We invited real nappy fan, Chantelle Hazelden from one of our favourite blogs, Mama Mummy Mum to tell us what all the fuss is about!!!I have found one of the big expenses when you become a parent is nappies!! There is no way around this, every baby needs them and there is no telling how many you will need as each child will potty train at a different age.
If I am honest with my first two children, I never even considered using cloth nappies. I, like I’m sure many of you, thought that cloth nappies were all terry squares, pins and rubber pants. Disposable nappies just seemed like the easier, more convenient option.
When my third child came along, again I used disposable nappies, that is until she started having allergic reactions to the nappies, at one point she ended up with chemical burns, it was really quite nasty. This was when I really started looking into the possibility of using cloth nappies.
In the beginning it can be quite over whelming as there is a lot of choice out there when it comes to cloth nappies, surprising I know. One website that really helped was Go Real. It explains about the different types of nappies, where you can start looking to buy them etc. The other thing to do is look for your local cloth nappy library and look for nappucino meet ups. These places are where you can look at/ try out different nappies, that way you can find ones that suit both you and your little one.
Also each year there is a week to raise awareness of cloth nappies. Next week is this years “Real Nappy Week”. It runs from the 15th to the 21st of April and this is a great time to start buying, or just building on your collection. because as well as raising awareness of cloth nappies, lots of companies run lots of offers and competitions, great fun for all involved.
For me once I started using cloth nappies, there was no going back. In all honesty I really wish I had used them for my other children. I know the initial cost can be daunting but the great thing is, is that a lot of people sell them on 2nd hand, some even give them away on their local freecycle pages. What you have to remember is once you have made that pay out, you never have to do it again. Something else to look into is that many local councils run cloth nappy incentive schemes to help you get started. And just think you don’t have to ever worry about running out of nappies.
And if it is the thought of washing them that puts you off, again you need not worry. WIth proper nappy bags to put them in, they don’t smell like disposables do!! And one or two extra loads of washing isn’t anything really and it doesn’t affect your electricity/ water bills in a noticeable way either.
A big bonus for me is the look of them. You can pick all sorts of patterns, colours, designs and you can even get custom ones made, I had one made for both my youngest two, a keepsake really that I can show them when they are older.
Cloth nappies aren’t for everyone but they are certainly worth considering. Whether it be for money or environmental reasons, these nappies have come on leaps and bounds in recent years and with many of them being British made, you would be supporting local businesses in the process, so why not take a look?
To celebrate, lots of our Facebook fans on Nursery Trader have sent us some photos of their gorgeous little one modelling their real nappies!
Do you use real nappies? Which brand so you use and how do you find them? Let us know below……
I use little lambs and they really are gorgeous to the touch and super absorbent I also use tots bots they are fab and both these brands wash up lovely!
I will be using real nappies with this baby when he arrives, am looking forward to trying a few different types. There are some very cute designs on the market!