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By beansproutbubba, September 3, 2010 5:40 am

Reason 1 – “It’s too much work.”

With the invention and innovations in modern washing machines, the old ways of soaking terry toweling nappies in bleach or nappy soakers is stuck in the past. Drypailing soiled nappies is the way to go before thoroughly washing the nappies in the washing machine, followed by line-drying or a cool-warm dryer cycle.

Read more about Drypailing

Read more about Nappy Wash and Care instructions

(Visual reader? Check out the ‘Washing routine’ images in this post: Nappy on a budget: cloth nappy squares)

Reason 2 – “I don’t want to touch poo!”

There’s no need to touch poo with cloth nappies. Use flushable liners that can be lifted off the nappy and flushed down the loo in seconds, or invest in a good quality nappy sprayer to spray off solid waste into the loo.

Alternatively, use reusable fleece liners laid inside the nappy for easy poo removal. Either purchase from Bean Sprout Bubba, or simply purchase microfleece from Spotlight, cut them into strips/squares large enough to cover the nappy area and lay in the nappy. No need for hemming or sewing. Poo just rolls off the fleece.

Added bonus: you can use fleece liners to protect your nappies when using rash creams, then chuck them out if it gets too sticky to be reused.

Reason 3 – “I’m a full-time working mum, and don’t have time to do cloth nappies.”

Regardless of your time constraints, the work flow of using disposable nappies and cloth nappies are very similar

1. Nappy goes on baby’s bottom
2. Nappy is soiled
3. Nappy is taken off and put into a bin/pail
4. Nappy is thrown out and new nappies are bought (disposable) OR Nappy is washed and dried

Repeat 1-4 until child is toilet trained.

Really the only difference in time is in step 4, it’s up to every mum to decide whether trotting out to the shops to refill the nappy supply saves more time than the average 10min a day to wash and dry nappies.

Bonus tip: Choose all-in-one nappies in the day time for ultimate ease of use and save time for busy mums. There’s no separate parts to assemble or snap in. Added bonus is carers are more likely to use them if they are easy to put on.

Reason 4 – “Modern cloth nappies are so expensive.”

There are economical alternatives to modern cloth nappies.

- Have some cheap terry towelling nappies on hand, while using modern cloth nappy covers (made with PUL, fleece or wool) over them. These make fantastic nappies once mastered and are quick to dry and put on.

- Instead of terry towelling nappies, use prefolds which have extra absorbancy sewn in and lesser folding than terry nappies.

- If you can sew, knit or crochet, DIY your nappies using patterns and fabric found online.

- Buy second hand if you don’t mind using used nappies on your baby

Reason 5 – “Disposables are more hygienic than washable nappies.”

Sure, disposables are single use nappies and probably are more sterile initially.
However, some babies are not changed soon enough as parents try to stretch their dollars and leave them on as long as possible. Is that hygienic?

Freshly line dried washable nappies are just as clean as freshly washed clothing. The sun is a great germ killer, deodoriser and stain-remover. With cloth there’s no need to worry about wasting money when changing once wet.

Bonus effect: your baby soon learns to associate being wet with being uncomfortable, if he/she is changed as soon as the nappy is wet.

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By beansproutbubba, August 28, 2010 12:17 pm

I was speaking to a client the other day, showing her some nappies at home.

a. After taking off the nappy, rinse off solid waste into the loo, and place in a dry pail for wash day

b. First prewash with no detergent to rinse off excess urine, then warm wash with 1/3-1/2 recommended dose of detergent.

3. Line-dry in the sun

4. It is still a good investment to get good PUL modern covers to prevent frustrating blowouts.

Do you have any more tips to use flat nappies to cloth nappy on a budget?

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By beansproutbubba, June 6, 2010 5:48 pm

This is part 3 of the ‘Cloth at night’ series.

To read earlier parts please follow these links:

Cloth at night: an introduction

Part 1: Considering cloth nappies at night-time?

Part 2: Cloth at night – using day nappies as night nappies

Part 3: Cloth at night – Using dedicated night nappies

Dedicated night nappies are a relatively new sub-section in the world of modern cloth nappies.

Cloth night nappies are specially designed for babies and toddlers who sleep through the night and have a large volume of fluid output during night sleeps.

There are 2 types of night nappies

1. Night nappies that need a separate cover. The most absorbant night nappies usually fall in this category.

2. Night nappies that do not need a separate cover: all the absorbancy and waterproofing is sewn together, or in a pocket nappy format. Usually this kind of nappy has good quality polarfleece as the outer waterproof layer: it is rare to find wool outer nappies that are all together with the absorbancy.

Personally I think a fitted night nappy and a separate wool cover works the best at night. A fitted night nappy is fully absorbant, and allows superior breathability, especially when coupled with a wool cover.

Facts about dedicated night nappies

Night nappies are:

1. Usually made out of hemp, bamboo and microfibre materials, for maximum absorbency and trimness.

2. Are generally made from medium size onwards to large sizes, as night nappies really come to their own when babies grow bigger and sleep through the night.

3. Are generally bulkier than day time nappies, as the layers start from about 16 layers upwards to 22 layers or more. Guaranteed to induce the ‘cowboy swagger’!

Early dedicated night nappies were extremely bulky and extremely expensive to begin with, with up to 1 metres of cotton, expensive hemp or bamboo fleece in the one absorbant nappy (this is going back only 5 years!). Current designs make use of trim nappy patterns and contoured or customised absorbancy to trim down the overall size of the nappy.

4. Usually covered in wool, fleece or PUL for breathability, far superior to PVC in the old days.

Nappy tips for dealing with heavywetters

1. For best results, ensure the outer layer of the nappy is either wool or a good quality fleece material.

Personally I adore wool for its breathability, and its ability to ‘pull’ moisture out of the nappy to evaporate throughout the night, keeping baby drier for longer, and allowing the nappy to ‘reset’ its absorbancy all night. Malden Mills Fleece (300wt or Windpro) is an excellent outer layer choice if wool is not your cup of tea.

Read more about wool…

2. If using PUL as an outer layer, consider using extra layers of absorbancy, or change to wool or fleece if leaks continue.

3. How many night nappies? At least 3 to start off with, with the average around 5-6, as some of these very absorbent nappies have many layers and may take a few days to dry.

Night nappy brands in Australia

At Bean Sprout Bubba we carry the Baby Beehinds Nights night nappy, which needs a cover to go over it. These nappies are trim for a night nappy and have the ability to adjust absorbancy where it is needed.

Click here to shop for nappies to use at night time at Bean Sprout Bubba.

Baby Beehinds Nights - a fantastic night nappy in stock at Bean Sprout Bubba (s, M, L)

Other quality and highly regarded Aussie brands of dedicated night nappies to consider:

- Mandy Mac ‘Purple Nights’ (fitted, requires cover)
- Twinkle Lily ‘Supernightz’ (fitted, requires cover)
- Sustainable Hemp Products Nappy Chappies ‘Sandmans’ (fitted, requires cover)
- Keester Kovers (all in one, Fleece outer, no PUL, not currently being made UPDATED 31/7/2010: will be available again very soon!)
- Wild Child ‘Dreamy Nights’ (fitted, requires cover)
- Genesa Forge: various night nappies for heavy wetters up to super heavywetters (all in one)
- Whizz Kidz night nappy (fitted, requires a cover)
- Bubblebubs ‘Good Night Sleep Tight’ (fitted, requires a very generous nappy cover)

Does anyone have any questions? tips? Comment Away!

Please note: Assuredly night nappies are something I didn’t have to deal with, though I did come very very close with my then-nearly-3-year-old right before she night-trained! So please take what you read in Part 3 with a grain of salt, and tell me YOUR experiences with dedicated night nappies.

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By beansproutbubba, June 2, 2010 5:34 pm

This is part 2 of the ‘Cloth at night’ series.

To read earlier parts please follow these links:

Cloth at night: an introduction

Part 1: Considering cloth nappies at night-time?

Part 2: Cloth at night – using day nappies as night nappies

Part 3: Cloth at night – Using dedicated night nappies

‘Use what you have’ – a mantra often used in days of old where thrift was king and making do was the norm.

Same idea applies here: have day nappies? Use them at night too! But how? and which ones would work best? Read on…

The principle is simple: simply add on extra absorbency into your day nappy.

Either

1. lay in a booster in an all-in-one or fitted nappy,
2. stuff an extra insert in a pocket nappy, or
3. boost in between an absorbent fitted nappy and a cover.

Ta-daa! Instant night nappy

A few points to look out for:

1. After boosting the nappy, ensure that the nappy doesn’t gape around the thighs or the waist, to prevent leaks from happening.

2. Absorbent fitted day nappies boosted for night time, coupled with a wool or fleece cover are the best option for average night wetters. Usually at least 4-6 extra layers would be sufficient to boost a day nappy if wool or fleece covers are used.

3. If using a nappy with a PUL outer (e.g. a pocket nappy, all-in-one or all-in-two), ensure that the outer of the nappy is 100% polyester for best results. Fabrics that meet this criteria are plain or print polyester PUL, minkee/minky and selected satin material. Avoid cotton outers with PUL as they tend to have moisture wick to the cotton outer after long periods of wetness, and thus not be suitable for extended use at night time or long naps.

4. Ensure that cotton PJs are not tucked into the nappy, or use fleece PJs for best results. i find that even flannel PJs can tend to wick moisture from a night nappy so I avoid those and use fleece or wool pants over the night nappy. A wool cover under flannel PJ pants works well too.

5. Pocket nappies should be roomy enough to add on extra inserts for night time use while maintaining a good fit around the waist and thighs. For example, Bubba J medium and large pocket nappies are roomy enough to add 2 x bamboo trifolds and a 3-4 layer booster for a thirsty 15-16 layers of absorbancy. The large size pocket nappy can hold up to 3 trifold inserts for a big 18 layers of absorbancy!

In conclusion

These are just a few starting points to consider when using day nappies as night nappies.

Be prepared for 1-2 wet nights until the night nappy arrangement is sorted out. You may find a waterproof protector, some terry flats, fleece or wool blanket placed under bub during the ‘experimental stage’ helpful in reducing the discomfort from those accidents. Once night nappying is sorted, give yourself a pat on the back, great job in reducing waste!

However your baby may still outwet boosted day nappies. Congratulations, you have a heavywetter, or super heavywetter! Either follow the tips to reduce wee output at night as mentioned in Part 1 of Cloth at Night, or read Part 3 where I dissect the world of dedicated night nappies (coming soon this week).

Click here to shop for nappies to use at night time at Bean Sprout Bubba.

If you have a day-nappy -as-night-nappy tip to share please leave a comment.

All comments up to 31 July 2010 will go into a draw to win either an ecoBumba pocket nappy or $30 store credit. So comment away!

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By beansproutbubba, June 1, 2010 5:01 pm

This is part 1 of the ‘Cloth at night’ series.

To read other parts please follow these links:

Cloth at night: an introduction

Part 1: Considering cloth nappies at night-time?

Part 2: Cloth at night – using day nappies as night nappies

Part 3: Cloth at night – Using dedicated night nappies

Okay, so we’ve gotten the hang of day-time cloth nappies.

Night time will follow in the same way, once we’ve considered all the factors to determine which cloth nappy would suit your baby at night time.

Factor 1: Sleeping through the night, or not?

Tip 1 – Use night-boosted nappies or dedicated night nappies once baby stops pooing in his/her sleep and sleeps through the night.

Newborns and very young infants that do not sleep through the night typically do not require night nappies, as they would be changed before, during or after their night feed/s. As they are still so very small, there is no need for extremely absorbant nappies anyway.

Generally, babies do not pass any bowel motions or wee while fast asleep. It is when they wake between sleep cycles that any waste is produced.

For babies who take naps longer than about 1-1.5 hours, or sleep through the night, they may have some time between sleep cycles where they may wake sufficiently to wee/poo, then fall back asleep again (or wake up crying because they feel wet or dirty, depending on the nappy/motion).

Babies who have sensitive skin would be advised to have their nappy changed everytime they poo (even in the middle of the night) to reduce the chance of skin irritation.

Factor 2: Light, average or heavywetter?

Tip 2: Depending on your baby’s wetting habits: rule of thumb is to add 50-100% more absorbancy of a day nappy for night time.

Generally, older toddlers would have more wee output than young infants. Usually the absorbancy of baby’s current daytime nappies would be a good indicator of what kind of wetter the baby is.

Also, older toddlers tend to flood a nappy once or twice a night, or even store it all up until first thing in the morning.
Young infants tend to wet more frequently but in smaller quantities throughout the night.

Factor 3: Evening drinks for baby, or none?

Tip 3: be mindful of what bub has drunk in the evening, then either offer opportunities to go to the toilet (if old enough) or add extra boosting in the night nappy.

In our family, I try to limit drinks after 6.30pm. If my children need a drink after 6.30pm I would limit to 1/2 a cup maximum, or offer plenty of opportunity to go to the toilet before bed to reduce any nightly output. Be mindful if soup is part of dinner (or even swallowing bathwater!) and adjust the absorbancy of the night nappies accordingly.

Older babies/toddlers who wake for a drink of milk or water in the middle of the night would also tend to wet a lot more than babies who don’t. Either invest in extra boosters or use a dedicated night nappy in these cases.

Next in this Cloth at Night series I will share in Part 2:

- how to use your daytime nappies at night sucessfully.
- tips to determine whether your day nappies are suitable for the job at night.

In the third and final part I will talk about dedicated night nappies, the types that are available out there, and all you need to know about using these specialised nappies at night.

Stay tuned for more tomorrow!

Or click here to shop for nappies to use at night time at Bean Sprout Bubba.

Comments (2)

By beansproutmumma, May 31, 2010 12:34 pm

So curiosity about cloth nappies has led me to fully cloth nappy my baby during the day.

How did I transition to cloth nappies at night-time, and for long sleeps over 4-6 hours?

In the old days, using nappies at night simply meant doubling a cloth terry nappy, and putting a BIG cover over the top.
You can just imagine how big baby’s bottom would be!!

Following comments from this post about cloth nappy tips and questions, this week I intend to share, over 2 or 3 parts, how night time cloth nappying is just as simple to perform as daytime, by following a few key tips.

In the first part I will mention how baby’s sleeping patterns may affect night time motions, and share some simple tips to reduce wetting at night.

In the second part I share how certain daytime nappies can be converted into nappies suitable for night time use by using some simple tips, saving you money from using disposable nappies.

In the third and final part I will talk about dedicated night nappies, the types that are available out there, and all you need to know about using these specialised nappies at night.

Note that any advice or tips I share should take your baby’s needs and the needs of your family into account before deciding whether to follow them, as every baby and every family has different circumstances.

Click here to shop for nappies to use at night time at Bean Sprout Bubba.

If you have any other specific questions regarding nappies at night please comment below and I will try to cover it in my 3-part series.

Rebecca

This is the introduction to the ‘Cloth at night’ series.

To read earlier parts please follow these links:

Cloth at night: an introduction

Part 1: Considering cloth nappies at night-time?

Part 2: Cloth at night – using day nappies as night nappies

Part 3: Cloth at night – Using dedicated night nappies

Want to submit a question or future cloth nappy-related topic? Click here for more details, you could win an ecoBumba onesize nappy! Closes 31 July 2010, giveaway details here.