The Cloth Diaper Whisperer: 2009-04-12

Welcome to this week's giveaway!

What would you win:

1-bumGenius one size fleece (Limited Edition)
1-bumGenius one size organic All In One
1-bumGenius All In One

What to do? Simply leave a comment telling us what is your favorite thing about the Cloth Diaper Whisperer's blog? Don’t forget to leave a way for us to contact you if you're the winner. You don’t need to have a blog to win, but be sure to leave your email address if you don’t have one.

When? You should leave your comment before Thursday, April 23rd at 8pm EDT.
What else to know? You can make ONE comment PER DAY. If you want to get more comments there are several ways to do it:

1 - Being or becoming one of our followers gives you one extra comment PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY. Simply post a comment saying that you are a follower.
2 - Being a subscriber of our blog or subscribing to our blog, gives you one extra comment PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY. Simply post a comment saying that you are a follower.
3 - Commenting in other posts during the week will give you ONE EXTRA comment PER EACH comment that you make. Simply post a comment on this one saying the title of the post where you wrote your comment. So, what are you waiting for?? Participating on other posts pays off!!!
4 - Advertising the giveaway in a forum or other blog gives you ONE extra comment PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY. Simply post a comment saying that you are a advertising and where.
5 - Using our button on your blog (or starting to) gives you one extra comment PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY. Simply post a comment saying that you are using it and where.
6 - Being a fan of our Facebook group gives you one extra comment PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY. Simply post a comment saying that you our fan.
7 - Being a follower on Twitter gives you one extra comment PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY. Simply post a comment saying that you our follower and your Twitter ID.
NOT SURE?? Visit our FAQ's.

How? We will draw one winner randomly with an "Online Number Generator" and will make a post with the winner on Friday, April 24th, and will notify the winner by blog or email that they've won.

Who can participate? US Residents and Canadians are welcome!

Important note about the winner: If we havent hear from the winner by the closing time of next week's giveaway, we will be choosing another winner that will be published TOGETHER with next week's winner. We promise to do our best to get in contact with the winners. Canadians winners will be responsable for shipping costs.

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

Fluff Fridays - Week 25 * CLOSED *

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Free shipping on your entire order when you purchase a Moby Wrap at Kelly's Closet with code MOBYWRAP.

Sorry, no previous or pending orders discounted.
Limit 1 coupon code per order.
Valid April 18th and 19th Only.

Weekend Super Saver Coupon - April 18th & 19th

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Our first winner of the day is our Fluff Friday winner!!! She is a mom of 3 cutie pies... It was fun to get to know them a little bit in their new blog.. Follow them here.

Twitter Winner - Two Planet Wise Wet Bags (1 Small &1 Medium)

We love to hear about your cloth diapering experience on your tweets on Twitter. It is nice to get to know all of you cloth diaper mama's! This week's winner is: mmiller0912

Follow us on Twitter to find out about our future Twitter giveaways!!

Facebook Winner - GroBaby Sample Kit

We had a Photo Contest in Facebook and we got some very CUTE and FUN entries!! CONGRATULATIONS to our Amanda H. and babies James and Ella (5 month old twins)...
Arent they just ADORABLE wearing their Gro Baby Diapers???

Become a Fan of Diaper Shops in Facebook to be informed about our Facebook giveaways!!

ANNIVERSARY WINNERS:

Congratulations are in order for our two winners from this week:

Kim E. who won the limited edition "Reduce, Reuse" Moby Wrap

Lora K. who won the Earth Mama Angel Baby “I Love My Mama” gift set

Remember if you didn’t this week, you’re still eligible for our Grand Prize drawing for one of two Nintendo Wii Consoles with the Wii Fit game!

Thank you to everyone who participated! Remember to continue following us on our blog, Facebook and Twitter for updates, giveaways and more!

Momof3Munchkins, mmiller0912, Amanda, Kim and Lora: Contact us ASAP so we can get your winnins out to you ASAP!

We have 5 winners! Fluff Friday, Twitter, Facebook and two for the Anniversary giveaway!

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I have three different types of slings/wraps that I use. I really love all of them; yes I have my go-to one, but all three serve their purpose.

The adjustable sling:
Worn only in front, over one shoulder. I like using this one if I am running into the store quick because it is super easy to flip over my head and put her in. It does start hurting my shoulder after awhile though, so I keep it in the car for short trips.

PROS:
* Easy to take on and off
* Can be rolled up small
* No tying or wrapping involved
CONS:
* Baby tends to slide into a ball when sleeping
* not very secure to your body
* Out grown fast

Moby type wrap:
As I mentioned on the post from earlier today, I do not have a Moby Wrap, but have one like it, and can be worn many different ways. I love using this wrap while working around the house. Your baby is very tight to you and you can bend over and feel as though your baby is safe. When my baby is really crabby I can put her in this and feel comfortable wearing her all day and she loves it. I use this one mostly in the house. It takes a little while to put on, but once it is on it is comfy for hours, trust me I have used it for many many hours. She is actually in it right now as I type. She is happy to be close to me and I can type without assistants.

PROS:
* Can be worn many ways
* Works for newborn to pre-school
* Easy on the back, baby is secure to your body
CONS:
* Bulky to carry along
* Takes practice to put on

Mie Tie wrap:
can be worn either on your front or back. I like to use this one when going somewhere where I would need to hold her for awhile. Walking around the zoo and through the airport. It is more compact then the Moby type wrap and fits better in my diaper bag.

PROS:
* Very compact
* Easy to get on and off
* Can be worn both in front and on back
* Can be used newborn through pre-school
CONS:
* Not very secure to your body
* Need to make sure you have it tight or fabric can bulk in the front.

Wrap Types: Pros and Cons

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I do not have a Moby personally, but made one similar to the Moby and have been able to play with a Moby Wrap. Here is the basics of putting on the wrap and some of the ways you can use it to carry your baby. The wrap in the pictures is used the same way you would use your Moby and is made out of 5 yards of knit fabric with a stretch finish stitch.

Newborn/breastfeeding carry:
Wrap around the front of your waist. Criss-cross around your back and bring up over your shoulders. Criss-Cross across your chest and pull underneath the part that is on your waist. It can then either be tied in the back or wrapped back around and tied in the front (really depends on amount of material left). Your baby now can slide into the side that is closest to your chest and then wrap the other side over her and the bottom can either by brought up for extra security or left down.

This works much better with a newborn, they actually lay in there nicely and makes it easy to feed them all covered up.

Kangaroo/sleeping baby carry:
This one is for if your baby is sleeping on your chest. You will need help with this one. Take the part that you would wrap around your waist and bring in up, so it is covering up baby. Then criss-cross on your back and bring it up over your shoulders. Take one side and bring it across over baby and then do the other side. You can then tie it around your back or bring it back to the front. (depends on the amount of Material left over).

If I put her to sleep and want to get something done, this is the way I wrap her up. She stays sleeping and I can get something done. I have a little baby that wakes as soon as I lay her down, so if she does fall asleep in my arms she usually stays there.

Inward carry:
Wrap around the front of your waist. Criss-cross around your back and bring up over your shoulders. Criss-Cross across your chest and pull underneath the part that is on your waist. It can then either be tied in the back or wrapped back around and tied in the front (really depends on amount of material left). You are going to find the X that is created in the front and your babies will rest right in there facing you. The top of the X should be at each of their shoulders and the middle of the X about at the diaper.

I use the bottom piece as a cover and extra security once baby is in. I use this carry if I know she will be falling asleep. I am able to bounce her and get something done and she is wrapped tightly and is very cozy.

Facing out carry:
Wrap around the front of your waist. Criss-cross around your back and bring up over your shoulders. Criss-Cross across your chest and pull underneath the part that is on your waist. It can then either be tied in the back or wrapped back around and tied in the front (really depends on amount of material left). You are going to find the X that is created in the front and your babies will rest right in there facing out. The top of the X should be at each of their shoulders and the middle of the X about at the diaper.

I use the bottom piece as a cover and extra security once baby is in. This is one of your favorites. She can look around and still be very tight to me. We use this when we walk outside.

On your back carry:
For this one you will take the middle of the wrap and stretch it across your little ones back. Then around your waist, criss-crossed in front of you and brought up over your shoulders. Then criss-cross in over your little one in the back, making sure to get under her bottom and then tied in the front.

I have not used this way with my baby yet, but have with my 3 year old. I like to use it when she insists on riding on my back. It spreads the weight out a bit and my arms do not get tired.

These are the types of carries I use on a regular basis. I like the wrap because it can be used so many different ways and there is a way to wrap it for all my needs.

- By Angela S.

My very own Wrap

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Four years ago, when my son was a baby, I was definitely not a babywearer. I had seen a Snugli once and someone recommended it to me so I put it on my baby registry. I didn't think much of it. My mother-in-law bought it for me. So, I used it, occasionally. There were a few grocery store trips that it helped with and one airport stint that it came in handy. But I mostly found it awkward and uncomfortable.

So, when I was pregnant with my daughter I did not really intend to wear her. I kind of wanted to get a different baby carrier (I was thinking of a sling) for those first few weeks but I really did not want to spend the money on something I only expected to use for a few weeks. I got the snugli back out. I figured I would make do.

Then she came along and she wanted to be held ALL THE TIME. She was not calm and quiet, like her brother. Nope, my daughter takes after her mommy - she is loud and opinionated. She wanted mommy. And I was not available to her as much as I was when her brother was a baby. I run a small daycare in my house and I had four children here besides her and her brother. They were five, one, three and two. Did you catch that I was caring for an infant, a one year old, a two year old, a three year old, a four year old and a five year old. Something had to be done.

So, a friend lent me a ring sling but I could never get a handle on it. It was okay if she was sleeping but I never felt like she was secure in there. So, we went back to the uncomfortable Snugli.

The problem was that she was three months old (way older than I had expected to use the thing) with no end in sight. Luckily, it was Christmas time and my mother-in-law asked Hubby what I wanted for Christmas. I remembered that I had seen a woman in a Moby wrap at the local children's museum. I did some research on the Moby and told Hubby that I really wanted it.

A few weeks later, I had it in my hands. I tried it out right away and it was love at first wrap. Even before I put my daughter in it I loved it. It felt like I was wearing nothing. Then I put her in and we were very happy campers. She was all snuggled in to me and I was able to keep her there indefinitely. It was so comfy. There were no pressure points, no pulling on my back, just ease and comfort.

Since then she and I have been everywhere with her in there. We walked around Washington DC, we have been to a multitude of hockey games, we have played out sid

e with all those big kids and we have gone about the house doing everyday activities.

The funny thing is now I feel like I have no idea how I got along without the wrap when Big Brother was a baby. If she is fussing, she will calm right down and start smiling as soon as she sees it. She sleeps in there while I jump around and celebrate when my team gets a goal or wins a game (we are a hockey family). And, if I am being 100% honest, I just love having her there. Getting to snuggle with her at any moment, taking her outside all wrapped up and inside my coat. It is a very special time and soon enough she will be running around and leaving me in the dust. So, at least for now I can wrap her up in my Moby and keep her close.

- Upstatemomof3

Love at First Wrap!

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We’re celebrating our 8 years in business all month long! This week we’re giving away:

* One 3 pack of bumGenius One Size 3.0 Pocket Diapers ($54 value)

* One 3 pack of Fuzzi Bunz Perfect Fit Pocket Diapers ($54 value)

Want to win? All you have to do is make a purchase* before April 23rd, 6:59pm EDT to be entered to win!

The winners will be selected on Thursday, April 23rd at 7:00 pm EDT.

Remember: All orders placed between April 1st and April 30th until 4:59pm EDT will be entered in our grand prize drawing to win one of two Nintendo Wii consoles and Wii Fit game!!!

Thanks for participating!

Sincerely,

Kelly

* No purchase necessary to win. To enter, please mail your entry (include name, address and phone) to Kelly’s Closet, PO Box 203, Waterford, ME 04088. Entries must be received by April 23, 2009 by 7:00 pm EDT for the bumGenius and FuzziBunz giveaways and by April 30, 2009 by 7:00 pm EDT for the Wii giveaways. Each entry, as well as those automatically entered into the contest, will be selected based on a random number generator. Winners will be notified individually and announced on our blog. Please send a SASE to Kelly’s Closet, PO Box 203, Waterford, ME 04088 if you would like to receive mail confirmation of the winner. Entries limited to US residents.

We’re not finished yet!

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There are several ladies asking in the Mobyholic Mom of Twins post about wearing two babies... Serena contacted one of her baby wearing friends (thank you very much), and even though she doesnt have two babies to wear, she called a friend so we could make this post a reality. Both friends wore the babies with their own wraps. This works for twins, or even for a toddler and a baby.

Mom One:

Mom Two:

Two babies can also be wear side to side. If you have a photo to share with us, we would love to see it! Just contact us, and write "Baby Wearing Photo for Blog" on the subject.

Wearing two babies!

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Moby Wrap Inc. was founded in 2003 by parents with a passion for babywearing who saw the need for a more comfortable, secure and versatile way to carry their infants. Since its inception, Moby Wrap Inc. has expanded its product line to include innovative designs in a gorgeous array of colors, prints and fabrics, including UV protected and organic cotton.

A Moby Wrap is a long piece of ultra soft, breathable cotton that is wrapped around the wearer to create a safe, ergonomic, custom-fitted and versatile baby carrier. Able to comfortably and securely hold babies from preemie to 35lbs, Moby Wraps are the only baby carrier you'll ever need! They are recommended by pediatricians, childbirth educators, NICU nurses, lactation consultants and chiropractors. Moby Wraps are one size so they can be easily shared by all caregivers in the family.

Moby Wrap, Inc. was created by two mothers in search of the perfect baby carrier. After extensive research, including the sampling of countless slings and wraps, their solution was a variation of a time-tested European carrier. Wherever they went, they would be approached by people wanting one, and it wasn't long before the constant demand put the two moms in the supply business.

Using the softest of cotton fabrics, the Moby Wrap (mother and baby) is by far the most comfortable baby carrier available today. It distributes weight evenly from parent's shoulders to hips and aligns baby's center of gravity as close to the parent's body as possible.

MOBY WRAP

* Our original 100% cotton baby carrier.

* 5.5 meters in length

* UV version is treated with the Rayosan Process to increase the sun protection factor of the fabric (available in three colors)

* Affordable for all

MOBY D

* Designed with an off-center fabric panel made of luxurious Asian brocade, hand woven cotton or plush microfleece

* Ties on the hip of the babywearer

* Shorter than the Moby Wrap — 5 meters in length

MOBY SELECT

* Batik print (two colors) or organic (un-dyed)

* Same comfortable material and fit as the original Moby Wrap

* Newest addition to our product line

Be comfortable
The design of the Moby™ Wrap uses your entire back, as well as your shoulders, to carry the weight of your baby. Unlike other carriers, which have narrow straps or go across one shoulder, the Moby™ Wrap is a wide piece of fabric that is wrapped over both shoulders. It is amazingly comfortable and easy to wear. There are no buckles, snaps or other fasteners. It is easy to adjust the fit of your Moby™ Wrap by varying how tightly you wrap yourself and your baby.

Be secure
The Moby Wrap comes with an easy to follow instructional guide and this web site with the latest news, tips and techniques. With the single stretch cotton and the width of the Moby Wrap, your baby is wrapped close and tight, ensuring a secure hold. Your baby’s head can also be secured under the stretchy cotton fabric for added safety. You can finally have both hands free and know your baby is safe and secure.

Be uniquely close to your baby
There is not a lot of extra material or bulky padding between you and your baby. Your baby can hear your heartbeat and finds comfort in the warmth of your body,and sound of your heartbeat within the cuddly confines of the Moby Wrap.

Preemie to 35 lbs.
The Moby Wrap is an optimal baby carrier for premature infants. Preemies are often prescribed to practice "kangaroo care" and this skin-to-skin practice used to increase birth weight can be easily achieved while wearing the Moby Wrap. The Moby Wrap is long enough to adapt to your growing baby. The fabric can hold up to 45 lbs, and most people feel comfortable carrying up to 35 lbs.

Soothes fussy babies
It is amazing how quickly a baby will settle down once wrapped in the Moby Wrap. Experts like Dr. Sears, stress the importance of holding your baby often and close. The Moby Wrap allows you to do this with ease. The style of the wrap insures your baby is uniquely close, while providing ultimate comfort and support. No more aching backs or tired arms! Now your baby can be kept close and happy for as long as he or she desires.

Versatile
There are many ways to wear your Moby Wrap. You can wear your baby facing you, facing the world, sideways or on your back. When not being used as a carrier, the Moby can be used as blanket, pillow or anything else that comes to mind.

Machine washable
The Moby Wrap is easy to clean. You can machine wash your Moby in cold water and tumble dry low. Slight shrinkage after washing may occur. Once you start wearing your Moby again, it will stretch out.

Product Focus: Moby Wrap

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Today, my hubster decided to give me a break from the kids (only my girls because my little man is strictly breastfed so he remains mama’s little sidekick). He wanted me to rest, but last week I was terribly sick and had quite a bit of unfinished projects I needed to tackle so I wanted to put the quiet time to good use and get some work done.

Unfortunately, however, my little guy is teething. OH YEAH! For those of you’ve “been there, done that” you know exactly how much quiet time you get with a teething baby – a whole lot of NADA! I really needed to get this post wrapped up when Anelys, our wonderful blog creator and maintainer guru, told me to get Ilyas in my wrap and write about that. Now why didn’t I think about that? DUH!

So here we are; Ilyas quite content while he’s cradled in the sling and I’m sitting in my “office", which is actually the corner cushion of my couch with my laptop nestled between the arm of the couch and end table – LOL.

For centuries, people from various cultures have worn their babies as a means of soothing, bonding as well as carry on with their duties for daily life while caring for their infants at the same time. Here’s a wonderful picture of a Nez Perce Indian Cradleboard*. This adorable little baby looks like a stuffed sugar cone!

While we clearly understand baby wearing is not a new phenomenon, we’ve certainly modernized the concept and made it quite fashionable (and dare I say trendy?) to boot! 4 ½+ years ago when my first child was born there were a number of slings and wraps on the market but not nearly the vast selection of options/styles and gorgeous colors and prints available today.

Like cloth diapers, I’ve tried the breadth of baby wearing devices; ring slings, pouches, soft sided carriers, Mei Tais, wraps, etc… Having a long history of neck and back problems it was a challenge finding something comfortable yet supportive. I LOVE my ring slings for quick out and about errands.

They go on and come off quickly, even with a sleeping baby! However, I can only go an hour or two tops before I’m in unbearable pain (since baby’s weight isn’t thoroughly distributed with a ring sling).

So, at the end of 2004 when my oldest child was only two months old and would not relent her big cry baby phase – I needed to find a better solution; that’s when I discovered the Moby Wrap. At that time it was relatively new to the baby wearing scene and very affordable (considering most other wraps at that time retailed between $80 – 150). My best friend Sarah, who is a baby wearing addict, also thought the Moby would be a great option for me too… I took the plunge and ordered one to try out.

In a word: wonderful! The comfort of a cotton t-shirt with the support of a wrap – all for a great price! The Moby Wrap can easily be worn with or without baby, eliminating the needs to take it on and off all the time. I immediately bought a couple more colors because I knew I was in love with the wrap. Moby has since branched out and now offers more color, print/design choices for those looking for a little more flair than a solid colored wrap!

Wearing baby allows you to hold and comfort your baby while still being afforded the use of your two hands; an important necessity for every mama! The only downside is figuring out which one to choose! Whatever you choose, I assure you baby wearing is as much fun as cloth diapering!

- By Serena

*Photo Credits of the Nez Perce Indian Cradleboard: Northwestern University Library,"The North American Indian": the Photographic Images, 2001. Photo taken in 1911 and it is not subject to copyright.

Slinging around!

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It is hard to believe now that there was a point in time when I had not yet been introduced to the Moby Wrap. Once it's exsistence was brought to my attention, it became nothing more than a long piece of intimidating fabric. Except one day, when out shopping, I saw it there on the shelf wearing an imaginary halo and begging me to buy it. So I did what makes my husband cringe most, I wipped out my credit card with reckless abandon and walked out of the store with one more baby accessory.

Since the first time I put it on I realized there was no other wrap, carrier, or sling that could compare. I have had all of the above and always come back to the Moby. My twins are 5 months old and still like the classic cradle hold. We have 2 double strollers but for walks around the neighborhood I always put one baby in the Moby and the other in a single stroller. The support of the Moby is better than any other baby carriers I have used. I can do a 2 hour walk and not feel like I need to see a chiropractor.

My family peered at me very suspect the first time I put it on, but now they can see it as the gem that the Moby truly is. My babies may be growing, but it just makes me excited to try out the different holds that the Moby offers. That is, if I can convince them they are getting too big for the cuddle hold!

- By Amanda S.
(The photo is showing James at 2 months old... He is 5 months old now)

Mobyholic Mom of Twins...

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Three years ago when my first son Ian was born I was given a Baby Bijorn carrier. I used it for several months, but once Ian got around 18 lbs or so I stopped using. I found that if he was in it for more than twenty minutes or so, my back and shoulders began to hurt. As time drew near for my second son’s birth last year, I looked around for an alternative carrier. I researched several of the popular styles of slings and wraps and finally decided on The Moby Wrap.

My mother purchased it for me as a gift a few weeks before Brendan was born, so I had a few weeks to play around with it and practice putting it on. It was a little overwhelming at first – the fabric is unbelievably long and putting it on with a nine month pregnant belly presented a bit of a challenge. I kept working with it, and by the time my little Brendan was born, I was able to put it on correctly, quickly and without any problems. As a newborn, I used

the cradle hold all the time. He felt like I was holding him tightly, and he could easily hear the soothing sound of my heartbeat. I was able to get things done around the house, vacuum, etc. all while he was comfortably asleep.

As he grew older and was able to hold up his head better, I transitioned first to the Hug Hold, and then to the Lotus Hold.

I’ve worn my Moby wrap everywhere. The zoo, museums, the airport, the grocery store…you name it. It’s incredibly comfortable, even now that Brendan is 24 lbs. I can’t begin to count how many people have asked me about The Moby Wrap - and how many moms and pregnant woman have jotted down the name of it to look up when they got home. I sure wish I had been selling these things – I could have sold a dozen or more in the past year just by simply wearing it around town. Anyone with a baby, or who is expecting a baby, needs to try a Moby Wrap. My life this past year with two little ones wouldn't have been as easy without it.

- By Katrina W.

It's a Wrap!

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