Nappies: the bottom line

Women's Editor Sarah Foster explores the benefits.

IN a bygone age, nappies were nothing but a nuisance. Made of white terry towelling, they were both unwieldy and an absolute nightmare to get clean. It's no wonder we turned to disposables - so much easier and more convenient. And yet in recent years, we've come to modify our views. OK, so given the choice, we'd rather not deal with dirty nappies, but if this means a greener planet, more cash in our pocket and, most importantly, a healthier baby, we might be prepared to give it a go. The good news is that these days, we don't have to face the trials of terries.

When it comes to real nappies, there's now a world of choice. Although for purists, the time-honoured terry is still around, for those less hardy, there are other, simpler options.

The basic models are flat nappies, of which the terry is an example; shaped nappies, all-in-ones, and 'one size fits all' nappies. In most cases, an inside liner is used to draw off moisture and the nappy is covered with a waterproof wrap.

Unlike when terries reigned supreme, there's now no need to struggle with safety pins - these have been replaced with built-in grips. And if you really can't stand the washing, there's help at hand from specialist laundries.

For those who use them, real nappies are a boon, costing roughly half of what it would for disposables. It was this that first attracted Jane Pennick, a mum-of-two from West Cornforth, County Durham. "With my daughter Laura, I used disposables, as I was working when I had her, " she says.

"When I had my son James, I started using disposables but then I decided to become a full-time mum and I was looking at ways of cutting costs.

I'm a member of a parenting forum and I found out about cloth nappies from its website. It just snowballed from there."

JANE got in touch with local nappy agent Moira Neish, who gave her different types to try. She soon discovered what worked best for twoyear-old James. "The kind I use are the shaped ones and there's no folding involved, " she says. "You just popper them on and Bob's your uncle. It's really easy. I would say it's about ten minutes' extra work a day."

While Jane washes the nappies herself, she says it's not a massive chore.

"I've got a special nappy bucket and they go in there, " she says. "You can't smell them - it's certainly no worse than an overflowing wheelie bin outside - and I wash them every other day.

There's no special treatment. You don't have to soak them like our parents used to do. Solids go down the toilet and the nappies are washed, along with the wrap, in the washing machine."

Having first been tempted by the cost, Jane now sees the wider benefits of real nappies. "I just couldn't go back to using disposables, " she says emphatically. "They have a strong, chemical smell that I don't like and with these (real nappies), James is getting organic cotton next to his skin. I can't promote them enough."

With nappies, as with anything else, a key factor is personal preference.

While some stick with old-style white, others choose to make a statement.

For the latter group, there's Phoenix Nappies. Run single-handedly by Lindsey Asher, its raw materials are old clothes. As Lindsey explains, these make for arresting underwear. "We've got some pink striped nappies and some Hawaiian ones, " she says. "We've got ones with teddy bears and flowers on them and things like that."

A mum herself to three-year-old Innes, Lindsey's introduction to real nappies was less than auspicious. "I did use them but I was a sort of half and halfer, " she says. "I tried them when he was very little and I just couldn't quite work it out, then I tried them a bit later on, and that was great."

She became so sold on real nappies that she thought she'd try her hand at making them. "I commandeered Innes's granny's sewing machine and had a go, " she says. "I got a pattern from Fern and Faerie, who had the original idea to reuse clothing as nappies. I thought the first one looked all right, then I had another go. I made some for my friend and she said, 'they're great'."

NOW Lindsey, who lives in Stokesley, has her own website selling nappies. She says they couldn't be better for babies. "As much as possible, I'll try to choose products that are 100 per cent cotton, which is soft, absorbent and natural. For a lot of people who use real nappies, the reason why they don't like using disposables is because of the nasty chemicals. A lot of people also like fleece, because it draws the water away from the baby's skin, so I also use that."

While Innes missed out on his mum's creations - "He was naughty and potty trained himself a little bit early, " she jokes - her future offspring certainly won't. "If I had another child, I would definitely use real nappies all the time, " says Lindsey.

A key advantage of eschewing disposables is that in doing so, you're being kind to the environment. As waste minimisation officer for Durham County Council, Daniel O'Connor sees the issue in this light.

"We're trying to divert as much waste as possible from landfill into recycling, composting, and things like that, " he says. "On top of that, we're also trying to reduce the amount of waste that people produce in the first place. For every tonne that goes to landfill, three per cent is disposable nappies, so they cost us quite a bit each year."

Part of Daniel's role is trying to educate the public - including about real nappies. He says that while they are in use, not enough parents seem to want them. "I know there's a real marked difference between the North and South, " he says. "I think real nappies are a bit more trendy down South. It could maybe follow the same pattern as organic food and fair trade and stuff like that."

According to Daniel, there's still a perception that real nappies equal real effort - and this is something he hopes to change. "By raising the issues, raising public awareness of real nappies, I'm trying to debunk the myths, " he says. "Even in the past two or three years, awareness of the environment has shot up. Virtually everyone has now got kerbside boxes for recycling.

There are national TV adverts, and people want to behave better towards the environment. It's about people making informed choices."

An event promoting real nappies will be held at St Nicholas Church, in Durham Market Place, from 10am-2pm on Saturday. Real Nappy Week runs from April 24-30.

For more information, visit www. durham. gov. uk/realnappies, www. phoenixnappies. moonfruit. com or www. realnappycampaign. com Real Nappy Roadshow and Real Nappy Displays, Hospital Main Entrances and Women's Outpatient Department Clinic, University Hospital of North Tees, Stockton, April 24-30.

Real Nappy Market Stall, Market High Street, Stockton, April 26, 10am-2pm.

Real Nappy Fair, Splash, Church Road, Stockton, April 28, 10am-2pm, including prize draw for a washing machine.