Today is the first day of Real Nappy Week (although it's actually being stretched out to a fortnight of celebrations, information, advice and discounts this year because of when Easter falls) so you can expect lots of posts from us over the next few days!
If you've followed our blog for a while then you'll already know that we're passionate about using cloth nappies. We first gave them a try when Finley was 16 months old, then started again when Jacob was 10 weeks old and have been using them ever since.
Making the switch to reusable nappies ended up being one of the best decisions we ever made (quite a grand claim, I know!) but why do we love them so much?
1. No more nappy rash
Since Jacob has been in cloth, I can count on one hand how many times he's had nappy rash (and all of those have been a result of his poo rather than the harsh dyes and chemicals that are found in disposable nappies). The materials that his cloth nappies are made from also make them more comfortable for him to wear and feel really soft against his skin.
2. Reliability
I'm sure most parents would agree that an explosive poo is one of the worst things you can end up dealing with during the baby stage, but the great news is that with cloth nappies, poosplosions simply don't happen! Because they're designed to fit more snugly than disposables, there's no room for any poo to escape so it all stays contained within the nappy and gives us real peace of mind (especially when we're out and about).
3. Running out of nappies is a thing of the past
Having a constant supply of nappies at home means that it's been ages since we last had to do a late night dash to the supermarket to pick up a new pack (or worse, run out of nappies when the shops were shut!) Every so often I fall behind on the washing and don't have as many nappies to hand as I'd like but it's reassuring to know that there's no danger of running out completely!
4. Kinder to my bank balance
Obviously the initial cost of cloth nappies can add up (ours cost just under £400 in total) but they've definitely saved us money in the long run. Having a stash of cloth nappies has saved us from spending £10-15 per week on disposables for the last 2 years, which would have totalled approx. £1000-1500! Not only have we managed to keep costs down while Jacob is in nappies, but we'll also be able to sell them on to make some money back once he's potty trained.
5. Better for the planet
Whether it's an episode of Blue Planet, the shocking images in National Geographic or just a post that someone has shared on Facebook, I'm sure you've seen something that's opened your eyes to how much our rubbish is damaging the world around us. Given that around 6,000 tonnes of nappies are thrown away every day, it feels good to know that we're doing our bit to bring those numbers down. In fact, if you switch to just ONE reusable a day you can save over 900 nappies from landfill!
6. Cloth nappies look super cute!
Modern cloth nappies are available in so many bright colours and cute patterns that it's impossible not to like the look of them. I just love showing off Jacob's nappies at any opportunity and I've got to confess that, more often that not, I try and match them to his outfits too! Of course now that he's a bit older, Jacob likes being able to choose which nappy he wants to wear which makes changing him a lot easier (and if that's not a good enough reason to use cloth nappies then I don't know what is!)
