Reducing waste and saving you money are amongst the most well known reasons why reusables are better for you and the planet. But there are lots of other benefits to wrapping your baby's bum in cloth nappies. As our community shared with us. Here are five surprising benefits that cloth bum mums would love for you to know.
Friendships
When you buy a nappy, you are joining a community of like minded parents which is gentle, helpful and kind. We are continuously blown away by the acts of kindness we see between parents. One mum told us when we asked for her hidden benefit: "finding the community. I never thought my choice of poop catcher would lead me to a whole new world of lovely parents" and this made our hearts full: "for me the hidden benefit is the wonderful women i have in my life now. I found my calm and something I felt I had control over (my decision to cloth nappy) in a time of chaos, and when that felt scary it was here I found sanctuary and the voice of calm".
They are also conversation starters: "I had an emergency plumber because of blocked drains and said I was worried it was because I dropped a cloth wipe or insert from my nappies down to loo (I hadn’t it was a build up of wipes before I moved, ironic). The plumber wanted to know more so showed him my nappies and he was so surprised and said they were nothing like he’d imagined."
Kinder to baby's bum
Our reusable nappies contain no nasty chemicals and have soft fabric next to baby's skin. Lots of mums told us that their babies have never had nappy rash, with one mum telling us "the only time our little one has had nappy rash so far was when we took a break and used disposables for a week".
Another mum loves the health benefits: "avoiding endocrine disrupting plastics, dyes and the other chemicals that go along with disposables. Babies are so vulnerable to these toxins and the rest of our world is toxic enough. Organic, natural fibres all the way!"
Poo containment
One of the things that people wonder most about with reusables is the poo. But most parents wash poo-stained clothes daily when they use disposables. The one thing you don't get with reusable nappies is up the back poos, also know as 'poonamis'! Reusables keep the poo where it is supposed to - inside the nappy. So many mums told us how they loved no having to deal with that: "we have only now had just a couple of poo leaks (horrific diarrhoea) compared to friends with babies in sposies who have leaks daily" and "No poosplosions!!!!" "No poonamis! Used disposables one time and you can guess what happened" and we love this one: "it was the containment of poonamis that converted my husband!"
Making a change
Big changes are created in small steps and using reusables is one of those small steps. So many parents in our community tell us how starting using reusables led to them making other lifestyle changes: "It was great for my mental health - felt like I was making a change. I started with my third and she’s now nearly 7! That led to a degree in Environmental management and Sustainability as a mature student 🙂 planting the seed for environmental consciousness is key and we actually have no idea of the benefits that our children will see and remember for a sustainable future"
We love that reusables can lead to other family members becoming involved with sustainable choices: "I think they open the door to other reusable items and made me more aware of the small changes I could make, and got the family interested in making eco swaps".
Our vision at Baba+Boo is to create a world full of gentle changemakers and it starts with just one nappy.
Routine/Therapy
This is the hidden benefit that needs to be talked about more. Reusable nappies lead to routine and a mindfulness that parents need. From hanging out washing to stuffing the nappies once dry, they can give you such a sense of calm. One mum told us: "I had two under two and it was like my chance to breathe and be mindful. Gather my thoughts about what has just happened that day!"
Who would have thought that they could help with mental health: "Sitting to sort out clean nappies was like therapy for me. It helped me cope when I was overwhelmed by two under two. It was the one thing I could control, sitting and prepping nappies."
Nappies are so much more than nappies "the rhythm of the laundry was the only thing keeping me going through the crazy newborn and PND days."
Reusable nappies have so many hidden benefits, what are yours? Share on social and tag @babaandboo
Why not help someone get into reusables? Our Nappy Trial is perfect for dipping your toe in, and our gift sets make great new baby and baby shower presents.