Umbilical Stumps & Cloth Nappies: Tips & Tricks

You want to use cloth nappies from day one but bub's umbilical stump makes it harder to fit your cute little newborn nappy? You want to keep the cloth nappy away from the umbilical cord to prevent rubbing so here are some tips & tricks to help get those cloth nappies on the butt asap once bub has arrived earthside.

Step 1:

Where the nappy has rise settings, snap the rise snap settings to the smallest setting so that the nappy sits as low as possible under bub's belly button.

Step 2:

Use minimal inserts where possible so that the nappy is as trim as possible. The bulkier the nappy, the higher chance of it rolling over onto the umbilical stump. It will also help make the cloth nappy more pliable if you want to try folding it down (see next tip).

We note that if you have a heavy wetter you may need to use all of the inserts. You can still try the following steps!

Step 3:

Fold the nappy down at the front.

For double row snap nappies you can fold down the nappy in between the two rows of snaps and then snap the top wing snap into the bottom waist snap to keep the nappy nice and low and to allow you to fit the nappy when folded down at the front.

For velcro nappies, fold down the top of the nappy as much as possible while still being able to fix the wings in place. Angle the wing tabs down in the centre to keep the wings out wide away from the umbilical cord as much as possible.

Alternate Step 3:

Fold down the nappy at the back and pull it back up to sit in the usual position around the back of the waist. This will naturally bring the front of the nappy down to leave room for the umbilical stump.

For side snapping nappies snap the top wing snap into the bottom waist snap to reduce the rise of the nappy and to allow for folding the nappy down at the back. 

Step 4: