Nappyneedz

What are OSFM nappies? You have probably come across this term when looking into cloth nappies, but what does it actually mean? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this type of nappy? What are OSFM nappies? OSFM stands for one size fits most. This means that these types of cloth nappies will fit most babies, no matter how young or old they are. There are different ways that nappies do this. Some will have snaps on the front that make the nappy smaller. Others have adjustable elastic at the legs or a certain way of being folded to make the nappy fit smaller children. The one size nappies used to be called OSFA or one size fits all. This tends not to be used now as there is not nappy that is a perfect fit for all babies. Sized or one size cloth nappies Advantages OSFM nappies can be used on babies from tiny to toilet training. You do not need to buy a large number of different sizes. If you have more than one child in nappies, you can use the same ones. The nappies grow with you...

When is the best time to start cloth nappies? Is a question that I am often asked. It’s fair to say that there is no hard or fast rule about the best time to start using cloth. There are some things to consider to help you decide when the time is right for you and your baby. Newborn cloth Many people start using cloth nappies from the moment that their baby is born. There are quite a few advantages to this. It’s much easier to see how much and how often a baby is weeing and pooing in a cloth nappy. Another advantage is that cloth nappies are also less likely to cause irritation and rashes as there are no chemicals. If you decide to go for a cotton nappy, such as our prefolds  then this really helps to protect delicate newborn skin. As every new parent knows, tiny babies need changing often. Cloth nappies are ideal for this, as you can always have some on hand and don’t need to rush to the nearest shop late at night when you suddenly run out. Cloth nappies are such a gr...

Green packaging or eco-packaging is something that we have been working hard on at Nappyneedz. Being an online business, we need to think about our product packaging and what we send it all out in. We haven’t got it all right but wanted to tell you about what we are trying to do. Product packaging We try to eliminate product packages entirely. All of our cloth nappies are completely unpackaged, which is surprising to some people. They expect the nappies to be packed into separate plastic bags. We decided that these weren’t necessary. This means that when you order one of our nappies, or a nappy pack or set, you won’t get it in any other packaging than the courier bag or box. Some of our smaller items have come from our manufacturer in plastic bags before, but we’ve been working with them to remove them all. Now the only things that come in packages are our menstrual cups and nappy sprayers which both come in cardboard boxes. We may look at these in the future. As...

Reusable menstrual pad sizes can be confusing. How do you know which one will work best for you? Here is our guide to the different sizes that our washable pads come in. Washable liners Liners are great for everyday freshness. They do not need to be very absorbent as they are not designed for use during your period. Our liners are great to wear on a daily basis. With just one layer of microfibre absorbency. They are backed with a waterproof backing of pul fabric and are topped with soft microfleece for a stay dry feel. Liners measure 17 cm long. Regular menstrual pads Our regular pads are our most popular pads. With two layers of absorbency and a choice of fabrics, they are perfect for your period. Our basic pul pads have two layers of microfibre for absorbency, a PUL waterproof layer and soft microfleece topping. Our bamboo pads  have a layer of microfibre and a layer of bamboo fleece for extra absorbency. They are backed with a PUL coated minky fabric in a choice of colours. The to...

Wet bags for daycare are something we get asked about a lot. Finding an alternative to single-use products is always a good idea. Using a washable, reusable wet bag is a great way to cut down on the amount of plastic carrier bags you use. Cutting down on plastic bags There has been a lot in the news lately about reducing the amount of plastic bags that we use. It’s not just shops that use these carrier bags though. Many daycare centres, playcentres and kindys use them too. If you have had a toddler or young child at an early childhood centre, then you’ll know that wet and dirty clothes are an almost daily occurrence. Many daycares will put these dirty clothes into single-use plastic bags. This is not ideal though and for a lot of centres, finding a reusable alternative is really important. Reusable alternative Wet bags are ideal for putting dirty nappies in when out and about. The fact that they are waterproof, reusable and come in a range of great colours and prints also ma...

5 things you might not know about cloth nappies is a good place to start when you are first thinking about reusable nappies for your baby. Cloth nappies are easy People often assume that cloth nappies are complicated and hard work. Having a new baby is hard enough as it is, without adding an extra complication. But, cloth nappies are actually easy. Especially once you have started to use them. Most modern cloth nappies are put on in the same way that a disposable nappy is. There aren’t complicated folds, nappy pins and plastic pants that old-fashioned nappies had. There is a little bit of extra washing, but with less rubbish to deal with and the added reliability that comes with cloth nappies, it’s not a big deal. Reliability I have to admit that I assumed when I first looked at using reusable nappies on my babies, that they would be likely to leak. I suspect that years of disposable nappy adverts on the television had convinced me that disposables were better. In actual fac...

Sterilising your menstrual cup is essential. Recent research has found that TSS and other bacteria can grow on the silicone of your cup. Sterilising will stop these from growing and keep your cup clean and healthy. There are a number of easy ways that you can do this. Keep it clean When I first began to use a menstrual cup, people believed that you couldn’t get toxic shock syndrome (TSS) from using a menstrual cup. Although it is very rare, there have been at least two cases of TSS occurring when people have been using a menstrual cup. For this reason, we would suggest that you sterilise your menstrual cup regularly. Ideally before replacing it each time you reinsert. This might be easier if you keep two cups, one that you are using and one that has been sterilised already. There are a number of options to keep your cup clean easily though. Sterilising your menstrual cup Use a small toothbrush to clean the surface of the cup. This will help to remove any bacteria. Use alcohol wipe...