I am too afraid to count up how much I have spent on nappies since Adam was born, but I estimate I could have bought a car with the money spent. This estimate does not make me happy and is the main reason why I've resisted doing the sums... Suffice to say I spend around £12 every fortnight on nappies. I'm throwing cash into a huge pit and creating a mountain of landfill.
With that in mind I'm seriously considering using cloth nappies for 2nd Baby C when he/she arrives in the summer. I know this further cements my hippy credentials, but I really do think those earth mothers are on to a winner.
The cloth nappies of 2012 are vastly different to the terry cloth nappies fastened with a clip used decades ago. In fact, the ones on the market today look like disposable nappies, except they are washable material, suitable for the washing machine, with a liner which can be binned or cleaned for re-using. Not to mention the fact that they come in super-cute designs and colours....
I've been looking online and am overwhelmed at the huge range of choice. I genuinely have no baldy clue what to do next!
Some councils in England (and possibly Scotland) offer grants to parents wishing to use cloth nappies. Great for them and shows good intentions regarding the environment. Pity that I live in Northern Ireland where we haven't caught up with them.
Furthermore, some websites I looked at offered 'Trial Packs' to offer mums the chance to try a few different types before they chose what suited them and their baby. Delighted I clicked the link only to be told that the nearest suppliers of this service were in Fife, Scotland or Chester, England. Both are +120 miles away from where I live. Meh!
So my quest continues! 2nd Baby C isn't due until August, so maybe by then I'll have been taken by the hand by some wise oracle and advised well, or maybe I'll find a website that answers all my questions. To give them their dues the websites I've seen have been really informative and easy to navigate, but it's just the sheer amount of information that baffles me!
Any tips, ideas or Northern Ireland centric businesses please get in touch with me. I have money I'm willing to spend, as long as it's less outlay than a car (or 2+ years of buying disposables).
Here are some websites I've been looking at and enjoying, if you too are curious about turning away from disposables and instead using cloth then have a look at them:
We use cloth nappies. The company are called Motherease and the nappies we've had from them have been excellent. Sorry no NI relevant suggestions.
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