Fitted Nappies are highly recommended for newborn babies, as night nappies and for rashy babies because they are not water-resistant at all.  This means they can be used with a cover to give you two sets of elastic to contain newborn poo, or boosted up as much as you need for night, or in hot weather they can be used without a cover to give more breathability.  Because the whole nappy is made of absorbent materials they will usually hold more than a water-resistant nappy of the same size.

Mandy-Mac OSFM fitted nappy from Brindabella Baby

Unlike flats and prefolds they are shaped, with elastic around the legs and usually somewhere on the waist as well.  They come in a wide range of materials and shapes to suit different babies. They usually have 3 or 4 layers in the wet zone plus boosters that are either attached or just lain in the nappy before you do it up to adjust the absorbency. They often have a fashion outer fabric and some type of wicking fabric on the inside to draw moisture through to the absorbent layers and keep baby dryer.

Layers are good for absorbency but bad for drying time.  This is why most nappies have separate boosters, so you can wash and dry them separately and more quickly.  It is a tradeoff between time and fiddliness.

Some are sized, some are one-sized. The sized ones are usually trimmer, but you have to buy more. One-size are more economical and useful if you have more than one in nappies, but can be bulky on a small baby.  The nappy above is a one-size fits most on a newborn.  It has a snappi closure, but fitted nappies can also have velcro or snap closures.

Pros:

• Good fitting.
• Elastic legs gives good containment.
• Very absorbent because the whole nappy will absorb, not just partial layers.
• Can be re-used or onsold. There is a good market for second-hand nappies.
• Usually very pretty.
• Not as bulky as flats or prefolds, especially hemp or bamboo versions.
• Make good night nappies because they can be boosted as much as needed.

Cons:

• Can be expensive (can also be fairly cheap, depending on brand).
• Not water resistant.
• Can be slow to dry depending on the number of layers.
• Can be complicated if there are several layers to put on plus a cover.

Related posts:

1. Flats and Prefolds
2. Pocket Nappies
3. Snappis

Tags: cloth, diaper, fitted, nappy
Categories: Types of MCN

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