Real nappies have come a long way since our Mums were using them, and are now a cost-effective, environmentally friendly and funky choice.
There's not a safety pin in sight with real nappies, so they're simple to use. They come in lots of modern styles that fasten easily with poppers, Velcro or nifty plastic grips so the nappy fits your baby snugly.
The Basics
• Real nappies are available in over 30 different types and patterns.
• They are made of lightweight, fluffy materials, usually cotton or wool, so real nappies wash and dry easily.
• It's your choice; using real nappies is not an all or nothing option. You could perhaps use disposables when travelling or when it's impractical to use the real nappies.
• If you don 't want to wash your nappies at home, then a nappy laundry service can do it for you.
What are my real nappy options?
There is a growing range of interesting products available, making real nappies a fun choice, suitable for you.
• There are 3 main types of real nappies
• 'Flat nappies', such as the traditional Terry square, need to be folded to make a pad, then secured with a plastic fastening and covered with a wrap.
• 'Prefolds ' which are flat squares of cotton.
• The shaped nappy is designed to fit your baby snugly and some sizes go from birth to potty.
• 'All-in-ones' include a cotton liner and a waterproof cover with fastenings
What is the overall cost?
An initial outlay to equip you with a number of nappies is necessary; but this is a one off payment and means you are not constantly paying for single use disposables on a weekly basis.
• From birth to potty each baby typically gets through between 4,000 and 6,000 nappies.
• Basic real nappies cost less than £2 each, with more sophisticated products costing around £3- £10 each.
• Disposables cost on average 12.2p each (including in-store offers).
• Approximate cost of purchasing and home laundering real nappies for 2.5 years ranges from £185 to about £350 depending on nappy type.
• The minimum cost of using disposables for 2.5 years is £463, but could cost as much as £732.
• You can achieve further savings by using the same real nappies for your second child.
• Home washing can cost as little as £1 per week, and laundry services range on average from £6-11 per week.
What do I need to get started?
All you need are nappies, liners and wraps.
• The nappy itself is the absorbent part and you will need around 25-30 of these.
• The inner liner catches solids and helps keep moisture away from your baby 's skin; these can be made from paper so that they can be flushed down the toilet if soiled or washed and reused if just wet; alternatively a reusable, flat cotton washable pad is available.
• The outer wrap or cover is the fun part with a funky range of cool styles and bright colours; these are made in a range of materials for example wool, fleece or waterproof PVC. The wrap sizes alter as your baby grows. Initially you will need at least 3 wraps that can be washed at home at 40-60oC.
To find out more about how you can get involved in campaigning for real nappies please visit Real Nappies | 
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