When I first became a Mummy there were so many decisions that needed to be made, breast v bottle feed, moses basket v cot, dummy v thumb, travel system v pram, decisions, decisions, decisions . . .
In an ideal world I always try to be as ‘green’ as possible, well it’s my name afterall so I need to do what I can but honestly the idea of reusable nappies just sit well with me. I have always known someone who has a baby and I had always noticed that babies came with an awful lot of washing so I didn’t fancy adding to it and so I decided to go down the disposables route and was happy. I recycled more household rubbish (mainly wash powder boxes and carrier bags from all the shopping I seemed to be doing) so I didn’t feel as guilty. But then a couple of months ago I started hearing the name gNappies and gPants cropping up in conversation and the nosey fascinated Mummy in me wanted to find out more. As if by magic an invitation dropped into my inbox to attend an event introducing the gNappies but when I looked at the dates I couldn’t make it.
The following week I attended The Baby Show at Earls Court and sought out the gNappies stand where I met the lovely team and found out more about these amazing new Nappies and Pants which are simply the best of both worlds when it comes to cloth and disposable. I was asked if I would like to review them and was convinced that they would be worth a go.
Just before Christmas our gNappies parcel arrived complete with two Little gPants, cloth nappies and biodegradable nappies. The first thing that you notice about the little gPants in comparison to other brands of reusable nappies that I have seen before is that they are so much smaller. One thing which had initially put me off reusables was how bulky they were so I couldn’t see how they could be comfortable for babies. The gPant is made from a soft cotton, they are washable and breathable to keep baby’s bottom happy and they come in a great range of colours to suit every babies’ wardrobe! The gPants contain a removable gPant pouch which is the unique feature which sets the gPants apart from other reusables. The gPant pouch means less washing and changing is quicker and easier.
With gNappies the choice is yours, if you want to use cloth nappies then you can choose the gCloth insert which is a reusable, absorbent, trim-fitting nappy insert OR you can use the 100% biodegradable gRefill and be guilt-free. Both fit perfectly into the gPant pouch and you’re ready to go. The gCloth insert is made up of two layers of soft 100% polyester microfleece which pulls the moisture away from baby’s bottom keeping them dry and comfortable. Below that are two layers of hemp/cotton which soaks up the wetness and keeps it locked in. The biodegradable gRefills have been certified 100% biodegradable and again have been designed to keep baby dry and once you have removed them you can either put them in the bin or how about being really ‘green’ and sticking them on your compost heap? They are plastic-free and have no elemental chlorine, no perfumes and are so kind to the planet that a wet one will compost in just one cycle of approximately 50-150 days – not bad eh?!
So what did we think? Well, to start with I was nervous about actually giving them a go. Seeing them in concept was one thing but now they were actually here in my house, I had to actually try them out. What if they leaked? What if Beanie Boy ended up with nappy rash? He has never suffered with nappy rash at all and unlike with his sister, we have had very few exploding nappies so did I really want to rock the boat. One morning I was feeling particularly brave and gave a gRefill a trial run. They were really easy to put together and I did like it said on the pack and prepared a few ready in advance to make the next change quicker (what is it with boys not wanting their bottoms changed?). The gPants fitted Beanie Boy perfectly and looked really cute, they fitted well around his little legs and there were no scratchy bits to annoy him. The other thing I really liked was that the tabs secure around the back, my little man has recently found the tabs on his nappies and keeps taking them off when he has left Mummy a little parcel which kindly lands on the floor. At least with the gPants he can’t do this. And with the surname Green what better than to have a ‘g’ on your pants, it’s a bit like Superman with ‘S’ on his pants (although Beanie Boy wears his pants under his trousers!).
Once Beanie Boy had deposited a little gift for Mummy in his gRefill I knew that it was unlikely we would be having another one for most of the day so I decided to brave a gCloth insert this time and I swear Beanie Boy gave a little shimmy on the floor and smiled because of how soft the cloth felt on his bottom. At the next change I was pleased to find that the gPants were still dry as was Beanie Boy’s bottom to the touch even though he had been weeing like a good boy. I have continued to use the gNappies/gCloths in this manner, trying to guess what the next nappy will hold for me and using the gCloths for the wet ones and the gNappies for the dirty ones and it is working well. I feel good that I am doing my bit for the environment and Beanie Boy likes his cool new pants, he has tried wearing his trousers pulled down like the teenagers do to show off his pants but I’ve told him in no uncertain terms, I don’t like that look so he’s not wearing it!
