Hi Jennifer,
Well done, I didnt even know the Derby Evening Telegraph had a message board. I've emailed the journalist who replied to me and others on the babyworld.co.uk forum with the same response, ignored comments about chemicals in disposables and seemed sceptical that my son can be dry overnight in a terry. The article has been posted on all the nappy forums I know of
Heres the emails that were exchanged;
Hi Karina, thanks for your e-mail.
Please don't forget that I was quoting Kerry. This was Kerry's impression of real nappies - not mine. I am a fan of real nappies and am proud to say I used terries for my own child. Kerry was a volunteer and approached it with a completely open mind. She was quite excited about trying them.
I was the one who went shopping for the terry nappies. I tried to get those popper ones from both Boots and Mothercare, but they were sold out. I do think £7 each is pricey, personally. And I can't imagine only needing four. I used to use four in a morning! I also wondered if the plastic would perish and become brittle over time, meaning another investment after a few months.
We were working to a timescale (didn't want the story of the county council's nappy outreach worker to be too old by the time we went to press) so with a lack of popper nappies, I opted for the traditional terry nappies - the ones that I had used for my daughter, now 12.
The idea that you don't soak nappies is a new one on me, I confess. I really thought you had to soak them. So, you can blame my ignorance for that. When I was using them I found that the liners and soaking helped remove much of the mess before washing.
In the panel, we spoke about those nappies with wraps and pre-folded inserts. And a laundry service, so readers would be aware of the alternatives.
As for leaking. I, like Kerry, found that terries leaked more readily than disposables. But I just accepted that as part of the choice I had made to help protect the environment.
So, I'm sorry if you were disappointed by the feature. Kerry really didn't like them, and she was only aproached at random. Another mum might have made a totally different feature. It's not always easy to get people who will be a 'guinea pig' for us and agree to have their pictures taken etc. So, I was hugely grateful that Kerry said yes. I thought her quotes were honest and enlightening, and were a great read.
If we address it again we may be back in touch. Would you be willing to champion the cause of real nappies in the DET if we do?
Best wishes,
Lynwen
-Original Message-
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: 05 February 2005 13:45
To: [email protected]
Subject: Article on re usable nappies
Dear Ms Davison
I've read your article on reusable nappies and I found it to be misleading to parents who have no knowldege on disposables.
I've used cloth nappies for 10 months, I started out with terries, I found them to be quick to dry and easy to put on after learning the various ways to fold. Things have progressed, I didnt use nappy pins but a wonderful device called a nappy nippa which fastens nappies safely and securely, they cost around £3.50 for a pack of three. Paper liners arent needed, rectangular pieces of fleece keep moisture away from the baby's bottom and can be washed along with nappies. If a mum doesnt like folding terries there are loads od shaped nappies available that feasten with velcro or poppers. The waterproof pants available now are made of laminated polyester that is breathable and lovely and soft, they cost around £7.50 but only about 4 are needed for full time use.
When my son got more mobile I did find it awkard to put a terry on him so I moved to pocket nappies. As the name implies these have a pocket which can be stuffed with terry or any absorbant material even micro fibre dusters! They are as easy to put on as a disposable. At night he wears a large terry nappy that never leaks unlike disposables can.
I wash my nappies every other day, I put them in the machine when the kids are in bed, There is no need to soak nappies or use nappy soak, Terries can be washed up to 95 deg, the pocket nappies I use can be washed at 60.
I am really disappointed that your article gave cloth nappies such a negative press, and failed to mention the potential dangers of babies being exposed to the gels and bleaches in disposables. The main reason I switched to cloth is because I didnt want my sons skin to be in prolonged contact with disposable nappies.
Where I live in Littleover we only have our rubbish collected every fortnight and by using cloth we have reduced the amount of waste dramatically. I love using my cloth nappies and am tired of people making it look like too much hard work.
yours Faithfully
Karina Bell