So, the dreaded moment has come…..you’ve had a few fabulous months (at least!) at home with your precious little bundle, but now it’s time to return to the big bad world of employment and your baby – and his or her nappies – are in the hands of someone else for a few hours a day. It’s a big enough wrench for most new mums to hand their baby over to someone else, but even more difficult when you’re handing them over accompanied by the words ‘and here are the reusable nappies…..’!
Despite the fact that reusable nappies are growing in popularity at a fantastic rate of knots, the simple fact is that many people have become – for want of a better word ‘addicted’ to using disposable nappies. No matter how much they hear about ‘landfill’ or ‘damage to the environment’ or ‘500 years to biodegrade’, there are plenty of people who will still shop till they drop for reusable nappies. What happens if one of those people is your chosen caregiver? How do you negotiate this potential minefield?
Well, first of all, focus entirely on the fact that, when it comes to reusable nappies and your chosen form of childcare, the key word always has to be ‘flexibility’ – on everybody’s part!
Regardless of whether your child is being cared for by grandparents, at the home of a childminder, or at a local nursery, with a little careful planning and diplomacy, you’ll find that you, your baby and your chosen caregiver will sail through the nappy process!
Nursery
If you opt for childcare at a nursery, it’s always a good idea to check with staff from the outset that they’re happy to use reusable nappies – or, at the very least, – are willing to embrace the idea!
There are no health or safety issues involved in reusable nappies being used in nurseries, so you don’t have to worry about that aspect of using the nappies, but many nursery staff simply aren’t used to them and may prefer not to through lack of experience.
If you have opted for childcare at a nursery, use the initial visit to find out the nursery policy on reusable nappies.
Suitable questions to be asked include:
‘Are your staff happy enough for me to use reusable nappies on my baby?’
‘Are they happy enough to place the soiled nappies/liners into a bag, which I will take away with me at the end of the day?’
If you detect from the outset that there is resistance by the nursery to ask assistants to work with the reusable nappies, then you’ll have to consider whether you opt for a different nursery or back down and allow your baby to wear disposables during nursery time. The choice, unfortunately, is up to you….you can’t alter the nursery’s stance.
If, however, the nursery simply seems reticent to use the reusable nappies simply through lack of experience, why not try suggesting the following:
‘Reusable nappies are becoming increasingly popular for parents to use. Would you like me to demonstrate to your assistants how to work with these nappies, as they may be asked increasingly to use them?’
Your willingness to ‘help out’ may swing the issue for you.
If your nursery is prepared to cooperate with your wishes regarding the nappies, do remember that your baby or young child may be changed by any number of nursery assistants, so you have to go for the easiest system possible. A pocket nappy design may be the most suitable in this case, but you need to check with the person in charge that everyone involved will know how to use whichever system you choose!
Practically, this works by on a daily basis,send a bag into the nursery with clean nappies, and they return a bag with dirty one. After that, wash the nappies every couple of days. It’s important to send in two wet bags each morning, one empty one and one full of clean nappies. At the end of the day you will bring home one bag full of soiled nappies, and put these straight into my large bag/ nappy bucket at home.
If your child attends a nursery, their nappies will be changed by a variety of people, so make your system as simple as possible. A pocket nappy with an insert, like the Bumgenius, is practically infallible, and the extra expense is readily justified given their dependability. Perhaps give the nursery a poster to put up near the changing station to show how to use the nappies.
Childminder
As with nurseries, there will be childminders, who will be only too happy to fit in with your chosen nappy system, and those – particularly those who are minding several children of different ages – who will prefer you to simply leave some disposables for use during the time that they are caring for your child.
Again, this can be a tricky one, since you may have found a fantastic childminder, who ticks all of the boxes in terms of qualities that you were looking for, but who doesn’t want what they perceive as ‘the hassle’ of using reusable nappies. Remember that they may simply be feeling a little nervous about using what is probably unchartered territory for them, so offer (politely) to show them how simple it is to operate whatever nappy system you’re using.
If you use your childminder on a very regular basis, it may be an idea to purchase a nappy pail for her and then you can simply take your nappies home with you when you pick your baby up.
Alternatively, allow your childminder to use the same little nappy bags that they would use for disposables. Then, you can simply take them home and pop the soiled nappies into the washing machine.
Grandparents
When families are involved it can be a little easier to insist on reusable nappies being used.
Older caregivers, in particular, will probably find terry squares or prefolds easy to use, since they are the modern equivalent of the old-fashioned terry-towelling nappies that they’re probably familiar with.
If grandparents are caring for your child on a regular basis – particularly if it’s in their own home – it might be worth investing in a nappy bucket or nappy pail for them to keep in their own house. Then, it’s simply a matter of you taking the soiled nappies home in a plastic bag for washing.
Whichever form of childcare you opt for, remember that cooperation and flexibility will ensure a much smoother ride for you and your reusable nappy campaign than confrontation!
Take Away
Whatever the situation, there is no law that says you have to use the same sort of nappy on your child every time it happens. Using two-piece washable nappies at home, but all-in-ones or pocket nappies while out and about, or nippa fastened terries at night and pad folded prefolds during the day, are examples of how you can tailor your diapering routine. Many people who purchase a large number of various samples choose their nappies solely on the basis on what they pull out of the drawer, despite the fact that they are likely to have favorites among them.
Finding the easiest nappies for childcare to come to grips with which help, no matter what the situation. Your child’s caregiver must have enough nappies, wraps, and liners, as well as clear instructions on how to dispose of dirty nappies. Some carers may be pleased to simply put everything in a bag for you to deal with at home. You will want people to flush the feces (especially if they look after your infant full-time).
This article was written by: Gian MIller – Full-Time Writer, Baby Whisperer & Dad of 3.
Gian spends a lot of his time writing. A self-proclaimed baby whisperer, Gian has been through it all with his own children and is passionate about sharing his hard-won wisdom with other parents. When he’s not writing or changing diapers, you can find him playing the guitar or watching baseball (or preferably both at the same time).
