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?

@OrangeSlices998 😂 lazy. I personally preferred to spend more time with my baby inside of scooping shit out a nappy and pissing about washing them just so I could feel like I was in the running for mother of the year and to look down my nose on everyone at baby group.

In my opinion it does.

Well then there is no point trying to have a reasonable discussion with you because you clearly think you're right and everyone else is wrong and if you are not willing to see both sides then it's not worth engaging with you.

The vast majority on this thread aren’t in that situation though, they’ve quite openly said they just couldn’t be bothered.

I didn't. I agreed with another poster who referred to having precious little headspace after a newborn arrives, due to (in my case) severe PND and other struggles. So your throwaway comment was a little offensive to me.

[quote LadyWhistledownthe1st]@OrangeSlices998 😂 lazy. I personally preferred to spend more time with my baby inside of scooping shit out a nappy and pissing about washing them just so I could feel like I was in the running for mother of the year and to look down my nose on everyone at baby group.[/quote]
I spent loads of time my baby. No shit scooping required! And I never made it to a baby group thanks to the pandemic so no feelings of superiority. You seem to want to put me down though, because you’re insecure about your own choices?

The main aim for companies is to make money, not to protect the planet. Until that changes disposable nappies, wipes etc etc etc etc will continue to be sold in the shops and people will continue to buy them.

YABU. There are lots of good reasons not to use them, and it is not such a massive leap to find them. I also don't understand why you think it would have "crossed over" into nappies. Washable nappies are not a new thing at all. None of what you have said is. A washable wipe is a flannel. I liked my washable nappies, and used them for years. But it is obvious why they don't suit everybody and I think you are being rather disingenuous.

It’s very sad

Nope.

Yep. Very obviously ignorant. Or you’d never have posted what you did.

@Same4Walls

In my opinion it does.

Well then there is no point trying to have a reasonable discussion with you because you clearly think you're right and everyone else is wrong and if you are not willing to see both sides then it's not worth engaging with you.

Both sides to what? I’m confused, what debate are we having here? Do I think people just can’t be bothered to even try? Yes. Do I think disposables do a lot of harm given so much plastic goes into their manufacture and packaging, and then it all sits on landfill for hundreds of years? Yes. Do I wish more people cared even a bit? Yes.

Am I blind to the reasons people don’t? No. But I am entitled to my opinion just like you are.

You seem to want to put me down though, because you’re insecure about your own choices?

Isn’t that what youre doing? Name calling and putting other mothers down?

@willFOURbagsbeenough

You seem to want to put me down though, because you’re insecure about your own choices?

Isn’t that what youre doing? Name calling and putting other mothers down?

Oh give over. Saying an action is lazy isn’t calling someone names.

I did with my first, they were bit irritating for him but I could get past that.
Then had my second and went back to work EBF at 4months. 2 in nappies. I was trying to express and get coolbag out with me to work with pump. Cloth nappies was just an extra layer of difficulty - asking nursery or my Mum to clean the crap off (several) nappies a day and either soak them or put them through her washing machine.
Became too impractical. Maybe I am lazy too but I'd like someone else to try the above first before saying I am!

I used them occasionally with my 1st and much more with my 2nd because the council cut right down on rubbish collections and our bins would be overflowing. There’s a good take up of them in our area but we have a really good, well stocked cloth nappy library so people can try what works for their baby. They’re not a “one size fits all” like disposables and you have to get the right nappy for the right baby in order to make them work. They are definitely a pain in the arse, so you have to really want to reduce waste to use them in my opinion.

Because:

-they're a faff
-using all that detergent/water to wash and dry them isn't good for the environment

YABU

Ps. I hope reusable nappies isn't the next stealth boast...

This is something I will always be annoyed with myself after having 2 children. They are so easy to use, I started using them when my little boy was 2 and found them so easy to use, but he was a big chunk and they rubbed his thighs so didn’t use them for long.
They really are very easy to use.

Oh give over. Saying an action is lazy isn’t calling someone names.

You said people were lazy. Not the action.

We had no space to dry extra laundry. If anyone is using cloth nappies and using a tumble dryer, they are negating the environmental benefit.

Literally every inch of our tiny home is in use- no space for extra laundry. Having a utility room would be a dream come true for me! We use an overhead pulley.

We make a big effort in other parts of our lives. Eg we don't have a car, and we're vegetarian.

@cerealgamechanger

Ps. I hope reusable nappies isn't the next stealth boast...

The next? It’s been a stealth boast for years!! Nothing quite as smug as an evangelical cloth nappy mum.

I always have a smile at people saying they use cloth wipes, we used to call them a flannel.

The upfront cost was too much. I didn’t want dirty nappies in my home sweating in a stinky bucket for days on end until I had enough to do a wash. I didn’t want to put shit in my washing machine. And I would have ended up having to do extra washes just for nappies because I certainly didn’t want shit in with my clothes.

Because I have quite enough washing to do already with with two children, one toddler, one at school so in uniform, a DH who has work and sports clothes as well as normal wear and my own plus bedding and towels for us all without having to do extra, for a start.

Because I like the convenience of disposables

Because they're expensive upfront, the nappies I buy are £3 for a huge pack although I appreciate over the course of being in nappies reusable probably work out cheaper.

Because I think it's a bit gross to put wee and poo soaked items in my washing machine when it's not necessary

People do things differently to you - shocker!! Are you surprised or are you expressing your horror that people aren't all as virtuous as you?

There is enough judgement on mothers already without people being sniffy about how you choose to keep their bums clean! Good lord.

@lilyborderterrier

This is something I will always be annoyed with myself after having 2 children. They are so easy to use, I started using them when my little boy was 2 and found them so easy to use, but he was a big chunk and they rubbed his thighs so didn’t use them for long. They really are very easy to use.

You’ve just given a very simple reason why they’re not very easy to use for everyone!

The next? It’s been a stealth boast for years!! Nothing quite as smug as an evangelical cloth nappy mum.

Reminds me of a baby grow I saw once

'Breast milk in my tum, cloth on my bum, worn by my mum'

< not envy

I think that most of my lifestyle is fairly sustainable. Vegetarian/almost vegan, buy local products, walk to work, etc.

I refuse to use reusable nappies or sanpro though. I don’t want to deal with poo or blood any more than I have to.

A lot of my friends use reusables. Many of them drive massive diesel/petrol cars to places within easy walking distance. One of the most evangelical about eco-friendly baby products ‘doesn’t see the point’ in sorting recycling.

I think everyone should make an effort to minimise the damage they cause to the environment. I don’t think that everyone has to choose the most environmentally friendly option for every single thing in their life.