The Pocket Nappy is a firm cloth nappy favourite and you are sure to find one in almost every cloth nappy parents nursery.
Pocket nappies are considered "easy to use" - once your first experience using one, is with a good quality pocket nappy - however parents can often experience leaks or have a negative experience if they're first use is a with a lower quality pocket nappy. In this case they can seem far from easy to use.
Compared to an All in One Nappy where the inserts are attached, pocket nappies allow the user to choose the inserts and absorbency so they do require a little more cloth nappy knowledge - but this is easily learned. Typically choosing what material and how many inserts to put into the pocket nappy creates a dilemma.
So lets cover how to use and get the most out of your pocket cloth nappies.
What are pocket cloth nappies?
Pocket Nappies consist of a waterproof outer shell - this is called "the pocket" because it has a pocket opening inside where the absorbent inserts go. The outside is made from a waterpoof PUL material, it is typically patterned / coloured. It can also be made from a fluffy minky material which is also waterproof.
The inside is usually lined with a stay dry fleece material, although they also come with an athletic wicking jersey material.
In general the shells are similar between brands - they may have a slightly different shape / cut or a button position - but overall you can use any pocket nappy shell with any inserts. They are not brand specific.
Pocket Nappies usually come with 2 absorbent inserts, ideally look for inserts which are made of bamboo or cotton. Most inserts are made from 2 layers but you can find some that come in 3 or 4 layers - these will be more absorbent and perform a lot better. (Our own brand My Cotton Drawer Pockets come with 2 x 4 layer inserts!)
You might find cheaper pocket nappies which only have one insert or inserts made from microfibre - these may appear to be attractive as they are lower cost but they are also lower quality and lower performance.
One microfibre insert will likely only hold one wee - so the nappy will need to be changed pretty quickly, within an hour, or it will leak. Whereas a nappy with two inserts with 3+ layers in each will likely last for 3+hours before it needs to be changed.
How to use your pocket nappies?
Add your absorbent inserts into the nappy pocket and fit the nappy on the baby. In general you will always need a minimum of 2 inserts in the pocket, or 4 layers of absorbency. If your insert has 4 layers or more, then one might be sufficient.
As your baby grows and wets more, you will need to increase the absorbency you are using. If your find both inserts are soaking wet and your nappy is on for less than 2 hours, its time to up in absorbency. You can do this by adding a 3rd insert into the nappy - this is sometimes called a "booster" because you are boosting the nappy extra to the standard absorbent inserts that came with it. Opt for bamboo, cotton or hemp in 3 layers or more.
At change time put the whole nappy into your used nappy storage or wet bag and put a fresh nappy on the baby. Ideally you should pull out the inserts so that the nappy shell and the inserts are separated ready for washing. TIP: Grab the inserts by the label while holding the pocket shell at the other end and pull them out.
How often do you change?
Pocket nappies should be changed every 3 (ish) hours - you may get up to 4 hours (if using hemp or your baby is a light wetter).
If you are using microfibre inserts or inserts with only 2 layers you will need to change within 2 hours or less.
How do you stuff pocket nappies?
Pocket nappies are a little more work than All in One nappies because you need to stuff the pocket with inserts before they are ready to use. This is just like folding small baby laundry and can be very therapeutic!! If your absorbent inserts have labels on them, stuff them into the pocket with the label facing to the opening - this makes removal later much easier!!
When choosing inserts always use fastest absorbing closest to the baby and slowest absorbing furthest away. You will find a guide table below on absorbency.
The great thing about pocket nappies is that they so diverse and flexible. You can easily mix and match between brands and inserts. For a heavier wetting baby a bamboo / cotton trifold in the pocket with a hemp insert at the back may work best.
Washing and Drying Pocket Nappies
Washing pocket nappies is the same steps as any other cloth diaper - you will find full wash routine here. It is best to remove inserts before washing. If you have your pocket shell snapped shut on the very smallest snap riser setting on the front, it is also best to open these up before washing to ensure not dirt or nasties get trapped in the folded fabric. If your using the snap riser on the 2nd or 3rd setting this isn't usually an issue.
Drying pocket nappies is usually much faster than any other style of diaper because the pocket shell itself contains no absorbency it is dry within an hour or so. The individual inserts can be spread out with good airflow and often dry faster than an All in One Nappy which can be spread in the same manner.
You will need a little more room for pocket nappies - the nappy shell and 3 inserts can take up more space than a single all in one nappy.
Ok now your ready to get the most from your pocket nappies. Shop our favourite range of pockets to start your cloth journey.
