Many moons ago I designed and made modern cloth nappies. It is a very religious world. People are extremely concerned with their child’s skin, toxins, the environment and the production of textiles. We know what wicks moisture and what absorbs and we can spout facts relating to the money spent on disposables vs the money spent on the initial outlay of modern cloth. We know what covers are the most natural and how to correctly lanolise a pair of woollen pants and how to fix your super peeing baby’s night nappy problem. My sons wore cloth exclusively for much of their nappy wearing lives.
Littlebird, I confess, has barely had a cloth nappy grace her bottom and certainly not that she would remember. This is because these days I have more children, less time and a work away husband and will easily go three days without underwear entirely before I will break down and do washing so while I may have great intentions about the washing of cloth nappies we all know that is NEVER. GOING. TO. HAPPEN.
As we are in the process of toilet training I used Littlebird’s last nappy one night this week and made a mental note to buy more before bath time that evening.
This did not happen. Because as usual my brain was all ADHD and thinking things like, “OMG, you guys, I love flowers, I’m going to become a florist, let’s google florist courses…hang on, was that a dragonfly, what’s good on Pinterest, did I wash karate uniforms? Is that pug snoring or choking? I love chocolate!” instead of “Buy Littlebird nappies.”
They had a late bath that night. At 7pm I realised I was out of nappies. And the shops in my country town shut at 6:30. After a tearing dash through the house we conceeded there was not a rogue nappy hiding behind a chest of drawers or in a nappy bag or handbag and I dug out a cloth nappy.
Littlebird readily accepted the minky covered Thomas the Tank engine nappy and watched as I ‘stuffed’ the pocked of it. I was unsure how many boosters of absorbent bamboo to stuff inside it so I had grabbed a handful and stuffed until I felt it was sufficient. Some of the boosters were rectangular with overlocked edges. Others were peanut shaped with overlocked edges. And one looked like a slightly larger than average facecloth.
Littlebird’s eyes fell to this booster and she looked concerned. She disdainfully picked it up between her thumb and index finger and looked at it doubtfully. ”Is dis…………a towel?”
“Ahh, no.” I answered, ”It goes inside your nappy.”
She regarded me suspiciously for a moment before looking very serious and leaning in close to me. She reached out with her chubby little hand and touched my face tenderly while looking into my eyes. Then as though she is breaking me some news she feels I will be very distressed to hear even if it is for my own good she says matter-of-factly,
“Mum, dis is a towel….I sorwy.”
