Some people defeat the object of cloth nappies

[lineandsinker]

My baby has been in cloth nappies for a few months and so I have signed up to a few advice and selling groups on Facebook and Instagram to help me along the way.

What has struck me is that there are quite a few parents out there who see cloth nappies as some form of collectors item and seek to have every print from certain brands; I’ve seen quite a few parents with upwards of 50+ nappies in their collection for 1 child. Many people openly admit to being ‘addicted to cloth’ and having tens of nappies more than they actually need.

There is one certain brand of cloth nappy whose products are hard to come by; when they are restocked in the UK, stockists’ websites crash and nappies are sold on at far higher than their RRP on Facebook and eBay. People seem to buy multiple of them just because they want to be seen to own this brand and then try and sell them on at inflated prices because ‘they bought too many of the same print’.

AIBU to think that this defeats the point of cloth nappies, which is to be more environmentally friendly? Surely your carbon footprint is just as big for owning tens of nappies that get used sporadically than that of someone who is using disposables. It just seems like it’s another industry being driven by greed / fashion and status.

Unless they're telling you this makes them a better person, why does it matter? It's like buying clothes and tbh they can still be reused and sent on so are STILL better than disposables. Plus I guess.if you have loads you'll be washing them less.

It was like this 15 years ago when DS1 was born. And the baby wearing market is even worse if anything! I know people who were obsessed with collecting rare wrap slings and mei tais or whatever they are called.

What on Earth is muff fluff? Oh do I even want to know..... don’t say.

Slightly missing the point and I haven't RTFT, but I'd be grateful if someone could point me in the right direction of where I could sell on my stash of cloth nappies - they are mostly Tots Bots and lots of inserts. My youngest is nine now and I won't be having any more babies so it would be great if I can sell them on.

Thanks in advance

@VodkaGirl77
Ebay or buy/sell/trade groups on Facebook. Search "cloth nappies" on facebook groups and you'll find some.

You might struggle to sell them if they're 9 years old or more, because technology has moved on and the newer ones are probably more trim/absorbent/effective. But certainly worth a look!

@RhymingRabbit3 thank you for your response... I'll have a look on Facebook... I thought they'd been banned from being sold on EBay? I guess not or you wouldn't have suggested.

If I'm not able to sell as you suggest - where would I go to be able to donate?

Thanks again

@VodkaGirl77
Technically selling used nappies is not allowed on Ebay. A lot of people still do, they just list them as "brand new" but make it clear in the description that they are used. How you feel about that when it's not really allowed is up to you, but it's very common.

Strange, but then why join a FB group about nappies? That’s a bit weird too, so I’m not really surprised you’ve found weirdness there.

OfC, I speak as someone who had my elder DC before SM, so don’t really understand this culture of online groups for every little thing

Interesting post, user1333796.

I really fell for the cloth nappy thing, 10 years ago. I was in a few groups and, in fact, made good friends there. Sounds like it's really exploded, since, and isn't as friendly/supportive as it was then.

I definitely wasn't wealthy or middle class, though! In fact, I made quite a few of mine. There was a group sharing tips on making them. And my slings. I didn't sew at all prior to DS. The sewing machine cost less than one carrier, and I'm still using it.

In my day 'babylegs' were the thing. So, where I might have overindulged on fancy nappies, I wasn't overbuying clothes. In fact, I don't think I actually dressed him for about 18 months - just nappy, legwarmers and a top. Cuteness was definitely a large part of it.

Originally, I did it for eco reasons. I still think, on balance, we used fewer resources than if we'd used disposable nappies and wipes.

I got my first bundle from Freecycle. That could be an option for passing on the older type ones.

What on earth? I literally cannot fathom the mindset of people 'collecting' stashes of things for their baby to shit in because they are 'pretty'. How odd. I don't even really care about the pattern on my own pants...

This is one of those parenting things (and I've done some corkers myself) that I think people will look back on and cringe about.

I probably have around 50 cloth nappies. They don't sit on a shelf, they all get used. I wash every 3 days and stuff every 6 days, so I have an 8 days supply. It takes the pressure off having to wash, dry and stuff them. It's a luxury, but it's great.

90% of mine were second (or third or fourth) hand and will surely be used on at least another bum. Having a large rotation means that they'll hopefully be able to to passed down to DC2 if we go that route.

I think it's just a hobby for many people in the same way that crafters have big stashes of fabric, yarn and other stuff.
I do admit that some of the prints are lovely and with more resources, I would probably buy a few more! But I try to keep it realistic in about 20 nappies - 13 day and 6 night nappies for my toddler. I have brought a second hand bundle of little lambs and some pre folds for my one on the way, until they fit into BTP well. Hopefullyy my toddler will be out of nappies by then, but if not, baby will just have to stay in the bulkier ones longer.
I've never tried an uno and I do wonder what the hype is.

Re the frugi/scandi clothes, I think it's a bit of a 'club' in that I know a few people who wouldn't be seen dead with their kids in Sainsbury's clothes. If it's not frugi, JoJo or Boden, they care not!
However, having said that, some of the designs are so much nicer in some seasons. I needed t shirts for my 2 year old recently and couldn't find any in the supermarkets or the high street stores in my town that were nice 🤷 there were a lot of slogans and neon colours which wouldn't suit his various trousers/jumpers.
I could easily spend a fortune and I guess it takes self restraint if you don't have a spare fortune.
I guess it's the snobbishness around the culture that I don't like. My in laws look down their nose at plastic toys and supermarket clothes and I try not to let it bother me, but you do feel looked down upon, despite the fact that my toddler looks as tidy as you can really expect a 2 year old to be and that he has plenty of ethically sourced toys, which will last and retain their value, alongside fire engines that have a loud siren

Plus what on earth is a drop day? I presume when new season stuff goes live on the website? I have never heard that expression before this thread!

Plus what on earth is a drop day? I presume when new season stuff goes live on the website? I have never heard that expression before this thread!*

Yes exactly that, when the new season clothes goes live. You need to join some of the Facebook groups

Bold fail 🤦🏻‍♀️ but that was aimed at @Namechangeymcnamechange11

Oh I see, thanks. I didn't realise it was such a big thing.

Namechangeymcnamechange11 Me neither. I assumed it was to do with the sales.
That's a new level of Frugi madness that I didn't know existed.

They should bring back Terry Nappies. They were lovely. Nothing nicer than a line full of white nappies blowing in the sunshine. No hoarding though....

They should bring back Terry Nappies. They were lovely. Nothing nicer than a line full of white nappies blowing in the sunshine. No hoarding though.
Agreed. Although with my oldest aged 31 now I used indian cotton prefolds as terries weren't availible in the US, I loved a line of white prefolds all flapping in the sunshine.
My mother used shaped cloth nappies with snaps on me, no pins, and that was in the 1960's so there have always been people around who liked something a bit different I think.

They're still about, @MaidenMotherCrone, and fairly popular as night nappies, especially with those of us who use woollen covers rather than plasticky ones but most people like slimmer fitting nappies in the daytime as the baby clothes available now that disposables dominate typically aren't all that well cut to accommodate bulkier nappies, so they are often too tight at the sides, too short in the body and too long in the legs over a terry. We also used ours on holiday as they are easier to wash and dry than more structured nappies. I love the pear shape babies have in a terry.

Both of our neighbours used terries on their children in the seventies and eighties and said how much they looked forward to seeing a line of nappies again!

Well that is good news. Mine had strange rubbery pants over that opened out flat and fastened with poppers.

I've always used cloth and love Alva baby, but 50 is way too many!

And the baby wearing market is even worse if anything! I know people who were obsessed with collecting rare wrap slings and mei tais or whatever they are called

Was just coming here to say this! It's ovwr 5 years ago for me now but I found the whole baby wearing thing a bit weird and culty . I still did it, but just had one sling til they were 6 months ish and then a bigger one when they were older. People were regularly dropping 3 figures on lengths of fabric and I was . But each to their own, it's harmless enough (if a bit unwelcoming to people who want to baby wear without amassing a huge collection of slings).

It doesn't seem any different to collecting anything else tbh, people collect all sorts of things.

It absolutely does seem different; they’re nappies.

Surely reusable could be used for future babies?🤷🏼‍♀️