Will My Baby’s Cloth Nappies Leak?

Scared to try cloth nappies because of leaks? We discuss why cloth nappies leak – and it’s not the cloth nappy’s fault! Learn how to prevent leaks in your baby’s cloth nappies using these simple steps now!

3 Places Cloth Nappies Leak

There are three places cloth nappies leak. They are out the top, out the side and up the back. Of course, you can also get all three at once if an exploding poo or poonami occurs. Each of these areas has their own reasons why leakage occurs. Let’s look at each one individually:

1. Out the top – when a cloth nappy leaks out the top, it’s usually caused by the insert being placed too far forwards or is pushing out of the nappy. It can also be caused by clothing which has been accidentally tucked into the nappy, or that too many inserts were added to the nappy. For boys, it can also be that his bits were pointing up, rather than down! To reduce top leakage, keep all layers tucked into the nappy, have a couple of finger gaps around the waistband and check no clothing is tucked in.
2. Out the side – a side cloth nappy leak is caused by incorrect fitting of the nappy. To prevent this, check there are no gaps around the thigh, the nappy is the right size and that there are not too many inserts.
3. Out the back – the main reason for leakage here is bunching of the absorption layers and layers poking out the back. Check that everything is flat and contained below waistband level to prevent leaks here.

Are There Other Reasons Cloth Nappies May Leak?

Yes, there are two other reasons you may have cloth nappy leakage. The first is if the nappy is not absorbing liquid well. This happens for new nappies which have not had enough prewashes. It can take up to eight washes before a nappy reaches a good absorbency level.

The second reason your cloth nappy may leak is if there is not enough absorbency in the nappy. Some babies are heavier wetters than others. In this case, you will need to add additional boosters and change their nappies more often.

To learn more about the types of cloth nappies we recommend, take a look through our nappy shop. If you’ve got a nappy problem, get in touch and let’s sort it out for you!