As Other Mothers Do – Cecilia Leslie

I created a series on Instagram called As Other Mothers Do where, every week, I sahre the experience of another mum with cloth nappies. You can find this on my Instagram @asdicasdafafa.ecomommy

The idea is to show that cloth really is simple and that there is no single way of doing it. The one that works best for you is the one you should go for. Today I’m chatting with Cecilia Leslie, a real nappy guru that is part of our #teamclothmadesimple. Cecilia is a midwife. She’s Brazilian and lives in Scotland, so he has an amazing accent in both languages! And let’s not forget to mention… she has 4 kids. Shall we find out about her experience with cloth?

Below are her answers, translated into English:

1.How did you first learn about cloth nappies?

I met a group of pregnant ladies during our classes preparing for childbirth when I was pregnant with my first in 2006. We continued to meet up once our babies were born and one of those mums was using cloth so one day I asked if I could borrow a nappy to try and that’s how it all began.

2.You have 4 children. Was it the same for all of them?

No, it was different for each child. They weighed differently, their legs were shaped differently, some needed a lot of layers of absorbency while others didn’t.

3.Did you use cloth since NB? And if not, why?

No. 1- I started at 6 months, as I wasn’t yet familiar with cloth
No. 2- I started at 6 weeks because I was afraid of not being able to handle two babies in cloth
No. 3 and No. 4 – Yes, since the very first nappy

4.What are your favourite types of nappy and why? 

For daytime I like All in Ones, they are super easy to wash, prep and get on the bum
For night-time most reliable system I’ve found to date are two parters, especially since I breastfeed on demand
For when I travel I prefer hybrids as they are super easy to pack, they are light and versatile

(For a full description of the various nappy systems, click here)

5.What is your wash routine? 

I wash every 2-3 days. My routine is simple – I rinse in cold water, wash in a short cycle and then go for the long cycle at 60º.

6.What is for you the greatest advantage of using cloth? 

My main reason to use them is comfort, followed by health benefits and the environment.

7.What is the greatest disadvantage/challenge?

The fact that we need to adjust them as our baby grows.

8.What was your partner’s attitude? 

He’s always enjoyed cloth and supported the fact that we use both reusable nappies and wipes. He does everything – changes them, washes them, preps them, etc.