To think that the "reusable nappy crew" are on par with the "breastfeeding only crew" when it comes to hysteria?

[DisposableNappy]

They both come out with that old chestnut "it doesn't take extra time or energy".

The reusable nappy crew keep emphasising how much money they save. How the disposable nappy parents are "harming the environment" with their non-biodegradable nappies and baby poo.

They try to make disposable nappy parents feel bad IMO. The same way those breast feeding mad mothers do.

It's not really on the same level as breastfeeding. Having a disposable nappy isn't going to give your child lifelong health consequences.

The Environment Agency did a detailed study on the environmental impact of disposable v reusable nappies (updated report 2008) - reuseables can have a lower or higher environmental impact depending on how they are laundered - if you wash at high temps and tumble dry you can negate the benefit of lower manufacturing and waste disposal impact. You can also reduce the longterm landfill impact of disposables by using a biodegradable brand. The environmental impact is not a black and white issue.

that people think that flushing a nappy poo down the loo is disgusting!!
what is wrong with people?!
what do they think their own poos are made of?

Glitter and rainbow kisses, apparently, nickelbabe

Being the nerd that I am, I am keeping a spreadsheet of all the disposable nappies I am buying and how much they have cost (I buy in bulk and I buy on offer). So far my 2.5 year old has cost me about the same or less in disposable nappies than any of the reusable nappy birth to potty sets. I also do not pay for the extra washing that using reusables costs. I am not convinced by the whole eco argument and think they are more a fashion statement than anything. Besides if you are really obsessed with the environmental issue you can get eco disposable nappies now which bio-degrade fairly well and are not that expensive.

It is funny how you get lumped in with a 'brigade' if you choose to do certain things.

I EBF till DD was 16 months (after a very rough start where DD was tube fed in NICU); use cloth nappies and reusable wipes, and I even carry her about in a sling (she's 2 now). But I couldn't really give a fuck what anyone else wants to do. I genuinely don't care if you use disposables/reusables, FF or BF, or how you get your kid from A to B. It's up to you, isn't it?

I had a few conversations with people before she was born, where people tried to make me feel really shit and naive about wanting to use cloth nappies (MIL, I'm looking at you here). I used disposables for the first few weeks as I figured we'd have enough to get to grips with, and then we've used reusables ever since. I find them pretty easy, or at least I'm used to the extra washing etc. It's trickier in winter, definitely. But I don't mind.

It's just a choice you make, isn't it? Like, what to call your child, how you do bedtimes, weaning, etc etc. It doesn't matter what other people do.

The problem is when people get evangelical and really bloody annoying about it. I did BLW for instance. And there were so many people going on about how it was the best thing for your baby EVER. And a whole load of other people going on about how it was just called finger foods in their day, and how we were all jumped-up madams and fools for daring to say we were doing it. And then a whole load of other people going on about how babies weren't meant to eat solid food like that, and that in the wild mother animals chew up food for their babies (I'm looking at you FIL). And I just kept thinking, why on earth do you all care? Just get on with your own lives and sort out your own babies. Ditto to those banging on about how formula is evil/people who BF are self-righteous wankers; baby-wearing is the only thing to do/people with slings are lentil-weaving wafty types; cloth-bummed little babies are better for the whole world/if you lived in the real world you'd use Pampers...etc etc etc.

Ooh, that felt good to get out. Essentially, why do we not all just mind our own business?

Most reusables do not need to be washed at high temps most modern manufactures say up to 40.

Ophelia where can you get that many disposables for £80. because I was just about to get a kit for a friend as a gift I know she would prefer disposables if I can get those for the same price then I will but those for her instead.

I've only had two encounters in real life with people who have ranted at me for any of my parenting choices (as opposed to making little passive aggressive digs which is par for the course re: anything less than mainstream). They were:

1. Crazy lady who lambasted me at a bus stop for having baby ds in a sling because "if you tripped near some railings you could impale him".

1. My aunt who was desperate, absolutely desperate for 5 month old ds to have a sausage. I mean like completely raving loony insisting that he was starving (he wasn't crying or doing anything to make her think this) and it was cruel not to have weaned him by now, and by 5 months her children were eating meat and two veg and she could tell that ds was dying to have a sook on this bloody sausage.

Otherwise, no bunfights about ff v bf or reusable v disposable or weaning at 12 weeks v 26 weeks or puree v finger food etc etc etc.

Do you think my aunt is part of some weird sausage brigade who are out to make non-sausage feeding mummies feel guilty?

everybody

About 17/18 years ago I had a client who I attended a CP meeting with. the biggest issue highlighted during the meeting was her use of what now is known as BLW apparently she lacked knowledge or insight into how she should feed her baby and it was a risk.she had to agree to using purée food.

I must admit to reminding the sw about this when we had lunch last year, at least she had the good grace to look sheepish but apparently back then it was a concern.

Just goes to show how view points change

Sockreturningpixie gosh, that's incredible. And one I'll have to remember if any anti-BLW (I mean in the sense of, we've always done that, you youngsters haven't thought it up etc etc) get going in my vicinity.

sleepyhead I am howling at "she could tell that ds was dying to have a sook on this bloody sausage". Definitely part of the pro-sausage brigade.

I must admit that most of my experience of people being pro/anti anything parenting related is online, apart from my PIL (who are absolutely lovely, btw, just somewhat...opinionated. And to be fair, they did back off after DH asked them to) and a few totally random loons. And I did make the mistake of going to a slingmeet once, that was a mistake.

Sleepyhead.

I had that almost constantly from older family members with food.much hand wringing and talk of starvation,if I said no to one food item usually some sort of pudding they would jump in with "ok can he have a bit of this then" this started when he was about 8 weeks old.

It made me want to reduce the time we went there because it was so draining they never stopped.

YABU to assume that everyone who bf's or uses cloth nappies = hysterical.

I do both but couldn't give a shit what you choose to do.

What a massive generalisation, I breast feed and use washable nappies, I don't imagine anyone else cares for a second and am certainly not hysterical about it.

I chose cloth nappies because I hate landfill - hate thinking that nappies will be sitting there for another 500 years or so. I recycle everything else, so why not use cloth? But, they're not for everyone.

Also...dont' think that people realise just how easy cloth is these days. No more terry nappies with giant pins, smelly nappy bins or days of washing. It is a lot easier than you think, and many cloth nappies are designed to be very easy to wash and store while dirty. I do love my cloth, but wouldn't think you were a rubbish parent for not using them.

Oh, and it's not a 'fashion statement' for me, seeing as you can't see the nappies under baby's clothes.

Both are personal choices that seem to warrant public commentary by opponents of each camp.

Not sure why, do whatever you like.

Saying "it doesn't take extra time or energy" hardly sounds like hysteria. I dislike the use of the word hysteria to describe things that a woman (never a man) is passionate about. Reminds me of the 'Women, know your place' sketch from Harry Enfield that someone linked to recently.

YABU for that.

Just read back a bit - I think sometimes it does bear discussion without being boring because sometimes there is a mum at playgroup who would have liked to try it but wasn't sure how, where to go, which were the best ones etc.
Just last week one mum was really excited (I know, poor woman must have no life) to discover that I used cloth nappies as she'd bought some commercial ones but was having troubles working out how to use them. She'd used terry squares on her first, but then disposables on the next 2 and now with the 4th wanted to use cloth again but wasn't sure what got washed, what had to be changed every time etc.

Quick discussion between her and 2 of us who use cloth nappies, sorted. Imagine if she'd thought she didn't want to bore any of us with the question - she'd still be at a loss.

Well that's fine Thumbwitch, because you were being polite and asking a question, but you were putting yourself in the risky position of the op being in earshot and the very mention of cloth filling her with angst and guilt.

If everyone would just be normal, like the op, we'd be much better off and people wouldn't have to ask these nasty questions and put other people's sensibilities at risk.

asking answering.

Although don't ask, don't tell is safest to avoid being perceived as part of a brigade.

at the idea of a secret underground movement of bf and cloth nappy using! Furtive changing and feeding, then discovering that others are furtively doing the same, all in separate corners - hahaha!

Am I being unreasonable to think that the "disposable nappy crew" are on a par with the "formula feeding crew" when it comes to hysteria

They both come out with that old chestnut "it doesn't really make any difference" and "they only do it to be smug and make us feel bad about using reusable nappies, the same way those formula feeding mad mothers do"

Yabu for the blatent judginess of your post.

Disclaimer I use disposables for personal lazyreasons.

I also bf for personal lazy reasons, though am not part of any "crew" that I'm aware of

Witch - that's because the word hysteria either comes from or makes the word root of hyster - women's parts (greek for uterus)

I used reusables with DS, and they were a massive, massive pita. Oh god I hated them so much.

DS didn't fit into the birth-to-potty pack I'd bought for SIX MONTHS, so I had to buy disposables until then anyway, and when he finally fit in them I found them to be a bloody nightmare. None of his clothes fit, his mobility was reduced from the bulk of them (and I bought a top of the range kit, that professed to be the slimmest-fit and lightest weight reusable nappy available - yeah, right) and the drying time sometimes took two days if I didn't tumble dry them, which was what was advised to 'extend the life of the bamboo cotton'.

I'm going to try again with number two, but I'm going to make my own this time.

But, OP, I can't say I've ever experienced what you're complaining about. In fact I was given the face from my friends when I did say that I was going reusable. "What, you're going to have POO in your WASHING MACHINE? You're disgusting!!!" - I'd say there's more judgement from the other side.