| New
Nappies—Before Use
Wash nappies 2-3 times or more (hemp is best
5-6 times or more) and continues improving over the next dozen
washes) in order to improve absorbency.
General instructions
When taking the nappy off, if hook and loop
fastening, its worth remembering to fold back the tabs ready
for washing as you take the nappy off. For a nappy such as
Tots Bots where the ‘hook’ side has a keeper or
pad of ‘loop’ adjacent to it on the waist tabs,
you can fold it flat on to this as you take the nappy off
by pressing it onto it flat in one movement as you take the
nappy off.
For other nappies such as the tie on nappy
you’ll need to tie the ties together to avoid a laundry
tangle. For wraps or hook and loop fastening nappies without
keepers, the best way is to turn inside out and then do up.
After removing poo, you then have a choice of method—either
soak or dry pail.
Soaking
If you soak your nappies, do so in a bucket
½ full of water with either:
* 3-5 drops of Tea Tree Oil (which has natural
antibacterial and antifungal
agents)
* 3-5 drops Lavender Oil (similar properties
to Tea Tree Oil but not as strong,
many prefer the smell)
* 2-3 tablespoons of clear vinegar
* 1 tablespoon of sodium bicarbonate.
Most nappy manufacturers do not recommend
the use of sterilising solutions especially bleach, Miltons,
Napisan, which can affect polyurethane laminate and PVC covers,
as well as hook and loop fastenings (Velcro, Aplix) and elastic.
Nappy Changing Communicate
Firstly, and this isn’t often mentioned
in baby manuals, I feel it is very important to communicate
with your baby and let her know what is happening at nappy
change time - it’s a bit of a shock for cooler air to
hit the warm nappy region unexpectedly, and it is also good
to create a nice pleasurable bonding time with your baby.
Hopefully in the longer term this will be
a pleasurable experience for her and will minimise the traumas
many parents experience with older babies who decide they
do not want their nappy changed. Talk to her, tell her what
you are doing. Even from birth although she doesn’t
understand what you are telling her, she will be familiar
with and know the sound of your voice. If she can hear you
talking and reassuring her, and you maintain good eye contact
throughout, she will usually respond well and enjoy having
her nappy changed.
Chat away to her, sing or hum, even tell her
the latest gossip or the plot of the latest soap, it doesn’t
matter what you say so long as you are communicating with
her.
Older babies
For older babies who want to wriggle, its
often useful to keep a special toy handy solely for nappy
changing, one that needs to be held in both hands is useful
as this will help keep both shoulders flat on the changing
mat.
Only allow her to play with this toy while
you change the nappy, put it away afterwards, and it will
still be desirable next time. For really tricker older babies
I found making a ball from sticky tape—sticky side out
as much as possible—will keep her occupied as it will
stick to the hand trying to remove it from the other hand!
If you still have bother, sitting alongside your baby and
popping one leg across her chest will usually keep her in
one place long enough.
Beyond this time, some babies will then only
stand up at nappy change time, and I found a floor length
door mirror or being allowed to empty a drawer gave ample
entertainment time to change a nappy.
Getting Started
If your baby has pooed, then use the nappy
or liner if you used one to clean off as much as possible.
Then using the washable wipe dampened with the warm water
(you could also use a little mild baby soap or baby lotion
if desired, but plain water is preferable) clean your baby
gently. If you have a lot of poo to remove a little olive
oil on your wipe is sometimes useful to help clean with.
For girls it is important to clean carefully
from front to back to avoid getting poo and outside is covered
with waterproofing. This means that in damp or cool weather
you need to ensure the nappy is thoroughly dry right into
the core, otherwise it can encourage bacterial growth within
the nappy leading to cabbage-y smelling nappies once your
baby wees.
A good way of doing this if not able to tumble
dry to finish off your nappies after hanging is to store them
somewhere warm and dry such as in an airing cupboard or by
a radiator before use.
Real
Nappy Article | Nappy
Changing—What to Expect! | Washing
& Care Instructions |
Terminology—what
is what in the nappy world? | How
do I assemble a cloth nappy? |
Nappy
creams, barrier creams and nappy rash | Why
Choose Cloth Nappies 1 |
Why Choose
Cloth Nappies 2 | Why
Choose Cloth Nappies 3 | How
do I choose which nappies to use? |
How many
nappies will I need? | Washing
- Frequently Asked Questions | What
are Real Nappies |
Real
Nappy Project
|
