Nappy needz free cloth nappy advice
Get free cloth nappy advice, personalised for you and your baby direct to your inbox. Fill in our cloth nappy advice form, and we will send you personalised cloth nappy advice free. We will share our expert advice and information, and tailor it to your needs.
We will also send through regular coth nappy articles, with advice, tips and info about using cloth nappies on your little one. When you receive your personal free cloth nappy advice, you will also receive a discount code to use on our website.
Find out more about cloth nappies and sign up for our free advice service today.
If you live in the Dunedin area, then we can offer to come and out and see you. Find out more here.
I noticed “ Please note, these pads are currently a slightly different shape to those shown in the photo” on the regular menstrual pads. What do they currently look like and how do they affect fit or absorbency? Are they still the same materials?
Also, will more colours come in stock?
Hi, the ones that I currently have are actually our normal size and shape. We do have new colours on the way, but due to shipping delays they might be a few weeks away just yet.
Thank you!
Hi there,
I’m having difficulty with night nappies leaking recently. I use a microfiber and hemp insert with your OSFM dome nappies and find by morning nappy has become so bulky it has slipped down to not quite covering his bottom at the back. My baby is a large and long 3 month old (8kg).
How can I fix this?
Hi Katrina
Can you let me know what size setting you are using? (ie what rise snaps you have closed at the front.) Do you have any other inserts other than the microfibre? Microfibre can be very bulky and isn’t great absorption wise for overnight.
Thanks
Kelly
Hi I have purchased OSFM nappies for my daughter. She was born quite small (2.5kg) and it will be a while before these will fit her. Would flat nappy squares be suitable for her. I’m concerned about the bulk
Hi
Flat nappies are perfect for newborns. They are absorbent without being too bulky. They are easy to get a good fit with and they wash and dry quickly. Use with our newborn covers for the best fit.
Thanks
Hi, I was hoping you might be able to help. my pocket diapers are leaking after an hour on my 4 month old. this is with 2 microfibre inserts
Thanks for getting in touch about the issues you are having with pocket nappies. I suspect the problem is the microfibre inserts as it is quite common to get compression leaking issues with these. They absorb liquid well, but don’t hold onto it very well. It acts much like a sponge and the liquid is easy to squeeze out. Adding a natural fibre will help stop this from happening. I would usually suggest one microfibre insert and a natural fibre such as cotton or bamboo or possibly doing away with the microfibre altogether.
I would be interested to know where the leaks are occurring, how wet the inserts are and what setting you have them on, just to rule out any other issues.
Hi There, If I want to, is it possible to use the inserts outside the pocket, without inserting them?
Thanks
Flavia
Hi
It is possible, but it does depend on what inserts you are using. Microfibre should never go directly against the skin. Other inserts are fine though. Alternatively, a separate cover and insert such as with our Ecobots nappies might be a better choice.
thanks
Hi there , which size ecobots wrap would you recommend for my daughter who is expecting an 8lb baby . I see the smallest size only goes up to 10lbs and so they wouldn’t last that long do you think we could just get the beige size are they pretty flexible ?
The sizes are quite forgiving, so she might be able to get away with the larger size. Having said that, I find with newborns, that they do tend to need the newborn size, even those who are towards the 8lb end.
Thanks Kelly
Hi there,
Just wanting to know how long and how often cloth nappies need changing? Thanks!
During the day, every 2-3 hours usually. You can add extra boosters for night time use that will last the whole night. You might find that you need to change them less often as your baby gets older.
Hi there
I would like to trial a OSFM pocket nappies or OSFM cover and tri folds. I only want white covers and Velcro fasteners. My preference is double gussets. Can you please let me know what options you have to just buy one nappy to trial?
Thanks
Ella
Hi Ella
We do both a white pocket nappy with velcro insert which you can buy here:
https://www.nappyneedz.co.nz/shop/dinky-pocket-nappy/
or a white one size fits most prefold pack which you can buy one to try here:
https://www.nappyneedz.co.nz/shop/osfm-pre-fold-trial-pack/
Thanks
Hi there Kelly
I was just wondering if I use liners everyday how many would I need to purchase. Does it dry relatively quickly? Thank you!
Thanks for getting in touch. The liners are fairly quick drying and should be dry within a couple of hours. If you’re wearing one a day and washing every few days, then five or six would probably be enough. A few more than that will give you a few more days flexibility to get them washed and dry.
Hi there, I’m just about to purchase some prefolds and covers. I looked on your FAQ page on washing and it says to do a warm wash after rinsing the poo etc off the nappies. On your Facebook page you’ve replied to someone who’s nappies we’re starting to smell and you advised they need to be sanitised somehow – so either a 90degree wash or sanitisers you can add to the wash.
I am hoping you can clarify that. Should these nappies be washed at 90 degrees every wash to get them clean enough ? Or is that only occasionally? Would really like a good plan for washing these nappies and keeping them odour-free.
Thank you!
Hi Maia
Thanks for the question. You only need to do a sanitising wash from time to time. Normally a warm wash will be more than enough to keep them odour free. If you do find that you are getting nappies that have a strong smell as your little one gets older, then rinsing them in cold water as soon as you take them off also helps with this. I would suggest that you don’t need to do this until they are old and then only if you have problems. A warm wash is normally more than enough.
Thanks
Kelly
Hi there, I’ve read a few posts suggesting to run a rinse cycle in cold water then follow that with a hot regular cycle (with detergent this time). Do you think both cycles are necessary or would it be okay to stick with just the one hot cycle?
Hi Anna, it really depends on how often you are washing your nappies. If you are washing them every day or every other day then the one hot wash should be fine. If it is hot weather or you are going to be leaving them longer then a quick rinse when you change your baby would be enough. You don’t have to do a cold rinse in the machine a rinse by hand is fine. If you are getting nappies that have a strong ammonia smell, then I would recommend rinsing them in cold water as soon as you change them, but otherwise just a hot cycle is fine.
Hi Kelly,
I am just starting cloth nappies with my 3 month old. I bought some second hand nappies while I was pregnant and it turns out they leak very easily, they are pea pods brand but I think the possibly waterproof plastic (?) lining in them has been removed/ripped. I was just wondering if your nappies covers might help with this? Would they fit over a whole cloth nappy with an insert in it also?
Hi Laura
I would recommend using the insert in the covers, but not the whole nappy. If there is still some of the waterproofing on the older nappies, then you are in effect having two covers and that might make your baby too hot. If you turn the nappy inside out you might be able to see if the waterproofing has broken down or not. It could be that the fit of pea pods just isn’t right for your little one.
Hi Kelly,
how many layers are in your bamboo prefolds and are they made just from bamboo or is there anything else? And how thick are the bamboo flats please?
Hi Eva
Our bamboo prefolds are made from a mixture of 55% bamboo and 45% organic cotton and our flat bamboo nappies are 50% bamboo and 50% organic cotton. We do this as I have found that 100% bamboo does not last well and quickly breaks down. The flat nappies are quite thin, but designed to be folded a number of times and are very absorbent. Our infant bamboo prefolds have four layers on each side and eight in the middle. Our regular bamboo prefolds are four layers thick on the side panels and six layers in the centre.
Hi, what dimensions are your hemp booster inserts? Also, are they just a single layer of fabric / could you give an approx thickness measurement? Thanks!
Hi
Our hemp inserts are three layers of hemp. They measure approx 36 cm by 14 cm wide before being washed. They will thicken and shrink slightly once washed.
Thanks
Hi,
I’m wondering what the dimensions of your wet bags are, please?
Hi, I’ve recently added sizes to the page on the website. They measure approx 29 x 39 cm.
Thanks
I have a 7 year old heavy night wetter and would like a washable option. What price would you do the night boxers?
Unfortunately, we are not offering the night boxers at the moment. Sorry.
Hi there,
I’m wondering if you COULD HELP. wE are using the old fashioned flat nappies for our daughter as well as a few of the “babyco” cloth nappies (the ones with microfibre inserts). the babyco ones now seem to leak after a very short time, which is a shame as they were great for keeping her skin dry overnight. the Flat ones generally are great, except if they accidentally get left on a bit long and overnight they don’t seem to quite last the distance either. She isn’t soaking wet, but wet none the less. We have your Osfm nappy covers to go over the flats. do you have any tips?
thanks,
jessica
Hi Jessica
Thanks for getting in touch. It sounds to me as though you’ve reached the stage where microfibre just doesn’t cut it. The issue that I’ve always had with microfibre inserts, is that while they absorb liquid quickly and dry fast, they tend to be like a sponge. When you squeeze them all of the liquid comes out, which is why lots of people find that their nappies tend to leak when their baby reaches a certain age. I would suggest that for night time use, a natural fibre would work better. I usually suggest that either bamboo prefolds, hemp night boosters or a combination of these will work well overnight. You can use these in the babyco nappies that you’ve got.
The flat nappies may also work well overnight, but you will need to use more than one, or add a booster of some description. I would suggest perhaps trying two flat nappies in the osfm covers at night and see how you get on. Alternatively you could try the flat nappies and one of you microfibre inserts, as long as the insert isn’t next to the skin.
As she gets older, you might find that the night nappy is quite bulky. As a general rule this doesn’t tend to bother babies and doesn’t seem to stop them from being comfortable or sleeping. I found with all of my children, that at night only cloth nappies worked and with lots of boosting. Disposables just wouldn’t go the distance. Many parents find that with a OSFM nappy or cover, they are using it on a larger setting at night in order to accommodate the extra boosters or layers that are needed.
I hope this all helps a bit and if you need any further info, please let me know.
Many thanks
Kelly