Preparing for Real Nappies: Your questions answered.

Q1.            How many cloth nappies should I get?

      We recommend you have around 18-24 real nappies, and about 4-6 wraps at any one time if you plan on using real nappies on a full time basis (e.g. if you only want to have disposables as a back up system/for occasional use).  If you are using them half the time, you will need about 10 nappies and 4 wraps. Newborn babies need to be changed around 8-10 times a day, so it is probably good to have 24 nappies and 6 wraps.  Nappy changing will slowly decrease to around 6 times a day around 3-4 months old.

Q2.            How often should I use real nappies?

      If you have a newborn baby, unless you are fully confident that you want to use real nappies full-time, we recommend you ease your way into using them by alternating them with disposables. But we definitely recommend you start trying real nappies as early as possible, even if just once a day, to build your confidence and start finding out which brands/types work best for you and your baby.

Q3.            Don’t cloth nappies leak?

      If cloth nappies are changed as per Health Professional guidelines (every 2 hours for newborns and every 3-4 hours once baby goes on to solids), then your cloth nappies should hardly ever leak – in fact they tend to be better at preventing poo leaks than disposables! 

      Main tips to prevent leaks:

v     Make sure to fit your cloth nappies properly, with nothing sticking out of the wrap, to prevent any leaks onto your baby’s clothing. 

v     Use the right size wrap and nappy – if these are too big, there will be gaps around your baby’s legs causing the leaks; if they are too small, their absorbency and containment will definitely be compromised.

v     Boost your nappy as needed – the amount of cloth needed will depend on how much your baby urinates.  Small babies do not normally wet their nappies a lot and you are changing their nappies very frequently anyway. If you happen to have a heavy wetter, or as your baby is getting older, you will need more boosters added to the nappy or a bigger nappy to increase absorbency.

v     Attend one of our Nappuccino workshops – this will help you achieve maximum results with your cloth nappies.

Q4.            Should real nappies be changed more frequently than disposables?

      Health Professionals’ advice is that, regardless of whether you are using disposable nappies or cloth nappies, babies up to around 6 months should be changed every 2 hours or immediately if they have done a poo. After 6 months of age, they should be changed every 3-4 hours or immediately if they have soiled the nappy. Real nappies just act as a great reminder to parents and carers that babies do need their nappies changed frequently – it is in the interest of the baby after all.

Q5.            Will cloth nappies make my baby overheat because of their thickness?

      Cloth nappies are bulkier than disposable nappies because they do not contain plastic or expanding super absorbent gels. Instead they are made of layers of breathable and heat regulating materials like bamboo, hemp and cotton.  The wraps are normally lined with breathable polyurethane (not plastic like the ones we used to wear as babies!), and there are also gorgeous wool wraps, which are ever so gentle on your baby’s skin as they are highly breathable and wool has great healing and hygienic properties.

       So cloth nappies will not overheat your baby.  

Q6.            Will my baby be more prone to nappy rash with cloth nappies?

      Quite the opposite tends to be true (although there are exceptions).  Because cloth nappies are made from breathable fabrics, your baby is less likely to suffer from nappy rash when using cloth.  Nappy rash is normally caused by the mixture of faeces and urine, which irritates the skin and is enough to cause a painful rash.  Changing your baby regularly, using fleece liners to keep their bottoms dry, changing your baby immediately after a bowel movement and giving your baby ‘nappy off’ time every day are all things you can do to prevent nappy rash.  Use raw silk liners with every nappy if your baby has very sensitive skin. 

      Natural and chemical free creams such as the Weleda brand, found at most health food stores or online, are excellent for treating and preventing nappy rash.  A simple household solution is using cooled chamomile tea and virgin olive oil, applied with cotton wool (organic preferably). This is a very gentle alternative to many creams found at the chemist.  (If you are concerned about your baby’s nappy rash please consult your GP).

Q7.            Where do I store my baby’s dirty nappies until I wash them? 

      After you change your baby you need to place the dirty nappy into a lidded bucket (such as those included in our Trial Kits) until washing in the washing machine. We recommend you soak your nappies in a cold water solution filling your bucket three-quarters and adding around 5 drops of tea tree essential oil or lavender essential oil. You will need to add more drops as your baby grows (e.g. up to 12 drops for a 2 year old).  Both these essential oils have antibacterial properties and will disinfect your nappies before washing and it will therefore be safe to wash at 40º with the rest of your household clothes.  If you decide not to soak your nappies in an antibacterial solution, you will need to wash at 60º to kill the bacteria. 

Q8.            What about stains? How do you get the cloth nappies actually clean?

      Cloth nappies are very easy to clean as modern washing machines do an excellent job and clean cloth and nappies very effectively.  Soaking your nappies will help prevent stains; however when stains does occur, the sunlight is the best natural solution to bleaching nappies. 

      Never use commercial bleach, Napisan or sterilising solutions on your nappies as they have optical whiteners and chemicals that will damage the nappies and are too rough on your baby’s skin.  Wash your nappies in a full load adding household towels or whites if necessary.  NEVER USE FABRIC SOFTENER as this will reduce your nappies absorbency by coating the fibres is a water resistant barrier.

Q9.            Since cloth nappies are more expensive than disposables, why should    I buy them?

      Cloth nappies are more expensive piece by piece than disposables because you are able to use them time and again.  Disposable nappies cost around 18-20p per nappy, but you can only use them once, therefore every time you throw away a disposable nappy you are throwing money in the bin.  Cloth nappies offer an affordable and much more efficient alternative.  Most cloth nappies, if cared for properly, will last you though 2-3 babies, making them extremely cost effective.  On average, a parent will spend £250 on cloth nappies over 2.5 years, compared to an astonishing £800 if using disposables – that’s over £500 savings!

Q10.  Do I have to buy different sizes as my baby grows?

      In most cases you will, although some brands produce “one-size” nappies.  Each nappy brand will have their own sizes (S,M,L,XL) or (1,2,3) so reading the labels and information about each nappy before purchasing your nappy is important.  If your baby is nearing the end of a nappy weight range, buy the next size up.  Most babies will use 2 or 3 sizes of any type of nappy, depending on the brand and design; and using muslins or prefolds will save money as they are a cheaper alternative.