Nappyneedz

When it comes to choosing cloth nappies, not only do you have to choose between the many different styles out there, but you also need to decide if you want sized cloth nappies or one size fits most cloth nappies. Ecobots are a sized cloth nappy system, and here we’ll explain why sized cloth nappies are so good. Sized cloth nappies last One of the great things about sized cloth nappies is that you can be sure that they will last for all your children and probably beyond.  Choosing a one size fits most cloth nappy, also known as OSFM seems like a great idea.  If you only need to buy the one size then it will cost you less, right? Well, possibly not.  You see the problem is that your OSFM nappies are going to be on your little persons bottom for a lot longer, they probably won’t grow out of them while your little one is in nappies, so by the time you get to baby two or three they can get really worn and have saggy elastics.  Buying sized nappies might seem like a bigger out lay in the be

Something that most parents struggle with at one time or another, is trying to change a wriggly baby’s nappy.  Many baby’s go through the unable to keep still at change time stage, but what’s the best way to deal with this? Is there a certain type of nappy that makes change times that little bit easier? What can you do to make it all less stressful. The problem with changing a wriggly baby’s nappy I think most of us have, at one time or another, dealt with the frustrations of trying to change a baby that just will not keep still.  I certainly remember struggling with my older children to stop them putting their feet in a poo filled nappy, or twisting and turning so much that I couldn’t get the nappy fastened around them, and even sometimes chasing a semi naked crawling baby around the room, trying to get a new nappy on before there was an accident all over the living room carpet….. Trying to change a baby that moves all the time and fights your efforts is not fun, and at worse can be r

Baby brain strikes again; now, where did I put that whatsit?  It’s a sad fact, but even two years after having my last baby, I still seem to be suffering from major ‘baby brain’ and I suspect that by the time I’m finally over it, I’ll have just progressed into a senior moment.  I might have always been like this….. of course I can’t remember. What was I doing? I’m sure parents every where know that all to common feeling of forgetfulness that seems to come after having babies.  I’m not sure if it’s caused by hormones, lack of sleep, the pressure of caring for a newborn or a combination of all of the above, but there’s certainly a level of absent mindedness that descends after you conceive your first child.  Baby brain, or nappy brain as it’s sometimes known, seems to have the power to turn the most of sorted, capable and together woman, into an absent minded day dream. Baby brain strikes again Sometimes it’s the little things that seem to come off worst, most evenings my husband and I h

Many nappies claim to have double gussets, or say that a nappy with double gussets will help to contain everything better.  But what exactly are double gussets? What are the different types of double gusset? How will having double gussets help your cloth nappies? Double gussets Generally when cloth nappies or covers say that they have ‘double gussets’ what they actually mean is that they have a double layer of elastic at the leg of the nappy. This can take a number of different forms, and is sometimes also called a different name.  You will also come across cloth nappies that claim to have ‘leak guards’ or have a single gusset. These are generally elastics on the legs that have been cased, while other cloth nappies leave the elastics uncased.    Internal gussets One type of double gusset nappy is sometimes also described as internal gussets.  These are an extra layer of elastic within the lining of the nappy.  This layer of elastic does not provide a waterproof barrier, as it is genera

Newborn cloth nappies can be a confusing and bewildering thing, many people are put off because the idea of using washable nappies on a newborn baby seems to be too hard, too much work and too complicated.  It really needn’t be that way though, using newborn cloth nappies can be easy, straight forward, and a great thing to do. Why newborn cloth nappies? Washable nappies are often something that is not attempted until a baby is past that early newborn stage.  People are put off the idea of dealing with a newborn and heaps of extra washing, or by stories of leaks and other problems that occur.  There is of course, nothing wrong with waiting until you have settled into life with your new baby before taking the plunge into washable nappies, but if you want to give them a go from the beginning, then there’s no reason why you can’t.  Things to remember; washable nappies and newborns Newborn babies need changing a LOT. As they have immature bowels, they seem to be able to poo every few second

Wanting to make reusable nappy liners, but don’t know where to start?  Not even sure why you’d want to use reusable nappy liners? Then read on. Why use washable nappy liners? Many cloth nappies, such as our dinky pocket nappies, have a built in liner, but having a separate liner can be quite a good idea.  Disposable liners are great, as you can remove any solid waste and then throw them away, but reusable nappy liners are also a good option.  Usually made from a polyester fabric which allows liquid to pass through easily but acts as a stay dry layer against your little ones skin.  It also makes dealing with solids easier, as in many cases you can simply stretch the liner over the toilet and any solids should drop off fairly easily. How to make reusable nappy liners You can buy reusable liners from a number of places, but it’s very simple to make them yourself.  All that you need is a suitable polyester fabric that will allow liquid to wick away. I would recommend using something like s

When it comes to the questions of whether to soak cloth nappies, or not to soak cloth nappies, there seems to be lots of conflicting advice. So, what should you do? Do you need to soak cloth nappies? Will it hurt them if you do (or don’t) soak them.  What are the advantages and disadvantages of soaking your cloth nappies? Why soak cloth nappies Back in the days when I was a child, and most babies wore traditional flat nappies, people generally soaked their nappies after use and before washing in a nappy sanitiser.  It helped to sanitise them, make sure that they were properly clean and help with the washing process.  With the advent of modern cloth nappies however, the practice of soaking cloth nappies has dropped out of fashion and many people dry pail their nappies instead.  This means that they just place them into the nappy bucket without any soaking solution, and then wash them in the machine.  Different methods are used to sanitise the nappies, and make sure that they are properl