Nappy Choices

As an expectant mother there are lots of decisions to be made regarding the imminent arrival of a new baby. One of those decisions is about what sort of nappies to use. An increasing number of parents are choosing Real Nappies. There are two main reasons, cost and the environmental impact of the disposable nappy.

There is no getting away from it, nappies are a big part of a parents life for two and a half years or so. 5000 disposables would be needed in those two and a half years! That's just for one baby.

If you are washing your own nappies a maximum of 50 will be all that's needed, and they are likely to be cotton, a material that will biodegrade when it is finished with, leaving no trace, unlike the mountain of disposables which will sit there for hundreds of years.

In some areas of the country there are Real Nappy Projects, which can give you and/ or the parents you come into contact with much more information about Real Nappies. They may come and talk to you or your antenatal groups about real nappies. Contact Women’s environment network to find your local nappy project. www.wen.org.uk

Incentive schemes exist in some districts, whereby new parents are given a payment on proof of real nappy purchase or registration with a nappy laundry service. Ask the chair of your council's 'environment and waste management committee' if there is an incentive scheme in your area and if not why not?

You have to see the new real nappies to believe them. It's not just Terries, pins and crinkly plastic pants anymore. There are some very fashionable nappies out there, lots of different colours and patterns. Most washable nappies have two parts, an absorbent inner and a waterproof outer, called a wrap. They close with poppers or Velcro and are really easy to use. Modern machines take all the hard work out of washing, no need to soak, just store the used nappy in a dry bucket and wash at 60 degrees.

There is a huge choice of nappies out there, try to get to see these new 'real nappies' as I am sure you will be surprised at how user friendly they are. Lots more people are using them theses days, that speaks for itself, Real Nappies are working.

All images used with permission from the Bradford Real Nappy Project.