Are cloth nappies posh now?

Simona Allen - 7 Apr 16

As a mum, I often trawl Internet forums for advice and a bit of a natter every day. This happens on a multiple times basis, too (don’t judge please!). It’s a bit of escapism whilst I feed the baby, wait for him to chew his meal or repeat nursery rhymes to exhaustion.

This morning, before I even had a chance to get my morning cup of tea,  I came across a thread on a nappy manufacturer’s page (it is a brand I stock and love): it started quite promising, some mums asking questions on the real nappies sold by that brand, enquiring on how they work, how to get into cloth nappies etc. So far, so good.

Then it got nasty: a mum commented that in her case, the main reason for switching to cloth nappies was that she didn’t trust the chemicals in  disposable nappies, adding she felt that she went for the best choice for her daughter’s skin.

Another mum’s comment followed, and this one was catty: of course the previous mum thought her nappies were the best thing for her daughter, cloth nappies are posh! And what’s more not everyone can afford them.

I was a bit shocked to say to least, and before I could comment someone else had thankfully stepped in, advising ‘catty mum’ that she could get into cloth easily and without a huge money expenditure, if she really wanted to.

Multiple options were offered to her, ranging from help from the local council, to using a nappy library, buying pre-loved nappies and someone even offered her some of their nappies for free.

I left it there and didn’t see how the thread ended (if it has indeed ended, or if it still continuing…) as I had to start preparing breakfast for my baby, however the message left me thinking: do people really perceive real nappies as being only for ‘posh’ families?

I would hate to think that this was the case, as tremendous efforts have been spent and continue to be spent by numerous organisations that are really trying to spread the love for real nappies with no returns on their side. To cite an example local to myself in East London, the Hackney Real Nappy Network hosts a monthly ‘Give and Take’ event where everyone can take pre-loved nappies completely free. No need to bring something to take something. I have seen some really great nappies there.

Let’s rewind to 30-odd years ago and cloth nappies were the standard, the norm. Every baby was in cloth nappies. The white terry sheets and their plastic pants companions might not have been the height of baby fashion but they had one great quality: they were democratic, used across all classes, therefore probably not perceived as anything special.

With modern cloth nappies, whilst the cheaper options are still there, (and please do not discount the humble prefolds as they are BRILLIANT nappies) there are now so many patterns and releases which are not exactly economical. Many mums start using cloth nappies to save money, then end up developing a not-so-secret addiction for the pretties (cough, cough….)

And of course, the initial expenditure for kitting out a baby in reusable nappies is well higher than the bog-standard disposable ‘nappy cakes’ that many pregnant women get as a present for their baby showers. This is very off-putting if you’re not in the money.

However, why does no one takes into consideration the other side of the coin? i.e. how much you are really going to spend on disposable nappies? Even with all the discounts out there, that weekly packet (if it’s just the one!) does eventually add up!

It may seem cheaper but it very rarely is. However, if you live on a weekly budget, I can see why cloth nappies will look like the posh option.

Sadly, I don’t think council resources stretch to offer full packs of cloth nappies to parents in need. Cloth nappy libraries are making an amazing job of dispelling the myth of cloth nappies being for posh babies, sadly their funds are limited too.

I hope ‘catty mum’ changed her mind, and that she did take some of these offers. I also hope she is aware of her options now that someone helpfully pointed them out to her.

As for me, my advice is and will always be free. I hope I can contribute a little bit to the normalisation of cloth nappies.

Cloth nappies are for every baby! I really do believe this.

What’s your thought?

Are manufacturers/ retailers/ nappy libraries and not-for-profit groups missing a trick with communication? What do you suggest?

Simona Allen

Adopted Londoner, mum to a baby boy, City girl now turned hypnobirthing teacher with Hip Mama Hypnobirthing. I am a big believer that giving birth should be your greatest achievement and not your biggest fear. Partial to a cup of Earl Grey tea and a scone.

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