Flat nappy discussion

[SunnyRain]

Yeah, they're actually called Chix. I think Johnsons make them now, not sure.

Apparently Chix were the originals. People were buying Chix liners to use as cloths, so they started making Chux. They're a little thinner.

[rufalina]

there you go... I will have to see if I can find them, and let my Dad know! Thanks!!!

[Maruschke]

Hi Ladies

I thought I would poke my head in because we would like to use flats for our first baby. How many terry flats do you think I will need? How many flannels / liners / covers?

Looking forward to getting to know you all .

[ashlukris]

Hi ladies,
I'm also going flat cloth.. good to know others are too
Haven't had the greatest response so far.. but nice that there is some support and advice on here.

[Rivlas]

When my girls were in cloth I had about 2 dozen flannel nappies. It will depend on how often you wash. I used to wash every day. When my second came I got another dozen as by that stage I was using two folded together for night. I never used terry as I didn't like them but that was my choice and I think it was because that was what my Mum used!!
Poke you head in the general nappy forum and ask away. They are a great bunch and will answer all your questions about covers, liners and the many different types of cloth nappies you can get.

[Bathsheba]

At 4 months I use the Newborn fold. My gallery photo shows what this looks like.... there's a link a few posts back.

[Ameeta]

I was told not to use safety pins..so was wondering if Snapis are good? Do they work on any cloth nappy..cotton or terry towel..where do I get them from?

[razzle]

Hi Ameeta, I like snappis and think they work well on my terry flats. You can get them at most supermarkets and department stores. I'm not a real fan of pins, I could never get them to work!!

[NaNa]

Ameeta - Snappis are great, IMO. They work on terry nappies the best, as the fabric has loops for the little teeth things to grip onto, however I have had some success using them with flannel flats. You can possibly get them from your local department store or supermarket like Safeway/Woolworths, Target, etc, but I've never seen them anywhere except online nappy stores. HTH!

mis_tree - yeah, I can't get the newborn fold to fit my bubba either. We both got big-bummed boys! Still going with the pad fold, no serious origami here... though there are some folds for girls that work ok, like the Gaynor one from the nappy lady site. Even with a booster it's still narrow enough between those chunky thighs!!

[Maruschke]

RE Snappi's - I have tried to find these in Target, Best n Less, and Kmart with no success. I ended up buying 6 for $12 from ebay including postage.

I did manage to find some nappy pins at kmart. I was horribly shocked at the limited range of flats and covers at all large department stores! It kinda freaked me out a bit that there was none because no one uses flats anymore.

I bought the pins and went home to play with them, and I have no idea how to use them! Seems like they need to go through at least 8 layers of nappy! Surely I am doing something wrong LOL.

I could only find one decent cover (fluffies), the rest were those plastic pilchers that were $1.50 for three. Are they OK? I thought they looked a bit uncomfy and hot for the baby. I would really have preferred to have velcro or press stud covers though instead of pull on covers.

[moki]

Hi - longtime lurker here, I thought it was about time I started contributing to this wonderful forum!

I love snappis! even DH, who isn't as besotted with cloth as me, thinks they're one of the best modern inventions.. but they can be hard to find. I ended up finding some in a chemist, but no luck at any of the supermarkets or department stores.

Covers - i use the fluffies, but only started when DD was about 12 mths. I avoided them for so long because I didn't like pull-on covers, but then DD grew and I was too stingy to pay for other covers. Now I really like them, and DD seems comfy in them. I like that they're soft against her legs, some of her other covers seem to press against her skin and make red marks. They also seem to breathe well. The downside with fluffies is the compression leaking.
Oh, oscaroscar, i used plastic pilchers for DS 8 years ago and they are as uncomfy and hot as they look. They're probably the main reason I switched to sposies back then.

[NaNa]

nooooo! oscaroscar, invest in a few decent covers! They'll be heaps better for bubs, and last longer than those nasty plastic things. You'll probably have to shop online, but it's worth it. And yes, the pins have to go thru many layers of fabric, which is why snappis are easier.
FWIW, the Baby BeeHinds covers are good, but tend to leave nasty welts on DS's chunky thighs. Maybe better on a skinnier bub. The Thirsties and Bummis covers are great, and altho I dont have any, I believe the Motherease covers are wonderful. Tots Bots are good, and there are loads more...all have velccro, aplix or snap closures.And then there's the option of fleece and wool covers for older bubs. Most department/chain stores have very limited options for cloth nappying. It's pathetic, and scary when you consider what goes into disposables... but I wont vent here!

[Bathsheba]

I have never used plastic pilchers... they make it all too humid inside the nappy and can lead to rash... they don't breathe. Snibs are plastic but they aren't elasticised so you need a cloth cover to keep everything together but I think that works quite well.

My babies are on the slim side... I'm able to use the newborn fold for at least 6 months.

Pins honestly aren't that hard once you get the hang of them... I wish I could just get you all 'round here to show you in a demo! LOL The trick is to only use good quality all-metal pins which can be hard to find. My toddler is wearing a terry nappy/pin/snib/fleece cover right now. He's been running around outside for nearly an hour and it's all staying in place. Because all the nappy paraphernalia I have is 3 babies old by now each "wear" costs next to nothing... the most expensive part is laundering.... love it.

[Rivlas]

You can now buy snappies from many chemists. If they don't have them ask for them to order them in.
I like the Motherease covers as they have fitted both my GKids who are different shapes. The main thing is to get it firm around the leg to stop leakage.
I also like pins but then that was all there was when my kids were small.
Pick the brains of the General Nappy ladies as I have found they know every, well just about, type of cover there is and are really helpful with questions.

[Bathsheba]

I wonder how many years women only had pins... 50? I think they're great. Shame they sell so many sub-standard ones these days though

[NaNa]

same goes for lots of things, Bathsheba! I wish my mum had kept the great red nappies I had as a baby, and the fantastic vintage pins... Someone wiser than me once said "I dont want more choices, I just want better things."
I use the cr@ppy pins I have from time to time, and would do so more often if I had better ones! But the snappi is there mainly for DP's benefit. I encourage him to use the flats at home, but he always goes for the pocket nappies anyway. At least he's changing some nappies, and he doesn't question my fixation with cloth nappies (anymore!) and actually discourages other parents from using disposables since I told him what they're made from etc. etc... Got to be happy with that.

[Bathsheba]

same goes for lots of things, Bathsheba! I wish my mum had kept the great red nappies I had as a baby, and the fantastic vintage pins... Someone wiser than me once said "I dont want more choices, I just want better things."

Never a truer thing said!!!! I ponder this daily! Bring on the Global Credit Crisis and rid the world of all it's greed and excess and sub-standard quality! It would do the us over consuming Westerners good to get back to basics... and embrace cloth nappies for a start! LOL At least a Depression would force us to be more frugal... and maybe even save the planet at the same time. Or maybe I'm just being overly romantic about it all

[Rivlas]

I wonder how many years women only had pins... 50? I think they're great. Shame they sell so many sub-standard ones these days though

It is a lot longer than 50 as I rang my Mum (she is in her late 70s) and she said she could remember her Mum having pins in the house. It would be interesting to know how long they have been in use.