This was printed in this past Saturday's Good Weekend people.
And what do we think of it my bloggies?
Seems crazy that I separate my recyclables, never buy water when I'm out to save on plastic, take my own shopping bags, buy bulk where possible and yet I would consider not using cloth nappies.
And yet...convenience, ease and speed are factors that weigh very heavily in mine and Gregory's life.
"The average baby goes through some 8000 nappies. Cloth nappies are by far the more environmentally responsible and cheaper option (though less so if you use a dryer), but nine in ten Australian mothers use disposables instead. That's a lot of landfill. If this worries you, and you can't face the laundry, and you're willing to pay a little more, a Tasmanian company, Eenee, produces a range of disposable "eco nappies" including ones that are fully compostable."
8000 NAPPIES!!!!!!!!!!! Am I really going to have to change 8000 nappies????? How quickly can you toilet train? At the same time you stop breastfeeding???
I've been feeling guilty even considering plastic nappies ever since I read this. And yet it would be so much easier if I did...still if I was looking for ease, I wouldn't have signed up for this parenting gig to begin with now would I?
Hi Naomi, I would just go with the flow - use cloth when you can and disposables when it gets too much. You might discover that cloth is easier than you thought it would be or that it is not for you - either way, at least you would have given it a go. Even if you only use one nappy a day if that's all you are comfortable with (which won't add much to your laundry at all), it will add up to 365 nappies a year that won't go in a landfill. Or you can start with disposables and try cloth when you feel you are more in control. It really doesn't need to be an all-or-nothing decision.
ReplyDeletethat's what i'd been thinking - start out with high ambitions for the cloth, but have some enviro-friendly plastics at the ready, thanks for the advice and for reading, naomi
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ellie. It will also depend on how well Bub sleeps, eats & settles as this will determine how you feel in the morning and how much time you have in the day to hang & fold the washing. Another unknown factor is how quickly you recover from delivery.
ReplyDeleteso it is really like the "delivery baby plan". Have high expectations but be prepared to be felxible and not feel guilty if you need to change. !!!
I also agree - we went cloth and had a pack or two of disposables on hand for when you're out and about, or just too exhaisted. Best thing is not to stress about it too much... don't beat yourself up... and these ones are the absolute bestest... www.peapods.com.au
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