Using gNappies on holiday

Since our little one was first born, we have used reusable nappies. We mostly use Charlie Bananas and Bumgenius Freetime, but we also have some Bambino Miosolo nappies. We also use cheeky wipes dipped in water which I think are kinder to his skin than wet wipes.

However, on holiday, we have always had to resort to disposable nappies. Reusables simply take up too much space in the suitcase and it can be difficult to store and wash dirty nappies. When we went to Australia at Christmas, we used disposables and wet wipes and he got ever such a sore bottom.

Drying my gNappies in the
sunshine

So when we went to La Gomera this June, we were keen to use an alternative to disposables.

Fortuitously, I was gifted some preloved gNappies. These are like a halfway house between reusable and disposable. They are a three part nappy system with a washable fabric outer, a breathable plastic snap in pouch into which you put a disposable insert. The insert is 100% biodegradable and you can put wet nappies in the compost heap and they will degrade in 100 days. The rest gets put in the wash.

We never found that wet nappies leaked through to the fabric, so we could just take out the insert and use the same nappy and snap in pouch. And, even with soiled nappies, although the pouch got dirty, the actual fabric nappy stayed clean. So we just snapped in a new pouch and a new insert and we were off. 

The little changing station I
set up in our room

They are good for travelling because you only need a few of the fabric nappies (we had 3) a few of the snap in pouches that hold the inserts and then a stash of the inserts. I found that a pack of 32 inserts was perfectly sufficient for a week's holiday. We then washed the nappies twice during the week, but if we'd have had more of them, say 7, we probably wouldn't have needed to do a wash at all.

The gNappies themselves cost from £14.95 new, the disposable inserts cost £8.95 for 40 and the pouches cost £12.95 for 6. So, it probably won't save you money compared to disposables. But once you have the gNappies and the pouches, they will last you a while and I guess the inserts are a comparable cost to disposables. Plus, they are obviously much better for the environment.

My little one crawling around
in his gNappy

My son didn't get a sore bottom at all during the week and, although not fully reusable, it felt more natural and gentle than using scratchy, sweaty disposables.  They also looked much cuter when he was crawling around in his birthday suit. 

I've noticed on the gNappies website that they also do cloth inserts so you can use the system and be 100% reusable. They come in packs of 6 and are made from 2 layers of micro fleece and 2 layers of hemp and cotton. I'm off to France at the end of June, so maybe I will give those a try. 

Where to go for lunch with a baby in Salisbury

When I first had my son, I used to panic a bit about where to meet my friends and family for lunch. I needed somewhere that was child friendly, big enough to fit a buggy (or several buggies) and with baby changing facilities. It is astounding how many pubs and restaurants in Salisbury don't have baby changing rooms or have steps up to the toilets. 

So, in the last 8 months, these are the places that I have found to be most child friendly. I haven't been everywhere, so if you have any recommendations then please let me know and I'll update this little post. I was going to take photos of the changing rooms, but I concluded that would be just strange!

Happy lunching mothers (and fathers)!

Cosy Club

49 New Street, Salisbury 
http://www.cosyclub.co.uk/salisbury

When eating at the Cosy Club, you can choose to eat in the bar area, the restaurant or outside in the courtyard garden. The best for buggies and babes is probably the bar area where they have sofa sections that are perfect for little ones. However, you can book tables in the restaurant online and request extra space for strollers and in my experience they have been very accommodating. The changing rooms are stand alone which means both mums and dads can change the little ones. They are on the ground floor round in the restaurant. 

Salisbury Cathedral Refectory

Salisbury Cathedral, the Close, Salisbury,
http://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/visit/refectory

This is a staple Tuesday destination for me and my Mum friends. The toilets are large and smell nice and never seem to be occupied. Again, they are stand alone so not just women have to do the changing. There's lots of space for buggies and they have large booth areas that are perfect for families and groups of parents. They have really nice high chairs, not those dreadful wooden ones which large kids can escape from and small kids wobble around in. They also have a kid's toy area, so all-round a great choice. 

Another great thing about the Cathedral, is the Cloisters area is calm, quiet, dry and sheltered. I used to spend hours walking with my buggy round and round there on windy and wet days. The tap tap of the paving stones worked every time to lull my baby off to sleep. I guess it'll probably be less quiet during the height of the tourist season!

Chapter House

Johns Street, Salisbury 
http://thechapterhouseuk.com

I have written about this place in my blog before as it is very friendly and allows for dogs in the bar area. They are also very child friendly and have even offered to hold my little one during a meal! He was going a bit mental at the time! 

Lots of space in the bar area for buggies and stand alone baby changing rooms through the restaurant, round by the hotel reception. 

Starbucks

Silver Street, Salisbury, Starbucks Salisbury

I thought I would mention Starbucks because I think it is the most child friendly of the coffee chains in Salisbury. I wouldn't even go into Costa on the Market Square as its a nightmare trying to navigate round all the tables and chairs. Really nice staff, stand alone baby changing downstairs and lots of room for buggies. 

ASK

Castle Street, Salisbury, http://www.askitalian.co.uk/restaurant/salisbury

Out of all the Italian chains in Salisbury, this is probably the best with babies. The tables are well spread out, so lots of room for buggies (unlike Prezzo which is a nightmare!) and baby changing downstairs. 

Waitrose

Churchill Way West, Salisbury
http://www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/bf_home/bf/226.html

I've only been here a couple of times because it is a bit of a walk out of the town centre. The main cafe (there are two now) is large and spacious, plus you get free coffee with your Waitrose card. Toilets can get pretty busy and can therefore be a bit dirty sometimes (but nowhere near as bad as the ones in Debenhams). But the toilets are stand alone so men and women can do the changing. 

I don't want you to think I have spent my entire maternity leave being a lady who lunches. But there has to be some benefits to all these sleepless nights and weight gain! 

I look forward to hearing from you with your suggestions of new places we can try.