One of the biggest expenses you’ll have while looking after a new baby is the amount of money you will spend on nappies. You’ll also spend A LOT of time changing them and quite a bit of time perusing the supermarket aisles deciding which one is best for your bub’s tiny bum.
It’s tricky. Some have wetness indicators, some are designed for girls or boys, some are the pull-on type, some are better for the environment, some are cheap but cheerful, some have stretchy waistbands, some promise overnight dryness and others are contoured.
According to TOM Organic, Australian families use around 5.6 million nappies per day.
Environmentally, I like the idea of cloth nappies. Realistically, living in a unit with a European laundry (ie. a cupboard) it was never going to be a good idea. Do I feel a bit guilty about using disposables? Yes. Do I regret using disposables on my two children? Not one bit.
Disposable nappies are second-to-none when it comes to absorbency and the convenience when you’re a busy (sleep-deprived/emotional) mum means it’s one more thing you can rely on and one less thing you have to worry about.
But you still have a choice. A big choice. Where the heck does a new mum begin?
Some new nappies have just come onto the market, offering a variety of unique features and incentives and you can select which nappy best aligns with your lifestyle, your baby’s needs and your ideals.
I’ve given each nappy mentioned here a go on my children and can say that they all work very well.
Tooshies by TOM
More than 2 billion nappies go into landfill in Australia each year. Once in landfill, scientists estimate that nappies take 500 years to decompose, meaning a nappy disposed of this year would not fully decompose until 2516. Yikes.
TOM Organic trialled extensively to find the perfect balance between sustainability and performance and wherever possible, to the point where performance has not been compromised, the new Tooshies range is made with biodegradable and plant-based materials including corn and wheat starch.
Finn’s tooshie gets the Tooshies by TOM treatment
I love the too-cute-to-cover-up prints, including pears, apples and polkadots. It made the otherwise crappy (!) task of nappy changing a little bit more pleasant!
I’ve found my all-time fave baby wipes in the Tooshies range – the organic wipes smell devine, clean really well and after more than a month of daily use, my three-month-old baby’s bum shows no sign of redness and my hands have not become dry and cracked like they have while using other brands.
Millie at the Tooshies by TOM launch at The White House, St Kilda
Melbourne’s TOM Organic has aligned with the Birthing Kit Foundation (Australia) and will donate a percentage of sales for every pack of Tooshies sold to help women in developing countries have a clean and safe birth.
Tooshies by TOM nappies and baby wipes are available at Chemist Warehouse and selected Coles and independent supermarkets. The nappies come in five sizes, for newborns through to walkers (12-18kgs).
BabyLove Wriggler Nappy Pants
Wriggly babies have met their match – the Wriggler Nappy Pants are the only nappy pants specially designed for the wriggler phase with a full stretchy waist to help change squirmy, won’t-lie-still babies with ease.
BabyLove’s Wriggler Nappy Pants
They are the only nappy pants available for younger 7-11kg wrigglers (usually nappy pants are made for older/bigger children) and absorb liquid instantly. They are suitable for day or night use and come with handy tear-away side seams.
Getting wriggly with Hi-5
BabyLove teamed up with energetic entertainers Hi-5 for the launch and emphasised how movement – while annoying at nappy-change time – is important for early development.
Millie, my little wriggler, was lucky enough to learn some dance routines with Hi-5’s Tannika and Mary.
One, two, three, four…Hi-5!
The Wriggler nappies are available at Woolworths, Coles, Big W, ToysRUs and Chemist Warehouse.
Thankyou Baby
Melbourne based Thankyou has the mission to end global poverty in our lifetime through encouraging better consumer choices. The brand new range of nappy and baby care products have 100 per cent of the profits going to child and maternal health programs for families in need.
The trendy black and white nappies are enriched with aloe vera and Vitamin E and are slim but still very absorbent.
Thankyou Baby profits will go to immunisation programs and medical supplies for mums and bubs in need. PIC: Thankyou
There is less fluff in each nappy, which means less impact on the environment (a Thankyou cloth nappy will be available soon).
There’s also a web app that lets you see which project your product is helping to fund. You get the exact GPS co-ordinates of the area being impacted, plus detailed information on the cause.
Thankyou Baby is available at Coles, Woolworths, Priceline Pharmacy and Baby Bunting.
Keep an eye on the MillieMummyMelbourne Instagram page for chance to win nappy prize packs from Tooshies by TOM and BabyLove