How to fold a cloth nappy

[onelasttime]

Hi all. I'm currenlty using disposable nappies for my one month old boy & I am wanting to start using cloth nappies (to save some money) but I have no idea how to fold them. I have tried a couple of times but they seem so huge (they just fall off) & they leak.

Would like some ideas on how to fold cloth nappies & other suggestions on cloth nappies would be a great help.

Thanks!!

[madvoice]

http://www.natureschild.com.au/flex/nappies/19/1

This site should be helpful.

[Mor]

and this
http://www.thenappylady.co.uk/Advice/Instructions.asp?InstructionID=2
is a fantastic source of information and lots of nappy folds to try. I haven't tried it, but many cloth users rave about the jo fold.

have fun - it's a bit of an art form! You will be doing it with your eyes closed soon!

[MonMic]

Hi,

I use the Origami fold as it has most of the nappy folded in the crotch area, with a plastic lined pilcher (make sure they have leg guards).

Its too hard to explain how to do it here but www.sydneynappywash.com.au has a page of folds.

Do you have or know anyoone that has 'Baby love' by Robin Barker? This book also has a page of different nappy folds in it.

What are you using to hold them? I find the snappy fasteners as the best as you can get a really snug fit.

Make sure you also get some zinc and castor oil cream as a barrier cream or similar. It is reccommended to use with each change (actually they say this for cloth or plastic).

I also use a nappy liner, that way you can remove the poo's easier and it make the nappies easier to wash. The Johnson and Johnson one's are the best. K-mart is the cheapest place to get them.

It can be a bit of a pain but I also fold all the nappies in advance rather than at eash nappy change as it saves time and is less awkward when you have a baby squirming around!

hope some of this helps
M.

[LucyE]

I second The Nappy Lady site for folds. My favourite fold would be the Jo fold because it has the layers where it's needed most, only two layers of fabric at the back (so bub doesn't end up with his/her bottom halfway in the air) and it is excellent at containing explosive poos. You can adjust it to fit a newborn to a toddler by changing the size of the orginal square (difficult to explain, but once you fold it you'll see). As you are putting it on, remember to 'roll' in the excess fabric around the thighs and it will help to create a gusset effect.

Regarding covers/pilchers, I would steer clear of any that you can buy in supermarkets (Coles, Kmart, Target etc) because they are mostly made of non breatheable pvc. It will create a greenhouse warming effect in the nappy which is not very nice for bub. The best covers are most easily accessed online. The main choices are PUL (a cotton or polyester polyurethane laminate), fleece or wool. All are breatheable with wool being the most breatheable. My favourite PUL cover over flat terries would be a Motherease Airflow. I've never tried fleece so can't comment on them. Wool is wonderful and I find it doesn't take much work to look after. You don't need to wash them after each use (maybe once every 4 wks or so) but you do need to lanolise them after washing. If you can knit, there are heaps of patterns online so you can save yourself money by making your own. You will need approx 4-6 covers per size.

I disagree in the regular use of barrier creams. They prevent the skin from breathing and doing it's natural thing. Even if bub does get a rash (so long as it's not fungal), there are plenty of other ways to clear it than using barrier creams. I have never used a barrier cream on DS (who is 18mths old) and the only times he has been red (not even a proper rash) is either in disposables, using disposable wipes or horrid teething poos.

If you are planning on switching to cloth, have you considered using cloth wipes too? I have approx 1 dozen cheap face washers (in a separate colour to our normal ones lol) and find they are the best as wipes. They costs $1 each and I'm sure they will last for any subsequent children we have. These days, I just wet them under the tap as needed but in the early days (when I was still starry eyed :p ) I would make up a chammomile tea solution - 1 cup chammomile tea, approx 1 teaspoon sweet almond oil (or any other cold pressed oil like olive or sunflower etc), and 1 drop lavander essential oil. I would soak a couple of wipes in an old ice cream container, ready to use at each change. I now only do this if DS is teething and has really acid poos (sorry TMI). Some people find a dusting (not in the literal sense) of cornflour is good for redness too.

As far as liners go, I recommend using micro or polar fleece liners. You can buy it at Lincraft or Spotlight and cut it to size (no hemming needed). It creates a stay dry feeling because it is non absorbant. It also makes poo disposale really easy because (once they get a bit solid) the poo just flicks off into the toilet. Speaking of which, have you seen the Little Squirts? It's a high pressure hose that attaches to the toilet and makes cleaning nappies a piece of cake. If you do want to use paper liners, I would go for the Eenees brand because it is flushable.

I hope I haven't overloaded you with info. If you want links or further clarification, just ask :)

[Mumoffour]

i agree with the above post. i bought my polar fleece pilchers from kmart and then got a whole heap of new ones off ebay (bargain!). For our toddler we use fluffies brand which is all cloth and also avail from kmart/ target. I dont agree with regular use of barrier cream as it does reduce the skins ability to breath and also adds to the cost of nappy changes. I bought a jar of calendula cream from the health food shop and put it on at the first sign of redness and most of the time it works by the next nappy change.
With my newborn i am using cloth liners because she tends to do explosive poos :eek: and with the toddler i use johnsons liners- the ones that just get wet can be put in the nappy bucket and washed- they cope quite well with a double use and then go to pieces.
I dont agree with using plastic pants from the supermarket/ chain stores- who would want their bum wrapped in a steamy wee sauna :confused: ( we live in QLD).i also have got a lot more wear out of the cloth pilchers than i remember my mum getting out of the plastic pants for my bro.
I have a little squirt for the toilet and its a godsend. We use cotton wool squares and plain water to clean bubs bum and pop toddler in the shower to clean him up.most of his poos end up in the nappy which is rinsed off in the loo and his bum gets a rinse.
no rashes on either of my little people's bums so it must work for us :)