>WHY CHOOSE REUSABLE NAPPIES? ______ (cost comparison table)

>WHAT IS IN A DISPOSABLE?

>UNDERSTANDING REUSABLE NAPPIES

>CHOOSING THE RIGHT NAPPY FOR YOU

>HOW MANY NAPPIES WILL I NEED?

>CARING FOR YOUR NAPPIES

>HANDY HINTS + TIPS

>LAUNDRY TIPS

WHY CHOOSE REUSABLE NAPPIES?

Reusable nappies are better for your baby's health
The natural absorbent fibres of cotton, bamboo + hemp allow your baby's skin to breathe. Even the waterproof outers made from laminated polyester are comfortable and breathable. Wate resistant fleece covers are cooling and wool is the most breathable, natural alternative that is also thermo-regulating (warm in winter and cool in summer). Cloth nappies simply do not contain the chemicals, perfumes, toxins or airborne emissions of disposable nappies

Reusable nappies are more comfortable
Modern nappies with their breathable soft fabrics, and elasticised waists and legs make for a more comfortable and perfect fit. Modern nappies with stay dry linings keep your baby comfortable and dry without the need for icky polyacrylate crystals.

Reusable nappies have more reliable containment + greater absorption
The design of fitted nappies is shaped for excellent containment, adjustable for different shapes + sizes and absorbency demands. Their construction with extra layers where needed, and booster pads or pocket inserts also makes their absorption readily adjustable according to your child's needs.

Reusable nappies are cheaper
Estimations of the cost of using nappies varies according to brand, place of purchase, quantity, and frequency of changing. The cost of cloth is a fraction of the cost of disposables. Even with the most luxurious organic nappy collection, you will save thousands compared to using the leading brand of disposable nappy. And for every additional child, the savings are incremental.

Full Time Disposable Use
Costs given are an average cost of Huggies brand nappies bought at Woolworths in July 2005. Prices will vary depending on the store purchased from and the brand used. Assumptions are: Child spends 2 1/2 yrs in nappies For the first year, assume 10 nappy changes per day, for the second year, assume 8 nappy changes, and for the third year, assume 6 changes, as recommended for health and hygiene safety. Assume that a child will spend 10 weeks in the Newborn size, 20 weeks in the Crawler size and 100 weeks in the Toddler size. In total, there are 7644 nappy changes, requiring 7644 nappies. The average cost for Newborn nappies is 36.5 c, for Crawler 44c, and for Toddler 55c. This costs $3920.70.
Optional extras are:
- Liners, a 50 pack per fortnight @ $7.50 for 2 ½ years = $487.50 (optional, but strongly recommended for health and safety reasons)
- Baby wipes (1 packet per week at $5.79 for 2 ½ years=$752.70

The total cost for one child is $3920.70 with optional extras is $5160.90
The total cost for two children is $7841.40 with optional extras is $10,321.80
The total cost for three children is $11 762.10 with optional extras is $15,482.70

Full Time Reusable Nappies
Full Time Reusable Nappies Costs given are based on the average cost of a full time package available at Nurture Nappies as at April 2005. The average cost is $590.40, for a package of 24 nappies, 12 boosters and 4 covers. The cost of detergents etc is factored in at $2.60 per week, $338 over 2 ½ years For each additional child, factor in the cost of buying an extra part-time package, of 12 nappies, 6 boosters and 3 covers. The average cost of this package at Nurture Nappies is $321
Optional extras are:
- Liners, a 50 pack per fortnight @ $7.50 for 2 ½ years= $487.50 (optional)
- Re-useable baby wash clothes, 24 per child, per year, $50 for two packs of 12=$125 per year. By simply using re-useable wipes rather than the disposable wipes you can save $627.70.

The total cost for one child is $676 with optional extras is $1540.90
The total cost for two children is $997 with optional extras is $1861.90
The total cost for three children is $1318 with optional extras is $2182.90

The average cost per week for cloth nappy use is $5.20.
The average cost per week for disposable nappy use is $30.

Using cloth nappies may help reduce the incidence of nappy rash
Nappy rash is a term very broadly used to describe most redness on baby's bottom, but it is a specific term describing the chemical effect of urine reacting with faecal bacteria to create ammonia, which burns delicate skin. Nappy rash may result in open weeping sores. There are many other types of rash, heat rash, thrush, newborn sensitivity, sweat rash and reactions to detergents or sanitizers. These are dealt with by elimination. The prevention and treatment of nappy rash requires thorough cleanliness and frequent changing of nappies. There are many claims regarding the incidence of nappy rash for real nappies and disposables. It has conclusively been shown that nappy rash is related to the frequency of changing, not the type of nappy changed. (Getting to the bottom of diaper rash (1996) Medical Post. Toronto , 32 (10), 53)

The moisture absorbing polymers in disposables create an ultra dry layer which makes it difficult to determine just how wet a disposable is. Because it is more obvious when a real nappy is wet, we change cloth nappies more regularly, a more hygienic practice that, incidentally, also helps new parents determine whether their babies are drinking or eating enough by the amount of wet nappies. A nappy should always be changed as soon as possible after it has been soiled, to avoid the possibility of bacteria from poo reacting with stale urine. Be sure to clean the whole nappy area with a damp cloth at each change. Allow your baby to have nappy free time every day. Use a stay-dry nappy liner (100% polyester fleece) to help achieve a dry layer between baby's skin and the nappy.

Reusable nappies do not have the health disadvantages of disposables
There are currently no government controls on disposable manufacture nor labelling requirements.
Disposables are made up of plastics, polyethylene and polypropylene, wood pulp and sodium polyacrylate crystals. Some contain synthetic fragrances, dyes and lotions in the elasticized legs, and colourfully dyed cute images. Polypropylene and polyethylene are plastics made from Carbon and Hydrogen

Research into the long term health impacts of different nappy types is in its infancy. Areas of concern include the absorbent gels in disposables, raised scrotal temperatures, the contamination of plastics with TBT (tributyl tin), chlorine bleaching of the wood pulp used in nappies and possible respiratory implications. ( Nappies and The Environment. (2000) Women and the Environment.)

WHAT IS IN A DISPOSABLE?

Super Absorbent Gels
Most disposables contain a super absorbent gel, including sodium polyacrylate crystals, a chemical deemed unsafe and banned from use in tampons in 1985 because of its association with toxic shock syndrome, but approved by the American Food and Drug Administration for use in baby's disposables. As mothers we ought to be very much concerned by the distinct lack of research into the effects of extreme dryness on babies thin skin and genitalia,and fears of these super-absorbent chemicals entering the body through broken skin.

Chlorine Bleaching
Chlorine bleaching is much less prevalent than in earlier days of bleaching wood pulp for white paper product, but many disposables still contain extremely toxic dioxins created by this bleaching. There is much debate over whether there is actually a safe level of dioxins. (Costello A et al 1989 The Sanitary Protection Scandal. The Women's Environment Network)

Polypropylene
The 'cloth like cover' and 'stay dry liner' are usually made of polypropylene, a petrochemical, or petroleum derivative which is non-recyclable and toxic when incinerated. The 'breathable cover' is technically true, but the breathability is so minimal to be of negligible effect, typically less than 3% of total weight evaporated in a 24 hour period. The plastics used in disposable nappies use PCBs in their manufacture, and the waste from this manufacturing is poured out into our rivers and oceans. PCBs are fat soluble, and therefore pass quickly from water to living tissue, and accumulate in the food chain. In otters and minks, the accumulation of PCBs has caused disturbance of the neuro-endocrine system, affecting puberty, ovulation reproduction function, and foetal and neonatal survival. Would you consider the same plastics and chemicals up against your baby's skin for two or three years healthy, or responsible? And why bother with a 'cloth like cover' when you can have the real thing?

Airborne Emissions
An independent study conducted by Anderson Laboratories in 1999 showed airborne emissions of some disposable nappies producing acute respiratory toxicity, including asthma like reactions, in laboratory mice. The researchers suggested further research into a possible link between disposable nappies and the increasing prevalence of childhood asthma. Chemical gases such as toluene, xylene, ethyl benzene, styrene and isopropyl benzene have been found to be in air emissions from disposable nappies.

Raised Scrotal Temperatures
Disposable nappies raise temperatures in the genital area, and for boys, elevated scrotal temperature has been suggested as slowing down the development of baby boy's testicles. Wolfgang Sippell, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Kiel in Germany : http://adc.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/83/4/364
”This alarming information is based upon the fact that the cells supporting sperm production are laid down in the first two years of life and this development is dependent upon temperature. Testicles need to be cooler than the rest of the body so that is why they are external. Studies over the last twenty five years have shown sperm counts to have fallen as fast as 2 per cent per year. Other factors can play a part in these figures but evidence suggests that use of disposable nappies could be a contributing factor. There is no doubt that disposable nappies trap the heat-especially in the height of summer-and there is concern about the long term effect this could have on both sexes, apart from being most uncomfortable” http://natnap.port5.com/press_1.html

Disease Transmission through Faeces
A potentially serious problem associated with disposable nappies is the ease of disease transmission via faeces left on the nappy and then disposed of in regular household waste. More than 100 enteric viruses are excreted in human faeces, including hepatitis and polio (the live vaccine is used for immunization). Viruses can live for months creating risks to both sanitation workers and contamination of groundwater in landfills” ( Primomo J et al (1990) The high environmental cost of disposable diapers, Journal of Maternal and Child Nursing, 15 (5) 279-84)

How many parents do you know who actually scrape poo off a disposable into the loo?
Imagine all those enteric viruses being leached into our waterways, out into the big blue.

Modern fitted cloth nappies do not have the environmental disadvantages of disposables
When assessing the environmental concerns of cloth and disposable nappies, it is important to look at the whole life cycle of a nappy, not just the impacts we can see with our own eyes. This includes cultivation, manufacturing, transportation and waste impacts. The results of a Landbank Consultancy study conducted in 1991show that-

• It takes a full cup of crude oil to make the plastic for each ‘disposable' nappy
• It takes as much energy to produce one disposable as it does to wash a cloth nappy 200 times
• both nappies use similar amounts of fossil fuel
• disposables take up to 500 years to decompose in landfill sites and can harbour up to 100 different types of virus

In 1999 it was estimated that using an average of six nappies a day over two and a half years produces around 734 kg of solid waste per child. Multiply that by the number of babies born in Australia each year and that's a lot of disposables taking up space in landfill. In fact, 800 million disposable nappies are used in Australia every year, which amounts to 111,220 tonnes of solid waste. This requires 145,000 cubic metres of land fill area. That's roughly 8000 nappies for just one baby, which can take anywhere from 75-500 years to break down!

Modern cloth nappies are simple to use, easy and efficient
Perhaps the greatest concern of families looking at converting to cloth is the perception that it takes a lot of time we don't have, to wash and care for your cloth nappies. That simply isn't true.
With dry pailing your nappies, and the wonders of the modern washing machine, cloth nappies are a lot like the way one might use a disposable. You rinse off the poo, and store them in a lidded nappy bucket for a couple of days, but instead of throwing them out with the rubbish, you throw them in the washing machine, where an extra rinse, and less detergent than you would ordinarily use, produces clean soft cloth nappies ready for hanging on the line to naturally bleach, deodorize and sanitise. Most cloth nappies can just as easily be tumble dried if need be.
Once you have a system in place, your choice to use cloth will be fast, easy, efficient, and a routine you will grow to love.

Bamboo + hemp are even better than cotton

Introduction
Cloth nappies have come a very long way since our grandmothers and mothers used folded and pinned terry towelling squares. Modern cloth nappies require no soaking, boiling, origami skills or pinning. They are beautifully shaped to perfectly fit your growing child, and are fastened in a range of simple styles.

So many to choose from - Elimination Communication, Accessories, Premmies and Newborns, Toddlers, Swimming?

Nappy Types

1. square (foldable flat) nappies
Traditional terry towelling, flannelette or muslin squares for newborns. These flat nappies are folded and pinned or fastened with a Snappi. There is a whole new generation of flat nappies though too, utilisng wonderfully absorbent slinky, silky bamboo terry, hemp jersey, organic flannel and organic waffle weave cotton. Hemp fleece contours are other varieties of easy-to-use flat nappies. They are the cheapest cloth nappy option.

2. fitted nappies
Designed to make using cloth nappies much easier and to enhance containment and absorption, fitted nappies are shaped to suit your baby perfectly. By definition, a fitted nappy is entirely absorbent, and therefore requires a separate waterproof cover.

A fitted cloth nappy generally consists of three parts
a) the absorbent shaped nappy nappy,
b) a booster (optional) for increased absorbency, for heavy wetters or overnight use,
c) a liner (optional)closest to skin which creates a dry layer between skin and nappy

Fitted nappies come in a range of styles
a) sized nappies - usually three or four sizes, according to weight of child
b) one size nappies - with adjustability to fit child from newborn to toilet training stage.

3. all in one nappies
A fitted nappy that has the cover built into the main structure. All-In-Ones have evolved into two styles, a true allin one has the booster built into the body of the nappy, where All-In-Twos have snap in boosters tjhat can uusually be interchanged to extend the wear of your nappy.

4. pocket nappies
Amazing innovation has evolved in the pocket nappy style. Pocket nappies are constructed from a waterproof outer which is usually polyurethane laminated polyester, and a stay dry polyester lning against your baby's skin. Between the layers is a 'pocket' or 'pouch' opening into which absorbent inserts are placed. Inserts can be made from anything absorbent at all, the most popular choices being microfibre for its high absorbency but quick drying nature, and hemp and bamboo for their deep absorbency. Pocket nappies can be either sized, but the most popular styles are designed to fit from birth to toilet training.

Cover Types
Also known as ‘pilchers', ‘wraps' or for wool covers 'soakers'. Nappy covers are essential for containing the moisture in your baby's nappy, and to prevent moisture from leaking (‘wicking') onto your baby's clothes. A good quality nappy deserves a good quality cover.
Covers have evolved a lot since plastic pilchers. Today's fabrics include polyester fleece, wool and polyurethane laminated (PUL) polyester or minky. These fabrics are comfortable, easy to care for and work effectively.
Wool makes the most wonderful nappy cover; it is breathable,repellent + absorbent all at once. p>

Fleece
Breathable nappy covers who function by air flow releasing moisture instead of containing it. This evaporative effect is also cooling.
Wool
Wool cannot be beaten for soft luxurious feel and overnight reliability. Wool covers do take gentle care to maintain but the trade off is that they do not need to be washed very often! The lanolin in pure wool has an anti-bacterial effect, when it comes into contact with urine, a self-cleansing lanolin-soap is created.

Fleece and wool work best with ventilation; perfect for overnight use, but not so much if child will be confined in a car seat or pram for long periods of time. You may experience 'compression wicking' where the nappy sweats if the nappy is very wet.

Boosters
Extra layers of absorbent material such as hemp, bamboo, flannelette or microfibre lay inside nappy. They are perfect for increasing absorbency for overnight use or if your baby is a heavy wetter.

Liners
The innermost layer of a cloth nappy made from paper or cloth to keep dry layer and to contain poo for ease of disposal. Acts as first wipe. Generally made of 100 % polyester fleece because non-absorbent; allows moisture to pass through to absorbent cloth, and creates dry layer, unless totally saturated.

Nurture Nappies also has a luxurious silk liner, prized because of its naturally antibacterial and antifungal properties, perfect for especially sensitive skin.

Accessories
Real nappies and their covers are fastened in a range of styles- the Tots Bots nappies and any folded square nappies require a Snappi nappy fastener, also known as Nappi Nippa's in the UK. Snappis are a quick, practical, safe and reliable way to fasten cloth nappies, replacing the nappy pin. Easy to use; simply stretch the three ends of rubber over the nappy area and grip into the fabric.

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CHOOSING THE RIGHT NAPPY FOR YOU
Nurture Nappies offers free personalised advice to help you choose the right nappy system for your family's needs and preferences . Unlike disposable nappies, which are all basically identical, not all cloth nappies and covers suit all babies, and not all systems suit all families. Most cloth nappy families have a range of different nappies to suit different preferences and purposes. We consider a wide range of factors, which may be helpful for anybody to take a look at when deciding on what the best options for their family are. It's easy to reduce it all down to a simple calculation of “ I change my baby six times a day and I wash every two days, so I need 12 nappies”, but for your cloth system to work easily and effectively, for it to be cheap and convenient, and for your choice of nappies to be personally tailored to you and your baby's needs, it is helpful to consider the following details:

1.Baby factors

• Age
• Build
• Sensitivity of skin
• Toilet habits-ie whether your baby is a heavy wetter or an explosive pooer
• Overnight wetting
• How many children will be wearing nappies

2.Laundry
Basically, the less you wash the more nappies you will need.
Most cloth nappy users wash every 2-3 days, requiring 12-24 nappies depending on the age of the child and the method for drying.

• how often do you wash
• how do you dry your nappies? How reliable is the weather where you live (it really is important!)
• how often do you plan to wash your nappies?

3.Ease of use
It is important to consider if other carers, such as grandparents, nursery or day care providers, babysitters etc will be changing baby's nappy. For example, the bumgenius All In One might be recommended for ease of use.

4.Cost factor
Your budget will determine what type of package to invest in and how to build up your nappy collection.

5.Environmental issues
You might prefer Little Beetle's organic cotton for the absence of pesticides, or Baby Greens hemp nappies for the environmental advantages of hemp. Whether your nappy is bleached or unbleached, or whether your liners are biodegradable are environmental factors to be considered when making your choice

6.Attractiveness
If the appearance of your baby's nappy is important to you, your choice may be influenced by the different styles of nappies available.

7.Your priorities
We ask you to consider your own priorities, such as rating the concerns of comfort, convenience, cost, and environmental factors

8.Prior experience
Have you ever used cloth before? How did you find that experience?

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HOW MANY NAPPIES WILL I NEED?
To give you a basic idea of how many nappies you may need, consider your baby and your own habits, ie how many times a day do you change your baby's nappy, and how often you wash? For example, if you changed your baby seven to ten times a day, and washed every two days, you would need as a basic starter, twenty nappies. In terms of sizes for these twenty nappies, at Nurture Nappies we would recommend, if buying sized nappies,

(i) 6 newborn sized nappies. This allows for three newborn sizes per day. Those newborn sizes will be snug fitting but your baby will probably outgrow them by the time they are 6 months old.

(ii) 14 medium sized nappies. These nappies are bulkier on a newborn, but still fit well. By 9 months, this size would fit well and your baby will have grown out of the smaller size. You would then have enough medium nappies to have 5-6 nappy changes per day.

(iii) For those twenty nappies you would need 4-6 covers.

If you wanted to use your nappies on more than one child, we would recommend buying more of the newborn size, ie 15 newborn and 15 med with 3 new covers and 3 med.

We suggest plain warm water or,

1 teaspoon soap free baby wash,
1 teaspoon olive oil, sweet almond oil or baby oil.
1 drop of essential oil of your choice (such as lavender, or tea tree…use with caution)

or

cooled cup of chamomile tea
1 teaspoon honey
Shake well.
This mixture is beautifully soothing on baby's skin and honey is naturally antiseptic so it aids in the healing of nappy rash very gently and effectively

or

Try any combination of the above ingredients to create your own recipe

The Little Squirt
A fantastic Aussie invention the Little Squirt is a high pressure spray gun attached to the toilet plumbing used to spray onto nappy, training pants etc to remove poo. Especially great for older children's nappies. Absolutely worth its weight in gold. Simple to attach, all you need is an adjustable spanner and a few minutes.In store now!br>

Out and About with Cloth nappies
You will need a washable + waterproof nappy bag and a washable change mat, a travel pack of wipes and solution, and enough nappies and covers for the period you are out. All in Ones are handy for quick changes. Also, choose your most reliable and absorbent nappies for outings. PUL covers are best for long periods in the car; fleece and wool tend to sweat in this confinement.
p>

Cost calculator
Visit www.choice.com.au to calculate the cost of cloth v disposable nappies for your particular circumstances. The calculations are made on the basis of variables such as your type of washing machine, method of drying and brand of disposables.

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LAUNDRY TIPS

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