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Thanks Bathsheba! That's a great pic. I just love the look of flat nappies....there's something innocent and unprocessed about them that is just really appealing. I can't wait to have them all fluttering on the line!
I own one (lonely!) old fashioned safety pin that must have come from my mother years ago. The idea of using them doesn't freak me out because I know it's what mum used on me and I turned out ok :lol:
Bath - what covers do you put over your terry flats? I have a few prefolds at the moment, for use as a newborn, but would love to use terry flats as bubs gets bigger. Really trying to save $$.
Also I got a pattern from spotlight for a cover (the shape of underpants). I notice that the trend is for the velcro T shaped covers. Just wondering what people's experience is with both types of covers.
Over the flats (both flannel and Terry) I use Snibs and a those fluffy covers... can't remember their name... BUT you have to use about 1 size larger than your baby... don't buy the smallest size. They actually get better as they get older... at first they are a bit tight. Ahhh wish I could remember their name... maybe "Fluffies". They are still available... essentially undie shaped covers made from very fluffy nylon. Sometimes during the day you can get away without using a Snib... but they are essential at night. I've also been known to use training pants as covers.
From my experience terry flats are better at night (more absorbant) and flannel ones better during the day (not as bulky, better for mobility).
Hi all,
I am very new to the whole nappy world - due in June and researching at the mo. Just from this thread i have learnt A LOT so thanks to you all. So aside from the whole which nappy, liner, cover etc to use I am actually equally as intrigued about the logisitcs of washing the darn things (the nappies that is!)
So, can you please impat your knowledge to me regarding your strategies to manage the poo - do you go for a liner (if so what type and why), do you put it straight into the machine poo and all, do you soak / drypail? What sort of wachine detergent do you use?
Is it any different for pre-folds, flats (terry or flannel).
I'm as concerned about water and detergent use as the impact of sposies in landfill, so need to know how you maximise your washing strategies to get the most done with as little water as possible.
Thanks
Lolly
There seems to be two thoughts on washing nappies.
When my girls were small I put the mess down the toilet, rinsed the nappy and then soaked it in a bucket with napisan
My daughter uses a method called dry pailing. You put the mess down the toilet them place nappy in a bucket with no water.
As for washing I washed everyday and put their clothes in with the nappies but with the other way I wouldn't put anything else in with them so you could wash every second day.
I used liners as it made cleaning the nappies easier. Not sure what is used now but you can make your own using microfibre cut into rectangles.
I would buy good quality covers made from PUL as these breathe. There are plenty of good covers out there.
The difference between flat & prefold is cost. I used flannel, daughter uses prefolds. There are some really funky ones around in many colours & patterns.
All the best as you go on your nappy adventure for your June bundle.
There seems to be two thoughts on washing nappies.
When my girls were small I put the mess down the toilet, rinsed the nappy and then soaked it in a bucket with napisan
My daughter uses a method called dry pailing. You put the mess down the toilet them place nappy in a bucket with no water.
As for washing I washed everyday and put their clothes in with the nappies but with the other way I wouldn't put anything else in with them so you could wash every second day.
I used liners as it made cleaning the nappies easier. Not sure what is used now but you can make your own using microfibre cut into rectangles.
I would buy good quality covers made from PUL as these breathe. There are plenty of good covers out there.
The difference between flat & prefold is cost. I used flannel, daughter uses prefolds. There are some really funky ones around in many colours & patterns.
All the best as you go on your nappy adventure for your June bundle.
lollybaby - there's a microfleece available at Spotlight (maybe closer to winter) called Little Additions. It's perfect for liners. It's thin, easy to cut and doesn't require hemming. Everything else tends to be a bit thick. Also, go for white if available. It makes it easier to see if bubs ever has any probs (dark wee etc). In the early days with runny NB breastfed poos, it's easiest to just drypail then chuck the whole lot in the wash, poo and all. You wont be in the mood for scraping or rinsing liners, believe me! Later, when things get a bit stinkier you can drop the poopiness in the loo and then drypail.
There are flushable liners available (try Bummis Biosoft or Tots Bots...) but you wont get much contained with them in the early stages.
As for detergents, I dont use any most of the time and I haven't had a problem yet. I use MCN as well as terry flats, and only had to recently do a strip-wash (using a tiny bit of dishwashing liquid) to get rid of the stinkiness from teething, and that was mainly for the microfibre inserts in the pocket nappies tho, not the terry flats. Depending on the fabric you're using (hemp, bamboo, cotton) there are different things you can use (vinegar, bicarb, etc) but most online sellers will provide washing instructions to maintain the life of your nappies. Sunlight is the best sanitiser and stain remover. If I am using a detergent I go for something with no optical brighteners or enzymes, such as Eco Store or Earth's Choice, and don't use much of it. It's safe to use in greywater systems, and there's not as much of a problem for sensitive skin.
HTH! Good luck with your pg!
Hi there,
I'm new here too and new to the world of cloth on bubba's bum. :-)
I've been using terry flats on my 11 month old DD over the last 2 weeks or so. It has come to the point where I am just finding it too stressful - she pees through them within an hour, and I am needing to change her at least hourly otherwise she get a bright red bum. :-( She is a mega pee-er and I never knew it before because she was always in sposies!
Anyway, I am wondering if anyone has any tips for making flats work for a little miss super soaker like DD?? Should I go for different material (I have noticed in a bamboo fitted nappy she can last around 2 hours and there's no rash)? Or is there a different fold? I am using a fold specifically for girls that provides 6 layers over the front area. Are there other folds people can recommend?
I'm thinking the terry towelling flats I have are not the best quality in terms of absorbency. I had been using them as chuck cloths and general towels for nappy free times etc., but then thought since I already have 24 of them, why not put them to use as nappies... well clearly that's not working!
Anyway, thanks in advance for any help... I think bed is in order for me now. :-)
Try the Fleecy Cotton flats from Big W. They're thinner than terry but more absorbent. And since they're thinner you can fold in a booster.
I think I know the fold you're using, you can keep using that same fold and easily add a booster. I use the newborn insert microfibre insert that came with my bum genius nappies, but you could use anything.
Also, I'm not sure from your post, but are you using a cover? You need a cover with flats.
Hi Shellshell
You could try adding a bamboo booster to help with absorbency. I make mine, easy if you have slight sewing skills or know someone who does. Or you can just buy them a see if that helps.
kate
Hi kuraiza and Kate07,
Thanks for your replies! Yes, I have some boosters and inserts from my BBH's that I can use - I have thought about it, but thought that would surely be too much bulk - but kuraiza, that sounds like a good idea to use something less bulky and more absorbent. :-)
Yes, I'm using a cover, thanks for checking... could be quite a mess without one! ;-)
i googled folding when preg and came across some good stuff , but i still use the newborn fold .
my single parent budget didnt strech far in to the mcn thing , so i used cotton in the first 6 months - terry was too bulky on my pudgy but little girl .
and have used towling since . - covers in the early days i used just plastic plitchers kmart @ under $2 a pair i hadnt discovered all the pretty ones then .
Now i have a few plitchers for around the house , and have the plastic backed ones from target with the pannel of velco across the middle .
i never found saftey pins i could work so i use snappi's too , how ever my 14 month old has worked them out and theres a lot of bare bumming happening in my house .
i have a couple of pretty pul ones i have brought off ebay , but i dont have much fancy stuff , i do buy the jonhson & johnson liners ( Chux type ) .
Nice to see theres flat nappie uses out there too :)
Questions about Prefolds
I have made a few prefolds for a mate who is pregnant. They used flats for their first child so are interested in prefolds when their new addition is little.
I haven't actually seen a prefold used on a baby. I have just heard about them here and then went exploring for how to make them. Can someone please post a pic of how you fold the bottom corners before it goes on baby? Or if you don't have a pic, just an explanation. I think i have it worked out (practising on a teddy) but want to make sure i am doing it right.
I have another mate who just had a baby and is interested in trying cloth, and so i thought i would make her a couple. I am using bamboo for the absorbent bit, but am getting low on bamboo. Do you think if there was a seam in the bamboo (two bits joined together to make the length) that was within the liner, it would annoy baby?
The bub has a blister they think is from the disposables, so i don't want to do anything to put them off cloth, but would like to get her the nappies asap and can't get more bamboo til the end of the week.
cheers,
Kate
Miss my flat nappy days... my 2.5yo DS is almost toilet trained now... and it's not feasible to put a flat on him that he can't take off (I used pins). And it's such a lovely nappy drying day today... would love to be out there hanging a load on my Hills hoist! Oh well.... keep up the good work girls!!! You're all saving an absolute fortune!!!!
I would also be interested in how to use the prefolds as the nappy rather than just as a booster...
So much to learn!
Have you asked in the nappy-making thread? Or maybe google the nappy lady (uk) for tips.
To use a prefold as a nappy rather than just as a booster, there's diagrams on the nappy lady wesite, but you can just tuck it into a well-fitting cover. Thirsties and Bummis have a little flap/pocket bit at the front for this purpose, and probably some others too. I just know those do because they're the covers I use.
If you click on my name, go to my 'homepage' which is photos, and then check out the 'Nappies' category, I have one of my world famous 'Instructograms' in there about folding a prefold. There are a million ways to do it though, my dh favours the twist, where basically you just twist the prefold once in the middle. You can make it up, whatever works - and a good cover makes pretty much anything work.
Kate, I replied to your thread, but I use the angel fold from the nappy lady. It is good and adjustable.
And the motherese riki cover is great for using with prefolds.
Thank you Nelle - that makes it a lot clearer... I had tried somethings when I bought them not really understanding them and I had thought maybe I had figured it out but alas I was still way off!
Thank you again for the 'Instructogram'
Thanks all
I checked out the Nappy lady and Nelle's instructogram. Very helpful. Never knew prefolds were so versatile! I have printed them out to give to my mate with the nappies. I have two small Baby Behind nappy covers for her to try out too.
Kate - can I suggest looking at gusseted covers? For NB poo explosions, nothing beats gusseted covers! The BBH ones tend to be pretty large, from my experience. Even the Sm didn't get used on my chubby DS until he was 3-4 months old. Have a look at Thristies, Bummis and Motherease for starters. A bad cover experience can really ruin your day! JMO :)
Thanks for the suggestion. Can you get Thirsties, Bummis or Motherease from shops? I looked them up on google but coudn't find reference to a Vic supplier.
Not sure, Kate. I tend to get everything online... Arimeh's Clothie Bumz (BB member - you get a discount!), Nurture Nappies, Darlings Downunder are a few reputable online stores, but there's heaps. I have seen Bummis covers at my local Environment Shop though, but they didn't have much of a range. If you have some time, you can shop around for the best deals and postage rates. Oooh, and you HAVE to check out Maz-a-licious fleece covers if you haven't already! Check the BB marketplace members or wahmnaps dot com dot au . You'll also find her in the cloth nappy general discussion thread and she has a clickable link in her sig. Same for Arimeh. Oh gee, now you're going to get hooked... :)
Lol I will second that... I have already started my Maz collection - I have nine so far
and love watching all the new things get added to Armieh's site
Please help....I've been using the 'night kite' (I think thats what its called-the fold with the pad in the middle) and now it seems to be to small to fit around DS properly. What other folds can I use? I have a super wee-er so he needs to have the extra 'bit' in the middle. Any suggestions??
hippiemummy - Pop in a bamboo, hemp or microfibre booster?? Fold it into the nappy especially if it's microfibre, or put it between the nappy and cover or nappy and liner for natural fabrics. Um, have you checked the nappy lady for some other folds? I use the gaynor fold for my DS, even tho it's probably better suited to girls, but it's easier to adjust the fit around the waist without lots of bulk around the legs. HTH! :)
Does anyone else do this?
Take a flat nappy and fold it in half, then turn and fold in quarters. The resulting rectangle fits neatly inside a motherease or tots bots PUL cover, with 8 layers of absorbency.
I use the fleecy cotton flats from Big W which are thinner than terry, so 8 layers isn't too bulky. I can also easily place an extra booster inside the rectangle at night. It's SOOO easy but it wasn't as effective back when Jude did huge wet newborn poos (they leaked and stained the cover, but didn't leak all over the place).
kuraiza - I sometimes also use the pad fold, which gives 12 layers at the front where it's needed most! Fold a nappy in half into a rectangle, then fold over the end so it's as long as you need it, then fold lengthways into thirds. The thicker part goes at the front, and if bubs is skinny enough you can fan out the back and snappi it.
Hi all.
I just bought DS some terry flats. Waiting on some MCN's so going to use both.
Tell me, what do you wash your terry's in?
WOW... i joined the cloth thread and so confusing... Just using terry flats here and snappy's. Still looking into the MCN's.... so confusing.
bjrose - just wash your flats with a small amount of detergent, preferably something without enzyme or optical brighteners. They can deteriorate the fabric. More important for MCNs, but good for flats too. Do you dry-pail? Because there's no need to soak or have poo soup in your laundry! Washing machines these days are far more efficient than in the past, and there's no need for soaking and sanitising solutions that will more than likely cause more skin sensitivities for bubs. Just give your nappies a good flick before and after hanging out to dry, and sunlight is a great stain remover and sanitiser.
Jess - what you want to know, hun? I can maybe make some recommendations, or ask the right people IYKWIM?
YAY how come i never noticed this site before!!!
Im a terry flat user! i love them - i love how cute B looks in them, i love seeing my clothes line full of them, i love how simple they are (compared to mcn's).
I use them however with BBH covers and i use snappi's instead of pins (had to make it easier for DH)
yep, snappis are the only way to go here too! DS is too dangerous on the change table without sharp things anywhere within 100 miles!! Most times I don't even use one, tho. Just stick the nappy in a cover like a prefold. I use the Bummis or Thirsties covers because they have the leg gussets and a little pocket/flap at the front for prefolds.
And there is nothing nicer than a clothesline full of happy rainbow-coloured nappies blowing in the breeze!
NaNa- Thanks for the offer tohelp. I guess i never realised there was so many different choices and variety of things. Gosh so much to learn. Hopefully i can be all quized up before next bubs. I have used terry flats both kids just with cover i had brought from Big W. Loving all the covers and things. Would like to get some MCN's to make things easier. Dd is getting inpatient and the more she moves the worse it is. so something easy. I say that and i get lots of advice on what others like but i wish it was easier TOO many choices...
Looking at the AI2's?? arrrggghh what to do... oh well if i dont get it this time it'll be a goal with the next.
Good to see so many flats users around! We use a combo of flats and MCN, with sposies for overnight (never found a night nappy that lasts the distance here). I was actually thinking a couple of hours ago how easy and trouble free flats are. The tt ones just aren't absorbent enough for me to use all the time! And I do love using pockets and AI2s for going out, makes things a bit easier. But flats really are ace! BTW, we use snappis and Motherease covers mostly, sometimes fleece covers.
Jess, I'm with you. MCN's are confusing!
I have ordered 3. I'm sorta working it out. Well I know that AIO's are just that, you don't need to add anything extra.
I'm using snappi's. Don't trust myself with pins! I did use pins when DD1 was born as they had terry's for us to use in hossy, but with DD2 I made sure I got a snappi!
I bought some training undies from Big W for over the terry's as well as a cover/pilcher thing (not plastic!). Keeping my eye out for more. I also got a cheap fitted from Big W.
I'm dry pailing. Mel said that was the best way to do it. & I'm using a small amount of washing powder. Keeping an eye on him though, coz he's sensitive to soap. If it bothers him I'll try buying a sensitive one just for nappies I guess.
He actually likes them! I pull one out & put it on the floor & he comes & waits for me to put him down, lol. He never did that with sposies. We actually went to Coffs for the whole day today & I didn't use a single sposie!! I'm proud! (For someone who only used cloth the first few days in hossy!)
I'm going over night for the first time tonight. I thing I'll do the basic triangle fold, with another nappy folded like a booster in it I think. Then the training undies coz they are lined & I haven't had a single leak from them yet. (Mind you I only really started yesterday! Lol!)
What do you guys do over night?
I am doing TF during the day I only really knew the Kite fold... LOL. Just looked at others yesterday I was doubling up for nights or folding a booster with a 2nd nappy but too many leaks. Was reading bout the wool soakers??? (wish there was a smily face thingy for looking dumb) :dunno: I'm been asking round whatthe best MCN is for nights cos i'd like to use them (wil be definatly going all cloth next bubs for sure)
LLooking at the itty bitties i think they are. U can buy a trial back with 1 AIO and 1 AI2 for $49.95. they have few nice colours. Also Mel (arimeh) just gave me some great info. Hopefully she wil have more AI2 stock soon.
I use the cuty flece/wooly cover thingys from Big w. They have the plastic round the leg part to stop leakages. Never had any issues. The Mazalicious cover are great. At 1st i was using them over the topov another cover cos they were to pretty to get "ruined" by pee... LOL... Now i use them as the cover... hahaha
Well we went good over night.
Triangle fold with another one folded inside as booster, then the training undies. No leakage. He had an intersting time trying to walk around last nigh though, lol. The nappy inside kept his legs apart, but he still slept well!
I love the way they look! I'm using the fold thats a triangle with extra padding in the middle? You fold into quaters, then pull one corner back to make a triangle on that side. Then turn over & fold the square bit left into 3. Maybe that one would help you over night Jess?
I think I'll wait for my boosters/inserts & use them before I do the kite fold.
check out some of the earlier posts in this thread for info on covers and folds. Nelle (moderator) has posted some great info, and if you click her name you'll find links to instructograms!
night nappies, here we use a specialised MCN night nappy with a pair of woolen longies or a fleece cover. DS can out-wee 18 layers of super-absorbent bamboo, so a terry flat just isn't going to do the trick!! If your bub isn't a heavy wetter, you could try folding a microfibre, hamp or bamboo booster into the nappy for night time. Microfibre cloths can sometimes be found in the auto section of discount stores, Kmart etc, and it's quite possible that will work just as well as an expensive store-bought booster. Hemp or bamboo is more absorbent and naturally antibacterial, though. Most online MCN stores sell various boosters separately.
The plastic pants and pilchers you get from Kmart, Big W, whatever, are just that - plastic! Not good for bub's bot. They don't "breathe". PVC is actually banned in children's products in some countries. Look for PUL covers, and good quality fleece like Malden Mills Windpro. And for woollens, check out Possum Pouches for hand-knitted soakers and shorties. They also have affordable night nappies and MCN that are AIOs. Fleece can be machine washed between uses (if using overnight) or aired and rotated between a few covers for daytime. Wool needs to be lanolised and handwashed maybe once a month, and just aired in between wears, unless it gets soiled. If you knit, or have a rellie that does, maybe ask them to make a soaker or a pair of longies. Patterns shouldn't be too hard to come by online. Just make sure it's 100% wool, and lanolise before using. HTH!
The only way i know how to fold is the kite fold or that good old triangle one!
However the only thing driving me nuts about the TT Flats is that they get a bit out of shape and then are hard to fold! does anyone else have this prob?