The other day I purchased a box of nappies, the same brand we always use which can cope with the pressures of the overnight stretch... They were on special at the supermarket and worked out to be about 28c per nappy which was a huge discount. Normally I'd pay about 40-50c each for a Huggies (I think).
When it comes to nappies I tend to weigh up cost and performance. I want a nappy that can cope with explosions and floods but that won't break the bank and needs to be readily available so we can always grab more at short notice.
I chose Huggies as our go to nappy brand. We've tried Homebrand, Treasures and Naty with varying success, but I've always found myself returning to Huggies. They never let me down and you're guaranteed to find them on special often and in many retail outlets.
So my latest score - a jumbo box of nappies at 28c each was great. 72 nappies will keep us going for a while and the savings were greatly appreciated by my bank account. Once I finished up our previous stash, I opened up the new box. I noticed two days in a row that there was a very prominent petrol smell coming from the rear region of my child. Naturally a cause for concern! After some investigation, I smelt the nappies in the box upstairs. It definitely smelt like fuel of some sort which is obviously concerning given the product is on my kid 24/7.
After some self doubt and deliberation I rang Huggies to let them know. They've arranged for my box of nappies to be returned to them for investigation. Credit goes to them for really taking my call seriously. I did feel a bit like I'd really reached a new level in complaining and I could see Mr D rolling his eyes... you complained about nappies? .But I've smelt some other huggies ones we had at home and there is no petrol smell whatsoever, so I'm sure this is limited to this batch. I'll update you on what Huggies say after they've investigated.
So this is how I ended up back online researching nappies. My criteria changed. It was no longer about cost and performance, but now about chemical exposure too. I don't want to come across neurotic, because I think I tend to be pretty relaxed and open minded about a lot of stuff when it comes to this parenting gig, but seriously after realising your baby smells like petrol... you do become a little more concerned. Obviously if I wanted to go chemical free then cloth would be the best... but I know myself... and that is just not going to work with our lifestyle. So what disposable options do I have?
These are the ones I've come across so far in NZ.
Naty - Chlorine and Fragrance Free. $23.99 32pk + delivery
I've used Naty before. They were beautifully soft and looked very comfortable. We didn't have any leaks, but I did have to change him a bit more as the nappy wasn't AS absorbant as Huggies... but still very good I ordered them online and had them delivered to our house which was quite convenient but took some forward planning. They weren't bleached, so were an off white colour and didn't have big colourful pictures all over them which I liked. (I don't buy nappies because they have Winnie the Pooh on them... and Art doesn't show any preference to what is printed on his nappy pants...).
Cost = 90c each
The other brand I'm looking into is Moltex.
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I haven't used these before but I might get a sample to try. These are only 56c each and have free delivery + a free pack of 80 wipes... and you know you're ALWAYS running out of those, so that could be a handy freebie. It will probably cost around $25 a week to put Art into these which I think could be worth it - as long as they don't leak at night too often and I increase my washing load!
The only other nappy I came across that a friend of mine liked was Earth's Best.
These are also chlorine free and low in petro-chemicals, latex free, fragrance free and has natural absorbent material - so gel free.
My only concern with these ones is the price... at around $36 for 35 nappies, that's nearly $1 a nappy which isn't the most economical option.
I don't know if it all deserves this much thought or 30 minutes of research.. and maybe my next pack of Huggies won't smell at all and I'll go back to loving them again... but in the meantime, we're going to play around with some numbers and samples and see where that leads us. So for now the winner is Moltex (pre trial)... and hopefully they perform almost as well as the Huggies.
Who thought you could write so much about nappies. I'm so boring. I bet you're all off smelling your nappy stash though.
Please let me know if you have anything else to add to this or any advice for me!? The whole point of this blog is sharing!
Whilst on the subject of nappies, perhaps I could pass on some of my findings in the nappy world - aside from the chemical issues.
- Don't stock up on newborn nappies when you're pregnant. Art was born 3.8kg and newborns were good up to 4kg. So after 2 weeks he was wetting through constantly. I ended up donating a lot of nappies to pregnant friends (who had smaller babies!). I'd stock up on the Crawler and Infant nappies.
- It works to use a cheaper nappy in the day and a more durable expensive nappy at night. In Canada we found overnight nappies which were awesome - but I don't see them often here.
- Bigger lasts longer - so although bulky, you can try putting a bigger nappy on at night for extra absorbancy and then stick to the better fit (smaller) during the day.
- I keep a 'nappy changing kit' in the car, pram and every hand bag. I use a small zip clutch purse (on sale often at places like cotton on for a few dollars), and put in 3 nappies and a pack of travel wipes. You just have to remember to top them up if you use them.
And that's what I have to say about nappies.
I'm in awe yet saddened at how much nappy information is in my head.
Now.... let's talk formula.... haha. Just joking. I need a wine.
Here's Harry Potter baby after a trip to the fancy dress shop the other day.
Happy Nappy!
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