The Stay Dry Fleece Liner: A Versatile Accessory

Cloth diapering is simple. Depending on your baby and your diaper preference (prefolds, pockets, AIOs, etc.), there are very few extra accessories that you should need. That being said, one accessory that I find extremely versatile and helpful is a stay dry fleece liner. Not only are they inexpensive, but there are many ways they can be used to make cloth diapering even simpler than it already is.

Many moms go to a local fabric store, buy fleece fabric, and cut their own liners. I chose to order a 6 pack of bumGenius stay dry liners. In the future, I may try to make my own, but I wanted to be sure I had a quality liner to start.

My main reason for needing a fleece liner is because my daughter has sensitive skin that tends to get a mild diaper rash every so often. I have Grandma El's cloth diaper friendly rash remedy (another fabulous product), but I was hesitant to use it without any protection on the diaper. I have heard that some people experience repelling issues even with "cloth safe creams." The stay dry fleece liners work perfectly at keeping the diaper safe from the majority of the rash cream while also helping to keep moisture away from her skin.

Another benefit of the stay dry liner allows me to use my favorite diaper for naps and overnight. I absolutely love the fit and absorbency of the bumGenius Elemental all in one diaper. Because it has organic cotton against baby's skin (which is a great feature), it means wetness is going to be against my daughter's sensitive skin for a long period of time. With the stay dry liner, I can use the bumGenius Elemental diaper AND keep her dry. Win/win!

As if it wasn't versatile enough, the stay dry fleece liner is also very easy to clean poopy messes off of. By 5 months, my daughter became quite "regular." Because I know when she will poop most of the time, I can have a fleece liner in the diaper and make the clean up with God's gift to cloth diapering, the diaper sprayer, even easier.

Cloth diapering is simple. You do not need stay dry fleece liners as an accessory to your stash, but it sure does make a difference in a variety of ways. Whether the liner is used for protecting the diaper, protecting the bum, or catching a mess, they are worth the small investment of time and/or money.

Bio: Michelle is a part time stay at home mom to her 6-month-old daughter. When she isn't reading cloth diapering blogs or scouring the Internet for fluff deals, she can be found reading, running, or out and about with her husband and baby girl.

The Stay Dry Fleece Liner: A Versatile Accessory

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Dealin' With Diaper Rash

Diaper rash is one of the worst things in my opinion when it comes to diapering.  I’m willing to bet there are other moms out there who are frustrated with diaper rashes also, and as a fellow cloth diaper-er I wanted to share a few tips.

First off, my experience with diaper rash has been extensive.  My middle child, and now youngest also, are wheat-gluten intolerant (still going through inconclusive tests for Celiac disease).  There are diaper rashes, and then there are allergy diaper rashes.  You’re dealing with a whole other monster.  The rashes with our oldest lasted almost an entire year while we tried to find the culprit.

Whenever either of my children ingest a wheat or gluten product, there is massive diarrhea within 24 hours, and a large open blistering rash follows, usually with the first awful diaper.  Most people  can’t believe we choose to cloth diaper through diarrhea…but honestly it helps SO much.
 
We don’t have the “up the back” blowouts with our diapers, especially our bumGenius 3.0s.  It all stays contained nicely.  Using our own cloth wipes and homemade wipe solution saves money as we go through many in a short amount of time.  Our house also doesn’t stink (take your average stinky diaper and multiply it by 10 for an allergy diaper) because we use our diaper sprayer to put the entire stinky mess down the toilet, not into the trash.

Another thing we love about using cloth diapers is when the rash is so bad it starts to bleed (about day 2) we put on a flat or a pre-fold with a snappi and no cover.  They breathe nicely while still protecting our furniture/carpet.  As soon as they are wet/dirty we can tell and change them.  Nothing sits on their skin more than a few seconds.  This also helps dry the rash out so it can heal faster. 
A lukewarm bath with lots of baking soda in the bottom of the tub/sink helps heal them up.  We use Grandma El’s diaper cream after to help protect the rash area.  It smells nice and does a decent job protecting them.

Although we hate to do it, and it is hard to admit, there are times when we have to use disposables.  I know, I know.  Their rashes have gotten bad enough though that we have to put prescription cream on them because of infection.  Our diapers are an investment and I do not recommend using any diaper cream on your cloth that isn’t CD friendly.  Even with Grandma El’s we use a disposable liner to help protect the build-up on our diapers.  Along with that, we do what is medically necessary for them-bleeding blistered bottoms are nothing to mess with.
 
Thankfully our two year old is now potty trained and has learned to not eat every little thing he can get his hands on!  But now we’re starting the journey all over again with our 11 month old.  We’re just so glad we have cloth diapers and CD accessories to help us get through!

By Jenney
Jenney is a home daycare provider and mommy of three.  She has been cloth diapering since October, 2008.  www.thedraystoday.blogspot.com

Dealin' With Diaper Rash

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My Diaper Bag: Double Duty

I am currently cloth diapering two children and this means I need some serious space in my diaper bag.  Although they do take up more space, cloth diapers are not hard to use when out and about.

I currently use Vera Bradley’s diaper bag that I got on an after Christmas sale a couple of years ago.  I love the roominess and built in pockets.  I love that I can put in several pockets/inserts and still have room for my wallet, wipes, and other necessities.  Another plus is that this bag came with a cloth diaper changer that is machine washable.

Here are some things I include in my diaper bag:  wet bag, 2+ diapers per child, Grandma El’s diaper rash cream (I have a child with food allergies, and rashes on his bum are part of the fall-out), cloth wipes, ring toys for the baby, lightweight change of clothes, nursing clover up, a burp cloth, crayons, scrap paper, and bubbles.  I always keep extra things to do in the diaper bag for those “moments” we all have as moms.  Travel size bubbles, like those given out at weddings, are a GREAT distraction for my kids.  I simply re-fill them when they run out or get spilled.  There isn’t enough in them to be any great problem if they do spill, and it is soap water…no harm done!

I keep the “extra” stuff in my interior side pockets, and my diapers/wet bag in the main part so I can easily grab them.  My wipes I usually keep on the inside also, but it can also be beneficial to have them on an outside pocket…always those times where little hands and noses need wiped.  Cloth wipes are great for just that.  I love that my cloth wipes (I make my own solution from a recipe I found at Kelly’s Closet) don’t have added chemicals, so I feel free to wipe their faces and not worry.  I keep my cloth wipes in a “regular” travel wipes container.  I check them before we leave the house and if they are dry, just add a little more water.

Sometimes though we are just taking a quick trip to the library or grocery, and I don’t really need several diapers.  In that case, cloth diapers are SO handy.  I simply take along a small wet bag.  Into the wet bag I put my wipes container,, a one-size pocket, and an insert.  If someone does need a change while we are out, I simply snap my one-size to whoever needs it and adjust the insert accordingly.  My Bum Genius diapers work great for this very thing!

I know other cloth diaper moms who only use cloth them at home, not out in public.  I find that not only do I continue to help the environment/our budget/their bums by using cloth outside of the home, I also am able to answer questions others have about cloth diapering and help spread the love!

By Jenney

My Diaper Bag: Double Duty

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First-Time Mom's Journey with Cloth Wipes and Solutions

My cloth diapering journey began last year at this time.  Black Friday at Kelly's Closet.  I ordered some fitteds, covers, and some going-out-of-stock GroBaby diapers for some amazing prices.  At the time, I wasn't even pregnant yet.  (My husband didn't find out about my purchases until we discovered we were pregnant with our first child in December....)  Since then, I have bought newborn fitteds, BumGenius All-in-Ones, Mother-ease fitteds, and a couple of pocket one-sizes.  I am, as many cloth diapering mothers have said before me, a cloth addict. 

I knew I wanted to cloth diaper since I babysat for a Fuzzi-Bunz cloth diapering family before I was married.  Less smells, less cost, less waste, less rash.  My baby boy, Ezra, was born in August.  We used disposable diapers and wipes for the first two weeks, but then I was looking forward to getting started with my newborn fitteds and covers.  We continued to use disposable wipes until our son was one month old.  Then I brought out the cheap 'baby washcloths' I had bought at a Dollar Store.  I spent $10 and got over 50 wipes.  They work perfectly.  

My wipe solution journey was just beginning.  I began with two plastic tubs: one for my wipe solution of a mix of our natural liquid soap (Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild) and water, and the other for just water.  This system worked nicely until, after a couple weeks, our little boy had a tiny red rash on his bottom.  We used some cloth-friendly rash cream, but it still was a persistent rash.  I investigated further, and since Ezra and I were dealing with breastfeeding thrush, I discovered that white distilled vinegar was a good cure-all for mother's nipples and baby's butt.  I changed my wipe solution system to just one tub of two tablespoons vinegar to a couple cups of water.  This worked fine for a month or so, with no rash. 

However, one morning, after sleeping in his diaper all night, he woke up with an awful blistery rash.  I didn't want to use vinegar on it, so we used water and diaper rash cream (we used California Baby, but I want to buy a tube of Grandma El's) until it went away, two or three days later.  This sad rash made me investigate wipe solutions even further.  Now, I use one tablespoon vinegar, four drops tea tree oil (a natural anti-microbial essential oil, easy to find at a health food store) and the rest water.  It smells nice and he has now been diaper rash free!

This is the system we use at home, but in the meantime, I was still using disposable wipes on the go.  Two weeks ago I realized that his sweet bottom was getting very red from these disposable wipes, even though I bought the so-called 'sensitive' kind.  Since changing to the tea tree oil solution, I have decided to use cloth wipes on the go as well.  Not only is it better for him (no redness!), but it also saves me from picking though his wet bag to throw away the gross disposables.  Now, I fill a small plastic disposable wipes travel case with soaked cloth wipes and go!  I only need one wipe per diaper change, maybe two for a blowout, as compared to six+ disposable wipes. 

I am so excited that I have made the change to all cloth, all the time.  My baby is happier and it is always fun to show others how easy and fun cloth diapering can be.  What trial and error wipes solutions have you tried?  What is your on-the-go cloth wipes routine?

Amy S. is the breastfeeding, cloth-diapering, home-birth mom of three month old Ezra.

First-Time Mom's Journey with Cloth Wipes and Solutions

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Product Focus: Grandma El's

Finally, the end to diaper rash, for good!

The Company:
Founded in 2005, and owned by Jonathan & Melissa Posner, the proud parents of a 2 1/2year old daughter, Giavannah, Grandma El’s Diaper Rash Remedy & Prevention was formulated in early 1972 by Jonathan’s father, Robert Posner, a renowned skin care specialist and cosmetic chemist. It was initially formulated for Jonathans’ stubborn diaper rash in their Long Island home. When it was realized that the product worked so well, Grandma El (Eleanor Posner), found herself hand delivering this miracle to people who had heard of the product from their friends.

Jonathan followed in his mother’s footsteps and as the word of this miraculous product continued to spread, he hand delivered the miracle to friend’s and neighbors at all hours. He then formed the company using the name Grandma El’s and now helps prevent and heal diaper rash throughout the country. If your baby is in diapers, you Need Grandma El’s!

The Inventor:
The product, Grandma El’s Diaper Rash Remedy & Prevention, was formulated in 1972 by Robert M. Posner. At this time, Posner was one of the most well known formulators of wound healing products, lecturing across the country in hospitals and nursing homes including burn units at UCLA, Albert Einstein Medical Center in NY, and The Sam Houston Burn Center in Texas. Robert M. Posner is responsible for research and development for the Company. Posner, a 45 year veteran cosmetic chemist, is known for formulating some of the most effective skin care products available today.

What’s in it
Grandma El’s is manufactured by an FDA and cGMP compliant skin care product manufacturer in New York, USA. Grandma El’s contains no preservatives and only contains ingredients on the FDA GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe) List so you can be assured your baby is getting the safest therapy.

• Natural Vitamin E - an anti-oxidant, derived from Wheat Germ Oil.
• Balsam of Peru natural derivatives - a plant of Peru, known as a healing agent.
• Salicylic Acid - Promotes new skin growth. Derived from Willow Bark.
• Yellow Petrolatum - A moisture barrier. Derived from natural mineral oil.
• Anhydrous Lanolin - Insecticide-Free, Allergy-Free. Protects and heals.
  

Why Grandma El’s
Grandma El’s Diaper Rash Remedy & Prevention is absolutely the most effective diaper changing ointment available today. Used with every diaper change, Grandma El’s will keep your baby free of diaper rash as it prevents, protects, and heals. Grandma El’s is pediatrician recommended & hypo-allergenic, and safe for babies with even the most sensitive skin.

Grandma El’s has put an end to the white, messy paste, lotions, and creams. The patented formula creates a breathable barrier which lets your baby’s skin breathe as it protects from moisture, making it the fastest, most effective product available. Grandma El’s begins working immediately on contact to sooth and heal your baby’s sensitive bottom. Over 76% or our parents are brand loyal to Grandma El’s.

Grandma El’s is the only product tested and approved by Happy Heinys to work with cloth diapers.

If your baby is in diapers, you need Grandma El’s.

Product Focus: Grandma El's

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Fluff Friday 45

This week's giveaway is for :
1-Grandma El's Gift Pak (given by manufacturer)
Set includes one each of Grandma El's Diaper Rash Remedy & Prevention (easy dispense tube), Tear-free Gentle Baby Shampoo, Tear-free Gentle Baby Wash, and Free organic washcloth
1-Smartipants One Size Cloth diaper with Smart Sleeve insert (given by DiaperShops.com)

What to do? Simply leave a comment telling us what brand(s) of baby care skin products do you use (or planning on using) to care for your baby and WHY? You should leave your comment before Thursday, Sept. 10th at 8pm EDT.

What else to know? You can make ONE comment PER DAY. If you want to get more comments there are several ways to do it: Being or becoming one of our followers gives you one extra comment PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY. Simply post a comment saying that you are a follower.

1. Being a subscriber of our blog or subscribing to our blog, gives you one extra comment PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY. Simply post a comment saying that you are a follower.
   
2. Commenting in other posts during the week will give you ONE EXTRA comment PER EACH comment that you make. Simply post a comment on this one saying the title of the post where you wrote your comment. So, what are you waiting for?? Participating in other posts pays off!!!
   
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Have questions?? Visit our FAQ's.

How? We will draw one winner randomly with an "Online Number Generator" and will make a post with the winner on Friday, September 11th. It is the responsibility of the winner to contact us to claim their prize.

Who can participate? US Residents are welcome!

Important note about the winner: If we haven't heard from the winner by the closing time of next week's giveaway, we will choose another winner that will be published TOGETHER with next week's winner.

Good luck, and don’t forget to tell all your family and friends about the giveaway! In case that you don't win, what a better person to win than a friend of yours!!

Fluff Friday 45

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