Happy bum = happy mum :) (Pampers Baby-Dry Nappies)

Member Name: pandapaws

Product:	Pampers Baby-Dry Nappies
Date:	25/05/09 (297 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: They don't leak, keep skin dry, comfortable fit, readily available worldwide, often on offer.

Disadvantages: Pack & nappy size confusion, Can be more expensive. Environmentally dubious.

There are so many different types of disposable nappies on the market these days. But do they not all do exactly the same thing? The basic principle is surely the same: to prevent any of your little darling's unmentionables soiling the carpets. I like to think of myself as a nappy-tart, and I'll buy just about any brand as long as the price is right. But whilst I don't really mind what my youngest poos in through the day as they get changed so often, I've learned from experience to make sure he's always securely installed in a Baby Dry at bed time.

~~~ The Brand ~~~

Pampers are made by Proctor & Gamble who are the enormous multi-national responsible for brands as diverse as Tampax, Old Spice, Pringles, Fairy, Max Factor, Olay and Gilette. Pampers is, however, one of their most famous brands and known the world over. Within the Pampers brand, there are a number of sub-brands including many different varieties of nappies, wipes and disposable mats. Although the different types of nappies all have their own benefits, the most famous and readily available by far is Baby Dry.

~~~ Nappy sizes ~~~

Baby Dry nappies are designed to be a follow-on from the New Baby range, and therefore are not sold in a newborn size. The size guide is therefore as follows:

Mini: Size 2 (3-6kg, 7-13lbs)
Midi: Size 3 (4-9kg, 9-20lbs)
Maxi/Size 4 (7-18kg, 15-40lbs)
Maxi Plus/Size 4+ (9-20kg, 20-44lbs)
Junior/Size 5 (11-25kg, 24-55lbs)
Junior Plus: Size 5+ (13-27kg, 28-60lbs)
Extra-Large/Size 6 (16+kg, 35lbs+)

As you can see from the above, there's a huge range in each of the sizes, especially in the larger sizes. A baby weighing 40lbs could therefore use 4, 4+, 5, 5+, or 6. Conversely, a Size 4 nappy is designed to fit a baby weighing anything from 15lbs up to 40lbs - healthy kids of within that weight bracket can vary from as little as 4 months up to 7 years (though hopefully not wearing nappies by that stage!). So as you can see, selecting the correct size is not exactly an exact science.

As a guide, you tend to move up the smaller sizes quite quickly, but stay in the larger ones for longer. And once you're in 4+ territory and above, you can pretty much use any of the sizes, which helps if the one you've been using is out of stock as there's a very good chance that one larger or smaller will fit just as well. I was using Size 4 by about 6 months, and now at 15 months we're using a mixture of Size 4+ and 5.

It's also worth noting that the sizes vary from country to country, so if you're travelling abroad it's worth checking the weight band to make sure you're buying the correct size.

~~~ Pack sizes and prices ~~~

As if the sizing wasn't enough to confuddle us, they then have to go and make a right meal of the pack sizes. I reckon this is a cleverly designed way of making sure that we have absolutely no idea how much we're paying per nappy, but perhaps I'm a cynic.

There are several types of pack whichever size nappy you choose. Carry-packs are the smallest and generally cost approx £6 although they're often on 2 for £10 or 1/3 off promotions. These contain between 45 (size 2) and 20 (size 6) nappies per pack. Occasionally it can actually work out cheaper to buy these packs than the larger ones simply because of the promotions on them. If you've got a lot of money-off or extra loyalty point vouchers then it often does make better sense to buy these.

Beyond the carry-packs, it's basically a case wave-a-damp-finger-in-the-air-and-hope-for-the-bes t in terms of selecting a pack. There are packs called Economy, Jumbo and Giga. Because there are so many different quantities in each of the different sizes, it would take forever to try and work out exactly how many you're getting in each, but thankfully most supermarkets now display on the shelf-edge label the actual price per nappy - these don't necessarily take multi-buys or % extra free into consideration though, so it's well worth taking a calculator or a 7yr old with you to try and work out the best price.

~~~ Packaging ~~~

Pampers Baby Dry are quite distinct in their bold aqua-green wrapper with the large white 'Pampers' logo on the front. The size is displayed on the front in a coloured band which should in theory make it easier to find the one you need, however you move up the sizes so quickly that you'll just get used to one and it's time to move on to the next! The actual number of nappies is a much smaller number below the size. There's a load of info about how great the nappy is, shown in detail with lots of sciencey bits involving arrows, and the obligatory photo of a gorgeous, happy baby wearing said nappy. Sadly, the rear of the packet fails completely to provide instructions on how to put a nappy on - not everyone is an expert...when my mum changed my son's nappy for the first time (she used cloth nappies with me, so had never experienced a disposable before) she managed to put it on perfectly back-to-front.

There is also a small logo on the side of the packet which I'm sure most people would miss (I certainly hadn't seen it until now) which signifies that once the packet has been opened, the contents should be used within 12 months. I have no idea why, and I recently used nappies that have been in the drawer for nearly 3 years when I came across them, with no apparent ill-effects, but I'm sure there must be a reason for it.

~~~ The nappy ~~~

Once you get into the pack, the nappies are packed in REALLY tightly together so they're really flat when you take them out. They're basically white with pastel coloured cloud motifs all over them and a multicoloured picture to the waistband. You can tell the front from the rear as the front has a picture, the back just has a Pampers logo.

Open the nappy out and you find that these have lots of stretchy bits in them in strategic places. There are two green tabs to the rear section which stretch around when the nappy is in place and attach themselves Velcro-style to the waistband on the front. You can then peel and re-stick these pads as often as you like to get the best fit or check whether you need to change, and they never seem to lose their stickiness. It can stick to the baby's skin when you're taking it off, but not so much that it causes any discomfort when you remove it. I've noticed on cheaper nappies that there isn't as much stretch, which I can only imagine is less comfortable for the baby. The materials used for the front and rear of the nappy vary: there is green stuff at the front and white at the back, presumably each designed to soak up different types of nappy-fill.

The picture on the waistband looks lovely, but is something that I've heard many mums, myself included, moan about. The nappies I've got in front of me at the moment are size 5 and have Fisher Price Little People characters on them, but I have seen other characters in the past. I think this is pointless, and creates more problems than it solves...when my first baby was about 2 and throwing regular tantrums, he would go wild if we tried to put a caterpillar nappy on him, and screamed blue murder until we could find a zebra or giraffe. Of course, you can't give in to all these demands, but if the nappies were just plain nappies, or all the same, then it would be just one less thing for those of us with difficult toddlers to worry about at bedtime.

~~~ 12 hours skin protection: it's true! ~~~

The manufacturer has trademarked their 'Extra Sleep Layer' which they claim helps lock wetness away for up to 12 hours to help your baby sleep. And I can honestly say that I believe them on this one, as neither of my sons (4yrs, long out of nappies, and 15mths in Size 4-5) have ever experienced a leaking nappy through the night in Baby Dry. Both have, however, had nappy leaks in Huggies and Tesco's own brand through the night, which is a real pain when you're sound asleep and have to do a full bedding and clothing change because of a nappy leak. I therefore now always make sure that my baby is in a Baby Dry at bedtime.

I've also used Active Fit nappies at bedtime simply because it was all I had to hand, and although these didn't leak, I've found that my baby woke a couple of hours earlier in the morning whenever he was in one of these. So in my opinion, the stuff about the extra-dryness IS actually true, and it DOES actually help my baby sleep for longer. Jackpot!

The claim that they're keeping skin dry also seems to be pretty accurate. When I remove cheaper nappies, I often find that my son's skin is damp, but with these it does feel much drier.

~~~ Don't lob them down the stairs in the morning! ~~~

(The nappy or the baby)...as my husband discovered when he was being lazy one day. The nappy hit the floor at the bottom and promptly exploded. They're full of what looks like the little balls of silica gel you get in sachets in new handbags etc, which is full of the absorbed moisture, and dropping it from a great height if it's full to bursting point can make the seams give way, showering your hallway in little balls of baby-wee. Lovely. Oh, how we laughed that morning.

A friend told me that her son used to wee loads through the night and on a couple of occasions the nappy actually burst while he was wearing it. She did some research into the stuff inside as she was worried that it might be poisonous if he was to eat any of it, but apparently apart from being rather unpleasant, it is quite harmless so nothing to worry about.

~~~ The environment ~~~

There are loads of debates about the negative effects on the environment of disposable nappies, and Pampers Baby Dry are no different. Although bio-degradable disposables are now available (Molotex, for example), Pampers have not yet cornered that market. While I personally do consider it to be a problem, I'm more concerned about keeping my son's skin healthy and dry whilst making life as easy and convenient for myself as possible, so I'm afraid that for me it'll always be disposables. Plus there's the debate about the amount of water and electricity used to clean cloth nappies. If they could make something as good and as cheap as Baby Dry that was better for the planet it would be perfect.

~~~ Pampers Village ~~~

Pampers, like Huggies, are keen to develop brand loyalty and have developed a website that goes way beyond the scope of their nappies. You can find information about all aspects of parenthood and baby care and there are forums where you can chat to other carers. The website for this is simply www.pampers.com. The main benefit is that when you sign up, you usually receive a welcome pack in the post which includes money-off coupons against their products...if I'm honest, I joined up just for that and haven't been back again until today.

~~~ To sum up ~~~

* They DO actually keep my baby's skin much drier than other brands
* They definitely DO help my baby sleep longer in the morning
* I've never had one leak, but other brands have done regularly
* You need to change them less often, so you use less of them
* Stock up when they're on offer, especially of sizes 4 and above as you get through the smaller ones quickly and the larger ones are quite versatile in the sizing.
* They're a bit dearer, but soooooooo worth it for a better night's sleep!
* Despite a few small niggles, they deserve 5 stars from me for these reasons.

Happy nappy changing!

Summary: The best nappies available!