How often to change and machine cycle questions

[wallaceb45]

Hey guys, Ive just started cloth nappies with my 8 week old baby, so far so good. I'm doing it part time until I can build my stash (currently have 16) so every third day I need to use disposables.

My question is how often do you change/check the diaper? I have become accustomed to being able to see the colour change if the nappies, so now I'll change him before and after a feed and anytime he seems uncomfortable. Does this seem right?

I use econaps and they only have a slight smell when he pees (definite smell with poos). Is there a tried and true method you use for how often you change? I hate to think he's been sitting in a wet nappy and I've just fed him for an hour thinking that he was hungry when he has a wet diaper.

Also, do you put the covers in the pre wash or only if they have poo on them?

Last question: stats on your pre wash and main wash cycles would be great. I know temp between 40-60°c, but what about spin and time?

Thank you all so much for your time and advice

 

[jesusking08]

@wallaceb45 In the beginning, when I was getting used to cloth diapers, I set a timer for once an hour to check the diaper. Once I got in the habit, I didn’t need the timer anymore

 

[graceadele]

@wallaceb45 With brand new babies it’s more often - I’d go for what you’re doing plus checking every now and then in between feeds to see if he’s wet. Unfortunately there’s no magic way you just gotta kinda stick your hand in here and see. Otherwise we do about 90 to 120 minutes with our toddler as she doesn’t handle prolonged moisture super well.

As far as covers go, if there’s poop on them I put them through both cycles. If there’s not I only do the main wash. I don’t ever machine dry covers just for longevity sake - I also have econaps.

For cycle length for pre wash I personally do a normal cycle on hot, for main wash I do heavy, whites (it’s just the longest cycle on my machine).

Question for you though if you don’t mind my asking - how much does your baby weigh and do you feel like the econaps fit your new baby well? I’m due in September with our second and our first will still be in diapers, but most of our stash won’t fit the new baby for quite some time but econaps have always seemed a bit smaller than everything else we have so I was considering just buying a few more of those for him until the rest of the stash fits.

 

[wallaceb45]

@graceadele Thank you so much for the info.

My baby is 9 weeks now, I've been doing the diapers for about 2 weeks now. He was born at 2.9kg and went down to 2.6kg even though he went 3 weeks over

I waited to start for him to hit 4kg, plus I wanted to not stress about extra washing until I got the hang of it being a first time mom. They fit him well, he isn't on the smallest setting, so I could have possibly started him earlier, but they are very bulky. Not sure whether you could use only one insert so it would be less bulky as his pees weren't as big as the start.

Hope the pregnancy is going well!

 

[graceadele]

@wallaceb45 Thank you so much! That seems promising that they’re fitting him at still at a standard newborn weight! I’ll snag a few more then.

They are also bulky on my toddler (23lbs) with both inserts. I think it’s just the thickness of the insert. She definitely has a bubble butt with both inserts in, we got away with only one insert until about 10 months!

Thank you! So far, so good!

 

[zoeinoz]

@wallaceb45 For pee I change every 2-2.5 hours, but you could change as often as you want! That’s one thing I like about cloth, I’m not throwing away a diaper after it was only on for a short time. I was also accustomed to the color change, but you kind of learn your baby’s pee patterns over time.

When my baby was EBF, she pooped really loudly so it was easy to know when to change her. Now she’s a silent pooper but they smell more so I can usually tell that way. But sometimes I just have to check for poop by peeking in the back or leg every now and then.

 

[buckeye_momof4]

@wallaceb45 We changed before and after each nursing session and changed in between if baby was wet. It was a lot of changes and a lot of diapers, upwards of 18 per day, but it kept baby nice and dry and comfy. We used wool covers in the newborn days, so it felt a bit damp when he was wet. But just get into the habit of sticking a finger down the front of the diaper to test at 30 minute intervals or so, and whenever baby gets fussy. New babies pee so often it’s truly shocking.

For cycles, we use our machine’s normal cycle for the prewash and a heavy duty cycle for the main wash. You want both to be hot ideally. The second cycle should be as long and as hot as your machine will go.

We wiped covers unless they had poo or smelled.

 

[emilyflowers]

@wallaceb45 Every 90 minutes to 2 hours is how often I change them.

I ash covers if they’ve been used a few times that day, or the first time if poop.

Can’t answer for washer; I just do heavy wash cycle on hot here, with cold rinse.

 

[bobby80gh]

@wallaceb45 I check/change every 1.5 hrs give or take. I check after naps, after feedings, ans use an app so i know about how long its been.
For washing I spray poos with spray pal, wash every 3 ish days on hot with a cold rinse after. Thats just my washer setting that I use. Top loading machine. I hang dry for 12-24 hours.
I keep dirty poos and pees separate but I’m sure you don’t have to i just spray in the bathroom so those stay in a wet bag in there while the rest are in a basket by the changing table.

 

[cees]

@wallaceb45 I change every 2-2.5 hours or as soon as I notice poop

Assuming you have a front loader. First wash is 30 min cycle at 60C. Second wash is machine’s longest cycle (sanitary, allergy, whites, cottons etc) at 40C or higher; second wash should be bulked with other laundry (baby clothes, cleaning rags etc) until the machine is loosely full. Second wash use a high spin setting so they dry faster!

 

[wallaceb45]

@cees Will the high spin setting cause the elastics to stretch quicker or am I overthinking things?