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’ve used cloth for DC1 & DC2, sold my stash on, but now “surprise pregnant” with DC3. I’ve bought a new stash and worked out I’ve spent around £150 all in all on 20 brand new economy brand birth-to-potty pocket nappies, and 12 second hand newborn 2-part nappies.
We also use cloth wipes.
With the first 2 babies, I bought a pack of disposable first size nappies, and used those for the first few days, just until I felt “normal” enough to be up and about and getting on top of laundry again, then switched to the smallest cloth nappies I had (which turned out to be Close-Pop Ins, for those asking about favourite brands etc!).
As for washing them, it’s really not that much effort. Either use a biodegradable paper liner that flushes down the toilet along with the solid poo, or tip and chunks down the loo and give the squishy bits a quick rinse off under a cold tap before putting them in the washing machine or dirty bucket.
We have always had a mixture of both microfibre material and bamboo nappies which both have their pros and cons. Bamboo is more absorbent but take longer to dry when washed. Microfibre is a bit less absorbent, but can be tumble dried on a low setting.

This reminds of when my sister came to stay with her baby in the early 70s and she brought a packet of disposables with her for the trip (she normally used terries). We were oohing over them like the little aliens in Toy Story!

I looked into using cloth nappies when I was pregnant; the main reason for deciding not to go ahead was that I didn't feel I could cope with the extra washing, in particular with it drying around the house for days. For context, DH was renovating our house, so we constantly lack space and the other laundry hanging out managed to get really annoying sometimes. I decided to wait until he was a few months old and look at bigger sizes, but then a few friends in cloth nappies seemed to have a lot of nappy rash issues, which we've thankfully avoided, so that put me off. He's always been in Aldi or Asda nappies and we only really got through a lot in the very early days, when we also had a poo 8 times per day too. I don't know the total amount we've spent on nappies so far, but it's definitely not £425!

Now DS is bigger, we use 5-7 nappies per day because he's very regular in when he wees (overnight, after breakfast that sometimes has the poo, pre-nap that otherwise has the poo, post-nap, bed time and one other if his nappy fills up another time). I've been thinking it might be good to switch to cloth now, because he does big wees but less often, we have heated airers and rooms things can dry in. We still have probably a year in nappies and I guess at least a year after that overnight, so it's worthwhile. I also think any slight dampness after a wee would be ok in preparing him for potty training next year. So, any advice on where to research the best brand for a toddler with a relatively thin tummy and chubby thighs? I'm most keen on no leaks and quick drying. Thanks

I agree OP. I’ve got a three week old and I’d really like to try reusables as I’m getting major landfill guilt but I don’t know where to begin and I haven’t really got time to research the options at present. I’m really surprised that there’s not more information available about it and that it’s not something that’s routinely discussed in antenatal classes.

Because it might be less waste to landfill but they produce more co2 than disposable nappies because the amount you have to wash them. Seems either way it's bad for the environment.

@Mummymumm with renewable energy becoming more prevalent now, hopefully the CO2 emissions can be reduced in the future, but unfortunately nothing is going to cause those millions of 'disposables' in to degrade. Eventually they will have to be burned... and bingo.. more emissions!

@gingerginger2 yes please if offer is still there. Expecting our second. Bought a stash for our first that cost a lot but they just leaked. Keen to give them a go!

Because I don't like the thought of poo in my washing machine. Because nappy bins/wet bags smell terrible. I also hate scraping the poo off the nappy into the loo. And then there's the hassle of making up the nappies ready for use (putting the right liners in etc).

Also cloth nappies are bulky and you have to buy certain brands of clothes to accommodate the nappy bulk. And you end up carrying a wetbag full of dirty nappies around if you're out for the day!

Then there's the extra laundry and drying.

And most nurseries don't accept cloth.

I use reusable period pads and a moon cup but they're less hassle than reusable nappies!

I tried. The council were supposed to be doing a free trial of cloth nappies but never returned my multiple emails and phone calls. I had pnd too and felt far to overwhelmed every time I looked online at cloth nappies and the ridiculous amount of choice, liners etc etc I found it far too confusing in my pnd fog. I eventually got some when dd was walking and wish I'd done it earlier, was really easy. Was using v expensive eco disposables before that.

The free trial schemes are a great idea in theory.....

For those that use reusable nappies do you also use reusable sanitary towels?

.....I’ve just bought some resistance nappies from Aldi to try but was thinking about sanitary towels too and wondering if there’s something similar. Ps I can’t get on board with a mooncup yuk

I only started using them when my first child was 4mo old. Second child started in them at 2mo. I am a lazy fucker and even I find them easy. I use the fleece liners. Breastfed poo sluices off the liner easily before it goes in the wash. Weaned poo peels off the liner straight into the loo- occasionally need 1 sheet of loo roll to peel it off. I just wash them at 30 with babygros, our Tshirts and jeans and DD1s clothes.
I use the Pop Ins for daytime (found them v easy and quick to dissemble and assemble, and as quick to apply to an unco-operative baby as a disposible) and Little Lambs at night (bulkier and slower to dry but more soakage capacity).
I change them every 3-4 hours.
With first child I reverted to disposibles for nursery and reusables for night/weekend but this time round will just get them to ude the reusables.
Also, once first child was walking I thought reusables were a bit bulky for her and reverted to disposibles for the more active bit of the day, but this time I might try to find a slimmer brand secondhand to use. Also, birth to potty is a bit optimistic I think- the popins especially were getting a bit small when she was 1.5- will look for another brand when DD 2 is this age.

Another advantage of reusables- nurse at the hip clinic reckoned they are good for the baby's hips as they encourage the frog leg position that is good for hip development.

Reusable not resistance...

Reusable nappies are worse than disposable nappies in terms of carbon emissions.

If you read the report, it explains that it really depends on how you wash and dry the reusable nappies.

There’s something to be said about reducing plastic waste that would otherwise get burned or end up in landfill. It also doesn’t take into account plastic nappy bags that often get used to dispose of disposable nappies. Plus, reusable nappies can be used beyond the two-and-a-half years used in the report, e.g. for multiple children or when they are sold on.

I used them with my first and loved them. With my second, I haven’t used them. Mainly due to the time it takes to wash and dry them, combined with the washing that 2 children and 2 adults generate and working full time

The actual Environment Agency report mentioned in Groucho's link makes it clear in the conclusion that the carbon emissions per nappy would be reduced by up to 40%with less Tumble drying (I never tumble dry), fuller wash loads and use for a second child (or buying second hand which the report doesn't seem to mention). www.gov.uk/government/publications/an-updated-lifecycle-assessment-for-disposable-and-reusable-nappies

I use reusable period pads and a moon cup but they're less hassle than reusable nappies!

Very heartening to read- mooncup and resuable pads are my next target to get going with; I'm a little bit daunted as I am not particularly deft and am bone idle and found resuable nappies OK.

I have no idea - I spend about £80 on prefolds (last 2 kids) then then bought the wraps in various sizes. I started off with a service for dd1 age 1 so admittedly bought 4 wraps in a couple of sizes then after 3 months when I found out I was pregnant bought the prefolds and washed my own. I sold my nappies and wraps for about 85% of the original cost! The only time I used disposables for dd2 was newborn (only needed the mini ones for 2-3 weeks so not cost effective) and on holidays for convenience

I haven’t RTFT. I used them on my kid and found them fab. And sold them afterwards so cost wise they were significantly less than disposable. In terms of poo, initially I used the paper liners but once DS was 3 weeks old I held him over the toilet at every change and he did poos then most of the time, getting more reliable as he got older. No mammal likes to sit on their own poo so this is completely normal. By the time he could walk he used a potty for poos.

So I didn’t wash very many poo nappies. He also daytime toilet trained early, which was another advantage.

So to me the advantages are cost, environmental, far cuter, softer on his skin, early toilet training. Also the only time he got happy rash was on holiday when we used disposables (no washing facilities).

You do need to try different brands as the fit is different (like clothes) but I loved them.

Also the report assumes 60 degree washes, as far as I'm aware you can wash at 40 degrees after they are 6 months

I have used a mixture of full time disposable, full time cloth, and a mixture of both.

The one selling point noone ever mentioned to me was back elastic! We never had the old poo all the way up the back with reusables as the elastic held it all in.

We found trying different brands helped. We have a mix of EBay cheapies, popins and totsbots for daytime and 2 part little lambs for night

Awful if you’re a working parent tho

Can’t imagine nursery’s would be very keen. Lots of babies with lots of wet/dirty nappies No one wants to be presented with a bag of dirty cloth nappies and whatever at the end of the day

Nursery are fine and I'm more than happy. It's just the same as being handed wet muddy clothes.

I just don’t like the idea of them... scrapping poop into the toilet, poop in my washing machine. The smell...: the carrying around poop nappies when out and about and even more washing that I am already doing.
Then the drying... not for me.

I always remember my mum telling me horror stories of terry nappies when I was a baby and they just aren’t for me.

Neither is reusable sanitary wear, bork.

I’m a parent everyone hates probably as I also formula feed as I hate the idea of breast feeding. Oh well, shoot me down!

@wilstshirelass I’ve used a mooncup - have done for 15 years.

I bought biodegradable liners to contain poo - basically it's strong tissue, you could use triple ply toilet roll I expect, you then just chuck the poo down the loo. Once fully on solids I didn't bother with liners as it's easier to deal with.

Someone asked about wipes - mine were a bulk pack of small washcloths, common in the us in the baby aisle - I paid $6 for 12, and had 24 in total, lasted 2 babies and then used for cleaning until we moved (decided it wasn't worth shipping them to the U.K.!)