For Real Nappy Week 2007, organisers Women’s Environmental Network (WEN) has a special announcement for NHS maternity units - a free health professional’s Real Nappy Toolkit is being made available to all midwifery units in England and Wales.

The toolkit, developed by WEN with funding from The Real Nappy Campaign has been tried and tested in hospitals in London. The response from midwives and health visitors has been so enthusiastic that WEN has decided to make the pack available nation-wide, enabling midwives and health visitors to ensure that the real nappy message reaches more new parents to enable them to make informed choices about washable nappies.

The toolkits - worth £100 each - contain a health professional’s guide, illustrated presentation cards, a DVD, and selection of real nappies, wraps and accessories. It can be used to train midwives in the essentials of cloth nappies for use in antenatal classes, complete with interactive demonstrations.

Marjaana Vanska, parent education coordinator at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital says: “WEN's toolkit is excellent! I love having all the different types of nappy samples to show to expectant mothers as well as new midwives coming to work with us. The presentation cards and booklet are easy to follow and makes talking about the benefits of real nappies enjoyable and practical.”

WEN is inviting NHS midwifery units in England and Wales to get in touch to request their free pack.

Unlike the free samples of disposables given out routinely in hospitals to parents of newborns, the toolkit does not promote any brands, but provides factual information that will enable parents to make a fair choice about which nappies to use.

Media contacts: Liz Sutton or Suzanne Simmons Lewis on 020 7481 9004. Website: www.wen.org.uk

ENDS

Notes to editors:
1. The first toolkit for each hospital is free. Units wanting additional toolkits will be able to purchase them from WEN at a subsidised price.

2. Real Nappies for London’s extensive independent research showed that, aside from friends and family, health professionals are the most influential source of advice on choices for parents, and most parents make decisions on nappy choices before birth of baby (survey by GfK NOP population sample 1352, June 2006).

3. WEN has trained midwives in London hospitals and provided them with toolkits for their ante-natal classes since 2005.

4. Midwifery units can contact: Dina Almuli Tel: 020 7481 9004, email: nappies@wen.org.uk

5. The toolkit show the different types of cloth nappies available; how to care for them; laundering services; how parents can save money and reduce waste and contacts for information and support. It also includes information and materials for hospitals on introducing the use of washable nappies on wards.

6. WEN also plans to train local authority officers to use the training pack with their local hospitals.

7. Real Nappy Week runs from 11-18 March 2007.

8. The Real Nappy Exchange is a national service run by WEN that enables parents to source, sell, donate or buy used cloth nappies and accessories. www.wen.org.uk