Real Nappy Week: Still Toddling Along In Cloth

An article by Claire    Comments Off

It’s Real Nappy Week 15^th - 21^st April, a chance to discover the best aspects of using cloth nappies. As you know, we’re huge fans of cloth nappies here at BrightonMums.com (bordering on addiction at one point but both in rehab now). As our little ones have grown older, we continue to use them but not without challenges. However, the benefits far outweigh those challenges which are totally manageable.

When you buy your first crop of washable nappies, the honest intention is to use from birth to potty. That’s potentially 3+ years of using nappies, so as baby develops into a little person, it’s important to find a nappy from birth which adapts to your child’s changing body.

Usually the two major challenges that impact any kind of toddler nappy wearing are mobility and change in diet. From the moment they start shuffling, rolling or crawling, most types of nappy will be put to the test. No matter how secure you think you’ve parcelled up their bottoms, the little wrigglers somehow manage to defeat the nappy leading to episodes of fantastical leakage. This is almost unavoidable on babies and toddlers who are not potty trained.

The introduction of solids to the diet can impact the change in urination frequency and bowel movements considerably. And as food is introduced in stages, parents can be kept on their toes trying to get used to their child’s toilet routine. For both my kids, I noticed at around 12 months, there were longer gaps between weeing, meaning heavier nappies, less frequently. Same for bowel movements, often only 1 or 2 well filled nappies a day.

So what does this mean if you’re using real nappies? We’ve been using *various brands since birth but only Baba & Boo and gNappies appear to have stood the test of time. Manufacturers do provide good guidance but only you can figure out how to use these tips and fit nappies best to your baby or toddler.

Velcro fastening nappies obviously enable you to adjust precisely around your baby’s waist but unfortunately the velcro can get less efficient over time. Some manufacturers sell replacement velcro fittings, which is helpful. Poppers are adequate, curiously enough, at 19 months, the more flexible and loose the fastening the more effective the nappy seems to be.

I quickly realised (the hard way) that we need 3 inserts (or layers) at certain times of the day for pocket nappies. We continue to use ‘stay dry’ liners, as they are the most comfortable for baby but of course don’t replace the need for prompt changes after soiling!

I will admit, we don’t use washables at night. Both my husband and I work full-time hours, so it’s just one thing I don’t want on the list when I wake up in the morning, ‘wash sheets, strip bed, bath baby’. That doesn’t mean we don’t have accidents with disposables, perhaps it’s just psychological!

Other than those tweaks to our routine along the way, the cloth nappies are going strong. They’ve lasted a multitude of washes and the colours still look vibrant. Above all, Boo still loves them and is old enough to make animal noises to match the print we choose!

Happy Real Nappy Week!

* aside from the brands mentioned here, we have tested Tot Bots, Close Parent, Bumgenius, Itti Bitti Tutto, Flip

Claire Jones-Hughes