Monday, August 19, 2013
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Review : CJ's BUTTer
We got the package and they were so generous with their samples - and then made even more fun when I got to play "Match the Scents to the Name" when my 2-year-old decided to "help" and opened all of the containers. Let's note here that I'm not the only fan of CJ's - her first exclamation upon opening one of them and smelling it was "YUM!" I've also come into her room before to find her absolutely covered head-to-toe in CJ's, so I highly recommend putting it where your kid can't reach it (or remembering to put it away if you normally keep it high up...or finding a new place if you discover your child can scale the dresser and climb on top of it to reach all the fun things up there...ahem).
Since she was born I've regularly used three of the products: the classic CJ's BUTTer, both in stick and tub form, and the CJ's PLUS formula (liquid spritz version) for any rare yeast outbreaks.* With the samples that they sent, I was able to also try out their lotion, lip balm, vegan formula, and cream version of the PLUS formula...as well as a couple new-to-me scents!
*Note - I've heard anecdotal stories that some kids are sensitive to the oils found in the PLUS formula, so you may want to test it before using it, and use it only in times of yeast rash and not daily. We never had any issues with it.
ORIGINAL BUTTER
VEGAN FORMULA
Slightly different consistency/color than the original cream formula, but otherwise no difference that I could see! Worked great.
PLUS FORMULA
She didn't have a yeast outbreak while we were trying out the samples, so I didn't get a chance to use the solid form of the PLUS formula in time for this review, but I've used the PLUS Spritz before. I try to always have a bottle on hand to start using at the first sign of yeast, and 90% of the time that's as far as I need to go and it will clear up before it really turns into an outbreak or rash (after a couple outbreaks I learned to identify the telltale dots early!). The smell is....well, not pleasant, but not awful. It smells kind of medicinal - it's the neem and sesame oils. As I said earlier, I do know a couple people who have babies who have shown a sensitivity to it, so you may want to test it first, but limiting use of it to times of need (i.e. when there is an actual yeast rash) rather than using it daily helps with that if you do find a sensitivity. Verdict: Use when/if needed; works well to clear up early yeast rashes. More severe outbreaks may need prescription medicine.
LOTION
LIP BALM
The lip balm was great. It's slightly greasier than commercial lip balms, but that's the nature of homemade products that aren't mass-produced and full of preservatives and artificial ingredients. Because it is homemade, it can melt at high temps (as can any of the CJ's products), but if that happens, their customer service is happy to help you re-solidify it. There was no taste and a nice light scent. Verdict: I like it! It's not my favorite lip balm ever but I definitely use it and like it.
Whenever CJ's comes up in conversation or on a forum, people always ask what scents they should get. The answer? ALL OF THE SCENTS. Honestly, I haven't tried them all, but there hasn't been one yet that I didn't enjoy. And they're not overpowering, sickly sweet scents. They're strong enough to smell, but they don't linger in an obnoxious way.
That said, I've now tried:
Essential Oils/EO Blends
- Mango, Sugar, and Mint (light and refreshing)
- Lemon Grove (pretty strong - reminds me of floor cleaner, but nice)
- Sweet Orange (sweet and refreshing)
(I really want to try Narwhals and Unicorns, because NAME!)
Fragrances
- Blueberry Crumble (strong blueberry/cake smell, makes me want a muffin!)
- Love Spell (very light and sweet)
- Lullaby (very light and sweet)
- Monkey Farts (strong banana smell!)
- My Pixie Pie (light and sweet, a fave of mine)
- Oatmeal, Milk, Honey (very subtle scent, a fave of mine)
- Pink Sugar (light and sweet, a fave of mine)
- Warm Vanilla Cake (FAVE!)
- Unscented (duh)
Descriptions of each of the scents can be found on their site here (scroll down a bit). There isn't one I wouldn't recommend and there are quite a few I want to try. (Hint: Can't decide? Do a sample pack! That's how I got to sample so many scents way back when Carys was a baby [on my own dime!]).
Check back next week (planning on Monday but don't hold me to that!) for a CJ's giveaway - a tube of their CJ's BUTTer in one of their most popular scents!
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
A Quick and Dirty* BumGenius Elemental Comparison
*Like, literally dirty. There's a pic of a dirty diaper in this post. FAIR WARNING. Also, I apologize in advance for the picture quality; these are just cell phone pics.
So in news that has the cloth diaper world abuzz, BumGenius redesigned the BumGenius Elemental (aka BGE), their natural-fiber all-in-one diaper. As an avowed fan of the old-style BGE - it's over half my stash - I was both incredibly excited and totally apprehensive about this new development. I love these diapers. Would I have to fiendishly horde my existing diapers, or would I desperately want to replace them all with the new BGEs? And of course, testing new diapers is a total rush, right? RIGHT? Please tell me I'm not the only one to get excited about a new diaper.
So I bought one pretty much immediately.
If you want to skip to the summary, here it is: I'm not a fan. I hate to say it, CottonBabies, because I love everything you do for the most part, but I dislike the redesign. If you ever see this, my recommendation would be offering the redesigned version as a cheaper version of the BGE and keeping the original BGE as the Elite version. Or something. These kind of suck. :( <-- Look, you've made me go and use an emoticon in a non-text-message setting. Now that's saying something!
Ok, so let's look at the differences.
1. Width
The new cut is much wider than the old. I never felt like the old version was particularly narrow; in fact, it was one of my wider diapers. I feel like the new version bunches up between her legs much more and is baggy-er (baggier?) (WHY DON'T EITHER OF THOSE LOOK RIGHT?). At 18 months, she was just shy of 34 inches and was 25 pounds, and she's still on the middle rise and has plenty of room to grow (I like them with a low rise, as you'll see in later pictures). I'm not sure how being wider is supposed to make the diapers fit a wider range of babies - when I do hear complaints, it's about the rise, not the width.
2. Inner
Previously, the BGEs had a cotton lining under under the inserts. They've removed the cotton liner so it's just PUL underneath. Again, this is not a change I like. I know PUL isn't a delicate flower - I have some covers that are the same and they've done fine - but it FEELS like it's delicate, and I don't like have it exposed!
Also, it looks/feels cheap.
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Also also, the inserts bunch up while being worn. See pic below (WARNING: ACTUAL BABY PEE PICTURED) (HOWEVER I ASSUME YOU PROBABLY HAVE OR ARE ABOUT TO HAVE AN ACTUAL BABY WHO WILL ACTUALLY PEE SO IT'S OK) to see what I mean. Now, this was taken mid-pee, as I was just trying to quickly change her diaper to get comparison pics, so it's not a full, um, void. But you can see what happened - as she was wearing it, the insert bunched up in the middle. Again, this was a small, er, drain, but you can see it already reached the sides of the insert. With a big enough...elimination...it could easily hit the exposed PUL. Sure enough, the next use had a regular size, uh, output, and it happened. Pee directly on the PUL. Leak. If you've ever had a pocket diaper with a too-small insert that didn't reach the sides and leaks because of it, it's the same situation.
It also means that the laminated side of the PUL is touching her, which doesn't seem like it would be as comfortable, but since I don't wear the diapers, I can't say whether that's the case or not.
Obviously, the lining was also absorbent, so removing that has removed a bit of absorbency. I'm not sure if they added extra layers to the insert to make up for it, but the inserts looked similar from what I could tell.
Finally, the new insert seems to be longer, and it was much harder to get it to lay flat. I had to tuck one end under (as you can see in the pee picture above), and that created a thick ridge in the diaper.
3. Leg casings
In the pic above, you can see that the leg casings of the new BGEs are encased in the PUL. The older ones had a rolled leg elastic, which you can see below. Supposedly, this is designed to help prevent leaks and wicking, as the cotton isn't sewn to the outer/non-waterproof side of the PUL. Also, BGEs are known for their wear holes in the cotton, which tend to manifest along the legs since there is a lot of wear in that area. This is not something that I've personally had issues with in the 1.5 years of use, however, I do know people whose diapers have developed these holes. They don't affect the function of the diaper, and you can mend them or put FrayCheck on them if you want. The new design will eliminate those holes. HOWEVER, the encased (new) elastic casing is not nearly as gentle on the legs as the rolled (old) casing. The new diaper, on the same snaps, left red marks on her legs, which the old diapers have never done. The new design does, however, avoid the "tucking" of the fabric that the old diapers required most of the time. Again, this was not something that ever bothered me, but I do know people who were irritated by it.
4. Miscellaneous
While I haven't tried it yet, the new BGE should make it easier to fit extra inserts into the diaper. I've never needed to do so with the old style, but I know people who do it in order to use their BGEs overnight. The new BGEs are supposed to dry faster, and while I found that to be true, it wasn't a significant enough time difference to make a big difference.
With actual use, the new version looked bulkier and droopier and baggier.
So in news that has the cloth diaper world abuzz, BumGenius redesigned the BumGenius Elemental (aka BGE), their natural-fiber all-in-one diaper. As an avowed fan of the old-style BGE - it's over half my stash - I was both incredibly excited and totally apprehensive about this new development. I love these diapers. Would I have to fiendishly horde my existing diapers, or would I desperately want to replace them all with the new BGEs? And of course, testing new diapers is a total rush, right? RIGHT? Please tell me I'm not the only one to get excited about a new diaper.
So I bought one pretty much immediately.
If you want to skip to the summary, here it is: I'm not a fan. I hate to say it, CottonBabies, because I love everything you do for the most part, but I dislike the redesign. If you ever see this, my recommendation would be offering the redesigned version as a cheaper version of the BGE and keeping the original BGE as the Elite version. Or something. These kind of suck. :( <-- Look, you've made me go and use an emoticon in a non-text-message setting. Now that's saying something!
Ok, so let's look at the differences.
The Differences
The new cut is much wider than the old. I never felt like the old version was particularly narrow; in fact, it was one of my wider diapers. I feel like the new version bunches up between her legs much more and is baggy-er (baggier?) (WHY DON'T EITHER OF THOSE LOOK RIGHT?). At 18 months, she was just shy of 34 inches and was 25 pounds, and she's still on the middle rise and has plenty of room to grow (I like them with a low rise, as you'll see in later pictures). I'm not sure how being wider is supposed to make the diapers fit a wider range of babies - when I do hear complaints, it's about the rise, not the width.
Old BumGenius Elemental (in Bubble) on top, new BumGenius Elemental (in Mirror) on bottom.
2. Inner
Previously, the BGEs had a cotton lining under under the inserts. They've removed the cotton liner so it's just PUL underneath. Again, this is not a change I like. I know PUL isn't a delicate flower - I have some covers that are the same and they've done fine - but it FEELS like it's delicate, and I don't like have it exposed!
Also, it looks/feels cheap.
New BGE on the left, old BGE on the right.
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Also also, the inserts bunch up while being worn. See pic below (WARNING: ACTUAL BABY PEE PICTURED) (HOWEVER I ASSUME YOU PROBABLY HAVE OR ARE ABOUT TO HAVE AN ACTUAL BABY WHO WILL ACTUALLY PEE SO IT'S OK) to see what I mean. Now, this was taken mid-pee, as I was just trying to quickly change her diaper to get comparison pics, so it's not a full, um, void. But you can see what happened - as she was wearing it, the insert bunched up in the middle. Again, this was a small, er, drain, but you can see it already reached the sides of the insert. With a big enough...elimination...it could easily hit the exposed PUL. Sure enough, the next use had a regular size, uh, output, and it happened. Pee directly on the PUL. Leak. If you've ever had a pocket diaper with a too-small insert that didn't reach the sides and leaks because of it, it's the same situation.
It also means that the laminated side of the PUL is touching her, which doesn't seem like it would be as comfortable, but since I don't wear the diapers, I can't say whether that's the case or not.
Obviously, the lining was also absorbent, so removing that has removed a bit of absorbency. I'm not sure if they added extra layers to the insert to make up for it, but the inserts looked similar from what I could tell.
Finally, the new insert seems to be longer, and it was much harder to get it to lay flat. I had to tuck one end under (as you can see in the pee picture above), and that created a thick ridge in the diaper.
3. Leg casings
In the pic above, you can see that the leg casings of the new BGEs are encased in the PUL. The older ones had a rolled leg elastic, which you can see below. Supposedly, this is designed to help prevent leaks and wicking, as the cotton isn't sewn to the outer/non-waterproof side of the PUL. Also, BGEs are known for their wear holes in the cotton, which tend to manifest along the legs since there is a lot of wear in that area. This is not something that I've personally had issues with in the 1.5 years of use, however, I do know people whose diapers have developed these holes. They don't affect the function of the diaper, and you can mend them or put FrayCheck on them if you want. The new design will eliminate those holes. HOWEVER, the encased (new) elastic casing is not nearly as gentle on the legs as the rolled (old) casing. The new diaper, on the same snaps, left red marks on her legs, which the old diapers have never done. The new design does, however, avoid the "tucking" of the fabric that the old diapers required most of the time. Again, this was not something that ever bothered me, but I do know people who were irritated by it.
Old BumGenius Elemental on the left; new BumGenius Elemental on the right.
4. Miscellaneous
While I haven't tried it yet, the new BGE should make it easier to fit extra inserts into the diaper. I've never needed to do so with the old style, but I know people who do it in order to use their BGEs overnight. The new BGEs are supposed to dry faster, and while I found that to be true, it wasn't a significant enough time difference to make a big difference.
On the Bottom
Front is not incredibly different, but you can see there's more extra fabric between the legs with the new one (on the right) than with the old one (on the left).
Old (left) versus new (right) - Not much difference from the back.
Here's where the difference really manifests. Both are trim, but the new (right) has
much more extra fabric hanging loose than the old (left).
Summary
All in all, I much prefer the old version. It looks and feels nicer, seems to be more absorbent, and fits my kid better. Your experience may vary, so I encourage you to give it a try and see what you think, but we won't be purchasing any more.
Non-Scientific Theory Time
I have absolutely NO basis for this theory, but my totally non-scientific guess is that the redesign is actually a cost-saving measure, rather than a functional redesign, and that they are just packaging it as a functional redesign. Cotton is expensive, and the original design uses a lot of it. The original design is also much more complicated and therefore more labor-intensive. My guess would be that the new ones are overall cheaper to manufacturer and that the profit margin is greater on them. HOWEVER, that's just a guess. It could be totally wrong.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Top 5 NEW Reasons to Cloth Diaper
Everyone know the typical reasons people cloth diaper. The environment. Saving money. Better for baby. Blah blah blah. (Just kidding, those are all important!)
Butt (ha! that typo was unintentional but it's funny so I'm leaving it in) there are some unexpected benefits to cloth diapering that you may not realize.
1. The Cute Factor
Fluffy butts are damn adorable. Diaper fabrics can be adorable. If you're using disposables, there's one option: white. Sometimes with cartoon characters. Oh, and there's the weird jeans diaper, and at Christmas you can get the Santa diaper (does anyone else think that those look weird printed on what is essentially paper??). So three options. With cloth? COUNTLESS. Each diaper change is like getting to change their outfit. It's fun collecting colors and prints that coordinate with outfits, and fun to get to pick out your favorites.
2. The Community Factor
No, not the show. Although that too. But the cloth diaper community is a strong, vibrant one and just the mention of cloth diapering can be an instant friendship-maker. Prepare to be completely drawn into the world of hippies...fair warning!
3. The No-Blow-Out Factor
Yeah, blow-outs are virtually unheard of with cloth. It's pretty amazing. Giant poops that go RIGHT UP TO THE EDGE of the elastic, but rarely come out. It's wonderful. In two years of CDing, I think we've had ONE blow-out, and that was user error.
4. The Earlier PLing Factor
Potty-learning is the PC way of saying potty training, because babies aren't dogs, yo. (Although...are we sure about that?). But studies have shown that cloth diapers lead to earlier potty training, for a multitude of reasons. That's always good, right?
5. The "Told You So" Factor
SO SATISFYING. You'll have naysayers left and right who say things like, "Sure....we'll see how that goes. You'll be in disposable diapers in a month!" Changing a cloth diaper in front of them a year later is extremely satisfying.
BONUS!
6. The "The Sun is Amazing" Factor
Watching the sun get stains out is like magic. It's kind of addicting. You'll see. I promise.
Butt (ha! that typo was unintentional but it's funny so I'm leaving it in) there are some unexpected benefits to cloth diapering that you may not realize.
1. The Cute Factor
Fluffy butts are damn adorable. Diaper fabrics can be adorable. If you're using disposables, there's one option: white. Sometimes with cartoon characters. Oh, and there's the weird jeans diaper, and at Christmas you can get the Santa diaper (does anyone else think that those look weird printed on what is essentially paper??). So three options. With cloth? COUNTLESS. Each diaper change is like getting to change their outfit. It's fun collecting colors and prints that coordinate with outfits, and fun to get to pick out your favorites.
2. The Community Factor
No, not the show. Although that too. But the cloth diaper community is a strong, vibrant one and just the mention of cloth diapering can be an instant friendship-maker. Prepare to be completely drawn into the world of hippies...fair warning!
3. The No-Blow-Out Factor
Yeah, blow-outs are virtually unheard of with cloth. It's pretty amazing. Giant poops that go RIGHT UP TO THE EDGE of the elastic, but rarely come out. It's wonderful. In two years of CDing, I think we've had ONE blow-out, and that was user error.
4. The Earlier PLing Factor
Potty-learning is the PC way of saying potty training, because babies aren't dogs, yo. (Although...are we sure about that?). But studies have shown that cloth diapers lead to earlier potty training, for a multitude of reasons. That's always good, right?
5. The "Told You So" Factor
SO SATISFYING. You'll have naysayers left and right who say things like, "Sure....we'll see how that goes. You'll be in disposable diapers in a month!" Changing a cloth diaper in front of them a year later is extremely satisfying.
BONUS!
6. The "The Sun is Amazing" Factor
Watching the sun get stains out is like magic. It's kind of addicting. You'll see. I promise.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Microfiber vs. Natural Fibers
You hear all the time that you should layer microfiber over hemp or bamboo in order to accommodate a super soaker - that the microfiber absorbs faster than the natural fibers and will soak it up right away, and then the natural fibers will slowly absorb what the microfiber can't hold.
Guess what?
That's wrong! Check out this video from the Eco Friendly Family!
Guess what?
That's wrong! Check out this video from the Eco Friendly Family!
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Washing Your Diapers (AKA: OMG! It pooped!)
You've bought your diapers.
You've prepped your diapers.
You even put a diaper on the baby.
But then...IT happens. Your baby USES the diaper. And not as a hat. But for its intended purpose!
THE HORROR!
Actually, no. No horror! We promise. It is very easy to clean a cloth diaper, and the visions of a poop-filled washing machine you have in your head? Not gonna happen!
To wash your diapers, you will need a washing machine (or your hands and a bathtub if you are going to hand wash them!) and a cloth-diaper safe detergent.
WASH ROUTINES
Most wash routines consist of three parts: a pre-wash or rinse, a wash, and an extra rinse. The specifics of each part can vary from person to person and machine to machine. Some people start with just a rinse, while some do a full wash. Some people use a small amount of detergent in the pre-wash, while some do not. Much like the diapers themselves and the detergent, there is no one set solution that will work for everyone.
We recommend starting with some variation on the following:
1. Cold rinse (or quick wash) with no detergent
2. Hot wash with detergent
3. Extra rinse
That very basic wash routine is generally successful for a large number of people. The first rinse or wash on cold gets most of the poop off without staining. The hot wash (the hottest wash short of sanitary, which is too hot for the PUL in your diapers!) cleans the diapers. The extra rinse ensures that every bit of detergent is gone and helps prevent build up.
There is a wide range of what works within that basic set up. Some people do two full washes with an extra rinse. Some people skip the pre-rinse. Some do all cold washes; some do all hot washes. Some people use detergent in the quick wash and the hot wash. Some do two rinses at the end. If you're having issues, you can usually tweak routine to fix them. For example, if you're having issues with buildup, you might want to try another extra rinse.
Some people find that their high-efficiency washers don't seem to work as well as regular top-loaders, because they use so little water to wash. There are a number of ways you can add extra water to your HE machine to ensure that the diapers are washed and rinsed thoroughly: you can usually add water to the cycle through the detergent drawer, you could stop the first rinse/wash cycle before it spins out so that the diapers are still soaking wet when you begin the hot wash (this tricks the machine into thinking there is more laundry in the drum, so it sends more water to wash them), or you could add a wet towel to the hot wash cycle (again, this tricks the machine into sending more water).
DETERGENT
There is a huge variety of cloth-diaper safe detergents out there, and they work completely differently from person to person. The hardness of your water, the exact chemistry of your child's urine (seriously!), the type of washer and dryer you have, the type of diaper you use...all of these factors come into play when determining how well different detergents work. Some people swear by Rockin Green; some find that it doesn't get their diapers clean at all.
You can find a list of cloth-diaper safe detergents here:
Regular washers
http://pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentchoices.htm
HE washers
http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/hedetergentchoices.htm
Many people choose based on what is easily accessible and what is affordable for them. If you have friends that live nearby and have a similar washing machine setup, you may want to ask them for their recommendations. You can also check this table of different wash routines to see if there is a setup similar to what you have, and try the detergent listed there.
Unfortunately, because there are a number of factors that come into play when choosing your detergent, we can't make a blanket recommendation. Try one, and if after a period of time you notice your diapers don't seem to be getting clean or don't smell fresh, try another one. Many people don't have issues, though, and the first detergent they try will work just fine for them.
How much detergent? That's tricky. You want to use the least amount of detergent possible to get the diapers clean. Most cloth-diaper safe detergents have good guidelines on the package (for example, Rockin Green recommends 1 tablespoon for HE machines and 2 tablespoons for regular machines, and that's a good place to start for most powdered detergents). Watch the last rinse cycle - if there are still bubbles or suds at the end of it, you might be using too much detergent (or you might just need to add another rinse cycle). If you're using too much detergent, you may get ammonia build up. If you're using too little detergent, you may get a barnyard or dirty smell (smelling the wet diapers as they come out of the washer is a good indicator - they should smell fresh!).
Most people just use detergent in the main wash cycle, but some will throw in a bit during the first wash as well. Whenever you're using more detergent, be sure that there are no residual suds at the end of the extra rinse cycle!
There are two stages of cloth-diaper washing: pre-solids (breastfeeding or formula fed) and post-solids.
PRE-SOLIDS
If you are nursing or formula feeding your child, just throw the soiled diaper in the wetbag. Then when you have a load's worth of dirty diapers, wash them. No, really, that's it. No separating pee diapers from poop diapers. No rinsing or scraping. Breastmilk poo is totally water soluable and will simply dissolve away in the washer. Formula poop should be as well, but I can't personally vouch for that as I haven't dealt with formula poop.
You CAN rinse or use a liner, but there is absolutely no need to do so and you're just creating an extra step for yourself. Of course, some people are uber-paranoid about the thought of poop spinning around in their washing machine, and if that's you, then by all means do what you have to do in order to ease your mind! But you don't have to do anything other than wash the diaper.
Breastmilk poop (and I assume formula poop) may stain your diapers a bright orange. That's okay. Sun that stain away!
(Note about meconium - it will come off, though you may want to swish/spray/scrape the diaper [see below], and any stains will sun out!)
POST-SOLIDS
Depending on how you introduce solid foods into your child's diet, you may immediately see a change in their, um, output, or you may continue to see the breastmilk- or formula-type poop for several weeks or even months. We started solids using the baby-led weaning techniques, and it took two months for her poop to change from the seedy, sweet-smelling (seriously!) breastmilk poop to the "real" poop of people who eat real food. Some people, though, see the change almost overnight.
Once your child's poop has changed - and it will be obvious, trust me - you will need to start dealing with the poop. This is the point a lot of people bail. However, I promise - I've yet to get poop all over the place or even touch poop. I promise you if you were using disposables, you would have had to deal with a poop blowout at least once, if not regularly! Also, if you were using disposables correctly, you would be dealing with the poop anyway - you aren't supposed to put human waste in the trash, and are supposed to remove solids from the disposable diaper prior to throwing it away!
Eventually, your child's poop may become "ploppable," meaning you can just turn the diaper over the toilet and the solids will drop right off into the toilet.
In the meantime, your kid's poop may range from peanut-butter stickiness (um, you may not want to eat during this post) to hummus textured to mashed potato-like. Those poops, you can't just drop into the toilet. They stick. They cling. They don't want to leave the diaper.
You have several options on how to deal with those types of poops.
1. Swish
You can hold the diaper in the toilet (by one corner, usually) and swish it around in the toilet water, eventually flushing the toilet while holding the diaper tightly so that the rushing water cleans off the diaper. Be sure to have a wetbag nearby, because you'll have a dripping wet diaper to dispose of! This is minimally messy, but it can be difficult to fully clean the diaper. Plus? It's free and needs no additional equipment!
2. Spray
You can install a diaper sprayer on your toilet (or some enterprising cheapskates use their removable showerhead - brilliant!). You then use this sprayer to spray the poop off the diaper while holding the diaper over the toilet bowl. The key here? Don't use the full force of the spray, and spray DOWNWARD, not into, the diaper. If you spray into the diaper at full force, you will end up with a bathroom full of poop. There's a bit of a learning curve to spraying diapers, but they get diapers quite clean. You do have to purchase a diaper sprayer or make one yourself, however, and again, be sure to have a wetbag immediately available because the diaper will be dripping wet.
3. Scrape
Using a (I hope) dedicated spatula, you hold the diaper with one hand and use the other hand and spatula to scrape the poop off into the toilet, sometimes finishing up with a swish. This is a cheap and generally fairly un-messy option, though some blow-out type poops that get in the elastic areas may be difficult to get off this way. If you don't swish afterward, the diaper remains relatively dry.
No choice has a huge advantage over any of the other choices, and they can each work equally well at cleaning the solids off of the diaper. Once the solids have been removed from the diaper, you can put it in the wetbag and wash it as usual.
Solid food poop also stains, and also suns out beautifully.
You've prepped your diapers.
You even put a diaper on the baby.
But then...IT happens. Your baby USES the diaper. And not as a hat. But for its intended purpose!
THE HORROR!
Actually, no. No horror! We promise. It is very easy to clean a cloth diaper, and the visions of a poop-filled washing machine you have in your head? Not gonna happen!
WASHING YOUR DIAPERS: THE BASICS
To wash your diapers, you will need a washing machine (or your hands and a bathtub if you are going to hand wash them!) and a cloth-diaper safe detergent.
WASH ROUTINES
Most wash routines consist of three parts: a pre-wash or rinse, a wash, and an extra rinse. The specifics of each part can vary from person to person and machine to machine. Some people start with just a rinse, while some do a full wash. Some people use a small amount of detergent in the pre-wash, while some do not. Much like the diapers themselves and the detergent, there is no one set solution that will work for everyone.
We recommend starting with some variation on the following:
1. Cold rinse (or quick wash) with no detergent
2. Hot wash with detergent
3. Extra rinse
That very basic wash routine is generally successful for a large number of people. The first rinse or wash on cold gets most of the poop off without staining. The hot wash (the hottest wash short of sanitary, which is too hot for the PUL in your diapers!) cleans the diapers. The extra rinse ensures that every bit of detergent is gone and helps prevent build up.
There is a wide range of what works within that basic set up. Some people do two full washes with an extra rinse. Some people skip the pre-rinse. Some do all cold washes; some do all hot washes. Some people use detergent in the quick wash and the hot wash. Some do two rinses at the end. If you're having issues, you can usually tweak routine to fix them. For example, if you're having issues with buildup, you might want to try another extra rinse.
Some people find that their high-efficiency washers don't seem to work as well as regular top-loaders, because they use so little water to wash. There are a number of ways you can add extra water to your HE machine to ensure that the diapers are washed and rinsed thoroughly: you can usually add water to the cycle through the detergent drawer, you could stop the first rinse/wash cycle before it spins out so that the diapers are still soaking wet when you begin the hot wash (this tricks the machine into thinking there is more laundry in the drum, so it sends more water to wash them), or you could add a wet towel to the hot wash cycle (again, this tricks the machine into sending more water).
DETERGENT
There is a huge variety of cloth-diaper safe detergents out there, and they work completely differently from person to person. The hardness of your water, the exact chemistry of your child's urine (seriously!), the type of washer and dryer you have, the type of diaper you use...all of these factors come into play when determining how well different detergents work. Some people swear by Rockin Green; some find that it doesn't get their diapers clean at all.
You can find a list of cloth-diaper safe detergents here:
Regular washers
http://pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentchoices.htm
HE washers
http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/hedetergentchoices.htm
Many people choose based on what is easily accessible and what is affordable for them. If you have friends that live nearby and have a similar washing machine setup, you may want to ask them for their recommendations. You can also check this table of different wash routines to see if there is a setup similar to what you have, and try the detergent listed there.
Unfortunately, because there are a number of factors that come into play when choosing your detergent, we can't make a blanket recommendation. Try one, and if after a period of time you notice your diapers don't seem to be getting clean or don't smell fresh, try another one. Many people don't have issues, though, and the first detergent they try will work just fine for them.
How much detergent? That's tricky. You want to use the least amount of detergent possible to get the diapers clean. Most cloth-diaper safe detergents have good guidelines on the package (for example, Rockin Green recommends 1 tablespoon for HE machines and 2 tablespoons for regular machines, and that's a good place to start for most powdered detergents). Watch the last rinse cycle - if there are still bubbles or suds at the end of it, you might be using too much detergent (or you might just need to add another rinse cycle). If you're using too much detergent, you may get ammonia build up. If you're using too little detergent, you may get a barnyard or dirty smell (smelling the wet diapers as they come out of the washer is a good indicator - they should smell fresh!).
Most people just use detergent in the main wash cycle, but some will throw in a bit during the first wash as well. Whenever you're using more detergent, be sure that there are no residual suds at the end of the extra rinse cycle!
ADDITIVES
If you talk to ten different people, you might hear ten different things that they add to their wash cycle. Vinegar. Bleach. Tea tree oil. RLR. Blue Dawn. Grapefruit Seed extract. Funk Rock. ecover. They all have different purposes - softening, freshening, stripping, disinfecting, etc. Because there are so many, I'm not going to discuss them in detail here, and I generally recommend keeping your wash routine as simple and purse as possible. But you can Google any of the above with "cloth diapers" and find information.
DEALING WITH THE PEE
Pee diapers are a cinch. Throw them in the wetbag. Wash them. That's it! Some people do choose to rinse pee diapers out, as they feel that it lessens the buildup of ammonia (a natural byproduct of urine), but others see no difference.
DEALING WITH THE POOP
There are two stages of cloth-diaper washing: pre-solids (breastfeeding or formula fed) and post-solids.
PRE-SOLIDS
If you are nursing or formula feeding your child, just throw the soiled diaper in the wetbag. Then when you have a load's worth of dirty diapers, wash them. No, really, that's it. No separating pee diapers from poop diapers. No rinsing or scraping. Breastmilk poo is totally water soluable and will simply dissolve away in the washer. Formula poop should be as well, but I can't personally vouch for that as I haven't dealt with formula poop.
You CAN rinse or use a liner, but there is absolutely no need to do so and you're just creating an extra step for yourself. Of course, some people are uber-paranoid about the thought of poop spinning around in their washing machine, and if that's you, then by all means do what you have to do in order to ease your mind! But you don't have to do anything other than wash the diaper.
Breastmilk poop (and I assume formula poop) may stain your diapers a bright orange. That's okay. Sun that stain away!
(Note about meconium - it will come off, though you may want to swish/spray/scrape the diaper [see below], and any stains will sun out!)
POST-SOLIDS
Depending on how you introduce solid foods into your child's diet, you may immediately see a change in their, um, output, or you may continue to see the breastmilk- or formula-type poop for several weeks or even months. We started solids using the baby-led weaning techniques, and it took two months for her poop to change from the seedy, sweet-smelling (seriously!) breastmilk poop to the "real" poop of people who eat real food. Some people, though, see the change almost overnight.
Once your child's poop has changed - and it will be obvious, trust me - you will need to start dealing with the poop. This is the point a lot of people bail. However, I promise - I've yet to get poop all over the place or even touch poop. I promise you if you were using disposables, you would have had to deal with a poop blowout at least once, if not regularly! Also, if you were using disposables correctly, you would be dealing with the poop anyway - you aren't supposed to put human waste in the trash, and are supposed to remove solids from the disposable diaper prior to throwing it away!
Eventually, your child's poop may become "ploppable," meaning you can just turn the diaper over the toilet and the solids will drop right off into the toilet.
In the meantime, your kid's poop may range from peanut-butter stickiness (um, you may not want to eat during this post) to hummus textured to mashed potato-like. Those poops, you can't just drop into the toilet. They stick. They cling. They don't want to leave the diaper.
You have several options on how to deal with those types of poops.
1. Swish
You can hold the diaper in the toilet (by one corner, usually) and swish it around in the toilet water, eventually flushing the toilet while holding the diaper tightly so that the rushing water cleans off the diaper. Be sure to have a wetbag nearby, because you'll have a dripping wet diaper to dispose of! This is minimally messy, but it can be difficult to fully clean the diaper. Plus? It's free and needs no additional equipment!
2. Spray
You can install a diaper sprayer on your toilet (or some enterprising cheapskates use their removable showerhead - brilliant!). You then use this sprayer to spray the poop off the diaper while holding the diaper over the toilet bowl. The key here? Don't use the full force of the spray, and spray DOWNWARD, not into, the diaper. If you spray into the diaper at full force, you will end up with a bathroom full of poop. There's a bit of a learning curve to spraying diapers, but they get diapers quite clean. You do have to purchase a diaper sprayer or make one yourself, however, and again, be sure to have a wetbag immediately available because the diaper will be dripping wet.
3. Scrape
Using a (I hope) dedicated spatula, you hold the diaper with one hand and use the other hand and spatula to scrape the poop off into the toilet, sometimes finishing up with a swish. This is a cheap and generally fairly un-messy option, though some blow-out type poops that get in the elastic areas may be difficult to get off this way. If you don't swish afterward, the diaper remains relatively dry.
No choice has a huge advantage over any of the other choices, and they can each work equally well at cleaning the solids off of the diaper. Once the solids have been removed from the diaper, you can put it in the wetbag and wash it as usual.
Solid food poop also stains, and also suns out beautifully.
DRYING YOUR DIAPERS
If you can, line dry the diapers in the sun. It helps the PUL and elastic last longer, and the sun acts as a natural sanitizer. Your natural-fiber diapers and inserts might get "crunchy" (stiff and rough) when line dried. To combat this, you can toss them in the dryer for five or ten minutes on low to fluff them back up.
If you use the dryer, dry on low or extra low, and don't stretch the elastic until they've cooled down.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Welcome Back Giveaway : Heavy Doody Wetbag
As the cloth diaper turns....or something like that. Pretty much all of May was taken up with preparation for my sister's wedding and my sister's wedding (yes, my daughter wore a cloth diaper that matched her beautiful Zara dress!), and now June is running away with me in preparation for my daughter's first birthday! Lots of posts in the works - just need to find time to actually FINISH them!
In the meantime, who is up for a GIVEAWAY? Today I'm very pleased to offer a Heavy Doody medium wetbag in this fantastic bird print! (For you cloth diaper beginners, a wetbag is one way to store dirty diapers until it's time to wash them.)
How gorgeous is that? And such a great, cheery print that would work for almost any decor!
Mary R. is the mama behind Heavy Doody, and she started Heavy Doody a short time ago after struggling to find an affordable wetbag that she really liked.
I have a Heavy Doody wetbag that I use in the kitchen for dirty towels and bibs (because I sadly learned about Heavy Doody after I already had purchased my beloved Rumparooz wetbags and my not-so-beloved PlanetWise wetbags). Mary's quality is second to none, and she uses a nice, thick, heavy duty PUL as a liner. I haven't thrown any sopping wet diapers in mine since I use it mostly in the kitchen, but I've stuffed it full of wet kitchen rags and had no leaks! Besides dirty rags and dirty diapers, you could also use it for wet swim suits, at the beach to keep things dry, for dirty clothes while camping, or a hundred other things!
This picture shows the HUGE amount of stuff that you can fit into one of these medium wetbags:
That's four diapers, eight inserts, three bibs, four wipes, two burp cloths, a shirt, a onesie, and pants.
Be sure to visit Mary's shop, Heavy Doody, over on Etsy! I am absolutely head over heels in love with the "Tree Rings" print and am trying to convince myself that I don't need it.
To enter, just fill out the Rafflecopter form below! Note: if it asks for additional information, like the URL of a Tweet, I will discard your entry if that additional information is not provided.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
In the meantime, who is up for a GIVEAWAY? Today I'm very pleased to offer a Heavy Doody medium wetbag in this fantastic bird print! (For you cloth diaper beginners, a wetbag is one way to store dirty diapers until it's time to wash them.)
How gorgeous is that? And such a great, cheery print that would work for almost any decor!
Mary R. is the mama behind Heavy Doody, and she started Heavy Doody a short time ago after struggling to find an affordable wetbag that she really liked.
I have a Heavy Doody wetbag that I use in the kitchen for dirty towels and bibs (because I sadly learned about Heavy Doody after I already had purchased my beloved Rumparooz wetbags and my not-so-beloved PlanetWise wetbags). Mary's quality is second to none, and she uses a nice, thick, heavy duty PUL as a liner. I haven't thrown any sopping wet diapers in mine since I use it mostly in the kitchen, but I've stuffed it full of wet kitchen rags and had no leaks! Besides dirty rags and dirty diapers, you could also use it for wet swim suits, at the beach to keep things dry, for dirty clothes while camping, or a hundred other things!
Wetbags are really useful and really versatile, and while you can certainly cloth diaper without one, you wouldn't want to after you've used one for a little bit!
This picture shows the HUGE amount of stuff that you can fit into one of these medium wetbags:
That's four diapers, eight inserts, three bibs, four wipes, two burp cloths, a shirt, a onesie, and pants.
Be sure to visit Mary's shop, Heavy Doody, over on Etsy! I am absolutely head over heels in love with the "Tree Rings" print and am trying to convince myself that I don't need it.
To enter, just fill out the Rafflecopter form below! Note: if it asks for additional information, like the URL of a Tweet, I will discard your entry if that additional information is not provided.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Giveaway : ones&twos AIO diaper
If you read my review of the newly released AIO (all-in-one) diapers here, you know that I really liked the new ones&twos. So I couldn't have been more excited when they agreed to give one of the readers a diaper in their choice of color (and jealous: I paid retail for mine! haha)!
The ones&twos AIO is a new brand of all-in-one diaper. They consist of a one-size diaper with a completely sewn-in soaker (very similar to bumGenius sized AIOs if you've ever tried those) with a stay-dry lining that I believe is suedecloth. The diaper itself also features a stuffable pocket. Included with the diaper is a separate insert that is microfiber topped with (I believe) a stay-dry microfleece. This setup allows you to use the diaper alone or the diaper with the insert, and the insert can go inside the pocket or simply be laid on top. One of the great things about this diaper is four rise settings, which allows it to be a true one-size diaper. The ones&twos come in six bright colors and retail for $16.95. It is only available with velcro.
To enter, use the form below. You must "like" our Facebook page (use the widget on the upper right of the page!) and "like" the ones&twos Facebook page. Once those mandatory entries have been completed, you will unlock a few more options for extra entries!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The ones&twos AIO is a new brand of all-in-one diaper. They consist of a one-size diaper with a completely sewn-in soaker (very similar to bumGenius sized AIOs if you've ever tried those) with a stay-dry lining that I believe is suedecloth. The diaper itself also features a stuffable pocket. Included with the diaper is a separate insert that is microfiber topped with (I believe) a stay-dry microfleece. This setup allows you to use the diaper alone or the diaper with the insert, and the insert can go inside the pocket or simply be laid on top. One of the great things about this diaper is four rise settings, which allows it to be a true one-size diaper. The ones&twos come in six bright colors and retail for $16.95. It is only available with velcro.
To enter, use the form below. You must "like" our Facebook page (use the widget on the upper right of the page!) and "like" the ones&twos Facebook page. Once those mandatory entries have been completed, you will unlock a few more options for extra entries!
Friday, April 27, 2012
Guest Post : Roxanne from "The Good Life"
Roxanne blogs at "The Good Life" and is the mother of almost-9-month-old Mckinley!
That you snap an insert into
The dirty liner goes into a wet bag (We use one like this in her room and we have a few smaller sizes for traveling). Depending on how dirty the cover gets we might throw the cover in the wet bag to be washed or we might need to use the diaper sprayer to spray the poo off and then place it in a wet bag to wash later.
We wipe her down with cloth wipes (inexpensive terry baby wash cloths) and a spray solution of warm water, baby oil, and a drop of baby wash) and those get thrown into the wet bag with the soiled diapers to be washed later. We use a special diaper cream on Kinley's booty since most creams are not cloth diaper safe which means they will leave a residue buildup on the cloth insert causing it not to absorb liquids and leak. This can be fixed by stripping (washing diapers in VERY hot water or washing with dish liquid to remove all buildup allowing the diapers to absorb more). We us Organic Coconut Oil.
Our Nigh time diaper routine is pretty much the same just with a different brand of diaper. We use Fuzzibunz which are a one size or a sized pocket diapering system. This means It is a cloth diaper with a pocket in the middle that you stuff inserts into to make it more absorbent. We normally double stuff (stuff 2 microfiber inserts into the inner pocket) which make the diaper more absorbent for the 10+ hours baby girl sleeps.
One great thing about cloth diapers and cloth diaper companies are diaper giveaways and sales. If you search the internet and sign up for different sites like Zulilly, Baby Half Off, Baby Steals, Green Baby Bargains, Hippo Bargains, or Eco Baby Buys you can get brand new diapers for dirt cheap. As I am typing this I am entering a lifetime giveaway for some fluff and boy could I use a lifetime supply of fluff. I could go days without washing! Booty Buns are super cute one size pocket diapers. I don't currently own this brand, but I LOVE trying new kinds of diapers with different fits and I just love winning stuff and what is better then free diapers.
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Cutie With A Fluffy Bootie
A few people have asked recently how our diapers work so I thought I would write a little somethin something about what we use and how it works.
I can still remember sitting in my classroom months before even getting pregnant staring at my computer at all of the overwhelming information about cloth diapers. I had no clue what anything was or what any of the terms meant (cd, hemp, insert, aio, fluff, hybrid, etc), but I knew this was something I wanted to try. I also remember telling people we would be using cloth diapers once I got pregnant and I am sure you are thinking how excited everyone was for us and how positive they were and I would laugh in your face because you are funny. Most people (not all, but most people) said we were crazy or that we would only do it for a few weeks and then give up. Well those people don't know me very well because when you tell I can't or won't do something you bet I will put my 190% percent into whatever you said I can't do.
So here we are almost 8 months into our cloth diapering adventure and my baby has super padded fluffy butt (that is what we call our nigh time diaper system) right now as we speak.
We just bought our second pack of disposable diapers (We bought 1 pack of disposables at the very beginning because I did not want to wash meconium off of my liners and I might have forgotten to turn on the dryer after stripping my liners and had no dry diapers the other morning). I had no clue what size to buy, but I did find some that were made from plant based materials and chlorine free which made me very happy.
What We Use
We use 2 different brands of CD's (Cloth Diapers). Our main go to diaper is Best Bottoms. They are a one size (they have different snaps to make the diaper different sizes so baby can wear them from birth to potty training) hybrid diaper system which mean you have a diaper cover
That you snap an insert into
When baby pees or poops you remove the soiled insert and snap a new one in. I usually grab a new cover and insert and place the cover removed from babies bottom to the side to use later unless it is soiled.
The dirty liner goes into a wet bag (We use one like this in her room and we have a few smaller sizes for traveling). Depending on how dirty the cover gets we might throw the cover in the wet bag to be washed or we might need to use the diaper sprayer to spray the poo off and then place it in a wet bag to wash later.
We wipe her down with cloth wipes (inexpensive terry baby wash cloths) and a spray solution of warm water, baby oil, and a drop of baby wash) and those get thrown into the wet bag with the soiled diapers to be washed later. We use a special diaper cream on Kinley's booty since most creams are not cloth diaper safe which means they will leave a residue buildup on the cloth insert causing it not to absorb liquids and leak. This can be fixed by stripping (washing diapers in VERY hot water or washing with dish liquid to remove all buildup allowing the diapers to absorb more). We us Organic Coconut Oil.
If you have never heard of it look it up because it is Amazing stuff. It can be use for Anything and Everything! We slap some of that on at each diaper change and we have only used up 1 large jar in 7 months. On the very rare occasion her booty gets red (if she is on antibiotics) we will use a little regular diaper cream and we just slap a piece of fleece fabric on top of the inside of the diaper to keep the cream off of the liner. We will wash these separately later.
Our Nigh time diaper routine is pretty much the same just with a different brand of diaper. We use Fuzzibunz which are a one size or a sized pocket diapering system. This means It is a cloth diaper with a pocket in the middle that you stuff inserts into to make it more absorbent. We normally double stuff (stuff 2 microfiber inserts into the inner pocket) which make the diaper more absorbent for the 10+ hours baby girl sleeps.
Our wash routine has become just that part of our family routine. We wash every other day unless baby girl poops a ton that particular day and we use either E.C.O.S. detergent which can be found at Walmart or Tide Free and Clear (The less brighteners and additives in the detergent the better it is for the life expectancy and absorbency of your diapers). There are other detergents you can use, but these are what I have found work for us. Before Kinley started eating food we did not have to spray the poo off of er diaper because breast milk is water soluble so we just threw everything into the wash together. Now that she is eating 3 meals a day we spray all of her poop diapers off and I usually throw them in the washer and run a rinse/soak cycle. Then I was them on cold/cold. I hang my covers to dry and just throw the liners in the dryer and run it twice since they are so absorbent and hold so much liquid until they completely dry.
Why we decided to use cloth diapers.
I purchased all of our diapers online because sadly there aren't many places that sell cloth in Memphis. I have recently heard that there are a few places that are hit or miss, but may have cloth diapers occasionally. Almost every single one of our diapers and liners were previously owned and before you saw GROSS you should know that most people who use cloth either borrow from friends or buy them used and there is a HUGE resale market. We initially purchased Gdiapers a hybrid diaper system from www.diaperswappers.com, but those turned out to not be our favorite brand to use. They leaked too much and I didn't care for all of the parts you had to put together. After a little more research I found Best Bottoms and we absolutely love the versatility of them. Buying used diapers helped save us even more money then we already would be saving by using cloth. These diapers will last us through potty training Mckinley and then we will reuse them on our next baby adventure. All in all I would say we have spent maybe $400 in diapers and diaper supplies. Including detergent maybe $500. So we are saving thousands on diapers.
One great thing about cloth diapers and cloth diaper companies are diaper giveaways and sales. If you search the internet and sign up for different sites like Zulilly, Baby Half Off, Baby Steals, Green Baby Bargains, Hippo Bargains, or Eco Baby Buys you can get brand new diapers for dirt cheap. As I am typing this I am entering a lifetime giveaway for some fluff and boy could I use a lifetime supply of fluff. I could go days without washing! Booty Buns are super cute one size pocket diapers. I don't currently own this brand, but I LOVE trying new kinds of diapers with different fits and I just love winning stuff and what is better then free diapers.
If you want to know more about using cloth diapers the best place to find information is theAwesome Cloth Diaper Blog written by the lovely Lara. Lara has a way of explaining everything that makes it so easy to understand. If you are considering cloth this is where you need to start to learn about everything. Another place for condensed cloth diaper info is one of my favorite blogs . As I was reading late last night I came across this post about using cloth diapers.
SO there it is. Why and how we use cloth diapers. I am by no means a cloth diapering expert, but I have read everything there is out there about cloth and I LOVE showing people how they work and if anyone ever needs any advice I am always up for talking about cloth.
It's super easy, affordable, and who doesn't love a baby with a super fluffy bum!
SO there it is. Why and how we use cloth diapers. I am by no means a cloth diapering expert, but I have read everything there is out there about cloth and I LOVE showing people how they work and if anyone ever needs any advice I am always up for talking about cloth.
It's super easy, affordable, and who doesn't love a baby with a super fluffy bum!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
No Two Diapers Are Alike
You often hear people say that you shouldn't invest heavily in one type of diaper or diaper system until you have had a chance to test it out first. Just like a pair of jeans wouldn't fit you, your mom, your grandma, your best friend, and Beyonce the same (the magic jeans in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants excepted), a single diaper won't fit every baby the same. A diaper that works perfectly for your child might not be what works best for someone else.
Here's proof.
These are all diapers that are supposed to fit a baby in the same weight range. While the difference may not look pronounced in the above picture, here, with the location of the leg elastic marked, it's more obvious:
The top diaper, a GroVia all-in-one, is narrow through the legs and trim throughout. The bottom diaper, an AppleCheeks, is wider between the legs and has a higher rise. Even the overall shape, seen below, is different: the Applecheeks is more square, and the GroVia is more triangular (or, if we're getting technical, more trapezoidal?).
Another look:
Somehow, both shapes work well on my 20 pound, 30" tall daughter, though I prefer the GroVias under jeans and pants. However, the shapes of the diapers are so very different that they may not work the same (or at all) on different babies. This is one reason experimentation is key if you aren't happy with your current diapers!
Here are three more diapers, stacked on top of each other with the right edge exactly lined up. (I'm not positive, but I believe it's a Sunbaby on top, a Blueberry in the middle, and a Tiny Tush Elite on the bottom). Again, much different widths that may work very differently for different babies.
Conclusion? If you aren't happy with the fit of your diapers on your baby, try a different brand!
Here's proof.
(Top to bottom: GroVia, FishNoodles, Alva, BumGenius size medium,
BumGenius one-size, Tots Bots Easy Fit, AppleCheeks)
These are all diapers that are supposed to fit a baby in the same weight range. While the difference may not look pronounced in the above picture, here, with the location of the leg elastic marked, it's more obvious:
Another look:
Somehow, both shapes work well on my 20 pound, 30" tall daughter, though I prefer the GroVias under jeans and pants. However, the shapes of the diapers are so very different that they may not work the same (or at all) on different babies. This is one reason experimentation is key if you aren't happy with your current diapers!
Here are three more diapers, stacked on top of each other with the right edge exactly lined up. (I'm not positive, but I believe it's a Sunbaby on top, a Blueberry in the middle, and a Tiny Tush Elite on the bottom). Again, much different widths that may work very differently for different babies.
Conclusion? If you aren't happy with the fit of your diapers on your baby, try a different brand!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Real Diaper Week
Are you celebrating Real Diaper Week in anticipation of the Great Cloth Diaper Change?
Here's the focus for the rest of the week (from here):
Real Diaper Week will take place April 16 – 21, 2012. The focus of RDW is advocacy and education. Each day we will focus on one area of advocacy, with supporting education and challenges. The overall theme of the 2012 Real Diaper Week is “Real Simple. Real Diapers.”
We’d love to hear how you’re participating in Real Diaper Week. Please join our blog hop by writing posts on one or more days throughout the week, tied to one of the focus areas or activities described below. To participate, see instructions here.
Bloggers participating in Real Diaper Week can download a badge for your website, which can link back to this page where people can find out more information about advocating and educating people about cloth diapers during Real Diaper Week.
Education Focus
Education Focus
Here's the focus for the rest of the week (from here):
Real Diaper Week will take place April 16 – 21, 2012. The focus of RDW is advocacy and education. Each day we will focus on one area of advocacy, with supporting education and challenges. The overall theme of the 2012 Real Diaper Week is “Real Simple. Real Diapers.”
We’d love to hear how you’re participating in Real Diaper Week. Please join our blog hop by writing posts on one or more days throughout the week, tied to one of the focus areas or activities described below. To participate, see instructions here.
Bloggers participating in Real Diaper Week can download a badge for your website, which can link back to this page where people can find out more information about advocating and educating people about cloth diapers during Real Diaper Week.
Wednesday: Real Simple Real Diaper Savings
Advocacy Recommendations- Contact a local community action agency that provides family support services and offer to teach a simple cloth diaper class for low income families on a budget.
- Lead a class on how to make your own cloth diapers.
- Cloth Diapering on a budget (inexpensive and simple!)
- Identify a simple diaper to bring to the GCDC, to be donated to a cloth diaper charity (such as Giving Diapers, Giving Hope or similar cloth diaper charity, or a local social service organization that would be willing to provide them to clients)
Thursday: Real Simple Real Diapers for Babies
Advocacy Recommendations- Tell a daycare provider, hospital, or pediatrician about cloth diapers
- Tell a doula, midwife, childbirth educator, or lactation educator about cloth diapers. Let them know they can get a demo kit to demonstrate cloth diapers to their clients from the Real Diaper Industry Association: http://realdiaperindustry.org/consider-cloth.
Education Focus
- Health benefits of cloth diapers http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php
- How to use cloth diapers in daycare. Daycare tip sheet and cloth-diaper-friendly daycare provider directory: http://daycare.realdiaperindustry.org
Friday: Real Simple Real Diaper Reuse
Advocacy Recommendations- Personal Re-Use Challenge Day! Identify one area where you are not already using something reusable (night time diapering, traveling with diapers, potty training, swim diapers, coffee cups, water bottles, grocery bags, snack bags, feminine products, etc). Figure out the simplest solution for you to make the switch.
Education Focus
- Traveling with Cloth Diapers: http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/100/TravelTipSheet.pdf
- Cloth Diapering at Night: http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/100/ClothOvernight.pdf
- Other Ideas for Reuse: http://www.reusealliance.org/wp-content/uploads/Reuse-Alliance-Top-Reuse-Tips.pdf
Saturday: GREAT CLOTH DIAPER CHANGE 2012!
Advocacy Recommendations- Bring a friend to the Great Cloth Diaper Change!
- Share how cloth diapering has made an impact in simplifying your life.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
New Pocket Releases : Blissful Booty and FuzziBunz Elite
Recently, a couple of new pocket diapers have been released. And, as usual, I was eager to try them out. Pockets are generally "eh" with me. I actually love stuffing them, but my go-to diapers have evolved into mostly being AIOs. So I was interested to see if these new pockets changed my mind at all.
Blissful Booty
The Blissful Booty pocket is made with TPU or minkee outer and a stay-dry suedecloth inner. The inner features a row of internal double gussets, and the diaper features elastic at the front and back. There are three rise settings. The Blissful Booty pocket comes with a single bamboo insert, though additional inserts are available for purchase. The diaper comes in 22 solid colors and prints (13 with TPU and nine with minkee) and is available in snaps or aplix. The snap diaper offers hip snaps as well as crossover tabs. A TPU diaper is $16.00 and a minkee diaper is $17.00.
What do I like about it?
I love the double gussets - especially for little babies who have (ahem) runny newborn poo. The extra gusset really helps keep the messes contained! I also love the extra elastic at the front of the diaper - this is great for older babies who nap or sleep on their stomachs. Very few companies offer elastic at the front - AppleCheeks and AMP diapers are the only two I can think of off the top of my head. But it's brilliant! I don't find that it cuts into her stomach or is uncomfortable for her at all. I love how soft the outer TPU is. I don't usually like minkee, but I was able to feel one of their minkee diapers and it was extremely soft and seemed trimmer than other minkee diapers I've seen. I used an aplix diaper, which seemed to have high-quality closures and the laundry tabs especially were VERY sticky - I can't see those coming undone in the wash! The snaps configuration on the snap diaper seems like it would work well for many babies and the hip snap is always useful, but I can't speak to the fit specifically, as I didn't use it. The fit on my daughter was perfect, and it was very trim. The quality seems decent.
What don't I like about it?
Their AIOs came with super soft fleece inners, which I loved. These come with suedecloth. You know how I feel about suedecloth (if you don't: it's a love/hate relationship! I love that it doesn't stain and stays relatively soft, but I hate picking lint and hair out of it!). The biggest downside to these diapers that I can see is the insert: one just isn't going to cut it for older babies or heavy wetters. They do sell additional inserts, but I feel like it'd be a better option if they came with two like most pockets.
FuzziBunz Elite
Medium elastic size setting
The pocket opening
What do I like about it?
I was surprised - I acutally like this diaper and reach for it regularly. Why does that surprise me? I NEVER reached for our old one-size FuzziBunz (though I used and really liked their small Perfect Size). The adjustable elastic is either a plus or a minus depending on how difficult it is for you to get the right fit - I was lucky and got it on my first try, but I know people that seemingly have tried every setting and still couldn't get it to fit correctly. The elastic does, however, give an very large number of size settings rather than the three or four with most one-size snap-down rises. The minky inserts are very soft and seem to be quite absorbent - at this point I'm only using the larger one with my daughter, but would definitely need two for naps or longer periods of time. Right now, it fits very well and is extremely trim. The inner microfleece is extremely soft as well. I also like that I can replace the elastic easily should I need to do so (haven't had to yet). The quality is excellent.
What don't I like about it?
The elastic can be very difficult to get sized correctly. They don't have crossover tabs at the waist, which was a huge problem when my daughter was smaller with both the Perfect Size and the old one-size (even with the elastic at the tightest setting, the front would gape open). She's big enough now that she wouldn't need them crossed over, but I imagine it would be an issue for littler babies (maybe this is why I didn't like our old one?). The pocket opening is HUGE (good for husbands stuffing pockets) but it has tons of excess fabric, and it can be difficult to get the excess to stay tucked in neatly. At the smallest setting, there is a lot of leftover elastic inside the diaper, which I can't imagine would be comfortable for the baby. At the largest setting, there is barely any stretch to the elastic and I don't think it would work well for holding in messes. However, most people are going to be using it on one of the middle settings, so neither of those should be a huge issue.
Absorbency:
Fuzzibunz (left) and Blissful Booty (right)
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Blissful Booty
Blissful Booty on smallest setting
Blissful Booty on medium setting
Blissful Booty on largest setting
Laundry tabs on the aplix diaper
Snap diaper configuration
Single bamboo insert
Front elastic
Elasticized back pocket opening
Double gussets
What do I like about it?
I love the double gussets - especially for little babies who have (ahem) runny newborn poo. The extra gusset really helps keep the messes contained! I also love the extra elastic at the front of the diaper - this is great for older babies who nap or sleep on their stomachs. Very few companies offer elastic at the front - AppleCheeks and AMP diapers are the only two I can think of off the top of my head. But it's brilliant! I don't find that it cuts into her stomach or is uncomfortable for her at all. I love how soft the outer TPU is. I don't usually like minkee, but I was able to feel one of their minkee diapers and it was extremely soft and seemed trimmer than other minkee diapers I've seen. I used an aplix diaper, which seemed to have high-quality closures and the laundry tabs especially were VERY sticky - I can't see those coming undone in the wash! The snaps configuration on the snap diaper seems like it would work well for many babies and the hip snap is always useful, but I can't speak to the fit specifically, as I didn't use it. The fit on my daughter was perfect, and it was very trim. The quality seems decent.
What don't I like about it?
Their AIOs came with super soft fleece inners, which I loved. These come with suedecloth. You know how I feel about suedecloth (if you don't: it's a love/hate relationship! I love that it doesn't stain and stays relatively soft, but I hate picking lint and hair out of it!). The biggest downside to these diapers that I can see is the insert: one just isn't going to cut it for older babies or heavy wetters. They do sell additional inserts, but I feel like it'd be a better option if they came with two like most pockets.
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FuzziBunz Elite
Smallest elastic size setting
Medium elastic size setting
Largest elastic size setting
Snap configuration
The replacement elastic and sizing guide on back of package.
The FuzziBunz Elite is an updated version of their classic one-size diaper. The outer is PUL, and the inner is stay-dry microfleece. Rather than using rise snaps to adjust the size of the diaper, you adjust the leg elastic and back elastic with a series of buttons. The FuzziBunz Elite comes with two minky inserts that can be used alone or together, depending on your needs (one is larger and one is smaller). FuzziBunz products are only available with snap closures. Every FuzziBunz diaper comes with a set of replacement elastic. The Elite retails for $19.95 and comes in 14 colors.
The inner adjustable elastic
Two minky inserts
I was surprised - I acutally like this diaper and reach for it regularly. Why does that surprise me? I NEVER reached for our old one-size FuzziBunz (though I used and really liked their small Perfect Size). The adjustable elastic is either a plus or a minus depending on how difficult it is for you to get the right fit - I was lucky and got it on my first try, but I know people that seemingly have tried every setting and still couldn't get it to fit correctly. The elastic does, however, give an very large number of size settings rather than the three or four with most one-size snap-down rises. The minky inserts are very soft and seem to be quite absorbent - at this point I'm only using the larger one with my daughter, but would definitely need two for naps or longer periods of time. Right now, it fits very well and is extremely trim. The inner microfleece is extremely soft as well. I also like that I can replace the elastic easily should I need to do so (haven't had to yet). The quality is excellent.
What don't I like about it?
The elastic can be very difficult to get sized correctly. They don't have crossover tabs at the waist, which was a huge problem when my daughter was smaller with both the Perfect Size and the old one-size (even with the elastic at the tightest setting, the front would gape open). She's big enough now that she wouldn't need them crossed over, but I imagine it would be an issue for littler babies (maybe this is why I didn't like our old one?). The pocket opening is HUGE (good for husbands stuffing pockets) but it has tons of excess fabric, and it can be difficult to get the excess to stay tucked in neatly. At the smallest setting, there is a lot of leftover elastic inside the diaper, which I can't imagine would be comfortable for the baby. At the largest setting, there is barely any stretch to the elastic and I don't think it would work well for holding in messes. However, most people are going to be using it on one of the middle settings, so neither of those should be a huge issue.
____________________
Now, to compare the two.
Trimness:
Thanks to the unique sizing system, there is no fold-down rise on the FuzziBunz (FB), so it's a bit trimmer overall. I believe it's a bit narrower between the legs as well (though only very slightly). However, they are both very trim diapers.
Fit:
They both fit extremely well. The FB is a bit narrower and I really like that, but the elastic at the front waist of the Blissful Booty (BB) gives it the edge. And I know from first-hand experience that it can be difficult to get a good fit with the FB.
Thanks to the unique sizing system, there is no fold-down rise on the FuzziBunz (FB), so it's a bit trimmer overall. I believe it's a bit narrower between the legs as well (though only very slightly). However, they are both very trim diapers.
Fit:
They both fit extremely well. The FB is a bit narrower and I really like that, but the elastic at the front waist of the Blissful Booty (BB) gives it the edge. And I know from first-hand experience that it can be difficult to get a good fit with the FB.
Absorbency:
Since these are pockets, you can customize the absorbency as you need. However, the FB comes with two inserts (super soft minky) and the BB only comes with one (super soft bamboo). I used a doubler with the BB and didn't have any leaks.
Quality:
Quality:
While I love the BB, something about it seems slightly different than the FB (which feels very high quality). I can't figure out what though. The sewing is fine, the materials feel nice...I think it might be in my imagination because the TPU is softer and a little floppier than the PUL on the FB, and the bamboo insert is also floppier than the minky insert...which means the overall diaper is a bit floppier. I'm used to diapers with a bit more structure, so the extreme softness and floppiness of this diaper is different for me. But I bet that equals comfort for the baby (sadly I can't try it on myself to see). The one thing I do like on the FB more is the slightly thicker leg and back elastic; I feel like that doesn't cut in as much. The FB also has two layers of microfleece for reinforcement at the wings, while the BB (and most pockets) only has one layer of the inner fabric.
Double gusset:
Only on the BB! A great help for keeping poop IN the diaper!
Pocket opening:
I definitely prefer the elasticized pocket of the Blissful Booty to the wide-open pocket on the FuzziBunz. The extra fabric can be difficult to corral at times. Thought the BB pocket opening SEEMS smaller, even my husband was able to stuff with ease since the elastic stretches.
Double gusset:
Only on the BB! A great help for keeping poop IN the diaper!
Pocket opening:
I definitely prefer the elasticized pocket of the Blissful Booty to the wide-open pocket on the FuzziBunz. The extra fabric can be difficult to corral at times. Thought the BB pocket opening SEEMS smaller, even my husband was able to stuff with ease since the elastic stretches.
Spelling:
Blissful Booty spells it minkee. FuzziBunz spells it minky. WHO IS RIGHT? We may never know.
Overall:
It's a toss-up. I like the high quality feel and trimness of the FuzziBunz, but I love the waist elastic and super-soft TPU outer of the Blissful Booty.
(Note: I received the Blissful Booty for free from the Blissful Booty company.)
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