What do you want to know about cloth nappies

Ever since taking up using and then selling cloth nappies, I've seen parents asking the same questions over and over. From how do I prepare my nappies for use, to how to combat smells, leaks or stains.

It seems Australia is in desperate need of a database of information relating to all the tips, tricks and answers to cloth nappies.

We at Baby Bare, are so excited to be working on the very project that will deliver to you everything you could possibly want to know about nappies. Our new website www.clothnappies.com.au is the home of cloth in Australia. We have named our page 'Nappies Central' to reflect that it is the main hub for everything you want to know, and that it is a community meeting place for cloth lovers.

The site is divided into two main sections - New to Cloth Nappies & Nappy Help. The first section is based on the assumption that readers know very little about nappies and need lots of information on styles, how to chose a nappy and how they can get the right nappy for their child.

The second section is designed around parents already using nappies. Lots of answers to your questions plus plenty of interesting articles about anything relating to cloth nappies. We hope to get lots of guest articles up and on the site to provide different perspectives, information from experts and more detail on what we have already brought to you in our help sections.

We are looking to develop another area on the site to hep you purchase nappies, listing what is available on the market in different categories, price ranges etc.

The site is designed to be simple. The information is succinct and easy to navigate through. Our special articles will aim to deal with issues in greater detail for parents looking for more.

Whilst we at Baby Bare know how great our products are, we know many parents product wants/needs fall outside of what we offer. So our site is comprehensive and considers offerings from other brands and retailers. We want you to succeed with cloth nappies, be informed in your choices and enjoy using cloth nappies. We hope you really enjoy Nappies Central.

Cloth Nappies for newborns

I often get asked if our nappies will fit a new baby. This question is much like being asked if a pair of jeans will fit a random stranger. I have no idea what they look like, weigh, etc

Newborns can weigh anywhere from a couple of kilograms (assuming they are not very premature), to four, five or even six kilograms on the very upper end.

That is a large spectrum to fit a child into. Like me, parents face the same dilemma. How large will your child be when they are born? Obviously, we really have no idea. Even final sizing scans can be way off (they told me I was having a big 4.2kg baby, two weeks later she was only 3.8kg!)

Some parents buy a full stash of newborn nappies only to have a baby big enough to comfortably fit into a OSFM - so they could have saved themselves a lot of money. Most mum's like to get their nappies bought and ready before their babies arrival, so it often rules out waiting.

In my experience, not all OSFM nappies are a good fit on a newborn. Some nappies with a high rise, and that are generally bulkier, will swim on a newborn. Other nappies that are generally trimmer, with a lower rise, are generally a bit of a better fit on a newborn.

Our Baby Bare nappies will generally fit your baby from about 3.5kg. A very skinny waist or skinny little thighs may have an effect on this. The smallest I've heard of in our nappies is 3.2kg.

Many parents choose to use disposables for a few weeks while they get life under control with their new addition, but depending on your baby's size, they may fit straight into their nappies. You could also consider hiring a newborn pack of nappies from a nappy library.

When fitting a nappy onto a newborn, be sure you have a good seal around the legs and waist. If the waist is a bit loose, try and do up the first snap to secure the fit around the legs, then skip 2 snaps, and snap down the third one (so you have missed two snaps on the front of the nappy, and skipped one snap on the waist tabs). This will give you a tighter fit in the waist and help keep the wetness in.

If you do want to invest in newborn nappies, look for a prefold system as you can reuse the prefolds as boosters later on as your baby grows.

For more information on newborn nappy options, check out Nappies Central.

Rule #6 - Try a cloth nappy before you invest in it!

Well, you wouldn't go out and buy 24 pairs of jeans without trying them on. Nor should you buy 30 nappies without giving one a go first.

Grab a Trial Pack to test out our nappies - You can even pick the colours!

Each cloth nappy will offer a different fit. Crutch width, rise, how much room there are in the legs for chubby or skinny thighs and how big the sizing will go to, will all differ.

You may think you want a whole stash of all in one nappies only to discover in the cold and wet they will not dry through the winter where you live. Every one of your friends and facebook group members may tell you to buy one particular nappy. But I recommend, regardless of what you think you will do, to buy a trial nappy first.

It is for this reason we have our trial pack. Our pack comes with two nappies and a night booster. You can try our nappies for the day time and the night time to see how they suit your child. If you love them, come back and buy more! Our nappies are generally a good in between fit. They accommodate children of all different sizes. They are a trim nappy, but not so trim that bigger babies sport them more as bikini briefs then nappies!

I have known many parents who have bought a full set of a particular brand of nappy only to sell them shortly after they start using them. They find that the fit or the style of nappy is not compatible with their lifestyle and child.

If a trial pack is too limited for you, or you feel you would have to invest in 10 trial nappies to work out what you like, consider a nappy library. A nappy library is an arrangement whereby you hire a range of nappies for a set period of time. You get to look, feel and test each nappy to work out what suits you, your child and your budget. This is an absolutely fabulous idea. You can seek advice on each product and get personalised service from the nappy 'librarian' who is working to help get you into a nappy system that suits you!

I recommend contacting Apikali about their library. It is one of the best libraries in the country. A huge range of nappies and accessories to try. You can then receive excellent advice (and fabulous deals) on your choice of nappy. What's even better is that our Baby Bare Cub nappy is in the library at Apikali and you can have a trial of it.

So, if you want to try out our great nappies I recommend either investing in a trial pack ($36 for two brand new nappies, a night booster and a minky cloth wipe) or contacting Apikali to see our nappy in their full library pack range.

Rule #5 - Take advice from the right people

Our Bare Cub nappy - a great fit from birth until toilet training

This is a really important point. There is so much contradicting advice in the world of cloth nappies and I often feel it confuses people and leads to many aborting cloth or even ruining their nappies.

Here's a really common scenario. A mum posts on a facebook page about washing her nappies. She gets about 30 different responses. There are people linking her to homemade detergents, telling her its OK to put her nappies in her dryer, to hang them in the Australia sun until they melt of the clothes line and that vinegar and some napisan never hurt their stash. This poor mum is suddenly bombarded with options.

It's really important to note here that this mum doesn't know any of these people. None of these people have any credentials. They all mean well and want to help. But sometimes it's best not to even ask in the first place.

So who should you ask for advice? Well I recommend you search out advice from the right people. If you had a question about Baby Bare Cloth Nappies, I'd recommend you email me. I can give you the right information about fit and care for my nappies. I can tell you that if you wash them in napisan or put them in your washer on hot, you will be voiding you warranty. No nappy is bullet proof. Manufacturers give you the best advice they can to help you prolong the life of an article of clothing that will be subjected to the harshest conditions - urine, washing several times a week, being worn constantly and then whatever else a parent may do to them - bleach, heat, vinegar etc.

If you take the advice of someone who tells you they have always washed their nappies in home made Rocking Green detergent and it's great, you will be the one facing the possibility of ruined nappies. I've seen it. Most mum's are not chemists and mixing up a concoction to wash in is not something just anyone should be doing. A well meaning parent may not even know the damage they have done to their own nappies whilst recommending a certain action to others.

My second source of advice is around general nappy use, fit and problems. I recommend you seek out someone who is independent of a particular brand. While I try to be honest with parents about whether my products will suit your child, it is not always the case with every manufacturer. After all, a nappy brand wants you in their nappies so the advice may not always lead you to the best solution for you.

I recommend contacting someone who supplies a range of cloth nappy brands. Tennille at Apikali can help you if you are looking for a nappy that is most suitable for you or any other questions regarding general nappy use. She runs a library (in which our gorgeous Bare Cub features) which you can borrow to try a range of nappies on your child. Linda from Inarchie & Babe is also a retailer of our nappies and a great source of nappy help and information. You can talk to Linda in person, together with Elissa at Little Green Footprints in Elsternwich Victoria at the weekly nappy lab. This lab is designed to allow parents to see a demonstration of cloth nappies and ask any questions they may have (you also get to touch and feel the products in person!).

So, next time you want some information about your nappies, try going straight to the right sources. There are lots of well meaning and helpful parents out there, but we are constantly seeing parents being given poor advice.

Rule #4 - Buy a good nappy that suits YOU & YOUR child

It goes without saying you get what you pay for - well in most circumstances.

In the nappy world I find this is very true of the cheapest nappies, otherwise known as the China Cheepie.

My fourth rule of cloth nappying is to buy a good nappy. So many parents buy $3 nappies off ebay, only to have them leak, fall apart and unsurprisingly they quit cloth nappies for good. Excellent intentions ruined by the wrong purchase.

If you want to succeed in cloth nappies, you need to buy a good nappy. This means a nappy that will work for you. Which nappy is this you ask? It's the nappy that is well reviewed by the public, comes with excellent absorbency options, a warranty and is a good fit for your child. A nappy that doesn't meet those criteria will probably not help you succeed in using cloth. Why?

There are many nappies on the market. All offer something different. Some of those features work for some and not others. For example, many parents want a nappy that dries very quickly. For them, a slow drying all in one design will not be suitable. Likewise, a parent who wants an easy to use, no assembly nappy may also find an all in one design is perfect.

There is one nappy on the Aussie market that is extremely popular. But, it seems most either love it or hate it. For everyone who swears by it there is an opponent who argues its faults. How is this possible? For starters some children need more absorbency options then this nappy can provide. Others find the fit way too trim for their chubby baby. Others have their child grow out of it way before toilet training. My point is, it comes down to the individual child (and this point emphasises that just because a nappy is popular or perfect for one child, will not make it so for you).

Our Baby Bare nappy design is generally a good fit on most babies from birth until toilet training. It has received great reviews. It can double as a pocket nappy, or an all in two with the detachable inserts. The absorbency can be easily boosted with our trifold booster (and for some very exciting news: we have a new night booster currently in production & on its way, which has been specifically designed to sit in the nappy without adding excess bulk, but plenty of absorbency!). We have a trial pack so parents can try before buying a full set of our nappies.

You do not need to pay a fortune for a good nappy. There are plenty of fantastic nappies on the lower price scale. Many at the top end cost more for a pretty print or the expensive branding associated with the brand. So shop around, read lots of reviews and ask questions. But be careful, a lot of the $3 nappies are being rebranded and sold for prices as ridiculous as $30 a nappy (a dead giveaway is a pocket design, with rectangular microfibre inserts).

When buying your nappy stash, set yourself a budget that is realistic. Buying good nappies will save you in the long run from switching to disposables or having to throw out all those $3 nappies that fell apart.

Rule # 3 - Follow the care instructions of the nappy

Your gorgeous nappies have arrived in the post. You're so excited about them, you cant wait to put them on your baby. But before that dream can become a reality, you need to work out how you prepare them for use.

Even babies love the feel of a freshly laundered modern cloth nappy!

Each manufacturer will give you a set of care instructions. It is generally neccessary to follow these in order to experience success with your nappies and to ensure you don't void any available warranties.

If you want to succeed with cloth, nappies need to be properly cared for. Nappies that are not properly prepared for use, will leak as they need all the manufacturing additives removed to help them absorb. This also removes any nasties that your child might react to.

Long term care is equally important. The way you wash and store your nappies may effect the life of them. Exposing them to heat (dryer, excess sunshine or hot water) may deteriorate the elastics and the water proofing. Adding certain chemicals may also effect the elastics. For example, many users recommend the repetitive use of vinegar to soften nappies. Vinegar is an acid, and it will over time eat away at your nappies. The occasional use with a proper rinse will be OK, but adding vinegar to your nappies constantly may see them deteriorate very quickly.

Bleaches and products like napisan will also effect the longevity of your nappies as these chemicals will eat away at your nappies. Some detergents and fabric softeners will build up over time and effect the nappies absorbency.

Our general care instructions  are easy to follow and make using cloth nappies nice and easy. Just a few basic rules - only use a nappy friendly detergent, don't use your dryer and wash frequently (to avoid urine eating your nappies!). It may seem complicated at first but its actually the easiest washing you will do!

If you ever have any questions just contact us

Modern Cloth Nappies tips to succeed - #2 Change Often

When starting out with cloth nappies you need to be realistic. A nappy is not meant to last a whole day. Nappies need to be changed regularly - not only because they leak but for the comfort and health of your child.

 Many parents give up on cloth because they find their child wetting through their nappy in a few hours, which seems too often. Disposables seem to last all day, if they have to. 

Children should be changed when wet or dirty. Leaving a baby in a soiled nappy can lead to bad rashes and ongoing anxiety in the child about change times. A baby with a sore or irritated bottom will resent being changed when it hurts to be wiped and cleaned up.

Both wee and poo will burn your babies delicate skin even in a disposable. Even though disposable nappies are designed to make your child feel dry, the reality is your babies skin is still in contact with their waste.

In order to succeed with cloth nappies you need to be prepared to change often, but then again, even in disposables you should change your child when wet or dirty. Just because a nappy can hold a child's weight in wee, doesn't mean it should. Our Baby Bare nappies can last up to 4 hours, depending on your child. They can be boosted for longer term absorbency. But, really, the nappy should be changed once your child has wet or dirtied it.

Look for nappies with options to boost absorbency in case your child is a heavy wetter. Sometimes its not feasible to change after every single wee, or your child may wet a lot at once. Being able to boost a nappy will also help ensure you can adapt a nappy to your child and succeed with cloth!