Sarah Mayhew Craddock on the joys of terry nappies

Ten months ago the only nappy I’d ever charged was that of a plastic doll at the National Childbirth Trust class we attended, and even the pressure of getting that right made sweat drop down my back.

I can recall the first time I changed Sproglette’s nappy in front of relatives when she was a few weeks old, and again felt the trickle of ineptitude pool at the bottom of my spine.

Nappies are a big deal.

Sore bottoms equal unfit parents.

At least that’s what I’d whipped myself up to believe.

Whilst the sweats subsided, the desire to ‘get the nappy right’ remained, and I maintain that nappies are a big deal, and there’s more to nappies than meets the eye, or the nose for that matter.

Nappies serve a basic function in a variety of different ways.

Enter the reusable vs disposable conundrum.

You see, it was estimated that in 2014 2.9 billion disposable nappies were sent to landfill.

The average baby waves bye-bye to approximately 4,000 disposable nappies in its poopy little life.

The bin lorry takes them away (the nappies, not the babies), and off to landfill they go where they’ll fester for around 500 years until they eventually break down and disappear.

That’s a lot of nappies, a lot of years, a lot of landfill, and a lot of festering.

But the impact isn’t just about the environment.

There are cost implications that work out in favour of reusable nappies too. Yes, the initial investment is pretty steep at about £200 for all the kit, as you’ll need between 16 and 24 nappies in total.

However, the cost of embracing the poop and going reusable is lower overall as you stand to save as much as £500, possibly more, per baby.

That includes the cost of washing. It costs about £1 per week to wash a week’s worth of reusable nappies.

Plus, you can use reusable nappies again for subsequent children.

Most are designed to be used for at least two babies.

And then you can sell them on when your last Sproglette has poohed his last pair of pants.

There are other ways to look at the environmental impact of using disposable nappies too.

It’s thought that you will halve your weekly rubbish and your carbon footprint could be up to 40 per cent smaller!

And then there’s the suspicious smell to consider . . . not from the reusable nappies, but the disposable ones.

Ever caught a nostril full of that strange chemically aroma after your littley has let loose in a disposable nappy?

That’ll be the neutralising fragrance or perhaps it is the reaction that takes place when the super-absorbency granules swell up and kick into action.

Of course this perfume and these granules have their benefits.

They mask odours, make transporting nappies convenient, and soak up a lot of moisture which means less frequent nappy-changing pit-stops.

However, as parents and guardians we’re advised to use water and only water for as long as possible to clean our babies’ skin and to steer clear of all chemicals.

Yet we blindly cover our baby’s bottoms with chemical wraps leaving them in direct contact with a large surface area of skin without giving it a second thought.

Makes you think twice about what might actually be causing nappy rash, doesn’t it? It does me.

Interestingly, some paediatricians rate reusable nappies too – and not for environmental reasons.

They believe that the extra padding provided by the cloth provides better conditions for proper hip development, in addition to much needed spinal cushioning while the littley learns to walk.

There are loads of different types of reusable nappies on the market.

And there’s a nice local lady who runs a company called The Nappy Shed, who’s well-versed in the pros and cons of many of them and will even come to your home to talk you through your reuseable nappy options from Tots Bots to your Wonderoos.

Just as disposable nappies have come a long way since their wood-pulp days, you can rest assured that reusable nappies have come a long way since terry-towelling squares, nappy pins and slop buckets.

In short, I’m a cloth convert, and on balance I believe that the whole process is infinitely less hassle than it’s worth.

thenappyshed.co.uk