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've used terries and even among cloth bum mums (such a twee expression, sorry), they are quite niche.

You can need around 20 nappies for a new born in cloth. That's usually hundreds of pounds and then you may need to buy another size as they grow. My dc2 needed the biggest size, as he was (still is) a big, tall toddler. So we ended up buying three sets altogether, for two babies. I dread to think what I spent, but then it could have been just as much for disposables.

@CthulhuInDisguise

Genuine question, because I'd not heard this before (when I had my child Terry nappies were a thing of the past and I didn't know anyone who used them nor were they suggested by midwife or health visitor) - if they help with early potty training, why is that? Is it because the baby gets uncomfortable versus the absorbency of disposables, so learns to avoid being uncomfortable by using the potty? That feels a little unpleasant for the baby, but have I missed the point?

Also, they seem bulky from what I have seen of photos of me as a baby. When we buy sanitary towels, we often opt for the thinnest, most fitted style, for comfort and to capture everything - surely the same thing applies to a baby and if we wouldn't accept a bulky towel that doesn't stay put and leaks/isn't as absorbent, it's counter intuitive to choose that for a baby where the bulk in proportion to body size is much more?

I think it helps with potty training as they continue to have that sensation/understanding of what having a wee/poo means in terms of feeling. It doesn't 'disappear' like with a dispo nappy. My own experience is that my own kids were v happy to be changed every 3-4 hours and potty trained by 2yrs old. In terms of bulk - it never bothered them. I buy washable sanitary towels - they are thicker than dispo ones but still works and worth it overall. (Also use a cup though).

Argh that was to @PlinkPlink! Tech is not on my side today...probably because I keep saying how much I hate it. It's turned against me

I've been a childminder for 20 years.
Most parents used disposable; a few used cloth/reusable.

The cloth nappies are more work, but achievable. They are an expensive initial outlay.
They are bulky on the child.
The children who have used them were much more likely to have nappy rash. One child had it really badly - the skin was weeping with open sores- and nothing we tried seemed to help. He had several prescription creams, including steroid cream.
Eventually, she gave up on the cloth nappies and we used biodegradable disposals. The rash cleared up.

Not all skin is the same and different products and methods will suit different families.

So I would say that, if you don't mind the extra work and can afford the initial costs, they are ok. I would also recommend trying different samples first to see which is best for you both before buying the bulk.
However, don't for goodness sake persevere if your child develops a bad nappy rash. Sometimes just a brief spell in disposables is enough; occasionally, the switch needs to be permanent.

I used reusables about 13 years ago. Lots of great makes available then.
I was incentivised by the environmental issue but mostly by the money savings. By buying second hand (which again some people have an issue with) and using on 2 children, I saved hundreds and hundreds of pounds. I washed at 60 degrees 2 or 3 times a week and never found it very inconvenient, but I did have to fork out around £80 up front. Lots of people see that as a barrier, especially if they're not really committed to the idea or sure it will work for them.

After I'd used the nappies on 2 kids, they went to my friend who used them in her 2 kids. Not sure where they went after that. But at least 5 kids got use out of that set.

Lack of information is another big barrier. There are lots available and people aren't interested enough to do the research and worry that the big cost upfront will be wasted. If you aren't committed to it before birth, afterwards isn't the time with a newborn taking up all your time. With it still being a niche activity, lots of people don't know someone else who has done it or it is even as something for tree hungers and not 'people like me'. But essentially the ease of disposables is the big thing that swings it for people and will always be a hard thing for those promoting reusables to overcome.

Getting environmental messages over to people and getting large numbers to change their behaviour without more direct government action to financially incentivise/disincentivise choices or to op legislate against certain options, is terribly terribly difficult.

People will go for the reusable bag because it's an easy option without much inconvenience. Even then though, until the bag charge was added by government, not enough people made the switch. But it's a drop in the ocean. People like to say 'I'm environmentally aware and reuse bags' or 'I don't use plastic straws anymore' as if that's goi g to save the planet. But most of us aren't willing to be genuinely inconvenienced - we are essentially selfish.

@willFOURbagsbeenough hip dysplasia occurs quite commonly in babies - nature doesn’t do a great job on babies’ hips. It can affect up to 15% of babies.

Here are a couple of web pages with info about how cloth nappies can assist with correct hip development: www.ecopipoclothnappies.com/blog/after-all-cloth-nappies-might-be-beneficial-for-your-babys-hips/

www.thenappylady.co.uk/news/do-cloth-nappies-damage-your-babies-hips.html

Doctors will also sometimes recommend that parents double up on disposable nappies to assist with mild hip dysplasia- it’s the same principle.

The nappy rash issue is real isnt it. Ive seen 2 with real sores and there's an almost blindness to it. "Well lots of babies get nappy rash" or "well it would be worse with disposables." Instead of trying and seeing.

Because soaking and washing nappies is a filthy horrible job.

@Viviennemary you don’t need to soak them these days ☺️ Hurrah for modern machines!

@TryingNotToPanicOverCovid that is a real shame. I wouldn’t recommend any parent ignoring nappy rash. We’ve genuinely never had it with our baby - it’s just not a feature of our lives. If it became an issue I would certainly need to address it.

Hip issue - maybe compounded nowadays by the fact that babies aren't carried around by mum all the time like they used to? Just thinking out loud rly.
For the rash - for me it was clearly the opposite. Rash with dispo and no rash ever with cloth nappies.

Bottom line - it can be more work for some but it doesn't have to be. It really depends and yes it is personal. Let's not spread the word that it is hard work because actually many parents may find that if they give it a go they will find it easier. I did so it's not impossible!

@TryingNotToPanicOverCovid

The nappy rash issue is real isnt it. Ive seen 2 with real sores and there's an almost blindness to it. "Well lots of babies get nappy rash" or "well it would be worse with disposables." Instead of trying and seeing.

This sort of thing annoys me so much. People have to get so tribal about it. Everything about cloth has to be miraculously better than disposables, when anyone with eyes can see that isn't true for everyone.

It is a bit like vegans claiming you will lose weight and feel soooooo much better if you go vegan. I went vegan before you were born honey . It isn't a fucking magic pill. Wise up.

Anyway, scuse rant.

(And I'm not vegan anymore as it goes, but that's a story for another day).

@Tanith that’s awful re the nappy rash. My first was horribly prone to it and so is my son. I can’t imagine spending a huge chunk of cash upfront on reusables and having to give them up due to rashes.

Saying that there would be no way on earth I’d persevere of my child had open sores. That’s horrific.

@oblada

Hip issue - maybe compounded nowadays by the fact that babies aren't carried around by mum all the time like they used to? Just thinking out loud rly. For the rash - for me it was clearly the opposite. Rash with dispo and no rash ever with cloth nappies.

Bottom line - it can be more work for some but it doesn't have to be. It really depends and yes it is personal. Let's not spread the word that it is hard work because actually many parents may find that if they give it a go they will find it easier. I did so it's not impossible!

But, dont make out it's all easy for everyone, or the minute someone finds it a little hard the house of cards will come crashing down. Would be my view.

Let's not spread the word that it is hard work because actually many parents may find that if they give it a go they will find it easier.

But it is harder work for many parents compared to disposables. Many on here who use them have said as much, especially if you have multiple children in nappies at the same time.

I understand you found them easier, but from reading the thread that doesn't seem to be the case for the majority.

Nappy rash is an interesting one. I've spoken to people whose babies had nappy rash in disposables and moved to cloth nappies and found it went away. As mentioned above, it can work the other way too.

Lots of people do t want to try reusable nappies. They jump on the downsides they hear about inconvenience or nappy rash without trying for themselves.....and to some extent I understand because trying them means spending a big chunk if money. But essentially people just don't want to use them and don't value the environment above their own convenience.

@oblada I think that’s true - there have been studies done which show that hip dysplasia occurs less frequently in countries where it’s more common to carry babies with their legs in an ‘M’ shape (basically the way they are in a sling).

Here are a couple of web pages with info about how cloth nappies can assist with correct hip development:

Umm, any info from medical journals, rather than cloth nappy salespeople?

Hip issue - maybe compounded nowadays by the fact that babies aren't carried around by mum all the time like they used to?

Oh please! You can’t move these days for people declaring they “wear” their babies. Like an accessory.

I’ve recently bought some to try out but they are expensive and it does increase your washing more so than reusable sanitary pads.

The ones I’m going for are in between renewable and disposable as there’s a cloth in the centre which is binned so you don’t need to deal with cleaning poo. I think that seemed a good compromise.

But essentially people just don't want to use them and don't value the environment above their own convenience.

But not wanting to use them is a perfectly fine argument. It absolutely doesn't mean they dont value the environment above their own conviniece. It just means they have made different choices about how to limit their environmental impact e.g not flying, driving, being a vegetarian/vegan only having 1 child instead of 2, 3 or 4 etc.

It's niave to think just because someone uses reusables they are doing so for environmental reason or that they are more environmentally conscious than someone who chooses to use disposables.

I wonder if threads like this encourage people to think more about if they might look into reusable nappies, or whether they make more people decide 'they're not for people like me'.

@WombatChocolate

I wonder if threads like this encourage people to think more about if they might look into reusable nappies, or whether they make more people decide 'they're not for people like me'.

Yes!!!! This wombat.

Act like you're part of a cult where reusable nappies will mean your baby starts peeing out rainbows and speaks fluent containers by 6 months and can run 100 metres in 10 seconds flat (TONGUE IN CHEEK LIGHTHEARTED KLAXON ) and people will say "we don't believe you", or they will try them and then think "oh hang on, where are these rainbows then? That was all a load of shite wasn't it? I'm not using these".

So, honesty is the best policy, even if that means you aren't 'on message' iyswim.

Cantonese*

Sweet jesus 😂😂😂😂😭😭😭😭😭

@willFOURbagsbeenough

Here are a couple of web pages with info about how cloth nappies can assist with correct hip development:

Umm, any info from medical journals, rather than cloth nappy salespeople?

Hip issue - maybe compounded nowadays by the fact that babies aren't carried around by mum all the time like they used to?

Oh please! You can’t move these days for people declaring they “wear” their babies. Like an accessory.

Ffs I was simply referring to a clear and accepted historical fact that babies were previously carried pretty much constantly!! The point was made that it wasn't natural to wear nappies - true. But it is even less natural for babies to not be carried all the time. I am not saying we should all carry our babies constantly, just pointing out what has been the norm for many generations and indeed centuries until very recently. Not because those mothers were better mothers but because they had no other choice!

Baby wearing works better if you live in a flat, if anyone's interested! Don't bother buying a pram if you live in an upstairs flat with no lift. Voice of experience!