So you are pregnant or have a child and have that big question on your mind whether to brave the modern cloth nappy territory or not.
You probably have a milieu of thoughts and questions running through your head...
'How do I wash them'
'Will the poop stains come out?'
'Am I just creating extra work for myself?'
'Can I be that #EcoFriendly super organised cute picture taking #InstaMum ?'
Cloth Nappies can be a daunting challenge for parents who have previously used disposables. Regardless of your choice, cloth or disposable, the important thing is that it works for you.
To the cloth diapering mum: Fluffy bums are the cutest, and so friendly on the bank account. You're a good mum.
To the disposable diapering mum: Damn those things hold a lot, and it's excellent to not worry about leakage and laundry! You're a good mum.
The main question when it comes to cloth nappies is how much extra laundry is it and how many do you need.
About those Poo Stains...
The laundry side isn't as horrible as you might think. The best thing to do is get a big tub and have it as your designated nappy soaking bucket. As soon as you change the nappy, chuck it in the bucket and repeat. I find that the Aldi version of Napisan is amazing at getting all poonami stains out and keeping them fresh and clean.
But how many Cloth Nappies do you need?
Newborns poop.... a lot! I remember one day my daughter pooped a total of 5 times in an hour and being the paranoid first time mother I was and still am, I was convinced she had some disease or something grossly wrong with her- enter google and a question to the doctor at the next visit and rest assured all was well and my daughter did not have a rare disease... she was simply a new born who pooped a lot- completely normal! Who would have thought!?
If you are wanting to simply introduce cloth nappies and see how you go I would recommend you purchase 6. This gives you enough to do a few a day and cycle them with disposables.
Enough if you are a ridiculously organised and do the washing religiously and do not have a pile the size of the Eiffel Tower systematically being moved from one corner of your house to the next ... Well done you! My hat goes off to you!!
Seriously!
If you are a little more like myself and have that fantastic view of the Eiffel Tower, I would say have about 24 on hand to be safe and a few extra liners for when you only need to change the nappy liner and not the actual nappy. Having extra liners is also handy to pop an extra one in of a night time to carry you through to the morning.
Pros and Cons of Cloth Nappies
The Pros are
- Eco-friendly
- You will save all of the $$$ money
- No pants needed in Summer!
- Less chemicals in contact with your Bubs skin
The Cons are
- Washing. (But you are doing it already aren't you?)
At the end of the day it comes down to individual choice. Modern cloth nappies are ridiculously easy to use- there isn't any hard to navigate terry cloth any more, they are compact, cute and easier to wash.
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