How to Choose the Best Nappies

Introduction

While on your journey to finding the best and most comfortable clothes, diapers, and products for your little one, we understand that you might feel overwhelmed with the contradicting information available and presented to you on the internet. Just remember that whatever you end up choosing, your choice of diaper for your baby and the diapering technique are both unique to you and your baby, and there are no one-size-fits-all solutions! Remind yourself that diapering your baby is a personal experience, and it's important to find the method that works best for you and your little one! 

With that in mind, Little & Brave will try to simplify the factors surrounding baby wear and make your decision easier. So without further ado, here’s a quick and ready reckoner for all things you may need to know about Diapers and Diapering – Read on for Nappies & Diapering 101 with Little & Brave.

Types of Diapers

There are numerous kinds of diapers that are viable options for babies! Your baby will go through thousands of diapers before they are potty trained, so we understand that you want to pay for ones that work efficiently. Deciding which one to choose is hard, and new parents often struggle to decide between eco-friendly nappies and their conventional, disposable variants. These diapers can broadly be divided into Cloth Diapers and Disposable Diapers. 

For more comprehensive information, you can go through our more comprehensive guide on the most popular types of Eco-Friendly Nappies and Diapers in the market today. 

What to Consider When Choosing a Nappy For Your Baby

  • Absorbency

    • Perhaps the most important factor to consider when deciding on a diaper for your baby is the level of absorbency it can offer; The diaper or nappy must be able to absorb an adequate amount of liquid waste without leaking or becoming saggy. This is imperative to the baby’s health as a leaky diaper can affect the baby’s skin and cause an allergic reaction to the wetness, resulting in irritation and diaper rashes. 

  • Softness and Breathability

    • The occurrence of diaper dermatitis is related to the breathability of diapers. Harsh diaper dermatitis increases in babies wearing non-breathable diapers as opposed to non-breathable diapers.

    The breathability of a diaper depends on the fibres used in the diaper. The moisture-wicking and retention balance that the diaper has will resultantly determine how comfortable the baby will be. It’s a win-win situation if you can both trap liquid waste somewhere while allowing water vapour to escape.

    In essence, a breathable diaper means rash-free skin and a rash-free baby is a happy baby!

  • Stretchability and Fit

    • When diapers stretch enough, changing them becomes much easier for a parent in a hurry. Good flexibility in a diaper also helps ensures that they stay put and fit appropriately in the right places. It will help prevent leakages and accumulated discomfort due to daily use.

  • Baby Size and Weight

    • As time passes, you’ll notice there is truth to the words “They grow up so fast!”.

    Baby will need bigger-sized diapers every few months, so consider their sizes at the time of purchase and avoid stocking up on one size. As they grow in size, avoid diapering them in nappies that are too small.

  • Pooping Habits

    • As mentioned in the beginning, a baby’s diapering experience is as unique as they are. If they are heavy wetters, this would influence your choice of a diaper.

  • Skin Sensitivity

    • As you’ve probably noticed already, a baby’s skin is much more delicate than the average full-grown adult’s – It is thinner and more porous, which means that it absorbs more of the things that it comes into contact with. With this in mind, the chemicals in disposable nappies, which include plastics, synthetic dyes, and other aggravating elements can cause anything from skin rashes and respiratory issues. 

    Eco-friendly alternatives, however, contain none of these chemicals, keeping your baby’s sensitive bottom safe and soft. Since a nappy directly touches your baby’s sensitive skin all day and night, we’d recommend minimising or eliminating chemicals in those materials. By choosing chemical-free products, you reduce the number of chemicals that absorb into your baby’s body, lowering the overall chemical contact for your little one. A fuss-free baby is a happy baby.

  • Convenience 

    • Caring for a newborn baby is hard work filled with sleepless nights and almost never-ending feeds and diaper changes. . In such a situation, disposable diapers provide the ultimate convenience and hygiene as they don’t need to be washed, unlike cloth diapers. On this note, it’s always best to opt of environmentally feasible disposable diapers.

    While no nappy has a carbon footprint of zero, eco-friendly nappies give parents better options! Our well-made compostable disposable nappies are made with wood pulp, a plant-based breathable biofilm, no oil-based plastics, and no chemicals. Simply put, this eco-friendly variant is made from renewable plant-based materials and is commercially compostable; Our processes are intentionally gentler on the planet than the conventional diapers,  and the products as a bonus can nourish the earth around us!

    Making A Diaper-Changing Set-Up

    Preparing yourself for diaper changes requires you to stock up on basic supplies to create an efficient, and comfortable changing station. Equip this station with 

    • Changing Pad and Cover: A good changing pad should provide comfort and security with an easy-to-clean material
    • Wipes, Creams and Lotions: From soothing irritated and rashed bums.
    • Diaper pail for disposable diapers: A diaper pail is the best place to store dirty diapers until garbage day

    Making a Diaper Bag When You Go Out

    Diapering is an aspect of parenthood that you must think of when in your home and even more so when you’re stepping out. Keep a diaper bag at the ready with a checklist you can consult on the go! A few things to ensure the bag contains are_

    • Diapers,
    • A portable diaper changing pad or soft cloth to lay baby down on,
    • Baby wipes,
    • Trash bags,
    • Baby powder and cream, and 
    • Emergency pacifier

    Bottomline

    And that’s that! We hope you feel better informed about what to stock up on when you’re little one is on their way. Head over to our other blogs about the Many Benefits of Eco Nappies and the Types of Eco-Nappies to prepare you to carry out your diapering duties in an environmentally conscious manner. Trust us – making the switch to Little and Brave Eco Nappies today will bring your little one closer to a brighter and cleaner future today.