Zoe Wearing a Sample Cloth Nappy from the Baby Expo
I’ve known since the beginning that I would be wanting to use cloth nappies of some sort and to be honest I did not realise the amount of different types available. The only type of cloth nappies that I was aware of were the traditional terry towel flat cloth nappies that my mum used for me, and charles’ mum used for him. When I went to do some research on cloth nappies I found out just how many types of nappies are now on the market!
Gone of the day where you just had a piece of terry towel folded for a babies nappy, there are now so many options and it is all a bit over whelming. So as I said, after attending the Pregnancy, Babies & Children’s Expo yesterday at the Brisbane Convention Center I was lucky enough to get some information and demonstrations from a variety of modern cloth nappy stalls.
After looking on the Internet a few days earlier I was so confused and was shocked that I might have to buy a range of sizes to do the same job of one flat cloth nappy. But that isn’t the case of all modern cloth nappy companies. Some offer what they call an All-in-one that is a one size fits all nappy. These nappies have a range of snaps or Velcro that is used to adjust to suit a newborn to toddler. Now as great as these modern cloth nappy systems are, the price is a concern. At approximately $20+ per all-in-one cloth nappy, that sure is a huge difference to a pack of 10 terry towel white flat nappies for about $10.00.
Cushie Tushies Sample Promotional Nappy from the Expo
The brand that really interests me and seems the best for us is called Cushie Tushies and was one of the nappy brands that gave me the best service at the expo yesterday. They took the time to show me exactly how the nappy works and all the different boosters, lining and positions to suit the baby’s growth.
I know that buying a complete full time modern cloth nappy system is out of the question due to price, however Cushie Tushies offer what they call a “Half Timer” bulk pack of their nappies. This pack includes a total of 13 modern cloth nappies which is just enough for one day (the suggested amount of nappies required for one day is 10 to 12). The pack also has one night booster, which I think I will buy a couple extra of these. The night boosters are an extra piece put in at night to increase absorbency over night, made from two layers of super-thirsty, soft bamboo material.
Cotton Bottoms Duo Wrap Nappy Cover
Now you may be thinking, that’s not enough nappies!! (It is recommended to have approximately 30 nappies) I will also be using flat terry towel nappies and modern covers to help with keeping the costs down. Due to me being a stay at home mum I think this is the most economical way for me to still use cloth but not spend $1000.00 upfront on nappies. No matter what, it pays to remember that disposable nappies can cost anywhere from $3000.00 to $5000.00 for one child, not to mention the toll on the environment.
The covers I have found that I think will work best for us are from Cotton Bottom called a Thirsties Duo Wrap. They come in two different sizes, one for approx. 0-9 months and 9-36+ months and will hopefully work well with the terry towel cloth nappies. Flushable disposable nappy liners are another expense that will make changing and cleaning much easier.
Since this is my first time and first baby, If anyone has any comments that may be of help before I purchase my cloth nappies I would love to hear any feedback!!
Hi, I just stumbled across your blog. It’s fantastic – congrats on a great resource for preggy mummies. Just a quick question – did you end up using the Thirsties Duo Wraps over terry towelling nappies? If so – how did they go? I am wanting to use our terrys when our newest bub arrives, but want to find a decent cover. I love the look of thirsties, but can’t find much info on how they go over the terrys. Any help you can provide would be great.
Hope you are enjoying your little boy – he sure is a cutie!
Many thanks.
Hi Marie, thank you so much for your lovely comments about my blog – I aim to help! I didn’t end up using the Thirsties Duo Wraps as I have managed using just Cushie Tushie Modern Cloth Nappies (mcn). I did buy the terry towel nappies as a “back up” but so far (after 6+ months) I haven’t found myself ever needing them. I did get very lucky when I purchased my Cushie Tushies as they were having a huge sale on a couple of discontinued colours and therefore got them at less than half price. Just meant I couldn’t pick pretty colours but they are just nappies after all! and go under clothes…so it makes no difference. I use the occasional disposable when I’m out and about but so far I have found myself coping well with the mcn.
From the research I did I found that the Thirsties Duo Wraps were the best when it came to keeping the costs down…most of the covers required many different purchases of sizes where these only have two different sizes. Having said that cushie tushies mcn are one size fits from newborn to toddler, so they really are a fantastic alternative to the terrys. Drying time is a little frustrating, but if worst comes to worst I just have to use the dryer. Or hang inside and they take a bit longer of course rather than in the sun outside! I went with the basix and they do a great job. I have found myself in the last couple of months putting Addi in a disposable overnight but mainly that’s just for my own sake. The bamboo night boosters do a decent job but I found he was getting a little bit smelly towards early morning especially if he had a particularly wet night.
Sorry I can’t tell you any more on the Thirsties Duo Wraps. If you do decide that the mcn are the way to go I do highly recommend the Cushie Tushies, here is there link: http://www.cushietushies.com.au/store/pc/home.asp
We are loving being parents, he is such a good boy…we think he is pretty cute too! 😀 😀 And congratulations on your newest bubby, all the best for the delivery!!