Question for Itti Bitti users please!

[WhatFreshHellIsThis]

Anyone who uses the Snap In Ittit Bitti D'Lish - can you tell me if there's a way of stopping the inserts going very stiff and board like?

Have borrowed some off a friend and the inserts are very stiff. Is it a hard water problem?

Also, it seems to make the legs gape, is that because I'm using the wrong size or is it the inserts being too stiff?

Thanks!

Mine aren't stiff at all but I've always used Bold 2in1 - they're the only thing with conditioner in which doesn't affect the absorbancy. I'd recommend using this as it will soften them up a bit.

Thanks MrsJamin - I use Ecover, not sure what my friend uses though. Don't really want to switch just for a few of the nappies though!

Wondered whether vinegar in the rinse might help?

not heard of this, my ones are still v soft even after 6 months of use?
Could you put them all through a hotter wash (65?) and tumble them? might soften them up?
how do you mean the legs gape?

just a tip DO NOT put the outers in the tumble dryer - it ruined some of my outers as it melted it.

I think it does matter whether you're in a hard water area or not - ours is disgustingly hard water so that's why I use softener in the bold 2in1. It's not very eco but it means I can wash other clothes items at the same time as the nappies so it cuts down the amount of washes I do = i.e. it is eco in another way.

That's interesting MummyElk - what laundry stuff do you use? And are you in a hard water area?

The legs gape sort of underneath, round his bottom - if I pull the front of the nappy right up then they meet, but then I feel like I'm giving him a wedgie! I suspect he should still be in smalls, rather than mediums, and that's probably the problem, but the thickness of the inserts seems to make the gaping worse, iyswim.

Sadly, I don't own a tumble drier so that might be out.

how old is your DS? I used mediums on my DS when he was 3 months old, but he was a very chubby baby! Can you make the waist any tighter so they will fit round his legs any better?

I know exactly what you mean, mine are very stiff too and I've hardly used them. I live in a very hard water area and I also don't have a tumble dryer. The stiffness means they don't really bend and so they seem to push the leg bits outwards, don't they? I kind of give mine a bit of a massage (!) with lots of squeezing, crumpling etc to soften them up. Have to do this with my sandy's too when I've line dried them to stop them being like planks. Roll on winter - did i really just type that? - and nappies on radiator rails again, nice and soft!

oh phew, I thought i was the only one having this problem!

DS2 is 5 months, but although he's a big baby, he doesn't have very chubby legs - he's long rather than wide, iyswim! He weighs about 17-18lbs at the moment.

My friend is going to send me her small size ones so I can see if they fit better. Is the stiffness better when they're dried indoors then, BaronConker?

I never had much stiffness problem with Itti's but I did have trouble with the gaping legs and I do pull them up from the inside at the front IYSWIM and then pull the whole thing up. Also I fold the large insert differently, basically I clip it in and then rather than fold it inwards (as if you were closing a book) I flip the insert out (while still attached) and then fold and then turn it back in. Does this make any sense??? They stopped leaking at the leg when I did this.

FWIW I used mediums on DS from about 4 months old and he was about 15lbs and he has a skinny waist and legs.

hi sorry was distracted.
firstly god NO don't tumble the outers! sorry i meant the linings/innards. anyway slightly irrelevant for you Freshhell so:
Anyway yes i'm in a hard water area, we just use persil nonbio i think? or whatever is on offer at the time at costco!!
one tip i did suddenly discover is..
when you've attached the trifold innard (on mine they are purple poppers) and then attached the single innard on top (on yellow poppers) the whole nappy goes on MUCH better if you sort of give it a pull, lengthways. It's the only way I can get the various folds to suddenly sit right? If that makes any sense.
DD is in large i think, she's 18months now but has been wearing them since 12months. sometimes I wonder if they are just getting a bit small but then I seem to crowbar her in again!! and she does seem comfy.

The crunchiness does sound a bit like the towels at my mum's house which she dries on the line and do seem to go, um, stiff! But so far I haven't had that problem with my itti's and I line dry them as often as possible.
Could you try something like these??
i use the dryangles balls in my tumble, looks like they might do the same thing.

Thanks ChocOrange, I might try the reverse folding thing!

MummyElk I know what you mean about stretching the nappy out - I do that already but it doesn't seem to help. Those balls look interesting though, might give them a go.

I'm going to see how he does in the small size, and then see how we go.

Thank you everyone!

I do the reverse folding thing, too. As for drying inside, I think that if they dry quicker and with heat, it just makes them softer. The reason tumble dried nappies are soft is partly due to them being tumbled around, and partly because they dry quickly and get all nice and warm. So in the winter, nappies dried on the radiator are definitely softer than line dried or hung indoors in the summer. I've got loads of those little plastic rails that attach to the radiators and hang my nappies all over the house on those in the winter so they get heat-dried.

Am I right in thinking I need to give my Itti Bittis a big tug to pull them up high enough and to do them up tight to get rid of a big gap under DDs legs??

First time mum and first time reusables user! DD isn't crying so guessing they're not too tight but seems like the thickness of the inserts make it tricky to get them on properly.

Not quite sure how to reverse fold but will experiment. Any other putting on hints & tips?

When I put itti's on my dd's I snap them up then pull the wings up a bit more, otherwise we get wing droop.