flat nappy

flat nappy (plural flat nappies)

1. (UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, uncommon) Synonym of flat diaper (“a makeshift cloth diaper folded from a large piece of square or rectangular absorbent fabric, such as terry (coarse cotton), which is held in place by a diaper pin or other fastener”).
   • 2008, Daniel Allen, Cheryl Benn, Sue Pullon, Margot Schwass, The New Zealand Pregnancy Book, Bridget Williams Books, →ISBN, page 174:

     They can be safely bleached, soaked, washed and dried for years. They need to be folded and pinned in place correctly to get the best fit and avoid leaks, and then are best covered with pilchers (soft overpants) or waterproof pants to protect outer clothing. Although this takes a bit of practice to get right, flat nappies can work well, and can be particularly useful at night for older babies.

   • 2015, Zion Lights, The Ultimate Guide to Green Parenting, New Internationalist, →ISBN, unnumbered page:

     Some flat nappies come with Y-shaped fasteners as well. Terry squares are old-school nappies that are basically cotton towels that are folded around your baby's bottom and fastened with a large safety pin or plastic grip.

   • 2021 April 29, Freya Lucas, “Guidance for services wanting to explore environmentally friendly nappies”, in The Sector‎:

     There are also separate nappy and cover systems including flats (a traditional style of nappy), prefolds (a flat nappy with an absorbent panel in the center) and fitted (where the folding has been done for you). Adding a cover to each of these options makes them waterproof.

• The fabric from which the flat nappy is folded is often called the fold, prefold (especially when sewn into an already-existing diaper) or nappy flat.