Two (or Three, or Four!) in Cloth

Finding out that you will be clothing more than one child can bring on a mixture of emotions: I mean, if you love cloth, then it’s pretty fantastic! But let’s be honest, it’s not all going to be smooth sailing.

Positives

Environment

Once you commit to reusing your stash of nappies for a second child, you are lessening your impact on the environment even further. You are saving another child’s worth of disposable nappies from being produced and becoming landfill. How great is that? Also, by reusing the same cloth nappies you have already purchased (or perhaps bought second hand) you are saving all the materials, water and energy that would have gone into producing more cloth nappies.

Hip Pocket

As you knew with your first, choosing to use cloth is great for your family budget. Good news for any parent! If you ever need some cloth motivation, do the math and calculate exactly how much you are saving by not buying disposable nappies. Depending on your stash, and with more frequent washing, you may not need to buy many more nappies to cloth a second child, especially if you are using prefolds or flats for the newest arrival.

Washing more often

More nappies, equals more washing. But you certainly won’t be struggling to find small items of clothing to bulk up your load. Sometimes clothing a second child makes it easier to create a wash routine. Maybe you need to do a small pre-wash every day, but you will easily have a good-sized load for your main wash.

Sorting out your stash

A new addition to the family is a perfect excuse to sort out your stash. Which nappies do you love? Which nappies will be for who, or can they share? You may like certain prints for boys or girls. Also, don’t forget that boys need good absorbency at the front and so some nappies might need some boosting for a heavy wetter. 

Challenges

Always washing, always snapping and stuffing

It really can be difficult to organise your day when your life involves small children! Prepping your nappies may have always been your special time out with a cup of tea and your favourite show. However, with multiple children in cloth, the available nappy stash might need urgent replenishing and you just might not have the energy or time to sit down and get it done. If all your nappies require stuffing or snapping, you might find yourself hastily rummaging around to organise a nappy for your baby. All in one styles, pull ups, or prefolds and covers might be handy, so you can have them ready quickly when changing your baby, babies and/or toddler.

For some cloth loving mums and dads, having two – or more – in cloth might not require more than some small daily adaptations, but for some, it could prove challenging. Parenting is hard enough, so be kind to yourself and just do what works for you and your family.