What, Wombat?: Organic Cotton and Bamboo Nappies

During my pregnancy, while we were working out what we would need to provide for the new arrival in our life, my husband and I decided that one of our few luxuries would be pesticide-free cloth nappies. Most people who choose organic cloth nappies do so because they believe it is best for the environment. While this was an important consideration for us, we chose them because we believed they were best for our child!

The problems of disposable nappies have been discussed in detail on many sites, so I will concentrate on the problems of normal cotton nappies. According to our research, 25% of all pesticides used in the US are sprayed on cotton, including some of the most toxic chemicals available. The percentages are even higher in developing countries where there is less regulation. Many of these chemicals are carcinogenic, and pesticides "have been responsible for birth defects, respiratory problems, behavioral changes, infertility, sterility, hormonal imbalances and a variety of short-term maladies."(Ecolife) According to the Allergy, Sensitivity & Environmental Health Association of Queensland, the "human body is like a sponge, it soaks up chemicals through the lungs, the skin and the digestive system. Once chemicals have entered the body they are absorbed into the blood stream where they circulate and can affect the whole body."(ASEHA, Qld) Nappies are worn in close contact with a baby's most sensitive skin, and no matter how quick you are to change them, there are always going to be times when a nappy stays damp or wet for a while - and who knows how longlasting those chemical residues may be? We thought 'why take the risk'?

After searching the internet, we decided to buy ten organic cotton flannelette nappies and ten organic cotton muslin nappies from Natures Child, and to take a gamble and buy ten bamboo nappies (which we'd never heard of before) from Nurture Nappies. As it turned out, the organic cotton nappies have proved to be rather disappointing, whereas the bamboo ones have surpassed our most optimistic expectations - and they're cheaper, too!

Organic Cotton Nappies

Let's talk about the organic cotton first. They arrived in a brown paper parcel which had been repackaged in a big plastic bag by Australia Post, as it had split in transit. Inside, all twenty nappies were each individually packaged in their own plastic bags, and then the bags were taped together with strong sticky-tape which tore the bags on removal rendering them worthless for re-use - an incredible waste and hardly the environmentally friendly approach I was expecting!

As for the nappies themselves, while of very good quality, the flannelette nappies have very thick hems which result in a bulky and uncomfortable lump in the middle of baby's back, while the fabric is so tightly woven that a snappi fastener is incapable of gripping onto it and often comes loose - even nappy pins refuse to penetrate without quite a struggle. That dark spot in the photo is a hole - the result of trying to get a snappi to grip! I now consider them only as backup nappies as they are in no way a pleasure to use. They are also easily stretched out of shape in the wash and on the line, and so take much longer to care for as they have to be pulled back into shape before they can be folded or used. When purchased they were supposedly 60 x 60 cm square (I don't remember) - but after a few months of washing, mine are all decidedly rectangular (57 x 66 cm) which certainly limits my folding options. (I just checked the Nature's Child site for their blurb: "Nature's Child Organic Cotton Flanelette Nappies are one size at 60 x 60cm square. This means the nappy can be folded in any shape you desire to fit any age baby. The flexibility means great cost savings and a very inexpensive way to be able to use organic cotton cloth nappies on your baby. ... Order snappi nappy fasteners to get a hold nappy on." (Well, that hasn't been my experience with them!)

The muslin nappies are pretty much useless for their intended purpose - even folded very thickly to fit a newborn, they provide no real protection. They were the first cloth nappies I ever used on Wombat, and from day one, his clothes became wet through the moment he peed. However, I feel kinder towards the muslin nappies than I do towards the flannelette ones, as they have proved themselves to be extremely useful as breastfeeding & burping cloths - very handy for catching all the drips, overflows and upchucks. I even use one folded across his mattress under his head as it is quicker and easier than changing the sheets if he possets. At 90 x 90 cm, they are also large and light enough to make a comfortable throw to cover baby with in hot weather - not that we've seen much of that since Wombat's birth! Used diagonally or for a very small baby, they can even function as a light bunny-rug or wrap. Like the flannelette nappies, the muslins tend to lose their shape in the wash, but they are much easier to shake out and if you use at least four pegs to support them and hang them on their least stretchy side, they dry very quickly without too much warping.

It should be noted here that while researching this review, I discovered a comment by the owner of Nature's Child (NOT on the Nature's Child website!) which stipulates that the flannelette nappies need to be used with a cover rather than snappies or pins, and that the muslin nappies are only suitable for newborn babies. Wombat was a very big newborn, so I will accept her statement - even though it is contradicted on the Nature's Child website where the nappies were purchased. Through further experimentation I have found that putting the flannelette nappies in the tumbledryer fluffs them up a bit, and if you fold them to minimize the lump in baby's back and use a muslin nappy folded into a pad as a booster, with a pair of pilchers over the top to stop the snappi springing off, they actually do a reasonable job - but this is really just making the best of a bad bargain, and I wouldn't really recommend it as a way of life as it doubles the washing for a start!)

Calendula and Comfrey Bottom Balm

The one product I would highly recommend from Nature's Child is their Calendula and Comfrey Bottom Balm - containing a range of certified organic products - sweet almond oil, olive oil, beeswax, calendula (English Marigold), comfrey, chamomile, lavender, - plus pure vitamin E oil, and grapeseed extract. It has a nice scent and lovely buttery texture which seems to have a delightfully soothing effect on nappy rash. Wombat definitely enjoys its application, and since Vitamin E is recommended for scars and the other ingredients are all traditional medicines for healing, I started using it on my caesarean scar once the wound was completely closed - it is now fading and becoming less red and raised so the balm seems to be helping it heal very nicely.

Sodium polyacrylate

And now, a warning. If you do buy nappies or clothes from Nature's Child, beware of the free samples they include! While Wombat and I were still in hospital, my husband put our first load of nappies in with the sample sachet of Tri-Nature herbal presoaker, and then his curiosity sent him on the net to check out the ingredients. Imagine his horror when he discovered it contained one of the worst chemicals we were trying to avoid by shunning disposable nappies! Sodium polyacrylate is meant to increase absorbency, but it has been linked to urinary tract infections, severe nappy rash, bleeding in perineal and scrotal tissue and other problems in disposable nappies. It has even been removed from tampons due to an association with toxic shock syndrome. The surprising thing is, it is specifically mentioned as nasty in the ByronChild article which cites Nature's Child as its source! They are giving it away free to be used on their ORGANIC nappies!!! We were NOT impressed.

Bamboo Cloth Nappies

By contrast, the bamboo nappies from Nurture Nappies were posted to us as soon as they were ordered - even before the direct deposit had been made to pay for them! They were neatly folded in a sturdy cardboard box, with no unnecessary plastics or packaging, and included a sheet of suggestions for washing instructions. (The tip about putting line-dry nappies in the tumble-dryer for a few minutes to fluff them up really works!) As an added and unexpected bonus, the box included two complimentary face washers in the same bamboo fabric. I don't know how they do it, but these bamboo nappies are the softest, silkiest, most wonderful nappies you can imagine. When they are new, you just want to rub your cheek against them, they are that silky! (The silkiness decreases with each wash, but is compensated for by an increase in thickness and absorbency!) They are a joy to touch and a delight to use. They wash well, keep their shape on the line, and are easy to fold - and after many many washes they are still 60 x 60 cm square! Even more importantly, they fasten securely with just a snappi. It is true they can feel a little harsh when line dried, but no more than cotten towels dried the same way (shake them vigorously before and after hanging, and rub the cloth against itself and they will quickly become soft again). They are as absorbent as any cotton terry nappy (maybe slightly more so) which means they will get wet through occasionally, so a pair of padded pilchers (not plastic lined!) is a good investment if you can find them - luckily I inherited a few pairs passed down from my siblings. They do have the great bonus of being a sustainable crop which is entirely free from pesticides! We use disposable nappy liners to save washing off solids (as we are on tank water with limited supply) and the residue washes clear with no staining - though we do use a long wash with a stain cycle. In fact, these nappies are so good that I can imagine them lasting for many many years and several children - plus, at the time of purchase, they were cheaper than the organic cotton ones! I have recently ordered another ten, and despite a four week delay while new supplies were brought in from England, I am still incredibly happy with them - they were worth the wait! Jayne at Nurture Nappies is very friendly and helpful, and kindly put up with my many impatient emails while we waited for the nappies to arrive. I have no hesitation in recommending these bamboo nappies to anyone who wants the very best start for their child!