Reusable nappies: WHY?

[Rachiebaby24]

Just wondering what everyones reasons for using them were?

Environmental? Cost?


I dont actually think its any cheaper as they cost quite alot and then there is the extra washing etc.

Im really short of money at the mo but had a £10 voucher for mothercare. Maley had really bad nappy rash and as we use her swimming knickers when she is at home as it helped with the nappy rash i decided to get a reusable nappy. I only bought one with two pads that go in it (the mothercare brand) and i feel SOOO GOOD about it.

Not only am I doing good for the environment but I really like the idea that Maley as cotton against her bum and bits and not artficial material (i dont even know the material used in disposable).

Its really making me think of trying to go resuable for this baby.

What were your reasons for using cloth/resuable?? And any cons i should know about?

 

[purpledahlia]

I think it is cheaper if you dont become addicted to shopping

It might cost you £200 to get set up properly with enough birth to potty nappies, bucket, liners, and for reuseables i think the estimated amount you spend over birth to potty on disposables adds up to thousands? dont quote me on that im still a beginner. but the disposables just feel so... not comfy.. rough.. ?

Im going to do it for A-cost, B-Because of the softness like you said it feels better on babys bum, and C-for the environment

oh and they look so cool!

 

[purpledahlia]

I think it is cheaper if you dont become addicted to shopping

It might cost you £200 to get set up properly with enough birth to potty nappies, bucket, liners, and for reuseables i think the estimated amount you spend over birth to potty on disposables adds up to thousands? dont quote me on that im still a beginner. but the disposables just feel so... not comfy.. rough.. ?

Im going to do it for A-cost, B-Because of the softness like you said it feels better on babys bum, and C-for the environment

oh and they look so cool!

 

[bana]

ive just gone reuseable in the last day, so really new to this, and im still trying to find out which ones to use so i avnt fully switched yet. There are two reasons cost in the long run, as i plan to ave another child in the future and worked out we would be saving well over £600. second reason as they are sooooooo funky its like a whole new fashion world out there! god im vein! x

 

[Faerie]

I had always planned on using reusable, and then when it came down to it... I didn't, not for the first 4 months anyway. Then Sofia got really bad, persistant nappy rash that didn't matter what I did wouldn't go away. So I swapped to reusable. That was the biggest factor for me.

I plan on having more children, and will be able to use a lot of the nappies again, so that's the money saving bit. Plus where we live nappies are a lot more expensive than the UK.

I don't like the idea of filling up landfills with plastic that's not going to break down anytime soon. In France and Switzerland recycling is a way of life, we try and produce as little waste as possible, so reusables sit well with that. I did not appreciate having to take out the bin every day or two.

Linked to the above, I found disposables stink. Don't have that problem with reusables.

Annnnnnd.... they look super cute! Don't mind admitting that makes me happy!

Cons: well, they look cute.. so they're addictive. If you're compulsive like me you can get into a cycle of alway looking for the perfect nappy, there always has to be one better and shinier out there... not everyone is this mad and sticks to a brand they like. I do sell on ones I don't want anymore, so not too much of a loss.

You do have to do extra washing, which means having somewhere to dry them and then of course it's extra laundry to put away. Personally I enjoying washing them and seeing them dry, for me it's still a little game.. but perhaps I'm odd.

 

[Mary Jo]

For me, it's the cost first and the environment a close second, with the niceness of my son wearing a breathable fabric rather than plastic and chemicals next to his skin coming third. Cuteness isn't an issue for me, I don't have any fancy nappies, I'll spend on a *good* nappy, especially a night nappy, but I don't care for fur and patterns, prefer plain.

I've only spent about £160 on my nappies, as I bought the majority second hand. I'll need to buy a few more over the next few months, as I have a lot of size 1s, but I don't anticipate it costing me more than £300 altogether, hopefully a fair bit less if I can get what I want pre-loved, and a lot less if I can sell on some of my size 1s, too. If I have more chidren, it'll be a huge bonus.

 

[kirsten1985]

We always planned on using cloth, and had them all ready to go by the time Freya was born. My parents and OH's parents both used cloth so it was normal for me, I never considered otherwise.

My reasons are environmental, financial and that I feel it's better for Freya. In no order because each reason is as big as the others, I just don't see any reason to use disposables at all.

I don't really feel I have to wash any more than usual.

 

[Twiglet]

I'm only just beginning with mine but mine is because my baby has overly sensitive skin and always has a nappy rash so am hoping reusable will be better.

She has around 6 - 8 nappy changes a day and I go through £10 worth of disposables a week and I just dont have that money anymore as I'm a SAHM now.

I always wanted to use reusable but my OH wouldn't agree and I never felt comfortable to take the plunge, well now I have and I'm really excited

 

[PeanutBean]

I use them for environmental reasons but cost is a bonus. All the calculations that have been done show reusables to be cheaper than disposables over a single baby's time in nappies, even if you paid for a laundry service (more expensive than washing at home) and also better for the environment, again even if they are washed at 90 degrees. I really enjoy using them and prefer their performance to disposables.

 

[Cerellia]

I'm planning to use cloth nappies mainly because I don't want to put any chemicals and synthetical material on my baby's skin. Anyway, I hope we can go at least partly nappy free.
Environment wise, I think it makes a huge difference how concious you are: cloth nappies alone won't help much but if you pay attention to organic cotton, buy secon hand or use them on several children, wash them with environment friendly washing liquid and air dry them, they should be much better. So it's much more up to you than with throw-away nappies.

 

[mommyof3co]

For me it was most def NOT cheaper haha. It can be done much cheaper though.

We chose to do it because they are cute...is that bad? haha Plus he just seemed much more comfy in them, I liked that he didn't have chemicals on him too

 

[cleckner04]

I agree it definately isn't cheaper for me. But I'm a bit of an online shopaholic anyway so this is just something else that I can shop for. I just switched to cloth a few weeks ago. I planned on using cloth before having Emma. But than once she was here we just used disposables because it seemed easier. Now I've realized it's just as easy to use reusable. And I'm slowly becoming more and more 'green' as Emma gets older.. Plus they are just too darned cute!!

 

[adzuki]

For us it is for both environmental and economical reasons. I have always been irked about the amount of plastic in landfills - and was one of the first in my group to use my own bag at the store - in fact I remember getting everyone bags for christmas one year Ever since I won an essay contest in elementary school on recycling and landfill I have been concerned, but trying to take a balanced approach to it all.

The turning point for me, I'd have to say, is when I discovered the diva cup. I tried one, and the first thing I noticed was that I produced WAAAAY less garbage - my OH noticed too. Then I got a reusable pad, and it was wonderful (it was fleece/cotton flannel, and PUL) - and from then on there was no question in my mind - cloth was the only option - the idea of full time disposables never even entered my mind. I am shocked at how much money we save though too! I use biodegradable and/or g diapers for overnights, as she tends to leak and get cold in my cloth, and I've calculated how much it would cost us to paper diaper her - WOW - we've already more than made up for the cost of our cloth. We use one paper diaper per day, so a package of disposables for us lasts about 2 months ("green" diapers, so smaller pack). So I spend about 16.00 on diapers every 2 months. 19.99 every 4 months for g diapers. So cheap!


A

 

[Blob]

I use them because they are Oh so prettttyyyyyy
Also looove how soft they are and that we will save money using them for more babies and also the eco bit

But mainly cos they are cuuuute butts

 

[Faerie]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one to admit to love them for cuteness

Plus how could I have forgotten to say that once you've used them and seen the amazing performance you don't want to use disposables!

 

[K477uk]

I always planned on using cloth and although I spent £200 originally I got £25 back from the council. After using them for his newborn poo and changing his nappy 10-15 times a day and working out the cost of disposibles over this period I was rather happy that I had used cloth, even with the extra cost of washing.

I also prefer the fact that there are far fewer chemicals near his skin and going back into the environment (yes there are a few chemicals in washing, but a lot less than dispoisbles). Haivng used disposibles for going away I found his bottom a lot redder and generally more uncomfortable. Also I prefer the idea of not filling up land fills!

 

[Rachel_C]

About few years ago, before Leyla was even thought of, I saw an advert on the early learning centre website for smart nappies I think. I was bored so read the info and decided then and there that I would use cloth on my kids for environmental reasons.

Some people say that cloth has just the same environmental impact as disposables when you consider the water and electricity used. I don't agree but even if it's true, I'd rather add a bit of extra water and electricity to the stuff I'm already using, than think of my children's stinky old nappies lying around for years and years.

Now we're using cloth, I much prefer them for practical reasons. They're so much nicer on LO's bum and it means I don't have to run up and down the stairs to the flat taking nappy bags down to the bins. Also, I love doing the washing

Plus they're so pretty and I like the idea that we can use them for the next baby, if we have one.

 

[bjl1981]

For me, it's the cost first and the environment a close second, with the niceness of my son wearing a breathable fabric rather than plastic and chemicals next to his skin coming third. Cuteness isn't an issue for me, I don't have any fancy nappies, I'll spend on a *good* nappy, especially a night nappy, but I don't care for fur and patterns, prefer plain.

I've only spent about £160 on my nappies, as I bought the majority second hand. I'll need to buy a few more over the next few months, as I have a lot of size 1s, but I don't anticipate it costing me more than £300 altogether, hopefully a fair bit less if I can get what I want pre-loved, and a lot less if I can sell on some of my size 1s, too. If I have more chidren, it'll be a huge bonus.

you could have written this for me!! I only buy bargains or preloved and am hoping to save money in the long run.

 

[Shifter]

I've always planned to use cloth. Mostly for environmental reasons then I found out how much cheaper it is (if you don't become an addict lol!).

I don't think I do much more laundry than I would if we used disposables, given that we did use eco-disposables for the first few weeks (didn't fancy washing meconium out of nappies ) and at night until 5 months the amount of extra laundry that generated with all the leaks was phenomenal! In cloth we hardly ever have to change his clothes mid-day/night. So the environmental cost is minuscule compared to all those plastic disposables sitting in landfill (some experts predict that it will take 500 years for a disposable nappy to disintegrate).

The cost is a really big factor, as long as that matters to you you can save a fortune. It costs about £1000 per child to use disposables. I have spent less than £300 on nappies and they are birth to potty and will last for all future children. Even factoring in laundry costs I'd be willing to bet we'll save £500 on Jack alone, never mind his sibling/s.

I like that he has soft cloth next to his skin and not plastic and chemicals, but that wasn't a factor in my decision to use them initially.

 

[saraendepity]

i use them for all the above reasons but mostly cos i love the thought that she has lovely sofy fuffyness next to her skin! i have spent ALOT on nappies and will most definately spend more but they will in the most part be kept for future babies so the savings overall will be quite big

also i hate hate hate the idea of 'sposies sitting in landfill for milions of years

sara

xxxxxx