Baby Beehinds

Baby Beehinds make a range of cloth nappies including, all-in-ones and the one-size fits all fitted nappy made of either hemp or bamboo. Below is the Baby Behinds bamboo fitted nappy. It is cleverly designed to fit from birth to toddlerhood (fits approximately 4-15kg), though it would be quite bulky for a newborn, and would not have fit Lucy as a newborn.

The bamboo fitted nappy is made of 60% bamboo, 30% organic cotton and 10% polyester - together with the Nature's Child organic cotton fitted nappy it's one of the greenest nappy choices I've come across. The outer part of the nappy fastens at the front with snap buttons, and can be adjusted to fit due to a variety of button positions, though I do find velcro much easier and quicker to fasten than snap buttons. It is elasticized around the legs to create a snug fit and help prevent leakage. There are two booster pads that snap in place on the inner side of the nappy outer - you can also get extra boosters. Since the nappy comprises 60% bamboo it is highly absorbant, making this an excellent overnight nappy - this is my favourite nappy to use at night and I've never had any leakage problems. The biggest downside is that it requires a cover, adding to the bulk of the nappy and the time required to change it. Baby Beehinds makes both wool (100% Australian grown) and PUL polyester covers, which come in 3 different sizes. I use the Disana organic wool cover or the Eenee pull-on PUL cover with the Baby Beehinds nappy, as I already had these and I only have one of the Baby Beehinds nappies at this stage. Another negative is the long drying time, though it doesn't take any longer than the Nature's Child nappy boosters or the Itti Bitti bamboo boosters.

The Eenne Nappy

Below is the Eenee Designs Weenee Pouch Pants nappy (www.eenee.com). It's the most versatile cloth nappy I've used. The Weenee Pouch Pants consist of a soft cotton/elastane outer, which fastens with velcro at the back and a snap in waterproof pouch (polyurethane coated polyester - breathable). A biodegradable disposable pad (it's completely compostable and can also be flushed down the toilet - see website for more details) or a microfibre cloth are placed inside the pouch, to hold the urine/poo. I purchased some of the disposable pads to try initially, when Lucy was a newborn, and used them in the first few weeks when on outings - they work well, are easy to use and also break up very easily when put into the toilet (they need to be torn in half first). Initially I didn't have the Eenees microfibre cloth inserts (I didn't know about them) so Mum bought some small flannelette nappies which she cut in half and hemmed (I needed them quite small for Lucy) and these made great cloth inserts once folded into rectangles. The microfibre cloth inserts are very absorbant, easy to fold and dry very quickly.

The main benefit of this nappy, apart from being able to use the disposable pads if desired, is the waterproof pouches mean that most of the time only the pad/cloth needs to be changed; the pouch needs changing less frequently and the cotton/elastane nappy outer less often again. For example, the nappy outer may last Lucy an entire day, with the pouch being changed two or three times (if it happens to get soiled or smells of urine). Not only does this make this system very cost effective (extra pouches can be purchased separately and the pads/cloth inserts are purchased separately), it also means less washing and drying. Of all the nappies I have, all the Weenee Pouch Pants components are the fastest drying - the pouches and cloths dry very quickly and the outers moderately quickly. Unfortunately none of the materials used to make these nappies are sustainable, unless you use say an organic cotton nappy as the booster (the regular organic cotton terry squares which I have are too big, though they may fit if Lucy gets past 12kg and needs the large size); with the medium size, which Lucy wears now, the Nature's Child Organic Cotton Fitted Nappy booster pad will fit, which is great. However, at least you need less of them, and the nappies also don't require the addition of a cover. Also, the nappies are available as either China-made ($24.95) or Australian-made ($29.95), so you can reduce the transport impact by buying the Australian-made product (most other fitted cloth nappies are made in China or India, generally in apparently ethically-managed set-ups).

The picture below shows the nappy outer (left - inner side showing), folded microfibre cloth (centre) and the polyester pouch (right). The nappy is very easy to put together (even easier if using the disposable pad) and take apart, though not quite as easy as the Itti Bitti D'Lish. It is very easy to put on (it's secured with velcro at the back), adjusts to fit very well, allowing for changes in baby's shape as she grows, and is soft and comfortable against baby's body. I have encountered the least number of leakages with this nappy - and usually then, only if the nappy's been left on for quite a while (eg, overnight).

The Weenee Pouch Pants come in 3 sizes (small: 3-6kg; medium:6-12kg; large: 12-16kg) and I was able to start using them when Lucy was still very tiny (just under 3kg). The pouches that fit the Pouch Pants come in 2 sizes - the small can be used for the small and medium Pouch Pants and the medium for the medium and large Pouch Pants, therefore extending the duration of their use for one baby. Eenee Designs also makes a product for newborns (2-4kg), called a Weenees Pouch Snibb, which works very well. It basically consists of a PUL polyester pouch with ties attached - it holds a pad or cloth and is secured with the ties at the front. It is very simple but great for tiny babies, and is also inexpensive and uses minimal extra materials (the cloth inserts can continue to be used as baby grows and the actual Pouch Snibbs are very small). I had 3 of these for Lucy when she was a newborn and I continued to use them for a while once I started using the Pouch Pants - all I used for the first four months or so was the 3 Pouch Snibbs (until Lucy was a bit over 4kg) and 3 of the Weenees Pouch Pants (+ 3 extra pouches), washing only every 2nd day.

Another excellent Eenee Designs product is the Little Eenee Swimmers. Lucy has been wearing hers (only one pair needed) since she started swimming classes at 6 months old, and they have been wonderful. No insert is required and the swimmers are cleverly designed to adjust to fit snuggly (no leaks wanted please!) as babies grow (small size is 6-12kg; large fits 12-18kg). No need for those disposable swimming nappies! I will endeavour to post a photo of the swimmers! In addition, Eenee Designs also makes waterproof training pants and waterproof overnight pants, for toddlers, and PUL polyester nappy covers.

The Itty Bitty Nappy

The nappy below is an Itti Bitti D'Lish (http://www.ittibitti.com.au/) nappy. I wish I'd discovered this when Lucy was a newborn! The Itti Bitti range was created by an Aussie mum who had a tiny baby and found there was a need for cloth nappies which fit small babies. The D'Lish type is particularly designed for little babies like Lucy who are lean and small as it is not bulky and is shaped around the groin area. Lucy was only 2.5kg when she was born, and even the ordinary towelling squares didn't fit! This nappy fits a baby from 3.5 to 7.5 kg and there is also a medium and large size (so you would need to purchase quite a few over your baby's nappy-wearing life if just using this system).




The nappy consists of a synthetic minkee (it's very soft) outer cover (left, below) and bamboo booster pads (middle and right, below) which snap in place, allowing them to be removed after washing, to hasten drying. Bamboo is highly absorbant and a very sustainable material. There are also mini-boosters, which snap onto the smaller booster pad to increase absorbency. The snap-on buttons are colour-coded so you can't mistake where they are supposed to attach (especially useful for husbands - Sooj would agree). All of the booster pads can be purchased separately, since the nappy outer doesn't need to be changed after every nappy change, reducing the number of complete nappies needed. The Itti Bitti D'Lish is also available as an all-in-one (mine is technically an all-in-two), with the boosters being sewn into the nappy so there's no need for any removal or replacement - handy if your baby's being left in day-care as it's very easy to put on.


I quite like this nappy for its convenience (it's very easy to put on so I tend to use it a lot when I'm out) and also its fit and lack of bulk, especially when Lucy was smaller. I have had some issues with leakage if Lucy is in certain positions (especially on her tummy or side) as sometimes it slips down slightly, creating gaps for urine to leak. This may be partly because of Lucy's shape - she is quite long for her weight so the nappy may not sit up as high on her waist area as it's intended to - so it will be interesting to see how the medium size goes. If Lucy goes to day care ever (perhaps next year) I will probably buy some of the all-in-one's just to take for that day.

Nature's Child Organic Cotton Fitted Nappy

This is the Nature's Child (www.natureschild.com.au) organic cotton fitted nappy. It consists of the outer nappy, with polyester elasticised sides to contain leaks, and inner pads, also made of organic cotton (see bottom photo). The nappy can be used with just the one pad, but I have always used it with the two (both provided with the nappy) as it fits Lucy better and is more absorbant that way. This nappy fastens with velcro at the back, which is apparently useful for inquisitive toddlers (I'm yet to find this out). Often only the booster pads need to be changed; the outer only needs changing if wet or soiled. The booster pads can be purchased separately so you can have extras (without purchasing an entire nappy) making the system relatively cost effective.

Unfortunately, Lucy did not fit into this nappy until she was around 4 months old (and I bought 9 plus 6 extra boosters before Lucy arrived!), though it's supposed to fit babies from newborn (around 4kg size) to 12months. There is a larger size (size 2) for toddlers. The nappy is quite cleverly designed to fit baby as she grows. It now fits Lucy well and I quite like it. No cover is needed, though I usually put one on for overnight use, just incase (either wool or PUL polyester). The organic cotton pads are thick and quite absorbant, though they do take a long time to dry. I rarely have leakage problems with this one - as with all nappies, if it's fitted well there's less chance of a leak. Other than the Baby Beehinds hemp or bamboo fitted nappy, this is one of the greenest nappies (for an Aussie to buy) I've come across.

Nature's Child also sells a cloth nappy liner (called a dri-liner) which helps to draw moisture away from baby's skin. It's made of light-weight polyester and is particularly useful for overnight. There are also various brands of flushable biodegradable liners. I have mainly used these when away from home for more than a day, as I don't then have my Little Squirt to hose off poo. They were very useful when we went away on holidays to Queensland recently!

The Good Old-fashioned Nappy

Below is a folded Nature's Child organic cotton terry square nappy. I've used these several times and they are useful to have as a back-up. The nappy is fastened using a Snappi which works a little like a bandage fastener to grap the fabric and hold itself in place - much simpler and safer than pins. Snappi's are widely available in shops (eg, chemists) and on the internet. There are many different nappy folds - which one you use depends on size, gender and shape of your baby. The Nature's Child website (www.natureschild.com.au) has some excellent nappy folding instructions (with diagrams).

One disadvantage of terry squares is the need to use a nappy cover. This could also be an advantage as I have found the chance of leakage is minimal with nappy covers (compared to fitted nappies that don't need a cover). The cover below is a lovely pure organic wool cover made by Disana. It's a beautiful, soft, comfortable cover. Unfortunately I managed to shrink one of them by accidentally popping it in with the ordinary wash! Although wool covers need to be hand washed, washing can be done less frequently (eg, once a week) - apparently when the lanolin in wool comes in contact with urine an anti-bacterial product is created.

Below is a PUL (polyurethane laminated) polyester cover, by Eenee Designs (www.eenee.com). Its similar to the old-fashioned pilchers however the PUL polyester is breathable. Although not as luxurious as the wool cover, it works well, is easy to wash, quick-drying and still has the bonus of breathability.

There are many other covers available, including both wool and PUL covers from Baby Beehinds (www.babybeehinds.com.au). I would steer clear of the old-fashioned PVC covers as they do not breathe so they create ideal nappy rash conditions.

Wiping bottoms

We have been very happily using cloth nappies since Lucy was born. Sooj has been begging me for weeks to write some notes on the blog about cloth nappies, ready for Sustainable House Day!

Firstly, I would like to point out that despite what some people will tell you, cloth nappies are a greener option than disposables, even biodegradable disposables . There was a study performed by the UK Environmental Protection Agency several years ago, which compared the environmental impact of cloth vs disposable nappies. In this study, cloth and disposables came out fairly even (though it seemed to disregard the environmental impact of thousands of nappies per baby entering landfill destined to survive for thousands of years). An updated version of the study was peformed and the results released in 2008. This study considered the methods of washing and drying cloth nappies, and found that cloth nappy use consumed less energy in the production and cleaning of the nappies compared to the energy used to manufacture the number of disposable nappies used in the same time frame, when nappies were washed in warm rather than hot water, and line-dried rather than tumble drying (the original study had involved hot water washes and tumble drying). However, the cloth nappy option is even greener if you are using renewable energy (eg, solar power or purchasing accredited Green power from your energy supplier) to power your washing machine, collecting some or all of your own water and using cloth nappies made of sustainable materials (rather than, for example, ordinary cotton which uses vast amounts of water and pesticides to grow). In our case, living in a sustainable home powered by the sun, collecting all it's own water which is recycled for use in the orchard, there was no question that cloth nappies (of any type) would have far less environmental impact than disposables.

Cloth nappy use has changed considerably since I was a baby thirty something years ago. Gone are the days of soaking in bleach, washing in hot water, folding and nappy pins! There is a fabulous and extensive selection of fitted cloth nappies available that make life much easier. Not only are they easier to put on your baby, they also tend to be far more absorbant than terry squares so they don't need to be changed quite as often. Having said that, I have half a dozen organic cotton terry squares (from Nature's Child) to use as a back-up, and they have still been no problem to use.

In addition to using cloth nappies, we use cloth wipes rather than disposable wipes (this includes for bottoms, faces and any other wiping of the body that's needed)! Below are 2 organic cotton wipes from Nature's Child - the larger one on the left is for bottoms; the right one is more of a face wipe as it is ultra soft. I also have some old face washers which I use, and they work fine as well. (The small, white round object in the photo is a biodegradable disposable wipe that is about the size of a coin; it opens out into a cloth with the addition of water. I used them mainly in the first week, at the hospital, then for the first few weeks on outings, but I've hardly used them since. They are an excellent disposable wipe option though.) Of course the other ingredient is plain old water! A much gentler option for baby's skin. I simply keep a dish of clean, fresh water near the change table. There are numerous natural or organic nappy ointments and creams available too. The bottom wipes get washed with the nappies so it's really no extra effort to use them; the face wipes are washed with Lucy's clothes (again, no extra effort).

Below is a cloth nappy user's best friend! It's called a Little Squirt and it's basically a small, high pressure hose that easily attaches to the toilet cistern tap (DIY installation) and is used to hose off poo, directly into the toilet. An Australian product I couldn't live without!

In the following posts I will talk about the different types of cloth nappies I have used, and provide more information about cleaning and general use of cloth nappies.

We went away to the Sunshine Coast (2000km drive in total!) for a conference for 9 days. All the animals were OK. Yoda got a transient cystitis (from stress) and Bo and Bernadette keep escaping their yards but all in all everyone was well looked after by our friends Fiona and Tam. I promise to not put up too many baby photos... but I can't resist. This is Lucy, happy to be having a posh lunch at Noosa!