A while ago, I saw an advert on Facebook stating that by using just one cloth nappy per day, I could save 900 nappies going to landfill by the time Ace is ready to potty train. I'd never thought about a mix and match approach, I always imagined it'd be all or nothing, disposables or cloth, but why not use both?
I started off by speaking to the lovely Andrea who often brings her cloth nappy information stand to Cheltenham Sling Meet. She ran through all the lingo (liners, boosters, wraps etc) and answered all my questions about changing and cleaning cloth nappies until I had no more excuses - I was in and actually getting excited about nappies!
We are fortunate in Gloucestershire because the council fully supports the environmental benefits of using cloth nappies and provides an incentive scheme to get you started. I opted to have my £30 voucher sent to Tots Bots, a Glaswegian company who sell awards winning reusable nappies and for an additional £20, they supplied me with 4 Easyfit All in in One nappies, 1 two parter for night time, a roll of flushable liners and a wet bag. That's £90 worth of nappies and accessories for a £20 investment!
The nappies took a while to get here and I could feel myself losing interest again but as soon as they arrived, I couldn't wait to get started! The nappies in the starter pack are gorgeous, bright colours and Honey immediately took it upon herself to suggest which colour Ace should wear next and also to learn how to put them on him. She was later able to show Daddy what to do, which she was very pleased about!
During the first few days, there were times when the contents of the nappy migrated off the liner (to put it nicely) and I began to wish I could just throw them away but a (normal) wash and a spell on the line in the magical sunshine later, and they were ready to go again.
A lady I follow on Instagram keeps posting pictures of her super cool, patterned nappies (including a new Joules one) and I can see that this has the potential to go the same way as slings and end up being something I enjoy (can you say that about nappies?) and be willing to invest in.
As for disposables, they definitely still have a place. I'll be using them whenever the cloth nappies are in the wash, as well as when we're out and about (otherwise I'm going to have to start lugging a suitcase around with me). I don't think I'm quite ready to try reusable wipes yet... But never say never!
Ace wears... Reusable nappy by Tots Bots
These look a lot better than the offering there was when I was pregnant 9 years ago! And I think you're right to mix it up....sometimes washables just don't seem practical - who wants to carry a rucksack full of mucky pants around all day ;) #bigpinklink
ReplyDeleteThey are so cute! I used cloth diapering a long while ago and definitely adopted a mix and match approach too, especially when travelling. I was quite apprehensive but got used to the whole system after a while. #bigpinklink
ReplyDeleteI'm new to cloth with baby 2 too. I've actually started with wipes while my newborn grows as I did not want to invest in newborn nappies. I blogged this week about my experience with the wipes and have been sharing my trials with cloth on instagram. He's such a cutie. I also got 2 easyfit stars from my council. I've got a few other types of nappy and couldn't resist adding a frugi print nappy to my order this morning for a caboo carrier (new to baby carriers too). Who new nappies could be addictive!
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