| My baby girl is growing up now so she is moving out | | | | lovely fabric to use, and if you are having only one child |
| of nappies and into her toilet training pants. For me, it is | | | | then this is a great option. Being highly absorbent it can |
| with a certain sense of sadness that I will not be | | | | take longer for these nappies to dry especially if you |
| needing our wonderful Mandy Mac nappies anymore | | | | live in a wet and cold area. |
| (well at least until number two baby graces us!) | | | | Hemp lasts well and dries quicker but can feel a little |
| You may be wondering why I am writing about | | | | scratchy at times. This actually is not a problem |
| modern cloth nappies today since previously I have | | | | because baby's body does not come into contact with |
| advocated for Natural Infant Hygiene. I do still think that | | | | the hemp itself, the baby's body comes into contact |
| Natural Infant Hygiene is the way to go, but it also | | | | with the built in liner, so the slightly tougher texture of a |
| works best if you start from birth. Something which I | | | | hemp nappy is not actually an issue. In addition, hemp is |
| did not do because I did not find out about it until my | | | | very durable so depending upon projected usage you |
| daughter was already six months old. We are doing | | | | might need to use the hemp ones if you are going to |
| well together at Natural Infant Hygiene though, which is | | | | hand them down through subsequent children. |
| why she is moving from full time nappies to part time | | | | Mandy Mac has some fabulous night time nappies |
| nappies as she is already using the toilet successfully | | | | called "Purple Nights". So called because the built in liner |
| for most of her eliminations at twelve months. When | | | | is a gorgeous royal purple colour. They are bamboo |
| baby number two graces us I will use my Mandy Mac | | | | which makes them highly absorbent, and with twenty |
| nappies while I am learning the baby's elimination cues | | | | two layers of bamboo your baby can go right through |
| and for out and about. | | | | the night without a nappy change. Best used when |
| So why do I think Mandy Mac modern cloth nappies | | | | baby is sleeping through the night and no longer wakes |
| are the bomb? | | | | for a feed in the middle of the night. I have three. One |
| 1. The Design | | | | for use, one in the wash and one on the line. |
| They are a one size fits all nappy with built in liner for | | | | 3. Ethics |
| catching solid wastes. Made from either hemp/cotton | | | | Mandy Mac modern cloth nappies are not only |
| blend or bamboo/cotton blend they fit all sizes of baby | | | | ecologically friendly they are made under fair trade |
| from birth to conventional Western toilet training age. | | | | working environments. The people who make the |
| The shape is almost identical to that of a disposable | | | | nappies are given fair pay, excellent benefits for |
| nappy making it easy for people to work it out. You | | | | themselves and for their communities in exchange for |
| put the nappy on, pull the front up over baby's crotch | | | | their labour. |
| and secure the sides with an elastic snappy clip, or | | | | So how many modern cloth nappies would you need |
| with some pins. | | | | to get started? |
| Another great thing about the design is that they are | | | | For a newborn baby you can expect that, until he gets |
| not waterproof. Now you may think that a nappy | | | | settled into a comfortable feeding and sleeping routine, |
| which needs an additional PUL cover would be more | | | | you may need about 8 to 10 nappies per day, |
| fuss than it is worth but it is not. The main idea behind | | | | especially if he is a breastfed baby. Do not be |
| modern cloth nappies is to change them when they | | | | concerned, it does not take long for a newborn baby |
| are wet and not to let your child sit around in his soiled | | | | to settle into a routine that he is comfortable with and |
| nappy until it is "full" as you would do with a disposable. | | | | you can start to reduce the number of nappies |
| If you use a modern cloth nappy your baby will feel | | | | required because you can predict how often he will |
| wet and is generally unhappy with this feeling. He will | | | | need to be changed. |
| let you know that he needs changing and this serves | | | | For an infant 3 - 6 months you may need about six to |
| two great purposes. Firstly, a modern cloth nappy | | | | eight per day. |
| baby rarely gets nappy rash. His bottom is kept clean | | | | For an infant 6 - 18 months you may need about six |
| and dry and does not stay in contact with his wastes. | | | | per day plus a Purple Nights for night time use. |
| He might still get the odd teething rash but this has | | | | I bought 14 Mandy Macs, 3 Snappies, 3 PUL covers |
| nothing to do with the cleanliness of his nappy. | | | | and 3 Purple Nights. I also use a couple of prefold |
| Secondly, you can toilet train earlier because baby | | | | cotton nappies if it has been raining and the washing |
| does not like feeling wet. This helps with Natural Infant | | | | has not dried in time! You can use a dryer for your |
| Hygiene as well as conventional Western toilet training, | | | | modern cloth nappies, I simply choose not to for |
| as even when you conventionally toilet train a baby it is | | | | environmental reasons. |
| often recommended that you switch to a cloth nappy | | | | Where did I buy them from? |
| precisely for this reason. | | | | You can get them from Mandy Mac herself but I |
| Also, by not using a PUL cover while you are at home | | | | bought mine from a wonderful fair trade baby shop in |
| gives the nappy's fabric more breathability, and further | | | | Canberra called Brindabella Baby. Now, I do not have |
| promotes a hygienic environment for your baby's | | | | any monetary affiliations with Brindabella Baby, I just |
| bottom. | | | | think that a fair trade focused baby shop is a jolly |
| However, by using a PUL cover over the Mandy Mac | | | | good idea and should be promoted. At the time of |
| nappy you can then go out and about with confidence | | | | writing they have a Mandy Mac Hemp six pack for a |
| that your baby's nappy is not going to get full and | | | | very reasonable price and they estimate that you |
| create a puddle where he is sitting, until you can get to | | | | could save thousands of dollars choosing modern cloth |
| a change room to change him again. PUL is more | | | | nappies over disposables for the usage lifetime. They |
| breathable than a plastic cover. | | | | also offer a 9 month layby so that you can pay off |
| 2. The Fabrics | | | | your investment in installments while you are pregnant. |
| They are made of either a hemp/cotton blend or a | | | | So, Mandy Mac, they are the ones for me and my |
| bamboo/cotton blend. | | | | babies. What will you choose for yours? |
| Bamboo is soft, delicate and highly absorbent. It is a | | | | |