real nappies

When it comes to reusable nappies (and pretty much every subject since you became a parent!), everyone will try to convince you that their favourite system is THE best nappy system. I don’t believe that there is One best nappy system. The best one for you is the one that suits you (and your child, obviously). Everyone has different criteria: ease of use, drying time, birth to potty or sized, fastening system, choice of fabric, baby shape, size, price, resale value and let’s not forget the all-important poo containment issue and prettiness factor.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be bringing you a series of articles to help you find your way around in the ‘real nappy’ world. We will help you decide which one will work best for your little one, how to wash your newly acquired real nappies, how to use them…

So let’s start from the beginning:

• What is a cloth nappy? A cloth nappy is always made of two parts, an absorbent part to soak up the pee and a waterproof part to contain the poo and the humidity.  Both parts can be  shaped and sewn together (all-in-one-nappy) and used just like a disposable. Other nappies are separate, you put up the absorbent nappy first and then fit the waterproof wrap over it.  The absorbent part can look either like a big handkerchief that your fold around the baby’s bottom or be already shaped into a nappy.
• How do I use it? Well, it’s not that different from a disposable nappy: pop the cloth nappy on your baby. When it needs to be changed, pop the poo in the toilet (you can use a liner to make it easier), rinse the nappy and pop it in a bucket until your next laundry.
• What about leaks? A well chosen and well fitted real nappy doesn’t leak. The waterproof wraps are especially designed to keep the humidity in and you can boost the absorbency of the nappy by adding extra nappy booster. It’s especially true for breastfed newborns for whom disposable nappies really struggle to contain the very runny poo.
• How do I wash it? when you remove the real nappy, pop the poo in the toilet (a good thing to do even if you’re using disposable!), rinse it and pop it in a nappy bucket (with or without water). Whether you wait until you have enough nappies to do a laundry of nappies or wash them along your regular laundry is up to you. When stored properly, washing nappies at 30 or 40 degrees is sufficient.
• What about the smell? Having tried both, I can tell you that the smell of the nappy bucket is nothing compared to the smell of a disposable nappy bin. First you’ve flushed the poo, rinsed the nappy and kept with a disinfectant or a bit of laundry liquid.
• Is it like an investment then? By the time your child is potty trained, you will have spent as much as £1,000 on disposable nappies. That’s huge! I’m not even sure that figure includes the cost for the council of disposing of the 5000 nappies your child will have gone through in 2 or 3 years. Compared to that, the initial investment of real nappies (about £400) is like a big saving. Remember there is a thriving market for second hand nappies.
• Does my bum look big in the this? Yes it’s true, some reusable nappies are bulkier than disposable nappies. You’ll have to keep it in mind when buying baby clothes. It’s usually not a problem in the UK as most brands have realised that many babies are ‘cloth-bottomed’. You can also use specially designed clothes like the adorable Frugi range of organic cotton baby clothes.
• How do I convince my partner? or nanny/babysitter/nursery worker. You can show them how disposable nappies affect the environment, and save them money, how it will help your child get rid of nappy rash… I found the trick was to choose a simple real nappy like an all in one nappy, it really is just as easy as a disposable nappy.

Click here for more information on real nappies.

Did this help help you decide what nappy might work best for your baby?

Choosing real nappies for your baby is a post from: Natural Nursery Blog

Related eco parenting posts:

1. A simple guide to the real nappy world
2. Washing cloth nappies in 5 easy steps
3. Pocket nappies: real nappies, really easy

Clothes
Come in sizes according to weight and don’t last very long at all in the beginning. You will need a slightly larger size if you use real nappies. Some babygros have integral gloves that fold back – very useful for babies that want to scratch their faces off. Things that fasten at the front are easier than things that go over heads. All socks are sacrificial; they don’t stay on feet for long so I prefer things with feet for colder weather.
Nappies
Cloth nappies rock and I like the smell of the Weleda nappy cream which is brilliant stuff. It is a good idea to research nappies, and there are some helpful tips on this blog.

www.naturalnurseryblog.co.uk/how-easy-are-cloth-nappies-to-use

www.naturalnurseryblog.co.uk/why-use-cloth-nappies

Toys
My child at 3 month liked noisy things, mirrors and things he could hold with his tiny fingers. Brightly coloured board books are good too.  If you buy anything musical remember that you will have to listen to it too.

Feeding
I used a pump to express milk and I pumped in the morning while feeding after the small had triggered off the let down reflex. Thinking milky thoughts of waterfalls made the milk come out faster! My son never took to a bottle but he would use a sippy cup. Pumping was just in case of emergencies. I boiled cups and the pump to sterilise them, it’s not a hassle and I don’t think the sterilising equipment is really necessary, though it may make life a bit easier. I have read that the sterilising solution can increase the risk of thrush.
Sleeping
I had a Moses basket for small but didn’t like it ‘cos I had to peer in to check his breathing. I bought a cot because it seemed to be the thing to do but in the end decided that I am a fan of co-sleeping. There are guidelines for safe co-sleeping that are well worth looking at. Grobags are brilliant and my small sleept much longer when I got one.

Bathing
I think a bath thermometer is vital, what’s warm to me is boiling for the small. We shared the bath and he loved it. You also need a soft sponge and ducks!

I hope some of these hints are useful, I found it daunting and confusing trying to work out what I needed and what was clutter and I hope my tips can help you.

What I wish I’d known when I was pregnant is a post from: Natural Nursery Blog

Related eco parenting posts:

1. Welcome
2. Sterilising your breast pump is easy.
3. Breastfeeding tips: Choosing a Breast Pump

First of all – DON’T PANIC! One of the things that can slow down milk is stress, so try to relax as much as possible – easy to say I know but it is important.

If your baby is nursing more than usual and you are worried that they are not getting enough milk they might be going through a growth spurt. This generally happens between 4-6 weeks and again between 4-6 months. When my son was at this stage I felt like I never stopped breastfeeding and it was exhausting, but it was worth it. As long as your baby is getting bigger and producing wet nappies you should have no need to worry. What the baby is doing is changing the calorific value of your milk to suit them better as they go through different growing stages, once through the growth spurt they tend to feed less often and sometimes have been known to sleep longer, though I think that is a myth, my son still thinks sleep is for the weak! If you formula feed through a growth spurt you will be telling your body to produce less milk and your body will not be triggered to change the nutritional value of your own milk to suit your baby.

Drink gallons of water – It helped me to have a small bottle of water everywhere I was likely to breastfeed, because as soon as I settled down I would become incredibly thirsty.

Change your position –  It is very easy to settle into one breastfeeding hold but you will probably feel more comfortable in the long run if you change your position occasionally so that you drain all your milk ducts.

Forget the ironing – This time with your baby will not last forever, revel in your super power to give them the best start in life and let the housework slide. You are burning off about 500 calories a day by breastfeeding so you need rest, and possibly chocolate!

Support your system – Oats are supposed to be very good for helping you produce milk – they are also a good supply of iron and there is something very comforting about a bowl of porridge. Welcome World Breastfeeding Support Tea is made by a specialist birth and herbal healing company. The tea comes in a packet that has enough for 40 servings and there is a a free advice line to call if you have any concerns.

If you are still worried about your milk supply there are lots of free breastfeeding helplines who can give telephone advice or tell you about the nearest breastfeeding support group.

Breastmilk and Growth Spurts is a post from: Natural Nursery Blog

Related eco parenting posts:

1. Welcome the newest addition to the Natural Nursery Family: Breastfeeding Naturally
2. Breastfeeding tips: Choosing a Breast Pump
3. When nipples shields can help breastfeeding