Why not host a real nappy party! If you're thinking of using real nappies gather a few mums together and lets make an evening of it! drop me an email or give me a call. Maybe your NCT group would like a demo?

The Devon Real Nappy Project

I'm working with Devon County Council and hold 10 real nappy trial kits - if you'd like to borrow one for a month contact me or come along to a Nappuccino and pick one up. I am also an independant Nappy Advisor. Click here for my price list

Borrowing the trail kit enables you to really get to grips with which type of nappy is best for you and your family. Every family is different and has different reasons for using cloth nappies equally different families have different facilities and as we already know - no two babies are the same!!

Disposable Nappies – The facts:

    * There is a baby born in the UK every 40 seconds

* In the UK, between 8 and 9 million disposable nappies are thrown away every day, amounting to 4% of
      UK waste.
    * Disposable nappies contain chemicals, which are in constant contact with your baby’s skin.
    * They are massively damaging to the environment and take centuries to decompose.
    * Up until your child is potty trained they work out much more expensive than reusable nappies.
    * Lots of wasteful packaging, nappies are packed, boxed and then wrapped onto a pallet with plastic.
    * They are transported miles in lorries and on boats from factory to retailer
    * You can run out!

Real Nappies

There are lots of different types of cloth nappies. The three main types are:

1)     All-in-one nappies, which are the most simple to use but most expensive. Some come in different sizes so as your baby grows you’ll need to buy the next size. There are some designed to fit all sizes These are called 'Birth to potty'

2)     Shaped nappies or pre-folds. These are shaped or folded nappies which are fastened in place with either Velcro or “Nappy Nippas” - then covered with a waterproof cover. They are mid price range.

3)     Flat Terry nappies; towelling squares that are folded into the desired shape and then held together with a pin or “Nappy Nippa”. Then waterproof pants protect baby’s clothes. Tried and testest by our parents and grandparents! The cheapest but fiddliest option!

Advantages of Cloth Nappies:

    * They cause much less damage to the environment.
    * No landfill worries.
    * They are a lot cheaper than disposables. Prices vary depending on which system you use.
    * Your local council may refund some of the cost of reusable nappies.
    * Babies in cloth nappies can be potty trained more easily as they are aware of being wet.
    * They come in many designs; ranging from plain white to bright, funky patterns.
    * You don’t have to wash them yourself; you can use a nappy washing service instead. These collect your dirty nappies and deliver clean ones to your door!
    * They contain no chemicals.
    * Babies are no more likely to get nappy rash with real nappies than disposables.
    * You never run out! Wet real nappies can be ‘emergency dried’ by various methods ...hung on a radiator... tumble dried... hung on the aga...in the airing cupboard...in front of the fire....

What’s stopping you?:

    * “It’s time consuming, with extra washing and drying” Nope. I do 2 washes a week of just nappies, wraps and wipes. (Wednesday and Sunday), you don’t have to do anything more complicated that a normal wash... just put them in! (No-one is asking you to sit on the bank of a river up to your knees in suds!)

    * “I haven’t got a tumble drier” Neither have I, I’ve got a washing line, 2 airers, a peggy and a house!  If you use a tumble drier it has an impact on the environment and massively adds to your costs. Drying outside is the best! The sun bleaches any stubborn marks and they look great flapping about!

    * “I won’t know how to fold them” so opt for a shaped nappy with velcro. If you're using flat terries they can be tricky at first, but if my husband can do it and all the girls at Munchkins Day Nursery can do it! Then so can you! Here’s a page on how to do the most basic folds. You don’t need to worry about pins either; the Nappy Nippa is the best thing since sliced bread! It grips the nappy and holds it together.

    * “It’s a big amount to buy in one go” This is true but worth it, you’ve bought a pushchair and a car seat why not a bundle of nappies? There’s always ‘freecycle’ or the Admart/Trade it yellow newspaper, see what they’ve got at proper job www.proper-job.org , there’s always some for sale in Jackanory  . (My nappy bucket is a lidded beer fermenting bucket I got for £2 at the recycling centre in Crediton). Ask your friends or mums and dads at playgroup to borrow nappies and wraps their children have grown out of.

    * “What do you do on a day out?” You’ll need some biodegradable/flushable wipes and a waterproof bag. If the nappy is just wet, dump the liner in the loo or the nappy bin. If it’s dirty you’ve got two options depending on the facilities to hand, if there is a loo, great, flush it as you would do at home, if not - wrap it all up really well, (don’t put it in your change bag, just in case!) and deal with it when you get home.

   * “Don’t they leak?” No more than disposables. We’ve had the odd accident, hasn’t everyone? Even the most absorbent disposable nappy can’t cope with the worst case “explosion in the curry factory” poo. And actually with a good outer wrap you get a second safety barrier against the most wayward poo’s! So 'no' I recon they are better than disposables.

    * “The nappy bucket will smell”. Actually it doesn’t; the odd drop of tea tree oil sorts that out. In our house the posh white bucket (with lid) sits in my bath under the shower and nobody knows it’s there.  I have a bigger bucket in the garden outside my back door (it’s an old fermenting bucket!) so when the nice white posh bucket is full I decant the contents to the outside bucket until I have enough for a full load. Easy!

    * “It takes a lot of water to fill the bucket up” As the bucket is best located in the bathroom is so easy to take the lid off the bucket whilst the shower warms up, or if you’ve given your baby a bath why not rinse them in the baby bathwater before you pull the plug? Modern nappies dont require soaking as this can limit the life expectancy of the waterproof outers - is up to you Dry pail / Wet pail  - you choose.

Using Reusable’s

During the first month of Nancy’s life I used the environmentally friendly disposables (70% biodegradable). This was for convenience whilst we were in hospital and when I was recovering from the birth and getting use to breastfeeding etc. Then I made the desision to 'go real' We all had cloth nappies mastered within a couple of days and I haven’t looked back.

I cannot live without my washable wipes and my top and tail bucket!  They are fleece on one side and towel on the other they are about 15cm x 15cm. I wash Nancy’s bum with water, each time I change her, Ok it’s a few minutes extra but she enjoys being washed with warm soapy water and not an ice cold smelly wipe loaded with chemicals! We sing and talk to each other whilst I change her; it’s no more of a ‘process’ this way and kinder to her skin.

What you will need to get started:

    * 24/30 nappies - the more you have - the less frequently you need to wash and dry - plus its better to have a full load.
    * At least 5 nappy wraps (I’ve got 8, most of which were 2nd hand - these are not necessary with ‘All in Ones’)     
    * Nappy liners, either flushable or cloth/fleece.
    * A nappy bucket with a lid.
    * A Nappy Nippa (Not necessary with ‘All in Ones’)
    * Top and tail bucket.
    * 12 Washable nappy wipes and some liquid soap.

Nice to have

    * Flushable Biodegradable wipes.
    * An extra bucket for storing nappies outside whilst you gather enough nappies for a whole load.
    * Booster liners, for overnight. These are made from fleece and are dry to the touch even when very wet.

I work as a Real Nappy Advisor for Devon Real Nappy Project and I am also a Lollipop Nappy Advisor - I also have several trial nappy kits for Devon County Council, they contain a selection of nappies for you to try at home, this way you can see how easy it all is...Its FREE to hire the kit!  - Contact me if you'd like me to show you.

Mooncup is another great way to cut down on unecessary waste and save you over £1000!. Eh? What?