What's in Your Pocket?

Spare change! Lunch receipt! Barbie shoe! Instead of pants pockets, let’s focus on diaper pockets. After all, this is a diaper blog.

We are a pocket diaper family. Pockets offer the simplicity of an all-in-one without the lengthy dry time. The beauty of pockets is you can adjust absorbency by stuffing them with just about anything. With so many choices on the market, where do you start?

I decided to compare 4 popular pocket stuffins; flour sack towel, Thirsties Hemp Prefold size 1, small Microfiber insert and small Minky insert. I rated each item on a scale of 1 (worst) to 4 (best) in 5 categories; Cost, Trimness, Absorbency, Cleanliness and “Stuffability”. All 4 stuffins were evaluated with a 2011 Fuzzibunz Elite (One Size).

Cost

• Microfiber- Many pocket brands come with a microfiber insert so I have to give this a 4 for cost because it’s free. And you don’t get any cheaper than free.
• Flour Sack Towel (FST)- FSTs get a 3 for cost, as you can pick up FSTs at your local Walmart or Target for as cheap as $1/piece.
• Minky- Minky inserts came standard with the 2011 Fuzzibunz Elites. If you want to get your hands on them now, they come in a 3 pack for $11.95 or if you are lucky, you can find some used. Score: 2
• Hemp Prefold- These stuffins are the most expensive of the group, coming in just under $8/prefold. I personally find this pretty expensive; therefore Thirsties gets a 1.

Trimness
All of these options are pretty trim, but Minky was the trimmest by a slight margin, then the prefold, followed by microfiber with the FST being the bulkiest.

Absorbency
This is when the science nerd in me gets excited. For those of you that snoozed through high school science class, 1 gram of water = 1 mL of water. Therefore, one can conclude that the weight of an insert is directly proportional to the amount of water it absorbs. I weighed each stuffin dry to get a starting weight and then left them in a bucket of water for 10 minutes. I then weighed each saturated stuffin to determine how much water each was able to absorb.

The results were interesting:
Thirsties prefold: 297 mL, score 4
FST: 295 mL, score 3
Microfiber: 254 mL, score 2
Minky: 198 mL, score 1

Cleanliness
To me the most important factor in anything diaper related is how easy it is to clean. Drying time is a big factor in any wash routine. I chose to evaluate the different materials in relationship to dry time. After washing all 4 stuffins, I hung them on the line outside and evaluated dryness every 15 mins. The FST was dry within 30 minutes, earning a 4. The minky insert came in a close second, getting a 3 for dry time. The microfiber insert took about 3 hours to dry, so it earns a 2. Lastly, I took the prefold down after 4 hours and it was still damp, coming in last with a 1.

Stuffability
Lastly, I wanted to evaluate ease of stuffing. I am getting ready to return to work and I would like to spend the shortest amount of time stuffing diapers as possible.

• Minky- I love the feel of minky. Soft to the touch and it glides into the pocket effortlessly. Add the fact that it is designed for this diaper and requires no folding and minky gets a 4.
• Microfiber- This is a personal preference but the feel of microfiber gives me the willies. This friction also makes stuffing the pocket slightly difficult, so I gave microfiber a 3.
• Thirsties Hemp Prefold- I love the jersey feel of this prefold. To fit in the pocket, the prefold must be trifolded before stuffing. Although this takes less than a minute, it is more labor intensive than the other two inserts, so it receives a 2.
• FST- The flour sack towel comes in at 1 because it requires so much folding.

Final totals:
Minky: 14
Microfiber: 13
FST: 12
Prefold: 10

I believe each of these stuffins have value in different circumstances, that’s why I have a variety in my stash. What is your favorite pocket stuffin?

Lindsay is a first time mom to a 2 month old little girl and a crazy dog. She lives with her quiet husband in Illinois and is slowly navigating the journey of motherhood one cloth diaper change at a time. Follow her adventures at thedogatewhat.blogspot.com.

What's in Your Pocket?

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From The Cloth Diaper Whisperer Archives: Why Prefolds Are Easier Than You Think

From The Cloth Diaper Whisperer Archives! This is a favorite blog post about how prefolds can be so easy to use. Originally posted on Jan.20th, 2011.

I found a new favorite cloth diaper. It is very absorbent and I never have leaks. It is affordable and easy to use.

No, it's not the latest pocket or all-in-one diaper. It's not fancy. There's not even a whole lot of science behind it. In fact, it's a little bit old fashioned. What is it, you may ask? It's the prefold.

Scary, yes, I know. When I first started cloth diapering my newborn four months ago, I scoffed at prefolds. Why use those ancient things when there are so many awesome new diapers on the market? But then I found out their dirty little secret: they are cheap and effective, and not nearly as difficult as I imagined them to be.

I decided to try prefolds one day because my rapidly-growing son had hit a point where I was struggling to get his diapers to fit him properly. He changed so much day to day and I was getting frustrated. I was also getting lots of leaks. And, with so many great, convenient diapers on the market, there just had to be a reason that some parents still prefered to use prefolds and flats. What did I have to lose? If I didn't like them I wouldn't be out a ton of money, and I could always use them as rags or burp cloths. I placed an order for half a dozen prefolds, a cover, and a Snappi, then searched the internet to learn the best ways to fold them.

My package arrived a few days later. I prepped the prefolds right away, so I could try them the same day; I am impatient like that. Then, skeptically, I put one on my two month old son for the first time. It actually looked like the ones I saw online! I was pretty darn proud of myself but I knew I had won the battle, not the war... how would it hold up when my son peed? Or, worse, had an explosive poop?

Perfectly, as I soon found out. I have not had a single leak since I started using prefolds. I had a couple instances where I had some slight wicking and his onesie got a little damp--my own fault, for not being more careful when putting on the covers--but never a real leak. Over the past two months I have fine-tuned the art of putting on a prefold. Not to sound too full of myself, but gosh darn it, I am good at it. I can jelly-roll those things like nobody's business.

So yes, I love my prefolds. They are much easier than I ever could have imagined, and very versatile as well. I like that I can let my son go coverless to let his skin breathe. I like that I have the option of using a fleece liner to help him feel dry. I like that I can still have fun with them, and can find prefolds in fun prints, or embellish them myself, or even dye them if I want to. And I love that, with the help of a hemp insert, my son wake up every single morning with dry sheets and jammies.

I still love (and use) my pocket diapers, and I know my likes and needs may change as my son grows. I am already learning how to deal with a very squirmy four month old, which presents a new diapering challenge. I am so glad that modern cloth diapers have made more people (myself included) hop on the cloth diapering bandwagon... but, sometimes, it's okay to be a little old-fashioned.  

By Shanon O.
The Up North Writer Mama

From The Cloth Diaper Whisperer Archives: Why Prefolds Are Easier Than You Think

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The Sneetches, and the Art of a Pocket Diaper

I love Dr. Seuss and yo celebrate I'm adding to my stash. But wait, I can't find any Dr. Seuss diapers anywhere, how do you do this? I solved this problem by making a hidden pul pocket diaper.

Well, the best place to start is a template. Find a diaper you like (or two or three with different things you like about each one), a ruler, and a sharpie. Create something that looks like this:

Then you need to lay out your material. Lay out: the lining material (I prefer flannel), the print, and the pul. Remember to put your lining and print right sides together. In this scenario the pul side should be face up. Then you cut out the material. I prefer a rotary cutter, but scissors would also do the job.

After you have cut out your material you add the snaps for the rise (since this is a os diaper) and the snaps for the front, or the velcro. Whichever you like. I suggest laying out the male and female parts of the snaps in a rough design of what you want so all you have to do is grab as you are using the press or pliers. Put the snaps through the pul and print, but not the liner. Start with the snaps nearest the middle for best results. This gives you a double layer through the snap, and a cover against baby once you turn it. After you put the snaps on align the layers like you did when you cut the fabric out. Don't worry about the tab snaps, those are the last thing.


When you pin the pul/print to the liner to sew the seam, only pin in the seam allowance. (Holes in pul = BAD!!) Typically the seam allowance is 0.25 inches, so if you have a quilting foot, get to know it. Stitch the border seam at the scant 0.25 seam allowance. Turn the diaper. Tack the elastic (12.5 inches when stretched of 0.25 inch width elastic for legs, 10 inches for back) to the leg part. I find the second rise snap to be a good part in the front, and the curve for the tab a good place in the back. Like so:

Topstitch the diaper and be aware of the elastic casings. To make the leg casings, ensure you have about a 0.375 inch topstitching seam. When stitching the casings, pull the elastic taunt so you get the bunching required once you are done. Now, you add the flap snaps and you have a fun diaper with whatever print you want! You get to do a bad thing before you put it on baby though, put it in the dryer on HIGH for about 5 minutes. This will help seal the pul around the seams.

Bio: Carolyn is a work at home mom and regularly reads Dr. Seuss to her 10 month old daughter. In her spare time, her sewing machine gets a work out, provided she isn't hitting the trails pushing/pulling said daughter along.

The Sneetches, and the Art of a Pocket Diaper

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I Pick Pockets

It was time.

Tremblingly, I reached for the diaper. This was the moment of truth, when I discovered if our investment was worth it. With just four quick snaps, it was fastened on my little man’s itty-bitty bum. At 3 weeks old, his legs had chunked up enough to properly fit his one-size pockets, and I had to admit, he and his pretty – uh, I mean handsome – blue diaper looked seriously cute.

By the end of the day, I had come to realize that these diapers were not only cute; they worked, too! Since that momentous day, we have not looked back, and nearly one whole year later (sniff!) I am still pretty pleased with the decision to go with bumGenius pocket diapers.

Whilst price was definitely a deciding factor, we wanted to choose diapers which were easy enough that we would not shirk reaching for them during middle-of-the-night changing times. Changing a pocket diaper is literally as simple as “snap on and go” and are not only Daddy-proof, but also Granny-proof and even 8-year-old-big-sister-proof.

An initial turn-off for me was the idea of needing to stuff the pockets every second day after laundry. In actual fact, this has turned out not to be a big deal at all. In the beginning, when I was still trying to escape the sleep-deprivation induced fog of newborn-dom (alright, who am I trying to kid? He’s nearly one-year old and I am still sleep deprived) I would simply lay out the empty pockets in one basket next to the changing table, and the clean inserts in another basket. Newborns are pretty cooperative at changing time, and it would literally only add about ten seconds to the job for me to stuff the diaper whilst Little Man enjoyed looking at his mobile.

Nowadays, since he has mastered the Crocodile Death-Roll (a maneuver which ends up with the two of us looking like we are trying to perform a wheelbarrow race) it is imperative that the diapers are prepared ahead of time; however (and I am being deadly serious now), I have actually discovered this process to be quite cathartic. After the kids are in bed, I curl up on the sofa with a warm drink, pop some music or a favorite TV show on the Ipad, and get stuffing (And if anybody asks what I am up to, I can say “Sorry – I am working!).

Just like the pockets on a pair of little boy’s jeans (ewww!), there is really a lot you can stuff inside a bumGenius. Back in the day, when I first started, I used to try and make sure the right inserts always went with the same diaper it arrived at my house with (yes, I really can be that anal), but these days I get creative with stuffing. Going for a long trip in the car, and worried about leaks? Add a newborn insert as a booster. Baby a heavy wetter at night? Double stuff with a microfiber and also a hemp insert. We struggled for just a few days with the highly toxic Ammonia-Toddler-Pee (the smell of that stuff was so strong in the mornings that it would knock my bed-socks off) until we realized that stuffing the pocket with natural fibers, like those in a cotton prefold, minimized the smell substantially.

Since those exciting, albeit daunting, days when we first snapped our son into cloth, we have been impressed with the versatility and ease of use of a pocket diaper system; and, most importantly, they look great too! There is, in my opinion, only one thing cuter that a vibrant, soft (and pre-stuffed) pocket diaper, and that is the pair of chubby thunder-thighs which wear them….

Bio: Belinda Lamprecht currently lives in Africa with her husband, working for an international missions agency and raising her two kiddos, one who joined the family through adoption and one…ahem…the old fashioned way. You can read more about their experiences at www.reaboka.wordpress.com

I Pick Pockets

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Fluff Friday 178

Fluff Friday 178

1 BabyKicks Basic Pocket and 1 Premium Pocket diapers

a Rafflecopte r giveaway

Fluff Friday 178

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Self-Proclaimed Pocket Diaper Tester

I love cloth diapering, i love trying all kinds of cloth diapers to compare what i do and don't like about them. When I first started cloth diapering my son i really wanted to find that "perfect diaper" for our family. I have tried the cheapest diaper and also the more expensive diapers and one of the things i have learned is, "you get what you pay for".

I love prefolds and covers and i think that they are pretty good at containing most everything but they are a little harder to use for others so these are our "mommy diapers" that i use on him when i want less laundry and I'm just going to change him. On my quest to find the perfect pocket diaper i tried the "china cheapies", kawaii, bumGenius 4.0, Fuzzibunz os and a couple others... I have no problem with Fuzzibunz but the fit just didn't work for my 23 lb. chunky 7 month old guy so they were out of the competition.

The "china cheapies" are just that... cheap. They leak, the inserts are terribly thin and they are much too skinny in between the legs. The Kawaii heavy duty is definitely a second runner up and is priced great but i have had a couple leaks them. The Kawaii good night heavy wetter is my favorite night time pocket diaper and even though it is bulky i never have a leak with it.

My favorite day time diaper are my bumGenius 4.0. They are amazing!! I use them a lot and have yet to have a leak with them. They are very trim and i can use them on my son with just the one adjustable insert in them. I also can add in the infant insert and use them as a night time diaper and they work great! Only thing i wish bumgenius had more of is prints but i would sacrifice prints to get a good quality diaper any day!

So i guess my point is that for our family bumGenius are our favorite pocket diaper. They are dad friendly, daycare friendly and babysitter friendly and if pre-stuffed are just as easy (and much more pleasant smelling) than disposables. I wish i could give everyone who uses disposables just one BG 4.0 to try out because i think that if people could see that cloth diapering is not just plastic pants, prefolds and pins we would have more mommas come to the other side. My other recommendation for any diaper is to get snaps. I don't think hook & loop(Velcro) is much easier and it wears out faster and you have to make sure to always fold them in before washing so the Velcro does not snag on stuff. No one here has minded our snaps and the 2 hook & loop i have never get used and don't fit as good in my opinion. I also think that the extra you spend on a good diaper is worth it especially if you plan to have more kids because a bumGenius will last through multiple children unlike some of the cheap diapers that i have tried that are wearing out after 2 months.

Keep in mind that all baby's have different body types so different diapers work better for different babies. I think the beginning is always a learning curve to find what you love. Good luck diaper shopping and have fun, and if your ever having a crappy diaper day, buy a cute color in the diaper you love and it will give you a much needed boost and get you out of your rut.

Rachel is a stay at home, proud cloth diapering mom and wife to an amazing husband, 6 year old son, 4 year old daughter and 7 month old son who loves being green and teaching others how easy it is to be green. She is passionate about breastfeeding and organic living and loves to shop for cloth diapers.

Self-Proclaimed Pocket Diaper Tester

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Traveling with Cloth Diapers: The Diapers Are Not the Hard Part

We have accomplished two big trips with our daughter so far, a plane trip to visit my sister, and a seven hour car trip to visit friends.  We knew there would be a washer and dryer at our destination, so we just planned on diapering like usual.

For the plane trip, our daughter was three months and we had one day’s worth of diapers with us, all of our AIOs and pocket diapers).  We packed her diaper bag liked we would pack for a long day out, and then packed extra diapers in my suitcase.  Her clothes are so little that the diapers taking up space was not a big deal.  What was more of a big deal was the carseat!  My sister didn’t have one, so we had to bring ours, a bucket seat with base at the time.  Our first flight ran a bit late, so our connection was tighter than it was supposed to be.  The flight attendants were awesome in letting us (seated in the back) off the plane first!  Looking back, strategizing about the fastest way to get to the next gate seems kind of funny, and I’m sure I looked ridiculous with that carseat over my shoulder running through the airport!  Dad and baby hurried ahead to check in while I waited for our gate checked carseat.

We changed her in airport bathrooms, in a quiet spot near the ticket counter, in the airplane bathroom (that fold down thing is way too tiny!), and on our laps on the airplane.  The diapers were never the problem.  The problem was someone spelled my name wrong on my boarding pass and the security guy sent us back to get a new one (I should have checked before leaving the counter, I know, I know).  I learned that security will make you take off your perfectly wrapped Moby holding your sleeping baby, leaving you on the other side of the metal detector holding your now unhappy awake baby with no hands to grab your stuff and now crumpled Moby after its trip through the x-ray machine as you scramble to get to your gate.

For the car trip, she was five months and we had about two days’ worth of diapers.  Packing was much less strategic for this trip. We took our big wet bag for the diaper pail and put all the clean diapers in that and put it in the car.  Again, the diapers were easy.  It was keeping baby entertained when she wasn’t sleeping that was difficult.  We planned on stopping a bunch for changing and feeding breaks, and things went smoother with me sitting next to baby to give her the dropped toy or pacifier she wanted.

While it may sound intimidating, traveling with cloth diapers really isn’t that hard.  The diapers are not the hard part at all.  What I really like about using cloth diapers while traveling is that you don’t have to hunt down a trash can when you are done with the diaper change.  The pack in, pack out aspect appeals to me.  This is rather convenient when you can’t make it to the airplane bathroom due to turbulence or not enough time left in the flight, or you are at some random highway off ramp.

Bio:  Melissa is Mom to one little girl and she enjoys talking about baby gear.  She is also the fiber artist at RainyDayArt.

Traveling with Cloth Diapers: The Diapers Are Not the Hard Part

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Traveling With Cloth

I have to admit, the first time we ventured back “home” with our little bundle of joy I was extremely apprehensive about packing all of our fluff and whether other family members would be comfortable changing the dreaded cloth diaper.  Regardless, I packed up all of the fluff that we had at the time, a small container of soap, and a wet bag hoping for the best.   On this trip my son was 3 ½ months old and we flew which is only a little over an hour-long flight.  He wore ‘sposies in transit because that is what I was most comfortable with, at the time, changing in public.  Once we were at my parent’s house I did my best with using cloth but being a novice cloth diaperer, we ended up using mostly ‘sposies.  At the end of the trip I was pretty bummed about this.

Our next two trips we drove and used ‘sposies in the car but mostly cloth once we were at my parent’s house.  The nice thing about staying with family is the availability of a washing machine.  My mom used cloth on me so she didn’t have any hesitations about me washing our cloth in her machine.  Our next trip we used cloth in the car but there were times when other people changed him and used disposable wipes and diapers.  I don’t know if it was a combination of climate change and the disposables, but the end of this trip and a few days after being home and solely using cloth diapers and wipes, my poor son had “baboon butt”…aka bad diaper rash.  It didn’t seem to bother him much, but it was a sad sight.

I am proud to say that our last trip “home” over Mother’s Day weekend we did not use a single disposable diaper or wipe on my son’s bum!  My husband and I did most of the changing and when someone else would change him I would just set out a pre-stuffed pocket diaper (generally FuzziBunz Perfect Size as I find that those are the easiest to snap) and tell them what settings to snap it on. 

My biggest fear, in the beginning, about traveling with cloth was how to pack it all.  The system that has worked incredibly well for us is rolling all of our pre-stuffed pocket diapers into a tote bag plus some flats (for extra night time stuffing), doublers, a small container of laundry soap, come cloth wipes, a spray bottle, biodegradable liners, coconut oil (for his eczema and as a barrier at night) , and a large wet bag.  I made a “changing station” by hanging the wet bag on the closet door and kept a spray bottle of water and cloth wipes close by.  While out and about I just carry a small wet bag filled with 2 pre-stuffed pocket diapers, 4-5 cloth wipes, a small spray bottle filled with water, and a couple of plastic grocery bags for the dirties.  I was able to wash the diapers every other day just as I do at home.  For traveling home, I just left the dirties in the large wet bag and stuffed them in the trunk with the rest of the luggage.  I did make sure to do a wash the night before heading home so that I didn’t have many dirties.

So don’t worry if you relapse to ‘sposies here and there, we sure did. I am so happy that we are now comfortable traveling with cloth and our confidence in doing so got stronger with each trip.

Happy Cloth Diapering!

By Michelle P.

Traveling With Cloth

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Real Diapers vs. Fake Diapers

I first encountered cloth diapers while working in an overcrowded donation center at our local crisis pregnancy center. I was just recently married with no children yet, and I  remember picking up a stack of prefolds and thinking, “Wow, they still make these? Who on earth would still be using cloth diapers in this day and age? I know I wouldn’t!” Just a few months later, I found my pregnant self wandering the baby aisles in the store, and I was shocked at the prices of disposable diapers. Since we were going to be living on just my husband’s salary as I stayed home with our baby, the task fell to me to figure out ways to save money. My midwife had suggested I look into cloth diapers because they are easy on the wallet, and I figured I should at least keep an open mind about it.

I had imagined cloth diapers to be the rubber pants anpins that my grandmother’s described, and at the time that wasn’t too appealing to me. After some fast and furious online research I found out that the cloth diapers of today are affordable and downright cute! I picked out the brand I wanted to try- a bumGenius 3.0 one-size pocket diaper . I also learned some other compelling reasons to cloth diaper: they’re better for the environment, softer for baby’s skin, and they harbor no harmful chemicals.

I was on board for cloth diapering, but my husband still wasn’t a big fan of cloth (or maybe it was just diapers in general!) So we started cloth diapering our newborn baby girl only part-time at first with 12 bumGenius 3.0’s. I loved them from the get-go. Not only did they hold her breastmilk poop explosions almost every time (the disposables were laughably languishing in that area), but we saved a ton of money! They more than paid for themselves within just a few months. Soon enough I became a cloth diapering addict and was determined to cloth diaper full time, even at night and while traveling. My favorites have always been the one-size diaper, because they grew with my baby from birth to toddlerhood, and have even lasted through two babies now!

When I first started cloth diapering I had no idea of the variety of choices! You can get them with snaps or velcro, in one size or fitted sizes, all in ones (with the prefold sewn in), or covers with prefolds! I had previously said I would NEVER use prefolds, I had always thought those way too old fashioned. Well, funny thing is, now they are becoming my go-to diaper for my second child! I never realized how easy they are to use. The Flip diaper and Econobum have given us great results so far, no leaks, and no stuffing involved after wash time! Prefolds have definitely provided an affordable diaper for us as a family cloth diapering more than one child.

I didn’t personally know anyone cloth diapering when I started my journey, so online resources like www.theclothdiaperwhisperer.com have been invaluable to me as I have dealt with “fluffy” issues. When we encountered leaks with our pocket diapers, I learned to strip them and tried different detergents thanks to other mom’s online suggestions. It’s so nice to have support from somewhere!

Using the cloth diaper has also helped us to expand our ideas of things to “reuse.” We  now also use cloth wipes, cloth training pants, cloth napkins, more cloth towels instead of paper towels, and the list goes on! My husband finally did come around to appreciating all of the advantages of cloth and the savings it brings us. One day back when we were still part-time cloth diapering our first child (she was around 3 months old), I remembering hearing hear my husband yell out to me, “Do you want me to put a fake one or a real one on Claire?” I paused in disbelief. Did my husband just refer to cloth diapers as the “real ones” and disposables as the “fake ones”? I yelled back to him, “Put a real one on her!” Ah, the sweet smell of success- he was finally convinced!

Julie B. is wife to Timothy and WAHM to Claire (2) and Wesley (9 months).

Real Diapers vs. Fake Diapers

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A Swim Diaper Changed It All

If you had asked me a year ago if we used cloth or disposable diapers on our then 4-month-old girl, I would have looked at you like you were insane for even asking and answered disposables. Cloth diapers had been mentioned to me maybe once or twice by my mom while I was pregnant. I didn’t take her seriously at all. I had seen those squares of material she later used as dust cloths after I was done with diapers. If only I had known.

Fast-forward a couple of months. I was planning to start a mommy and me swim class with the Miss. For the class, she needed a swim diaper and vinyl pants over it. The pool sold them, but there had to be something better on the Internet, right? What did I find? Re-usable cloth swim diapers with a waterproof outer shell? That would work! And, what are these other things this website sells? bumGenius? Pocket diaper? All-in-one? Huh? I was intrigued but ordered my swim diaper and nothing else.

Around the same time, my best friend was deep in planning for her first baby. She mentioned to me that she was looking into cloth diapers. We have always been highly competitive. So, obviously, if there was something to this cloth diaper thing, I couldn’t let her out-do me. I really started looking into cloth more seriously. The money savings was a big plus. Not having to buy diapers or worrying about how many we had left was a bigger plus. I will admit that, at the time, the environmental benefits didn’t matter that much to me, but it didn’t hurt. Not having all those chemicals against Miss’s eczema prone skin also was a benefit. But, the choices were overwhelming. What do I do?

That’s when I had the fortune of coming across a way to try out a bunch of diapers. I mentioned all the insanity to my husband, not really being sure of what he would say, and he was all for it. We were able to try flats, prefolds, fitteds, all-in-ones, pockets, one-size diapers, snap-ins. It was great. I still remember the first cloth diaper that went on our daughter’s bum: a bumGenius! 3.0 one-size pocket diaper in blossom. The Miss loved it, as you can see in the blurry cell phone photo to capture the moment.

We ordered a stash of bumGenius! 4.0’s when they came out. Luckily for us, my mom watches Miss, so daycare and cloth wasn’t an issue.  Washing and using cloth diapers full-time quickly became part of our daily routine. Most people think I’m insane when they find out we use cloth on our girl. Then, I show them a diaper. You can see that moment of realization on their faces. It may not be an “I’m going to get a bunch of these right now!” moment, but their curiosity is definitely peaked. Just making them aware of modern cloth diapers helps spread the fluffy love.

After a late start in cloth and a little wavering in the beginning, I am definitely known as a cloth diaper addict. I’m fine with that, and I try to spread my addiction everywhere we go. Cloth has even made me more environmentally conscious. We have switched to natural cleaning supplies and toiletries. We use reusable snack and sandwich bags. I’m even trying to convince my husband to ditch the paper towels, and we’re going to be installing a rain barrel in the next few weeks. Who would have thought that a swim diaper would have completely altered most of my life? Thank you modern cloth diapers.

Melissa is a first time mommy with a very active and amazing 16-month-old girl. When not working, she can be found playing with her girl, working around the house, exercising, or doing something related to cloth diapers. :o)

A Swim Diaper Changed It All

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Cloth Diapering, Third Baby's a Charm

I am an attorney, as is my husband. We currently live in Berkeley with our two daughters, and are expecting our son this May.

With our first child, I shuddered at the thought of cloth diapering. I had decided it was not for me before really knowing anything about it. Then, one of my closest new mom friends started cloth diapering and learning and sharing more about it. I became somewhat interested, but my husband was adamantly against it, and being a law student married to a law student, we already struggled to keep up with adult sized laundry, let alone that of our new babe. Then, with our second child, things in our lives were even more hectic, my husband was taking the California Bar Exam just 4 days after our second baby was born. He maintained his reservations, and told me that he would not change a cloth diaper. Thus, due to circumstance, it just wasn't an option for us.

Then, however, when our first daughter was about 3 years old and finally potty trained during the day, and our then 19 month old was nowhere near being potty trained, I became frustrated and appalled at how much we were spending on diapers. (I am painfully aware of the waste treatment issues and the fact that it takes 500 years for a disposable diaper to decompose). I found myself buying large boxes of diapers to be used for our larger daughter only at night, and for our toddler day and night. Not only was it costly, but incredibly wasteful and daunting. Afterall, the disposable diapers simply did not hold the amount of liquid we needed them to, regardless of brand, size, absorbency. Every night, at around three or four in the morning I would hear the familiar, "Mama! Come change me, my jammies are wet!" and of course they were, along with all of her sheets and blankets. There had to be another way.

It was then that I decided that I was done buying disposables, especially with another little one on the way. I also keep on top of all of our laundry and the girls', I figured it wouldn't be too daunting to do a load of diapers every other day. So, I decided that I would buy cloth diapers, since I could use them for both girls and their soon to be here little brother. Plus, once my three year old is night trained, I can use the diapers for another one of the kids, and it won't be a waste of money or material.

It was important to me to do my research in advance, afterall, I didn't want to buy a diaper that would be too small for a 3 year old, or too big for a newborn. I got in touch with my friend who had CD'ed her two little ones all along, as well as some other moms online, and gave them my two daughters' sizes, and my criteria, and based on that information placed my order. I had heard the prefolds were one of the least expensive ways to get into CD'ing, so I picked up an Econobum, and my friend sent me some that her girls had outgrown, along with a Bummis cover and a Fuzzibunz pocket diaper. I ordered two Thirsties fab fitteds size large that were on sale for my 3 year old to wear at night in addition to two covers and 4 of the BabyKicks joeybunz hemp inserts, since I had heard these worked well overnight. I also picked up a Flip diaper, to see how that compared to pocket diapers.
With my first order from Kelly's Closet, I received a free KaWaii diaper, an economical pocket diaper, and I loved how well they held up for the price, so I made sure to pick up a couple more in my next order. I also ordered a Happy Heinys and a Knickernappies, upon another mom's recommendation, and a bumGenius, for good measure. For my next order, I received a free Rumparooz, which I anticipated as being the perfect fit for our newborn, since big thighs run in our family, and it didn't fit my girls that well. I've since received another Rumparooz, a camoflage Kawaii, and a cow print Kawaii as gifts for my son's stash (thank goodness for cloth diaper baby registries!), and I ordered a few more Econobums and bumGeniuses for my daughters. I try to take full advantage of the different sales, and keep up on reviews from both friends and blogs.

I started out with All Free & Clear, but after reading detergent reviews, was happily surprised to find that our local Whole Food's carries Planet, so I switched to that. My husband admits that the laundry isn't as bad as he thought it was, I got a laundry hamper and drying rack on sale at Ikea, and we've slowly gotten into a comfortable routine. My older daughter comments about the colors of the diapers, and I point out which ones will be for her soon coming little brother. The picture I've attached is of my first order of diapers and prefolds from a friend, which I've since added to. My stash is definitely a source of pride. I only wish it had worked out for our family sooner!

By Caitlyn

Cloth Diapering, Third Baby's a Charm

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Relax! Thirsties, or something, will save the day.

My oldest daughter is almost four years old, and my youngest is nine months, so that means I've been in the middle of a love affair with cloth diapering for four years.  Four years of fluff and experimenting with laundry soap. I can proudly say that by this time, we have a routine, a favorite diaper and all of the stress and confusion of diapering has long since faded away.

I remember that when I made a decision to use cloth, I did a little research and was immediately flooded with information and options.  Some people swore by prefolds because they were the cheapest.  Some people said that All-In-Ones were the best option because they were lower maintenance, even if they took longer to dry than Pockets.  Some mamas swore by Country Save Detergent and some of them used,Tide-gasp!  My head was swimming and I felt like maybe I wasn't smart enough to cloth diaper.  There were just too many options and opinions to make a real decision about how to go about keeping my baby clean and dry.

In the end, I purchased an enormous stash of every kind of diaper imaginable.  I stressed about washing them in the right detergent at the right temperature and whether to line or machine dry.  I was thrown into a panic when my daughter woke up one morning with ammonia stinkies.  "Oh god!" I thought. "Not the dreaded ammonia stinkies!"

Over time, I have realized that all of my planning and stressing was totally pointless.  I realized that everybody has different advice and swears by different diapers and detergent not because they want to confuse new mamas, but because there really are a number of combinations that work. After four years of cloth diapering experience, what works for us is a stash of mainly Fuzzibunz and bumGenius with a generous helping of prefolds, (which double as barf blankets for my insanely reflux-ey babies.) 

The diapering accessory that I value about all else might just be the diaper cover.  We're a Thirsties family and our covers have saved the day on more than one occasion.  There are occassions where I wake up to realize that I put every single diaper I own into the wash to soak last night and then forgot about them.  Occasions like when I totally forgot to pack the five diapers I assembled this morning for an all day trip to the zoo.  I have been known to stick a couple of folded one-sies into a diaper cover, or one of my husband's old t-shirts.  I have folded a receiving blanket and placed it into a cover, and you know what?  All of these makeshift diapers worked just as well as my original stash of fancy assorted have to have it designer diapers.  Even the one-sies stuffed into a Thirsties cover. We went for hours without a single leak.

While I prefer to snuggle my baby into a sized Fuzzibunz or a bumGenius One Size, I have also learned to relax about which brand and make of diaper I'm using.  There is no ultimate diaper that is universally praised above all others, by all mamas. The best way to diaper is with an open mind and a willingness to try new things.  The ammonia stinkies can always be fixed, (especially with the aid of Rockin' Green, in my opinion), the thirty-five dollar diapers still get pooped in, (not that the cuteness and softness aren't totally worth it), and you'll survive... even if all you have at your disposal are a hand towel and a pair of plastic pants.  Don't be afraid to experiment and try not to get overwhelmed by options!  Everybody eventually figures out what works best for them.  Happy diapering!


BIO:  Amanda is a mommy to two amazing girls.  She lives in Pittsburgh where she can be found either biking or baking, depending on the weather.  She blogs, often and with enthusiasm, at http://www.demandablueblog.blogspot.com.

Relax! Thirsties, or something, will save the day.

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Keeping Me On My Toes

I started cloth diapering over 10 months ago.  My children were about 6 months old and 30 months old when we switched.  We started with prefolds and covers, and we got some hemp for over nights and pockets for my husband/errands.  Within two months, we were using cloth 99% of the time.  And within another two months, I only had one in diapers as my daughter decided to finally potty train (herself).  Life got easy – I had a routine, and things were working great. 

Then one day I decided to strip our hemp and prefolds because they were starting to smell.  It took longer than I thought, so I just used two microfiber inserts at night and hoped for the best.  And well, I learned he didn’t even need that.  I had noticed the prefold/hemp combination hadn’t been completely soaked before, but I was afraid to try less.  And having to use two microfiber at night proved to me he didn’t need all that stuffing.  So, I got to try some new options.  I settled on Econobums at night if I was changing, and a bumGenius 4.0 or KaWaii pocket stuffed with an Econobum prefold if my husband had our son that night.  I was actually happy about this.  It meant I got to use the hemp and more pockets during the day.  They are cuter than our covers and are trimmer.  All was going well, and I had a new routine.

And then I ordered some flats.  We are expecting #3 this summer, and I knew these would be great for the baby.  I also thought that would be good for a trimmer option to prefolds for our son.  The first day went fine.  I had to remember to change more often, but it wasn’t a huge deal.  I expected this since I had a few less layers of cotton on him.  Then came the second day – a day I learned my son had changed his habits!  I first put him in a flat with a Snappi.  My plan was to change him about an hour later, just before we went to church.  Within 20 to 30 minutes, there was a puddle!  He had leaked straight through the flat on to the floor.  I thought it was just because I hadn’t used a cover.  So, I snappied another flat on him and put a cover on top.  Less than 45 minutes later, he had leaked.  I thought he might have sat in something (like water from the bath tub since he likes to pour water on the floor).  But, by the time we got to church, it was clear that he had soaked the flat.  I changed him into his hemp pocket, and thought we were through with leaks.  Less than 3 hours later, he was leaking again!  The hemp combination had lasted us at least 4 hours in the past (when we are out and about without a good spot to change him). 

On the way home from church, I started thinking.  His night time diaper hadn’t been soaked.  But, he hadn’t drunk too much in the afternoon.  Instead, he drank a bunch that morning.  He was becoming more like his sister – able to drink two sippy cups of milk or water in a short period of time.  This is what had made her a heavy wetter, and now he is following in her footsteps.  So, now I have to rethink all of my diapering again.  I have to “monitor” his drinking and consider that when I diaper him.  On normal days, I can go with one flat pad folded for two to three hours.  I can go with a hemp insert for 3-4 hours.  But, other days I know I need to “double up” on his stuffing.

The challenge can be fun, but sometimes it is just easier to “overstuff” just in case!

By Stephanie U
Stephanie is a soon-to-be mom of three, all under the age of 4 years old.  She switched to cloth diapers of money reasons, and now is addicted to them.

Keeping Me On My Toes

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Some REAL Cloth Diapering Basics

Everyone does their research – and everyone talks about how overwhelming all the information out there about cloth diapers can be.

It drives me crazy though, how many times (it seems like a million!) I have read the same “basics” over again. That modern cloth diapers aren’t anything like the old-fashioned kind and that there are basically four types (all-in-ones, hybrids, pockets and diaper-cover combos).  Some throw in there the pros and cons of snaps and aplix/hook-and-loop (and by that they mean Velcro). Yes, we get it.  That part was easy to figure out.  But having used cloth diapers almost exclusively for about 5 months now, there are plenty of OTHER things I wish someone had spelled out so simply.  Buying the diapers was the fun part, but using and caring for them is another experience.

So here are my recommendations for the must-knows about cloth diapering (a verb) as opposed to cloth diapers (noun):

• When prepping your diapers to use for the first time, natural fabrics need washed several times. You don’t have to wash microfiber repetitively to get them to full absorbency. That is something that doesn’t seem to be widely understood.
•  Even when you’ve read a thousand articles to help you choose the best system for you, you might be surprised by what you end up liking. I’d recommend trying a few different types of diapers before throwing all your money into one kind.
• As for keeping them clean, well, let’s just say this can take some practice and LOTS of water. Expect your water bill to go up some. Expect to sniff diapers on a regular basis. Expect to be paranoid about if they’re actually clean. And then just when you think you have it all figured out, expect something to throw you off track again. I still struggle with all this, but the basics? Be very careful about what you put on your diapers. The only truly safe thing in my humble opinion? Strive to make skin, pee, poo and a cloth-diaper safe detergent the only things to ever touch them, ever.
• I’ve read about adding everything from vinegar, baking soda or bleach to the wash but before you do anything to risk harm to your diapers (They are an investment, people!), try a few things first: rinse each diaper as it’s dirtied; soak them with your cloth-diaper safe detergent for awhile; do some extra rinses, and then some more extra rinses.
• Also, the less time the waterproof fabrics spend in the dryer, the better: My routine is to hang up all the shells while the inserts go in the dryer.
• Despite many articles you might read about how wonderful cloth is for baby’s skin, it’s unrealistic to expect that you won’t ever have a rash again. Acidic foods, bacteria, a too-wet diaper, the switch to solids, are all among the things that can still make rashes happen. When they do, take care to protect those costly cloth diapers from making any contact with butt cream. This has probably been my biggest battle.
• When you experience leaking or other issues, don’t give up. I have been lucky in this department, but after all the reading I’ve done I know there’s a solution for everything, so seek help from someone who knows what they are doing (the wonderful people at The Cloth Diaper Whisperer’s Facebook page are always willing to give advice!) and don’t give up.
• Even when you have it all figured out, don't assume other people do. When you let someone else (dad, day care, grandma) put a diaper on your baby, make sure they have it down too or else you might end up with the dreaded butt cream, an upside down insert or too-loose snaps, to name a few.
• And finally, expect to become an obsessed advocate. Even when there are times the things drive you crazy, you’ll fall in love with how much less trash you and your baby are creating, how much better your house smells (Have you ever emptied a full Diaper Genie?), and not having to throw diapers in the shopping cart week after week.

 Jessica is a working mom of one toddler and recently started blogging about her juggle with going green at tangledupingreen.blogspot.com.

Some REAL Cloth Diapering Basics

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The Science of Washing Cloth Diapers

If washing CD's is THE reason, or even A reason that you won't even consider CDing then I am here to let you know that it really is not that much more work.  I have a stash of around 16 CD's and I wash every other day.  That seems like a lot, but once I got my "washing system" down, it is just another part of the day that I don't even blink an eye at.

First, the set up.  Next to my changing table I have a Rubbermaid trash pail that I line with a diaper pail liner (you can get these at any CDing website).  When I take the diaper off, and there is only pee in it, I pull the insert out (if it is a pocket diaper) and throw it into the pail.  If there is poo in there, I just place that in the toilet and flush.  When Sam was exclusively breast feeding his poo was entirely water soluble so I would throw the CD straight into the pail as it will wash right out in the washing machine.  There have been times where I have done the toilet dunk and that works (I don't get disgusted easily in this regard).  Now that he is on solid foods I have ordered a diaper sprayer and can’t wait for it to get here! I keep some baking soda on his changing table and sprinkle that in the pail after a poopy diaper.

When it is time to wash, I take the pail liner filled with the dirties and place them in the washing machine.  This has been a trial and error process and I have learned a lot from following Diapershops.com on Facebook.  The method I use is what works with our HE front load washing machine and our very hard water.  First things first, I use Rockin' Green CD laundry soap in Hard Rock and love it and absolutely adore their 2 sided, magnetic laundry scoop!  I start with a warm/warm cycle and use half of the recommended amount of Calgon water softener along with half of the small side of the scoop full of Rockin' Green (remember, I have a front load machine so I generally use, at most, half of the recommended).  Once the first cycle is complete I run a second cycle on hot/cold with half of the large side of the scoop full of Rockin' Green.  The keys to this cycle are: to pause the cycle once the machine fills with water and add 2 pitchers full of HOT water through the detergent port and let it stay on pause for as long as my machine allows in order to soak and to add an extra rinse to the end of this cycle.  That's it for washing, it may seem like a lot but like I said, I HAVE IT DOWN.

On to drying.  I do not put anything with PUL (the diaper covers, pail liners) in the dryer to help them last longer.  I like to dry my CD's outside so that they can sun in order to get any stains and smells out.  The sun acts as a natural bleaching agent.  I do put my inserts, prefolds, doublers, etc. into the dryer for a brief amount of time so that we do not get "crunchy diaper syndrome."

Once dry, I stuff my pocket diapers with their liners and place them all into their drawers and that's that.  No folding.  Stuffing yes, but that isn't necessary, I just do it so that I don't have to stuff when I am changing him.  And honestly, most of the time the clean diapers lie in a pile in front of the changing table for a while before being put away.

A few key notes:
    •    Do not use dryer sheets with your CD's, they can cause build up which makes them repel
    •    Bleach is not recommended on CD's
    •    Check with your CD manufacturer's website as to their washing recommendations


Well, that is all I really have to say about washing.  I promise, it isn't nearly as bad as it seems.

Happy Cloth Diapering!

By: Michelle P.

The Science of Washing Cloth Diapers

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Cloth Diapers in a Home Day Care

I initially started cloth diapering my son because it just seemed more natural. Disposable diapers are papery, have an odd odor, and no amount of printed on cartoon characters is going to improve their looks.  However, obviously getting started in cloth diapering is a financial undertaking, and I hoped to save money, as well.  I started cloth diapering my son when he was about 4 months old. I was working full time, and while he was at daycare he wore disposables. I used cloth on the weekends, in the evening, and through the summer (I’m a teacher).  With this system, I don’t know that I saved a ton of money. I probably broke about even, and maybe saved a little.

My daughter was born six years later, and I knew I would start with cloth right away.  She first wore Kissaluvs size 0’s with Thirsties covers, and then when she was about two months old, I switched to FuzziBunz smalls and BumGenius.  When she was about three months old, I went back to work.  I was using a different home-based care provider this time around, and I approached her about using cloth diapers. I brought along a FuzziBunz and wet bag to show her how it would work, and after seeing how simple the cloth diapers were, she readily agreed that using cloth diapers would be just fine. It’s no more work to change a pre-stuffed pocket diaper than a disposable one—the main issue was keeping all of the used diapers in a wet bag. Every day when I take my daughter to the sitter’s house, I bring along 4 pre-stuffed pocket diapers, 4 moist cloth wipes (in a disposable travel holder), and a small wet bag. The diaper bag also contains some Grandma El’s diaper cream, and a few disposable diapers and wipes in case of an emergency. For my cloth wipes solution, I use 10 oz. of water, 20 drops of grapefruit seed extract (to prevent a musty smell), and a drop of baby soap. This system has worked out perfectly.  When I get home from picking her up, I go through the wet bag and separate the diapers and inserts, spray the diapers off if necessary, and toss them in my large wet bag. I wash cloth diapers about every 2-3 days.
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Before approaching my sitter, I did check the laws for day care homes.  These may vary by state, but in Illinois, the code specifically mentions cloth diapers. According to the Licensing Standards for Day Care Homes, “A toilet shall be easily accessible so that the contents of reusable diapers may be disposed of before placing the diapers in the diaper pail. Disposable diapers and their contents shall be  disposed of in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. “

My daughter Campbell is 8 months old now, and she’s been cloth diapered 99.5% of the time since the day we came home from the hospital.  She’s only worn disposables a handful of times.  She currently wears FuzziBunz size mediums and BumGenius.  I wish I had kept better records of what I paid for the diapers I have and how much I’ve earned back by selling the ones we are no longer using, but if I had to guess I’d say we are currently getting close to the break-even point and from now on we will just be investing in detergent and water, assuming she is like my son and wears size medium through toddlerhood.

I am very thankful for my open-minded sitter who is willing to use cloth diapers. No only are we saving money, we are helping the environment, she has more natural fibers against her bottom, and she looks adorable!

Jan Scott
Mom of Evan, 6, and Campbell, 8 months

Cloth Diapers in a Home Day Care

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The Magical Material of Hemp

When I first though about cloth diapering, I looked into all my options – I checked out prefolds, flats, pockets, all-in-ones, fitted, covers, liners, and more.  I loved the idea of using prefolds or flats and covers but I was not in love with the Indian prefolds I checked out – it seemed a little too bulky for me.  Thankfully, someone suggested I look into hemp – I was fortunate to have a local diaper service here in Charlotte that had organic hemp flats as an option for weekly delivery and she gladly brought some over so I could check them out.  Up to that point, I had heard a little about hemp but had no idea what an important role it would play in my cloth diaper routine. 

Hemp has become such a popular choice in cloth diapering for a variety of reasons.  I initially chose to use hemp because it seemed far trimmer than comparably sized cotton prefolds.  I quickly learned that the trimness did not at all limit its absorption – in fact, hemp is far more absorbent than its cotton counterparts.  Estimates are that hemp can be three times to seven times more absorbent than cotton!  Hemp is also a more sustainable crop than cotton – it grows quickly on less land and requires little or no pesticides or herbicides.   This is a win-win for me!

I began my journey with hemp using Willow Sprout organic hemp flats and Babykicks hemp flats secured with a Snappi and covered with a Bummis Super Whisper Wrap or Thirsties Duo Wrap cover.  The combination worked great for my little guy during the day.  However, as my baby got bigger and slept longer, I needed a better nighttime solution than a hemp flat and a cover.   I started using pocket diapers at night – mainly Bumgenius or Fuzzibunz – but that wasn’t doing the trick either.  Hemp to the rescue… I took my hemp flat, folded it in half and stuffed it in the pocket as a doubler.  Perfect.  This worked so well but I kept a lookout for other hemp doubler options that might be a little less bulky.  I found that there were a variety of hemp doublers and inserts available so I began to try them out.  Hemp Babies Diaper Doublers provided a smaller alternative for stuffing into my BG or Fuzzibunz pocket.  These doublers are super thin – I could even add two – and they don’t add much bulk to the diaper at all. 

As my 7 pound baby tripled in size and became a 21 pound, five month old monster, I decided to test out hemp flats folded in half and used in a Flip cover.  Beautiful!  This option was super easy and was easy to execute – fold in half, tuck into the flip cover, put on baby.   With the success of hemp on my baby, I quickly realized that hemp would probably be a great addition to my toddler’s nighttime diaper.  We have Happy Heiny Trainers, Mother Ease, Green Acre Designs, and Fuzzibunz  in our toddler’s stash – adding a hemp doubler to these diapers has completely eliminated any “overflow” issues that we would occasionally experience at night.  No more wet sheets! 

Using hemp has worked out really well for us.  Hemp is naturally anti-microbial and anti-bacterial, I haven’t had any residual odor issues like I have had with some of my microfleece inserts.  Hemp washes well but it can take quite a while to dry!   Having spoken to other moms, the other downsides to hemp seem to be that if your child is a quick and heavy wetter, the hemp might not absorb the liquid fast enough so you might experience some leaking if you are using hemp alone.  Also, when you first add hemp to your stash, the prep time might take longer than you are used to!  Hemp requires 4 or 5 prewashes – washing and drying – before you can start to use it.  Don’t be surprised if the hemp shrinks a bit as well – and becomes softer with each wash.  Truthfully, the hemp might not even be fully absorbent for another 4 or 5 washes.  Of course, the final downside for some might be the cost.  Hemp definitely costs more.  But, in my experience, it is worth every penny.  Add some hemp to your stash and test out the magical mysteries of this material for yourself!

By Erin Brighton, MPH, M.Ed. – Charlotte, NC

The Magical Material of Hemp

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Putting Together The Perfect (Fluffy) Baby Shower Gift

I love putting together new baby gifts for friends and family members! Whether your friends plan to cloth diaper, they already cloth diaper, or you are trying to convert them to cloth diapering, putting together a fluffy baby shower gift is always appreciated. For baby #4, my favorite welcome gifts came from my cloth diaper expert moms: new diapers in fun prints, accessories I never knew existed, or a gift card to put to use however I needed once the baby arrived! No matter what your budget, no matter the mom, there is always an appropriate fluffy gift ready to be given (and well received)!

Gift Idea #1: Cloth Diaper Newborn Package … Help a new baby get a great start in cloth! I loved prefolds, snappis, and covers as my newborn cloth diaper of choice (Bummis has a newborn pack but you can put your own together as well), but I recently gave a mom friend a small stash of Kissaluvs fitted size 0s and a couple of cute covers from Thirsties.  Rumparooz also has the cutest newborn diaper 2-pack – pocket diapers, super cute and intended for preemie to twelve pounds – great colors, great designs! You could also choose one or two diapers that the new baby can “grow into.” Do you have a favorite diaper for your little one? Share the love and introduce her to something that will come in handy down the road!

Gift Idea #2: Cloth Diaper Accessory Must-Haves … Buy one or buy an assortment. As a mom new to cloth diapering, I appreciated getting cloth diaper accessories that I didn’t know I needed until I saw them. One of my favorite cloth diaper accessories were diaper liners – I received stay-dry diaper liners made by Bumgenius as well as flushable diaper liners and fleece liners from Bummis.  Diaper doublers were also a welcome gift – they came attached with a little note that they would probably come in handy at night. (And oh, how handy they have been!)  Cloth wipes (some were even handmade!) and Kissaluvs Diaper Lotion Potion are another great combination. Large pail liners (you must have two) and small wet bags (3 will do) are practical gifts but they can also be fun if you choose fun colors and prints.

Gift Idea #3: Fluffy Gifts For Non-CD Moms … Just because your friend doesn’t plan to cloth diaper, that doesn’t mean you can’t indulge her in some fun, eco-friendly baby gifts. Mustela Physiobebe No-Rinse Wash is an amazing product to give your baby a little waterless bath. The laundry that you love for cloth diapers is also great for all of baby’s clothes and blankets – why not get the new mom some Charlie’s Laundry Soap or GroVia Tiny Bubbles phosphate free laundry detergent. Diaper rash creams such as CJ’s Butter or GroVia Magic Stick, are cloth diaper friendly but can be used by anyone.  Organic cotton burp cloths, sleep sacks, or gorgeous bamboo muslin swaddle wraps from Aden & Anais are great gifts for all moms and their babies! Who knows, maybe your thoughtful gifts might inspire your friend to test out some cute cloth!

Gift Idea #4: The Fabulous Gift Card. Who doesn’t love getting a gift card?! The ability to pick and choose her own favorite diapers and accessories for a new bundle of joy is always a welcome gift!

I am hoping that buying baby gifts for others will help curb my appetite for new fluff for my own little one! Happy Baby Gift Shopping!  

By Erin Brighton, MPH, M.Ed.

Putting Together The Perfect (Fluffy) Baby Shower Gift

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Why is Fleece an Important Component to Your Cloth Diaper?

Many moms may not realize that fleece revolutionized the diapering world. Without fleece, I may have never invented the modern cloth diaper, FuzziBunz. Fleece is found in many cloth diapers today because it really is a wonder fabric. It's really a simple concept, but worth explaining in simple terms.

Fleece, by nature, allows moisture to pass through it. It's not very absorbent. This means your baby will stay dry when wearing diapers with an inside fleece layer. When baby urinates, the moisture passes through to the inside layer, where it is absorbed by a microterry, hemp or other absorbent material(s). The fleece layer, of the most part, stays dry against baby's skin. By staying dry, it keeps wetness off baby's skin and may make for fewer diaper and moisture irritations on your baby's private parts.

Because fleece allows moisture to flow through it, it does require some special care. First of all, fleece often allows soap to build up on it. Soap scum build up will create a layer of gunk on the diapers, not freely allowing urine to pass through to the absorbent layers below. Minimal soap and detergents with clean-rinsing agents should be used when washing diapers with fleece. Only some detergents are manufacturer-approved to wash with fleece diapers, including FuzziBunz Cloth Diaper Detergent, Rockin' Green, Allen's Naturally and Charlie's Soap. Also, it's important that no fabric softeners are used with fleece and that you avoid diaper creams, ointments and Vaseline-based products. If you must use ointments for a medical reason, either put a layer between your baby's bottom and the fleece or use disposables until the treatment is done.

As you can see, fleece is an important fabric used by many cloth diaper manufacturers who recognize the fabric's special powers. Just be sure to treat your fleece with TLC so it doesn't compromise the function of your cloth diaper investment!

Known as the “Mother of the Modern Cloth Diaper,” Tereson Dupuy invented the cloth diaper that started the entire modern cloth diapering movement more than a decade ago. She later turned her invention into what is known today as FuzziBunz cloth diapers, a popular brand of cloth diapers since 2000.  As an inventor, business owner and mom to three, Tereson has many years of personal and professional experience in the cloth diaper industry, and she's excited to work with The Cloth Diaper Whisperer to offer her perspective on cloth diapering trends and insights. She can be found online at www.FuzziBunz.com

Why is Fleece an Important Component to Your Cloth Diaper?

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Call Me Old Fashioned: Why Prefolds Are Better Than You Think

I found a new favorite cloth diaper. It is very absorbent and I never have leaks. It is affordable and easy to use.

No, it's not the latest pocket or all-in-one diaper. It's not fancy. There's not even a whole lot of science behind it. In fact, it's a little bit old fashioned. What is it, you may ask? It's the prefold.

Scary, yes, I know. When I first started cloth diapering my newborn four months ago, I scoffed at prefolds. Why use those ancient things when there are so many awesome new diapers on the market? But then I found out their dirty little secret: they are cheap and effective, and not nearly as difficult as I imagined them to be.

I decided to try prefolds one day because my rapidly-growing son had hit a point where I was struggling to get his diapers to fit him properly. He changed so much day to day and I was getting frustrated. I was also getting lots of leaks. And, with so many great, convenient diapers on the market, there just had to be a reason that some parents still prefered to use prefolds and flats. What did I have to lose? If I didn't like them I wouldn't be out a ton of money, and I could always use them as rags or burp cloths. I placed an order for half a dozen prefolds, a cover, and a Snappi, then searched the internet to learn the best ways to fold them.

My package arrived a few days later. I prepped the prefolds right away, so I could try them the same day; I am impatient like that. Then, skeptically, I put one on my two month old son for the first time. It actually looked like the ones I saw online! I was pretty darn proud of myself but I knew I had won the battle, not the war... how would it hold up when my son peed? Or, worse, had an explosive poop?

Perfectly, as I soon found out. I have not had a single leak since I started using prefolds. I had a couple instances where I had some slight wicking and his onesie got a little damp--my own fault, for not being more careful when putting on the covers--but never a real leak. Over the past two months I have fine-tuned the art of putting on a prefold. Not to sound too full of myself, but gosh darn it, I am good at it. I can jelly-roll those things like nobody's business.

So yes, I love my prefolds. They are much easier than I ever could have imagined, and very versatile as well. I like that I can let my son go coverless to let his skin breathe. I like that I have the option of using a fleece liner to help him feel dry. I like that I can still have fun with them, and can find prefolds in fun prints, or embellish them myself, or even dye them if I want to. And I love that, with the help of a hemp insert, my son wake up every single morning with dry sheets and jammies.

I still love (and use) my pocket diapers, and I know my likes and needs may change as my son grows. I am already learning how to deal with a very squirmy four month old, which presents a new diapering challenge. I am so glad that modern cloth diapers have made more people (myself included) hop on the cloth diapering bandwagon... but, sometimes, it's okay to be a little old-fashioned.  

By Shanon O.
The Up North Writer Mama

Call Me Old Fashioned: Why Prefolds Are Better Than You Think

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