The Cloth Diaper Whisperer: 2011-04-24

Sam is our third baby and our second to wear cloth. With our second child, I was excited about cloth diapering but had no clue what I was doing. I put together an erratic newborn stash that was centered on hand-me-downs a friend generously passed along. I added some diapers I thought were cute and called it a day. I basically tried one of everything when I found a good price, and hoped for the best. This time around, I was determined to build a good, but cost-effective stash. We were planning for Sam to be our last baby, so I knew I wanted to get one-sized diapers when he was bigger, but I suspected I wouldn’t be able to use those at first. Both of my children had been tiny little babies (5’11 and 6’3), and I was expecting another peanut. I wanted to cloth diaper from the very beginning, though, so I wanted to get a tiny sized stash, too.

First I caught up with my sister, whose little guy had been born the previous fall, so she could explain what had changed in the last six years. My sister’s favorite newborn item had been XS Thirsties covers, so I made sure to buy several of those. I added a dozen Kissaluvs size 0s, a few newborn sized BSWW (Bummis Super Whisper Wraps), and 12 prefolds in the smallest size. Kissaluvs had worked well with my older child, and my husband had always preferred using prefolds. I also wanted a few pockets or AIOs (all-in-ones) to keep in the diaper bag, so I got one small Swaddlebees AIO and two small Happy Heinys pocket diapers. I bought a pail liner, two little wetbags for the diaper bag, a package of snappis, and more wipes to add to the ones I still had (they held up quite well!).

Well, I didn’t get a peanut baby this time around—Sam was 7’13 and 21”, so he was a lot bigger than my second child had been! We used disposables in the hospital, but I had prefolds and covers ready to take Sam home in. He fit into his diapers really well—Adam had been quite a bit smaller, so we had more issues with leaks when he was tiny. Sam really had very minimal issues with leaking, and the stash worked great for us. My MIL knew we were cloth diapering, and she gave us a Little Beetle One-Size fitted diaper, which actually fit him quite well early on. I used it at nights when he typically went a bit longer between changes.

Sam wore most of his newborn stash for about two and a half months. I still use the prefolds as stuffers for his pocket diapers, and he wore the XS Thirsties covers until around the 16 lb mark—not only did they work really well (the leg gussets were excellent), they lasted quite a long time. Had he been as tiny as his brother, I bet we would still be using them now. The first picture shows him around 2 weeks wearing one of the XS Thirsties covers (he was right around his birth weight at that time,) and the second shows him around 3 months in the same size of cover (he was around 13.5 lbs at that time). The small AIO and pockets lasted until he was about 4 months (15 lbs). The diapers are in good condition and I look forward to passing them on. If I were doing it over again, I would get a few thicker fitteds to use at nights, probably something with Velcro like the Thirsties fab fitteds—we were so happy with the covers. Or I would have bought some doublers to use with the Kissaluvs at nights. But overall, I was pleased with our choices this time around—cute, functional, and within my budget.

By Anne-Marie

Newbie Cloth

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Fluff Friday 128

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This week's Fluff Friday winner is Megan!

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2-Swaddlebees Simplex AIO Diapers

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Fluff Friday 127 WINNER!

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Husband and I were elated when we learned that Baby J was going to be a big brother. We were also a bit overwhelmed by the prospect of parenting two children under two. I started looking for ways to save money. Cloth diapers topped the list. It also didn’t hurt that cloth would lessen our carbon footprint, be gentler on our little ones’ bottoms, and the diapers are just so darn cute.

Husband wasn’t convinced at first but he agreed after trying some all-in-2s and pockets and seeing how easy they are to use. Our family favorites are Gro Via, bumGenius, FuzziBunz and Happy Heinys. Husband is fully on board now and he even does diaper laundry.

I am thrilled that using cloth has saved our family (a lot of!) money but my motivations have changed over time. After Bean’s birth, it quickly became clear that he was different than “typical” children. He had a number of health problems and global developmental delays. After many months, countless therapy sessions and even more doctor appointments, we pursued genetics testing and learned that Bean has Williams Syndrome. Williams Syndrome is a rare genetic condition characterized by heart defects, kidney abnormalities, developmental delays, intellectual disabilities and distinctive facial features. Individuals with Williams Syndrome are unique because they also possess striking verbal abilities, an affinity and talent for music and have very outgoing and endearing personalities.

Having a child with special needs has changed my perspective on a lot of things. There’s so much uncertainty and so many things I can’t control. But there are some things that I can do to impact Bean’s life in a positive way. I consider cloth to be one of those things. It feels good to know that I am using a gentle and safe product against his skin. He is not sitting in chemical-laden diapers day in and day out. He has had a lot of pain in his life but diaper rash has never been a factor.

Cloth has also had a positive impact on his brother’s life. Baby J was in cloth diapers until we started potty learning. When he first learned about pull ups from his peers, he insisted on wearing them. We really only used them outside of the house and at bedtime. I found them to be essentially useless in helping him to learn about potty time. He would wet the pull up and continue about his day. So, we made the switch to regular cotton underpants at home and cloth trainers when we are out and about. Our favorite, by far, are Blueberry trainers. They are very trim and feel like underpants. They protect his clothes but he can feel when he has an accident. As a result, he has made a lot of progress.

This is also encouraging because we expect that Bean will be delayed in learning to use the potty. We hope that cloth will help him meet this milestone and gain more independence sooner than expected for children with Williams Syndrome.

Cloth has grown with our family as we have grown and changed. I am confident that by using cloth, I am doing the right thing for my children and our family and meeting our evolving needs by using cloth.

Biography: Heather is the proud mama to two charming boys and wife to an amazing husband. She can be found blogging about Baby J, a wonderful and spirited three year old, and Bean, her sweet 20 month old living with Williams Syndrome at www.babyjandbean.blogspot.com.

Cloth Diapers Over Time for Changing and Special Needs

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When I first heard of The Great Cloth Diaper Change, I thought, am I really going to get in my car on a Saturday morning and drive to some public place to change my daughter’s diaper as she tries to wrangle away from me? I did. And it sounds silly when I describe it like that, but it really was so much more.

Not only was the point to set a world record for the Guinness Book, but it was also to create awareness for cloth diapers. I participated in the Denver event and it was great to be with so many individuals who realize the importance of cloth diapering and showing their support for the industry. It was a fun time even though I spent most of it chasing my toddler around a gymnasium. Plus, everyone in the building that day—no matter what they were there for—knew there was a cloth diaper event going on.

When a middle-aged man asked me what “baby event” was going on, I explained why we were all there. He was shocked and said, “You mean there’s something other than Pampers?” Just knowing at least one more person was educated on modern cloth diapers made it all worthwhile.

Other things that made it worthwhile? The awesome swag bag I got for showing up bright and early! What cloth diaper addict doesn’t love a free Rumparooz among many other goodies? It was also fun to swap cloth diapering stories with other moms as we waited for the whistle to blow to change diapers. I’m definitely looking forward to next year’s even greater event!

Ann J. is a cloth diaper fanatic with a 15-month-old daughter who has the cutest diaper butt on the block!

The Great Cloth Diaper Change: A Great Success!

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There have been so many articles in the news lately about the "great diaper debate" of cloth diapers versus disposables. The reporters sort through a plethora of statistics and stereotypes to write a story. They examine the pros and cons from every angle of each choice and a lot of focus is on environmental impacts (as it should be!). The recent "green wave" is getting some further media for cloth, but it's blowing life and cloth diapering out of proportion. This debate is about more than numbers and "going green"...these are real babies and real moms! REAL moms use cloth diapers!

What do I mean by this? Some of these articles might lead people to believe there is some sort of "cloth diapering mold" that cranks out green moms in a giant clique. Honestly, reading some of their words had me picturing an army of moms with babies in cloth strapped to their hips and making hateful shouts in front of disposable factories. These moms are green activists through and through...they don't ever allow their child to (gasp) drink from a plastic sippy cup, eat a fast food meal, or crawl on synthetic fibers! They are green to the core! They are simply aghast at seeing plastic diapers in public, and ostracize other moms for using a diaper and throwing it away. This army of cloth diapering moms is a snobby, mean bunch!

But STOP the presses! This news story may sound exciting and filled with all the tensions, confrontations, and debates of a good read, but it's not the true story.

Who are these real moms that use cloth?

Gail was given some cloth diapers at a baby shower, and thought...why not?

Jill is trying to be greener and use cloth, but still likes the convenience of disposables for traveling and nights.

Ashley uses cloth because it's been handed down for 3 generations!

Deidre's child has severe rashes from using disposables, and she has no other option but cloth.

Cynthia uses cloth because she wants to save money! ANYTHING for saving!

And me...I first bought cloth because I thought they were CUTE!

The real story is that you can't get moms that use cloth in a box! Moms from all walks of life choose cloth for reasons as diverse as the individuals themselves! (Even though it's common to see any cloth diapering mom cite all of the great benefits). It's been labeled the "cloth diapering clique," but what is it really?

Cloth diapering moms form a community of real people with lives as varied as the cloth you find in their washing machines!

We have drawn together to share our wisdom and experiences with cloth diapering as a resource and as friends. And we have friends that use disposables, and share with them all the other things that make up this great journey of motherhood! This community has no sentries or gates to keep anyone out. You don't have to flash a cloth diaper to gain entry or seek the camaraderie of motherhood!

And cloth diapering moms often can't help but share their excitement for their diapers. There are no judgments attached to encouraging others to try cloth. It's as simple as recommendations for dealing with behavior problems, potty training, or that new restaurant around the corner....real moms want to share what they love, and what works!

So, this news story isn't really news at all. Cloth diapers are being used by many moms everywhere, and they love them! Looking around the world our diapers may be different, but inside we are all the same. One beautiful moment of welcoming new life made us a real mom...and some real moms just so happen to use cloth diapers!

REAL Moms Use Cloth Diapers!

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My name is Kathy and I am 29 years old from Akron, Ohio. I became a mom on May 18, 2010 when I gave birth to a healthy little 5lb 7oz baby boy named Noah. I began cloth diapering when he was 3 months old and I have been completely addicted ever since.

I originally started cloth diapering because a friend of mine cloth diapers her little girl and I loved the idea of saving the environment, money, and my little ones bum from chemicals:) I quickly became addicted to all of the different styles and accessories that go along with cloth diapering. My main diaper is a Fuzzibunz perfect size but I've fed my addiction and expanded my collection to include Grovia, Kissaluvs fitted, Thirsties duo diapers, fab fitted, and duo wraps, hemp prefolds, and stay dry duo inserts. I LOVE my fuzzibunz hanging dry bag because it unzips at the bottom so it does not fill with water during washing. I also love my Budda Bunz wool dryer balls because they really speed up the drying time in the winter when I dry in the dryer.

In the summer time I love to hang dry my diapers and I get so excited to just smell everyone as I take them down because they smell sooooooooo good:) I never thought I would use cloth wipes but I LOVE using those too and it's so much easier than I thought it would be. My favorite are grovia. I also make my own cloth wipes solution. I use Honey Bun Drops Cloth Diaper Wipes Solution and I just love the oatmeal and shea butter scent. Yummy! My baby's bottom is so soft and free of any diaper rash!!!! I never felt the need for a diaper sprayer. I use grovia flushable liners instead when I know we are going to have a dirty diaper and I just take out the liner and flush it! It's fabulous! I am always looking at new goodies and new diapers to try to add to my collection DAILY and I just flip when my fluff arrives in the mail:) I don't know why everyone doesn't use cloth diapers. I love cloth diapering!!!!

By Kathy

My Name is Kathy and I'm addicted to cloth

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