It is Real Nappy Week this week and I have been following events keenly. I have hesitated to write anything as I don't feel I can add to the expertise offered by so many people out there. But I have had 3 children, all of whom have worn cloth nappies almost exclusively. I reckon our total spend on disposables is less than £30 and with 3 children that is not a lot of disposables.
So I thought I would just write a bit about my personal experience of, and motivation for, using cloth nappies with my 3. If I can inspire just one family to give it a go I will be happy!
When I was pregnant with my first baby (14 years ago) there was very little information about washable nappies around and much less choice. I had to work quite hard to get any information and if I had not been so determined I would have given up and gone with the masses for disposables. I remember being told that washable nappies were not suitable for newborns, that I could not take them in to the hospital and that they were probably the cause of my baby's nappy rash.
Our motivation for choosing real nappies initially was environmental. I do not believe that any product you use once and then throw away (sometimes up to 10 times a day) whatever it is made of, can claim to not harm the environment (see the image I have chosen, it shows the volume of nappies for one baby, disposable versus washable). For us, our concerns about the environment really only kicked in when we were pregnant with our first baby. All of a sudden there was a heightened sense of responsibility to look after our world. After all, our kids have to grow up in it and will be around a lot longer than us.
But our love of washable nappies quickly grew to more than that! Real nappies are softer than disposables, they do not contain toxic gels, they look nicer and they cost less. Yes, we became complete fluff addicts!
Over the three children we have tried various brands and types but have not spent more than £300.00 in total on nappying them all. Compare this to the cost of buying disposables for three and the money saving aspect is obvious.
It is my opinion that a lot of parents would prefer to use real nappies if they could get past their preconceptions about the whole thing. Lots of parents assume it will be hard work, smelly and not as convenient.
All I can say is that we honestly did not find it hard work and if I had my time again, I would choose cloth for my babies every time. I would not want to sit all day and night wrapped in plastic and paper and would not want to subject my babies to the same.
If you have had even a fleeting thought that you might like to try using washable nappies on your baby, Real Nappy Week is a great time to explore the possibility. Even if you buy just one nappy and try it, it is a start. Every cloth nappy you change makes a difference. Start small and see how you get on. But beware, fluff is addicitve!
If you would like to read more, here are some useful links:
Go Real, the UKs real nappy information service is a great starting point for all things Real Nappy related
Your local council may well have information and incentives in place for families using washable nappies, ours does!
