thing that works like a disposable?
What's the cheapest commercial modern cloth nappy option?
What about DIY?
Any totally organic options?
Why not fuzzibunz?

How many nappies to buy?
Newborns need around 8 nappy changes per day but this drastically changes once they start sleeping for longer periods and over night. It will almost halve by the time they are 1. You can begin with the minimum number say, 16 requiring a load of washing every day and see how you go. Some cheaper spares for emergencies are always good eg plain old flat nappies with the pink edge which you can fold into a rectangular wodge and stick inside a wrap style cover – everyone sells wrap covers but www.snazzipants.co.nz are best value for $ – don’t forget second-hand things for spares from www.trademe.co.nz also.

Want the easiest thing that just looks like a disposable?
Go for a Popolini ‘easy-fix’ from www.babyonline.co.nz for $23.50 each – two sizes available so very economic but more slow to dry due to the layers. They are supposedly quite good but I am yet to buy one even though I am tempted – all manmade material is what puts me off. Otherwise most other reputable brands (see the index) sell them for about $10 more. Sometimes people sell their own homemade ones on www.trademe.co.nz .

Want to DIY/sew your own or get grandma to sew fitted nappies + covers at half/third of commercial naps?
($25 for 2 hemp or 3 cotton + $10 for 2 nylon pant covers) All info and materials etc + DIY kits at www.greenbeans.co.nz .

What's the cheapest ready-made modern cloth nappy option? -good for spares also if you don’t mind a bit of a fiddle compared to previously mentioned systems...
1) Prefolds for during the day – unless you get organic ones, they are around $3 each. They are layers of cotton or hemp sewn together in a square. You fold them a couple of times to make a rectangle wodge, lay it on top of a wrap cover, add a liner if desired and then secure using whatever the cover has eg snaps/domes or Velcro. Zillions of wrap covers on the market made from PUL, polarfleece or wool. A good cheap standard is “Bumis whisper wrap” from www.snazzipants.co.nz @ $17 who also sell $3 prefolds and microfleece liners for $1. See www.ecobots.co.nz for good pictures. Remember you only need 1 wrap cover per every 2 –3 naps.
2) One-size-fits-all fitted nap + cover for overnight. A good starter is the only one-size pocket-fitted-nap on the market from www.joel-ezenaps.co.nz for $23. It will be a bit bulky as it is made of cotton and you have to adjust the rise with snaps which means extra bumps and folds - but this doesn't matter if it is only for bed time! All the other brands of one-size cloth nappies are overseas ones and more expensive. Don't buy the Popolini one even though it is cheap - it is bum blimp to the max and not enough velcro. For covers - use a handknitted wool pant or a Bumis whisper pant ($12) from www.snazzipants.co.nz.

What about other one-size-fits-all?
See the index for some suppliers of one-size-fits-all fitteds, pockets and All-in-ones. An economic if bulky and sometimes fiddley choice.

Totally organic? Try Disana – Expensive German system. Otherwise you can select particular items from many other brands -see the index.

Why not Fuzzibunz? Fuzzibunz are very easy to clean and quick to dry -but so are lots of others. A crowd draws a crowd and because these guys were one of the first on the NZ market they seem to have cornered it and they have great re-sale value which almost makes up for the original $. However, I don’t like them as much as the nappies I have chosen because:
a) The fitted nappy + cover combo is more explosion containing and leak proof due to two separate parts.
b) The fitted nappy + cover combo is cheaper because you don’t buy a cover to go with each nap – you can just air them between use and wash when soiled.
c) They are made out of exclusively of manmade materials
d) They are not made in New Zealand
e) They have multiple sizes = not great cost effectiveness.

Any washing/drying tips? See product websites for details but once baby is eating solids use flushable nappy liners you don’t have to rinse the nappies before washing them, you can just flush the soiled liner down the loo!