Flat nappy discussion

Sorry Diva I couldn't remember where this was posted :redface: Thought it must have been in the nappy making part!

The only bamboo terry I have been able to find elsewhere is at fairy fabrics but it is the baby terry. I've seen this stuff. It will work but it's got a fine pile and not thick like a towel. I know Maz has made prefolds from it.

The bamboo from snapsaustralia is really good and is the stuff that I've co-opped before. You could make flats or prefolds with an extra layer down the middle easily.

Sammy there is not much you can do about it unfortunatley :rolleyes: Even at almost 2, if I put Caleb in a sposie his pants fall down and he gets around like a gansta rapper.
The trimmer MCN are less bulky than the flats if you are interested in going down that route (I'm guessing not ;) ) As she gets bigger you may find you can put her back into previously grown out of stuff though as long as it's not the length she has grown out of!

Hey Kuraiza!
I use a snappi with flannel flats, and although it doesn't grab as easily as terry, it still works. But I'm just not good with pins and sharp things down there... You can get flannel and terry flats from KMart and Target for fairly cheap, but it may take some hunting around in the baby section. It's usually a mess, and where they keep the flat nappies is somewhat neglected IYKWIM... Also, most online nappy stores have flats. At KMart I got a pack of 6 for around $10, but the fluff! My goodness, it took weeks to get rid of all the excess fluff! (They were Fluffies brand!) I was flicking a snowstorm off my balcony with every wash... But they work great, and I use them with Thirsties or Bummis covers. The gusseted legs on the Thirsties covers work great to contain those newborn explosive poos. Can't beat flats for drying time, and considering how often you need to change a newborn, it's vital. I got 24, but I'm in Melbourne with a winter baby, and they're great for chuck cloths anyway.
Eenee snibs can be bought from the eenee website, and some IRL stores. I got one but never really used it. Once was enough, and I hated it. But that's me. It's a small breathable PUL cover for newborns, to be used over a flanny flat or with an Eenee biodegradable/flushable pad. It ties up at the front, which I found awkward. I thought I had put it on wrong at first, but it's just the wrong shape for my baby's bum! Moved onto extra-small size Thirsties covers and they still just fit and bubs is 6kg now. Just started with the small size now, which will last a lot longer I think.
Most online nappy stores also do 4-packs of PUL covers, which are worthwhile. It's a good number to have, and you wont need wool covers for a while, as marcellus said. The other eenees products seem great in theory, but I'm not a huge fan...
Hope that helps!
You're not the only one... but just try and stay away once you get hooked on MCN!

SammyRo,
I used cloth when my girls were small and had the same problem when I put them in a sposie. I found putting a cover over the sposie made the area a bit more bulky. Have also found that Pumpkin Patch pants don't fit that well over cloth nappies

SammyRo,
I used cloth when my girls were small and had the same problem when I put them in a sposie. I found putting a cover over the sposie made the area a bit more bulky. Have also found that Pumpkin Patch pants don't fit that well over cloth nappies

Hi all,

DS is almost 14 months and after 6 months of disposables, and not having a clothes dryer, I have decided it's time to go back to cloth. ;)

So I have a few questions and sorry if they have been asked before.

Firstly, what would be the best fold to use on my boy? And directions if possible please!
Also, what sort of boosters, inserts would be best?
Lastly, I have just ordered some Babybeehinds covers? Are these good? Any other reccomendations would be appreciated!

Thanks.

Google the nappy lady (dot co dot uk I think) for nappy folds - you'll find something there suitable for your son. With diagrams!
Are the boosters and inserts for flats? Or are you thinking of getting some pockets? Bamboo and hemp are the most absorbent fabrics, but take longer to dry than microfibre.
Baby Beehinds covers are great, some others are Bummis, Imse Vimse, Thirsties, Tots Bots... really, there are heaps and you might want to check out the wahmnaps site for Mazalicious. There's also some great online stores with really helpful info like nurturenappies (dot com dot au) and darlingsdownunder (great products too!), and also there's a sticky in the forum by Nelle which will answer pretty much everything! Welcome back to cloth!

Do a google search for "the nappy lady". This is a UK web site but it's a great resource for nappy folds with pictures (because it's hard to describe origami in words).

The site is a little hard to navigate. Go to the Advice section and look down the list for the link where it says "If you're looking for information on how to use specific nappies, including terry folds information, go to this page"

NaNa - I am glad to be back ;) Love the look of a cloth bummed baby, not to mention all the other bonuses! Thanks for all that info. Using flats but may look into getting some prefolds, maybe the kissaluv??

kuraiza - thanks for the instructions regarding the site!

olimoo - oooh, go to nurturenappies and tell 'em I sent ya! but don't blame me if you find yourself hopelessly obsessing over minky, squishy cute things or blowing your grocery money on the most gorgeous fluffy things for your boy's bum!
I'm just folding flats like a prefold for my bubs, but he's still only little. I luv my rainbow terry flats, and it's a strangely satisfying thing to have them all hanging on the line in the sun! Most of the time he's in a Bum Genius pocket, though.

kuraiza - you're right, that site is a bit tricky. We must've posted at the same time. Great minds think alike, but I've got mush-brain from no sleep, so I wont include myself in that statement!

No I wouldn't be included in that statement, either.

I'm trying to get my hands on the Big Softies Nursery Poster that supposedly has 8 handy nappy folds, but I'm not sure where to get it. I thought it would be good for DH to have a good visual tool. Has anyone seen it?

olimoo,
if you need help with covers, what sort etc, pop into the cloth nappie forum section. They are a wealth of info.
kuraiza,
If you have a pack of Big Softies get the phone number or email address of the pack and contact them direct. If not, next time you are shopping write the info down and then contact them.

It was a bit weird, there wasn't any information on the pack that I bought, but that's where I read about the poster. I searched online and found a contact email on the website, so I contacted them and they said they'll pop it in the post today. Hope it's got some nice pictures for the hubby and I.

Girls,

I am so glad I found this thread.. It is nice to know that others out there use the old fashioned style... I am guilty of using disposables, but when I am home, I can't justify the money for each one in my own mind.. The details on the nappy lady for folding was so helpful.. (I really need to get a life for a sat night, and not get excited about folding nappies :cryinglaugh:). Maybe next weekend when DH isn't working :pray:

Now I just have to work on covers..

Hi all! I'm slowy getting my head around all this 'nappy stuff'! :redface:

I wanted to know what covers everyone uses with flats?? I've got some PUL covers for during the day, but not sure whether to go fleece or wool for night. What do you think?

Any advice would be great!

Just joining this group... I'm starting to use my cloth flats again now that the weather is warming up and making them easier to line dry (I don't tumble dry them, defeats the purpose in cost saving).

I use old fashioned pins, re-usable nylon (triangular) liners and either snibs as a cover or fleecy covers.

Oh I use both terry and flannel flats.

I use a mix of terry flats and MCN pockets/AIOs because sometimes I can't decide between old-school and new-school! Sometimes I use a mix of the two - a colour terry flat with a black Berryplush cover, just for fun... when bubs is a bit older I'll give wool and fleece a go for night time. Still not sleeping thru (argh!).
Hippiemummy - in the early weeks, IMO stick to PUL covers and/or snibs with flanny flats or prefolds. Wool needs to be handwashed, and when you're changing bubs every couple of hours it really isn't worth it! Wait till a bit later, when bubs is sleeping longer between changes. My advice is look for gusseted legs on the PUL covers - they're great for NB poo containment! (TMI? :) you'll see soon enough ;) ) Some of the covers might seem expensive at first, but the better ones are well worth it when it means you don't have to be wasting time and energy washing baby, clothes, bedding, everything because of leaky covers.

NaNa-Thanks for that info! I have some Tots Bots PUL covers, so I will use them, I just thought that you couldn't use them overnight, but your right I'll be changing him so often at the start it won't matter! Thanks for you help!! :D

I love my terry flats! :D I use them with a bamboo or hemp booster, a snappi and a PUL cover. I use MCN's as well but mostly for day naps and going out.

I had a snappi clip thing but I never got the hang of it... it just never worked... just fell off. They don't work at all on flannel flats... but people I know have had success using them with terrys. Nah, to me they just seem a bit too "new fangled" LOL Give me the security of a good old fashion pin any day. Tip: to make sliding the pin easier through all that cloth try sliding it through your hair, close to your scalp, beforehand. It's an old wives trick that I think is based on adding a bit of the hair's natural oil to the pin. Works for me and I don't have particularly oily hair either.

I believe you have to stretch the snappis before you use them. The directions say to stretch them gently until they can extend to twice their length. They go a bit floppy after that. But I haven't used them yet, soon soon.

yeah, I remember the instruction said to stretch them.... maybe I didn't stretch it enough? It didn't say twice the length... but this was back in 1995... maybe they have improved since then? BTW I'm still using the same batch of 20 nylon liners as I did back then!!! 3 babies later!!! talk about re-usable!!! HERES a photo of one in my gallery.

I tried using pins for a while, because I didn't think the snappi would work on flannel, but a dad told me a horror story about piercing something he shouldn't have... and seeing as my DP's a tad clumsy, I tried the snappi immediately anyway, for the sake of my little DS! Turns out it worked, sort of! Well enough for the short time I used flannel before moving on to terry flats. I have been using the same snappi for a couple of months now, and no problems at all! It does help to stretch it a bit first. DP still managed to hurt himself with it, and they're no fun if you stand on one with bare feet! But the pins are still handy if I need them. Apparently, another trick to get the pins to slide thru fabric easier is to stick them into a bar of soap. Same deal with the oils or something.
Bathsheba - where'd you get them liners?? They sound great!
kuraiza - not long now!!
mis_tree - Seth's going to have the cutest bubble-butt!

My nylon liners: My mother gave them to me. She works in a hospital and I think she either nicked them :redface: or bought the same kind of thing herself. It's what they used where she worked anyhow. I have heard that Big W stocks them but have never seen them anywhere myself. They are the best! The best non-slip liner I have ever used and keeps baby's butt nice and dry.

Wow. I am having trouble finding reusable liners. Ones I have found seem a bit pricey to me. I went to Spotlight but I was overwhelmed (never been there before) and I found microfleece but no plain old white or cream colour.

Maybe I'll go back and just get something with teddy bears on it and cut it up for liners. I just didn't know how Spotlight works. Do you take the big roll of material off the shelf and carry it to the checkout, or do you ask for assistance? Obviously I'm not carrying a big heavy roll around the store, but not being a sewer I don't know what to do in a store like that. :redface:

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Wow. I am having trouble finding reusable liners. Ones I have found seem a bit pricey to me. I went to Spotlight but I was overwhelmed (never been there before) and I found microfleece but no plain old white or cream colour.

Maybe I'll go back and just get something with teddy bears on it and cut it up for liners. I just didn't know how Spotlight works. Do you take the big roll of material off the shelf and carry it to the checkout, or do you ask for assistance? Obviously I'm not carrying a big heavy roll around the store, but not being a sewer I don't know what to do in a store like that. :redface:

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Yeah you normally just take the roll to the counter, but I'm sure if you asked, they would carry it for you. I still have to get to Spotlight to get some mircofleece. Do you think they have it all year round or is it a 'winter' thing??

Pins: in all my 14 years of changing nappies I have never stabbed my children with a nappy pin. It's easy to first make sure that you don't go ALL the way through every layer of fabric... you kinda slip your fingers in so that there is one layer protecting he baby's skin. I have slightly pr!cked myself... but never drawn blood. I think the stabbing concern is more worrying due to it's graphic quality... you don't stab it directly at the baby's skin anyhow... you slide it from the side... you just don't angle it perpendicular enough to stab the baby... dunno LOL well that's been my experience anyhow :dunno: Pins are great. But avoid the ones with plastic sheaths.... go for the ones with metal sheaths like the old fashioned ones... better quality. I have a nice classic pastel set... pale pink, pale blue and white painted metal caps (sheaths) that cover the pin's end.

I only used pins with a safety head when my girls were babies as thats all there was. The pin in the soap and through the hair really works. I used reusable liners, they were made out of a type of material gauze (If that makes sense) and cut into a triangle. Must see if I still have it or given it to my DD to try on her kids. We also had another sort that were made out of a material similar to chux wipes which worked really well and we washed them until they fell apart, but they worked and were really good for dirty nappies. I agree with Bathsheba re the pins, they last forever, I still have some!!!

My dad said to me that I should get a pack of chux wipes and cut them up for liners... And he went on to say that the liners they used to use looked just like them! I just use microfleece...

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.

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

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? :o

Looking forward to getting to know you all :).

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.

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.

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

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?

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!!

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!!

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.

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.

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!