Two issues with cloth nappies.

[FlingonTheValiant]

DS is in ME Sandy's for the day and Night Notions and Bamboozle Stretch at night. He's started having really red skin, not a rash exactly, but it definitely looks irritated. He doesn't cry when he has a wet nappy so I try to be good about changing it regularly, but his skin is red even when the nappy is fairly dry. I always boost and use a fleece liner.

I wash them in non-bio but I read that sometimes bio can actually be better if the baby has sensitive skin. Is that worth trying?

DH keeps putting him in disposables to avoid it :(

Second problem is also DH related. DH maintains (constantly) that DS's nappies are too small for him. DS is almost 8m, 9th percentile weight, 9 percentile height and has just gone into his Large Sandy's, Size 2 Stretch. His Night Notions are Medium. DH insisted that his M NN tonight is only coming halfway up his bum because it's too small, I insisted that it was because it wasn't pulled up and was on a looser-than-normal setting. Is DH right and I'm just confused? Or has anyone else thought that the nappies look/seem too small when actually they're fine? I don't see how DS can be too big for them, even the NN go up to 25lbs and he's a skinny lad.

DH also told me his XS Sandy's were too small for him when he weighed 8.5lbs, so I do think DH just has some weirdly distorted perceptions, but it means a constant row over nappies and if I'm not there DH just pops him in a Huggies from the holiday stash

Thanks if anyone has any ideas!

I didn't use those ones so don't know about the sizing.
But the nappy rash - are those the sort of nappies that have lanolin?
I just know that my DD's skin reacts to creams etc with lanolin in and some people do seem to be putting lanolin onto certain washables for waterproofing.
Just an idea.

Try stripping your nappies - could be there is a build up of washing powder and things. put them on very hot washes over and over until no more suds come out - you'd be surprised how long this takes!

and re. your DH, honestly I would just let it be and pick your battles. If he prefers disposibles, let him use them. In the grand scheme of things its not major - he'll still be predominantly in cloth and you'll all be happy.

Also, I did find that the flushable liners I used were good for wicking the wet away from the skin.

No there's no lanolin on them, and I never got around to lanolising his wool wrap

I've got some flushable liners that I haven't tried, I might have a go with them.

Good idea re stripping them. I've got a load to do tomorrow. Do I wash them normally first, or do you think it'll be ok to put them in with no powder at all? How hot? Would 60 do it? Wraps as well?

It's not really a big issue with DH, more that it involves eye rolling and much muttering of OFGS. I'd understand if it was because of the red skin, but it's the imaginary too-small-nappies that make me Oh well, at least he changes them.

Small sandies go up to 20lb in weight, large from 18 - 35, just call him simon cowell when he says they're not high enough!

I estimate DS to weigh 19.5lbs. He's got a little while left in his L Sandy's :o

(He did look funny in his hipster, builders-bum revealing NN though. Soon sorted it with a tug and button adjustment).

DD is just over 20lbs and shes been in large nappies for the past 2 mths. With chunky legs mediums never fit properly and she went straight into larges.

Try strip washing the nappies, rinse wash at 60 with a small amount of bio powder, wash without powder then rinse, rinse, rinse until you see no bubbles at all. Use nappisan if you have some. Non bio is rubbish with cloth nappies IMO

Is you LO teething? DD had a red bottom for a while and DP was getting annoyed saying it was the nappies but the HV advised me it was teething and the rash was nothing to do with nappies. It soon cleared up so HV was right i think. Try using some cloth friendly cream and make sure you rinse nappies well.

Another thing to think about is whether it's the fleece liners that are making his bum red. Some babies don't get on with fleece liners.

FWIW dd2 is 22months and not into a large sandy . Dd1 only just got into a large and she potty trained at 22 months!

Thanks so much for the advice. I'll do a strip wash and swap to bio and paper liners.

He is teething, he got his first tooth a few days ago - I forgot that that could cause red bums.

DS wouldn't be in large anything if it wasn't for his thighs, he's got a very slim waist - he had to leg buttons on the loosest setting and the waist buttons on the tightest. He's got thighs a turkey would be proud of!

My DS is tall and skinny. He grew out of all his cloth nappies well before he reached the recommended upper weight limit because of his height.

Eek, so it is possible. Do they do XL cloth or is it pull-ups from then on?

DS has only just made it out of 3-6 month clothes though, so in our case it is just DH's imagination, DS really is tiny apart from the thighs, and now we're up a size they're back on the tightest setting.

a-ha teething!!!! that'll be the problem!!!

if so, it will disappear on it's own in a few days.

My DS never had nappy rash except for 24 hours when he was teething badly.

HTH

Well every single nappy I own is currently being stripped just to be sure - I think they do need it, a couple of loads back I noticed they had a whiff of wee about them when they came out the machine, so it'll do them good anyway.

And hopefully DS'll get another tooth through and all will be well.

Thanks everyone :)