EN | £ Your cloth nappy stories - World Prematurity Day
When changing a cloth nappy is so much more than just changing a nappy.
World Prematurity Day is a global movement to raise awareness of premature birth and the impact that an early birth can have on families. Parent’s stories can often bring comfort and support to others who have been through similar situations, and when we were contacted by cloth bum mummy Karen Loo after the premature birth of her baby boy, we asked her if she would mind us sharing her story and she happily agreed.
Nothing can quite prepare you for an early baby, but there are small things that help parents cope, and sometimes cloth nappies are one of those things. Especially if you have days when all you have been able to do is hold your baby’s hand, suddenly changing your baby’s nappy becomes so much more than just making sure your baby is clean and comfortable, it’s more than a just nappy change, it's enabling you to care for your baby in the best way you can when all else around you is being taken care of by the professionals and you are mainly a helpless and desperately worried observer. Those first tiny TotsBots cloth nappies meant just that for Karen and have become a priceless a milestone in her family’s journey, here is her story:
What TotsBots cloth nappies mean to me, by Karen Loo.
Four months ago, I gave birth to our second son, he was born three and a half weeks premature. Along with prematurity, he has Downs Syndrome and a really serious heart condition. He spent a week and a half on a bilirubin blanket to combat jaundice from his prematurity. We've since found out one ear has a degree of permanent hearing loss, which is linked to high levels of jaundice. Since then, we've been in the hospital for 69 days as he's had pneumonia, bronchiolitis, parainfluenza and other illnesses.
By our third hospital admission, I started bringing in some reusable nappies from home to try and bring colour into our room and lift my spirits. It was about the only thing I could control while living in hospital - changing my son's nappy! It also became a wonderful mental distraction with all we were going through - what brightly patterned, colourful nappy would I buy next? The night before my son's open-heart surgery, I saw your EasyFit Twinkle. One of his names means 'star', so I bought it in recognition of the night before surgery. It was the first time I had tried TotsBots. I loved them! So to celebrate being released from the hospital, I bought your EasyFit Elements, I was hooked I couldn't resist the birthday cakes nappy or trying your Bamboozle night-time cloth nappies.
When we were rushed into hospital in an ambulance, I told my husband I needed more cloth nappies! He totally understood and agreed. I got my other favourites, EasyFit Dandy, Pop and Hop. I now have eight of the TotsBots nappies, and I love them. (I'm keeping Doodlebum and Dazzle and some others in my back pocket in case of more hospital admissions!). But I just wanted to let you know that the bright colours of the TotsBots patterns have been so uplifting through this tough time, and I love that I get to tell my son's journey in his cloth nappies!'
When our babies are born our instincts to protect them are so fierce, and when that is taken away and the professionals are in control, it’s a truly awful feeling. Trusting the strangers to give your baby the best chance is frightening and often debilitating at times. Taking control of the little things can help, and controlling what type of nappies your baby wears can bring a surprising amount of joy. Cloth nappies are the best choice for your baby, especially premature babies as there are no harmful chemicals that could aggravate already delicate skin.
We are so happy that our cloth nappies could bring a bit of distraction to an otherwise stressful situation for Karen and her family and we wish them all the best and for many more happy nappy days at home on the mend! We sent Karen some more fluffiness as a thank you for sharing her story and to bring a little more sunshine into their day, she shared the whole unboxing with us.
