Ok, you’ve made the decision to use cloth nappies what’s the first thing you do. Research.. When you do, I guarantee the first place you turn to is social media. You go on various cloth nappy pages and one of the first terms you notice used a lot is WAHM.
HMMM “What’s that?” you think. You don’t want to ask and look like a moron but hey I guarantee every newbie has thought or asked this question. So read this article and you’ll be an expert, (or at least feel like one).
WAHM stands for work at home maker or mum. Next question you think why are they more expensive than other nappies and why are they so sort after.
WAHM’s will generally spend a lot of time ensuring they use the best fabrics, they test and alter and make sure their patterns and nappies are perfect looking and perfect fitting before selling. Every elastic, every top stitch is checked and scrutinised. They take a lot of pride in their work to be sure their customers get a near perfect product.
Buying from a WAHM also means supporting a small Australian business often run by a mum trying to help support her family.
Ok so I’m getting an awesome nappy but is that really worth the price tag? Well yes because if you have issues with the nappy, fit problems, leaks or general questions especially if you’re new to cloth most makers are happy to take the time to answer these questions and help where possible. While it’s great the big stores are getting on board and starting to sell cloth nappies, if you go into a department store and ask, “Why is my cloth nappy leaking?” Their answer will probably be “We sell cloth nappies? Is that still a thing?”
A WAHM’s business survives on reputation and word of mouth. They don’t have a marketing budget so happy customers will do their marketing for them. This is why you will usually receive amazing after sale service.
One more thing many nappy mums find comforting is that you know how a WAHM nappy is made and by who. Why is that important? You may hear the term “china cheapies”. If you buy a really cheap new nappy you need to ask yourself, how can someone make a profit selling a nappy for less than $10. The retailer has to make money, the manufacturer has to make money, staff have to be paid and materials paid for. Can you really do all that so cheaply? The short answer is no which means somebody loses and that is usually the staff because they may be made in sweatshops by underpaid workers and sometimes children in deplorable conditions. This may not always be the case and doesn’t apply to all factory made nappies just mainly the incredible cheap ones.
To recap – firstly a superbly crafted nappy, secondly better after sale service, thirdly you know the nappies are made ethically but the icing on the cake is you can often sell them after you’re finished for half of what you paid for them as many brands hold their value.
WAHM's are often considered the Ferrari of the nappy world and many of the big and loved nappy brands in Australia started as WAHM's with a sewing machine on a kitchen table and a baby at their feet.