Setting Up A Modern Cloth System
Here at Baby BeeHinds, we offer a range of different choices in regards to types of nappies. We understand this may make it tricky for you to decide what option to choose! Please click HERE for some pros and cons to help you choose which system is right for you! Once you have decided, the following info may be useful to you in helping you decide what you need……
Nappies- How many?
Fitted nappies- For full time use, we recommend a minimum of 25 fitted nappies. You will then have enough nappies to wash every second day, and have a couple spare in case of bad weather. If you have 2 in nappies we recommend around 35 nappies.
AIO nappies- For full (day-time) use, we recommend anywhere from 12-18 nappies in whichever size your baby needs. If you have two babies in the same size, you would need to double the quantity.
For night times- We recommend using a Baby BeeHinds original BAMBOO fitted nappy. As baby gets older, you may require a night booster as well (found in the accessories section)
If you want to use a mixture of products- Some people like to use the fitted nappies for home and night use, and the AIO nappies for daycare and or going out. This is absolutely fine and is a great idea. In this case, we would recommend 25 fitted nappies (with the relevant number of covers- see below) and around 5-6 AIO nappies in whichever size baby requires.
Covers- How many and what type? (Applies only if using fitted nappies, not All In Ones)
If you are using the fitted + cover system, you’ll need to think about what type of cover you like best! PUL covers are a great day-to-day cover. Generally, PUL is 'breathable', which means air can evaporate out through the cover via microscopic holes in the fabric (our baby BeeHinds PUL covers are breathable). This helps to keep baby cooler and drier, unlike with plastic or PVC covers which are not breathable and become quite hot and uncomfortable for baby, contributing to nappy rash in many instances. Providing they are cared for properly, your PUL covers will last quite a while and are therefore worth the extra expense for reliability, durability and the comfort factor.
Wool covers are beautiful. Wool is soft and fluffy, and the most breathable of all nappy cover types. Wool covers work by absorbing excess moisture from the nappy if needed and then evaporating that moisture out of the cover into the atmosphere. They are a great water resistant option if 'lanolised' using pure lanolin. Wool covers are also great for neutralising urine, due to the lanolising process (see the product care section to see how this is done). There are 2 types of wool covers available- hand knitted (cute colours and designs!) or woven fabric. They both function in the same way. Wool is a natural fibre and is brilliant for night time use.
We recommend purchasing at LEAST 6 covers per size (4 for day use, 2 for night use). Ideally, 7 or 8 covers would be even better for a newborn. We recommend rotating between two covers throughout the day- one worn by baby, and one airing after you've done a nappy change, with one clean spare cover in case of an accident and then the other in the wash. The other 2 are for night time use; one tonight, the other tomorrow night. Hence the need for at least 6 covers. It really does make life easier to have the recommended number of covers on hand- it is very frustrating when you discover that you dont have enough because they are all in the wash!
Most people choose to use PUL covers during the day and wool covers during the night, and would therefore grab 4 PUL covers and 2 wool covers to get them by.
Boosters
Boosters 'boost' the nappy, by providing extra absorbent fabric when it is needed, for example, at night. Some babies require boosting at night because they are heavy wetters, and the nappy alone is not enough to hold all of their wee throughout the 13 hours or so overnight. Most babies only require one booster in addition to the nappy, though some babies require 2 if they are VERY heavy wetters. Here at Baby BeeHinds we sell hemp, bamboo and microfibre boosters.
Liners
Liners are an 'optional' extra when cloth nappying your baby. They certainly are not essential! Most people dont bother with liners, but for those who would prefer to use them, there are a few different types of liners you can use (not available through Baby BeeHinds).
1) Re-usable liners: Here you can simply purchase a metre of microfleece from a fabric store and cut to shape. No need for any sewing or hemming, simply cut into rectangular shapes measuring roughly 12-13cm x 20-23cm and you're done! These can be washed in with your nappies. These liners will help to keep baby feeling dry and help prevent staining if this bothers you. Some babies do experience rash type reactions from synthetic liners such as these. This is an allergic reaction and is not serious, just an indication of a synthetics allergy. If your baby experiences this its best to stick to natural fibres only! (ie no liner at all in our fitteds)
2) Semi- Resusable Liners: Commonly known as 'Chux' cloths, these are available at the supermarket. They can be washed multiple times however will wear out sooner than microfleece liners. These liners will help with stain prevention but have no function in keeping baby feeling dry.
3) Flushable Liners: Flushable Liners are particularly handy when you're out and about! Simply take the soiled liner out of baby's nappy and flush it!
4) Disposable Liners- these are the worst environmentally.....they cannot be flushed, and yet, you're not actually supposed to put feacel matter in to your common garbage disposal sytem (you're supposed to remove solids from disposable nappies before throwing them out also).
5) Silk liners- are hard to come by and a little bit expensive, but they are amazing for helping to heal rashes! They contain special healing properties created by the silk worms which is maintined through the actual manufacture of the silk fabric. NB. Not just any silk fabric will do- it needs to be 'raw' silk, or 'silk noil'.