New to cloth nappies and need your help

Hi everyone

Im so glad I found this site today, seems like there is loads of good info to look through.

If you don't mind Im looking for some advice on cloth nappies, I have 2 children and used disposables with them. Im now pregnant again and really want to use cloth this time.

Id like something that is very absorbant and reliable, easy to use, soft on babies skin. Not sure what else yet lol

Ok I've only just started looking and the brands I've looked at are

- totsbots
- bumgenius
- little lamb
- itti bitti

I was also considering the ones that are from birth to potty in the hope I wouldn't have to keep on buying all the time.

Is bamboo the best and most absorbant, I know these take a while to dry, but we have a tumble drier and radiators.

Aplix or poppers? I liked the idea of aplix fastenings for a good fit as I have quite small and slim children, but does this last or wear alot?

How often do you find you change a cloth nappy? Would 20 be enough for me?

My baby will be breastfed, going from past experience there poo's are very runny, will this make the nappies harder to wash or will they stain because for this? Also is there a chance cloth wont hold poo like this?


Sorry for so many questions I hope you can all help me and give me your advice thank you

hiya welcoem to cloth nappy tree
the nappies you have chosen are avery good collection i also recomend mothereae sandys and weenotions pockets

birth to potty nappies i think are fab they are bulkier than shaped nappies and sometimes don't fit aswell especially for a larger i toddler imo

bamboo is fab very absorbent esepcially if matched with a hemp booster does take a while to dry and can only be tumble dried on low but it stays softer than cotton


poppers last longer and keep the nappy looking newer but aplix can give a better fit i use a mixture of both

cloth needs to be changed about every 3 hours



breast fed poo is very easy to wash out of the nappies especailly when using fleece liners which also keep babys skin dry sunshien is brilliant at getting rid of stains

hope thsi helps a bit

nice selection you've picked out there. BTP nappies are good but they can be a little big for newborns so soemtimes it's better to buy a fitted nappy. Itti bitts are however sized, but i don't think they would contain breastfed poos very well if thats how you plan to feed. Again I'd advise the same as above poster really, good advice Good luck

Welcome to CNT. Congratulations on your .

Is bamboo the best and most absorbant, I know these take a while to dry, but we have a tumble drier and radiators.

Bamboo and hemp are more absorbent than cotton. I mainly use bamboo velour nappies as they stay nice and soft, hemp can go crunchy in hard water areas. Bamboo can be tumble dried on low but you should never put any nappies directly on a radiator as it damages them. An airer on or near the radiator is fine though.

Aplix or poppers? I liked the idea of aplix fastenings for a good fit as I have quite small and slim children, but does this last or wear alot?

Personally I prefer poppers as applix does tend to wear more quickly and after a while most LO's learn to undo applix - not great for girls in the summer when wearing a pocket under a dress. Applix can give you a better fit though as its more adjustable so you should probably get some of each to start with and see what you prefer.

How often do you find you change a cloth nappy? Would 20 be enough for me?

Cloth nappies need changing every 2-3 hours depending on how heavy a wetter your LO is. The amount you need will depend on how often you are going to wash your nappies. Newborns can go through as many as 10-12 nappies in 24 hours whereas older children will probably only need changing 5/6 times a day. If you are planning on washing every other day I would say you need at least 25 nappies to start with. If you do a wash every day you will probably get away with slightly less.

My baby will be breastfed, going from past experience there poo's are very runny, will this make the nappies harder to wash or will they stain because for this? Also is there a chance cloth wont hold poo like this?

Cloth is far better at holding in breastfed poo than a disposable. Some slim fitting pockets/AI0s (such as Ittis) probably won't be particularly reliable as they are trim at the crotch so will be more prone to leaks. Breastfed poo washes out of nappies far more easily than poo once your LO is weaned. Any stains will sun out anyway.

I would also recommend getting a mixture of onesize and sized nappies as onesize nappies can be very bulky on a newborn. Once your LO has grown out of the smaller sized nappies you'll be able to sell them on and use the funds to go towards buying some in the next size.

Thank you for all of your adivce that great.

Are the nappies I mention classed as shaped cloth nappies?

Do I also need to buy inserts for them?

Do I need a special more absorbant night time nappy?


thank you

Im sorry for so many questions

But......for example, when I look at totsbots they have different ones to choose from like easy fit, pocket tots, original tots and flexi tots.

Which one out of these is the best? And whats the difference?

Do you also need to buy wraps with every nappy? Do you need to buy the same amount of wraps as nappies to make it easier?

sorry if I sound really thick

Personally I'd steer clear of tots bots, there are much better cheaper alternatives out there, like little lambs, bamboo little lambs and bumgenius BTP would be a good place to start, as they are both really reliable. As Hannah says, motherease sandies are said to be very reliable, and especially good for tiny babies.

I like ittis and have used them on a tiny BF baby but don't think she pooed in them while still BF personally I'd wait until your LO is a little older to try all in ones.

You will need wraps with little lambs, and some of the tots bots, also the mother ease sandies which have been reccomended need wraps too, you won't need a wrap for every nappy, a wrap can be worn all day as long as it doesn't get soiled, 5 should be plenty, motherease airflow are highly reccomended and totally bombproof in my opinion!

Of the nappies youve mentioned original tots (or cotton tots) bamboozles, flexitots and little lambs are shaped nappies and will need wraps or wool to cover them.

Beumgenius and pocket tots are pocket nappies and will need inserts (these are included but you may need to add more as your LO gets older)

itti bittis and easyfits are all in ones are all in twos and the name says it all really!

We are all more than happy to help so just shout!

When your LO is small you probably won't need specific night nappies bum genius with some extra inserts or bamboo little lambs with extra boosting will do just fine, but they probably will need some night nappies as they get bigger, nappies by minki pockets are good, as are weenotions night notions!

thank you again for the advice ladies

I was looking on the little lambs website, I hadn't really looked at prices before but WOW they seem cheap, they have a birth to potty kit with 40 bamboo nappies for £280 this includes -

40 bamboo nappies (20 size 1 and 20 size 2)
40 washable fleecy liners
20 Littlelamb wraps (the waterproof bit)
10 of each size
200 paper liners on two rolls
2 lidded buckets
Complete use and care instructions and helpful advice.


I take it this is very good value? Would anyone reccommend buying this kit to do us? Or would it be better to maybe buy 10 nappies of maybe 3 different brands, 30 in total?