are wipes really that bad?

[missytequila]

I am a new mom...Midwifes keep telling me to use just cotton wool and water. At night or on the go, the fragrance free, sensitive johnson's wipes just seem so much easier especially for a big poo.

Are they really that bad for the skin? I am confused, I thought everyone used baby wipes....

here is news report re disps and boys sperm - I knew I hadnt made it up lol

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/941174.stm

I used bits of cloth and water for first 6 months (fling in wash with washable nappies), but once ds was eating food and rolling I started using wipes. The Sainsbo's fragrance free ones pass the 'ouch' test.

But I got some Tescos ones recently and they say not to flush down the loo - should I be binning the Sainsburys ones too? Packaging no clue.

oh yes, meant to say that cotton wool was a crap idea as you just end up with bits of fluff stuck to your baby!

Commercial wipes are vile. For my PFB DD when I knew no better I used Pampers and J&J stuff. She had awful nappy rash. For NSC DS when I was old and wise I used reuseables nappies and wipes. Not a spot has blemished his bot and it is a gorgeous peachy baby bum except when it's covered in excrement.

I havnt actually read that one octo but i did read something similar that was carried out by scientists in Norway they tested male teenagers too. Interesting

This bit made me laugh though as i sit here wating my cloth nappies and wipes blowing on the washing line...

*But Peter Stephenson, spokesman for the Absorbent Hygiene Products Manufacturers Association, which represents makers of disposable nappies, dismissed the study.

"There is no evidence to support the assertions made by this study."*

Of course he would say that hes the spokesman for these companies!!

Just a thought here, What about moist toilet paper? - You know the types you can get for adults etc? Does that contain chemicals? - I'll have a look I think when I go shopping next. (Only I used that for days after having DS & no stinging there!)
& you can flush them.

Slight tangent, but is it just the nappies with the gel inside that cause this? Are the Nature Baby ones ok? What about supermarket 'eco' brands?

Nature babies contain less gel than normal nappies but i think they still contain some, as do most eco brands. You can buy gel free nappies that are made from paper but they are very expensive, ive seen them for as much as £13 a pack for the moltex ones. Much cheaper to go cloth even with extra washing taken into account. I think tushies contain no gel too but again expensive.

the eco brands (moltex, bambo) are much cheaper if you buy in bulk, off the top of my head i think nct shop & beaming baby do a discount for buying 3 big packs. still more expensive than standard disposables. but not too bad (i am a total cheapskate & i wasn't too at the price so it must have been ok ) but yes, as peachybums says, cloth nappies work out much cheaper over all.

It is also the fact that disposable nappies are not breathable and therefore no moisture evaporation / air circulation that makes them warmer inside.

Notcitrus - no you mustn't put wipes down the toilet unless it says so on the pack!

Do people routinely flush wipes then? They are not flushable and jam up the sewage system and cause pollution.

I'm going off on a tangent now but sanitary products shouldn't go down the toilet either. I am amazed what people put down the loo!

fifitot - was coming to that conclusion myself! I don't flush much down the loo (no tampons, dental floss etc) but my brain just went 'disposable paper with poo on = toilet' and given no warning to the contrary I did. Especially seeing as you're supposed to put the poo down the loo rather than into landfill (I mainly use washables so less of an issue - the paper liners all explicitly say tehy're flushable). Tampon packs at least tell you to bag it and bin it.

Sorry - didn't mean to give you a lecture!

I think some of the toddler wipes are flushable though as are the adult wipes (!) so no wonder there is confusion.

i wash my babys bottom in the morning and evening with cotton pads and water (the baby ones dont leave fluff). after a poo i use pampers sensitive for the icky part and then wash with cotton pads and water again. wet nappies in between just get changed without washing.

Re washables being cooler. Why is that when they're also wrapped in a plastic layer? Does anyone know?

Caen - think because modern reusables use PUL (polyurethane laminate) as the waterproof layer, which is breathable to some degree...rather than PVC - completely non-breathable... what the old plastic pants used to be made of (and I think still Kushies made with this?)

Of course, some people use wool and fleece as the water-resistant layers, which are even more breathable.

Agree with the 'test it on yourself' line.
I only realised this when I had a really bad cold and used a johnsons wipe to wipe very sore nose, as they happened to be closer than the loo roll lol....made my eyes water, so swore never to use them on a baby's skin.
I however find that boots fragrance free are very good on my very sensitive skin.
Not all fragrance free/sensitive wipes are created equal, sainsburys for example used to be fine but now irritate me.

i use reuasable wipes with baby lotion when at home but that's largely because I'm a cheap skate, dislike needless waste and when using reusable nappies anyways wipes just get in the way!

Tescos own out and about. My guys' skin seems to have coped!

I also love washable wipes and water (to go with DSs ever-expanding collection of washable nappies ). I got 4 sets from weenotions for £18 (IIRC) and 18 mths of solid use later they're still pretty much as good as new.

The only thing really good thing I've found with disposable wipes are that the sensitive pampers ones come in a handy plastic flip-top tub (got this free with Bounty pack) which with a bit of water and lavender essential oil in is perfect for keeping 20ish weenotions wipes in, so they're always ready to use.

I use disposable wipes (that parents provide) on the children I childmind and find them far less effective - 10ish wipes sometimes on very dirty nappies and some of them stink to high heaven (tescos own brand esp and J&J yuck!). The best ones I've found as someone else mentioned are Waitrose eco -brand (for effectiveness - they're more textured, larger size than others and less yucky smell) but I still prefer the washable ones - and even if you don't use washable nappies, you can just wash them with towels etc.

"I thought everyone used baby wipes"

I don't. I have 20 flannels that I bought in Sainsbury's for 10p each. I have a real thing about wet wipes, I will not use them on DD. I used all the free packs we were given for dusting...

Washable wipes here. Wet them, clean bottom, (after removing excess with loo paper) and bung in bucket. Wash.

No chemicals. Little waste. Cheap.

I just bought a pack of tushies (nappies) for a change. they get really warm from the wee, and they stay warm. and they smell quite chemical.

Fibilou I'm the same with the wipes - I've been using the free samples for dusting/cleaning and using flannel wipes on my DS - with lovely lavender oil for the clean ones and tea tree oil for the water in the wet container.

I am not an eco mum at all, but I am a nanny and had experience with both washable nappies and disposables, and with wipes.

From an expert point of view I would say to any mum, never use baby wipes on your baby.

If you want to, do this experiment. Buy a pack of babywipes and every 3 hours for 24 hours wipe your face all over and don't wash it off. You will soon see, you face will be very red, spotty and starting to get sore. Your new babies bottom is more delicate than your face by far.

I started with the pampers lark as a new mum, by 7 weeks of very bad nappy rash I stopped. I thought, would I want someone to rub chemicals all over my bottom constantly all day long, I actually thought, well no.

Beauticians tell us not to put all this harsh stuff on our faces and what damage it does, do you really think your baby can cope with it.

I switched to nature babies wipes and nappies, nature babies still gave my baby a slightly red bottom, then bought motherease washable nappies I use with a travel spray bottle of water and some one life flushable nappy linners, these are great, they literally look like a dry babywipe.

I still use nature babies nappies, but never would I use a baby wipe on my children again, and I only use an organic bath wash and bath every other night.

I would say to any mum, from a mum who since using onelife nappy linners and water, with either washable nappies or nature babies nappies, my baby has never ever had nappy rash once since, I never even use cream on her bottom, I think that says it all really.