What is a flat nappy?

What is a flat nappy? 

These are budget friendly, quick drying squares of absorbency that can be folded and used under a waterproof nappy cover. There are a variety of ways you can fold them from folding it into a flat pad to a kite fold and beyond. These nappies will fit a baby from birth to potty training as they can be folded in a way to fit your growing little one. As your little one grows, it is easy to use additional boosters if you need to increase absorbency. 

In the early newborn days you can also use bamboo muslins as a flat nappy option also. 

How do I use it? 

 You can fold flat nappies in to many different folds - I am going to cover three common folds in this blog but if you want more information please drop us a message or come along to a nappy workshop! You always need to use a waterproof cover with a flat nappy and I would also always recommend a liner. 

The Pad Fold

First you need to fold the four corners into the middle of the nappy.Then fold one third onto the middle third, and then the second third on top to create a pad shape. You can then either stuff this into a pocket nappy, or use it with a waterproof wrap as in the image below. 

You can use any flat nappy to make this fold, and prefolds are an excellent option if you want to stick to a pad fold (flat nappies that have pre-folded stitching to create this particular fold). 

The Jo Fold

This is a fantastic fold for newborns up to potty training. 

First you fold the four corners into the middle of the nappy, then fold into a pad fold as above. Then fan out the top corners to make wings (see the middle image). Pop your baby onto the nappy and fold the middle part between their legs, and the wings around their middle. Fix the nappy in place with a Nappi Nippa and then use a waterproof cover over the top. 

The Kite Fold

The Kite fold is the trickiest fold out of these three but is perfect for including additional boosters in the fold when you need to increase absorbency. 

Place the nappy so it is totally flat with one corner pointing at you. Fold in the two side corners into the middle and then fold the top corner down to make a flat edge at the top. 

If you want to add additional boosters this is a great time to do so. The image on the left is with booster and the image on the right is without. Then you place the baby on the nappy, fold the bottom part up through their legs and the side parts round their tummy. Fasten this fold with a Nappi Nippa. You then put a waterproof cover over the top of the nappy.