Draigwen's lair

I’ve discussed these nappies before, but I thought I should do a proper review with pictures.

I’m reviewing all three of these together because they’re very similar. I can’t do a full review because I mixed all the boosters up when I received these nappies, and the boosters have no labels on them, so I don’t know which should go with which. However, they’re all very similar and interchangeable.

These nappies were all bought at Bumdeal Nappies - I think the Bumdeal branded ones are made specially for this site. The others may be available elsewhere. They no longer sell the Pororo nappies at this shop.

I’ve got two of these - the plain blue with poppers as shown here and a minky one with velcro. These are the largest of the three nappies and the most expensive at approximately £8 a pop. According to the website they come with one microfiber and one bamboo insert.

These are made with a nice quality material. The velcro has a lovely fit. The poppers one isn’t quite so good because, unlike the newer version of this nappy and the Papoose and Pororo, it only has one row of poppers around the waist. This makes it much harder to get the legs to fit well, but this has changed with more recent nappies. It’s easier to stretch the velcro one round the baby’s waist than the poppers one - I’m not sure if this is the fabric, or if it’s just easier when you don’t have to get poppers to click together.

These were too big for Sam when he was really young (that second row of poppers may have helped), but they fit well now.

I like them, but not enough to buy more than the two I’ve got (the colours and designs are really quite boring). They’re quite good as a starter nappy for a big enough baby. But when compared with more expensive nappies they are quite disappointing. But you pay for what you get.

Sam pretty much lives in these nappies (mainly because they’re what I’ve got most of). These are the cheapest of the nappies at around £5. They come in a variety of colours and patterns and have a fleecy lining. They usually come with a microfibre insert which is slightly shorter than the Bumdeal insert. I also have a few with a bamboo charcoal lining and insert which I used to use (boosted) for night times, because the insert has a great absorbency (at least until baby gets older and needs a proper night time nappy). It seems that there aren’t many on the Bumdeal site anymore, so I don’t know if they’re stopping selling these too, or if they are just low on stock.

These are the smallest of the nappies and so usable soon after birth (if not at birth, but I had none with me and stayed with the in-laws for a week after the birth). That said, Sam was over 9lb and so they may not fit a average sized or small baby.

I’ve had the least trouble fitting these - they stretch really nicely and fit really well. I’m not so keen on the square cut of the tabs that go round the front, but this is probably more a visual thing than anything.

I’m not at all convinced by the quality of the PUL. Particularly on the nappy shown, when you pull tight you can see the fabric stretch. It may just be this one though, as on the other designs I don’t seem to notice this issue. I’ll have to re-judge this when I have a second baby and/or when Sam is getting close to potty training.

But as a starter nappy, particularly if you aren’t sure how you’ll get on with real nappies, I think these are a great buy. If you decide you don’t like them then you haven’t wasted too much money, and it’s cheap enough to get enough nappies for day to day use. And there are so many cute designs! Just remember that there are much better nappies out there and so if you have trouble with these you may get on better with more expensive ones.

These are shaped more like the Bumdeal nappies and have the same lining. Like Bumdeal you can get normal or minky fabric. Unlike Bumdeal there are some great fabric designs. They are sized somewhere between the Papoose and the Bumdeal, and were also priced somewhere between. These come with a microfibre insert, I’m not sure about second inserts and with them no longer being sold on the Bumdeal site I can’t check.

I’ve got a mixture of fabric and minky. Like the denim Papoose, you can see the fabric stretch a little when you put them on (well, not with the minky ones), and I’m not sure if this is a sign of poorer quality. I find the elastic at the back isn’t good and it’s hard to stretch them around Sam’s waist, but if you don’t stretch them far enough they’re too loose. I’ve never quite gotten along with these and have had the most leaks from them (leaks usually due to poor fitting - so it’s a combination of user error and style of the nappy, rather than absorbency or material quality). These are generally the last nappies I reach for from the nappy pile. That said, I love the feel of the minky ones when they are on.

This is an example of one of the inserts. For all the three nappies the inserts are similar - Bumdeal inserts are slightly thicker and longer, I think, if I’m guessing right. I don’t think there’s any difference between the Papoose and Pororo inserts. I think the Bumdeal ones pick up a little less fluff when washing and are better sewn around the edge. The Bumdeal bamboo ones are lovely and thin and easy to pop in to boost other nappies.

As these have no special poppers or connectors, I really like using them as extra boosters in other nappies (for some reason I don’t like using inserts in the wrong nappies when I know which nappy they belong to, e.g. if they have labels or poppers or special shapes).

If I had lots of money, I’d replace all of these with more expensive commonly found nappies. If I were to start again with the money I’ve got I’d probably stick with Papoose nappies, with maybe some velcro Bumdeal nappies added into the mix. They were a great introduction to real nappies, and helped me get onto the ‘real nappy ladder’. But I doubt I’ll be using them for a second baby as I really doubt the quality.

One of the things I don’t regret buying is my BabyBjorn carrier. Except, maybe I do.

I’d heard that carriers were one of the most bought and not used things that new parents buy. But it was something I wanted to try out before Sam was born. So when I was over the c-section and the snow had cleared we went to Mothercare to try out a carrier. I had intended to buy the cheapest possible in case I didn’t get on with carrying such a heavy baby. But when the Mothercare staff couldn’t even work out how to put on their own brand carrier I went for the BabyBjorn. It was £60, so not really impulse-buy territory, but so easy to get on and felt really comfortable.

It’s proved a great buy these past few months. Sometimes I’ve used it extensively while walking around town. Marc’s used it a few times. And it really is simple. But, particularly recently, I’ve started getting backache, and not even after extended use. You see, while it’s simple to use I’m never quite sure if it’s set up properly. And, of course, they do a better carrier with better back support for twice the money. Which is a pretty disgusting approach if you ask me. People buy the cheaper option, then have to upgrade as the baby gets heavy.

I’ve also been reading around the subject and lots of people seem to agree that the way you carry a baby in a carrier like a BabyBjorn is unhealthy for the baby’s hips. Particularly when facing forwards. However, according to Which? ”We were unable to find any published medical studies that suggest that front-facing baby carrying causes hip and spinal problems” so I’m not convinced that forward facing and BabyBjorns are necessarily that bad. However, the other thing that happens with the BabyBjorn is that when Sam falls asleep in it his head drops forwards, which can be dangerous for blocking the airways, and an alternative carrier with better support might help. (That said, I’ve also seen babies asleep in their prams with their heads down in a similar position but we don’t complain lots about that).

Anyway, I’ve spent the last few weeks researching different types of babywearing equipment, particularly slings and wraps. Yesterday I went along to a local breastfeeding group, which I should have gone to months ago but only just got the courage to go (more on that in another post), and tried on a mai tei and a ring sling. I’m also planning on going to the Cardiff slingmeet next month.

So yesterday I ordered a mai tei, which seems the closest thing to the BabyBjorn, and it should arrive tomorrow. At which point I can try out different ways to wrap Sam, and hopefully even attempt to feed while he’s wrapped, which would make life so much easier. I’m really looking forward to using it.

Expect a proper review soon. I will also get around to reviewing the various nappies. Just need to take photos.

Last night, and Sam took a tumble off the sofa. I’d sat him propped up in the corner, and turned away for a matter of seconds to switch off a plug, but turned round and he was mid roll. I caught him as he was hitting the floor. Not sure if I was quick enough to prevent him properly hitting it, everything was a blur. But his head didn’t hit any harder than it does when he rolls himself from front to back and it was only a short fall onto a rug. He’s perfectly fine, although he had a slight red mark on his arm from we think scraping it against the sofa. And he cried like mad after it happened.

I was shook up at the time but now put it down as one of those things that happens. I’ve learnt that I have to keep a closer eye on him now. And I’m thankful that it’s not as bad as the story I read the other day where a father dropped his daughter who ended up with a fractured skull. Or the iron that fell on Marc as a baby.

Marc told one of his bosses about it this morning (one with grown up kids) and the guy apparently called it ‘bad parenting’ and it’s got me all in a huff. Marc’s not sure if it was meant to be a joke, but even if it was it’s hardly the sort of thing you say to someone (and surely you’d clarify after). I just can’t believe anyone would make a comment like that, even if it’s what they were thinking. Plus it’s one single incident. I It isn’t like I have a habit of dropping Sam on the floor.

I know I’m a bloody good mother. I made a tiny mistake and now I feel like shit about it.

It’s been a bad week for Sam all told. He had conjunctivitis, caught from me, and has to have eye drops. He had his third lot of immunisations on Wednesday which resulted in post immunisation fever last night. And now this. And yet he taken it all in his stride, barely bothered by any of it.

I learn by going where I have to go. — I went on amazon and bought all the top books on…

In summary, ignore what everyone says and do it the way that suits you and your baby. Parental intuition is a wonderful thing.

The problem with reusable nappies is that they can be quite addictive. I’ve got around 20 nappies now, mostly cheap ones but some rather expensive that I’ll review shortly, and I know I’ll probably buy more. In total I’ve probably spent around £200 on nappies and related items.

That said, at 16 weeks old, averaging 6 nappies a day (not including extra changes due to poos and leaks), costing approximately 16p a nappy (Asda’s own) and ignoring the first couple of weeks where I did use mostly disposables, I would have spent over £100 on nappies already. In another 16 weeks I will have effectively equalled the disposable cost, and Sam will be in these same nappies for several years.

Even with my nappy addiction we’re already making visible savings, assuming you ignore electricity costs. And don’t forget the landfill savings too! 600 or so nappies saved from landfill.