Reminder

Today is the last day to enter the GroVia Magic Stick giveaway! I'll post the winner tomorrow morning- July 21st. Can't wait to see who gets the freebie! Good luck!

Freebie: A Short (Bad) Poem

Coming soon:

A great giveaway!

What can you win?

I will not yet say.

But you can bet

it will be a great diap'

Coupled with a review.

(Do you dig all this hype?)

For now if you'd like

to win something fun,

Just FOLLOW this blog,

Leave a COMMENT

and you're done!

You might be the winner

of a CD-safe rash stick.

GroVia's the maker-

It's a wonderful pick!

So if you like winning

Follow, comment, and you'll

be entered for this freebie-

Cloth diaper blogs rule!

*~*~*~*

I'll pick a winner on Wednesday, July 20th 2011. Winner will be selected using random.org. Remember, to be entered you must both follow this blog, and leave a comment on this post!

If you enter to win the GroVia Magic Stick, you'll be all set to enter for my next giveaway, coming soon... :o)

In Other Words...

My goals in writing this blog are to share the excitement I feel for cloth diapering, while making it accessible to parents who are considering taking the leap to cloth, and perhaps helping other seasoned pros to find new products, tips, or ways to talk to others about their choice to use cloth diapers. I have a passion for sharing this information, and I enjoy soaking up collective knowledge from much more experienced mothers. I definitely am not working under the delusion that I know all the answers- in fact the more I learn about cloth diapering, the more I believe that there are no right answers. The best answer is the one that works for you and your family.

I want to encourage and give guidance, but many times I find myself looking for guidance as well! In the spirit of sharing experience and support, I have asked a few experienced cloth diapering mothers to tell me about their own journey with cloth. They told me what led them to this diapering alternative; what they like about it and what they find difficult; their favorite diapers and their own tricks to making cloth diapering easy and fun. This is what I learned.

The Legacy We Leave

Anna (who happens to be the woman behind the gorgeous nursing covers of Lily & Sparrow) shares the conviction that leads so many of us to a variety of "green" lifestyle choices- she "didn't want to leave a legacy of waste for [her] daughters." To me, this quote sums up the biggest impact we can have through cloth diapering- we have an opportunity to decrease the negative impacts that our culture has steadily, increasingly been heaping on our planet.

Lauren, who has used cloth with both of her children, prioritizes the reasons she and her husband chose cloth diapering: cutting down on waste, knowing exactly what chemicals were being used on their children, and saving money over time. The chemicals used in disposable diapers seem to be low on some people's radar, but Lauren and her husband are committed to sharing the effects of toxins on our bodies- check out their incredible project, the documentary film Acceptable Levels. I believe that their research on toxins in our daily lives can be more thorough than I ever could.

Though the opportunity to be economical and financially savvy is an important factor in the decision to use cloth, caring for the environment is absolutely a top priority in the cloth diapering community. Being "green" is trendy right now, and this is one trend that we can all support- because in the end, this trend will leave less waste and less of a carbon footprint than most other popular cultural trends.

Preconceptions & Misconceptions

People tend to believe that cloth diapering will be a ton of work- that was what kept Jennifer from trying cloth with her first daughter. As a new mother, she worried that using cloth would become overwhelming. Now that she has experienced motherhood and cloth diapering her second child, she says "cloth diapering is SO much easier and [more] fun than I thought it would be! I really wish I had cloth diapered with my first." Anna thought that doing the laundry was going to be a horrible, disgusting experience. Now she shares that "it has really been a lot cleaner and easier" than she expected.

Truthfully, aren't these two of the biggest obstacles that people feel will prevent them from choosing cloth? The worries that the amount of work involved will be overwhelming, and that dealing with your baby's diaper waste will be too much to stomach, seem to cross every mom's mind. What I took from these answers was that I wasn't alone in those concerns, but I am also not alone in my realization that nothing is as bad as I imagined it could be. The take home message: if you feel strongly about trying cloth diapers, don't let your fears prevent you from giving it a go. Others have worried, tested, and come out with success stories! You can, too.

Getting Started & Overcoming Obstacles

It seems that everyone experiences some of the anxiety involved in putting together a starter stash of diapers. Anna spent lots of time researching, but in hindsight realizes that is "about as helpful as researching which pair of jeans would fit [her] best!" Her experience found her reselling many of her early diaper purchases as she learned what fit her daughter, and which styles worked best for her. Based on her research, Anna believed that hybrid diapers would be her favorites- but experience led her to a preference for all-in-one diapers! To avoid this complication, she highly suggests renting a trial package (her favorite is through Itsy Bitsy Bums) to get some hands-on experience.

In retrospect, Lauren wishes she had not committed to one system before giving it a try. For her son, the stash initially consisted solely of gDiapers, and when her daughter arrived, she struggled with leaks due to difficult fit issues. Lauren found that trying a new diaper (Sunbaby) and testing different combinations of doublers led to the perfect diapering solution for her little girl.

For Jennifer, getting started seemed overwhelming because of the "lingo" used in the cloth diapering community! The incredible variety of diaper options became overwhelming, and luckily she was able to turn to a friend (and some online support!) to get clear and simple answers. She hopes other moms will realize that you don't need tons of things to get started! (Here are my suggestions: Back to Basics.)

Anna experienced an obstacle when she realized that her daughter was having bad rash reactions to synthetic fibers. Her solution was to sell any diapers that used synthetic fabrics, and to stock up on brands such as GroVia all-in-one, Bright Star Baby, and Bottom Bumpers- all of which use natural fibers. Discovering this problem early on helped her to successfully navigate the pitfall and continue to cloth diaper her daughter.

What We Think of Disposables

In general, we're not big fans. Once you have a cloth diapering system that works for you, disposables just don't seem very appealing. Anna says that cloth diapers mean "fewer blowouts, no rashes, saving money, and a cuter bum!" Jennifer cites the cuteness of cloth as a perk- and disposable companies are taking note of this. They are knocking off cloth diapers by introducing designer prints, and who hasn't seen those "jeans" diapers? Sadly for them, the cost of those diapers widens the gap between the natural perks of cloth and the drawbacks of disposables. And as Lauren points out, not needing to run to the store every week and spend money on diapers is awesome!

Dealing With Negativity & Sharing the Joys of Cloth

As with most parenting choices, cloth diapering can lead to some pretty interesting reactions from family, friends, and even strangers! Anna's family member asked if her daughter was wearing a cloth diaper "on purpose?" A well-contained blow-out diaper later convinced the cousin that cloth was a valid- maybe even superior!- choice. Jennifer is more often met with surprise than with overt negativity- "like it is silly to be concerned about the environment." When I was pregnant, I was shocked when a girl responded to my plan to use cloth with, "we'll see how long that lasts." I hope she has since seen that dedication to such a plan is both possible and fulfilling!

Sometimes all it takes to spread the word about modern cloth diapering, is to let it all hang out. A fellow congregation member became interested in cloth diapering after simply seeing Anna's daughter's diapers. Lauren realizes that sharing cloth diapering is as easy as letting strangers see how cute the diapers are- curiosity naturally follows.

Diapers We Desire

It seems that the diaper that moms most want to try is ANY diaper by a well-established Work-At-Home-Mom (WAHM). Maybe you didn't know that there is a competitive arena for cloth diapering moms; if you get a thrill out of Ebay auctions and the like, you will probably love stalking a WAHM's wares. These diapers can be incredibly difficult to score, as you have to follow sales pages on sites such as Hyena Cart, and "win" the diapers posted before one of hundreds of moms finishes the checkout process. Some of the diaper brands are reported to be excellent quality and design, so it is no surprise that we less-fortunate (read: non-winning) moms are curious!

To illustrate the fact that different styles work for each family, I'll share the following: Anna loves Bright Star Baby, GroVia AIOs, and Bottom Bumpers; Jennifer loves her prefolds with Kissaluvs covers; Lauren loves using Sunbaby diapers and wants to try FuzziBunz. As for myself, right now I love fitteds, Rocky Mountain Diapers, and any natural-fiber all-in-one!

Working It Out

Jennifer is a working mom, and she manages to keep up with the cloth diaper laundry with some careful planning and preparation. She says she is lucky to have a daycare that is completely supportive of cloth diapering- a challenge for many working moms. Jennifer washes her diapers each night, even though she has enough of a stash to last 2-3 days between laundering. She prefers to stay on top of things so that there are no surprises- like a day where her daughter needs more diapers than usual. She suggests having a location to store all the diapers needed for the next workday- a grocery bag works for her- and pre-stuffing (she uses pockets for daycare) all of the diapers the night prior. Jennifer adds a wetbag for the daycare provider and is ready to leave the next morning.

Things You Should Try

Anna suggests using Spot's Corner on Hyena Cart to find a wide variety of used diapers. She also urges other moms to follow the manufacturer's care instructions on all new diapers, so that you don't void your warranty! She is a big fan of coconut oil, and along with her wet bags, cloth wipes and diapers, she manages to cloth diaper without any fancy extras.

Jennifer loves using her homemade cloth wipes and makes her own solution. She highly recommends picking up a few hemp doublers (and I second this suggestion!) for heavy wetters or overnight use. Her husband built (yes, you read that correctly- how handy!) her a diaper sprayer, which is one of her favorite extras.

Lauren echoes the suggestion to use a diaper sprayer once your child begins solid foods- it is not a necessity, but a convenient bonus item. She suggests buying pants one size larger than usual to make room for the extra fluff- though if your child is smaller than average, like mine, you might not need to size-up. Lauren also warns against using too much Dawn when stripping diapers. Going overboard can lead to lots of extra rinse cycles, as she found out first hand when she was starting out.

*~*~*~*~*~*

I hope you have enjoyed hearing about cloth diapering experiences from three other experienced moms. Many thanks to Anna, Jennifer, and Lauren for sharing their stories with me!

Rocky Mountain Diapers : Review

Rocky Mountain Diapers are the brainchild of the Colorado Springs Cloth Diaper Market. RMDs are a one-size pocket diaper, and they are available in the store, or online for those not so lucky as to live in Colorado.

I love a good pocket diaper, and this diaper is a superb option that can fulfill your needs from birth to potty learning. Truthfully, this is the closest thing to my perfect diaper that I've tried. The design is nothing earth-shattering, but there are a few little tweaks to common problems with other brands of diapers that make Rocky Mountain Diapers a cut above the competition.

Tweak to Unique

• The diaper is so easy to adjust and put on baby. Instead of filling the front of the diaper with snaps to change the rise, the fit can be adjusted through elastic along the leg gussets. There are snaps along the length of the hidden elastic, which makes it so simple to tighten the leg and snap it into place. If you have used a FuzziBunz one-size diaper, the idea is the same. I always find it frustrating to get the elastic over the little buttons in the FuzziBunz OS diaper, so the snap in the Rocky Mountain Diaper is a great detail in my book.

Photo courtesty of Cloth Diaper Market dot com

• The snap system on the front of the diaper has a clean look and is easy to figure out. My family has had issues when trying to use snap diapers with multiple rows of snaps- what comes easily to me, since I use the diapers every day, seems confusing to those new to cloth diapers. RMDs have just one row of snaps along the front. Because the leg holes can be customized to your baby, I find that the second row of snaps isn't necessary. In fact, Owen seems to have a better range of motion at his hips in this diaper!
• The inside of this diaper is made of a super-soft suede inner, which keeps baby feeling dry. Again, compared to FuzziBunz, this inside cloth seems preferable because it holds less heat in the diaper.
• The pocket is nice and wide and therefore easily stuffed, and there is a flap over the pocket hole to keep the insert and lining fully inside the diaper. Some pockets skip the addition of this flap, and I find that I have to tuck the lining into the back of those diapers. I never have that problem with Rocky Mountain Diapers.
• The microfiber insert is long enough to last through potty learning, and can be folded over to add absorbency when your baby needs a lower rise setting. I put the fold of mine in the front so the diaper can last through naps or nighttime use.
• The color options are adorable! I love the fact that the suede lining of RMDs coordinates with the PUL shell of each diaper style. The way the leg gussets are cut allows you to see a peek of the lining. It is such a thoughtful little touch that makes the diapers look great. A few of the color combinations available include Chocolate and Berry, Mango and Lime, and Grapefruit and Lemon. (Don't they sound like delicious sorbet choices?!) There are also some wonderful prints, including girly Ooga Boogas, Robots, and Giraffes- which you can see Owen modelling in this post!

Function > Form

• This diaper is easy to stuff, wrap around your baby, and fasten to the right setting around the waist. The legs adjustments are simple to figure out and can easily be changed as your baby grows.
• Washing and drying is no problem with RMDs. Your normal laundry routine should be plenty to keep both the insert and the shell clean. The diaper will dry more quickly than some other styles because the insert can go through the dryer OR hang on the line. The shell will quickly dry on a line, since it alone has no absorbency.
• Because the insert is microfiber, you may run into some stink issues over time- that is just the nature of the fiber. There are multiple options for dealing with this problem, should it arise- and frankly, if you have other microfiber diapers and you battle stink, you'll be dealing with all of your microfiber inserts. This potential issue is NOT unique to RMDs and I don't mention it as a deterrent, just as a bit of realism.
• Rocky Mountain Diapers can deal with a great amount of urine or poo and not betray how hard they are working. Let's just say that my son has tested the limits of the diaper through overnight use and a huge blowout, and I've been completely impressed with the performance of the diaper. No leaks whatsoever, and no staining issues either.

What Will It Cost Me?

Rocky Mountain Diapers currently run $19.95 per diaper, which is on par with the cost of comparable one-size pocket diapers. When purchasing online, shipping will cost about $5.00- though I was offered Free Shipping when perusing the check-out page! Great deal!

Other Considerations

• If you have an extremely heavy wetter, you can use a doubler in this pocket diaper- a hemp insert would be perfect. The pocket has plenty of room for this type of customization.
• These diapers are entirely made in the United States, which is great if you're interested in buying American products. If you live in Colorado Springs, you can support a local business by getting your diapers right at the store.
• The brains behind this awesome diaper are real people- really super nice people, actually! If you check out the Cloth Diaper Market's Facebook page, you'll see proof that they are great with offering cloth diapering support and customer service support as well. Personally, that is the kind of business I'm happy to patronize!

My Final Word(s)

I give Rocky Mountain Diapers one-size pocket diaper an average of 3.75 thumbs up out of a possible perfect 4! It is an easy to use, well-made, reliable diapering option perfect for babies from birth through potty learning. The excellent quality and wonderful function of the diaper make it worth the price tag. It would be ideal for nap times, overnight, heavy wetters, or babies in daycare.

Wee Fluffy Bum: Red, White, and Blue Edition

Happy Independence Day!

Owen is wearing a BumGenius! 4.0 Artist Series snap diaper.

A FuzziBunz one size diaper.

A Tiny Tush one size fitted diaper.

Cloth Diaper Market: Colorado Springs

I had an exciting experience this week: I was able to visit my first cloth diaper store!

There are a number of perks to my new living situation- beautiful views, close proximity to many of my favorite stores and restaurants, walking distance to my husband's job, and we finally have a home that doesn't share a surface with another person's living space. The icing on my Colorado Springs cupcake was the discovery of Cloth Diaper Market, a brick-and-mortar diapering store only a few minutes away from my house. Sweet.

Cloth Diaper Market is a dream come true if you love natural parenting options. I walked in and the wall covered in colorful cloth brought a smile to my face. The store is laid out neatly, with minimalist furniture that accents the items for sale. There are beautiful canvas photos of cherubic children on the brightly painted walls. A diaper changing station and playroom at the back make this a kid-friendly shopping destination. Their offerings include a variety of diapering options and brands, adorable wet bags in many sizes, excellent babywearing carriers, cute baby t-shirts promoting cloth diapers, wool dryer balls, natural and locally made skincare products, and so much more! I was impressed with the variety and quality of all of the products. The prices were comparable to any online cloth diapering retailer, but there is no shipping cost in-store which is a great perk.

Tracie, one of the owners, welcomed us to the store and gave us a tour. I was able to try on a Boba carrier (I must get one!) and I learned about the brands of cloth diapers offered. Rocky Mountain Diapers are the brainchild of Cloth Diaper Market, and they are a great one size option with adjustable elastic sizing in the shell. Wahmies are natural-fiber diapers designed by a work-at-home-mom; they feature soft bamboo inserts. The Tiny Tush brand offers incredibly soft fitted diapers, some of which are made of hemp and include an extra insert for added overnight absorbency. Tiny Tush also makes prefolds, and covers for their diapers. DryBees are an all-in-one diaper with hook-and-loop closures that look extremely child-proof! Between all the diapers offered, the store is a rainbow of bright and muted colors and fun prints. All of the brands carried are produced in the United States- what a great way to support our economy while protecting our environment!

I left the store with a Tiny Tush one size fitted in blue, a Rocky Mountain Diapers one size in an adorable giraffe print, some natural insect repellent by Honu Naturals, and a great wet bag in the perfect size for travel. At present, I'm prepping the diapers, really looking forward to testing them out and sharing my thoughts!

Check out the online store to try some of these exciting options, and if you are in the Colorado Springs area, Cloth Diaper Market will be worth the trip! Keep reading for future reviews and- spoiler!- giveaways through this blog!

Hybrid vs. Disposable: Diapering a Vacationing Bum

The last few weeks have given me an opportunity for hands-on comparison between disposable diapers and hybrid cloth diapers. My first trip was to my alma mater (College of Wooster) for my five-year reunion; the second was a vacation on Long Beach Island, NJ. Here I'll compare fit, function, convenience, and cost.

This is What Happened...

My reunion crept up on my quickly, and because I failed to plan ahead (one of the more important rules for cloth diapering!), I found myself in a bind. My GroVia BioSoakerbiodegradable inserts, which I last used when Owen was about two months old, were in a box somewhere in Colorado. There wasn't time to get the inserts in the mail by the time this occurred to me. I searched for the inserts in local natural-parenting-friendly stores to no avail. Annoyed with myself, I bought a package of disposable diapers.

Attitude makeover: I decided to embrace my mistake as a chance to compare, to see if I was missing any perks to disposable diapering. I also ordered a pack of 50 GroVia hybrid inserts to prepare for my week at the shore- trying to keep an open mind, but being a realist.

Disposable Reunion Long-Weekend

The disposables I tested were Earth's Best chlorine-free diapers. I paid $12 for a package of 40 size two diapers, for a cost of about 30 cents per diaper. You can find better deals if you order these types of diapers online in bulk.

The first thing I noticed with the disposable diapers was that Owen's clothes looked baggy. With the exception of some jeans, he wears clothing that fits based on his height and weight- I don't put him in pants that are larger than his shirts. Some parents find that cloth diapers are so bulky that larger bottoms are necessary, but my boy has a tiny tush (a wee bum, if you will) so normally his six month clothing fits him from head to toe. The disposables were very trim, and I understood what parent's talk about when they think that cloth is so much bulkier than sposies. I guess it is. That doesn't bother me, though. I guess I have grown used to my son's fluffy bum, and it doesn't seem to bother him either. I guess you can grow used to most things aesthetic.

On the road and living in a dorm room for the weekend, I found it was pretty convenient to drop the diapers in the trash and not give them a second thought. Except I did end up thinking about them, feeling guilty when I realized that I was contributing to huge landfills encroaching on a backyard. Out of sight doesn't always mean out of mind. For me, the convenience wasn't outweighing the environmental impacts.

I noticed that the Earth's Best diapers absorbed tons of urine. I mean, they could have gone on for hours and hours. I change cloth diapers much more frequently, and found myself changing the disposables probably earlier than I had to because I was used to doing so. A poopy diaper met my expectations- no leaking, no blowouts in the legs or up the back. I had no functional issues. My only disappointment was that, after a few days, my son began to get an all-over contact rash. Not all babies will have this problem, but the fact that mine did made me even more pleased that we use cloth.

Hybrid Beach Week

My extended family rents a beach house each year, and I knew I'd have access to a washer and dryer while I was on vacation. To do one or two loads of covers during the week did not seem at all daunting. When I ordered my GroVia inserts, I picked up a few sample-sized packages of Tiny Bubbles detergent. For fifty cents a load, it was affordable and easy to prepare myself for the small amount of laundry I'd need to do. The inserts cost $19.99 for a pack of 50, or about 40 cents per diaper change. Because I already own and regularly use the GroVia shells, I had no additional cost incurred.

The GroVia BioSoakers are incredibly easy to use. An adhesive section at each end of the insert secures it to the GroVia shells, though you could use these inserts in almost any diaper cover imaginable without worry that there will be bunching or slipping. The adhesive does leave a bit of tackiness on the inside mesh layer of the GroVia shell, but the stickiness washes away easily. Once the insert is in place, just fasten the diaper on your baby. GroVia shells are available in velcro or snap versions, and the elastic around the legs and waist has never once left me in a leaky situation! The fit with hybrid inserts is as perfect as your normal cloth diapers. In fact, depending on what is inside your cloth diapers, the BioSoakers may offer a superior trim fit.

BioSoakers easily match or exceed the amount of liquid trapped by a disposable diaper. They are wide enough to trap almost any mess, sparing your shells for same-day reuse. I took eight shells on my six-day vacation and I didn't have to do laundry until the very last evening at the beach. Only one poop-related event put a shell out of commission until laundry day; after all other such events the shells were mercifully spared by the excellent coverage of the BioSoaker. As for the insert, you can flush the contents, compost them, or toss them in the garbage. Straight to the garbage is not really ideal from an environmental standpoint, but personally I'd prefer to throw away something that I know has the ability to decompose in my lifetime- instead of something that has an unknown rate of decomposition.

My only complaint about the GroVia BioSoakers is that they can be difficult to find in a pinch. Unless you live in an area with a brick-and-mortar cloth diaper store, and they happen to be a GroVia retailer, you are probably out of luck. Costco has started to offer GroVia hybrid diapering packages, though as with most things at Costco you'll have to be prepared to pay a large amount of money for a huge number of BioSoakers. (If you're considering hybrid diapering full-time, Costco might be the way to go!) Planning ahead to have enough hybrid inserts on hand is essential to the success of this option.

In the End

You might already have guessed that I'm sticking with my cloth diapers. Once you get started, it is easy to keep things going. For the occasional travel situation I'm happy that there are options that allow me freedom on the road. It is absolutely possible to travel and use exclusively cloth inserts- personally, this is where I have decided I'd like to take the easier route. The two convenient perks of using a disposable option are that you have less laundry to carry around and fewer loads to run. Between the "earth-friendly" disposables and hybrid cloth, I preferred hybrid cloth. What can I say? I'm a creature of habit.