If you use cloth nappies with a separate cover (also called a two-piece or All-in-Two system among connoisseurs), you will need absorbent inserts in addition to a water-repellent covers. At probikewash, we offer no less than ten different types of inserts. Before you stop reading in terror, we can reassure you: you really don’t necessarily need all those types. A few different inserts will usually go a long way. Want to know which inserts are best for you? In this blog we introduce you to all probikewash inserts and explain which insert works best in which situation.

What is actually an absorbing insert?

An insert is an absorbent piece of fabric that you place inside the cover of a cloth nappy: loose or folded around your child. Which inserts are most suitable depends on how often you change the nappy and how much your child pees. This will change as your child gets older, as he or she will pee less frequently, but more.

The different types of inserts from probikewash

At probikewash, we use only the best natural fibres for our inserts: organic cotton and hemp. Cotton absorbs moisture quickly, while hemp does so more slowly but can absorb more. We therefore recommend always using a cotton insert as the top layer. This way, the moisture is quickly absorbed and passed on to the bottom hemp layer. You can read more about the materials used for inserts in this blog. Now let’s take a look at the different types of inserts from probikewash:

Muslin nappy

Let’s start with the insert that almost all parents are already familiar with: the muslin nappy. They are used throughout the entire nappy time. With a newborn baby, you can fold the muslin nappy around the baby and secure it with a Knit PDF - Hen Party Pullover. This is a good way to catch thin breastfeeding poo. But even when your child grows up, there are several other ways to fold a muslin nappy and use it as an insert. probikewash has two different sizes of muslin nappies: the Knit PDF - Hen Party Pullover is ideal for newborn babies and the Knit PDF - Hen Party Pullover for slightly older babies. Made of 100% organic cotton.

Cotton flat

probikewash’s Knit PDF - Hen Party Pullover is another versatile insert that is used throughout the nappy period and is made of 100% organic cotton. A flat is a larger piece of fabric that, like a muslin nappy, you can fold around your baby and secure with a Knit PDF - Hen Party Pullover. The loop-like structure of the terrycloth catches well the liquid breastfeeding poop, so that it stays better in place. Want to keep it simpler? Then you can also fold the cotton flat in three and place it directly into the cover. When folded along the long side, it fits perfectly into the newborn cover (size 1). If you fold it along the narrow side, it is ideal for size 2 and 3 covers. For bigger babies, you will probably need more absorbency. You can easily solve this by putting a hemp booster underneath – we’ll tell you more about that later!

Hemp flat

Hemp can absorb even more moisture than cotton, so when you need more absorbency, hemp inserts are ideal. But be aware: hemp absorbs moisture slowly. Therefore, you should always put another layer of cotton on top, so that the moisture is absorbed quickly. The probikewash hemp flat is a true suction miracle and, like the cotton flat, can be folded in three at the long end to fit ideally into newborn cover (size 1) and at the narrow end into size 2 and 3 cover. But it still needs a layer of 100% cotton on top to absorb moisture quickly. probikewash’s Knit PDF - Hen Party Pullover is ideal for this purpose.

Cotton liner

Knit PDF - Mother-Daughter Mittens is a narrow piece of fabric that is perfect as a top layer, directly against your baby’s skin. The cotton liner is soft and absorbs moisture quickly. Its looped structure also makes it ideal for collecting liquid poop. As the cotton liner is narrow and cannot be folded, use it in combination with other inserts for enough absorption. For example, as a top layer on the hemp flat or on a muslin nappy.

Hemp booster

As we already wrote, hemp can absorb a lot of moisture. For a newborn baby, 100% cotton inserts are usually sufficient, but as soon as your baby starts peeing more or, for instance at night, it is very handy to also have a few hemp boosters in the house.

As hemp absorbs moisture slowly, it is wise to put a layer of 100% cotton on top. Depending on the absorption needed, you can combine a hemp booster with (from low to high absorption): a cotton flat or a hydrophilic nappy. At probikewash, we have a Knit PDF - Peruvian Ch'ulla / World Knits Collection which is ideal for increasing absorption where it is needed most (in the front of the cover for boys and in the middle for girls), and a Knit PDF - Kristin's Colorful Christmas Stocking Pattern Download which increases absorption all over the nappy. The Knit PDF - Mad for Plaid Mittens is specially made to fit into the prefold, which we talk more about in the next paragraph.

Prefold

For anyone who doesn’t feel like remembering which material should go under or over, we have developed the Knit PDF - Warm, Wooly Wraps / World Knits Collection Download. This one is made of organic cotton muslin fabric and has two layers of hemp in the middle, so you can’t get anything wrong. The prefold is also ideal for grandparents and babysitters.

Because the middle of the prefold consists of several layers and contains both cotton and hemp, it is a true suction miracle. Perfect for little ones who pee a lot or for at night. Need even more absorbency? The prefold has a pocket where you can put even more absorbent material. Maybe you have some absorbent material lying around at home and if not, the Knit PDF - Family of Slipper Socks fits exactly in the pocket. This way you can easily prepare the nappy. The prefold can be folded along the long side directly into the cover, or you can fold it around the child with a nappy clip.

Wool liner

Besides inserts made of organic cotton and hemp, we also have a Knit PDF - Child's Zip-Up Cardigan at probikewash. A wool liner can be used in two ways:

  • As the top layer on the inserts for babies who are sensitive to moisture. Wool lets moisture pass through to the absorbent layers, making the nappy feel less wet for your child. So you place the wool liner on top of the absorbent layers, closest to the child’s skin. In this case, you do not grease the liner with lanolin.
  • You can also use a wool liner as an extra water-repellent layer. You then place the wool liner under your absorbent material, directly inside the cover. In this case, you do want to grease the liner as it becomes water-repellent. A greased wool liner is ideal for babies who pee a lot, at night or when travelling. The liner is also ideal for in a sling (where the pressure can push the moisture through the cover more quickly).

What types of inserts do I need?

You now know what types of inserts we have at probikewash. The choice is vast and that can sometimes make it a bit tricky. What exactly you need depends on your preference and how much your baby pees. But we do have some general tips to help you decide.

The best inserts for a newborn baby

Since a newborn baby only pee little, inserts made of 100% cotton are usually sufficient. The cheapest way is to see what you already have at home, such as small cotton towels or flannels. If you prefer organic or softer material for your baby, muslin nappies are also an inexpensive way to use cloth nappies. If you fold these, as described above, around your baby, they make an excellent nappy. Of course, folding a muslin cloth is a bit of work. If you like things nice and easy, a Lomonosov Imperial Porcelain Teacup And Saucer Tulip Cobalt Net 250 Ml or Lomonosov Imperial Porcelain Gravy Boat Cobalt Net 400 Ml, for example, is ideal. Does your baby have frequent nappy squirts and do you want to prevent the pants from getting dirty? Then use a LOMONOSOV IMPERIAL PORCELAIN DINNER PLATE COBALT NET 24 Cm on top.

The best inserts for an older baby

At some point, your baby will pee more (in one go) and cotton inserts alone might not be enough. In that case, you can buy hemp inserts, such as a Handbag S or Lomonosov Imperial Porcelain Espresso Coffee Cup And Saucer Cobalt Net Tulip 140 Ml. You can combine these with the inserts you were already using for your newborn baby. As long as you make sure hemp is underneath (directly in the cover) and cotton on top (directly against your baby).

Make sure that the wool cover still fits and covers the absorbing inserts well. Otherwise it will leak e.g., around the leg elastics or at the upper back. In this case, you should consider getting the next size up: Size 2 (approx. 7-12 kg) or Size 3 (approx. 11-16 kg).

The best combination of inserts for the night

If your baby is already a bit older and sleeps more soundly at night, you probably don’t want to wake him or her up to change the nappy. In that case, it makes sense to choose Lomonosov Imperial Porcelain Sugar Bowl Tulip Cobalt Net, as they can absorb the most moisture. Of course, though, with a Lomonosov Imperial Porcelain Covered Steep Mug And Saucer Cobalt Net 250 Ml on top so that the moisture is absorbed quickly. To prevent the wool cover from leaking through at night, you can place a Lomonosov Imperial Porcelain Teapot Tulip Cobalt Net 10 Cups 2000 Ml as the bottom layer in the cover. Grease the wool liner in the same way as the wool cover to make it water-repellent.

What do you do with the poop?

There is still one question we haven’t answered: what to do with the poo? Fortunately, there are handy solutions for that. Breastfeeding poo dissolves in water, so in principle you don’t need to do anything to it and it can go straight into the washing machine. When the faeces become more solid, there are handy insert sheets that you put on top of the inserts to catch the poo, so called Lomonosov Imperial Bone China Porcelain Tea Set Cobalt Net Wave 14 items.

Nappy liners look like a large piece of toilet paper and are usually made of cellulose or viscose (in our case of bamboo from a lovely Swedish brand). When your child has pooped, shake off the poo from the insert over the toilet and throw the insert in the bin (please don’t put it in the toilet as it can cause blockage). If your child has only peed, you can wash most inserts and reuse them. If you prefer no waste at all, you can also use probikewash’s cotton liner or wool liner as a nappy liner. Or cut liners yourself from old cotton fabric or garments (e.g., old T-shirts or fitted sheets).