Nappies..

Changing a pooey nappy is not the best part of having a baby, but there's no escaping it. And you'd better get used to it - you'll be changing around 5,000 nappies before baby's potty trained!

The first question is whether to use disposable nappies or reusable. In a nutshell, disposables are less trouble, more expensive, and not environmentally friendly - around 3 billion are thrown away each year in the UK and just buried in wasteland.

Your Granny wouldn't recognise a reusable nappy today. Gone are the cotton squares and safety pins, replaced by shaped cotton inside a waterproof outer cover and fastened with velcro.

Flushable liners hold solids. Reusables will save you at least £4-500 and that's after including the cost of washing.

If you want to be kind to the planet but can't face all the washing, another option is to use a laundry service: the cost will be about the same as using disposables.

Nappy Rash

Nappy rash is a term covering various different rashes which will vary in severity from a mild redness to severe raw ulcerated skin.

Most rashes are caused by exposure to soiled nappies. As urine and faeces break down ammonia is released, this is toxic and burns baby's delicate skin. A nappy will also prevent air circulating and retain heat, both of which will aggravate the problem.

If your baby develops a rash, change nappies frequently and keep the area clean and dry. Avoid the use of soap and wipes, wash with warm water and cotton wool balls. Barrier creams are available from your chemist.

Perhaps one of the best treatments is fresh air: let baby's skin breathe as often as possible.