A day in the life of a reusable nappy parent

To help celebrate real nappy week 2019, we wanted to go behind the scenes and found out what a normal day is like for a cloth nappy parent so you can love them just as much as we do! We recently teamed up with a real life Totsbots user to find out more about just how easy it is to make the switch and get more details about the reality of using reusable nappies instead of disposable ones. 

Totsbots parent:

I am 10 months into my journey with reusable nappies, I started off pretty tentatively swapping out the day time nappies until I felt reassured that it really was as easy as people made out, and here I am 10 months down the line a full-blown cloth mummy and I love it.

It’s 6:30am and Ted is up and ready for the day even though I am most certainly not! After going to bed at 7pm he has been up twice in the night thanks to the addition of another new tooth, but 11hrs later his Bamboozle night-time reusable nappy is still holding up. After a quick spruce up we are ready for the day, my 5-year-old has chosen her favourite print for Ted and he is sporting an EasyFit TotsBots in a playtime print, it has cute little dogs all over it and she loves dogs.

It’s the Easter holidays and we are out and about all day, so the usual routine for me after I have fed Ted and Talullah sits eating her breakfast is to load up our bag for the day. This routine hasn’t changed from the days of disposables, I’m not carrying more and it’s certainly not a chore. I just pop 2 Easyfit nappies, 1 PeeNut wrap, 2 pads plus some liners (which are already in the bag), some snacks for both the kids and off we go.

It is now 9am and after a quick espresso, I am feeling like I am winning at parenting. Hmm, I wonder how long this euphoria will last today? Obviously, because children have a sixth sense as we are about to walk out of the door, I notice Ted has adopted the red face that can only mean one thing, I was doing too well and he doesn't want me to get too smug, it's poo time! I take up and quickly change the offending article, while secretly hoping that this is not the start of a “slow release poo over 4 nappies” marathon.

Now, this is the part where my husband was at first rather skeptical when I came home laden with my bright, fluffy coloured bundle of reusable nappies. ‘What do we do when he does a poo then?!’ He was not impressed. It’s easy really, take off the reusable nappy and pop out the liner, shake off the poo in to the loo, wipe and pop him in a clean nappy. Meanwhile Talullah is downstairs waiting (not so patiently) for us so I choose this time and go for a PeeNut wrap and 2 pads. I like this system as I have found that as he got bigger, it works better for him and for me. It's a little slimmer in his clothing and if it’s just wet, a simple wipe of the wrap, a new pad change and we're ready.

It is funny how as soon as you have a child, poo seems so much less of a problem than it did before, I no longer flinch if an accidental poo escapee comes in to contact with my hand! Gross, but you get it, I know you do. It really is no drama.

By the time I sit in the driving seat it’s about 9:30am, still not bad so I high five Talullah for not fighting with me over the daily leggings or jeans debate, and off we go.

Ted has become very adept at feeding himself now, so today’s mummy daughter activity is a hot chocolate and a chat, post quick dash around the supermarket. We sit and share a colouring book while discussing the highs and lows of playing cafés and an in-depth character analysis of the Spy Kids. Once our chocolate moustaches are complete, it’s time to get to the beach in the hope of seeing the local seal. Ted wakes up as soon as we get there and after a huge bottle of milk, I change him before our walk along the coast. Oh, wait no changing facilities! The estate car comes into its own and I open the boot and create his own changing heaven, complete with a bunch of the toys that have become hostages of the car never to leave until the 5 yearly valet. I change the pad in the PeeNut and pop it in our waterproof anti-stink bag, and off we go. A few hours later and a successful trip, seal spotted, a delicious crab salad, only one intense negotiation with the 5 yr old, and we are home.

I’m not sure if it is the new utility room or not, but I’ve become so organized with my reusable nappies. I love seeing them hanging out to dry, or folded up ready to use. I put today's nappies in the bucket that I keep next to the washing machine, and once it’s full (2 days worth) I’ll throw them in and let the washing machine do the hard work. Even when it's not yet sunny 'dry your washing in the sun' weather we all love, I simply pop these genius products into the tumble drier and out come  lovely fluffy and warm nappies ready to use. Beware, you may find yourself nuzzling these as you carry them up the stairs. It happens to all of us cloth mums!

Using reusable nappies on the go is really easy and definitely no more difficult than using disposables. Plus all the money we save pays for family day trips here and there, #winning! I no longer have the running out of nappies fear, I love the fact that there are no nasty chemicals, so his bottom is always clear of nappy rash and I don’t notice the washing as I’m doing it anyway.

The best thing about using cloth is the change it has brought about in us all.  My husband has become waste obsessed and he now hates putting anything in the bin. I love that this one switch to reusable nappies has changed our total outlook towards waste. Reusable nappies are brilliant, my family loves them, we all get a kick out of doing our bit, and Ted looks comfy and cute in his colourful fluff.

Learn more about cloth nappies here >> 

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