Cloth nappies & environment

Hi,

I (and I know this is quite controversial, so please bear with my opinions!) hate the idea of disposables taking up to 100 years to break down, I keep thinking about how they will out survive the wearer, and that there must be a huge problems in landfills etc. My husband just thinks Im a hippy, but i am really concerned.

I'm looking to hear what those of you who are staunch cloth nappy supporters for environmental reasons have done in situations where sposies would be easier - for example when traveling and the first few days after birth (in a maternity unit).

I plan to use cloth nappies from the start, but realise the first few days I may be forced into using disposables...what did you do? Also, has anyone used the 'eco' disposables? Or tried composting at home?

Hope that makes sense!

Thanks in advance :-)

I hated the idea of my baby's first contribution to the world being a few tonnes of waste in a landfill, not to mention the cute factor and the cost advantages of cloth.

I planned to use cloth from birth, but when our homr birth turned into a transfer to hospital in mid-labour I never thought to pack any. So we used hospital disposables for the 24 hours we were in hospital and changed back to cloth when we got home. I haven't been away yet, but I use cloth when out and about too, just take a wetbag.

The only thing I would add is I recommend using prefolds or similar on a wee bub because most of the small sized nappies were too big for my girl to begin with. She was also too small for the small covers so next time I'll get a couple of newborn ones. She was 3.5 kg at birth but lost weight in the first week. Ittis and the like fitted properly from about a month old.

By the way, I'm a scientist by trade, and far from a hippy, but I did my research and decided on cloth nappies, breastfeeding and homebirthing! I've also recently become a baby wearer to get my girl to sleep in the days. So it's not all "hippies" that do these things

I fully intended to use Cloth from the moment Cooper was born, I was quite surprised when I had him that PN hospital used disposables!!

Cloth nappys are much better cause apart from the breaking down of the plastic, you actually dispose of the poo correctly.

Mostly for traveling I just use cloth, never crossed my mind to not. Except where I know I will not be able to wash the next day. We are going to Oz in Sept, I am 95% sure that I will be using cloth the whole time. We will have access to a washing machine.

I always intended to use cloth from birth - well I never got my act together so actually started when she was 2 weeks old parttime and fulltime from about 6weeks.
Something that has always amazed me is many peoples' insistance on using sposies in the first month or two - because ''it's far too hard to use cloth'' I figure our mother's did and grandmothers and they certainly had a much harder deal than we do (MCNs are fab!) With any subsequent children we will use from birth.
DD hasn't been in a sposie since we went fulltime and we have travelled lots throughout the country - generally Chch to Northland. I just can't bear to waste the $$ on sposies and also think of all that crap going into the landfill. The only time she will definetly be going into sposies is when we travel back to Europe in 6mths. I'm really dreading it and wish we could do cloth but it's simply not convenient.

I wouldn't class myself as a hippy either - going cloth is just a good decision all round I think. You save a crapload of $$, it's better for bubs and the environment!

Way to go you for considering cloth. Just give him the figures - That was what got my DH, he loves that we're saving $$$

I've found that it's often highly educated people who use cloth. They tend to research everything well and cand 'afford' the high outlay.

I worked out that even if you 'couldn't' afford the outlay buying a cloth nappy or 2 a week to use part time wouldn't cost that much more than just using sposies. I've had a few people say to me I'm just going to save up a bit more then buy some.

DD has been in cloth since about 2-3 weeks next bubs we will put in full time since we know which type of cloth I like now and will have full sets of them We travel heaps and I just take enough cloth with me to last a day and a bit and wash everyday instead of every second like I do at home. Any dirty naps get washed before we leave and left on the clothes horse which means they are clean and dry to come home to. It just means you have a bit more luggage.

Good luck with everything

We have occasionally used the Moltex Eco disposable nappies and they are great. They only take a couple of weeks to break down and aren't plastic. A bit more expensive but we only used them as a back up. We use cloth 99% of the time. We had to use Huggies for the first month or so when DD was born as we had already bought a full set of Baby Cheeks and she was too small in the waist to use them but as soon as she was big enough she was in them.

 

Edited by noisybaby

No one can force you to use disposables! It's your baby, after all. The birth centre may only provide disposables, but if you provide cloth and take them home for washing, they aren't going to stop you using them. Just take a wetbag to put them in.

Mamma2N wrote: Something that has always amazed me is many peoples' insistance on using sposies in the first month or two - because ''it's far too hard to use cloth''

same!! this really bugs me!!

actually, i've had a few friends who have been really keen to use cloth "after the first few weeks" but then never got around to switching. i think it's far easier to pick what you want to use and just go with it.

on the cost thing - we worked out we'd paid off our stash by the time Cian hit 6 months and that's what talked my DH around. Now he tells all new expecting fathers he meets that cloth is the way to go!! lol    

sounds like you're pretty well set up though. If you're worried about what they'll do at the hospital I'd just get your DH to have a word at the time - you'll find most people are pretty accommodating once they realise how easy it is.

Yep, its a bag for the dirties. I've got a reusable, washable one made of the same stuff (PUL) as some of the nappies. I just chuck it in the wash with them. Have a look on trademe or lots of the nappy retailers sell them too.

Oh good point re the wet bag. I used to have one but it's completely disappeared off the face of the earth but I do have some PUL so will just make my own one!

And yup a PUL bag should definitely hold wet nappies for quite a while