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 If you live in Uttlesford you can get a sample cloth nappy pack for £10 – a saving of £15 and a £10 voucher towards real nappies.
To take advantage of these offers or for more information please call the Essex Cloth Nappy Helpline on 01245 437318, or visit www.essex.gov.uk/nappies.
Disposable nappies now account for four per cent of all household waste with the average baby going through 5,000 nappies from birth to potty training. Disposing of all these nappies costs the taxpayer around £40 million a year.
Approximately 8 million disposable nappies are used in the UK every day, with around 7.5 million ending up in landfill sites. Once there, they then take up to 500 years to decompose.
Cloth Nappies, also known as real nappies, cotton nappies, reusable nappies and washable nappies are a natural and gentle alternative to disposables. They are made from soft, breathable cotton and, when used with a liner and a waterproof cover, they are reliable and comfortable.
Although there have been no scientific trials to date, both parents and health professionals have recognised that a child in cloth nappies will become potty trained quicker than those in disposables. Because the child is able to feel some wetness this awareness acts as stimulant to encourage your child to use a potty.
Although all nappies have some environmental impact, you can help to reduce nappy waste going to landfill by using cloth nappies. Cloth nappies also work out cheaper than disposables, saving you up to £500 until your child is potty trained.
To find out more about how cloth nappies work, how much money you can save and to see a list of Real Nappy Incentives across the UK please visit www.naturalnursery.co.uk
 This stroller fleece is easy to fit – it has no straps or ties and fits around the safety harness and straps it has specially cut holes to fit carseats, strollers and buggies.
It has a fully adjustable head cushion to adapt as your baby grows.
Lambskins have been used for centuries to sooth and calm babies, provide a safe and secure environment and help keep them cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
Natural Nursery customer Rhiannon said:
“Amazing lambskin! My baby loves it. It is so soft and cosy and it fits perfectly in her pushchair/carseat. I have also used it on the floor in the living room for her to lie on. Have recommended this to friends.”
The Natural Nursery sells Lambskins for car seats and strollers and to use as baby rugs as well as special wool shampoo and Sheepskin brushes.
 Thurrock Council supports the use of real nappies. They’re offering a £10 voucher off of the price of real nappies.
- For more information on the Real Nappy Campaign please contact Thurrock Council’s Waste Management Team on 01375 413943 or email waste@thurrock.gov.uk.
Introducing Reusable Nappies
You have seen the many brands of disposable nappies available, but have you ever thought about using reusable nappies on your child? Reusable nappies are made from soft breathable cotton and are used with a liner and a waterproof wrap , which work together to provide maximum comfort and reliability. The benefits to the environment of using real nappies are obvious – with disposable nappies making up 2.6 of average household waste which equates to the weight of 70,000 double Decker buses that if placed end to end would reach from London to Edinburgh. (Stats from Waste Watch).
There are additional benefits for your child too. As baby is aware of wetting, potty training can be introduced earlier into their development, as well as better breath ability for babies skin. Using a nappy laundry means that you have no washing or soaking to do, and the prefold nappies that we use are effective and easy to use, with no pins and no origami needed!
Did you know?
Reusable nappies are soft, reliable and less damaging to the environment.
Your child will use an average of 5,000 disposable nappies until potty trained.
Over a third of a million disposable nappies are buried in Essex landfill sites every day.
You could save hundreds of pounds by using reusable nappies instead of disposables, with further savings being made if used on subsequent children.
Advantages…
To your child
- What could be more natural than soft cotton next to your child’s skin?
- Reusable nappies provide good padding at the base of the spine to cushion the falls while learning to walk.
To you
- Save hundreds of pounds by using reusables. So, why throw your hard earned money in a landfill site?
- Simple to use with excellent reliability to suit every lifestyle.
To the Environment
- All nappies have some environmental impact, but you can reduce nappy waste using reusables.
- Protect your environment for your child’s future.
Machine wash or launder: you choose
You have the option to machine wash your nappies at home or let someone else wash them through a laundry service.
Washing at home
- The cheapest option, even taking into account washing powder, energy and wear and tear on the washing machine.
- A wide choice of nappy styles.
- A flexible washing routine that suits you.
- Easy to wash at 60°C, with the option to line dry or tumble dry.
Laundry service
- Sterilised prefold nappies with waterproof wraps are supplied weekly.
- Place soiled nappies in the deodorising bin provided, which is collected when your clean nappies are delivered.
- Convenient and simple to use especially for working parents.
- Can cost as little as £8 per week, which is comparable to the overall cost of using disposables.
For more information about Thurrock Councils Cashback for real nappies please visit – http://www.thurrock.gov.uk/waste/content.php?page=nappy
If you do not live in Thurrock there may be a different Real Nappy Incentive near you.
 We have been sent this request which I am happy to share:
Can I ask for your support and to sign and share this petition? http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/24494
if it gets at least 100,000 signatures, it will be eligible for debate in the House of Commons.
The petition is not anti-formula it is anti the marketing/advertising of it (For every baby born Approx £20 is spent to promote Formula by its companies compared to about 14 pence spent by the UK government to promote breastfeeding).
It’s part of a bigger picture that strives for formula to be the exception not the norm and to encourage breastfeeding and the support offered to mothers to succeed at it. The ban IS in place throughout Scandinavia where the breastfeeding rates are far far higher than here in the UK.
This is an important issue to me but it is in no way meant to offend anyone at all.
Thank you
Zoe
Please note in particular that this is not a reflection on the choices that parents make, rather a request to limit the advertising practices of certain companies. Arabella
 Real nappies can save you money!
Using home laundered nappies rather than disposables can save £500 on the cost of keeping babies in nappies. When your baby no longer need nappies real nappies can be passed on to younger siblings, saving even more money.
Real nappies aren’t just expensive for parents. For every £1 spent on disposable nappies the taxpayer pays 10p towards their disposal.
Real nappies are better for the environment.
Approximately 8 million disposable nappies are thrown away every day in the UK – that’s 3 billion a year!
Cash back offer
Three Rivers District Council, in partnership with Hertfordshire County Council will give cash back to you if you use real nappies.
If you buy your own real nappies and wash them at home we offer up to £50 towards the cost.
If you choose to sign up to a nappy laundering service for at least 6 months we will give you £80 towards the cost.
To apply for the cashback please complete an application form that can be downloaded here or send a letter to include your name, address (including postcode) and telephone number along with:
- A copy of your child’s birth certificate
- The receipt
Only one application can be processed per family and the child must be under 2 years of age.
Completed applications should be sent to:
Environmental Projects Officer
Three Rivers District Council
Three Rivers House
Northway
Rickmansworth
Herts WD3 1RL
The Natural Nursery can help you with the paperwork to claim back your cashback if your cloth nappies come from us. We also have lots of advice about real nappies and a growing list of Real Nappy Incentives across the UK
 Did you carry on using your cloth nappies over the Christmas break?
I did mostly but did mix and match with some of the Flip Disposable inserts, so I didn’t need to put the tumble dryer on with all that rain we had.
I don’t feel too bad about this as we hadn’t used any disposable nappies since we had the water switched back on after the kitchen was re-done.
I still have some left in the pack of 18 Flip inserts that I opened before Christmas. so it goes to show that you can fit reusable nappies in around having a good time during the holidays.
 Stevenage Borough Council are offering £50 cashback if you use re-usable nappies or have joined a nappy laundering scheme.
Not only do re-usable nappies reduce the amount you throw away, But with £50 cashback they also reduce the amount you spend! The WasteAware partnership of councils would like to thank those Hertfordshire residents who avoid the mountain of waste created by disposable nappies. So, if you buy re-useable nappies or have joined a nappy laundering scheme, you can claim up to £50 towards the cost.
To claim your cashback please visit the waste aware website to download your form. You can do this by simply clicking on the link above. Once you have filled in your details, return it to:
Waste Aware Nappy Cashback
‘Nappy Cashback Scheme’
Refuse and Recycling
Stevenage Borough Council
Daneshill House
Danestrete
Stevenage
Herts
SG1 1HN
For a list of Real Nappy Incentives or for more information and advice about cloth nappies please visit www.naturalnursery.co.uk
 Fabby participants at the Big Change If you fancy joining me to talk about washable nappies, and you are local to Exeter, then why not pop along to tomorrow’s demo at Health Foods Unlimited, Cowick Street?
More details are on the Exeter Baby Activities site – http://www.exeterbabyactivities.co.uk/?p=1018&preview=true
 Breastmilk is the normal food for babies under 6 months old (and a vital part of their nutritional needs for much longer) but there are some occasions when a mother is unable to nurse her own baby, such as when the mother is sick or the baby is premature.
In these cases, donated breastmilk improves the health outcome for the baby and is the preferred option over formula.
I have been lucky enough to be accepted as a breastmilk donor for our local hospital, so most days I pump a bottle full and stash in the freezer ready to take batches up to the RD&E.
The milk will be used to give feeds to sick and premature babies in the NNU, rather than supplement with artificial formula, until such time as the mother is able to nurse her baby herself.
I consider myself to be very fortunate as I have a good supply and, following some initial difficulties, find breastfeeding my children to be very easy and rewarding.
This is my way of showing my gratitude and of helping out other families in their time of need.
If you would like to find out more about breastmilk donation in the UK, you can visit
UKAMB
Informal milk sharing arrangements can also be arranged, see:
Human Milk for Human Babies
 The New Year is traditionally seen as a time of renewal, of rebirth, a chance to put the old behind you and look to the future, all reflected in the obligatory New Year’s Resolution.
The problem I have with NY Resolutions is that they are always focused on you as a person, a promise to be a better person, to miraculously change who you are, as if making one simple promise is all it takes to become the mythical being you have always wanted to be.
This year I am going to take my cue from The Eden Project (followers of Exeter Baby Activities will already know about our fab family day out there yesterday) and adapt their Seven Gifts and Wishes.
So my New Year’s Resolution is to share one of these each day and keep a blog diary each week to see how I am doing.
The Seven Gifts and Wishes are:
The Planet
Music
Love and Friendship
Laughter
Hope
Time
Health and Wellbeing
I love this idea from the Eden Project – I can see that some of them are going to be hard to do on a regular basis but they will encourage me to give back some of my time and energy, to focus outwards rather than purely inwards.
I don’t have any specific promises to make on these at the moment but it should make for an interesting year!
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