washable nappies getting soaking wet

[hovely]

I'm using washables (motherease & wraps) for ds 2 months old, having intended for 2.5 years to use them for dd and never quite starting...However what is concerning me is the amount of time ds spends with soaking wet cloth wrapped round him up to the waist. Surely this can't be good for the skin? I know previous generations (including me) grew up in terries, and at least the wraps are breathable not plastic, but it still seems like a recipe for skin problems even if not nappy rash. Or perhaps I'm just not changing them often enough. They seem to be soaked after every long-ish sleep (2 hours or more). Any thoughts?
If there are other threads on the subject I'd appreciate being steered in the right direction!

There isn't a problem with the skin being wet for long periods of time per se, but with terries you do need to make sure you dry the skin thoroughly on changing and leave your ds's botty open to the air for a short period every day.

Dd gets more skin problems when in disposables than she does in terries, even though I am the laziest mum ever and never change her until I have to. But she does have nappy liners, so most of the wetness is not right next to the skin. Do you use those?

Recommend fleece liners - they do a fantastic job of keeping dd's bottom dry even when her nappy is soaked! (They are just oblongs of fleece fabric (same stuff jackets etc are made of.)

thanks SP & BB, I'm using disposable liners but they just seem to get totally wet too. I'll give fleece a try.

I use fleece liners too or better still have now started getting the odd fleece lined nappy so the liner doesn't move around. DD2s bum doesn't seem nearly as soggy as when I used them on DS. That said he never seemed to mind being wet at all. I suppose its like wet socks in your wellies. As long as its warm it feels OK - just if it gets cold its not nice.

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definitely try fleece liners, they really do work. If the nappy is soaking up to his waist, are you pointing his willy downwards? (Am I teaching you to suck eaggs as well ?). From memory, I think the Motherease nappies have a snap-in booster? If so, you can fold it up at the front, so it is more absorbent where you need it?

As other people have said, a warm wet nappy won't feel too bad on, and wee itself doesn't cause nappy rash- as long as you change him as soon as he poos, he shouldn't get sore.

can i hi-jack this thread to ask what washables you would recommend for a new born. just we're trying again and just crossed my mmind i dont know what nappies to buy when i do fall preggy as dd2 was in disposibles for the first 11months.

What kind of nappies do you like using now, Misdee? I mean, are you a Terries person, or do you like shaped, AIO, prefolds...?

Hovely: I see your point, but I honestly think it's ok. Urine is good for the skin; it's even drunk as a health tonic (uehh, yuck, I know!) in some cultures. Mahatma Gandhi drank his own, for instance. I imagine it can make irritate a pre-existing skin condition, but it won't usually cause one.

ooh my favourite subject!
I'm using cotton bottoms and think they are just fab. I get fifty delivered every week (I use a service but you can buy them and do them yourself) and never get through more than 30. I don't use liners and only use cloth wipes and water to clean ds. The only time he's ever had any soreness or redness is when I've swapped to disposables when we've been travelling around (I don't bother any more). Senora P is right - as long as you make sure the wet little bot has dried before you put the next nappy on it seems to work fine. I put baby oil gel on once a day in the creasy bits but that's it and he smells so much better in cotton than he does in disposables...

Anyway, was gonna say, I happily used Terries with my newborns, but I'm a terry fan, anyway. There are good newborn folds using prefolds, too. Otherwise, I'm sure TotsBots size 1 are good if you like shaped. NatureBabies do a very very soft muslin-style pre-snap nappy (can't quite explain, but it's inbetween a prefold and a shaped, sort of like Nappy Nation) that would work well, too.

The biggest problem with newborns tends to be finding good wraps, that are small enough! I have some Bumpkins ones that were given to me, luckily. , but they're out of business. I would think ask the nappy sellers what they recommend for newborn wraps.

misdee, maybe you could use a laundry service for the first few weeks - I did until ds was 8 months and in the biggest size of prefolds. Not the cheapest option, but it meant I didn't have to shell out on tiny nappies that would be soon outgrown or cope with the extra washing at the same time as a newborn. Your local council should be able to put you in touch with a laundry service, or try the National Association of Nappy Services. Btw, our local council is offering families £25 off nappy purchases or a months free laundry so it would be worth contacting yours before you spend.

we use totsbots size 3 for dd2 with mother ease wraps and fleece liners. i have heard the its possible to use size 2 non aplix folded down for a newborn. anyone try this.

no baby this month best get trying harder.

Another vote for cotton bottoms - I used laundry service for DS1 then someone gave me a set of nappies so I am washing them for DD

newborn wraps - try the motherease/popolino newborn size ones with aplix. we used those and just folded muslins with a fleece liner for the first month or so. got the lot from the nappylady (the muslins ar bigger)

Misdee I'm with Zebra for the terry nappies vote. They're ideal for newborns as you can wrap them to fit, and just pin them with a nappy-nippa. Cheap to buy too, and dry much quicker thn the bigger fluffy shaped nappies.
Totsbots 2s would be OK if you have a big baby, for a 6 or 7lb-er they'd fall off.

thanks for tips esp secur & tissy. I had read advice elsewhere that said washables only need changing as frequently as disposables, but now I just don't think that's true. incidentally I have been using the motherease from birth, they seem to fit OK on my slim & skinny-legged 2 month-er.

Another vote for TotsBots - I used them for ds from birth. Also on the nappylady site there are some really good suggestions for avoiding nappy rash. I've been using chamomile tea with honey in it and have never had any nappy rash on ds (other than when I've run out of chamomile tea-bags!)

I think that its that disposables should be changed as often as cloth! Although disposables pull wetness away from the skin, the irritating properties of urine when left too long are still there. So people who leave a disposable on a little baby for 6 hours at a go are actually not doing the baby any good, even though they dont 'feel' wet. I use washables on my kids (kissaluvs) and they've oly ever had nappy rachin disposables (on holiday etc).

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