After various forms of feedback, I decided to bite the bullet and create an alternate design for my side snaps. While I am not entirely dismissing my original design (after all, it does work and is great for night nappies!) I have created a OSFM side snap design, with an adjustable rise and thinner wings with 2 rows of snaps as opposed to three. I have also designed it with a thinner crotch and thinner, ever so slightly contoured booster - currently made of 2 layers of microfibre sandwiched between 2 layers of hemp and topped with bamboo fleece (or velour!!), making it a five layer absorbent booster, which can be folded under on the smaller rise settings.So what does this all look like?Like this ....Front view Full rise
Front view Smallest rise
Adjustable rise snap settings
Thinner wings with two rows of snaps - 5 on top and 4 on the bottom
Slightly contoured booster
Sizing for this new design is as follows:
* Rise approximately 36cm - 45cm* Leg opening - 24cm unstretched on smallest snap setting to 49cm fully stretched on largest snap setting* Waist - 36cm unstretched on smallest snap setting to 66cm fully stretched on largest snap setting* Crotch width of 12cm
* Booster width of approximately 9-10cm
And now, this is what it looks like on my 12.5kg, 85cm tall, 18 month old ...
Full rise view
Rise on first snap setting view
We have 2 snaps left over at the top of the wing and one at the bottom.
To differentiate, I'm thinking of calling the OSFM design the Ticklefish Snaprise ~~ a play on words (think "snap surprise"!!) And I'm still tossing up on the contour ... perhaps I may just leave it a thinner width booster ....
Maybe the title comes across a little harder than intended, but please let me explain!
When I first started making my own MCN, it was not with some illusion to sell and make money .... I had started using cloth in an attempt to alleviate my number four newborn's eczema, and as number three was also still in nappies, it made sense to me to covert them both. I tried many different brands, and in one way or another, none of them suited my needs. The main thing I found was the rise on the majority of them was too low to suit my boys, and the incy wincy velcro tabs on most commercial nappies was way too accessible to both, and way to easy for them (well, the elder of my two clothy bums anyway) to undo. And the snap nappies I tried ended up with bad wing droop. I also had issues with boosters being too small in AIO's.
So, I designed my own - higher rise, longer tabs, more generous sizing, and full length, full width interchangeable boosters and these suited my boys beautifully! I decided, rather than try to make OSFM that I would size them. My main problem with OSFM (theoretically a brilliant idea!) was the one thing that they were designed to do - be adjustable in the rise. They worked better on my baby in the fully unadjusted position. See, both my boys were (and still are) tummy sleepers, so anything with a low rise caused them to wake from naps with a soaking wet stomach, no matter what degree of boosting I tried!
Having also bought night nappies, I thought I'd try my hand at making my own nights as well. Keeping with the same principle of a higher rise and longer tabs, I designed and made my first night nappy, which to my delight was a huge success! After posting pictures on Facebook, some of my friends expressed interest in being testers for my nappies and asked if I had any intentions of selling. Seeing people like my designs made me happy, so I got together testers and sent them out nappies to try. I had such favourable responses from this that I decided, OK I WILL make and sell them!
Today, I am 18 months on from making my very first MCN and I think I have come a very long way! I have redesigned my original nappies, I have devised a new booster system, and I have designed my very own side snap nappy - from scratch!
Ok, so designing a side snap without ever actually owning one was probably a risk, but basically I just modified my original front fasten nappy, and again, keeping with my principle of a higher rise, I developed my side snap.
I do understand that there are many different brands of WAHM and commercial MCN on the market, but I have to ask the question - what would we do if all of these nappies were the same? Surely I am not the ONLY person who has issues with rise height or booster shape?
Granted, I take all feedback to heart, but ultimately, I do need to cater to the needs of the majority of my customers don't I? I have had great feedback about how well my boosters work, and that they can even be simply replaced in the shell instead of a complete nappy change! I have customers who love that their child can remain in the one size for alot longer than commercial brands allow.
So now, I am left with the decision to totally change my design (and in my opinion become like everyone else and risk being labelled a copycat nappy maker) or to offer high rise / low rise options.
Call me biased, but I like my higher rise, three row side snap design. I am able to have my 18 month old and my almost 4 year old in the same size nappy (well the elder one is a skinny little thing!) with amazing adjustability in the snap variations! I even have one customer who has used the shell of one of her nappies as a cover of a disposable, and loves that she could do that with the snap options.
Well, I might sleep on it and see how I feel about it in the morning .....
