One of the questions I see on the Northern Ireland cloth bum mummies Facebook group is about using cloth nappies when you are back at work and your little person is spending all day in the care of others. It takes so long to figure out what system works best for you, then you have to almost start again and figure out what system will work best for people who may know absolutely nothing about using cloth nappies. So, here are a few tips to ensure you make life as easy as possible for your child care provider, so that they continue to use cloth.Luckily, as you know, Isabelle's grandparents looks after her while I am at work. Although they are used to disposable nappies for my nephew - and initially expressed their trepidation at using cloth - I have to say they have both been fantastic in adhering to my wish that they also use cloth when they look after her. In particular, I have been impressed with my dad who hasn't batted an eyelid, and has used whatever has been given to him.
1// My first tip would be to simply check out with you child's new carer if they are happy to use cloth. If they express and uncertainty, simply showing them how the nappies work, and explaining what they would have to do can help. I told my parents I didn't expect them to dispose of Isabelle's poo (although they actually do) and that all they had to do was pop the nappy in the wet bags I gave them instead of throwing them in a bin. My mom did offer to wash them, but I declined as it's not fair to ask her - and I have a very specific routine!
2// My next tip for encouraging child care to use cloth nappies is to give them velcro. My parents hate poppers - even Simon doesn't much like them - and people who don't use cloth regularly seem to much prefer the ease of Velcro as they seem to find they get a better fit as there is less room for error.
3// My next piece of advice is to use something which is unbelievably reliable - and by that I mean that it's "idiot proof" to put on and extremely absorbent. People who are used to disposables often don't remember to change a cloth bummed baby more often, so using something extra absorbent means that if they do forget to change your little one, they won't end up in a puddle. Nothing puts people off using cloth more than continuous leaks, so this is one way to make sure that doesn't happen to anything else.
4// This may sound obvious, but make sure you have enough wetbags and nappies. After sitting down and figuring out what I would use, I worked out exactly how many I had and therefore how often I would need to wash to make sure there were always plenty of clean nappies to go to my parents, and so they always had 2 wetbags for their house. If you don't have a lot of nappies, this might mean you need something quick drying, or that you may need to tumble dry to ensure you have things ready on time. Now I am in my wash routine (Tuesday and Friday nights), I know what needs to be where and when, and it makes life a lot easier.
5// Similarly, what has made my life a lot easier is having two different types of nappies for our house and my parents so that there are always clean nappies in each location. This won't suit everyone, but it works well for me.
Taking all that into account, including how much of a heavy wetter Isabelle is, I decided that the best nappy for my parents to use would be the Tots Bots Bamboozle (see my review here). It is Velcro, so easy to use, and insanely absorbent. They haven't had any leaks with these, and can put them on with no issue due to the fastening and the great fit. I pair them with either a Tots Bots Flexiwrap (review here) or a Blueberry Capri wrap, all of which have Velcro fastenings and so are a breeze for my parents to use.
There is a lot of debate over whether it's easier for child care to use an all in one, but personally I think the reliability of the 2 part Bamboozle system far outweighs anything else, especially when combined with the Blueberry wrap.
I know a lot of nurseries are very hesitant about using cloth, and I have heard some horror stories about what they do to people's nappies, and the reasons they have given for not wanting to use them. I don't have any experience with that, but from what others have said if you supply them with the nappies made up and ready to go, and ask them simply to dump the whole thing into the wetbag after each change, there isn't any difference in using cloth and using disposables at all. Sit down with the nursery and explain how the system works, and what you expect from them, and they should be receptive to at least trialling the nappy system you are asking them to use.
You definitely don't need to buy a whole new nappy stash (like I did...!) for child care, but by making sure you have the most reliable and easy to use system you can have, it will make things so much easier for everyone.
