Cloth Nappies 101 Series: Part I - An Introduction

When expecting  a baby or once you have a baby,  there are many many decisions you will have to make on how to care for your baby, what to use, how to use them. Among these decisions is how to diaper your baby.   This is  a very important as  it is right there at the top of the basic needs of a baby along feeding, warmth and clothing.

In this Cloth Nappies 101 series  we would be going through all the general  points  relating to cloth nappies in a number of posts and remove any confusion you may have  regarding it.  So, lets  start  with  the A for Apples and B  for Bread of using a cloth nappy and start with the very mos basic question:

What  is a Diaper/ Nappy? 

Wikipedia  definition is given below:

"A diaper (American English) or a nappy (British English) is a type of underwear that allows the wearer to defecate or urinate without the use of a toilet, by absorbing or containing waste products to prevent soiling of outer clothing or the external environment."

A Nappy / Diaper is made up of two basic things: waterproof  layer for containment and absorbent inner layer to soak up  the urine.  When diapering a baby, there are two options - Disposables and Reusables

In a  disposable both  these functions are  in one  simple to wear products, historically  in cloth nappies, containment and  absorbency  have been separated,  in two distinct products, however cloth diapers have evolved  to various options which combine the two functions in one easy to use product.

Disposable nappies which have many popular brands, including but not limited to premium brands locally made and imported,  and many imported supermarket brands from the US and UK.

All are  popular to varying degrees and are widely available in  the  usual  sizes from newborn to toddler, however smaller more specialist sizes may be harder to find. 

Disposables - Taped nappy and nappy pant styles

These are generally

• Convenient to use due to their single use nature,
• However  they  can be  pricey  and 
• Sometimes  do not  play well with sensitive skin  or any skin for that matter especially when  left on for longer than is necessary.
• Plus they generate a ginormous  amount of waste!

On the other side, you have Cloth Nappies,  also called  washable diapers/nappies, Reusable nappies and  also popularly called "Napkins". which are the old school terry nappies ( aka Towel fabrics) we grew up with, complete with baby safety pins and a waterproof pant to go over it. Sadly, these  have  had some bad  press over the years and  there is a lot of negative misconception  about  these which we hope to dispel.

Old school Napkins with pin and waterproof pants - Curtsy: Headlock0225 from Wikipedia site

Modern day cloth nappies  have  caught up with  disposables in popularity and are more stylish and better made for the modern family lifestles and there are many benefits including :

• Potentially huge costs savings,
• Ability to be used for multiple children and other non-diaper related uses.
• More advanced absorption options with fabrics other than cotton,
• natural fabric  in contact with baby' skin therefore less occurrence of nappy rash or  reactions
• plus they generate  much less waste  and 
• they have a nicer appearance  with no droopy  look when wet.

Below are some images of where cloth nappies are today and  examples of  the options available in terms of  types,  fabrics and sizing. 

Cotton prefold nappies in various sizes  to fit babies from preemies to toddlers.

All-in-one Cloth nappies  with outer waterproof shell and absorbent core all sewn in one piece.

   

L. Hemp-cotton insert / Booster with double the performance of  cotton only fabric;
R. Bamboo-cotton insert/ booster with improved absorbency and longevity of softness

Waterproof Covers in breathable PUL fabric in
 newborn/ preemie  and adjustable One-Size options fitting from birth to potty.

There are not  many cloth diaper options especially that of quality in the Nigerian market  and this is where we come in to bridge that gap.  To provide high quality value for money cloth nappy options to the discerning Nigerian  parent and to provide advise and sound information on using cloth as a nappy/ diaper solutions.

Do Stay tuned and we'll  take you  through all you need to know on using cloth nappies and other parenting and life style topics.

Should  you have any questions, comments,  or just wish to say hi!,  we would  love to hear from you! please let us know below in the comment section  or contact us by email , Skype or  any of our social media handles. 

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