So, as you might have already guessed, we're not hugely in favour of disposal nappies of any type. Does that limit the options? Nah. It makes things much more complicated.

There's a massive array of different makes of reusable nappy out there, but you wouldn't know it if you visited the shops. Mothercare sells Kooshies and terry nappies, Boots sells terry nappies, Babies'R'Us sells Bambino Mio, but you get the feeling that they're all only paying lip service. Just compare the amount of shelf space devoted to disposables, and you'll see what we mean. Of course, there are other, worthier outlets, but we're trying to deal with the general, mass marketed stuff.

Fortunately, the choices can be grouped into three main categories. At one 'extreme', the traditional terry towelling nappy, combined with a waterproof outer of some description. At the other, the all-in-one washables, like Kooshies, that combine nappy and outer in a single unit. In the middle, a fitted nappy plus separate outer. Within each category, there are further choices to make, but they're only minor.

All we can say is what we did. We chose to buy about 20 terry nappies and 10 reusables. The outer shells (we bought five) can be used for both. We went for Earthwise reusables (made in the UK, unbleached cotton, one size fits all) and terrys. We went for Cotton Bottoms outer pants, mainly because they're soft. Both terrys and the reusables are good, and it would be difficult to choose between them. We use flushable liners with both types of nappies, which catch a lot of the solids, making the job of cleaning the nappy less traumatic. We use a dry bucket (no cleaning fluids or whiteners), and wash the nappies at 60ºC, using SureCare Sensitive washing powder. So far, it's been easy. Once you get over the fact that reusables just don't absorb as much liquid as disposables, you soon get into the habit of changing a little more often to make up for it. Judicious use of Sudacrem and Vaseline keep nappy rash completely at bay, as does fresh air...

Please just don't fall into using disposables. Think about how a little extra from you now can help make a better world for your baby to grow up in.

On the next page are some links that you might find helpful...

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