On Fluff & Grit

My grandmother was a fiercely independent and resourceful woman. Once, when a family member expressed concern that she was taking on too much, my eighty-five year old Grandma tersely emailed (yes, emailed) back, “I have a system and everything is under control”. That’s the kind of person she was and that’s the kind of person I have always aspired (but mostly failed) to be.

When my son CJ was first born I thought I had the cloth diapering situation under control. I had gone to an orientation session at my friendly local cloth diaper store, read the equivalent of the Encyclopedia Britannica in cloth diapering info on the internet, and I had my new stash of Rumparooz Lil Joeys and Grovia AIOs all washed and neatly arranged in the top drawer of the changing table. Everything was in order and I was fully convinced that my cloth diapering experience would be blissful. Then we brought CJ home, put that first cute cloth diaper on his little behind, and swiftly came to the realization that the situation was most certainly not under control.

We were plagued by leaks—lots and lots of them. Not only was CJ a heavy wetter but the cloth diapers we had selected just didn’t seem to fit him right. My cloth diapering system, so carefully researched and planned, had failed me. Full of postpartum hormones, I was enraged. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be! In fact, it was the complete opposite. Too tired to do anything else, I gritted my teeth and lived my life one wet outfit at a time.

After a few urine-soaked weeks, my dear husband (a genius even in a sleep-deprived state) decided not to take the leaks lying down. He tried something new: in the nursery he found a stack of Bummis prefolds that a friend had lent me (and that I had promptly put into a drawer and forgotten about, as I was not a prefold person) and a Thirsties Duo Wrap that I had received at my baby shower. A little help from the internet and—voila!—our baby was wearing his first prefold. My husband pronounced it good. After a couple of hours without having to do a complete wardrobe change, I pronounced it good as well. It took me a long time to get used to the prefolds but for a leak-free existence I was willing to learn a little origami.

This breakthrough gave me the confidence to branch out and try new things until I found diapers that worked for every occasion. Prefolds for every day. Kissaluvs Countours for when we’re out and about. Thirsties Duo Fab Fitteds with a Fab Doubler for naps. Kissaluvs Marvels One Size stuffed with a Thirsties Hemp insert and a Best Bottom Stay Dry Insert for nights. That’s my system and I’m happy to report that things are currently under control.

Who could have predicted that diapers would help me grow as a person? Cloth diapering was a challenge for me at first; there were times when I wanted to quit all together. However, conquering leaks and learning how to use a prefold unearthed in me more grit and determination than I could have imagined. Perhaps I am more similar to my Grandmother than I thought.

This is what I have learned about cloth diapering: It ain’t always perfect. But then, neither is life. However, with perseverance, resourcefulness, and some of that can’t-quit attitude you can find a system that works for you.

Eva is an amateur housewife and stay-at-home mom but is learning fast. While her nine-month-old son CJ is sleeping she can be found sewing baby items for her Etsy store, renovating her home, or napping on the sofa.

On Fluff & Grit

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From Worry to Love in One Week!

I knew I wanted to use cloth diapers while planning to start a family. When I lived away from my home I was briefly babysat for a family who used cloth diapers, so I thought I knew what I was getting into. In hindsight, the one kid who was still in diapers was almost potty trained so she didn't wear as many diapers and I wasn't doing the laundry.

When I became pregnant I began obsessively researching about cloth diapers. I quickly learned about the various types, how to care for them, etc. I informed everyone I was going to use cloth diapers and became a cloth diaper crusader before even using them. Thankfully, my husband was agreeable to the idea; although, every time he would talk about them he would say we're going to "try" them. Try? Why would we need to try them? In my mind we were using them… end of story!

With a couple months to go, I had the opportunity to visit family a couple hours away in an area that has one small shop which carries cloth diapers. I was a bit surprised when I discovered one-size diapers are bigger and bulkier than I expected. Then I began to worry. I realized there was a chance we wouldn't like them. I had been so caught up in baby and diaper excitement I really hadn't given it much serious thought. I then began to develop fear of the unknown. What if they were too bulky, looked huge, and were uncomfortable for our baby? What if they didn't fit well or leaked all the time? What if it was just too much work? I had skimmed over blogs about issues with build up and smell, but now I was worried.

I planned what I felt was the perfect stash to get us started, and diapers were arriving in the mail at a rapid rate. I reluctantly promised my husband not to open and wash all the diapers I purchased just in case we would want to send them back. Then we waited.

Our son was born on 12/29/09 and we began using the cloth diapers when we was 10 days old. His first diapers were 6 bumGenius Deluxe 3.0 All-In-Ones, 3 Thirsties Fab Fitted Diapers, and 1 Kissaluvs Fitted Diaper. We had a couple Thirsties Diaper Covers and a couple Thirsties Duo Wrap Diaper Covers. Obviously not enough to exclusively use cloth diapers, but enough to get started. Day 1 passed, day 2, and then a week. We were using cloth diapers... and LOVING them! We were having major issues with leaking using the disposables plus we were quickly amazed with how many we were using! It was easy to see within one week how much money we could be saving by using cloth diapers exclusively.

Additionally, we had far less leaks! With much relief I opened up the other box from Kelly's Closet and started washing the rest of our new stash. Our son quickly gained weight and we were able to use the one-size diapers just a couple weeks later when he was up to 10 pounds. Our one-diaper stash consist of several bumGenius 3.0 and FuzziBunz, plus a couple Rocky Mountain diapers. I love them all, however, the bumGenius 3.0’s are becoming a quick favorite. The hook and loop tabs make getting a diaper on a wiggling infant so easy.

It is such a relief to discover we really do love cloth diapers and we're going to stick with them. I believe being over-prepared [with all the reading I did early in my pregnancy] helped. I knew how to properly launder the diapers and I had my cloth diaper friendly detergent [Charlie's Soap] ready. I had 2 diaper pail liners and a wet bag for the diaper bag. I really liked being able to launch fully into using cloth diapers all at once. I was able to establish a routine and it was a super easy transition from the disposables. The only item we haven’t purchased yet is a diaper sprayer. Right now I'm comfortable with rinsing the diapers in the sink, but a sprayer will probably be a future purchase.

I've been saying "we" were using cloth diapers, but my husband is still slowing transitioning. I've found myself changing most diapers, disposable or cloth, just because I'm quicker and it seems like less of a hassle. He started helping with the cloth by taking a dirty diaper to the pail, but he wasn't thrilled with pulling the insert out of the pocket diaper. I've since arranged the diapers to have all the all-in-ones together for him to use. The next step was the laundry.

I showed him the special detergent and went over the general instructions, so he helped out with washing a load last week. He asked a couple questions before starting the cold rinse and again before the hot wash. Then he came to tell me the diapers would not be done as soon as expected because he forgot to add fabric softener. That's right. Panic!!!

Unfortunately, he already started another rinse cycle with fabric softener. Many hot washes and nearly a day later the diapers were stripped and ready to use again. A minor set back but the diapers survived! His first attempt to change a cloth diaper a few days ago was a bit of a struggle too. He almost put it on backwards and then didn't get it snug enough. He stepped back and let me fix the diaper while he watched and took some mental notes. I appreciate his efforts to try something totally new and I'm sure he's going to be a cloth diapering pro soon!

by Natalie G.

From Worry to Love in One Week!

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The Cloth Diaper Report-Spreading Awareness About Cloth Diapering

I am thrilled at the opportunity to share a little bit about myself and my blog here at The Cloth Diaper Whisperer. For those of you who don’t know, I started cloth diapering when my daughter was almost 3 months old and often call it my “deployment hobby” as my husband deployed to Iraq the day my daughter turned 2 months old. I had never considered cloth diapering while I was pregnant, although I registered for and sought after organic and eco-friendly products. I read dozens of pregnancy books and magazines, but was never exposed to modern cloth diapers until I was flipping through a magazine one morning shortly after my husband had gone overseas. It was a parenting or baby magazine and saw a picture of a Swaddlebees Econappi on one of the pages. It was a small picture with a small caption, but it was enough to grab my attention and I thought “I want this”, “I need to learn more about what cloth diapering is all about” and “how did I not know about this before!” 



I hopped online later that day and that is when my research and cloth diaper obsession started… and it hasn’t ended to this day! I continue to search for new brands, innovations, styles, fabrics and anything else I can discover about the world of cloth diapering. I didn’t have the intention to have a blog about cloth diapers when I started this journey and had no idea that it would become a part of my daily life (outside of the diaper changes of course). My husband jokingly asks me on a regular basis, “what do you love more than cloth diapers”? Although the answer is obvious, cloth diapers are something that I have become very passionate about and have a lot of fun exploring and researching.



Since I didn’t have many friends who cloth diapered when I started in July 2008, I gathered most of my information and purchased most of my diapers online. Although I was able to research a lot of information online, I saw that there was a need in the cloth diapering community for reviews that were detailed, easy to navigate and where it was clear what the reviewer’s experiences were. I had found a few sites where reviews were posted, but quickly because frustrated that it often seemed it was only the people that passionately loved or hated a product that took the time to write reviews. I was also skeptical at what the reviewers were comparing the products to, as they may have been using an additive-filled detergent or had never used a pocket diaper before etc. After spending hundreds of hours online reading so many different sites, I wished there was a resource where more information was gathered in one place. 



The Cloth Diaper Report blog was started after 8 months of cloth diapering my daughter as I wanted to provide that resource that I wish existed to others. After purchasing 10-12 brands by that point, which was more than anyone I personally knew, I started the blog so that other parents could read reviews of the various brands and styles knowing exactly what brands I had tried, detergents I used, and cloth diapering knowledge I had. It wasn’t until late in the spring of 2009 that I realized the potential my blog had and the direction I wanted to take it in. Although I have since discovered more cloth diaper resources and blogs, some of which I wish I discovered in the beginning, I still feel that my blog offers something unique and hope to continue to be a useful resource to families. 



My current goals for my blog include my original mission to provide reviews of cloth diaper brands, styles and related topics; however, I also have expanded my goals and mission from my humble beginnings. I hope to be a source of product announcements, sales, other family friendly products and a place where families can also get coupon codes or have their luck at winning free diapers and other goodies. I also have weekly columns like “Diaper Tips Tuesday” that offer other families the opportunity to chime in with questions and tips and a resources section that lists dozens of different cloth diaper, eco-friendly and family friendly resources. I never thought I would be reviewing, blogging and literally spending dozens of hours a week reviewing, networking, writing and maintaining my site. I hope to continue to regularly improve my site, expand my content and spread awareness about cloth diapering and eco-conscious living to more families around the world.

The Cloth Diaper Report-Spreading Awareness About Cloth Diapering

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We're Looking for Unique Cloth Diapering Stories - Share Yours With Us!

We need some help and thought we'd turn to our loyal CDW followers. Our readers are the best and always come through for us.

What we need: We are looking for a few good cloth diapering stories. If your story fits into any of these categories, please email Jenny@diapershops.com and you may be included in a special project for Kelly's Closet!! Thanks for your help in advance!!

Mom who is cloth diapering multiples (twins, triplets, etc.)
Mom with a special needs child and uses cloth diapers
Mom who uses cloth diapers because of doctor order / specific medical reasons
Working mom who convinced her daycare to give cloth diapers a go
Stay at home dad who uses cloth diapers and likes it!

Thanks,

Kelly

We're Looking for Unique Cloth Diapering Stories - Share Yours With Us!

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He Was the One...

When I was pregnant with our darling son, my husband and I had discussing our finances and planning for buying a home as well as having a baby. We wanted to know what we could reasonably afford for a mortgage after the baby was born. As we started talking about the cost of diapers, my husband suggested we use cloth diapers to save money and help establish a more predictable budget.

While I had given some thought to the idea, I wasn’t so sure I wanted to deal with them and feared if we did use cloth diapers, the responsibility would be all on me. I needed my husbands help and I did not want to alienate him by going the route of cloth diapers. After all, he has never changed a diaper in his life; I could not imagine him wanting to do the “hard” stuff.

However, after my husband made the suggestion and ultimately expressed his complete willingness to change (and clean) the cloth diapers, I began researching how much they would cost.

Oh my... I did not realize how many options were available. I mentioned to a friend about our investigations into cloth diapering and to my surprise she shared with me all the joys of their cloth diapering experience.

Ultimately I purchased a few different types of diapers. My goal was to figure out what type of diaper I wanted to use. I also purchased a couple dozen prefolds, a few diaper covers and some Snappi’s. When our son arrived we were a little reluctant to get started... There was an unspoken fear that we couldn’t handle the cloth diapers.

Slowly we started using the prefolds/diaper covers and occasionally the other diapers we bought. Thankfully, my husband never complained and he changed his share of diapers. After a few weeks we weren’t very satisfied with the diaper we were using. Rather than spend more money on diapers that we wouldn’t be sure of - I bought some Goodmama seconds.

The first time my husband used the Goodmama One Size diapers he exclaimed, “Hun, these are win! We need more of these.” I took that as the green light to buy some more. I’ve been a cloth diaper advocate/addict ever since.

I have a huge wish list of diapers I would like to try next. Our most recent win are the Flip diapers. We tell everyone cloth diapers today are NOT our “parents’ cloth.” I continually learning about new styles of cloth diapers. When I have an urge to buy more fluff I have to remind myself why we started cloth diapering in the first place- to save money. My husband is great about using cloth, but he still rolls his eyes with each diaper I order. He probably wonders what sort of monster he created by suggesting cloth to begin with.

By Tasanee C.

He Was the One...

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