Itti Bitti Tutto Cloth Nappy Review

I like to think that I've become a bit more open minded when it comes to different styles of cloth nappies the second time around. Different styles work for different parents and different babies which is why I was really excited to try out the new Itti Bitti Tutto all-in-one nappy.

Itti Bitti is the very first brand of cloth nappy that I ever heard of and the only one that I knew before I became an expectant parent but until now I had never tried any of their nappies.

The Itti Bitti Tutto is designed for use from birth right the way up until potty training. It uses a series of snappers to alter the length and width of the nappy as your child grows. On the outside there is a gorgeous and fun fluffy fabric but on the inside where the series business of absorbency goes on it is made from stay-dry suedecloth to try and keep your baby's bottom dry. A series of different snap-in boosters are used to alter the level of absorbency needed.

I loved the fluffy fabric of the Itti Bitti nappy, it really makes it stand out from the other nappies in my collection but the fluffiness did diminish a touch after the first wash. I found that I needed to pre-wash the nappy a lot before it was able to offer a level of absorbency I was happy with (I think about 8 washes).  I also find the Tutto nappy to take the longest to dry of all of my cloth nappies.

I really like the shape of the Tutto nappy as it sits against Holly's bot - it is nice and tight around the legs without seeming to restrict her movement. The design of the inside of the nappy is unlike anything else I have seen - it has a raised edge which they call their 'poo fence' which really does seem to work to stop wet tiny baby poo leaking out. The number and shape of the different snap-in absorbent layers bamboozled me a bit and I'm still not sure that I have entirely settled on the right combo for us but I would imagine that Holly's needs will change as she grows and I will have to re-learn which pieces to use inside the nappy.  You can get the inserts in microfibre or bamboo - we use bamboo and they tend to take longer to dry but I believe give a better absorbency level.

Due to the time it took to build up a good level of absorbency in the nappy, I haven't been brave enough to try the Itti Bitti Tutto at night time yet - I should do one day really though to see if it is up to the challenge.

One of the things I like best about the Tutto nappy is that there is one extra snapper right back by the hips that allows you to really make sure that the nappy is tight all the way around a small baby's waist. This is an area where many other all-in-one and snapper-based nappies can struggle. As Holly grows older, we probably won't need to use this extra snapper but at present it prevents the 'wings' from working loose.

If I were to give the Itti Bitti Tutto a mark out of 10, I would go for a 7.

BumGenius Freetime Cloth Nappy Review

When Lara was in nappies, we didn't try BumGenius reusable cloth nappies until quite late in the day - it came as a little bit of a shock to the system to have to stuff a nappy and unstuff it before washing. The good news is that now that Holly is on the block, BumGenius have come up with a new design of cloth nappy - the Freetime nappy - that is a one piece nappy that requires no stuffing at all. Woop.

Holly was sent two of the BumGenius Freetime nappies to try out - they come in a wide range of fantastic bright colours and it would be amazing to have one of each. Holly's nappies are Mandarin orange and Mirror blue/green.

BumGenius Freetime is a one-size nappy which means it grows with your baby as they grow. It has taken some time but I think I've finally cracked the snapper thing - at first I was bamboozled by the number of snappers, you use them to fold the nappy over so that it is the right size for your baby. At two months old I have just moved Holly out of the very first size and into the middle setting on the snappers.  The nappies are suitable for around 8lbs to around 35lbs so should see us right through to potty training.

Both of our nappies have a hook-and-loop Velcro-style fastening which is supposedly easiest for a newborn baby as it is quick to open and close and allows you to get the right level of tightness around their waist. Freetime also comes with a snapper fastening too.

For me the most ingenious thing about the BumGenius Freetime nappy is the flippy flappy soft absorbent microfibre inserts. The flaps have earned the nappy the nickname of "The flippy flappy nappy" in the Mellow household.  These semi-attached inserts are the absorbent core of the nappy and because you don't have to waste time stuffing them into an impossibly small slot (as you do with other BumGenius nappies and other brands we have owned), this nappy saves a lot of time at each change.  They have quickly become our most popular nappy at changing time and the one both Mr. B. and I reach for first.

The other advantage of the flappy inserts is that when you dry the nappy, the surface area is massive and you can get a lot of air around the flaps so they dry astonishingly quickly - another reason why they are our first choice nappy (because we can't wait for the other ones to dry!).

I love the look of the nappy, the flaps sit very well inside the stretchy elastic legs and so it appears smooth and bouncy and makes Holly's bum look infinitely squidgable.

As yet, I have not experiences any leakage whatsoever with the Freetime nappy and I am MORE than happy with the level of absorption.  We really like this nappy!

The BumGenius Freetime nappy costs £15.99 which I think is a bargain for something that will last you for years - you will probably need between 8 and 15 of these if you want to use them exclusively.

The Mio Solo Reusable Nappy Challenge

I was a little bit late to the party for the Mio Solo Nappy Challenge in which a number of bloggers put the new Mio Solo all-in-one reusable nappy through its paces. As you may know, I am a massive fan of the Bamino Mio classic two-piece nappy which I used very successfully with Lara and so Bambino Mio asked me and Holly to try out the Mio Solo cloth nappy. Here is how I got on with the different challenges.

1. The Stay At Home Challenge
At home you can change a nappy as frequently as you need so absorption isn't so much of a problem. I liked the stretchiness of the Mio Solo nappy - much more stretchy than any of its competitors so it has a really nice fit around the leg and will grow with Holly as her legs and tummy fill out. I liked the wrap-around overlapping velcro tabs which meant that on Holly's teenie tiny newborn belly I could still make a one-size nappy fit well with no leaks.  I would say that it doesn't have as much flexibility in terms of size adjustment of the nappy itself compared to other brands of one-piece nappy but actually I quite like this because too many poppers tends to blow my mind and I never know what buttons I am supposed to be popping together!

2. The Out & About Challenge
I don't find the Mio Solo to be a very absorbent nappy - at first I thought this might be because it was still new and needed to go through the wash a few times but now, 9 weeks in and having been through plenty of nappy washes, the Mio Solo is still one of my least absorbent nappies (the Charlie Banana nappy beats it for leaks!) - for this reason I no longer take Holly out in the Mio Solo. In fact, I don't often go out with reusable nappies anyway because I'm a chicken when it comes to lugging dirty reusable nappies home with me.

3. The Overnight Challenge
I tried this once! We always use a Mio Boost super-absorbent insert at night, regardless of what brand of real nappy we are using that night. A Mio Boost or an equivalent booster insert means that you have peace of mind knowing that the nappy won't be totally dripping wet if your baby happens to sleep all the way through the night. I didn't have the confidence in the Mio Solo to go the whole night, even with the additional booster.

4. The Dad Challenge
I think Mr. B. feels the same way about the Mio Solo as I do - it looks fabulous on Holly but in fact the old style Bambino Mio nappies are more effective. Mr. B. always seems to opt for the one-piece nappies when he is doing a nappy change but he quickly took a dislike to the Mio Solo because he found it hard to get his big hand into the slot where you fold in the absorbent core. Like me, he found the core to bunch and stick to the waterproof outer lining, making it hard to get the core to lie flat in place.

5. The Washing & Drying Challenge
Now this is somewhere that the Mio Solo does really well. The flip-out core means that it is fast to dry because all of the fabric can be out in the open. I like some of the nifty features such as the ability to fold back the velcro tabs during washing (it always drives me around the bend that velcro nappy tabs get stuck to each other, or to my nappy bag during the wash cycle).

I will honestly say that I don't rate the Mio Solo as highly as the BumGenius one-piece nappies (review coming soon!) but that my number one favourite reusable nappy still remains the good old Bambino Mio two-piece nappy (which features a waterproof cover and folded cloth insert)... I would definitely choose the classic Bambino Mio any day even though you have to buy different sized nappies and wraps as your child grows.

You can buy the Mio Solo and Bambino Mio Two-Piece nappies online at the Bambino Mio website.

During July and August Bambino Mio are offering a £2.50 discount off their two-piece nappy covers for every used nappy cover you return as part of their "Great Exchange".  The nappy covers are sent to developing countries through their charity partner, Real Aid. 

Cloth Nappies Make Me Smile

God, it feels good to be back using cloth nappies.

When Lara moved out of reusables into disposable nappies at about 18-20 months old (due to the fact they just weren't up to the job any more), I felt a pang of disappointment. I also felt the effect on my purse strings. Disposable nappies cost a lot of money (I was going to say "cost the earth" but then I realised that was a given!). Don't get me wrong, I really do appreciate the convenience of disposable nappies when I'm out and about or travelling. I use them for exactly that - a convenience - in the same way that I use ready-made foods or takeaways. However, you can't beat the warm glowy feeling of changing a cloth reusable nappy.

There was an element of nostalgia when we lifted the old first-size Bambino Mio pre-fold nappies out of the loft for Holly's arrival. We moved Holly into disposables at about 2 weeks old once her cord stump had dried out and was clean and tidy so that it wouldn't get in the way of the top of the nappies. The first thing we noticed was that Holly is a lot smaller than Lara was at the same age so we were able to use the newborn size nappy wrap that we had got for Lara but never used. We have also tried out our one-piece nappies on Holly which we only started using with Lara later on in her nappy journey - they look very cute when they are all buttoned down to their smallest size!

As a second-time mum, I think the pleasure of using reusable nappies is even greater than before. Each time I change a nappy I can't help but gloat at how much money it is saving me. My outgoings on nappies for Holly this time were more or less zero. Yes, I still have to pay for water and electricity to put on a nappy wash every 3 days and yes, I have had to buy more nappy sanitiser and (when Holly gets bigger, liners) but other than that, everything is paid for already from our initial outlay for our first child.

Most local councils in the UK offer a financial incentive to parents who choose to use cloth nappies due to the reduction in landfill costs to themselves if their residents reduce waste levels. Unfortunately, most councils also require you to show recent receipts for the cost of your nappies and nappy equipment. Somehow it feels a bit wrong that a second (or more) time mum can't also claim the incentive for subsequent children. It would have been very easy for me to acknowledge the convenience of disposable nappies and revert to them full-time for Holly but instead I have stuck with it and not only am I eliminating a whole load of landfill due to not using disposables... I'm doubly saving them landfill space by reusing all my equipment from last time. Perhaps I should get twice the reward?

Anyway, I devised a plan that would mean I could benefit from the cloth nappy incentive this time too. I calculated approximately how many Mio Liners and how many tubs of Mio Fresh nappy sanitiser I had used for Lara right through to potty training and then bought the entire 3 years supply of these in bulk all at once. The council have acknowledged my outgoings and sent me a cheque for my incentive of £30 which is approximately what I spent. This means that the only cost ahead of me for using cloth nappies is energy and water bills.

Anyway, enough about money. The best thing about cloth nappies is seeing them dangling from the washing line, naturally bleaching in the sunshine, all clean and fresh, knowing that Holly's bot is being looked after!

The Sunday Review – BumGenius Reusable Nappies (MiniSocialite)

You will hopefully have all read earlier this week about how Lara and I have been struggling with our current brand of reusable nappies. I was offered the chance a couple of weeks ago to try out the brand new range of BumGenius cotton nappies – what great timing.

BumGenius have just launched their new range of 'Mini Socialite' nappies in the UK. They are a limited edition range of brightly coloured One Size reusable nappies with some gorgeous abstract designs by designer Chelsea Perry. My favourite design is the yellow one called 'Free Spirit' but Lara looked pretty groovy in the blue one too (Retail Therapy). I love the fact that the designs are quite grown up and not cutsey at all.

 

The BumGenius One Size nappy is unlike other reusable nappies I have tried. The nappy comprises an outer cover which is the bulk of the nappy and into it you fit a small insert. Where with most other brands you tend to keep the outer cover for use again for the next cotton nappy, the BumGenius One Size cloth nappy is intended to be washed after each use. At £15.99 per nappy and a recommended stash of around 12-15 nappies, it took me a while to get my head around that. To start with, I felt uncomfortable putting the brightly coloured wrap straight into the wash after just a mildly wet nappy.

The BumGenius nappies have surprised me in their absorbency. Given the huge volumes of moisture that our nappies are having to deal with at present, I was expecting a one-use nappy to last Lara a matter of minutes. It didn't. One nappy was good on Lara for 2-4 hours so the insert must be very absorbent and I certainly didn't feel that Lara's skin was wet in any way after taking the nappies off. I folded over the cotton insert and snapped it into position with poppers to add greater absorbency at the front of the nappy.

I also really liked the shape of the nappy. It is well elasticated around the legs and seems to be tailored well. Wearing the BumGenius One Size nappy, Lara didn't look any more bulky in the bottom-area than when she is wearing a disposable nappy. This is a good thing for us because it aids her movement and means she can fit in to more of her clothes!

I found the nappy easy to take on and off. It fastens with poppers rather than velcro which is great because Lara hasn't yet worked out press studs so can't pull the nappy off like she normally does. Once again, just like the OneLife nappy, I was perplexed by the enormous number of press studs on the nappy! At least on the BumGenius nappy I understand why they are all there. The BumGenius nappy is a one-size-fits-all nappy. It arrived fully popped together in its tiniest form (which was very cute) and you un-snap various parts of it to extend it for older babies.

We are currently using it fully un-snapped but with plenty spare poppers around the main fastening to allow Lara to grow a little more over the next year or so as she moves out of nappies. I had already noticed that with my Bambino Mio nappies that the covers we were using were getting worryingly small and they don't make any bigger than that! For a reusable nappy to be truly birth-to-potty, it has to go from really tiny to pretty damn huge in size.

One thing I didn't like about the BumGenius One Size nappy is that there was no-where for me to put a liner into it. A nappy liner helps when dealing with a soiled nappy and I find it helps to reduce staining on the fabric. It surprised me a little and I even had to go to the babame website to see if I was just being dim!

I had no problems washing or drying the BumGenius One Size nappies. I put them into my normal nappy wash with a small amount of detergent and they washed well at 40 degrees (and coped fine at 60). I found that they dried really quickly because the insert and the liner can be separated and both on their own are quite thin. This is a good thing for me as I often do a wash in the evening and *attempt* to dry the nappies overnight in time for me to leave for work in the morning.

The BumGenius One Size nappies are available in Mothercare and several online retailers. Find out more at www.thenaturalbabyresource.co.uk and www.babame.com . The Mini Socialite range of nappies are bound to be as collectable as the plain coloured nappies and so if you want one, you'd better snatch one quick as they are a limited edition and may only in the shops until Spring 2011.

Images courtesy of threepipe.

HELP – My Reusable Nappies Can't Cope

I feel like I am coming to the end of an era.

Lara has been wearing reusable nappies ever since she was 6 weeks old. We've done so well. But, over the past month we have been struggling. The Bambino Mio nappies we use just can't cope with the volume of liquid that Lara produces!


A few weeks ago we tried out the OneLife Nappy system. It was fine but I didn't get on with the shape of the nappy cover and the cotton nappies themselves struggle even more than the Bambino Mios with the current wee onslaught.

I have also tried a few different approaches to using my Bambino Mio nappies. Some days I use bamboo or cotton boosters in the nappies (I had previously just reserved these for night times). This helps, but not significantly. I have also tried putting two folded cotton nappies into one of the big OneLife nappy covers. This works but it is only a solution I can use over night because the bulk of the nappy means Lara can barely walk (and no clothes fit on over the top).


Lara drinks a lot. She eats a lot. But... I was never prepared for this. As soon as she does a wee the nappy is no longer usable. This weekend I think we averaged 4 changes of clothes during the day due to the fact that the nappies had leaked. The Bambino Mio outer liners are supposed to be waterproof but the liquid has started to wick through the fabric. I don't know whether this is because I have over-washed them and they've lost their waterproofing, or whether it is just that Lara's body functions have changed – I think her body has grown up.

As I've told you before, Lara has already started potty training. It's a very long and slow process with us – none of this 'potty training in one week' malarkey for us! Lara does use the potty each evening, sometimes even with success, but she is a very long way off being potty trained as although she is now able to tell me when she has wet or soiled her nappy, she isn't able to tell when it will happen.

So, until she is potty trained, I need to find another solution. This past fortnight we have been trying out the BumGenius all-in-one nappies (you can read the review this Sunday on Mellow Mummy). They're better, I admit, but I only have two of them so I can't use them all the time. Instead, I have rather grudgingly been sending Lara to the childminder in disposable nappies! This is partly because I don't own a bag big enough to put in enough changes of clothes for the day in case every nappy leaks (and partly because I wouldn't wish that one someone else).

Using disposables every week day feels expensive to me. I find it unsightly when they sag, I hate the smell they give off and then, obviously, there's the waste they produce. On the other hand, it does mean I have less bulk to pack in Lara's bag each morning AND, it opens up a whole area of Lara's wardrobe out of which I thought she had grown. Jeans become a realistic option too! It's not all bad.

I shall keep you updated on my progress on the search for a reusable nappy that can cope effectively with the situation. It would be a shame to have to give up reusable nappies now. In the meantime, if you have any wise words of advice to impart, I'd love it if you could help me.

Image credits:
OneLife nappy system courtesy of Hello Baby
BumGenius Artist Series courtesy of babame.com and BumGenius

The Sunday Review – OneLife Reusable Nappy System

As you probably know, I use re-usable nappies on Lara most of the time. Cotton nappies are a funny thing, you have to invest quite a lot of money up front on them and so once you have made your decision on which brand to try, you are kind of stuck with it! We currently use the Bambino Mio system. I'm happy with it, but I'm not sure it is what I would have chosen if I were to start the thinking process all over again.

I am lucky to have had the chance to try the OneLife nappy system thanks to Hello Baby who sent me one to try. OneLife nappies are one of the more widely available brands of re-usable nappies but not one I knew much about. OneLife reusable nappies are available from the online nursery and baby shop Hello Baby. I've bought a couple of things from Hello Baby recently as they have a really impressive range of products for baby and toddlers. I will probably tell you about the Doidy Cup I bought at some point in the future!

The OneLife nappy system is one which features a cotton wrap nappy and a water-resistent outer wrap. The inner nappy is a one-size-fits-all cotton nappy which is shaped around your baby. It fastens using plastic press-studs and has a number of different sets of studs so that you can adjust the nappy to fit your growing baby. There is also an insert which pops into place which you can use for extra absorbency at night. Honestly, I found the number of poppers bewildering. Each time I had to fasten a nappy, I wasn't sure which studs matched up to which! I also found that even on the very largest setting, the nappy seemed very tight on Lara around the legs and left marks after just a couple of hours. Lara only weighs about 12kg and is 15 months old. I don't think she can wear the OneLife one-size nappy right up until she is potty trained if she continues to grow.

The outer-wrapper comes in different patterns and different sizes. Because of this, it has less studs to do up. It did frustrate me though that I had to do up two separate sets of studs – one for the nappy and one for the wrapper. The wrapper gaped at the sides and had a funny, unflattering squareness to it.

The OneLife cotton nappy certainly seemed softer on Lara's skin than the Bambino Mio nappy but I found it more difficult to put on her, less comfortable for her and harder for me to prevent the nappy leaking urine out from inside the wrapper. My other observation is that the wrap-around nappy caused all of Lara's lower region to be wet, whereas the Bambino Mio nappy isolates the moisture to one line from front to back.

You can find out more about the products in the One Life reusable nappy system at Hello Baby.

Images courtesy of Hello Baby

Is Pampers 'Dry Max' A Green Step Forward?

As someone who only uses disposable nappies as a convenience when travelling, or when I'm out and about, I was particularly fascinated to be invited to tour the Pampers research and development facility in Schwalbach near Frankfurt. Because I only use disposable nappies about 30% of the time, I don't take them for granted. I'm very aware of their effectiveness, of their fit, of their price and of their construction. I'm fussy when it comes to disposable nappies.

If you are a user of Pampers nappies then it can't have escaped your notice that a short while ago, the Pampers Active Fit nappies changed. I was invited to Germany to find out more about the research and technology behind the new Dry Max technology. And so, with a handful of journalists from Prima Baby, Mother & Baby and Think Baby / Made for Mums, I spent a day finding out about the new Dry Max technology and the 10 years of research and development behind it.

The journos squidge a nappy full with 500ml of liquid!

I promise to share with you some of the exciting tales and photos later in the week but for the time being I wanted to talk about the issue that was most important to me on the day.

I use reusable nappies. I use disposable nappies. The two can work together.

I cook healthy, scrumptious home-made food. I buy convenience food. The two can work together.

I have been using disposables a lot recently due to our trip to the USA last month. As I passed through Heathrow airport on the way to Frankfurt for the Pampers trip, I couldn't help but wonder what people had done before the days of disposable nappies when travelling with babies. I can't think of anything I'd like to do less than lug a bag full of stinky nappies around in my hand luggage. In the days when my parents travelled the globe with me, disposable nappies were REALLY bulky, plastic-wrapped, rectangular lumps that offered little protection from leakage. But, even so, my parents still chose them over cotton nappies when they travelled. The new Pampers Dry Max technology is the biggest technological breakthrough in disposable nappies for around 10 years and it means that disposable nappies of the future will be compact and ultra-absorbent – ideal for travel.

Me examining the difference in bulk between the old and new Active Fit nappies

At the end of the day in Schwalbach, Proctor and Gamble brought out the big guns - The Environmental Expert – to tell us why the new Active Fit nappy is going to save the world. Now, as a green mummy, I'm more than aware that the environmental impact of my reusable nappies is similar to that of disposables (as they kindly pointed out to me here). That's assuming that I use evil washing detergents and evil tumble driers (sometimes I do, sometimes I don't) and that I'll never have any more kids (which, I hope, is unlikely). I'm also aware that for every reusable nappy that Lara wears, it is one less disposable, non-biodegradable nappy piling up in UK landfill. And anyway, I don't only use reusable nappies for their environmental impact; I use them because Lara's skin is always 100% free from nappy rash when she wears a cotton nappy (but she gets a rash with just one day of disposables); I use them because I find it easier (and she finds it easier) to identify a wet or dirty nappy when it happens and I use them because they smell and look nicer.

The new Dry Max technology involves more of this crazy absorbent gel

P&G were quizzed by us all about the environmental impact of the weird gel that is now the primary active element of their new nappies (The gel is also known as Super-Absorber – read more about it later this week on Mellow Mummy). To be very honest, they coped well under pressure – Pampers are not designed to be biodegradable in any way and their primary focus is performance. P&G were keen to point out that the new Active Fit nappies with Dry Max have a significantly lower environmental footprint than their predecessors; from raw materials right through to disposal. Each nappy now has about 20% less bulk which means less space being taken up in landfill. To me, it doesn't make an enormous amount of difference to which brand or style of nappy I buy, but if I am going to use a disposable nappy, then yes, I would like to know that the manufacturer was making attempts to reduce their impact on the planet.

So no, Pampers with Dry Max will NOT save the planet but at least it is a small step forward and now, having spoken to the real scientists behind Pampers disposable nappies, I know that the thought is there and that somewhere in the depths of their research centre there are small steps being made to research a greener alternative, perhaps another 15-20 years in the future.

She Moves!!!

Lara has reached one of the most exciting milestones in her life so far - she has learned how to get from one place to another. Admittedly, she can only crawl backwards at present (I've been told I need to fit her with a reversing siren and lights) but backwards seems to do the job just fine.



I wanted to take this opportunity to ask whether anyone else has any experience on whether or not real nappies inhibit your baby when learning to crawl? My childminders have both commented that when Lara gets into the crawl position, that the nappies seem to restrict her legs. Any thoughts on this?

P.S. I know, I know, I need to remove the cables from the background! Our house needs to be totally baby-proofed in the coming weeks.

Can Reusable Nappies Work With A Childminder?

Lara wears re-usable nappies. I'm not an eco-warrior, I don't use them 100% of the time but I do feel it is my duty to do as much as I can to reduce our family's waste, and I KNOW (because I've done some very complex calculations, including electricity costs and water usage!) that it saves me money. When I was looking for childcare last year, the prospect of having to give up using the cloth nappies was a very real worry for me.

I didn't KNOW when I started looking whether nurseries would allow us to continue using re-usable nappies but it became very obvious after we had looked around a couple, that nurseries are very much geared up for disposable nappies – in very high volumes! It became quickly obvious that it was a non-starter. I won't say that it directly contributed to our decision not to send Lara to nursery, but it was certainly something that we thought about when we made our decision.

Each of the childminders that I interviewed seemed willing to give the re-usable nappies a try (I've heard that many simply won't entertain the idea). For many, it was a totally new concept that nobody had ever suggested to them before. For one or two (mainly the ones with a history as Nannies), they had tried them before in different guises. I was worried that my childminders wouldn't want to deal with reusable nappies because of the bother of having to deal with different nappies for different children – but because most childminders ask you to provide your own nappies, it is very little additional effort for them to deal with reusables rather than disposables for one or more of the children in their care. Both of my childminders were more than happy to try reusable nappies out.

I gave each of my childminders a roll of liners, a packet of nappy sanitiser (for soaking in the event of a really evil nappy) and a drawstring bag for carrying wet nappies when out of the house. Each morning, I take them an empty nappy bucket, two nappy covers a pile of six pre-folded cotton nappies. I have yet to find a well-sized bucket with a truly sealable lid, so if the nappies have been soaked, the childminder has to drain them before we take the bucket home.

I wash the nappies every two or three days. Since I started back at work, I've found that I could do with a few more nappies and covers than I did previously. Much of this is to do with the childminders not having totally adapted to the reusable nappies. There have been some extremely wet nappies that could have done with changing much earlier than they were, and some ill-fitting nappies where all sorts of horrid stuff has escaped. It's a learning curve that I had to deal with; and they'll get the hang of too soon. I also find that I have to be well-prepared when it comes to washing nappies. When I was on maternity leave, when I could see I was running out, I could put a wash on, hang the nappies up to dry and the whole process would be turned around before the end of the day. These days, I can only wash and dry overnight so I have to always be thinking one step ahead.

When I take Lara out and about, I normally take disposable nappies with me to make changes faster and less messy (and to save on space in my changing bag). I provide the childminders with a pack of disposable nappies so that they can do the same. It turns out that childminders have much more of a social life than me (!) so they get through a lot more disposables than I did when I was at home. Despite this, they're doing well at using the reusable nappies as often as possible and in 2 months they have used around 20 disposable nappies between them.

I have received no complaints from either childminder about using cotton nappies – in fact the feedback is good. One of them is currently pregnant but I'm not sure I've done enough to convince her to use them herself when her second child comes along (I have a few months yet!). I am happy that I've given it a go, that I've been confident enough to request that they do things my way and that I haven't had to give up what I believe in. I've learned that you CAN continue using reusable nappies even when your child goes to a childminder.