Newborn Cloth Explained

Wondering where to start? We understand! As parents ourselves, we too struggled to figure it out without it costing so much to do so. Therefore we decided to try and make it both easier, and cheaper, for you. One example of where we feel it becomes tricky to navigate is due to there are so many nappies and accessories available on the market – it really can feel like a minefield. Here we try to explain a little, and answer some of the common questions.

See our video of what’s in a newborn hire kit here!

What is the difference between newborn nappies and birth to potty?

Firstly, the size. A birth to potty (btp) nappy has been designed to fit a child of potty training age. Whilst they are adjustable to be smaller, the amount of fabric that you need to place between your baby’s legs, remains the same. Most find the extra bulk a little tricky to fit. Newborn babies also commonly have slimmer thighs in the first couple of weeks and getting a good seal to reduce the chance of leaks can be tricky in btp nappies.

Secondly, the absorbency can be different. As newborn babies bowels develop in the first few weeks, they can have several poops a day and tend to need more frequent nappy changes. Combined with the fact that there is less fabric in a newborn nappy, naturally being smaller, they are somewhat less absorbent than a birth to potty.

However, despite being less absorbent they will be just perfect for those first few weeks – in fact the baba and boo nappies are commonly known to last a good 6 months!

What are the differences between newborn nappy brands?

Just like birth to potty nappies, newborn nappies come in a many forms also. If you haven’t seen our blog explaining the types of cloth nappies, you may like to read it here. 

To summarise, there are ones that comes as a whole piece, others that come in two pieces, and then those that are compeltely independant of one another. Brands can vary in both size and shape, fasten types and fabric types. 

Why would I buy newborn nappies?

Well, you simply may prefer to have new nappies. It may also be that you intend to have more children later and the outlay of newborn nappies becomes more worthwhile. A full amount of newborn nappies can set you back around £250-350. Many parents therefore feel that it is an unnecessary expense and prefer to wait for birth to potty nappies fit.

Alternatively you could borrow the newborn nappies. This is where our nappy library becomes incredible value for money! We provide you with a wide selection of newborn nappies, with accessories included, that you can hire for eight weeks at an incredible price of £45.