AIBU to wonder why more people don’t use reusable nappies?

[KatyClaire]

I have a fairly new baby and I’m a little surprised at how few people I’ve encountered are using reusable nappies. I haven’t met anyone using them in my antenatal group / baby classes / local parents group etc. There has been such an explosion in the use of reusable products (sanitary products, straws, cups, make up wipes etc) that I had assumed it would have crossed into nappies as well.

I don’t know whether it’s a perception issue (people thinking they’re messy and hard to clean), the upfront cost, confusing information etc?

I find the concept revolting, that's why. HTH

Problems are

• you’re putting pee and bits of poo into your washing machine which is gross - doesn’t it smell bad afterwards?
• you’re using the washing machine and maybe dryer more so that’s not good for the environment
• not everyone has a dryer and if you don’t have much space for an airer either you’ve got nappies drying all over your home
• they’re a faff at a time when you have quite a lot on.

I used them with my first when we lived somewhere bigger but not with my second

I had twins which was hard enough without the never ending washing cycle of nappies

Slightly off topic but reusable nappies make me think of my Mum soaking them in a metal pail and the nappies freezing on the line in winter and feeling like cardboard.

We were in the north of Scotland though and it was many years ago.

There was a huge thread about this a few months ago and it erupted into a huge divisive argument much like this one.

I’ve used them with all five of my children but I completely accept why others don’t. I don’t find washing them a huge inconvenience personally but understand why others would. I’ve spent a lot of money on them over the years which you obviously don’t absolutely have to do but I’ve got the right ones that work for my DC. I understand why some are deterred by the start up cost.

I’m not a reusable nappy elitist by any means, I’m not just that bothered about it. I use them because I like them, others don’t and that’s fine too.

Where to start? I used cloth nappies part-time, the bastard things leaked constantly, sometimes ten minutes after I'd put them on. Even with part-time and in the summer so no drying costs, it was a lot of washing with all the extra outfit changes and nappies. The microfibre inserts were actually pretty heavy when wet and I was worried about the wear on my washing machine as it sounded very pissed off/extra noisy when I was washing them and I thought it would destroy it. I thought it was more environmentally friendly not to kill the washing machine than save on disposables!

Plus it is a lot of extra work, not what you need when you have small children! They may work for some mums, but they aren't for everyone. Especially if your baby is velcro baby, has reflux or is generally harder work.

They weren't cheap either. I use reusable cleaning cloths to save on kitchen roll, I found it much easier than the cloth nappies.

As for men loving them, are they the ones doing all the washing?

I use little abd blooms reusable. We agreed before birth that I would do inputs and husband would do outputs! He set up the system, with netting bags for wet nappies, wet bags for the nappy bag and reusable wipes and bamboo linings. He also runs the Laundry round ours. And we use a disposable overnight.

It is a lot more washing and they leak wee more than disposables - but the prints are pretty and a wet pair of trousers means I can work a different outfit! But we do have a dryer and it was a pin when we didn’t and had to hang them each time.

Not RTFT.

(a) I tried them but they leaked. Badly.

(b) And ds was at nursery so couldn't have used them there, could have used them at home though I suppose but see point (a).

I get a bit annoyed with all the pressure to use disposable nappies and sanitary towel - it's a bit like the arguments over covid (kill your granny by meeting outside for a coffee while thousands of businesses are preventing their staff working from home when they easily could).

Ultimately about 93% of waste comes from industry - consumer waste is minimal, while significant. I'd like to see industry do its bit. Both on waste and energy use - how many shops and offices are lit up at night when they don't need to be (and at the moment arguably don't need to be lit up at all).

Because with an episiotomy, massive blood loss, forceps delivery, week long hospital stay, tongue tie, failure of breastfeeding at 9 weeks, family all miles away, a terrible sleeper and PND I had more pressing things to worry about than reusable nappies.

And that your limited imagination can’t think why us mere mortals wouldn’t be able to attain your wondrous heights of parenting and environmental concerns, says a lot about how smug and judgemental you must be.

I'd like to see industry do its bit. Both on waste and energy use - how many shops and offices are lit up at night when they don't need to be (and at the moment arguably don't need to be lit up at all).

👏👏 This is such a good point. I appreciate that everyone has to do their part but realistically until this point is tackled anything we do will make such a teeny tiny miniscule difference in the grand scheme of things that it's genuinely not worth worrying yourself over. Even added up collectively those of us who have used disposables are a mere spec of the bigger picture.

@VestaTilley I hope you’re on the mend after what sounds like a very difficult time. I had a very bad birth too (failed induction, back to back baby, emergency c-section and horrific haemorrhage, followed by baby with such terrible reflux that he is sick approx 30 times per day) and I know how life-altering it can be. I hope things are better for you now and that you have good support from your partner x

I would consider reusable for a new arrival for environmental reasons, however I do query the savings made by reusables over disposables, based on the deemed cost of disposable nappies. Just found an article about it on the money advisory service website which suggested a cost of own brand disposable nappies of £1875 over 4000 nappy changes. This would suggest a cost per nappy of 46p while my child's size 4 nappies are 5.2p each.

Mess, dirt, smell, faffing with liners, less leakproof products, endless washing, endless drying, the initial cost.

Plus ds's dad could barely be persuaded to change a disposable. If I'd tried reusables, he wouldn't have changed any.

My local authority ran a scheme so I spent £20 and they gave me £90 worth of nappies. I did it twice so I ended up with 10 nappies plus extras for £40. I then sold them all for £25. So I spent £15 on them. I always think I did well when I read these threads x

I tried with my kids. They were both in nappies at the same time. My ds got sore. The wee was not sucked in as effectively by the reusable. Also they leaked more frequently. I have tonnes of washing anyway so could do without more. It’s quicker to put on a disposable. I do care about the environment but my sanity had to come first. Mine never slept through until they were much older and my h was working very long hours. Only so much I could do.

This would suggest a cost per nappy of 46p while my child's size 4 nappies are 5.2p each.

Those numbers do indeed seem very high. I wonder if they use the moat expensive brands for comparison. I found similar at our antenatal class when they discussed the cost of ff when compared to breastfeeding. They used the most expensive formula option for the comparison to inflate the cost and make it seem higher.

I loved my cloth nappies so much, I miss them even now. I'm aware of how sad this makes me sound. 😁
The cloth wipes are still in use around the house. I had 2 under 2 in cloth at one time and it was manageable, but we set up a system that worked which did mean a washing rack up all the time, exclusively for the nappies, and a basket of dry ones that never got put away, it just became the nappy storage. We have a very efficient washing machine which helped. I worked out all the energy expenditure and costs and they did come out as cheaper than the eco disposables which were our other option. But more expensive than the budget disposables.
I can see why people are dubious but I enjoyed them.

I used them for both, loved them. We had a great system, liner down the loo, bucket with a net and washed them every other day. I also used cloths as wipes, never used baby wipes.

I find it worse that people don't flush poo just wrap it up in the nappy then in another bag and bin it.

Considered with my first and decided against it. With my second I had to work at 12 weeks postpartum due to covid job loss, taking my pump to the ward every day and pumping for half an hour each break then home schooling and dealing with tiny baby while pumping 8 x a day. Oh and healing from episiotomy and 3rd degree tear and moving house 3 times including an international move alone by the time baby was 9 weeks old. Glad to hear some on this thread consider me lazy though.

I used lidls nappies with both, and never use baby wipes so the costs were minimal (had to be when I was supporting a family of 4 on £1300pm!). Have never had a nappy rash and never had a blow out with either child. Eldest son was no problem to toilet train at average age and used toilet for bowel movements from 1 so minimal nappies used. Would not personally buy used menstrual or incontinence products or underwear for myself so wouldn't buy used nappies for my babies.

Having RTFT I now consider the reusable nappy community to be pretty toxic and wouldn't want to be part of it. I know a few people who chose reusable and been stuck in a 20 minute conversation about which liners they use and special brands of clothes that fit round nappies it clear that people can become a little obsessed with it. I get it because I would have been the same about breastfeeding/baby wearing with my first but it's not for me.

With ds 1 I didn’t but we lived in a small 1 bed flat in Scotland in winter with no tumble dryer. Would of been a nightmare to keep them washed and dried. We also moved and got married and he was in hospital for a week, all in the first 11 weeks. Disposable were just easier. Dh is also defence so once we had moved ( thankfully to a larger home and we got a tumble drier ) he went to sea. Again it just made life easier for me.
When ds 2 was born he spent most of his first 6 months in hospital, we moved , I had a 2 year old and dh was away slot. Disposables were again easier.

[quote KatyClaire]@Littlelapwing I do actually have a pair of ponies and a cart 🤣 but I confess I use it for leisure not travel! I’m not sure they would park up and wait for me outside Tesco very patiently.[/quote]
There is no winning this argument

Is there a reason why you don't cycle to a local shop? I actually do and it is way easier than using cloth diapers for me, personally - I like cycling, I live close to a supermarket, I have a trailer. But it is clear to me why most people don't...

Keeping animals, especially large ones for pleasure is extremely non-ecological in terms of the co2 emissions, by the way and I often wonder why so many people in England keep their own horse ...Unheard in many other countries and probably a well understood fact for anyone who care about the enviroment...

I couldn't afford to have my washing machine on every day...

Never used them cos i couldnt be bothered with the extra fuck around
I also dont like cups, period pants. Will never use
I still get a normal takeaway coffee cup and use plastic straws
I value convenience above all else

@Kishkashta oh I know, I’m not trying to! I’m well aware that according to the mumsnet consensus if you don’t live on an entirely self-sufficient, off-grid smallholding where you grow all your own food, and make all your own clothes entirely from beaten tree bark, and walk everywhere, and have no children, and generate enough solar power from your land to power a medium sized city, then there’s absolutely no point doing anything at all to mitigate your impact on the environment and you’re a filthy hypocrite for even trying

I've used both disposable and washable and currently using washable for no.2.

Why people don't use them:

• the best slim fitting, easy to use ones are very expensive. When you add in elec/water and detergent costs to wash, if you are using for one child there's barely any saving over cheap supermarket disposables.
• DH and I work FT and with two children we are finding the extra laundry from nappies a real struggle.