This is what my table looked like yesterday when i got the toddler twosome down for a nap and turned to chores!
Trust me…there was more on the floor in the washing basket! The trouble with cloth nappying twins is that when you have weeks on end of rainy weather it can be very hard to stay on top of the washing and folding and i really hate not being organised…i begin to feel overwhelmed!!
As i have mentioned before, we mainly use all in one modern cloth nappies which require no cover and have a pad we can insert for extra absorbency…they are easy to put on, wash and after laying a liner on them they are good to go…very easy…..except they take an awfully long time to dry in wet, humid weather and i usually have to resort to the dryer after awhile to keep up.
Using the dryer i don't like doing but i like poop on the floor and having to use disposables even less so my solution during these times is to go back to the good old terry flats with a cover! We, (i say we because dad is just as good at me at folding and putting on nappies bless him!) do need to change them more often especially now they are toddlers (and it can get a little scary after a lot of pear but let's not go there…) but they dry so quickly in comparison and really don't take that much extra time to fold when you are organised (strangely, it can be therapeutic to sit down on the floor with a cuppa and fold nappies….or that may be just me!)
Everyone seems to have their favourite fold and i did a fair amount of research when i was pregnant with the girls (i knew it would be the last time for a very long time that i could sit down and ‘research' anything!!) and settled on the ‘Jo fold'. I used the old triangle fold doubled while they were so little but changed to the Jo fold when they were about 2 months old. We are still using it now with just a few modifications for chubbier bums and legs!
Let me share how simple it is in case you are stuck with a bout of rainy weather or not up to buying a stash of MCN's just yet! I think if you are cloth nappying you should try and have at least a dozen terry flats stashed away as they can serve a myriad of purposes!
Take one terry flat square……..
This is only a very basic tutorial but i just wanted to give you an idea of one of the options out there…you can find many great videos on you tube which is how i learnt. Once you have folded them a few times you become a pro!
This site explains this fold and many others and is a wealth of information. As for me, i am off to admire my nappy wall as for the first time in a week i am in front with the nappies!!!
Do you still use terry flats or have they become a thing of the past with the introduction of modern cloth nappies do you think? I would love to hear about your favourite fold if you do still use them!
you got it together!!
Oh, Jode–it is so wonderful to read of your commitment to cloth diapering! I have used cloth with all 8 of my babies and it is such a wonderful, frugal thing to do as a mama. :o)
I have always used flat fold diapers with vinyl covers until baby #8. This time, I also have some covers similar to yours that snap in place.
Thanks for this encouraging post! I have been meaning to get a diaper post up on my blog–perhaps I will get around to it soon.
Have a great day.
Wow, I’m super impressed!!! We used disposable diapers with all our babies, just because I didn’t think I could do cloth diapers with twins. I mean, I knew I could but I thought it would drive me crazy with all the extra work.
You are so organized!!!!
Thank you for the excellent tutorial! I’ve tried some all-in-ones, but sometimes have a problem with them leaking a bit. So, I’m sticking with the terry cloth/cotton ones with covers, too 🙂
-Jaime
We used terry cloths when we first had Ginger – but found them a lot of work to keep clean. We switched to modern cloths (Baby Beehinds like I notice you have) one size fits all, bamboo. We haven’t looked back.
That said, the elastic on many of our nappies has died. I have found a tutorial online on how to replace it, so am planning to do that before baby two arrives in April. With two in nappies though the terry cloths might have to resurface – I will definitely be using your suggestion of a liner if we do go back to them.
A great tutorial Jode:) It’s been a while in this house since I did nappy thing. I was really good with the big girl and used terry cloth nappies with a liner that I would re wash but with the little one I cheated and used disposables, very bad I know. There weren’t any fancy nappies around when both of the girls were younger so if I had to choose the cloth were the best. x
Just found your blog. Thanks for the great nappy fold. I like to use flats in wet weather too…or if I have been too slack to sort washing:)
Great blog, I will be visiting again!
Thanks Anonymous…couldn’t reply via email to you but wanted to thank you for stopping by and your lovely comment.
Hope to see you again…i’m off to fold nappies as it’s raining yet again!!
I’ve used “modern cloth diapers” on my son for two years now (fingers crossed he takes to potty training easily) but with a little girl on the way I am looking to simpler methods like using flats.
Did you make your terry nappies or did you purchase them. I haven’t seen many options for terry but they look like they would be easy to make and possibly more absorbent than flannel panels.
Hi Kathie….i must admit i use my terry flats a lot more than the MCN’s now. We have had a lot of rain this year and they are just easier to dry and i really don’t mind the folding so i understand you looking toward the simpler options! I tend to use the MCN’s if i go out though(which unfortunately isn’t much lol)
I purchased my terry flats, it worked out cheaper than buying the terry to make them. You can also usually get them still in the packets on ebay as long as you watch how much they charge for postage. I used flannel in the old triangle fold doubled for the first month or so as terry were too bulky but after that i used them with the fold above and they were fine. Do invest in good wraps to go over the top though i think! The flannel is definately not as absorbent i don’t feel but ok for those early days.terry are very easy to amke if you want to do your own and there are many tutorials to jazz them up a bit but just compare the price of buying all that terry first is my advice!! Good Luck!
Jode, Thanks so much for sharing this on my page! The Jo fold is officially my favorite flat fold I’ve used so far! =) Thanks you for following my progress and for your encouraging words!
Trisha
Momma T and Baby E
Wow that’s a whole lot of nappies. I love the look of the modern ones, but I’m also pleased to have a reminder on how to fold the ole school ones. My mum used them on the little sisters and I vaguely remember how to fold them when I assisted in cleaning them. Living in a sunny country it makes sense to use natural resources get them dry. Its so damp in UK :0(
Definitely,what a fantastic blog and enlightening posts,I definitely will bookmark your website.Best Regards!
Modern cloth nappies Australia
When i got my terry toweling flats in the mail, I was quite suprised at how small they were. 60x60cms seemed big online, and I was worried I would have to send them back. Maybe this might work. I’m still not sure.