Among the great variety of accessories for the care of newborns and babies up to a year and a half, diapers, perhaps, remain the favorites. And although disposable diapers and special moisture-absorbing sheets made of synthetic materials gradually displace this item from the list of necessary acquisitions, you still need to have diapers (flannel, chintz or bike) on hand.
Tenderness itself
After listening to the advice of experienced mothers and grandmothers, newly made mothers are not always in a hurry to follow the instructions of the older generation. This is not surprising - a few decades ago, few people suspected that the endless washing of wet and dirty sheets from cribs and cradles of beloved babies would not be a harsh reality, but a sad past.
Manufacturers offer a great variety of diaper options that can be changed and thrown away immediately after small and large troubles or reused, removing special liners from them. It goes without saying that having 15-20 diapers in your arsenal is not necessary at all. A reasonable question arises: why then are they needed at all? The answer, in fact, is simple and obvious. There are completely different diapers - flannel, chintz, calico or bike - each of these types should be present in a children's chest of drawers. The skin of the baby, tender and susceptible to irritants, simply cannot be covered all the time.
The child will not be around the clock in clothes, he needs to arrange air baths, change clothes, in addition, it is convenient to cover the bed or the bottom of the stroller with diapers, throw them on the parent's sofa or large bed, changing table.
First of all, a diaper is a piece of fabric made from a natural material created specifically for children, taking into account their requirements. High-quality children's fabrics do not contain synthetic additives, are painted with non-toxic paints and have a design that is pleasant to the eye (this is important both for the mother and the child, who, together with all this splendor, have to spend the lion's share of his time).
What is flannel?
For baby diapers use different materials. Of course, chintz is the most popular, due to its cheapness and subtlety. But calico and flannel diapers have a number of differences and are probably needed in almost the same amount. Only the first is a more suitable option for summer and home use, and the second is for a cold winter, visits to the doctor or a walk on the street.
Flannel can be made in several ways, but it is always cotton. Manufacturers use different options for weaving yarn (twill or linen), making fabric with sparse fleece, which provides softness and tenderness of the material.
The width of the flannel is standard:
- 75 cm;
- 90 cm;
- 150 cm;
- 180 cm.
It is also worth distinguishing between a flannel designed specifically for children's things (bedding, linen and costumes for newborns) and one that was created for other purposes (shirt, dressing gown, lining). The cloth for diapers and baby clothes contains a minimum of dyes, impregnations that prevent rapid wear or damage by insects, passes more stringent control of compliance with quality standards.
Swaddle Diapers
Departments with clothes and other goods for babies are full of beautiful suits, dresses, among which there are familiar to all the sliders and vests, as well as new wardrobe items, such as body, slips and sandboxes.
A distinctive feature of clothes and bedding for babies is that the fabric should be soft and safe, and the models themselves exclude internal seams that can easily rub the skin or cause discomfort to the child.
The same goes for bedding. Flannel diapers for children come in different sizes, it all depends on the initial width of the fabric roll and the needs of the mother. A prerequisite is that their edges are not swept by the usual seam, where the tissue section is tucked. In case of self-production, it must be sewn by hand or processed with an overlock, the same requirements apply to finished products. An exception may be a flannel diaper, not intended for swaddling a baby.
It's important to know!
So, what should you pay attention to when buying fabric for sewing diapers or finished sheets from flannel?
- Fabric quality - a real flannel is 100% cotton.
- A drawing on the material may be, but the diapers are flannel, first of all - accessories for sleeping and relaxing, so it is better to avoid bright and colorful images.
- The material should be soft, pleasant to the touch, on the canvas, in principle, there are no defects in the form of knots, spools or other irregularities, the pile is mainly located on one, front side.
- The size of the diaper should be selected based on your own needs - it will be impossible to lay the bed too small, it will constantly crumple and shift, forming uncomfortable folds.
Application
Diapers, including flannel ones, are no longer used for their original purpose - tight swaddling of the baby. Modern children's doctors and psychologists strongly do not recommend complicating the life of the child and himself, wrapping him in a cocoon. It is necessary to free the child so as not to limit his freedom, to allow him to move freely, however, you can wrap the legs with a diaper or wrap the entire baby in it if you wake yourself up during sleep.
This will enable the child to fall asleep calmly and not hit himself during rest. A flannel diaper will ensure a comfortable sleep, thanks to such qualities of the material as hygroscopicity, naturalness and good breathability. Even if the baby sweats a little during sleep, the cotton tan will quickly absorb moisture, which will help to avoid sweating and irritation on the skin.
In addition, flannel diapers for newborns are an excellent option for shelter, they are light and not parky, taking a sheet with her for a walk, mom can always protect her baby from wind and sun.
Finished goods
Children's stores offer a wide range of ready-made diapers, sheets of ordinary cut and those in which elastic bands are inserted, thanks to which they can be easily and reliably fixed to the mattress. The fabric can also be completely different - chintz, calico, knitwear. For a cool season, it is better to use flannel diapers.
The size directly depends on what fabric they are sewn from. It is believed that the length of the finished product is 110-120 cm, and the width depends on the performance of the source material. Not so long ago, manufacturers did not offer fabric more than 90 cm wide, but now the range is much wider and more diverse.
The standard size of a flannel diaper for a newborn is 90 cm by 110 cm, in an atelier or in stores selling not only finished products, but also custom-made bedding, you can order the most suitable size of the sheet.
What you should pay attention to?
Experienced mothers are advised to buy about five diapers in standard sizes. Each of them will come in handy, because there are many ways to use it. Simple square or rectangular cuts can be used as sheets and bedspreads, swaddle the baby in them, put them on the bottom of the bathtub to avoid contact of the child with metal or plastic. For bathing, they also sell flannel diapers with a hood at the corner. This model is a great alternative to heavy terry towels.
Flannel diapers should be distinguished from flannelette and bumazeynye diapers, which also apply to products from fleecy fabrics, but they are slightly denser and rougher to the touch. Fluffy villi are located on the front and back sides, which gives them a rougher texture.
One stitch and two stitch
Buying ready-made flannel diapers (photos of various fabrics with a children's pattern) is easy and simple, but stitching them with your own hands will not be difficult. As mentioned above, it is worth avoiding bending the edges and any seams in the product. If the width or length of the cut is not enough to make the product of the right size, it is best to look for another fabric. In addition, sellers are well aware of how much material to take for baby diapers and how to happily answer all questions of the buyer.