How to Use Cloth Nappies Leeds

By  Molly Dilnot The Nappy Lady Supernanny Expert 20/03/2007

Some Mums are put off cloth nappies in the mistaken belief they are more fiddly or awkward than disposables, but they are actually quite simple to use – once you find the right system! The Nappy Lady Molly Dilnot breaks down the process, step-by-step.

Component Parts

1. The NAPPY provides the absorbency. It can be either SHAPED or FLAT (for you to fold as appropriate).
2. The WRAP or pant is the waterproof outer, which stops clothing getting wet.
3. Inside the nappy, you have a LINER, which is designed to catch the poo while urine passes through to the nappy. Liners can be disposable or flushable. They are not theoretically essential, but make dealing with real nappies much easier.
4. For sleeping through the night, you might need extra absorbency for the nappy, in the form of a BOOSTER. Some boosters have a fleece top, so they have the liner built in. Some children need no boosting at all, whilst very heavy wetters might need boosting on day nappies as well as night nappies.

Nappy Types

There are three main types of cloth nappy. In an ALL IN ONE nappy, the nappy and wrap parts are built together into one item. A TWO PIECE nappy system means there is a separate nappy and wrap. Finally, a HYBRID nappy is a two piece nappy which can be put together beforehand to act like a kind of pseudo-all in one - two examples are the Fuzzi Bunz and the Snugglenaps systems.

A nappy system can be SIZED, in which case there will be two or maybe three sizes from birth to toilet training, or a BIRTH TO TODDLER, in which case there is only one size of nappy, although there will normally be more sizes for the wrap.

Modern cloth nappies are shaped like disposables and come with simple fastenings – Velcro, poppers or Nappi Nippas (rubber grips that have replaced safety pins). Terry squares are still very popular for those with a limited budget. There are so many different nappies available it is essential to get sound advice and if possible you should always try a single nappy and wrap to ensure you are happy with it before purchasing a full system.

Changing

Generally speaking a two piece nappy system is more reliable (i.e. you will get less leaks), and the following information is based on such a system. When putting a nappy on a baby, working from the outside in you will have a wrap, the nappy itself and a liner.

You will need to change the nappy every 2 to 4 hours depending on your babies age and how heavy a wetter they are – most young babies go through 6 nappies per day, excluding night changes, this usually drops to around 4 nappies per day from 6 months onwards.

When changing the nappy undo the wrap and the nappy itself, clean the entire nappy area and replace the wet/soiled nappy and liner with clean ones. You then put the same wrap back on unless it is soiled, or after 12 hours use. Paper liners can be flushed down the toilet if soiled, or if only wet can be washe...

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