Please help advise a newbie!

So I'm waiting for LO to arrive (only 3 weeks to go!) and have been trying to build up a cloth stash in anticipation. Initially I wasn't going to commit myself to any one brand, just try various ones for first few months.
I've bought a pack of 5 x Mothercare smart nappies, 1x little lamb microfleece, and then saw a great offer on brand new Totsbots Bamboozles rainbow and got 15 for £60! Along with numerous wraps, mainly second hand (5 little lamb, 3 nature babies, 3 totsbots, 3 motherease, 3 wool).
My main issue is drying (and having prewashed the Bamboozles they're taking ages to dry!) because we don't have a tumble drier, and in sunny Manchester (not!) I don't have much hope to dry outside.
I'm loving the look of my bamboozles, but am convinced I'm going to have to subsidise these with some quicker drying alternatives.
I haven't yet prewashed the Smart nappies, so not sure how quick they dry. The little lamb was very quick drying.

I'm planning to stick to either shaped or terry/prefolds for first few months when LO needs changing all the time, then maybe move onto pockets/AIOs from there when I can afford maybe 10 good nappies.
Part of me thinks I should just buy a couple of packs of terries/prefolds as I have plenty wraps and thats the cheap option, but the other part thinks I might buy some microfleece nappies, but apart from Little lamb not sure who else do them.

Really, I just want general advise!!!!
Sorry for the long post!
Bee

Sounds like a bargain on the Tots you got

You are right the bamboo nappies do take longer to dry. Getting some prefolds or terries isn't a bad idea, they aren't as good as shaped nappies for containment but are good as a back up and you can always use them as boosters or pocket inserts further down the line. It is a cheap way of boosting the number of nappies.

Have you considered perhaps buying a couple of onesize nappies, maybe even a onesize pocket. I was really impressed with Bumgenius pockets when Ben was small. These would then last quite a long time.

Microfibre nappies are very quick to dry but I always found them to be very bulky and not all that absorbent so I wouldn't buy too many until you know you like them. Bambinex do one - the teddy and Tots Bots do the Flexi Tots.

Nature babies do a microfibre version of their Diddy Diaper (MicroDiddy)

http://www.kittykins.co.uk/cloth-nappie ... ure+babies

I also got on really well with the standard Diddy Diaper when Rowan was tiny. Does take longer to dry than microfibre but not as long as bamboo. I know you don't want to buy pockets yet but BumGenius do seem to get good reviews being used on a newborn (although I haven't tried them out myself as we didn't start with pockets until about 6 months). hth

Cathleen xx

I loved diddy diapers when DD was small as they were cheap, fit well and even the cotton ones didnt take too long to dry. I dont have a tumbledryer either so my nappies are always dried outside or on the clotheshorse indoors - i keep one especially for the nappies (its just like 3 flat rectangles that fold out) so theres always space for them.

pocket nappies are great as the outers dry very quickly, and the inserts can be put on the radiators to dry. In an emergency shaped nappies will usually dry overnight on a radiator but dont do this too often as it can damage the elastic over time. Pockets arent always great at containing explosive newborn poo, but fuzzi bunz have been known to be great for small babies! but you will probably need boosters for them as their inserts arent very absorbent. Flexitots are meant to be an absorbent, quicker drying option than bamboozles, but ive never really liked the fit of them

The best thing to do really is make sure you have enough nappies (or you could wash everyday, but its not the first thing a new mum wants to do!) bulk up with cheap terries or prefolds, or preloved nappies!

hope LO arrives soon so you can have fun with the nappies!

I used the diddy diapers when Barney was tiny and we really liked them as well. We had the normal, cotton ones and the microfibre ones and were impressed with both. I also like Easy Peasy Bimbles, which are almost exactly the same shape but have a flap out booster so they try quickly and are fleece lined.
xx

Sounds a good starting collection. I would definately consider investing in 40cm bamboo squares - they were used all the time in the early days as nappies and are still in use now to boost pockets and night nappies and even though they are bamboo they dry really quickly as they are only 1 flat layer.

I would also consider getting some onesize nappies either fitted or pockets. One of my favourite nappies now and in the smaller days was the swaddlebees OV onesize, and even though new they are expensive they are fitting perfectly from tiny to now. Motherease onesize are an OK option too, but some people don't like them. Happy Heiny onesize are nice, so are BG.

Thanks for all the responses ladies! Well this afternoon I washed the Mothercare Smart nappies, and they have dried really quickly, so we'll see how they work out (plus I only realised when I opened them I had 10 of those, not 5!). I'm definately considereding some bamboo squares, and maybe one or two BTP nappies for overnight use.
I do get the impression I'll be washing very often though!!!!

i really liked the flexitots when sam was small and they were not too slow to dry- also as others have said fuzzi's are good and i had a couple of show off blueberry small ss pockets that i really liked when sam was little

I used terry squares for my newborn and they are really quick drying as they are flat when unfolded if that makes sense,they are also really cheap. we used those and little lambs cotton (still use them) we did what you did with pockets and got one of different types and yet to find a pocket that works really really well for us. I am fond of itti bitties though.

PS I live in Manchester too, where abouts are you? Im i middleton