Cost of nappies

[Catnary]

I was reading this article in today’s Guardian in which a couple going through the asylum-seeking process were talking about the high cost of having a baby.

The man is quoted as saying “a pack of 24 nappies is gone in 5 days!”. I checked and you can get 50 newborn nappies in Tesco for £1.80. Also, my son is out of nappies now, but I remember how eye-wateringly expensive Pampers were compared to supermarket own brands, and how corner shops/Tesco Express etc never seemed to stock the cheap ones or larger packs, so you might not even know they existed if you weren’t able to get to a large supermarket. I couldn’t help but think that, while it’s obviously important to highlight financial pressures, surely nappies should not be pushing people over the financial brink? I wondered if someone needed to give them some advice about buying cheaper brands in larger packs.

Yup, everything that I moan about costing too much. Nappies isn’t one of them. Cheap as anything in Lidl

Probably they didn't plan for having to seek asylum.

I'm amazed that they can make 24 nappies last five days. I was having to change my kids every couple of hours when they were tiny.

I suspect lazy/trite journalism actually. New baby cost of living article- must mention nappies!

Tesco's nappies gave DD terrible nappy rash. Pampers are expensive but I'd rather pay more and have her comfortable.

I used pampers and this was two and a half years ago and they were really expensive then so I don’t know how much they would be now! My son has really sensitive skin so I didn’t wanna mess around with different brands I just about got his skin under control and it wasn’t that worth even testing it out for me, I even changed his creams to the more expensive ones to help so sometimes we don’t have a choice in these things. Plus it’s expensive to be poor unfortunately.

We used to use Aldi, but find Sainsbury's to be better.

With regards to people on low incomes buying Pampers, it is probably a combination of things.

Advertising.
Desire to buy the 'best' for their child.
No car/transport to large supermarkets.
Inability to budget.

Obviously, most people on lower incomes are perfectly capable of budgeting, but just as 5% of the population have significantly above average intelligence, there are the corresponding 5% that have significantly below average intelligence. Unfortunately, it is expensive to be incapable of making informed, rational, choices.

I am genuinely sceptical that Pampers solve every problem that people have with cheaper nappies. I think it’s placebo effect, people tell themselves they must be better as they cost so much more, but there is quite possibly a different own brand one that would be fine too.

Not that I think the couple in the article are doing that.

Let’s hope the Guardian put them in touch with someone who could give them some advice, as well as just writing down what they said.

I agree that advertising is a big thing with Pampers. In quite a few languages “Pampers” is used to mean nappies in the same way that “Hoover” means vacuum cleaner in English.

Out of curiosity- which one's the best? 😅(asking as mum to be, complete baby rookie)

I have a 9 year old in nappies (only at night now, thank goodness but he wore them in the day until he was 5), the cost is ridiculous. For a newborn though it's not the price of nappies that is the problem, it's that people are trying to survive on such a tiny amount of money.

Cloth are best but weirdly people don’t like them. They’re MUCH more comfortable for the child, and you don’t have to fill half your shopping trolley with huge nappy packets or have stinky bins of poop nappies. Much less work. I had three in nappies at once we only use disposables if we were on a long journey.

Asylum payments were £41.85p per household member and increased to £45 this January. The mother will also get an extra £5 a week for the first year, dropping to £3 until child turns 3.

This family will be accommodated and not have to pay rent or heating costs etc. They will also receive £140 per week via a debit card. It's far from being a fortune but it's nowhere near as little as the article suggests.

I don't begrudge them the money before someone shoots me.

Cloth nappies are hard when you are poor. Trying to dry nappies as well as the rest of the washing in a damp flat and unless you have a baby who is tall and thin it's only the expensive brands of trousers/babygrows etc that fit over a cloth nappy. Although it's been a long time since I used them so maybe the nappies are less bulky these days.

I think giving advice about contraception would be better

I only used pampers bought on offer and stock up so never really paid full price, I wouldn’t use Lidl or Aldi as don’t have one local and they don’t deliver, only wanted to use ones that was easy to get everywhere. Wouldn’t entertain cloth nappies don’t need all that extra washing and drying!

I have found this as well.

£5 a week won't even cover the formula milk, and 24 nappies is gone in 5 days. Not sure what's confusing about what he said.

Cloth is the way to go. Especially if your walking/ bus to shops, they are a huge bulky item to have to constantly carry. People sell them very cheap or free even on marketplace.
Even if you try and just use them part time, or overnight.
ours are nearly 3 years old, look as new, and could easily cloth bum another child from newborn

@Itisbetter

I used cloth and I lived in a rental with coin up laundry (USA) still was cheaper than disposable

Not sure what's confusing about what I said? I was questioning why they were buying 24 packs, not the statement that 24 nappies are used in 5 days.

Cloth nappies fit under normal clothes. They cost about £1.50 a nappy. I can see drying might be difficult but if you can do that I honestly don’t see why you wouldn’t?

I spend over £10 a week on nappy pants.. DD needs size 7, and she wears huggies drynites overnight as she leaks through everything else. It's soo expensive.

Ds has always worn reusable nappies. Never bought him any special brands. Supermarket, m and s, h and m, Zara, odd random place thrown in. They aren’t that big now

You do not need Pampers for sensitive skin or to prevent nappy rash. Any nappy that's not made with bleached, fragranced or plasticky materials will do the trick ie. the more eco friendly ones. They're more expensive than supermarket own but often cheaper than the marketing rip off Pampers.

Tesco are great! Sainsburys were perfect for when our baby was in between ALDI sizes, as they fitted differently than the ALDI ones.