Natural Nursery Blog

In our quick guide to the real nappy world, we briefly mentioned pocket nappies. Here is in more detail what they’re all about.

A pocket nappy is just what it says: a pocket. The pocket is shaped like a disposable nappy and composed of a fleece layer and a waterproof layer.

The fleece layer is usually ultra soft fleece fabric. It is designed to draw the moisture away from your baby’s skin, keeping it dry. This reduces the risk of irritation, especially for babies with sensitive skin. Poo doesn’t attach to the fleece so it can easily be disposed of in the toilet.

The waterproof layer of the real nappy is composed of PUL (polyurethane laminated fabric). It provides the waterproof barrier needed and can survive numerous washings. It is stretchy and thin enough to be comfortable for babies.

The pocket nappies can be fastened by velcro or poppers. The poppers have the additional benefit of not ‘catching’ the fabric, especially in the wash allowing nappies to be more durable.

Inside the pocket, you can choose what nappy insert to stuff in. For a small baby, a small insert is enough. For a larger baby, a large insert on its own will do. For toddlers you will need to combine a large insert with a small one. For night time use, you can even ‘boost’ the absorbency by adding an additional nappy booster. Nappy boosters, especially those made of hemp or bamboo, will allow your pocket nappy to be use through the night.

Pocket nappies can be used just like disposable nappies and that’s what makes them such a sensible option. When they’ve been washed and dried, add the appropriate inserts and fold the nappies. Use as you would use a disposable nappy. When the nappy needs changing, just pop the poo in the toilet, rinse, and store in a bucket until your next wash. You can add a few drops of tea tree oil, a natural disinfectant.

Pocket nappies are ideal for nurseries and childminders or anyone looking after your baby who might not be familiar with a two-part nappy system. They are ideal in hard water areas as the nappy or if you have very limited space to dry the nappies. The nappy is best air dried but the booster and inserts can be given a quick turn in the tumble drier when they’re almost dry. The Wonderoos pocket nappies in particular are shaped to look fairly slim.

real nappy

This simple guide to the real nappy will help choose the best real nappy for your baby. You might prefer to buy all the same nappies or mix and match.

• Flat nappies, also called terry nappies. Made of a square of cotton terry towelling. They are affordable, easy to wash, quick to dry and durable. Flat nappies are versatile: the small terry nappies can be used as booster for toddlers and the large ones can be used as hand towels. They require a bit more practice for folding. Use a nippa to close the flat nappies and a waterproof wrap.

• Shaped nappies. A shaped real nappy is sewn in and pre-formed to be used just like a disposable nappy. The big advantage of shaped nappies is their ease of use and versatility: they adapt to babies of different sizes and body shapes. Some are sized (i.e. available in multiple sizes) or one-sized (the same nappy can be used for a newborn or toddler). You will need a waterproof wrap.

• All in one nappies: An all-in-one real nappy is the closest thing to a disposable nappy. The absorbent nappy, the waterproof wrap and often a soft lining are sewn together so they are very easy to use. Ideal for quick nappy changes and for carers who might not be used to nappies. The drawbacks are that they can take longer to dry, can be quite expensive and less durable.

• Pocket nappies are composed of a waterproof wrap and a soft fleece layer sewn in together. The flat adsorbent part of the nappy is stuffed in between those two layers and removed for washing and quick drying. Easy to use and wash, it can be more expensive than shaped nappies.

real nappies

When it comes to reusable nappies (and pretty much every subject since you became a parent!), everyone will try to convince you that their favourite system is THE best nappy system. I don’t believe that there is One best nappy system. The best one for you is the one that suits you (and your child, obviously). Everyone has different criteria: ease of use, drying time, birth to potty or sized, fastening system, choice of fabric, baby shape, size, price, resale value and let’s not forget the all-important poo containment issue and prettiness factor.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be bringing you a series of articles to help you find your way around in the ‘real nappy’ world. We will help you decide which one will work best for your little one, how to wash your newly acquired real nappies, how to use them…

So let’s start from the beginning:

• What is a cloth nappy? A cloth nappy is always made of two parts, an absorbent part to soak up the pee and a waterproof part to contain the poo and the humidity.  Both parts can be  shaped and sewn together (all-in-one-nappy) and used just like a disposable. Other nappies are separate, you put up the absorbent nappy first and then fit the waterproof wrap over it.  The absorbent part can look either like a big handkerchief that your fold around the baby’s bottom or be already shaped into a nappy.
• How do I use it? Well, it’s not that different from a disposable nappy: pop the cloth nappy on your baby. When it needs to be changed, pop the poo in the toilet (you can use a liner to make it easier), rinse the nappy and pop it in a bucket until your next laundry.
• What about leaks? A well chosen and well fitted real nappy doesn’t leak. The waterproof wraps are especially designed to keep the humidity in and you can boost the absorbency of the nappy by adding extra nappy booster. It’s especially true for breastfed newborns for whom disposable nappies really struggle to contain the very runny poo.
• How do I wash it? when you remove the real nappy, pop the poo in the toilet (a good thing to do even if you’re using disposable!), rinse it and pop it in a nappy bucket (with or without water). Whether you wait until you have enough nappies to do a laundry of nappies or wash them along your regular laundry is up to you. When stored properly, washing nappies at 30 or 40 degrees is sufficient.
• What about the smell? Having tried both, I can tell you that the smell of the nappy bucket is nothing compared to the smell of a disposable nappy bin. First you’ve flushed the poo, rinsed the nappy and kept with a disinfectant or a bit of laundry liquid.
• Is it like an investment then? By the time your child is potty trained, you will have spent as much as £1,000 on disposable nappies. That’s huge! I’m not even sure that figure includes the cost for the council of disposing of the 5000 nappies your child will have gone through in 2 or 3 years. Compared to that, the initial investment of real nappies (about £400) is like a big saving. Remember there is a thriving market for second hand nappies.
• Does my bum look big in the this? Yes it’s true, some reusable nappies are bulkier than disposable nappies. You’ll have to keep it in mind when buying baby clothes. It’s usually not a problem in the UK as most brands have realised that many babies are ‘cloth-bottomed’. You can also use specially designed clothes like the adorable Frugi range of organic cotton baby clothes.
• How do I convince my partner? or nanny/babysitter/nursery worker. You can show them how disposable nappies affect the environment, and save them money, how it will help your child get rid of nappy rash… I found the trick was to choose a simple real nappy like an all in one nappy, it really is just as easy as a disposable nappy.

Click here for more information on real nappies.

Did this help help you decide what nappy might work best for your baby?