Whilst I was pregnant with Harriet I knew I wanted to introduce the use of cloth nappies. Unpacking all of Taylors old cloth and bringing it out ready for use had me excited!
Just think, all those nappies we saved from landfill with our first baby. And now we would use the exact same ones for our second. With no extra cost involved, amazing!
Using one cloth nappy a day stops 900single-usee nappies going to landfill.
Of course, I knew she would have to wait a few months before we could begin. As the BTP (Birth to Potty) nappies would be too big, to begin with. Weighing in at 5lb5oz I wasn’t wrong.
Arriving home from the hospital with our tiny bundle. I was excited to find both TotsBots and Baba + Boo had sent our tiny girl a bundle of their Teeny Fit and Newborn nappies. Specifically for newborns, we were now able to go cloth from the get go!
I was apprehensive about trying cloth with a newborn. Taylor was around 8 months old when we first started our cloth journey. We’d only ever done ‘part-time’ cloth with him. So this was new to us!
What I hadn’t realised is how easy it would be. Newborn poo, especially the breastfed variety, isn’t solid. There isn’t really any ‘solid’ to dispose of before washing. Making them easy to work with.
The teeny fit nappies fit Harriet well and the prints, of course, they’re gorgeous!
In her first few weeks, we’d used disposables thinking it was more convenient. What we hadn’t anticipated was what would occur in the following weeks. A rash so sore she had what resembled burns in her nappy area. Would this have happened if we’d used cloth from day 1? Unlikely.
Cloth nappies aren’t just great for the environment, they’re better for sensitive baby skin.
Did you know, the manufacture of one month’s worth of disposables for one child uses 6100 litres water? So if you thought you’d be wasting water with all of that washing, think again.
A well known disposable nappy brand is made in our nearest city. And to think so much water goes into making them. My 2 wash loads a week is nothing in comparison.
We’re not perfect though, I do use disposables at night. I don’t have enough nighttime cloth nappies for wearing and washing. But if every parent used just 1 cloth nappy a day, that’s 1 less going to landfill, and that matters.
Totsbots now have a ‘mini kit’ consisting of 2 nappies and liners as an introduction to cloth. They say “One for the bum and one for the wash, a nappy a day keeps the landfill away. Our reusable nappy mini kit is the perfect bundle to get you started using cloth. It doesn’t take a lot to make a big difference.” And I couldn’t agree more.
Although my favourite part about cloth isn’t just an environmental impact. It’s the look and feel. First of all, the prints are gorgeous. If you know a cloth bum mum, you’ll know that collecting prints can be addictive. We need them all! And the soft fabric against those little bottoms, when compared to the chemical-filled alternative? It’s a no brainer. We never struggle with any nappy rash when using cloth.
I found using cloth with a newborn easier than it was with a toddler. Our Teeny Fit nappies from Tots Bots fit Harriet until she was around 9 months old. They’re recommended for up to 12lb as a guide. And our Baba + Boo Newborn nappies, which are recommended for up to 18lb/6 months as a guide, went on to a whopping 11 months! I loved them. 💕
We’re now using our BTP (Birth to Potty) nappies and loving our cloth journey! We’re about to embark on using cloth wipes from Tots Bots Cheeky Wipes too, then maybe we’ll look at using cloth in the night too. 😳
Have you tried cloth nappies? If you have any questions pop them below, or head to www.babaandboo.com and www.totsbots.com to begin your cloth journey!
