Amelia’s Magazine | Tips and reasons to use Real Nappies and review of BumGenius and TotsBots Cloth Diapers

Snarfle nappy stash bumgenius totsbots
We are in the middle of Real Nappy Week so now is a fortuitiously good time to talk about my decision to use non-disposable nappies, or Real Nappies (aka Cloth Diapers) for my baby, known to everyone as Snarfle.

Snarfle in tots bots nappy
For me this was a no-brainer: how can I be an eco-activist and do otherwise? But the idea was daunting before Snarfle arrived. I had no idea how you put a disposable nappy on a baby, never mind a cloth nappy. Then one of my NCT friends told me about a local Nappuccino event, part of Tower Hamlets‘ drive to diminish the quantity of nappies sent to land fill by the borough. With the incentive that if I made a purchase I would receive a discount it seemed like too good a deal to miss, so with weeks to go I went along to the Idea Store in Whitechapel to find out how these new-fangled real nappies worked. My mother had been scoffing about the idea as her recollection of the terry towelling nappies she used on me was arduous and she could not believe that I would get along with them when we are so ‘blessed’ with disposability these days. But times have changed and todays’ real cloth nappies are extremely clever and easy to use (not to mention fun).

Snarfle standing up
At the Nappuccino event we were talked through the various options for real nappies, which seemed bewildering and complex, so in the end I went for what was recommended and got a few different varieties from two of the big brands: the American BumGenius and the British TotsBots, spending a few hundred pounds in total on my entire nappy stash, which included a few accessories such as a lovely yellow bucket. (see the bottom of this blog for a break down and review of the various types of nappy we are using). My mother had warned me that I would spend my days up to my elbows in Napisan and shit, but that has not been the case. I love using real nappies, and they could not be easier. I started using them once Snarfle was a few weeks old and big enough to wear them (he was tiny at birth), flinging the dirty ones straight in the washing machine (via bucket) with my other washing as instructed. Dead simple: breastfed babies produce harmless liquid poop and it all washed straight out without me having to do any extra work.

snarfle totsbots jubilee nappy
I’ve also made it my mission to use as few baby wipes as possible, having discovered by accident that even the eco-friendly biodegradable ones happily survive a wash, so goodness knows how much trouble normal baby wipes cause to the environment. Instead I use cut up towelling that has survived from my baby days and washable minky flannels to wipe Snarfle‘s bum at home (now he’s doing proper poops I use tissue first which gets flushed down the loo). The wipes are dipped in a jar of water that contains a squirt of CJ’s Butter’s Carcass Cleaner and then they are chucked in the bucket with the nappies. I have even come to quite enjoy the near daily monotony of hanging out the washing (no tumble drying round here).

snarfle slugs n snails
Bear in mind that cloth nappies are slightly bulkier than disposables, so you may need slightly bigger bottom halves: I have dressed Snarfle in Slugs and Snails tights (above) for the past six months and they give perfect coverage. Cloth nappies need changing slightly more often but I’ve had very few leaks – in general they seem to contain explosive breastfed poop better than disposables. These days there are very few poopy nappies because I’ve had some success with Elimination Communication so we often ‘catch poos’ on the potty or the toilet (Elimination Communication will be the subject of another blog post). Older babies tend to create solid poos like us adults, so what does get into a nappy just gets flicked straight into the loo, before the nappy goes into the wash with everything else as before. Real nappies are much more pleasant on a tender baby bottom (no nasty chemicals, no horrible plastics), they take up no more time (swap nappy shopping for doing the wash) and did I mention they are fun! So cute – particularly the illustrated range from TotsBots (I did attempt to contact the company for a Q&A but to no avail, they weren’t interested in talking – I would love to know who is behind their designs).

snarfle totsbots pong parp nappy
TotsBots Easyfit.

What makes me sad is that so few people are prepared to try cloth nappies out: we’ve entered an era where it is so easy to buy disposables that not only are we creating an ecological problem of nightmarish proportions, but we are encouraging a learnt behaviour that runs contrary to natural instincts, which must then be unlearned. Children all over the ‘developed’ world are staying in nappies far longer than they ever were in the quite recent past: creating problems for years down the line. The lengthening amount of time now spent in nappies is a direct consequence of their ease and availability. Yes they are a big outlay at the start, but when I hear my friends moaning about the price of nappies I bite my lip: my only cost is on washing powder and electricity, and if I have another child there will be no further expenditure – my provisions are already in place.

Snarfle disco
A disclaimer: I must confess that we didn’t always take cloth nappies out with us in the early days, we don’t take them away with us when there is no easy access to a washing machine, I have been lazy about taking them down to my parent’s house when they do childcare when I am work (must try harder) and we still use eco-friendly Naty by Nature Babycare disposables at night, just because I’ve not yet discovered (or indeed tried very hard) the combination that holds up all night and a wet baby is no fun on top of all other potential night time troubles. I’m by no means perfect at this cloth nappy business, but my point is: even if you can’t use real nappies 100% of the time it is still so so worth it to make an effort with them. For me it has meant peace of mind (I felt so bad when we spent a few weeks in Pampers at the start), our early investment has saved us money in the long run and they’re cute! So much cuter! I hear a lot of excuses for why people don’t use cloth nappies and I’m willing to put my neck on the line here and say that those reasons just don’t stack up.

snarfle weavers fields
So, if you are considering using real nappies on your baby I say go for it! Find your local Nappuccino (use the web, it’s a wonderful resource) to claim your discount on a starter pack and to help demystify the process. And take advantage of all the events going on for Real Nappy Week: it’s a great chance to meet others who are making a real effort to minimise their impact on the environment. It really doesn’t have to be that hard, and if this blog can inspire just a few people to try out real nappies then I will be so happy.

The Great Cloth Diaper Change logo
Things to do:
Get involved with Clothopoly by finding the game pieces on participants websites, and you could be in with a chance to win some great prizes. On Saturday the Great Cloth Diaper Change takes place at the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood (book to attend here). This is an international attempt to get into the Guinness Book of Records with a huge worldwide nappy changing session, and will be followed by a Real Nappy Fashion Show. The website for Real Nappies for London is a great resource and lists all the events that are going on here.

Snarfle art fair with me
A detailed breakdown of what we use:
We have a variety of BumGenius combinations which should last until Snarfle is out of nappies, making them very good value indeed (you can alter the size with poppers). BumGenius V4 come with separate inserts, making them quite bulky but also very absorbent so I tend to use them for long naps. The all-in-one versions have fixed inserts that are less bulky on the bum; this means that they soak up a bit less but I prefer them for ease of use. My BumGenius come in lovely bright pastels and dry quickly because they are made from micro fibre. I have found the popper versions to last far better than the ones which close with velcro – the velcro is starting to get a bit grotty and it sometimes catches on Snarfle‘s tummy, which isn’t so nice. Poppers can be more fiddly to use but will also hold up better (I hope) once little fingers learn to unpeel velcro.

snarfle totsbots flexiwraps
TotsBots FlexiWraps.

From TotsBots we have a selection of jewel coloured Bamboozles made from super soft bamboo, and these are worn in conjunction with FlexiWraps which come in gorgeous illustrated designs. Both come with a velcro fastening which so far has held up very well and they come in two sizes which means I’ve recently had to invest in a few more as Snarfle has outgrown the smaller size. I also have the TotsBots V3 Easyfits in a selection of lovely illustrated designs. These are all-in-one nappies with a long tongue made from a beautiful soft minky fabric that gets tucked in after a wash. They dry super fast and close with adjustable poppers. When we are out and about I use Alva Wet Bags (in lovely minky animal print designs) to store both dry and used nappies in: be aware, pee soaked nappies smell strongly of ammonia when there are no neutralising chemicals involved, so they need to be zipped away. At any one time I have about 15-20 nappies on the go and this works perfectly for me. We have also trialled gNappies, which is a combination system that uses biodegradable inserts – these are a great idea for when we go away and have less access to washing facilities and I intend to make more use of them. Of course there are plenty of smaller brands out there who make lovely cloth nappies but I’ve been very happy with initial recommendations so I’ve stuck with what I know.

Elmo diaper cover BaBeBottoms etsy
Finally, check out this super cute Elmo diaper cover available from BaBeBottoms. Etsy is a treasure trove of beautiful handmade nappies; they take their cloth diapers very seriously in America!

Categories ,all-in-one, ,Alva Wet Bags, ,BaBeBottoms, ,Babipur, ,Baby Wipes, ,Bamboozles, ,Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood, ,biodegradable, ,bumGenius, ,bumGenius V4, ,CJ’s BUTTer, ,CJ’s BUTTer’s Carcass Cleaner, ,Cloth Diapers, ,Clothopoly, ,Elimination Communication, ,FlexiWraps, ,gNappies, ,Great Cloth Diaper Change, ,Guinness Book of Records, ,Idea Store, ,Napisan, ,Nappuccino, ,Naty by Nature Babycare, ,Natycare, ,NCT, ,Pampers, ,Real Nappies, ,Real Nappies for London, ,Real Nappy Fashion Show, ,Real Nappy Week, ,Slugs and Snails, ,Snarfle, ,TotsBots, ,TotsBots V3 Easyfits, ,Tower Hamlets, ,Velcro, ,whitechapel

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Amelia’s Magazine | Snarfle is One: Celebrating Baby, Motherhood and Work

Snarfle by Kirbi Fagan
Snarfle by Kirbi Fagan.

A few weeks ago my baby Snarfle celebrated his first birthday, so now seems like a good opportunity to look back on my first year as a mum running this website: after all Amelia’s Magazine has always reflected what is happening in my life.

Snarfle Sheep Cake by Claire Kearns
Snarfle’s Sheep Cake modelled on one of his favourite fluffy toys, by Claire Kearns.

I know it’s the biggest cliche of all, but nothing, nothing, can prepare you for becoming a parent. So when I was pregnant I made a big effort to prepare only for the birth, imagining that I would follow my instincts like every other mother down the millennia and everything beyond would just fall into place somehow. Sink or swim, right? I read nothing about parenting and bought the bare minimum, instead making good with second hand offerings from relatives and friends. Then all my great birth plans were thwarted… and I was left with a baby.

Snarfle and me swimming
Snarfle was ripped out of my stomach covered in poop, whisked away for tests, prodded and poked, and for the first days kept apart from me in a plastic bed, a huge cannula held aloft in his tiny hand. For the first month breast milk was forced into him via various artificial methods, and yet I instinctively knew I wanted to be as close to him as possible, and soon discovered that the common parlance for this is ‘Attachment Parenting‘. I even started reading a book about it. The world of parenting is rife with differing opinions, but my approach has been to follow what feels instinctively right: I always think about what we might have done for many thousands of years before we had so many gadgets to help us out, believing this to best from an evolutionary perspective. This has meant that I breastfeed on demand and intend to continue until he wants to stop, I carry him wherever I can, we sleep together most nights, I have followed baby led weaning techniques, we are learning baby signing, he wears non-disposable nappies (most of the time) and I have made attempts at elimination communication…

First birthday by Bethany Wigmore
First birthday by Bethany Wigmore.

Those endless baby bits and bobs scared me so much before I gave birth that I could not even look in a brochure, never mind go into a store. So many buggies to chose from! We have a family hand me down but we rarely use it. I was determined to get by with as few purchases as possible, which was probably why we had no clothes small enough for Snarfle when he arrived. He was so tiny that the only sleepsuit that fit properly for the first few weeks was a tiny scrap of material that my mother found in a charity shop. Inevitably, our lives have since filled up with baby paraphernalia.

Snarfle One by Jane Young
Snarfle is One by Jane Young.

Before birth my baby could only ever be an abstract notion: in fact although I have always loved children (and have spent a lot of time being a leader on FSC children’s camps) I never much liked babies – that is, before my own arrived. I had imagined them boring so avoided time with them, and in more recent years they have made me feel a bit sad as I feared I would never have one of my own. So nothing prepared me for the visceral physicality of having a baby: falling in love with this tiny person who is all my own creation, who has remained so closely attached to me as he has woken up to the world. Breastfeeding on demand, co-sleeping (sleeping in the same bed) and baby wearing have helped make motherhood an intoxicating physical experience that I will miss as he grows up and away from me: I now understand why some women are addicted to babies.

Baby Snarfle by Kim Jenkins
Baby Snarfle by Kim Jenkins.

And the love I feel for Snarfle is unquantifiable despite the many hard and tedious parts of being a new mum. Even when rocking him for hours every night (he is not an easy sleeper) I stand there and think: this, this, is amazing. He’s my greatest creative project, this little person who has somehow appeared in this world as though he was always meant to be, perfect, somehow, despite the flaws of his parents, despite his demanding ways. This time, it will be over so soon. I love every aspect of being a mother and feel I have to soak up every moment, for before I know it he will be 18.

Rainbow Cake by Christine Charnock
Rainbow Birthday Cake by Christine Charnock.

I started working again two weeks after Snarfle was born, with him sleeping against me as I typed. We didn’t leave the house until some time later: I was scared about how I would cope with him in the outside world when he seemed so precious and vulnerable. In the beginning getting on with work was relatively easy – he slept so much that I became very good at multi-tasking. But things change rapidly when you have a small baby and this year has passed ridiculously fast, routines constantly shifting to adapt to Snarfle‘s needs. Seen from afar it seems daunting, but you manage, there’s no alternative. Despite the constant tiredness and many small frustrations I have never been bored. I love learning a new skill and this is no exception – I have found the process of becoming a mother endlessly fascinating.

Neopolitan birthday cake by Jo Ley
Neopolitan birthday cake by Jo Ley.

I started work as a lecturer at Middlesex University one day a week in January (I am lucky enough that Snarfle can stay with my parents, so we commute down to their house in South London). This means that work on Amelia’s Magazine is squashed into ever decreasing time slots: currently these include a two hour stretch in the morning (if he sleeps) and after he goes to sleep at night, until I am too knackered to continue. My creativity has gone into overdrive and I have big plans for the magazine yet little time to carry any of my ideas out, but my frustrations are tempered by the knowledge that this time is so short and so precious: even though my mind may drift it is more important for me to be present with Snarfle than building my business. I have at times been jealous of other mums revelling in maternity leave for a full year, but ultimately I feel blessed that I can carry on being a (nearly) full time mum for much longer. I could not have had a child and sent him straight into the care of others – I want to be with him, to watch him grow. To listen to the birds together, help him learn animal sounds and primary colours (his current interests), and tend to our little garden now the weather is warming up. Baby sessions are now full of other mothers who have their own businesses… and lots of childminders and nannies.

Snarfle Oh Baby London space invaders bodysuit
So Snarfle is one year old, and I will continue the juggling act that I have created for myself, for much as I love being a hands on mother I always knew I could not only be a mum; my work will always be important too. I find myself increasingly drawn to the idea of home schooling (to the chagrin of my partner and family) but I don’t know how I would manage it. All I know is that I feel ridiculously blessed by my situation, and so thankful that Snarfle has entered my life.

Snarfle with elephant
I’ve already written about the joy of using real nappies, and over the coming weeks I will be blogging about other specific baby-related things such as baby wearing, breastfeeding, cosleeping and elimination communication. I’ll also be sharing with you the best lesser known clothing brands and makers of lovely unusual toys. I might even share my Quiet Book craft ideas, if I ever finish it. I’m writing about these things because there have been many times when I have scoured the internet, hoping to find more advice and information about my choices of parenting… so if this is a subject that is dear to your heart stay tuned, these writings will be popping up in between my other design focused blogs.

Categories ,Attachment Parenting, ,Baby, ,Bethany Wigmore, ,Breastfeeding, ,Christine Charnock, ,Claire Kearns, ,Co-sleeping, ,Elimination Communication, ,FSC, ,Jane Young, ,Jo Ley, ,Kim Jenkins, ,Kirbi Fagan, ,middlesex university, ,Parenting, ,Quiet Book, ,Real Nappies, ,Snarfle

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Amelia’s Magazine | Snarfle is One: Celebrating Baby, Motherhood and Work

Snarfle by Kirbi Fagan
Snarfle by Kirbi Fagan.

A few weeks ago my baby Snarfle celebrated his first birthday, so now seems like a good opportunity to look back on my first year as a mum running this website: after all Amelia’s Magazine has always reflected what is happening in my life.

Snarfle Sheep Cake by Claire Kearns
Snarfle’s Sheep Cake modelled on one of his favourite fluffy toys, by Claire Kearns.

I know it’s the biggest cliche of all, but nothing, nothing, can prepare you for becoming a parent. So when I was pregnant I made a big effort to prepare only for the birth, imagining that I would follow my instincts like every other mother down the millennia and everything beyond would just fall into place somehow. Sink or swim, right? I read nothing about parenting and bought the bare minimum, instead making good with second hand offerings from relatives and friends. Then all my great birth plans were thwarted… and I was left with a baby.

Snarfle and me swimming
Snarfle was ripped out of my stomach covered in poop, whisked away for tests, prodded and poked, and for the first days kept apart from me in a plastic bed, a huge cannula held aloft in his tiny hand. For the first month breast milk was forced into him via various artificial methods, and yet I instinctively knew I wanted to be as close to him as possible, and soon discovered that the common parlance for this is ‘Attachment Parenting‘. I even started reading a book about it. The world of parenting is rife with differing opinions, but my approach has been to follow what feels instinctively right: I always think about what we might have done for many thousands of years before we had so many gadgets to help us out, believing this to best from an evolutionary perspective. This has meant that I breastfeed on demand and intend to continue until he wants to stop, I carry him wherever I can, we sleep together most nights, I have followed baby led weaning techniques, we are learning baby signing, he wears non-disposable nappies (most of the time) and I have made attempts at elimination communication…

First birthday by Bethany Wigmore
First birthday by Bethany Wigmore.

Those endless baby bits and bobs scared me so much before I gave birth that I could not even look in a brochure, never mind go into a store. So many buggies to chose from! We have a family hand me down but we rarely use it. I was determined to get by with as few purchases as possible, which was probably why we had no clothes small enough for Snarfle when he arrived. He was so tiny that the only sleepsuit that fit properly for the first few weeks was a tiny scrap of material that my mother found in a charity shop. Inevitably, our lives have since filled up with baby paraphernalia.

Snarfle One by Jane Young
Snarfle is One by Jane Young.

Before birth my baby could only ever be an abstract notion: in fact although I have always loved children (and have spent a lot of time being a leader on FSC children’s camps) I never much liked babies – that is, before my own arrived. I had imagined them boring so avoided time with them, and in more recent years they have made me feel a bit sad as I feared I would never have one of my own. So nothing prepared me for the visceral physicality of having a baby: falling in love with this tiny person who is all my own creation, who has remained so closely attached to me as he has woken up to the world. Breastfeeding on demand, co-sleeping (sleeping in the same bed) and baby wearing have helped make motherhood an intoxicating physical experience that I will miss as he grows up and away from me: I now understand why some women are addicted to babies.

Baby Snarfle by Kim Jenkins
Baby Snarfle by Kim Jenkins.

And the love I feel for Snarfle is unquantifiable despite the many hard and tedious parts of being a new mum. Even when rocking him for hours every night (he is not an easy sleeper) I stand there and think: this, this, is amazing. He’s my greatest creative project, this little person who has somehow appeared in this world as though he was always meant to be, perfect, somehow, despite the flaws of his parents, despite his demanding ways. This time, it will be over so soon. I love every aspect of being a mother and feel I have to soak up every moment, for before I know it he will be 18.

Rainbow Cake by Christine Charnock
Rainbow Birthday Cake by Christine Charnock.

I started working again two weeks after Snarfle was born, with him sleeping against me as I typed. We didn’t leave the house until some time later: I was scared about how I would cope with him in the outside world when he seemed so precious and vulnerable. In the beginning getting on with work was relatively easy – he slept so much that I became very good at multi-tasking. But things change rapidly when you have a small baby and this year has passed ridiculously fast, routines constantly shifting to adapt to Snarfle‘s needs. Seen from afar it seems daunting, but you manage, there’s no alternative. Despite the constant tiredness and many small frustrations I have never been bored. I love learning a new skill and this is no exception – I have found the process of becoming a mother endlessly fascinating.

Neopolitan birthday cake by Jo Ley
Neopolitan birthday cake by Jo Ley.

I started work as a lecturer at Middlesex University one day a week in January (I am lucky enough that Snarfle can stay with my parents, so we commute down to their house in South London). This means that work on Amelia’s Magazine is squashed into ever decreasing time slots: currently these include a two hour stretch in the morning (if he sleeps) and after he goes to sleep at night, until I am too knackered to continue. My creativity has gone into overdrive and I have big plans for the magazine yet little time to carry any of my ideas out, but my frustrations are tempered by the knowledge that this time is so short and so precious: even though my mind may drift it is more important for me to be present with Snarfle than building my business. I have at times been jealous of other mums revelling in maternity leave for a full year, but ultimately I feel blessed that I can carry on being a (nearly) full time mum for much longer. I could not have had a child and sent him straight into the care of others – I want to be with him, to watch him grow. To listen to the birds together, help him learn animal sounds and primary colours (his current interests), and tend to our little garden now the weather is warming up. Baby sessions are now full of other mothers who have their own businesses… and lots of childminders and nannies.

Snarfle Oh Baby London space invaders bodysuit
So Snarfle is one year old, and I will continue the juggling act that I have created for myself, for much as I love being a hands on mother I always knew I could not only be a mum; my work will always be important too. I find myself increasingly drawn to the idea of home schooling (to the chagrin of my partner and family) but I don’t know how I would manage it. All I know is that I feel ridiculously blessed by my situation, and so thankful that Snarfle has entered my life.

Snarfle with elephant
I’ve already written about the joy of using real nappies, and over the coming weeks I will be blogging about other specific baby-related things such as baby wearing, breastfeeding, cosleeping and elimination communication. I’ll also be sharing with you the best lesser known clothing brands and makers of lovely unusual toys. I might even share my Quiet Book craft ideas, if I ever finish it. I’m writing about these things because there have been many times when I have scoured the internet, hoping to find more advice and information about my choices of parenting… so if this is a subject that is dear to your heart stay tuned, these writings will be popping up in between my other design focused blogs.

Categories ,Attachment Parenting, ,Baby, ,Bethany Wigmore, ,Breastfeeding, ,Christine Charnock, ,Claire Kearns, ,Co-sleeping, ,Elimination Communication, ,FSC, ,Jane Young, ,Jo Ley, ,Kim Jenkins, ,Kirbi Fagan, ,middlesex university, ,Parenting, ,Quiet Book, ,Real Nappies, ,Snarfle

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