Frequently Asked Questions
1. Real nappies cause nappy rash don't they?
On the contrary, disposable nappies contain chemicals that your baby can be allergic to. Nappy rash is not caused by wetness, but by a reaction between the urine and enzymes in the poo. You are also much more aware of your baby's bottom area and toileting habits when using real nappies. All babies will get nappy rash at some time. It is more common when teething.
2. Aren't real nappies wet and uncomfortable?
Well, yes, they are certainly wet, but not uncomfortable. Babies are not bothered by a wet feeling, and it is much nicer for them to have a soft fabric by their skin rather than crispy paper and plastic. The wetness of a real nappy can help to potty train a toddler as they can feel when they have weed and begin to associate the feeling they experienced before the wetness as a cue for needing the toilet/potty. This is demonstrated delightfully by one of the "latest developments" in disposable nappies which have a "feel wet layer"!!
3. Do real nappies have to be changed more often because they aren't as absorbent as disposables?
Any nappy should be changed every 3 to 4 hours for hygiene, and straight away when soiled. Of course you don't have to change the nappy in the night unless soiled; simply add a booster pad to the nappy. Real nappies are much more versatile than disposables! Real nappies vary in absorbency depending which type you choose, but they are also very versatile. You can make any type of real nappy more absorbent by adding booster pads to it, which you can't for a disposable.
4. Can I use real nappies at night?
Yes, or course you can. For a nappy to last throughout the night you need to make it more absorbent, and you do this by adding booster pads to the nappy.
5. Isn't using real nappies is a lot of extra hassle?
OK, nothing could be more simple than something you use once and throw away, but we have to take responsibility for our actions. Using disposable nappies do have "extras" that take time, which many people seem to happily accept, such as tying the nappy up in a plastic bag, frequent emptying of the bin, more leaks of explosive newborn poo (which of course gives extra washing!). At the most, the extra "work" when using real nappies is perhaps a total of 30 seconds per nappy change and a load of washing every couple of days. Alternatively, you could use a nappy laundry service who wash the nappies for you.
6. Do real nappies smell?
All nappies smell, whether real or disposable, and if anything, disposables smell more as they still contain poo; with real nappies you flush the poo away. Using a lidded bucket to store real nappies keeps the smell in the bucket, whereas disposable nappies in a bin do have a tendency to whiff.
7. What about holidays?
Of course there are likely to be occasions when disposables are virtually the only option, but a week here and there of disposables is preferable to 2 and a half years worth. You could make use of the laundry facilities whilst you are on holiday too, if you wish!
8. Are real nappies more bulky?
Yes, they are. Real nappies rely on the properties of the cotton to be absorbent rather than having the superabsorbent chemicals that disposables have. Different types of real nappies can be more bulky than others, so this should be taken into account when choosing your preferred type. Bulky nappies aren't uncomfortable, and in fact they give a much softer landing for babies learning to walk! They also don't in any way restrict baby's movement or development. We were all brought up on cloth nappies and can walk perfectly well!
9. Aren't real nappies are more messy?
All nappies are messy! You use a flushable paper liner with real nappies to flush the poo away.
10. Real nappies leak more than disposables, don't they?
No, no, no, no, no!! Disposables are much more likely to leak the runny newborn poo than real nappies. The newborn stage is the worst time for any nappy, and you are bound to get leaks occasionally, but a good fitting real nappy should not leak any more (and in my opinion, much less) than a disposable.
11. Do nurseries accept children in real nappies?
Most nurseries and child minders are happy to use real nappies. Any that say they don't take children in real nappies are usually unaware of just how easy real nappies are, but at the end of the day, a nursery should look after your baby the way you want them to. If they are not prepared to do this for your baby, what else won't they do? Visit our page on nurseries for more information.
12. Real nappies use lots of water and energy when they are washed. Isn't this just as bad?
Yes, real nappies certainly have an environmental impact, and this is most at their use stage, whereas with disposables, they have their biggest impact at manufacture (which uses lots of water, energy and non renewable sources) and at disposal (taking up room in landfill). Studies have shown that real nappies still use significantly less amounts of water and energy. The other plus point is that with real nappies you have control over what impact your nappy use has. You can choose to use eco friendly washing powders, a green electricity tariff, air dry rather than tumble dry and wash at a lower temperature.
13. Are Eco-friendly disposables just as good as using real nappies?
Eco-friendly disposables may be better from a manufacturing point of view, for example they may contain starch rather than plastic, and may use cellulose rather than wood pulp, or use unbleached wood pulp from sustainable forests. However, they still use significantly more water and energy than real nappies, and unless you plan to home compost them, they do not get rid of the real issue of rubbish. Even if they are described as biodegradable, landfill is not the best place for anything to degrade, whether it is an apple or a nappy.