Cloth Diapers and the Non-Cloth-Diapering Care Giver

I remember it still.  The first time I dropped my little one in the church nursery in cloth diapers.

I nervously (and probably very quickly) said "My daughter wears cloth diapers.  They are really easy I promise."
My unsureness probably made them unsure about the situation as well.

Then again, my daughter started a Mother's Day Out program.
Cautiously I asked, "She cloth diapers, is that okay?"

But as I have gotten more confident in my cloth diapering, so have my responses to church nurseries, daycares, baby-sitters, grandparents and the like.

So how do you introduce cloth diapers to the Non-cloth Diapering Caregiver?
Here are some quick tips…

Be confident

Your confidence in cloth diapering is key.  My nervousness in introducing cloth the first two times did not help.  This might sound harsh, but I don't even ask any more.  When signing up for our daughter's childcare this year, I just simply stated we cloth diaper, then at open house showed them how it worked.  When I go the church nursery I tell them that she cloth diapers and give them a quick tutorial.

Show the easy, cutest diaper first

eLeMeNO-Pee has some awesome all-in-one options.  I also recommend using a velcro closure for a first showing to a caregiver- snaps can be really intimdating. Showing them a all-in-one velcro diaper and commenting about "how it is as easy as a disposable"  usually is a good start.  This is a gateway that gets them open and comfortable.  I have found in the past as they get more comfortable they are, the more open they are to other things.  For example after using velcro for a while our caregiver was completely open to snaps.

Know your rights

You have rights.  Seriously, this is your baby and you get to make these kind of choices.  This site has some great information listed by state about your rights.  Even if you are in a "restricted" place, you could most likely get an exemption from the doctor for something like sensitive skin.

Be Prepared

Diapers, wipes, wet bag- all prepped and ready to go. Make this easy on them, so they have a positive experience cloth diapering!

Work with them

Maybe they prefer you use liners.  Maybe disposable wipes would make it easier on them.  Be willing and open to work with them!

Don't pack another option

If you pack disposables, they will use them… I almost guarantee it.  If you want your child using cloth, pack cloth and they will learn to use it.

The great thing about exposing our caregivers to cloth is that it makes a dent in making cloth mainstream.  One care giver last year even said that she grew to like it so much that she planned on cloth diapering her own children!

Did these things ring true for you? Do you have any other suggestions? 

About the author…
I am Stasia- wife, mom, blogger over at Our Life on a Budget, part-time preschool teacher and local cloth diaper consultant.

A new way to get started with cloth from eLeMeNO-Pee!

You've been asking and we've been listening! We have now created several "starter stashes" for budgets and preferences of every size!

We anticipate that our most popular bundles will consist of the bumGenius 4.0s and also the GroVia All In One stashes.

bumGenius 4.0 stashes are available in diaper quantities of 6 (the "Starter" stash),  12 (the "Every Day" stash), 18 (the "Rotation" stash), and 24 (the "Ultimate" stash).

The perks of each of these are as follows:

6 / Starter stash: 6 solid print 4.0 diapers in the closure of your choice and a free wetbag. Also qualifies for FREE shipping!

12 / Every Day stash : 11 solid print 4.0 diapers + 1 Genius series print diaper and a free wetbag. Also qualifies for FREE shipping!

18 / Rotation stash: 17 solid diapers + 1 Genius series print diaper including a free wetbag,a free diaper sprayer, and free shipping!

24 / Ultimate stash: 22 solid print diapers + 2 Genius series print diapers, also including a free wetbag, free diaper sprayer, and free shipping!


GroVia All In One stashes are similar to the 4.0 and available in diaper quantities of 6 (the "Starter" stash),  12 (the "Every Day" stash), 18 (the "Rotation" stash), and 24 (the "Ultimate" stash).

6 / Starter stash: 5 solid color AIOs, 1 print, a free wetbag, and free shipping!

12 / Every Day stash : 11 solid print diapers +  one print diaper and a free medium wetbag. Also qualifies for FREE shipping!

18 / Rotation stash: 17 solid diapers + 1 at least one print diaper including a free medium wetbag,a free diaper sprayer, and free shipping!

24 / Ultimate stash: 22 solid print diapers + 2 print diapers, also including a free wetbag, free diaper sprayer, and free shipping!



We also have two great stash options that consist of Softbums diapers+accessories (the Softbums Basic kit and the Softbums Bamboo Starter kit)  and also two choices of Thirsties+accessories stashes (the Thirsties Cover Rotation kit and the Thirsties All In One Everyday kit).


If you've been wanting to make the leap, now is the perfect time to start with any of our diaper stashes that include a little extra incentive to help sweeten the deal! Please visit us in the store, via our website (www.elemeno-pee.com), or contact your nearest cloth diaper consultant to get started today!

What will Tots Bots' changes bring? Better, brighter, beautiful things!

Once upon a time, I discovered a diaper.

I was intrigued by its design, attracted by its ease. When we finally met in person, this cloth diaper and I, I swooned at its silky softness and its trim fit. There was no other diaper like it, and there was no disputing that. This one had become the love of my cloth diapering life. If my cloth diaper romances were a TLC reality show, this one would have been the one with the cool British accent that all the other sister-wife diapers were jealous of. This one, this UK-made Tots Bots Easy Fit, was, for sure, my happily ever after. (I know I've said that before, but this one really was the one.)

Alas, the seasons changed, and the manufacturer sent its herald out into the woods (populated by the Facebook-using fan base, of course) to deliver a proclamation.

They were changing the design.

My little heart broke in two; what Big, Bad Wolf was this, blowing down my dreams of building an all-Tots Bots stash for my next baby? I had just started using them around Christmas (that Rudolph print got me!). eLeMeNO-Pee had just brought them on. Our reps had just received training on them. And now the manufacturer was redesigning? Boo-hoo-hoo, y'all. Boo-hoo-hoo!

After grieving for a few minutes, I began reading about these changes, my skeptical spectacles (this is a British company, right?) on tight. Then I looked at the photos. My skeptical specs fell to the floor, shattering. I'm sold. My love is not leaving me. And we'll leave the metaphor there to get down to the real business: the changes.

So the biggest change that my fellow diaper aficionados seem to fear is the move away from a rayon of bamboo interior.

I think bamboo has gotten a reputation for being a natural fiber. That's not necessarily true. While there are organic bamboos in the textile marketplace, the Easy Fit's insert (and many other bamboo cloth diaper inserts) is made from rayon of bamboo. Rayon of bamboo is a high-quality, absorbent fiber derived from a natural substance (the bamboo plant), but that bamboo is blended with synthetics and treated with chemicals to become the thin, tight-loop, soft terry-like stretch of fabric that you see topping the tongue-style insert of the current Easy Fit. That insert is backed by a layer of microfiber.

The testers recruited by Tots Bots to try out the new design reported a 20% increase in absorbency, making the new Easy Fit a perfect candidate for an out-and-about diaper because of its ease of use as an AIO and its holding power for situations where diaper changes are inconvenient. The old Easy Fit was never considered a great diaper for heavy-wetters. The new one promises much-improved performance!

So what's behind that amazing new absorbency? Minky!

I've blogged about the wonders of absorbent minky before. I should also mention that minky is super quick-drying, making it a superb choice for an AIO, since drying time is every cloth diapering mom's biggest gripe about AIOs. Minky is also more durable than rayon--it will stand up to more wear and tear in a high-agitation washing machine. It can't pill! It's also luxuriously soft on the hands, making it less of a chore to stuff the tongue-style insert into the pocket of your clean, dry Easy Fits.

Don't get me wrong. I like bamboo, and I know it's been all the rage for a while. But as easy-to-deep-down-clean and as quick-drying as my FuzziBunz minky inserts have been, I'm calling it now: minky is the new, softer bamboo.

Luxurious minky, dyed to match the diaper's exterior. Check out the matching Aplix, too!

What else is new, and what's the same?

Well, the new design boasts:

1) A choice between snap or Aplix closures!

2) Gorgeous new unisex, fairytale-themed prints.

3) Color-coordinated snaps and Aplix, meaning these couldn't be any cuter or easier to show off!

The new design will retain the ultra-silky outer layer, the super-strong Aplix, the vibrant solid color palette, the trim cut that provides great coverage across the bum, and the always-fantastic customer support from Bummis!

Still disappointed by the loss of that rayon of bamboo? The Stretch Bamboozle fitted will never lose it, and the Bamboozle is cut just like the Easy Fit. Paired with a wrap-style cover, you've got a great two-step option, and you don't have to miss that bamboo!

I gotta tell you, our innovative cloth diaper (or "nappy!") friends over in the UK have really nailed it this time. If you're thinking of selling your cow for the beans to invest in some of the New Easy Fits, you won't be left disappointed. There's something, well, magical about finding such a great fit, such a soft feel, such a convenient design, and such a gorgeous array of prints and colors in one affordable diaper.

This is the tale of a special cloth diaper from across the sea and how it woo'ed my friends and me!