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Part 3: Cloth at night – Using dedicated night nappies

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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.

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

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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 :)

Look at extra inserts at Bean Sprout Bubba

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! :)

Cloth at night: an introduction

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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 following a few 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.

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