*UPDATED* Eco- and baby-friendly! (Kooshies Infant Classic Nappy 5 pack)

Member Name: Trayo

Product:	Kooshies Infant Classic Nappy 5 pack
Date:	31/03/01 (151 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: comfortable, relatively inexpensive to maintain

Disadvantages: costly at the outset; booster liners necessary at night

(After a suitable amount of time spent finding my "dooyoo feet", I have decided to update the following opinion to have it prove more useful to the dooyoo reader.)
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Prior to the birth of my daughter 7 months ago, I took the decision to use cloth nappies. It seemed important to me that I make a conscious effort to be environmentally friendly, although I was concerned that the wetness associated with cloth nappies may affect my baby's skin. Terry nappies always seem so thin, and go hard after a few dozen washes, so I looked for an alternative, and that's when I came across Kooshies Classic.

I have to admit that for the first few days of my daughter's life, I used disposables, as the Kooshies covered her umbilical stump and I was concerned about infection. However, once this area had dried I started using the Kooshies. 7 months on, I have never looked back!

The Kooshies nappy is a relatively simple concept. The nappy itself is made of 7 layers of flanelette - soft on the ol' bottie! - with a waterproof layer "hidden" inside to give minimum leakage. Shaped like a disposable, the nappy has strong aplix (velcro, but stronger!) fixing tapes, which are easily adjusted to fit a growing baby.

Kooshies are available in an assortment of plain or printed styles. I have prints on the ones that I bought; this isn't out of any sort of fashion sense, more that that is how they came in the pack. To be honest, Leah seems quite capable of adding her own patterns...I'll say no more; anyone with a baby will understand perfectly what I mean!

The infant-sized nappy is made to fit babies from 4-10 kg (about 8-22lbs for those of you who, like me, work in "old money"!).

Caring for the nappies is a doddle, and requires minimum efort and expense. After the nappy has been used, sluice off any solid matter into the toilet, rinse the
nappy and put it in a bucket of soaking solution. Th recommended method of soaking is to add 2 tablespoons of Bicarbonate of Soda (cheap to buy; ask your local chemist, who can get bigger quantities for you. As a guide, a 500g box costs me £1.17, and lasts about 2-3 weeks) to a bucket of cold water. Allow the nappies to soak for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight but not essential, rinse, then bung 'em in the washer! Don't use fabric conditioner; it creates a waxy build-up that affects absorbtion. I always tumble dry mine, although on a dry day I put them on the line and finish them off for about 10 minutes in the dryer to soften them.

Another method of soaking is to use 3-4 drops of pure tea tree oil in the bucket instead of bicarbonate of soda. Tea tree oil has wonderful disinfectant and antiseptic properties, and is equally kind to the fabrics of your nappies and your baby!

The manufacturers of Kooshies recommend that you will need 15-20 nappies. I disagree with that however. I have 12, which is ample as, with two children (one a boy - need I say more...?) I tend to wash daily anyway. (Incidentally, if the nappies have been soaked correctly, they need only be washed on a 40 degree cycle - 60 degrees if they have been heavily used).

I have to admit that I still use disposable nappies at night. Leah is a right little nocturnal piddler, and she sleeps much better in a disposable.

As your baby gets towards the end of the size for these nappies, washable booster liners are available, and they are invaluable if, for instance, you are going out and won't have the facilities to change quite as often.

Don't worry about the nappies wearing out, as Kooshies are very durable and frquently last for subsequent children.

I have heard people complaining that, even while using a disposable one-way liner, their babies' skin still gets wet. All I can say to that is: I wore terries as a baby - t
here was no alternative - and obviously had wet skin from the urine. By simply changing frequently and cleansing the skin properly, you can avoid skin problems. Leah suffers from eczema; she has never had nappy rash in all the time I have used washable nappies. Should your baby's skin be particularly sensitive, a smearing of petroleum jelly offers ample protection without affecting absorbtion.

I was interested to note that, in a survey in a popular parenting magazine, it was clear that babies who wear washable nappies learn to use the toilet/potty earlier, as they are quick to associate their actions with the wetness in the nappy.

Something to think about, methinks...!

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