WHEN DO I NEED THEM? From birth.

WHAT ARE THEY? A soft absorbent covering for your baby’s bottom that helps avoid an almost constant changing of clothing, sheets, indeed mattresses and cribs!

WHY DO I NEED THEM? Pretty obvious, really: to keep your baby’s bottom clean and dry and manage the outgoings of your baby’s digestive system!

FEATURES TO CONSIDER As each disposable nappy can take more than 200 years to degrade naturally, and your baby will (in an average kind of world) use approximately 4,000 nappies before being potty trained, you can soon see how important it is to consider all the eco-friendly options available before opting for mainstream disposable brands. Of course, your baby’s comfort and hygiene is of utmost importance, as well as ease of use for you as a time-pressed parent.

Consider investing in a balance of washable and eco disposables nappies to give you the best of both worlds and help minimise the impact on the planet your child will inherit

WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS? It used to be that the eco-friendly option was a terry towelling affair, combined with laborious sterilising solutions, buckets and very busy washing lines! The eco options have come a long way since then and one of the leaders in this field is Swedish company Naty, whose ultra-green disposable nappy offers the same ‘disposable’ convenience of mainstream brands, but uses renewable and biodegradable materials. When it comes to washable and reusable nappies, there are many different combinations now available from all-in-ones to those that combine a disposable or washable nappy liner with a nappy shell made from soft cotton or bamboo, then a pretty outer cover. There are now dozens of options with the latest breeds as much a fashion statement as a practical solution. Some that come highly recommended include the extremely stylish GNappies, IttiBitti and TotsBots.

SEE THE FULL ‘NEW BABY CHECKLIST’ FEATURE HERE for all those other baby essentials…