Читать книгу First-Time Parent: The honest guide to coping brilliantly and staying sane in your baby’s first year - Lucy Atkins - Страница 43

In a nutshell, the argument goes like this: disposable nappies take 200 years to biodegrade. Cloth, or ‘real’, nappies don’t, so are probably more eco-friendly. They do need washing, but they’re cheaper than disposables. Over two and a half years, you’ll probably spend about £700 on nappies. The best-known types are Pampers and Huggies, but supermarket own-brand ones from Tesco and Sainsbury’s are cheaper and, in my experience, just as good. The average price of branded nappies is 17.9 p per nappy. Own-brand nappies average 13.6 p per nappy. You can buy lovely eco-friendly disposables–for instance ‘Nature Boy and Girl’–at Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose. They are more expensive, but are seventy per cent biodegradable and very effective.

The proponents of ‘real’ nappies say you can buy all you need for as little as £60. See Contacts for more information and useful addresses.

‘I remember it took Fred and me–together–over half an hour to change our first nappy,’ says Sarah, mother of Hazel, twelve and Olivia, ten. ‘Fortunately, it soon became significantly easier.’ Midwives on wards are hideously overstretched, so you may find yourself faced with a nappy full of sticky black poo unaided. Don’t panic. It’s very straightforward and if you get it wrong, will the baby explode? Will she need hospital treatment? No.

Don’t get paranoid about how often you change your baby’s nappy–just do it whenever you notice that the nappy is dirty or wet. Initially there will be no pattern to this.

As for location, in hospital, the Perspex cot with a towel on it is a good place. In your house, a towel or changing mat on the floor is safest. Tiny babies can’t officially roll, but they do wriggle, so always keep your hand on your baby if she’s on a changing table to stop her falling off.