What happens when I go back to work?

Many people (mainly men) tell me disposable nappy waste is an inevitable consequence of feminism.  I tell them I went back to work when my second child was 8 months.  I took cotton prefolds into the nursery every day and took them home to be washed at the end of the day.  My husband (were we married then?) helped put them in the washing machine, hung them out and folded them when dry to be used again.  By the way we lived in a small London flat with no garden but with a balcony.

But how about you?  Was/is your child's nursery happy to change your baby/toddler into a reusable?

Please tell us your experiences so we can share the crowd knowledge.

Thank you!

How do you wash real nappies?

We know that all washing machines are different. The general rule is heat kills bacteria so wash at 60 degrees for the first 6 months.  Alternatively, if your washing machine performs well at low temperature you could use a nappy sanitiser.  No need to soak just add the anti-bacterial to the detergent.

But what do you do?  What are your tips?   Hard water is an issue for Londoners.  How do you get over that?

Bottoms up! £70 Voucher for EWWR 2015

We're so excited to let you know that residents in boroughs covered by the North London Waste Authority (NLWA), that's Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest can get £70 off the cost of real nappies.  But it's just for THIS week: European Week of Waste Reduction (EWWR) 21-29 November, so get your application in fast.  Please note you must have a baby under 18 months on the date of applying and not had a nappy voucher or cashback for that baby already.  See more here.

The NLWA real nappy incentive scheme was piloted back in 2003 in the London borough of Camden.  It was just £35 and only available to nappy laundry service customers.  It was such a success it spread to the other NLWA boroughs.  Residents who washed their own nappies were furious that the nappy cashback was not available to them.  The NLWA very quickly bowed to their demand and made it available to them.

In 2004 the Women's Environmental Network (WEN) working in partnership with other London boroughs and the NLWA did an extensive piece of research to find out whether giving out free nappies, a real nappy cashback or a voucher was the most effective incentive to get more people to try real nappies.  In 2007 the Real Nappies for London voucher scheme was established, open to all London boroughs and administered by the London Community Resource Network (LCRN).  The idea is that a pan-London real nappy scheme brings down the costs.

Indeed it has worked.  Boroughs pay £10 for the administration of each voucher redeemed by a resident.  The cost of collection and disposal of a tonne of nappy waste is approximately £160 per tonne (it differs between boroughs) so even if some people don't continue to use the nappies (we assume half a tonne of nappy waste avoided per voucher redeemed to allow for no use, part-time and full-time use) the voucher scheme saves boroughs money.

Anecdotally we know that even when the voucher recipient doesn't turn into a real nappy user s/he tends to pass on the reusable nappies to a friend or neighbour.  In this way real nappy culture has been spreading through informal networks not just within the voucher areas but beyond.

Real nappy culture spreads through social networks, both real and online and part of that is tips on getting your children out of nappies.  Another benefit of the Real Nappies for London scheme and real nappy use in general is knowledge about potty training.  In Brazil, where the switch from cloth nappies to disposables happened over a very short period (in the UK it took about 30 years for the disposable nappy to become 'normal') they have seen a dramatic rise in the length of time children spend in nappies, clearly increasing nappy waste. 

The Real Nappies for London journey has not been smooth.  During the R&D phase a life cycle nappy report came out (2005) that said the environmental impacts of disposables and cloth nappies were about the same, neither had an environmental advantage.  This report gained massive media coverage; it caused a sensation partly because it seemed so unbelievable.  And it's not surprising as it wasn't true!   In 2008 an update of the Environment Agency's report came out that said cloth nappies could have up to 40% lower carbon impacts than disposables (and of course they're virtually zero waste) but this report received scant media attention.

The myth has remained for the last 10 years that it's just a matter of lifestyle choice.  It's not.  People who use washable nappies are making a difference: they are significantly reducing the environmental impact their baby has on the planet.  And as you can see here in this 30 second film, it makes them feel good!

Please spread the word.  Sign up and get your £70 voucher to try real nappies today.

What are you planning for EWWR 2015?

European Week for Waste Reduction is fast approaching (21-29 November).  Can you hold an information workshop, social event or visit your local children's centre or sling meet to show off real nappies? 

Baby and maternity clothes swaps are very popular and can include real nappies.  Always remember, the more times people see reusables, the more likely they are to try them.

It would be great if you could all visit the EWWR website and pledge to hold a  washable nappy event and if that's too much, simply pledge to use washables on your baby for that week to prevent 7kg of nappy waste going to landfill/incineration.

What are you planning in your area?  Why not make it fun; a stroll in the park or a coffee morning at your favourite café.  Please let us know with a link for people to sign up or find out more. 

Or if campaigning is more your thing, let us know about that.

Guest post on Baby-Led Potty Training (BLPT)

Hi! I gave a talk to Hackney mums and dads at the Nappuccino at Hackney Central Library last Friday about my practice of BLPT (Baby-Led Potty Training). I wanted to share my experience of this technique with other parents first-hand to raise awareness of it and help change the cultural norms around babies wearing nappies 100% of the time.

To my surprise, a show of hands revealed that around 40% of the folks there had heard of BLPT in some form and several people were already interested in trying it. One participant even said that her mum had done BLPT with her when she was a baby! Others had never even heard of it and were interested to hear something new. Everyone seemed impressed at the basic messages of BLPT as a huge waste-reducer for environmental friendliness, no big and sudden change of message when the child reaches an age where it seems they should no longer wear a nappy, and it costs nothing-100% free to do!

I wanted to post some of the questions that I got asked as it’s likely that they will be relevant to other parents so here goes and I hope that you will find this helpful:

Q: Where do I start with BLPT?

A: The whole practice starts with nappy-free time. If you do some nappy-free time each day it gives you a chance to observe your baby’s signals and what they naturally do around when they pee or poo. They may give a small cry, or squirm or make a particular face or go very still. This will help you to tune into your baby’s toilet needs when they are dressed and gets the baby used to the causal nature of peeing making them feel wet and so on. Disposable nappies in particular are very effective at wicking the moisture away from a child’s skin so in nappies they may not have a sense that they have peed at all. BLPT doesn’t just foster a line of communication between parent and child about toilet needs it helps the child to be responsive to their own body. This is my main reason for practicing BLPT.

Q: Do you use sounds to help the child understand what to do?

A: Absolutely. Once you hold the baby in position over the potty, you make a ‘cueing’ sound: a ‘ssss’ or ‘ssshhhh’ for a pee and a grunt for a poo. My mom was pretty mortified when I told her about the grunting, but she gave it a go and was very pleased with herself when it worked. Some people run the tap as the sound of running water can help. BLPT also goes really well with a sign language practice so that once children start signing back (typically from 9-14 months), they can simply make the potty sign to tell you they need to go. Creating communication around their toilet needs will naturally become a 2-way process once you are in the habit of using the potty with your baby. They’ll tell you if they want to go or not! You can get free baby sign videos on YouTube but do be aware that British Sign Language is different from American Sign Language, so make sure you are doing the one you want to practice. It’s a nice thing to do with your baby anyhow.

Q: Do you find that you spend hours and hours holding the baby over the potty?

A: In the early months, you’re at home a lot anyway. When the baby is so small, the BLPT relies on the reflex of the child’s reacting to the sensation of fresh air. This is why babies often pee once you have removed their nappy for a change. Instead of doing the double dab (particularly for little boys), removing the nappy to let cool air in and then holding it back over so you don’t get pee in your face, you can pop the kid on the potty and catch it in there. It is not the idea to simply hold the baby in position for as long as it takes them to go. Sing a few songs to your baby to help them (and you) relax and if it comes, it comes. It takes practice! The curiosity to give it a try will mean you don’t perceive it as time-consuming, rather as just another activity that you do with your child as part of your routine.

Q: What do you do about night-time?

A: There are different approaches. Some people prefer not to do night-time BLPT and dry nights are among the last things to fall into place with a lot of kids. If you do want to do BLPT at night, just lie the baby on a sheepskin or soaker pad and when the baby wakes to feed, use the occasion for a potty moment. Day or night, a pattern emerges for your child’s natural preferences and these patterns will change as the baby grows. Like with most things with children, it’s best not to take a rigid approach but to do what works for you and be flexible.

Q: How does it work if you are sending your child to nursery?

A: You have to bear in mind when you set out to do BLPT that it is not the cultural norm and so nurseries are unlikely to make provision for this preference, particularly with very young babies. If your child starts nursery or other childcare once you have already established a BLPT practice, you could advocate for your key worker to include this in your child’s routine. You never know, the childcare professional may already have experience of BLPT or similar. Stranger things have happened and you don’t know if you don’t ask! In any case, you could keep nappy-free time and offering the potty at a couple of times consistently, perhaps at the beginning and end of the day, to keep BLPT in the mix. It’s your child and your practice so you have to navigate the situation as you think best and be realistic.

Q: Where can I learn more about this? 

A: I learned about BLPT after we experienced a friend taking her (pre-verbal) 18 month old to the loo when he told her he needed to go. We were totally astonished and she filled us in- it’s not witchcraft, it’s Elimination Communication! (That’s what they call it in the US.)

I read a book by Ingrid Bauer that I was handed down by my sister when I got pregnant (my sister had it handed down among many other pregnancy books and had never read it). I then asked my friend who had done EC/BLPT for a tip and she recommended reading and contacting Andrea Olsen. I have recently heard about Amber Hatch through the Real Nappy Network and she is a UK-based practitioner who has a book out. So there’s plenty of info out there if you’d like to know more.

I can be contacted via Hilary at Real Nappies for London if you have questions. If you’d like to come and chat with me in person I will be doing a little talk at the next Hackney Nappuccino, (run by the Hackney Real Nappy Network) on Fri 23 Oct October 10.30-12 Hackney Central Library with BLPT talk at 11am.

Julie Rose Bower

 

COMPETITION - Zero Waste Week 2015

Due to sickness, a lack of clarity on my part and no entries we're extending the deadline for the opportunity to win a copy of 'Nappy Free Baby' to next Thursday 24 September at 12 noon.  We just want you to post a comment below this blog post, your favourite way to reduce waste - eg reusable nappies.  As comments don't come with your email address please send an email to realnappiesforlondon@lcrn.org.uk to let us know you've posted.   Alternatively you could post on our Facebook page.

There are so many ways in which we could easily reduce waste without any effect on our quality of life, just by doing things differently.  Of course we love real nappies (which prevent 4.5-7,000 disposable nappies per baby going to landfill or incineration)  but we want to hear what else you do - or would like to do if you could. 

The prize?  A copy of Amber Hatch's wonderful book

 

 

 

Don't forget to send us an email to let us know your email address.  We will make a draw and let you know.   NB we will only post the prize to an address within the UK.

 

 

If you want to find out more about the prize visit www.nappyfreebaby.co.uk



Ask the expert | Baby-led potty training (BLPT)

Following our recent guest post by Amber Hatch, author of Nappy Free Baby: a practical guide to baby-led potty training from birth, we have asked Amber Hatch to run a live Q&A session.

Amber will be answering your questions on Monday 13 July from 8.30pm until 10pm ...so get asking! Please start leaving your questions here now! 

Guest post by Amber Hatch, author of Nappy Free Baby

When I was researching my book Nappy Free Baby: a practical guide to baby-led potty training from birth, I found out some amazing facts.

In the UK in 1958 – only two generations ago – a study of 5000 mothers found that a whopping 85% introduced the potty before six months, with 60% even starting before one month.

So why on earth did mums (and dads) put their babies on the potty so early? 

They were capitalising on the fact that newborn babies are born with a reflex that makes them empty their bladder and bowel when their nappy is off (did your baby ever wee or poo when you were trying to change her?), the reflex is also triggered when they are held in a squat position.  After a while, babies get used to using those muscles, and releasing them becomes a habit whenever they are held in position. This means that instead of being conditioned to wee and poo in a nappy, they become accustomed to using the potty. 

Those mums did it because it saved them a lot of washing, it prevented nappy rash, it made their babies more comfortable and it made the transition to toilet independence earlier and smoother.  Modern parents have also found there are a lot more benefits, which I’ll talk about later.

So why doesn’t anyone do that anymore?

Right at the start of the sixties, two events marked a watershed in the history of nappies and potty training. 

1)     In 1961 Proctor and Gamble launched a new nappy innovation: Pampers

2)     In 1962 Dr T. Berry Brazelton published a paper that advocated a delayed start to potty training.

Brazelton knew that potty training was possible from the earliest weeks by utilising reflexes and conditioning, but he thought that parents would put too much pressure on their babies, and use coercive tactics to try to encourage potty use before they could participate consciously.  He argued that it was best to wait until after 18 months before initiating potty use at all.   At that point, toddlers would be able to take a more independent role in the process.

Brazelton’s advice, coupled with the advent of disposables and their effective advertising campaigns, meant that toilet training was delayed until later and later, and nowadays many parents don’t even start until 2 ½ years or even later. Most parents have no idea that babies are actually capable of using a potty from birth.

So is BLPT coercive?

No! BLPT is an extremely gentle and intuitive way to respond to your baby.  With BLPT, parents begin to learn how their baby communicates a full bladder or bowel – in little babies, that might be through crying , grimacing, grunting or wriggling.  The parent also get to learn babies’ regular patterns for urination and defecation.  Holding baby out to help them pass a bowel movement or empty their bladder is very much like helping them to burp.   They can do it by themselves, but they will feel much more comfortable if you help them.  And you will feel more connected to baby, too.  So BLPT is far from coercive.  Parents find that in fact it opens up a whole new channel of communication with their baby, so that they become closer and more confident.

Do I have to watch my baby all the time?

No.  For a start, you don’t have to do BLPT all the time.  You can just do it when it makes sense for you.  Many parents find it very easy to predict when their baby is about to poo, so a lot so parents just do BLPT for bowel movements.  This can be so successful that they rarely have to change a dirty nappy.  Other parents just pop baby on the potty or hold them over the loo every time they change them.  This helps nappies stay drier and cleaner for longer.  Some parents just do it when their baby is crying and uncomfortable to help them pass wind and poo.  Some parents use the method at home, but not when out and about.  There are many different ways to use the technique.

It’s completely up to you how often you do it.  Most parents use nappies alongside BLPT, at least during the first year.

How can I find out more?

I’ve just published a book Nappy Free Baby: a practical guide to baby-led potty training from birth, (Vermilion, 2015) where you can read all about this method.

To celebrate its launch, Real Nappies for London is running a competition to win a copy of my book. 

To enter – all you have to do is try putting your baby on the potty the next time you change her/him and see what happens. Then write a comment in the box below to tell us how it went. The best comment wins a copy of my book!  We will announce the winner on Monday 29 June at 12 noon.

You can also find out more about BLPT on my website www.nappyfreebaby.co.uk

Did you see the First Disposable Nappy on The One Show?

If you missed it, ironically, the first disposable nappy invented by Valerie Hunter Gordon, now 93, looks just like a modern reusable nappy.  It's also wonderful to hear that the first single-use nappy, was very popular despite the fact that it didn't contain SAPs (superabsorbent polymers). 

In fact surely gNappies are simply a more sophisticated version of the first disposable nappy?  They are modern nappies that have a waterproof reusable wrap that can be used with either a single-use insert that doesn't contain SAPs or a reusable, washable insert. 

But does this item raise the issue of why disposables contain SAPs?  Why aren't waterproof, reusable wraps with SAPless nappies more popular? 

One of the biggest barriers to the uptake of washable nappies is frequency of changing.  It's not that washable nappies are not absorbent enough.  It's that single-use nappies containing SAPs have established a new norm for infrequent nappy changes.  Changing your baby's nappy has been made to seem like a chore rather than what it should be; quality time with your baby.  Remember the words of William Morris “The true secret of happiness lies in the taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.”  

Convenience can be bad for us.  Look at car dependency.  Gradually we're becoming aware that we don't all need to own a car.  It's a huge expense and largely bad for us and not just our household budget.  Car culture not only contributes to obesity but it's also bad for air quality.  We are ruining the air we need to breathe.


Similarly single-use nappies containing SAPs have been bad in so many ways.  They have:

1. established a norm of infrequent changing, reducing quality contact time between baby and carer
2. spread a myth about children potty-training themselves magically when they reach the age of three and a half meaning children are spending longer and longer in nappies.  Before "disposables" became the norm children were frequently wearing pants during the day by the time they were two
3. increased the cost to families of the nappy wearing stage
4. increased the cost of the collection and disposal of nappy waste
5. increased other environmental impacts associated with the manufacture, packaging and distribution of this single-use product 

Can we really afford all these costs? Wouldn't it be better if disposables just didn't contain SAPs?

It's really only since we discovered the downsides of SAPs that demand for reusable nappies has grown.  People used to think disposable nappies were just paper and gradually decomposed in lanfill.  Now we not only know that they take hundreds of years to break down but there are other disadvantages too. What do you think?

Guest Post: Real Nappy Week 2015

Thank you to Izzy who has contributed this guest post as part of our Real Nappy Week 2015 writing competition.  Please keep sending in your stories.  Just email to realnappiesforlondon@lcrn.org.uk


I'm Izzy, mummy to two beautiful babes, living in the gorgeous South West!

Dylan was born on 12th August 2012 and was a disposable baby (the nappies, not Dylan!). We knew nothing about cloth nappies and didn't know the money we were wasting and never really thought about the amount of waste we were adding to landfill. We were new parents and everything was a new challenge.

When Daisy came along on 8th May 2014, I had seen pictures of a friends child in the most stunning embroidered nappies and couldn't help but be intrigued.  I wanted to know more. I wanted to see more.

I was added to a parent who cloth bum page and quickly became friendly with so many interesting, caring and amazing mummies. I was able to ask questions and received the best advice.  I bought a number of nappy bundles to try on my daughter.

In June, Daisy tried on her very first nappy - a pink cheapie with daisys on it. I was sold. I haven't looked back since.

After June, our stash grew ... then grew some more ... took a knock when I had a destash ... ... ... and grew even more.  I found pretty printed nappies, and then I found embroidered 'pretty' nappies.  I was in my element on WAHM (work at home mum) pages seeing what sort of embroideries I could get.  And I bought ... a lot!!!  We were able to put Dylan in nappies on a couple of occasions before he potty trained. His absolute favourite was his Poshfluff by Poshbugs minion nappy...

 
With Dylan no longer in nappies, I was able to sell his nappies to fund some more for Daisy. I was amazed at the how well preloved nappies sell.

Daisy now has princesses, horses, unicorns, Disney characters and so much more.
We have been lucky enough to win a lot of nappies too (our first being the gorgeous Little Miss Sunshine by Outback Nappies)...

Our cloth journey so far has been a brilliant one. It has opened my eyes to the difference between using disposables and reusables. Reusables don't have the horrible chemicals of disposables and don't cause nappy rash like the disposables.  Reusables are biodegradable and don't add to the horrible landfills all over the country.

Making the change to cloth has also introduced me to other reusable products ... kitchen roll, wipes, breast pads and CSP.

I hope our cloth journey is a long one ... and I hope to pass on the 'clean green gene' to my kiddies as they grow up.  To finish, here is a picture of Daisy in her amazing daisy duck nappy by Cloth Rockz