If you are a new mom, you must be constantly debating in your head on whether to use diaper or cloth nappies while at home. It’s normal. I mean, considering the huge cost, the side effects of non-biodegradability, fear of running out of stock at odd hours and a chance of occurrence of rash makes cloth diapering a more viable option. Fact remains that on the other side are factors like ease of use and peace of mind!
The good news is that with so many different types of diapering techniques available today, you may be able to strike a good balance and use cloth diaper efficiently while at home or for short walks in the park etc.
Yes, you read it right. There are many ways with cloth diapering that work well.
10 WAYS WITH CLOTH DIAPERING
1. The Square Cloth nappy is my favorite nappy as its simple to wash and quick to dry. The diagram below is self-explanatory. Take a really large muslin or cotton cloth so that you have enough left overs at all ends to tie together on the baby’s waist.
Age suited: 3-8 months. Once the baby starts to sit or crawl, the knots come off and this nappy becomes ineffective.
2. The next best thing to disposable diapers are the Pocket cloth diapers. These have a pocket where you can place the reusable or disposable inserts, pl refer to #3-5 for information on inserts. The good thing about these diapers are that they come in various interesting prints and shapes so they look quite presentable on their own, perfect for park times or strolls or when guests come visiting.
Age suited: 6-12 months.
3. Cloth nappy inserts are absorbent materials made of breathable soft muslin or cotton fabric. The single piece ones can be placed as-is in the pocket of the nappy to absorb and hold the discharge. Once soiled you need to replace just the insert with a fresh one and put the soiled one for wash.
Age suited: 3-4 months.
4. As the baby grows, the amount of discharge will increase. So you can use a flat prefold insert to make your own thick insert. A flat prefold insert is made up of a 3-9 layers of cotton fabric. It can be folded in many different ways to fit onto your baby. You can use one of the methods as listed in the diagram below.
Age suited: 5-12 months.
5. High absorbent Microfiber inserts are ideal for night usage as they have a wet-free fabric on the skin facing outer layer. This ensures that the baby remains dry during long usage hours. Like any other diaper, this too should not be used for more than 6 hours at stretch.
Suited: Mainly for nap and sleep times.
6. Waterproof swim diaper, yes you heard it right. The baby must wear a diaper when in the pool or at the beach. That’s the right etiquette. So use any kind of cloth diaper that you prefer but do secure it with a waterproof swim diaper.
Age suited: 3-24 months.
7. The good old Triangle nappies remain grandma’s favorites. My mother for that matter handsewed a good half dozen for our first born. We obviously underestimated the number of nappies she was going to need and quickly moved on to store bought ones.
Age suited: Newborns
8. The U shaped nappies are a better alternative to the good old triangle if you are considering buying straight from the store. These hold the discharges much better due to its U shape. They also come with a thicker central lining making it more effective in absorbing the discharge. Due to the strings, these are flexible on size as the baby grows really fast in the initial weeks. Also, there is no risk of the Velcro touching and hurting the delicate skin of the baby.
Age suited: 0-2 months.
9. Cotton Cloth nappy with Velcro are really convenient once your baby’s waist is big enough to fit into these. You can try adding cloth nappy inserts ie, #3 if your child hasn’t started to turn yet. The insert stays in position despite there being no pocket.
Age suited: 2-4 months.
10. You will need to club a Cloth diaper cover with all plain cloth nappies. This will prevent the discharge from running out.
Once you have figured out your suitable way of cloth diapering, you will need to look carefully at their washing regime. Just like baby’s skin that needs special care, baby clothes also need special attention. Baby’s skin is very delicate. It’s different from adult’s skin and prone to infection. Thus their clothes need a different washing regime than your own.
Johnson’s Baby Laundry Detergent is easily available in the market. It is specially designed for cleaning and protection of baby clothes and cleans all types of stains including, mud and poo. It doesn’t leave any residue of harmful chemicals as against a regular cloth detergent and it can be used for both washing with hands and machine wash.
These are some of my experiences. Do share with us your handy tips.
Image : easylivingtoday.com
An Urban Nomadic 