Real Nappies: They aren't greener if they leak everywhere and double your laundry load...

[silverten]

I'm trying, rather unsuccessfully, to use terry squares with MotherEase Rikki wraps.

The fit seems fine, the wraps look large enough, I'm religiously tucking in around the legs so the wrap covers the nappy entirely, but I still get the most awful leaks! Usually around the seams of the leg gussets, from what I can tell, usually when I've been out with DD sitting up in the pushchair.

The latest was on for an hour and a half, and the wee has soaked through the wrap, the vest, the top, tights, trousers and onto the pushchair (so I'll have to wash that as well... )

I'm using second-hand wraps and some of them look better than others. Do they get worse as they get older or something? Or should I just give up with the two-part system and try an all-in-one type?

Wraps can lose their waterproofness after lots of use, personally I preferred the airflow to the rikki as I rarely had leaks with them.
How old is your dd?

10 months. I can't believe she's soaking the nappy so well that it's leaking out of the leg holes. And it does look like it is the seam that is leaking, so I guess that is my problem...

Boo. I thought I was being soooo clever and planet-loving by using second-hand wraps as well.

Is there any way of re-proofing them? I know you can get wash-in waterproofing for fancy coats (in fact I think I might have some lurking under the sink...).

I think you can re proof them
But I haven't tried personally, I have a lovely new wrap that I could post to you (free obviously) then you could see if it is the wrap or the nappy?

HI I have used reusable nappies with all 4 of my babies. I use prefolds which sit nicely inside the wrap - rikki wraps (with velcro) are the best and you can get a tight fit around the leg. You can get plenty of additional liners to go inside the wrap as well as the prefold - little rectangular cloth - lots with fleece/synthetic top layer which really absorbs moisture. I don't tend to use these extra liners except when I put the baby to sleep in the day and I know I won't change the nappy for a couple of hours. I cheat at night and use a disposable!! Never been able to get a washable to stay leakproof all night!! Sorry you are having problems with them during the day - it really is worth it and you are being planet-loving!!

Wow 4andnotout that would be really kind of you if you would! Is it a large size?

I might have a go with the proofing as well- seems a shame to give up on the wraps I have totally. Don't suppose you know of any special waterproofing for nappy wraps, do you- or is it going to be a bit of a bodge any way I do it?

It's technically a size 1 wrap but I can get huge night nappies underneath it when I tried it for size, if you pm me your address I'll find an envelope and get it in the post to you :)

Um, sorry, I don't know what you mean by pm? Is that where you click on 'Message poster' at the top right of your post?

(don't want to advertise my address to all and sundry!)

Yes that's it :)

Hi Silverten
i am using a variety of cast-offs nappies and do find that when they get a teeny bit too small the first sign is leaks round the leg holes

At night over a terry I have found a wool soaker to be amazing. So much so that I'm knitting some longies, liek trowsers that ds can wear with a terry so he won't need a sweaty plastic wrap.

HTH

cast offs

Right, so you can't punctuate in a cross out. I see.

I use terry squares with a fleece liner and airflow wrap, even at night and rarely have problems.

Thank you 4andnotout!

Hmmm sounds like I should check DD's weight then cos I don't know what it is cos I am a slack mum who hasn't been bothered to schlep to the clinic for ages, and the size for the wraps. Bum- seems like only ten minutes since I got them as well!

You'll probably also find you get a better result from a shaped nappy rather than terries because you'll be getting an elasticated fit around the leg on the nappy as WELL as the cover.

Ive never had any problems with terries and they seem to be what i reach for most often for night times as they are so reliable! Maybe its a size of the wrap thats causing the problems or the old wrap has just given up lol. I used rikkis for DD1 and found them quite good.

Terry folds need to be quite snug and a secure fit on their own, even without the wrap. I suspect that is OP's problem. Which fold are you using, Silverten?

Ehm, a sort of super-kite fold: two adjacent edges to just over the diagonal, so that the diagonal line which forms the centre of the nappy and goes between the legs has three layers of terry, then the other, short corner down to form the waist, and the pointy tail up to form the front. Then a fleece liner over all the edges. (We devised the extra layers in the middle because we got lots of front leaks of wee- in fact, still do if DD has a sleep on her front.) Fasten with a nippa and then we sort of roll the excess leg material in on itself around the bum cheeks to take up the slack before putting the wrap on- they are quite gapey to start with but I haven't found a better fold that does tighter legs- any suggestions you have would be most welcome. We used to do the Poo-catcher fold (as described by the nappylady website) but found that we started getting leg leaks so we experimented a bit.

Incidentally, what are you 'supposed' to do with the extra flap of material at the front edge of the Rikki wrap? I used to tuck it into the front of the terry, to try and stop the front leaks, but now I'm wondering if I should have left it to cover the bit where the velcro is stiched on to stop the wee leaking through the stitch holes?

However I borrowed a newish pocket nappy from a mate this weekend and got leg leaks with that- granted, it was on for three hours as she had a sleep, but it did have a couple of pads in it- so now am thinking DD wets a lot and needs boosting even during the day? Bit of a shame really but I can't be changing nappies every hour!

DH does that tucking in of the extra Rikki flap in front. I don't, doesn't make a difference either way I think.

I hated pocket nappies and had horrendous leaks with them, could not get anything like a snug enough fit!

Kite fold like

Unless you've got a supersize terry, kite fold is pants and will leak, ime. Nevertheless, the leg fit should be snug like in the video, you have to roll the sides inwards around the legs. The poo-catcher fold is pants, ime, use [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-cuAfnBwMU
this one]] from birth-5 months instead.

I use [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cROuJ7yVRcc
the Gaynor fold from 5 months+]] (for boys or girls, btw).

Whatever fold you use, the nappy should stay on by itself (without a wrap), for more than a few minutes unless todder is very active running around.

How long do you expect it to stay on without a change? I leave it the max I dare, but that said, the max varies a lot from one baby to another. I know people who can't get more than an hour out of a disp because of their high fluid intake tots. (I can usually get 4-6 hours out of cloth, because mine don't drink enough).

Not quite like that, but that actually looks rather better than what I do. However I think my terries are rather smaller than hers, so I'm not sure that I will be able to get the nappy to fit if it's folded as per the video.

I like the tweak around the legs, though- will definitely try that! Will also try the Gaynor fold- thanks.

TBH I don't think my expectations are unrealistic- if I got 2-2.5 hours out of a terry I'd be happy. I can often get four out of a disposable with no leaks and use them at night because no amount of boosters seem to contain the flood! I appreciate the comments on pocket nappies- can well see that they will only work if they fit well (which is why I went for terries)- which is why I chose the Rikki wraps as the fit can be really precise. However I'm also getting a bit sick of wrestling to get two layers on DD- she is very, very wriggly and doesn't stay still for long! An all-in-one would definitely make my life easier if it worked on that score.

See if you can find a real nappy group near you (or devise one using MN local, even!). Meeting up with other clothies could make a huge difference for you. The others will fuss over you and be enthusiastic to show off what they know and might be just what you need.

New fold looking good- only got tiny leg leaks after three and a bit hours! I really should have changed it earlier but because I am a bad mummy I was busy yacking at baby group

Really?! That's fab, See Terries are great, (but they are also a bit of an art :) ).

Just going up to check on the monkey now- I felt like playing with fire and put her down for a nap in a fresh terry...

Thank you!!