Nappyneedz

Do you think outside the box? Parenting is hard. Modern parenting is a minefield! The world is changing all the time. It is a huge melting pot of cultures and styles as we all move around this planet of ours, taking our various histories and cultures with us. This is the same for parenting. And the many and various ways in which we nurture our children. Are we going to drown in our box? Western society has become very fast paced. With speed comes an increased volume of disposable items to help us along our way. It’s a little bit of a vicious cycle really – we work to provide things for our children because these things cost money. We use disposable items because its fast and easy. Then we are busy working to provide these things that we need… and so the cycle keeps on going. Or should we be going back to tradition? In writing this, I’ve done some research into some more traditional, re-usable items for modern parenting. And to be honest with you, until very recently I had no idea ...

Waste reduction is something that needn’t be hard work. You can take a few simple steps to cut down on the amount of waste that you produce. This week is waste free parenting week, so I thought that it might be a good idea to talk about some of the products that we have, that can help cut down the amount of rubbish you produce. Waste free babies It will perhaps be no surprise that one of the main things that we can help with, is reusable nappies. Disposable nappies produce a huge amount of waste. There have been a number of reports that have looked at the environmental impact of using cloth or disposable nappies. Something that a lot of these reports haven’t even considered, is the disposal of nappies. Single use nappies are made with plastic and chemicals. Neither of which are particularly good for the environment. Plastic from nappies stays around for a long long time. It doesn’t break down or biodegrade. Switching to cloth can make a huge amount of difference to the...

Waste free parenting week 2017 kicks off next week on the 1st of May. Nappyneedz has been a sponsor of this event for the past few years and this year is no exception. So what is it? How can you get involved? What do you need know? Read on. Waste free parenting week 2017 The week is run by Kate Meads, the Nappy Lady. For a week each year she holds events around the country and on line to promote sustainable living and parenting. This year, there are four events, taking place in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. Tickets cost $19 each and with only 100 available for each event, they are soon snapped up. Your ticket gets you entry to the event, as well as the chance to win some great prizes. On line events If you can’t make any of the events, then on the 5th May, there will be an online event on the waste free parenting facebook page . Throughout the day, there will be a range of live sessions with various experts. You will also have the chance to win some fantastic pri...

Our menstrual cup tips and tricks will help you get the most out of your cup, no matter what brand you have. Avoid leaks and ensure that you get a comfortable fit by following these ideas. Menstrual cup tips and tricks Make sure that your cup opens fully once inserted. You can check that it has opened by running a finger around the edge, or twisting it slightly. The cup should sit low, but not outside of your body. If you find that you can feel the stem, cut it shorter or remove it entirely. The stem is to help locate the cup, not to actually remove it. To remove your cup, bear down slightly and break the seal by squeezing the bottom slightly. It should then remove easily. If your cup is not comfortable, it may not be the wrong cup. Try turning it inside out, some people find that they get a better fit this way. Keep the small, pin sized holes around the top of the cup clear. These help to create a seal and stop the cup from leaking. You can clear them by filling the cup with water, pu...

Deciding what age to toilet train, or at least to give it a go, can be a complicated decision. How do you know if your little one is ready? Is there a right or wrong time to try? Can you leave it too late? Here’s our top tips for knowing when to ditch the nappies. When to toilet train? There is no right or wrong age, it varies from child to child. When you think that they might be ready, give it a go, but don’t be worried if they don’t seem ready yet. Everyone will have an opinion on when you should stop using nappies, but really it’s down to you and your baby. Don’t worry about it too much, if your little one is ready then it will be fine, but if they’re not, that’s fine too. Try to choose a time when you don’t have to go out too much for a few days. Keep your little one in undies as much as possible once you start, to stop confusion. Take your little one to the toilet or put them on the potty regularly. Even if they have just had an acci...

Choosing a night nappy is something that I often get asked about. When it comes to cloth at night, it can be difficult to find the combination that works just right for you. I thought that I’d share some advice that I gave to a mother recently. Cloth night nappies A lot of people are put off the idea of using cloth over night because of how bulky the nappies look. Although they do look quite large, usually babies and young children don’t actually find them that uncomfortable. If you are looking for a trimmer nappy, then using something like bamboo or hemp can help. These fabrics are highly absorbent, but slimmer than other nappy fabrics. Hemp in particular is ideal for night time as it is very very absorbent. Most people find that it will take around ten washes to get to full absorbency. You can still use the insert during this period, but it will continue to get better and hold more over this time. The only thing to watch with hemp is that it is fully dry before each use. W...

We have sold Ecobots Prefold nappies for a few years now here at Nappyneedz. You may not have realised, but Ecobots are actually part of the same company as Nappyneedz. Last week, I made the decision to combine the two websites. You can now find all of the information about Ecobots here, on this website. Loved by 1000’s Ecobots was founded in Christchurch over ten years ago now. Three years ago now, I purchased Ecobots from the previous owner and ran it along side Nappyneedz. The cloth nappies are easy to use, extremely reliable and have been tried, tested and loved by thousands of Kiwi families. They were the perfect addition to the Nappyneedz family. Although I’ve been selling some of the Ecobots products on this site for a few years now, last week, I added the full range. I have also moved all of the cloth nappy information and advice to the site too. Ecobots Prefold Nappies If you haven’t come across the Ecobots system before, or would like to know more about the n...