How can I get my sil to stop using pampers and those hideous smelly orange nappy bags?

[alhambra]

that's it really. Gorgeous new baby, lovely family. Very right on in so many ways, so I was totally shocked to see them using VASELINE, PAMPERS and those repulsive orange nappy bags that do not biodegrade in 600 years. I didn't say anything, as thought - aw, they are still getting used to things - but then I thought, no somewhere along the line they have made a DECISION to do this. I really want to say something but a)obviously it's not my baby and b)I remember when I had dd1 and my sister tried to make me take all her old manky reusable nappies and I rebelled, although only to Moltex.

Lucyellensmum, I'm afraid your claim that there 'is a very good argument that the amount of water, electricity and detergent used in cleaning cloth nappies outweigh the benifit of not using disposables' can't be backed up by evidence.

The Environment Agency did produce a report a while ago that suggested that the environmental benefits of using cloth nappies were slighter than is often suggested. But they were only able to make this case by discounting some of the environmentally-damaging aspects of the production of disposables, and by assuming that people washed daily even if they only had a few dirty nappies, and that cloth nappies were always washed at 90 deg., tumble-dried, and IRONED! I know lots of people who use or have used cloth nappies, and I am absolutely certain that none of us has ironed a single nappy. I washed mine once or twice a week, at 40 or 60 degs alternately, and line-dried.

In fact, the Environment Agency report was so widely acknowledged as inadequate, that it has already been completely revised, and a new version will be out this summer.

You may well have good personal reasons to prefer disposables. But the environmental case for them is non-existent, I'm afraid.

Vaseline is an ideal treatment for a child's skin. It prevents moisture loss and protects it from bacteria. It is a really excellent treatment that dermatologists recomment. It is extremely bland, non allergenic, has no perfume or colours added.

And it is excellent for burns and blisters, once the area has cooled.

Moltex? people mentioned those - are they biodegradable bags, going to make myself look a tit here, whats the point of the bag if the nappy doesn't degrade, just a thought, cos i could be completely wrong, anyway!!! But i hate the orange ones, so where do i get those?

Yeah how mad is that Vasaline on a burn, its funny how the older generation see things. I don't put anything on dd bum, just water, shes never had nappy rash, im lucky there i guess. Ive often thought, how odd to be putting petrol on kiddies bums, im sure its pretty purified though, not that i'd ever use it.

I sold our 4x4, buy fair trade coffee, grow our own veg, and thats it i'm afraid. Oh and i recycle.

I'm so right on!!! Fuck me, ive not heard that since the 70s and im only 36!! This thread reminds me of that brilliant program by ben elton with father teds sidekick in it - ardal o hanlon, thats the fella. Actually my life reminds me of that, don't you just want to strangle the perfect "right on " neigbours. Absolutely pissed myself laughing at mother telling child astrological, nomical? anyway, how far the moon is from the sun, whilst breast feeding. He really does have a handle on modern parenting that guy!

nothing wrong with vaseline in it's place.

Op is mad. A true Mumsnet thread.

well, why would you put silver on an infection? How archaic! How medieval! How just plain mad!

How effective!

Zoflo - you will of course have noticed that i said "there is an arguement that...." i actually dont agree with it, i do feel bad for using disposables and actually wish i gave reusables a go but its too late now, dd nearly out of nappies hoooray, so I do agree with you re that argument. Well researched thoug, well done

Aloha, I cannot possibly agree with you re vaseline, im sure its not damaging to the skin but i cannot see how it prevents infection by not allowint the skin to breath and providing alovely air tight environment for bacteria to breed in.

So there ive admitted it, another thing for me to feel guilty about, my nappy usage, but no one has the right to dictate to another mother what to do like the original condescending poster. Who im sure is a lovely lady and desperately worried about cats and the environment

I have used Pampers since my dd was born and I have not had a single moment of remorse about it.

I recycle, I don;t have a car, buy as much as i can locally, don;'t travel by plane much,

I refuse to made feel guilty about my choice!

oooh go girls, this thread is preventing me from filling the dishwasher (and before you start, it uses less than washing up, well it uses less than when I wash up) i'm really enjoying this one.

lucy,

I use the dishwasher also!!!! xx

please just be careful about the amount of electricity you are using whilst mning ladies

She probably has enough to do and can't be arsed with cloth ones She may change her mind like we all do as time goes on and things get easier.But as others have said it isn't really your business!

I've just googled Moltex - and a roll of 50 nappy bags costs £1.50 (ish) - as much as I try to recycle as much as possible, walk almost everywhere, and buy fairtrade as much as I can - I'm afraid that's the sort of expensive I can't afford..........but if it makes it any better we do only use nappy sacks for pooey nappies - wet ones just get rolled up and thrown away.....

I teach about plastic materials at A level. There are lots of new biodegradeable plastics appearing all the time. I reckon a biodegradeable nappy is not that far off.

Doesn't solve the oil problem I know......

Also the fact that there are very few plastic recycling facilities in UK would make it pretty pointless in inventing one.

Like you say - she's made a decision. She knows what she's doing, by your account: it's a compromise she has deliberately made.

Speaking as someone who has written several holier-than-thou articles on Green Parenting in order to pay for the Pampers.

alhambra. moltex are rubbish these days. maybe have a quick chat about biodegradeable. i honestly think most people don't think about it. my mum went on and on about reusables so i ended up using moltex too. (we were living in a flat at the time - no place to hang washing, it was mid-winter as well, and i have a fatigue disorder!). tbh, i now use pampers as they seem to be much stretchier now he's walking about. but he only goes through 2-3 nappies per day. in the early days when they use 10 a day, imo, it is more imp to be greener.

God, it's none of your business. End of.

lucyellensmum, You say that vaseline doesn not allow 'the skin to breath and providing alovely air tight environment for bacteria to breed in.' Bacteria can NOT breed in an air tight environment, any more than we can! A covering of vaseline keeps skin sterile and moist and so provides the perfect environment for skin healing. Dermatologists recommend it for precisely this reason.

'It's just that, when you have your first baby, that's often a time when you start thinking seriously about the future, and climate change, and all that.'

OMG are you serious?! Yeah, course it is - absolutely at the fore front of my mind, absolutely.

Please.

Global warming my arse.

Now come on ladies. theres no need to get personal, just because we don;t agree with alhambra's idea of telling her sil what to do there's no need to get personal and throw out insults
m9(APOLOGIES FOR ANY TYPOS - dd27M IS helpingSAADAASD TO WRITE THIS!)

THATS DD2 7MONTjhas

I givre upg fdc czxvc

Surely the ultimate in being environmentally friendly wrt nappies would be that elimination communication thingy where you just hold the baby over a potty - preferably woven from lentils. Maybe a small cork to keep in baby's methane emissions too?

noooooooooo, not...omg...pampers - tell her that tesco own are half the price and way better than pampers. and she doesn't need orange bags unless it is squidy older baby poo (new born doesn't smell too much anyway).
They have made a DECISION, they have obviously decided to use what they are using, and may or may not change in the future. Talk about how easy reusables are etc.

noooooooooo, not...omg...pampers - tell her that tesco own are half the price and way better than pampers. and she doesn't need orange bags unless it is squidy older baby poo (new born doesn't smell too much anyway).
They have made a DECISION, they have obviously decided to use what they are using, and may or may not change in the future. Talk about how easy reusables are etc.