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.

Newborns in Cloth series, pt. 2: How do you fold those things, anyway?

So you're interested in cloth diapering your newborn--or at least in considering the possibility and exploring the benefits... and the logistics. Last week we discussed ways to cloth diaper your too-small-for-their-main-stash newborn in a cost-effective way. This week we'll tackle the (not really all that) hairy how-tos!
 1. Cloth diapering in the hospital: should I? How do I do it?

Cloth in the hospital? Why not?!

If you've invested in a separate stash of newborn-sized cloth diapers, you probably want to get as much use out of it as you can, and where better to test the waters of newborn cloth diapering than in the hospital, where... you just don't have much else to do? Besides, cloth diapers are a much more accurate way to measure 'output' and make sure your baby is having no trouble with feeding and digesting!

If you want to use your cloth in the hospital, include it in your birth and baby care plan. "We are a cloth diapering family! We don't expect the staff to worry about learning to use our diapers; we are happy to handle every diaper change." Make sure your husband is familiar with the system you will be using, and put him in charge of changes if possible--your only jobs are to rest and to feed your baby.

Bring your hanging pail for dirties and your cloth wipes and wipe solution if you want to use cloth wipes. Have your husband go home with dirties to wash them if your stay is extended. Having a diaper sprayer installed at home is helpful for the meconium phase, but if you're breastfeeding, once your transitional milk comes in, no spraying is necessary--breastmilk poop truly is water-soluble.

2. Prefolds: How do they work?

The 'fold' part of the word prefold can be a little intimidating. I thought the point of this modern cloth thing was that I didn't have to do this folding-and-fastening thing? Fret not! Fear not!


Because of the ease of wrap-style covers, folding a prefold is a matter of folding in thirds. For longer babies, fold 'the long way,' along the seams:

Folding 'the long way' is great for taller babies. It can also get you more use out of your prefolds as your baby grows.

For shorter or smaller babies, fold 'the wrong way,' or against the seams:

Fan out in the back for best poop-catching results.

Lay folded prefold inside a cover; change when wet! Covers that don't get poop on them can be reused throughout the day.


3. We choose to circumcise. Can we use cloth while it's healing?

You sure can! Your doctor will probably recommend you treat the surgery site with a combination of Vaseline and Bacitracin and wrap with gauze. The problem? Gauze doesn't exactly contain all those oozey meds, and you don't want anything greasy, thick, or petroleum-based on your fabric, because it isn't water-soluble, and that stuff will spread around inside of and coat your washing machine, leading you straight to Repelling City.

So what to do? I can't take credit for this brilliant idea; it comes from the Padded Tush Stats blog and was sent to me by one of our savvy clients. Put a dollop of those meds on a disposable cotton makeup round! The package of them will cost less than disposable diapers, and you'll only need them for a week or two. Your cloth will be protected, your little guy will heal beautifully, and any diaper-changer volunteer can easily follow these instructions!

4. Changing cloth diapers while out and about is so intimidating to me.

Being away from your changing table can be intimidating, no matter what kind of diapers you're using, especially if you're caring for a circumcision or cord, dealing with skin sensitivity, or worrying about getting sprayed mid-change!

The easiest way to eliminate confusion and keep things quick is to either pre-load your prefolds into covers, mimicking a one-piece system, or to use pockets or AIOs when you're out. As seldom as you're likely to be running the roads with a newborn, you should only need a handful of these pricier 'easy diapers' to get you through your errands!

An organized (and organizable!) diaper bag makes it easy to reach everything you need: changing pad, diapers, cloth wipes, wipe solution (a pre-mixed spray bottle is easiest on-the-go!), Butt Balm (if necessary), and a wet bag for storing the dirty!

As for that mid-change 'baptism' that boys like to pull out of their little bags of newborn tricks, I have a counter-attack in my arsenal that works no matter what kind of diaper you're using. Before you unfasten the wet diaper, wipe your baby's inner thighs, right at the crease, with a pre-wet wipe (or spray your wipe solution, mixed with cooling witch hazel, in the same spot). The surprising, cool wetness encourages the baby to completely void his bladder if there's anything left to spray. Wait a few seconds before changing. This also gives you the opportunity to learn what your baby's "potty face" looks like in case you are interested in practicing elimination communication. (I'm not, but many parents love it!)


5. What about the cord stump?

Keeping the cord stump clean and dry is the best way to promote it falling off in its own time. In order to keep from agitating the wound, simply situate your baby's diaper so that it doesn't touch it.


No need for special cloth diapers with notches for the cord stump! Newborn cloth diapers are cut short enough in the rise to accommodate the cord stump. Both the Thirsties XS Cover and the Thirsties Duo Wrap in Size One are cut perfectly for this purpose.

Well, voila! There you have answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about cloth diapering a newborn. If you've got more questions, please ask them on our Facebook Page! I'll turn them over to our expert consultants AND our expert clients to get feedback for you!

Newborns in Cloth series, pt. 1: So, you want to cloth diaper your newborn!

You've got your stash of cloth diapers and you're ready to go! You can't wait for your little bundle to arrive for many reasons, but one of those is definitely about wanting to put fluff on her bum. But, wait! Some of these look a little big for a newborn? Won't they leak? Will all her cute clothes fit over all that fabric? Hmmm...

You may have heard that many cloth diaper manufacturers are now producing newborn-sized diapers. These diapers are probably the cutest things I've ever seen. Nothing makes my heart go all pitter-patter on me when I'm pregnant like the sight of a newborn diaper next to a pair of teensy newborn socks.

Newborn diaper, newborn feet. Does it get any better?
Photo copyright Stephanie LeBlanc Photography, 2010.

Cloth diapering a newborn is an obviously smart choice. You've spent your pregnancy avoiding things that will harm your baby, with your wine glasses collecting dust on a high shelf and your midwife's or doctor's phone number on speed dial in case you have a question regarding the safety of a medication or supplement. You probably completely eliminated BPA from your home, and you were careful to register for or purchase phthalate-free feeding gear. Why start your baby's first hours off with exposure to chemicals and plastics in what is perhaps the most vulnerable time in her little body's life?

Of course, there's the cost savings factor and the 'less waste' factor--all those reasons to cloth diaper, period, apply to cloth diapering a newborn. But cost is something that does need to be looked at carefully:

It costs nearly $400 to use disposable diapers in the first 12 weeks of a baby's life. Most of us don't know that when we have our first babies: we're usually gifted enough diapers to get us through that stage and maybe even well past it, and we don't find out how expensive disposable diapers are until much later.

But the second baby? You might find yourself in the grocery checkout aisle with your spouse, your older child, and your grunting-up-something-fun 8-week old, and you find yourself hearing (or saying!), "Honey, do you remember diapers costing this much when Little So-and-So the First Baby was born?"

However, one could easily spend $400 on a separate stash of newborn-sized cloth diapers, and they might even be outgrown before the "newborn" stage officially ends at 12 weeks old.

So how do you keep it cost-effective? you're thinking, a little disappointed. Maybe we'll just stick with the disposables until he fits into the stash we already have. This just seems like a lot to think about.

Never fear! Part One of this Newborns in Cloth series will lay out a few ways to keep the cost down for you so that you save money over what you'd have spent on disposables. Part Two will discuss all the tips you'll need to know--how to fold a prefold, handle circumcision sites, and change diapers quickly while out and away from your changing table. Part Three will list each item in my ideal newborn stash, price points included, using the ideas and shopping principles outlined in the previous installments. You may find that, with this guide, cloth diapering your newborn can be cost-effective and fun!

Option One: Mix it up a little to stretch the budget

One of my favorite newborn cloth diapers, the Tots Bots Tini Fit (right), is a brilliant little diaper made of really fine materials. I mean, top-notch. This is the Grey Goose of newborn diapers. Suffice it to say that my blogger's salary isn't going to cover a whole newborn stash of these gorgeous poop-catchers, however much I swoon over them every time I walk into the Home Office.
 

(Speaking of poop: some newborns make an awful lot of it, and, boy, can they wet a diaper quickly, too. It's not uncommon for a newborn baby to require around 22 diaper changes in a day. I'm not exaggerating--believe me, I've been there. "Why's the baby fussing?" "I don't know! She just nursed for an hour-and-a-half, and then I changed her diaper five minutes ago because it was wet... (checking)... Oh. It's wet again.")

So since a newborn needs so many more changes than an older baby, the wisest way to spend your money is to mix it up--the styles in your stash, that is. The ratio will depend on your budget, but a mostly-prefolds-and-covers stash with a small handful of "easy diapers" like the Tini Fit or the FuzziBunz XS mixed in for outings will allow you to have the 28 or so diaper changes you'll need (enough to have clean ones while others are washing). Prefolds, shown packaged above, are inexpensive (24 diaper changes comes to just under $50) and simple to use, and covers can be reused throughout the day. You'll need one for every 4-6 prefolds.

Option Two: Opt for a smaller One-Size, then supplement with newborn diapers
If you opt for your "main stash" to include One-Size diapers that truly get tiny and trim, like the FuzziBunz One-Size Elite or either of the SoftBums lines, then you only need to fill in the gaps to make sure your baby is covered when she's in that "peeing every fifteen minutes" stage. Let's say your starter stash includes 12 FuzziBunz One-Size Elites--that takes care of 12 of the diaper changes in your newborn stash, too! Twelve prefolds and three covers, plus three or four newborn-sized pockets or AIOs could round out a '28-changes' newborn stash nicely.


Option Three: Instead of 'newborn' and 'everything after,' go with the Duo system
The Thirsties Duo Size One--available as a wrap-style cover, a pocket diaper, a fitted diaper, or an all-in-one--really does get teensy-tiny, and then it grows to fit to 18 lbs. Once your little one is ready to move into a Size Two, you'll need fewer diapers. In other words, you'll spend a little more on your first stash, but when it's time to up-size, you won't be spending nearly as much.

Option Four: Plan to re-sell anyway

What if you don't want to do prefolds? What if you don't want a varied stash? What if you want 30 easy-peasy, super-trim AIOs? Well, why not! It doesn't have to cost you a fortune, because you're guaranteed a return on your investment. The re-sale market for newborn diapers is HOT, and your diapers are sure to be in great condition after only 8-12 weeks of use. Facebook is chock full of cloth diaper re-sell discussion boards, and eLeMeNO-Pee even has our own!



Option Five: Buy pre-loved

There are deals to be found (if you're willing to forgo the manufacturer's warranty)! While prefolds, which are heavy and expensive to ship, aren't worth buying pre-loved unless it's local, you can find newborn diapers at around 20% off retail by looking through re-sell forums, asking your local eLeMeNO-Pee consultant if she has a client getting ready to sell, and digging through her clearance box.

Option Six: Keep your warranty, but get your 20% off anyway
It's a little-known fact that the consultants I've come to know and love these past few years offer more than just the private consultations you've heard about! Hosting a party can pay off in big ways, including receiving a 20% discount and FREE shipping for every guest. What if you scored a newborn stash for 20% off, then resold it for 80% of the retail value after only 10 weeks of use? How's that for a smart shopper success story!


There you have it, my cloth diaper-curious friends. Newborn cloth diapering just doesn't have to be pricey! Next week, we'll cover all the FAQs and make sure you feel confident cloth diapering a newborn. Until then, let's talk!

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!