Nappi Nippas won't grip!

[Elisheva009]

I'm using Nature Babies Bamboo terries on my 2 month old and the nappi nippas won't hold them together, they won't grip the fabric! Has anyone else had this problem? How did you overcome it?

I've also got some of the Nature babies cotton terries and have no problem with those. I prefer the bamboo ones though because they are slimmer.

 

[Rachel_C]

How strange. I have both the bamboo and the cotton Nature Babies terries and although the bamboo is slightly less grippy than the cotton it still works fine. I do tend to push the nippa well down into the pile and check it's stuck firmly but that's all.

Have you been tumble drying the bamboo? That could perhaps make the bamboo lose its fluffiness (although it would make it feel softer in the short term, it will damage the bamboo in the longer term, like blow drying hair really!) and maybe make it harder to stick the nippa in.

And just in case (please don't be insulted!), you've definitely got the nippa 'open', haven't you? The plastic loop things usually come folded down over the spikes, I guess you could probably make them just about work with cotton like this but bamboo wouldn't so you need to pull the plastic bit back away from the spikes. Just thought I'd check!

 

[Elisheva009]

I haven't got a tumble drier, the nappies have always been line dried.

The nippas are definitely open, the work fine on the cotton terries. With the bamboo I do find one side of the nappy more grippy than the other but I still sometimes cant get the nappy closed and even if I do, it is often open again when I come to change the nappy.

I have also considered the possibility of the nappies retaining too much detergent but my washing maching was recently broken and I had to use it draining the water into a bucket. The water was definitely running clear and not soapy after the extra rinse so I don't think that can be the problem.

Oh, and I didn't notice this problem when I first started using the nappies, just in the last 3 weeks or so but I've only been using then for 2 months so it is not as if they're wearing out already!

Edit: I just saw that you wrote that the nippas would still work on the cotton with the plastic over the spikes. That def isn't the problem, the spikes are exposed.

 

[Rachel_C]

Hmm I can't think what else it could be then. I don't know if detergent build up would cause that issue anyway.

Are you really stretching the nippa to put it on? I sometimes find that if I haven't stretched it enough, the tension isn't enough to keep the spikes sunk deep into the fabric and they can start working loose. Perhaps try pulling them tighter, both when you put the side arms in so they spread wider and also when you put the bottom arm in, I think it needs to form a Y rather than a T. That's the only other thing I can think of, to try stretching it more.

 

[Elisheva009]

Rachel, which fold are you using?

I have changed my fold as my baby has grown. I can't remember if the problem with the nippa started when I changed the way I fold the nappies but the problem wasn't always there so I'm wondering whether it is because the nippa is now trying to grip along a different direction of the fabric, diagonal rather than straight or whatever.

 

[Rachel_C]

Oh that's good thinking, maybe it's that.

I usually use one I think is called the Neat Fold.

ETA - This one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Ow7jkhW1U

 

[Aunty E]

Sounds like your fibres have just gone a bit smooth. It does happen with bamboo, more often when they're tumble dried (they bake) but it can happy with line drying too. If you were tumble drying, I'd say use tumble dryer balls, but you could try just rubbing the damp bamboo nappies against each other to try and fluff up the pile a bit. This is going to sound stupid, but you are stretching the nippa's aren't you?

 

[Elisheva009]

I'm definitely stretching the nippas!

It does seem to be because I folding the nappies diagonally. I am still folding them the same way but putting the nippa at an angle so it grips along the direction of the fabric and it does work now.

Thanks for the video link by the way! I'd not seen that fold before. I don't think I can do it with my nappies because I've got the 50cm ones and that's a 70cm. That nappy looks like mine did before I washed them for the first time. They're not supposed to stay silky like that are they? Mine felt completely different after washing.

 

[Rachel_C]

I use the neat fold with 60cm terries on a VERY large 10 month old, so depending on your LO's age and size you might be able to do it with 50cm ones. I use that one because it gives the biggest nappy I've found so far.

Bamboo won't stay silky for long, especially if you tumble dry it. You don't really notice it going but when you see new ones the difference can be quite huge!

 

[Elisheva009]

Thanks! I'll try that fold, it looks way better than the one I'm using. My baby is almost 3 months so hopefully it will be OK with the 50cm nappies but I do have a pack of 60cm Junior Joy as well.

My bamboo terries lost their silkiness the first time I washed them, they've never been through a tumble drier because I haven't got one!

Which wraps are you using over your terries? I'm using Motherease Airflow. They work great but I don't like the bulkiness of them.

 

[Rachel_C]

I use anything really! Sometimes I have to poke the terry back in at the legs with the trimmer wraps like Thirsties Duos but it still works fine. My favourites are Tweedle Bugs sized covers and I also like Happy Heinys/Stacinator So Simple ones but they're very high rise!

Are the Airflows bulky? Aren't they just a layer of PUL?

 

[Aunty E]

They're quite big on that they go low on the legs and high on the waist and they're roomy on the butt. I like that as it makes them easy to put on and less likely to leak. They're much trimmer on bigger babies though. Imogen's large ones are very small over terries.

 

[Elisheva009]

I meant that the wraps are quite roomy so there is a lot of access fabric on them. Since cloth is bulkier anyway, i'm finding they don't fit so well under some clothes.

I love the look of the neat fold but it is too small for my 50cm nappies. I'm using the Gaynor fold at the moment. I think I'm going to have to switch to my 60cm squares soon though, I was hoping to get more use out of my smaller ones!