Cloth Nappies in Summary

My experience using cloth nappies has so far been very positive. It is very difficult to say which nappy is my favourite, since the suitability of each nappy has been dependent on Lucy's size and shape, which is always changing. If you were to ask me now, I would have to say I like the Nature's Child organic cotton fitted nappy the best, as it fits well, hardly ever leaks, is very absorbant (with 2 booster pads) and is easy to put on. However, as I mentioned in an earlier blog, this nappy didn't fit Lucy until she was around 4 months old! On the other hand, I have been able to use the Eenee Designs Pouch Pants nappy since Lucy was a newborn (initially she wore the small size; now she wears medium) and it has always fit quite well, with minimal leakage. So, overall, these two nappies would probably draw at being my favourite. All the nappies have their pro's and con's, which I will list below.

Nature's Child Organic Cotton Fitted Nappy

PRO'S
Made of sustainable fibre - very environmentally friendly choice.
Doesn't require a cover.
Very absorbant - can be customised by using 1 or 2 booster pads.
Easy to put on; velcro easier to do up than snap buttons; velcro does up at back so toddlers can't pull undone easily.
Relatively adjustable for size (only 2 different sizes needed as baby grows).
Often only the boosters need changing and can buy these separately (therefore don't need quite as many nappies).

CON'S
Quite bulky so doesn't fit tiny newborn (size 1 fits from around 4kg and would be bulky initially).
Booster pads take long time to dry.
Can be a bit firm against baby's body when done up properly (has never seemed to worry Lucy).

Eenee Designs Pouch Pants

PRO'S
Soft and gentle against baby's skin/body.
Easy to put on and do up - velcro tabs quick and easy to use.
Cost-effective - don't need to purchase as many pouch pants as you would other types of fitted nappies, as the outer pouch pants tend not to need changing so frequently (just the pads/pouches).
Easy to clean - pouches and microfibre cloth inserts are quick drying; the outer pouch pants are relatively quick drying.
Doesn't require a cover.
Versatile - can use with the biodegradable disposable pads or cloth inserts; adjust well to baby's changing size and shape.
The same cloth inserts can be used from newborn to toddler size - only the outer pants and pouch sizes change.
An Australian made version is available.


CON'S
Not made of sustainable fibres.
The microfibre cloth inserts must be folded before being placed in the pouch - not too hard to do but just an extra step (and harder for dad).
Three different sizes of the outer pouch pants are required as baby grows (though they fit very well and are not very bulky for a newborn). There are also 3 different pouch sizes.
Not as absorbant as the other three nappies (fine for younger baby but won't last as long between changes when older).

Baby Beehinds Bamboo Fitted Nappy

PRO'S
Made of sustainable fibres - bamboo and organic cotton.
Very absorbant - great night-time nappy.
One size fits all (though wouldn't have fit Lucy as newborn).
Relatively leak proof (need cover).
Fairly simple to put together and put on.

CON'S
Requires a cover.
Doing up the snap buttons can be fiddly and they make it harder to fit the nappy than velcro.
Takes longer to put on than others (due to snap buttons and the need for a cover).
Very bulky for small baby.
Require quite a few nappies as the whole nappy needs changing each time.
Takes a long time to dry.

Itti Bitti D'Lish

PRO'S
Mostly made of sustainable fibres - the pad inserts are made of bamboo (the outer is synthetic).
Nice, compact nappy for small baby.
Easy to put together and put on.
The outer nappy doesn't need changing every time - additional pad inserts can be purchased.
Very absorbant. Absorbancy can be customised by adding additional booster pads.
Available as an all-in-one (with pads sown in), which is very easy to put on and ideal if baby is in daycare.
Doesn't require a cover.

CON'S
Has tendency to leak, more than the other nappies.
Can be hard to adjust to fit when putting on, due to the snap buttons (velcro easier).
Pad inserts need long drying time.
Quite a few different sizes are required.

The number of nappies you require really depends on which ones you are using, on your baby (how heavy a wetter he/she is, etc) and also how frequently you intend to wash (usually daily or every second day). The websites which sell the nappies (whether they be for a specific brand, or sell a range of brands) generally have advice on how many nappies you will need.

I want to emphasize that the descriptions I've given of each nappy are based on my own experience, with my baby, so I would expect others to have different points of view. However, I hope my points might be helpful, especially when you consider your own baby and your own needs and preferences. Also, the nappies I have tried are only a few amongst the huge range of cloth nappies that are now available on the market (mostly via the internet). If you are going to be a full-time cloth nappy user, it's not a bad idea to have a few terry cloth squares (the Nature's Child organic cotton ones are great) on hand just incase you run out others. My final advice to any prospective cloth nappy user would be to try a few different types on your baby - that way you can see for yourself what they're like, can try them out for fit and also can have a few different types on hand for different situations (eg, the Baby Beehinds fitted bamboo is great at night-time, whereas, the Itti Bitti D'Lish is a more convenient nappy for outings). Please don't do what I did and purchase 9 of the one nappy type before your baby's even born, only to discover they don't fit for several months! Most of these nappies can be delivered to your door very quickly (the quickest delivery I had was the next morning!), so you don't necessarily need to have all your nappies stocked up before baby arrives.