To wonder why more people don't use reusable nappies?

[GinGeum]

I know this will be controversial and I know there will always be some circumstances when they are not suitable, but since becoming a parent, I've not come across a single other parent using reusable nappies.

Everyone I know has also said they were never mentioned to them at all by antenatal classes/midwife/anyone. In the hospital, none of the staff we encountered had any idea what our baby was wearing.

Surely now we are all thinking about reducing plastic, disposable nappies should be fairly high on the list of things to cut down on? Programmes like the war on plastic on BBC barely mentioned disposable nappies. Even switching to reusable wipes would make a huge difference.

AIBU to wonder why reusable nappies aren't promoted more?

I’m another one who has no qualms about using preloved cloth nappies.
The more they’ve been used/washed, the more efficient the absorbency usually! And because the newborn sized nappies often only fit for 6-ish months, it’s makes sense to buy second hand rather than shell out for something that will only be used for a short time. I tend to have small babies, so my brand new birth-to-potty nappies won’t fit for a while. I bought a load of preloved newborn nappies for less than half their retail price, they are in perfect condition, no stains - other than it being obvious they’ve been washed, you wouldn’t know they are second hand!

Once my two were out of nappies I tried to give away the reusable nappies. Around ten wraps and 30 cloth nappies in great condition. Nobody was interested!

Using disposables is lazy, it's just become so normalised that people can't see it. Would you be OK with people using paper plates and plastic cutlery because washing plates by hand or in a dishwasher and having to dry them and put them away is too much hassle? Or chucking underwear after one use because it's dirty and washing it is a hassle?

Reusable nappies are great, some are better than others as with all things but that doesn't mean they're not worth using.

Had my DD in 2016 and I know it sounds ignorant now but I didn't really know about cloth nappies. I just thought that was what people did before disposables! I was certainly not as aware about the environment then! I will definitely be looking into cloth nappies if I have another one though, I am also going to change period products and see how I get on.

I cared about the environment so that was my main reason for using them. That was 15 years ago and they were fantastic, presumably even better now - no more leaks than disposables, simple to launder (liner to flush away solids, mesh bag in a bucket so you can hoik the whole lot straight into the machine). My preferred brand was Bamboozles, sooo soft and dried quicker than cotton ones.

Clearly a lot of people have an out of sight out of mind approach to what goes into their dustbins and then is buried in the ground to take millions of years to degrade. THAT is what is disgusting, not washing a used cloth nappy in a washing machine.

@goteam

My dd would have been

**That's not really the same as underwear isn't disposable. A more fair comparison would be second hand reusable sanitary products, and yes, there's a thriving market for these too.

If you wash them properly it's fine.**

Actually you can get disposable underwear
www.target.com/s/womens+disposable+underwear

And shudder reusable sanitary items, PASS even from brand new. Not a trend im ever jumping on

**Did you birth on brand new bed sheets? On a brand new bed, in a hospital with brand new equipment?

Or did you probably use stuff that is possible to be appropriately cleaned and sanitised?**
hospital sterilization i would hope is a lot stronger then my home machine and if not, damn straight id be taking sheets in the event of a hospital stay from now on.

Clearly a lot of people have an out of sight out of mind approach to what goes into their dustbins and then is buried in the ground to take millions of years to degrade. THAT is what is disgusting, not washing a used cloth nappy in a washing machine.

we have different views on disgusting

nd btw...you do all realise you cant put human waste in the bin. Even in disposables you have to empty solid waste into the toilet. Read the instructions on the side of a pack of Pampers.

I literally dont know a single person who ever has. From before I had DD 9 years ago to my friends with kids now. They would laugh at the suggestion

@woodhill, I did give them away eventually but listed them on my FB page and 3 or 4 local FB pages before I got a taker.

Our planet is buggered it really is.

Hi All, those of you who bought second hand, did you get them from ebay or where?

Currently expecting dc1 and I am determined to at least try cloth nappies!

We used motherease wizard unos. They have never leaked. They wash brilliantly. We had to buy quite a few second hand as its difficult getting hold of them. They last and last and are very stylish. We wouldn't go back now - were on our second child and it becomes normal. We also use reusable wipes and they are a revelation - so much easier to clean than with disposable wipes!

@igotthemheavyboobs

I was given a set of Bambino mio cloth nappies and wraps, local council did a £55 voucher which I used to buy 4 all in ones, got a few more all in ones on FB pages and picked up a few wraps here and there in charity shops. Bambino Mios came to me second hand and were still in great nick after my two kids. Others stayed in great condition too and I had better luck passing these on. I think most people prefer the all in one nappies.

Thanks for giving it a go!

Am really surprised so many people have kids but seem to struggle with poo!

We used fleece liners they are sooo very soft against babies skin and poo rolls off them very easily into the toilet. Then into a wet bag and every 2-3 days wash everything including bag and repayable wipes.

Very simple and actually we found ours to be very reliable. Particularly night time when we used tots bots bamboozle with extra booster and mother ease wrap - absolutely bombproof.

It's really not difficult and it's no more gross than the rest of looking after children. Costs less in the long run, including washing costs and I need never feel guilty about 500 year old nappies from DD in landfill. Also have given them all to friends so others can benefit.

I need never feel guilty about 500 year old nappies from DD in landfill.
That assumes disposable users feel guilt
I dont feel guilty for using disposables
I did what was needed to get through the time

I don't feel any guilt what so ever about my dc disposable nappies in a landfill for the next 500 years or so.

Disposables have made my life a lot easier than having to soak nappies and wash and dry nappies. Also saved me a chunk on my electricity and heating.

A pack of 38 nappies for my toddler coats £2.99 at Tesco and I buy them
every week. They are cheap and absorbent over night. They don't leak.

Nc as I will be flamed for this ....

With eldest ds I bought a load of reusables with cute designs. They lasted a week and were thrown away during a spring clean a few months later.

None of ds usual clothes fit over them. He looked like he had a giant tomato growing on his bum and they leaked and all the 💩 was 🤢 to deal with. I wouldn't inflict them on anybody else so I simply got rid.

Our gone young teen) DD spent about half her time in various washable Nappies (we had some bamboo, some fleece, and different wraps etc). And the other half in disposables.

Creche couldn’t deal with washable - they had 25 DC and a very small changing room, so could only deal with conveyor belt, everything the same, systems. Having to even put washables into a bag and send home nightly for 1 DC was a major problem as there literally was nowhere to put a bag for them.

When we travelled (a lot as we live 2.5 hours from DPs and DPILs), we generally used disposable for ease. But we did use the washables a fair bit even travelling when we had room in the car.

And we used the washable lots of the time at home and just out and about ourselves.

I was the eldest of a large family and DM had always used mostly cloth, and she thought the new style ones we had were great.

We knew very few others using washables, but we were able to sell them on after dd was toilet trained, which was great.

We did use flushable liners in them - so most poo was able to be lifted off and flushed down the loo, which did help enormously.

So obviously most of you would agree that own personal choice and convenience is more important than any other concern, (including environmental ?)

We are now into week 3 of the reusables experiment.

The bambino mio ones are great but I’m not too enamoured with the others. Whilst the intergrity of the elastic on all is good, the fit is either too tight or too loose round the leg.

We use them if we can afford to risk leaks when there is a wash due on and we use them in the day only. DD has woken up soaked in the night when I suspect she may have lasted a full 12h as the nappy has leaked, and that’s several times and kinds.

So PERSONALLY the way forward is probably to wean folk off total dependence on disposable nappies and encourage use of reusables where possible but it’s also wise to accept that there are good reasons disposables HAVE to be used sometimes.

Going forward we will be using a mix of both, of the 5-6 nappies in a day she will be in reusables for 3-4.

I think the range of options combined with the costs puts a lot of people off. Plus, most people start off with disposables when the baby is newborn and then it can be difficult to transition.

We bought 10 Thirsties covers and actually use the really old fashioned flat terry squares. It was far cheaper to start with and you can change the fold based on the shape and habits of your child so they will always fit. You can get a plastic nappy nippa so there is no safety pin and even DH can change them with ease. The squares are coloured so they don't go grey either.

The Nappy Lady website is great with videos and reviews you can try.

We do use disposibles at night as all three have been big wetters in the nights and also when we go on holiday.

So obviously most of you would agree that own personal choice and convenience is more important than any other concern, (including environmental ?)
For us keeping our mental health in check comes first. So convienence is key, then cost.

I agree that mental health should obviously be the top priority and then perhaps cost, but it does sadden me how far down the list of priorities most people will put the environmental factor. No one is saying you have to do it from the start anyway. I have given lots of friends/family advice on trying cloth (they asked for it don't worry) and I always say give it a few weeks/months after the baby is born to get used to stuff
Then try one a day. Even if you decide to switch when the child is 1 or 2 it's still making a difference.
We live in such a throwaway society and that really needs to change. It baffles me how so many people will use reusable coffee cups/water bottles, change to soap bars but then think nothing of putting 5/6 nappies in landfill a day and buying brand new clothes and toys for their kids.
Why is the government banning plastic straws and other single use plastics but nappies are given a free pass? I'm not saying we should force everyone to use reusable, but maybe make sure all nappies are biodegradable and there's a proper system in place to do it. I would ban wipes, but then I think they're terrible at doing their job.