TotsBots Real Parents - Dave & Becky

You want to use reusable nappies but your partner says "no". 

You're into the idea of reusable nappies but your partner isn’t. What do you do? Meet Dave and Becky, parents of Lily, Edward and 4 week old twins Poppy and Samuel.  

Dave is a self-employed garden landscape contractor and Becky supports with the business admin side of things. They got in touch recently to join in our Real Parents series; where we talk to mums and dad who share their experience with reusable nappies.  

We had a great chat with them, complete with newborn baby twins. It was a bit of a break from the norm too, as in this instance Dave was the parent who was most into the idea of cloth, Becky wasn’t into it at all.  

Usually, we find that more often than not it’s mum who leads the reusable nappy charge. So, in addition to answering the common queries that most parents have about reusable nappies we’re hoping this blog will be especially useful if you find you are met with a “Hmm really?” when you mention the subject to your partner.  

What inspired you to consider reusable nappies? 

Dave: One of the contracts I have for the local council involves a bit of waste management and it got me thinking about nappy waste at home. Becky really wasn’t sure at first. She thought it sounded awful and had visions of washing poo in the washing machine.  

But there is just so much less waste in your bins and I just really wanted to give it a go. My cousin had used reusable nappies and they gave us a few to try, once I showed them to Becky and went on about it for a bit, she eventually agreed to give them a go. 

What was the lightbulb moment? 

Becky: When I realised you didn’t have to touch the poo, we used paper liners and flushed the poo into the loo then put the liners in the bin. It really wasn’t any worse than using a disposable, plus I like the fact that you don’t have lots of smelly nappies in your bin, especially now with twins, we would have a lot if we didn’t use cloth.  

Were you worried about the costs of washing them? 

Dave: No, not compared to the cost of having to buy disposables for the twins.  

Have you used reusable nappies on all your babies? 

Dave: Yes, we have used cloth on all of them: we started with Lily our first born when she was 5 months or so, and then after a few weeks with Edward, but with the twins we have had them in reusable nappies since day one.  

What about the extra laundry? 

We put a load of nappies on every 2nd  or 3rd day and with kids you have a lot of laundry anyway, you don’t notice it, it doesn’t feel like more work.  

Have there been any surprises with using reusables? 

Becky: Fewer leaks. Especially with Lily as we didn’t start until she was 5 months, we definitely had lots of leaks with disposables. Dave kept telling me that with cloth you can just boost them, and you couldn’t do that with disposables. He was really keen that we started sooner rather than later, that was what convinced me to start.  

Also, I didn’t expect them to be so much fun to use, I really love the prints and picking out matching outfits. The washing doesn’t feel like a big chore either, especially with the recent nice weather. I love hanging them out on the line and taking pictures, really wasn’t expecting to do that.  

Have you made any other eco swaps at home? 

Becky: Yes, I use reusable period pads now too. 

What would your advice to others be? 

Dave: It’s really not as bad as you think and is definitely no worse than using disposables! By the time you put the nappies in the house bin, then have to put them out in the big bin, you are just as quick to put them in the wash. Plus, you get a better fit with cloth nappies, disposables never fitted well. 

And there we have it, Dave and Becky's advice to others considering reusable nappies is simple: it's not as difficult as you think, and it's definitely worth giving it a try! 

Why not give reusable nappies a go?

Not only can they save you money compared to disposables, but they're also better for the environment and offer a better fit for your little one. Our handy trial kit gives you one of each TotsBots nappy to try. 

Use code TBTK at checkout to get yours for £33 instead of the normal price of £59.99.  

Or if you have already made the switch and you’d like to share your journey with reusable nappies to help us encourage other to give reusable nappies a go, please get in touch by emailing us at hello@totsbots.com.