INFORMATION

I have always disliked disposable nappies/diapers (I will use nappy as this is the term we use in Australia), even though I used them when we went on holidays with our own children. I never new anything about modern cloth nappies till I found out I was going to be a grandmother. My niece suggested looking at a local shop that sold these new nappies, so my daughter and I went to check it out. This was the beginning of a long process, how could I get some of these nappies for my grandchild and not have to rob a bank to pay for them?

Well I did it the long way and the hard way. There are a lot of strange and different looking modern cloth nappies floating around the family, most have been retired to a box in the spare room where I can look at them shake my head and ask myself "what on earth were you thinking?"

These are the questions that I needed answered and what I found out along the way. But in case you are too busy to read it all I will put the conclusion first.

• What are my choices when buying a modern cloth or reusable cloth nappy?
• What do I need to concider when buying a modern cloth or reusable cloth nappy?

I think you need to ask your self two questions.

1. Do you think you will have a problem stuffing pocket nappies?
If the answer is yes then you need to look at All In Ones or All In 2s
If you choose AIOS you will have to buy more nappies (see below)
If you choose AI2s you will have to face the poo thing (see below)
I like pocket nappies. I tried everything but kept coming back to them. They are hard to beat especially if they are One Size Fits Most as well. The two mums who helped me design these nappies where everday, stressed out, run off their feet, ordinary mums and they had no problems with the stuffing.
2. The other question you need to ask is Snaps v's Velcro (Aplix, hook and loop, touch tape)

This is personal, I have issues with Velcro type fastenings. I think I saw too many nice things ruined by board shorts in the wash. I hate the stuff, its stiff and can be sharp on the ends and always seems to be full of ugly fluff, but this is up to you.

If you are going for snaps make sure they have 3 snaps on each side not two, with only two you get wing droop and the nappy will leak.

You may also be asking yourself "why isn't she talking about organic nappies?" For the answer see below.

So the choice is POCKET or AIO and SNAPS or VELCRO

If I buy some modern cloth nappies does that mean I can’t use disposables any more?

The answer is NO!

Some people will preach to you and say you shouldn't use them at all, but I think, every time you choose to use a reusable cloth nappy you save money and the environment. Just using one a day every day for a year saves you $100-$150 and imagine a pile with 365 used disposables not going to landfill. The message is every bit helps.

What is a Pre-fold?

I didn't spend at lot of time on these they are really only one step up from the old terry towelling squares. Basically they are a piece of terry towelling or flannelette that is shaped a bit so it’s not quite as balky as the terry towelling square, it's not waterproof and still requires pins or snappy things. These are a recyclers dream as you can use old towels and old flannelette sheets, dressing gowns, T shirts, anything that will soak up pee and turn it into a nappy. If you don’t care what it looks like, you don’t mind it being balky, have nothing against using pins, snappy things and plastic pilchers and you can sew a bit, this is one of the cheapest ways to nappy your baby. The link below will give you a pattern

www.diaperfabric.com/sew-a-prefold-from-old-t-shirts/

What is a Modern Cloth Nappy?

I think its any reusable nappy that doesn't use pins or snappy things and is shaped something like a disposable nappy.

What is a Fitted Nappy?

Fitted nappies are made out of fabric that will soak up the pee. They are shaped like a disposable and can be attached in different ways. They're not water proof. A lot of these are organic fabrics, which sound great, but you must remember any fabric that is natural holds moisture, if you want a natural fabric against your baby’s skin then you will also have a wet fabric against their skin. Personally I imagine it would be like walking around in wet undies all day. You can use nappy liners which will draw the moisture away from the baby, but you now have a synthetic nappy liner against your baby's skin.

What is an AIO?

This stands for All In One. These are shaped like a disposable. This nappy is made from two layers of fabric, the outside is waterproof and the inside is water repellent. In the middle of these two pieces are sewn a few layers of fabric that will soak up and hold pee. The nappy is fastened using snaps or hook and loop. This means the nappy is basically one piece, like a disposable, only of course you wash and use it again.

Pros - it's very easy to use.

Cons - it can be hard to dry, you would have to buy a couple of different sizes to see your baby out from newborn to toilet trained. You cannot change the amount of pee it will soak up without it becoming an All In Two or All In Three.

Basically it's simple to use, may take longer to dry and not very flexible pee holding wise.

What is a Pocket Nappy?

A pocket nappy is similar to an All In One; only the fabric that soaks up the pee is inserted through an opening in the back or front and removed again for washing.

Pros- Drys quickly, is easy to add extra fabric to boost the amount of pee it will hold, some you can make fit a baby from newborn to toilet trained.

Cons - you have to put the insert in the pocket

What is an AI2 ?

This stands for All In Two; this means the nappy is in two pieces. Technically a pocket nappy is an AI2, but most of the time in refers to a nappy that has an out side shell which is waterproof and the fabric that soaks up the pee is laid inside the shell next to the babies skin. This layer is sometimes covered in a fabric that keeps the baby dry, some times not. With this nappy you could just replace the inside piece and not have to replace the outside as well, less washing, quick and easy, you can also add extra bits to soak up more if you want. The down side to these is if the baby poos it tends to get into every nook and cranny and over locked edge. So in some cases you will be trying to scrape it out of different layers, fabrics and edges.

AI3

Same as All In 2s only more bits.

The best outside fabric in my opinion is PUL (polyurethane laminate) that is attached to polyester stretch knit, this is like a very flexible plastic film attached to a knitted polyester fabric, it is said to be breathable but waterproof.

In some nappies the waterproof fabric they use is covered with another fabric, such as polar fleece or cotton prints. You need to be careful about this waterproof fabric and how it is used. Some nappies don't have the whole of the outside protected with a water proof fabric, they just use a wide strip down the middle and cover it with fleece. Some use fabric that is like shower curtain, I tried that, its no were near as good as PUL. Some use plastic similar to what pilchers are made of, this fabric won’t last and makes a horrible crunchy noise. Some nappies use a PUL that is laminated to cotton stretch knit; I have looked at this and was worried that the cotton would break down a lot quicker than the polyester and some Mums on chat sites said it wasn't as water proof.

Some pocket nappies are OSFM, this stands for One Size Fits Most. This means that the nappy should fit your baby from birth to toilet trained. This also means you don’t have to buy as many nappies. There are a few different ways nappy designers do this, you need to look at each one and decide its virtues for yourself or you could just see which one seems to be the most popular and go with that.

What are snaps (plastic press studs)

What is hook and loop tape (some brand names are Velcro or Aplix) it is two tapes that stick together when they touch

What are pilchers, they are the old fashioned plastic pants that went over the original folded terry towelling nappy.

If you have any questions just email me and I will try to help