Lubella reusable cloth sanitary pads - Review

I have been trying out the Lubella cloth menstrual pads by Ecopipo for a few months now, I've given them a fair try and I cant wait to share my review with you!. Quick disclaimer, Ecopipo gave me a discount code to test and review their cloth pads but I paid for them myself. 

From Left - Night time pad, 2x Regular and Mini.

You can get Lubella cloth pads from the Ecopipo  website, they currently do 3 different sizes in pads, Panty liner / Mini, Regular, Night time / Post partum / Incontinence pads.

Mini retail at £4.99, Regular £5.99 and Night time £6.99. They are very reasonable prices for the quality that you get, a lot of pads are a fair bit more expensive than these but the quality does not disappoint. Delivery from the Ecopipo website is £3 with orders over £50 is free delivery and their packaging is re-used and recycled where possible to keep delivery as eco as possible.

The outer layer of the pads (patterned part that goes against your underwear) is made from breathable PUL, which is a water proof layer to protect your clothing. The inner core (the absorbent part) is made from layers of bamboo making them very absorbent. The top layer (white layer that goes against your skin) is made from a breathable microfleece which is lovely and comfortable. All of the different pads fasten with a single plastic popper.

I found Lubella pads extremely, they have a half an inch around the perimeter of the pad that doesn't have absorbency in which allows for great contour around your body. The poppers we easy to clip and didn't cause any rubbing or discomfort. The microfleece is great quality and hasn't bobbled even with repeat wear and washing, they have been worn and washed twice per cycle and still look brand new. The pads are still very soft with no sign of wash wear from any of my pads, the mini pad is in my regular rotation of daily pads so has been worn and washed a lot.

The night time pads are a very good size and would be perfect for post partum, too large for me to wear during the day but very comfortable at night. I have very heavy periods for the first 3 days and I need to change once through the night on my heaviest days, I usually have to change every few hours though the night. The regular pads are great for in the day and last a good few hours for me, again they are very comfy even with wearing skinny jeans.

The pads have washed fantastically and dry very quickly for the amount of absorbency. I air dry all of my laundry with a dehumidifier and they dry fully overnight, without a dehumidifier they would take a day and a half. 

A little leg comparison from my 3 year old who said "It's as long as my leg mummy" so thought I'd include this here.

My only minor bug bare is that there isn't a size in between the regular and night time size. Night time is too big for me personally to wear during the day while out and about, ok for home when I'm in my comfy clothes but not great for my regular clothing. During my heavy days I need something a little more during days when I'm out and about to avoid having to find a toilet all the time. For medium and light days the regular are perfect for what I need during the day.

Overall I'm very impressed with my Lubella pads, I'd even say they are my new favourite pads as I'm reaching for them over all of my other pads and I would highly recommend.

Thank you for taking the time to read

Zoie.

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Beginners guide to 2 part fitted reusable nappy system.

Not all cloth nappies are equal and a two part nappy system (sometimes referred to as shaped, sized or fitted nappies) is one of the best work horse nappy there is, they are perfect for day time or for overnight.

Little lamb bamboo - Size 2

There are a few brands out there making this fitted 2 part system, the one I mostly used were from Little lamb size 1 and 2 saw my little boy through from 6 weeks old (around 8lbs) all the way though to now at 3 years 4 months. I can just squeeze him into a size 2 for bed time but they are getting uncomfortable for him now so we are using pre-folds (which will be coming up in a post soon). Other brands worth taking note of are Sandies, Easy Peasy, Tots bots bamboozles and Ecopipo. They come in a three different fabrics, Bamboo, Cotton and Microfibre. Bamboo is the most absorbent but takes the longest to dry, Cotton is also very absorbent and doesn't take quite as long as to dry as bamboo, Microfibre is the least absorbent but dries quickly, I went with Bamboo.

Little lamb bamboo size 2 - Bum Genius flip wrap in Sierpinski

With the two part nappy system you will need a waterproof outer to go over the fitted nappy, most brands will have their own nappy to go over their fitted but you do not have to stick to that, any wrap can go over any nappy. We didn't get on with Little Lamb wraps but really got on well with Bum genius Flip wraps and they fitted very well (and still fit) over little lamb nappies.

Little lamb bamboo - laundry tabs

Most fitted nappies have a applix (Velcro) with the laundry tabs directly next to them, this will stop the applix sticking to everything in the wash and creating pulls in fabrics it sticks too. 

Little lamb bamboo - Boy fold

Size 1 Little Lambs come with a booster but it isn't sewn in so for smaller babies you can use them without, Size 2 come with a booster sewn in and an additional booster. You can fold the sewn in booster different ways for boys and for girls. The above picture is what I found works best for a boy, folding it under so all the booster is sitting under the penis ready to collect the urine. The below picture is what is recommended for a girl as their urine tends to dribble round the back.

Little lamb bamboo - Girl fold

Any type of fitted or 2 part nappy needs a stay dry layer to keep your baby feeling dry and rash free. Little lamb liners are lovely and fluffy, you can use any other brand of nappy liners or make your own from a fleece blanket. You can also use disposable liners, these shouldn't be flushed down the toilet as long term they can cause sewage problems for you and your neighbourhood. 

Little lamb - Fleece liner

Once you've put your fitted nappy on your baby you will need to put your wrap over the top. A little fitting tip, make sure you get your babies nappy into the knicker line (just where you would have your knickers) and not too low on the thighs and this can cause leaking and an uncomfortable fit for your baby.

Bum Genius - Sierpinski birth to potty wrap

If your wrap is birth to potty as mine is you may need to adjust the sizing poppers on the front of the nappy, have a little play around with what will fit your baby. If you have a smaller baby and a nappy with out boosting you will likely need the smallest rise, my 3 year old is on the larges rise (all sizing poppers open) for his night nappy.

Bum Genius - Sierpinski Birth to potty wrap

Then fit your wrap just as you have the inner fitted nappy, make sure all the fabric is tucked inside and none of the absorbency is poking out as this will cause wicking and a soggy baby. 

When you get the hang of it this type of nappy will last many hours and be completely bomb proof!. If your having trouble knowing when to change this type of nappy just stick your finger down the back to feel for dampness. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.

Zoie

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Beginners guide to Pre Loved reusable cloth nappies

The world of cloth nappies can seem daunting to a beginner and the world of pre loved cloth nappies can be a mine field to even a seasoned cloth bummer but it is a fantastic was to try different types of nappies. Here are my tips for navigating your way around the pre loved community.

You should get to know the terms used in the pre loved selling groups, Excellent used condition (EUC) you'd expect nappies described as EUC to be nearly new and lightly used. Good used condition (GUC) you'd expect them to be used and show some signs of wear, slight bobbling or laundry tabs folded that sort of thing. You may find some well loved nappies for sale, these might require some love to get back up to a good used condition nappies in a well loved condition should be reflected in the price.

There are several place your can buy pre loved cloth now, most popular is Facebook selling pages, these are easy to find just search 'pre loved cloth nappies' in the search bar and you will get several options to choose from. There is also the option of eBay, Gumtree or your favourite brands Facebook buy sell trade (B/S/T), for example my favourite place to shop is Babipur and if you search Babipur B/S/T you will find their Facebook page.

When buying through Facebook pages always use paypal goods and services, never pay friends as you will lose your protection should something not be right or your don't receive your items. If using gumtree it could be cash/ local ebay cash on collection, so bare this in mind if you are uncomfortable checking the nappies while the seller is present this option might not be for you. When using a postage option it is often best to pay for signed for delivery to give yourself the extra protection it works out at about an extra £1 for signed for delivery, you will know exactly when they're posted and the seller will know you have received them.

Before buying do a little price research, you want to know how much the nappy your about to purchase was worth new so you can judge if the price the seller is asking for is worth it. Look at how much the nappy has been used, ask for pictures of the leg elastics if they look flat or loose chances are they aren't going to last you unless you have the sewing skills to replace them. Also ask for pictures of the inside of the nappy to look for staining, lots of staining might mean the nappies haven't been washed in the most optimum way.

Ask the seller if the nappies come from a smoke free home, cigarette smoke is very difficult to get out of nappies I personally had some nappies from a smokers home and the smell was unbelievably strong even upon opening the package, 3 full washes and several days on the line and I could still smell it a little, needless to say we never used those nappies.

Once you get your nappies it is important to give them a good strip wash, there is lots of conflicting advise online but it is vital you get the best deep down clean you can with pre loved nappies. Lots of people advise putting nappies on the washing line in the rain will strip wash, while this might help soften the fibre of a nappy but will not be a sufficient clean for pre loved nappies. If the nappies are stained sunning may be good for getting out the surface stains but it will not help to get deep into the fibres to make sure every layer of your nappies are sparkling clean ready for a new bottom.

I recommend using the Clean cloth nappies down under (CCNDU) stripping guide, they offer lots of helpful and scientific advice on cleaning and keeping nappies clean which in turn keeps your babies bottom free of rashes. Here is their fantastic stripping routine that I and friends have followed with brilliant results.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read my blog.

Zoie

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