Where Do I Start With Cloth Nappies For Nights?
Maybe you’ve been considering switching to reusable cloth nappies for night-time use but feeling overwhelmed by the potential for leaks and sleep disruptions. Or maybe you’re uneasy about how hygienic cloth nappies really are for night-time use, how bulky they’ll be, if your child will be constricted by wearing them, or even just unsure about how often you’ll need to change them. We get it! Any of those concerns are no small thing when you’re already sleep deprived and still handling that jolting transition to a relentless 24 hour parenting clock.
We feel you. And we’ve solved all of those problems by taking all of the worry, guess work and trial & error out of the equation entirely. Our team here at Cloth Bums have already done all of the legwork for you, and are now able to streamline the process for finding the perfect overnight cloth nappy solution for your family.
Whether you're a seasoned cloth user or just starting out, after reading through this one post, you’ll be able to confidently make the switch to a more sustainable and eco-friendly option with your baby’s nights that won’t spring leaks, restrict your baby’s movement, or wreak havoc in any way on those already precious hours of sleep through the night. Cloth Bums night nappy solutions will keep your little one happy overnight by keeping them feeling dry, comfortable AND straight back to bed at 3am without any extra trips to the linen cupboard.
Reliable Cloth Nappy Solutions That Won’t Leak
Cloth Bums night nappies have been carefully and thoroughly developed to be the most reliable thing out there when it comes to using cloth overnight. It is our firm belief that you should always be able to fit your baby into a cloth nappy that will last reliably overnight without experiencing any leaks or need to change your baby whilst keeping them feeling dry…unless they’ve done a poo. Always change those ones straight away!
We carry both thoughtfully engineered preflats with adorable covers that will fit all sized littles and growing toddlers, as well as a heavy duty one sized fits most (OSFM) pocket nappy designed to fit most babies from 5kg and up. While we’ve already stocked both newborn-sized and OSFM preflats in cute prints for ages now, but have recently released a game-changing night specific preflat.
Our new Night Preflats are our carefully engineered take on the more traditional terry-towelling flats that our mums all swore by…but new and improved for a better fit, greater absorbency, and to keep your baby’s skin feeling dry, no matter their age, size, or capacity to outsoak however many layers you can throw at them. We’re talking the heavy wetter that makes heavy wetters look like they’re merely tinkling with their ability to supersoak overnight. Our night preflats can handle it. This is because the entire nappy is absorbent, with two layers of cotton spandex on the outside panels, and an additional third straight down the centre in the splash zone, where it’s needed most but won’t add unnecessary bulk to the wings. This means that with a basic fold, the Cloth Bums night preflat will provide a minimum of 14 layers of primo, stretchy absorbency that can be further padded and customized for a perfect fit, every time. Not to mention how quickly they'll dry once laundered- a bonus feature as we head into Winter here down under!
We’ve seen a lot of advice from nurses over the years that recommend an additional layer of absorbency for every hour that you’re expecting your baby to sleep through. At a minimum of 14 layers in the night preflat, we’re ensuring that you have everything you can possibly need to help your baby reach that golden milestone of uninterrupted overnight sleeping! Ultimately, the nature of a preflat that is entirely absorbent all over means an easy win for you and your cloth nappy stash, being a one-time investment that can be used successfully overnight from birth to toilet-training, and then again for siblings later on.
The Cloth Bums night preflat bundle includes everything you need to get through the night; a cushy, fully customizable preflat, a OSFM double- gusseted PUL cover to hold in anything that shouldn’t be leaking out, an additional hemp booster to bump absorbency even higher for older babes, and a microfleece liner. This last one will almost magically wick all moisture away from baby’s skin and keep them feeling dry all night long, meaning a baby that will be more comfortable than ever, every night. Any leaks beyond those 14+ layers and gussets flag fit issues or may require further bulking (often as easy as adjusting the fold of the nappy itself), which our team is always going to be more than happy to walk through with you via message or email. We’re all about finding the perfect fit for your baby!
If you’re not up for a pre-flat that requires its own cover, the Cloth Bums Knight nappy is a brilliant all-in-one pocket alternative for stay-dry cloth nights. Also OSFM, the Knight is a pocket nappy that comes kitted with enough absorbency for a heavy wetting toddler, but can just as readily be trimmed and snapped down to snugly fit a smaller child, and thus comfortably handle a baby anywhere from 5-20kg. The Knight 2.0 (we’re suckers for working on our designs until they’re absolutely perfect in every tiny way) comes standard with the thirstiest combination of hemp, bamboo and microfibre; you’ll be set for 12+ hours of dry sleep with a minimum of 16 layers of intense absorbency. It also has two layers of leg gussets and a PUL layer for unbeatable leak proofing, and is capped off with its own panel of stay dry fabric again to wick all moisture away from your baby’s skin and make rashes a thing of the past.
Night Cloth That Hygienically Keeps Baby Feeling Comfy & Dry
Some people worry that so many layers of fabric create a chunky little silhouette that can’t possibly be comfortable for their baby, but it’s just not true. People have used cloth nappies overnight for generations until disposables were invented for the sake of convenience relatively recently; and we’ve all turned out just fine (for the most part!). Modern night cloth isn’t as bulky as people make it out to be, just different from a disposable if that is what you’re used to, and yeah, may require you to size your baby up in pyjama pants…which really isn’t that big of a deal. All of those extra layers are designed to be between your baby’s legs where it is needed most, which actually means that a modern cloth nappy will help to support your baby’s hips by holding them in the optimal position for socket and ligament development and even prevent hip dysplasia from developing, without ever restricting your baby’s movement.
Reusable cloth nappies are more breathable than disposables, even with a waterproof polyurethane laminate (PUL) layer that has been created to allow air to pass through whilst maintaining it’s waterproofing. Many parents have thus made the switch to cloth overnight to help with ongoing nappy rashes, which also makes sense when you consider the plastics, perfumes and chemical gels inherent to disposable nappies. Studies have even shown that babies in cloth nappies can be up to 5 times less likely to develop nappy rash than those wearing disposables, which is exactly what you want overnight when you’re doing everything in your power to help your baby and extended family to get uninterrupted rest. It goes without saying that you should always consult a doctor over a bad nappy rash, especially if the skin is broken or bleeding.
Washing instructions are the same for night as regular cloth to keep your nappies hygienically clean with zero stains or smells. Take your preflat or Knight off your baby in the morning, dispose of any solid waste straight into the toilet and then place all of the dismantled layers into your dry pail to head into a pre-wash, to then be followed by a heavy duty main wash. There is nothing more complex about laundering night cloth nappies than an existing, thorough wash routine for day time cloth nappies. You should expect all cloth to come out of a main wash fresh as a daisy with no staining or unpleasant odours. If stains or smells have occurred in your stash in any capacity, it’s an instant indicator that your wash routine requires some tweaking, and you can reach out to our team at any time for help with troubleshooting your wash routine. Every cloth nappy should be as clean as a white tee-shirt the comes fresh from the laundry, even if it’s a night time nappy!
Night Nappies That Won’t Let You Down
Ultimately, using cloth overnight shouldn’t be a headache. It’s obvious that overnight cloth is an affordable solution (see our blog post here on why cloth is a cheaper alternative to disposables!) to night times that are reliable, comfortable, and leak free, keeping your baby feeling dry all night, every night.
All you’ll really need to do is choose which style and print you think will be cuter on your baby’s behind. And hey, who wants to make yet another choice when you’re already flat out with baby-decision fatigue? You can test drive both the preflat and Knight nappies in our Nighttime trial pack that includes both a fully kitted Knight and a night preflat bundle, both in the print of your choice. So don’t wait any longer, let Cloth Bums help you and your little one rest easy through the night.
