NappyLady UK's Blogsite

Thanks to everyone who submitted a brief essay on the subject of cloth nappies, to celebrate Real Nappy Week 2010, which finished yesterday. The standard was very high, and every entrant will receive £10 off any order over £50 that they place within the next month, as well as free advice from Wendy.

Our two winners, who have each won £100 off a Nappy Lady order are Beth Houdijk and Rebecca Fenby. Their winning entries are reproduced below. Well done, ladies!

Beth Houdijk’s winning entry

I’d like to use cloth nappies because…

It’s not about ME and MY convenience – although, once I get into a routine, I don’t think it will be that much extra work, just an extra minute at changing time, and taking dirty nappies to the washing machine instead of to the bin

It’s not just about MY and MY husband’s finances – though I reckon using reusable nappies will cost us only around 20% of the cost of disposables (and almost 10% if we have a second child)

It’s not even just about MY baby’s comfort and happiness – though from what I’ve heard, babies in real nappies can have healthier bottoms and get toilet trained 6 months earlier than kids in disposables

It’s much more about OUR children’s children – how much it will cost them to clear up the landfill mountains we are busy making.

It’s about OUR country – keeping wildlife free from choking on tiny plastic particles

It’s about OUR world – recognising that I’ll just be one mum out of all the mums that have ever been, and wanting to live sustainably, because so many other mums before and after me, and in the rest of the world, never had, have, or will have, that choice.

Rebecca Fenby’s winning entry

For me, the main advantages of cloth nappies are their versatility and friendliness.  Many people will easily be able to appreciate the first of these: after all, with the incredible variety of materials, fabrics, sizes, and designs available, there is virtually no baby for whom no cloth nappy will fit and work, and fit and work well.  But friendliness, you may say?  Surely nappies can’t be friendly—doesn’t this require a personality?  Perhaps. Whether cloth nappies might have ‘personalities’ is a debate for another day, and one that I’m sure cloth nappy users will heartily take up.  In our case, however, ‘friendliness’ simply encompasses a catalogue of traits including dependability, kindness, protection, and fun.  My daughter suffers from several intense and irritating allergies that do a number on her skin and digestion.  There has been nothing like her cloth nappies to reliably contain her copious, runaway poos, to keep her comfortable while she plays and sleeps, to guard her delicate skin against invasive rashes, and to cushion her when she falls, all while making her look stylish and hip, of course, as good friends do.  May she meet as many good people in life as she has good nappies!