| Born with Mum's eyes and Dad's nose, Nanna's smile | | | | dangerous chemicals used to create them. Sodium |
| and Pop's penchant for sleeping through family meals, | | | | polyacrylate often comes loose from the nappy and |
| babies are gloriously unique. But one thing they all have | | | | has been found in the urinary tract of babies causing |
| in common is nappies. Disposable, reusable or a mix of | | | | bleeding in perineal and scrotal tissue in some babies. |
| the two, nappies will spend more time against the skin | | | | Organochlorins (chlorinated toxic chemicals) and |
| of your baby than your mother-in-law's lips. So it's | | | | Polyvinyl chloride are also found in disposables and |
| important that the nappies you choose are the best | | | | have been known to cause cancer. |
| for your baby. | | | | However, not all disposable nappies are the same. |
| These days' reusable nappies are not just terry cloth | | | | Brands such as Moltex or Bambo offer a natural |
| towels hanging from hills hoists. Today, parents can | | | | alternative, while still providing optimum nappy |
| buy reusable fitted nappies such as the organic hemp | | | | performance (that's professional talk to veil references |
| and bamboo nappies created by Baby Beehinds that | | | | to poo and wee). Made from renewable resources, |
| look and perform much the same as conventional | | | | biodegradable and free of the nasties that can harm |
| disposable nappies. The difference? While, initially, | | | | your baby, these nappies are not only good for your |
| reusable nappies are a little more expensive, in the long | | | | baby but they're nice to the environment too. |
| run, they do end up saving you a great deal of money | | | | To mix things up a little (literally), there are also options |
| over time. This is not to mention the savings to the | | | | that combine reusable and disposable nappies. The |
| environment also. | | | | Weenee Pouch Pants (cloth) can be fitted with |
| A disposable nappy takes 150 - 300 years to break | | | | biodegradable nappy pads or microfiber cloth, offering |
| down. These nappies account for up to 30% of the | | | | the best of both worlds. |
| non-biodegradable waste in landfills. | | | | And remember, you don't need to choose just one |
| But most importantly, often the disposable nappies | | | | option. Many mothers use reusable nappies during the |
| bought in supermarkets across Australia are thought | | | | day and disposable at night or when the baby goes on |
| by many to be a health hazard due to the potentially | | | | long trips. |