Saturday, May 29, 2010

Sultana, from Simple Wonders Diapers

My name is Sultana and thank you for reading about Simple Wonders Diapers! I have been running my online cloth diapering shop since 2005, but have been using cloth diapers for well over 10 years. I was a nanny for many years and used cloth diapers on the majority of children I was able to spend time with. When my daughter was born in May 2005, cloth diapers were an easy choice. I became a stay-at-home-mom after working as an environmental scientist, when my daughter was born. I soon had many friends asking about the cloth diapers I was using. I was able to turn my extensive cloth diapering knowledge into a business I have loved! My son was born in September of 2007 and I have cloth diapered him from birth as well. Every single product I sell I have used on my own children and can help you successfully use on your children as well.

My customers rave about the personalized service I provide to each and every customer as well as my large selection, next day shipping and free shipping on all orders over $75. Although I don’t have a physical store, I do have a showroom in my home in Olympia, WA (also known as the diaper kingdom) where I take appointments to provide free diapering demonstrations. The availability of the showroom allows you to look, touch and feel all the cloth diapering options available to you today and confidently choose the perfect diapering system for your family.

Looking forward to helping you choose the perfect cloth diapering system for your family!
Sultana Jefts
http://www.simplewondersdiapers.com/





Posted by Sultana at 3:37 PM 0 comments
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Gabriel's Picks # 2- The Tini/Easy Fit

Made in Scotland by Tots Bots the Tini Fit hit the market in North America only a few months ago... just in time for our little tester to enjoy the soft bamboo rayon against his tiny tush. Their innovative design couples a pocket diaper with an all in one. The pocket insert is attached to the diaper, so you never need to figure out which insert belongs with which diaper when it comes out of the wash.
Their design also allows for the insert to agitate out on its own in the wash, so there is no need to unstuff prior to laundering. In our family that is a huge plus! Nothing is more annoying than for me than taking the load of diapers out of the drier only to find a balled up insert down in the bottom of the pocket diaper.
We found the extra insert that comes with the Tini fit wasn't necessary unless we were planning to use it overnight, or on a long car trip.
This is the first pocket velcro cloth diaper we have used where the laundry tabs actually stayed closed in the wash. Even after 2 months of use they are lint free and still look like the first day we used them.
We found the Tini Fit to be true to its sizing (5-12lbs) and although we might have been able to get away with it a little while longer Gabriel at 12 lbs 8 oz and 4 months old (10 weeks corrected) was beginning to have a bit of plumber butt (even as a prem he is at 75% on the chart for his height). So we have moved up to the Tini Fits big brother- The Easy Fit. Matt gives the Tini/Easy Fit the Daddy's Choice approval for ease of use and laundering. It is always the first one he grabs!
Posted by Moms and Bums at 4:20 AM 0 comments
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Friday, May 28, 2010

Recommendations for cloth diapering newborns


Steering my customers in the right direction when they ask for advice is always a top priority, and sometimes this means steering them away from a huge sale and into a more realistic, economical and practical option.

New moms, specifically first time moms, are usually really good about doing their research. Which diapers are the best? How do they work? How many do I need? and so on. In my experience they usually end up deciding on a well known pocket diaper, make up their mind that's what they want to use and they plan to build their stash accordingly. New baby = 12-24 pocket diapers plus inserts. Then they're off to shop.

If I knew then what I know now about babies and their bowel movements...lol I would have started with prefolds and covers when I first began cloth diapering my sons, especially since I rarely left the house. Why would I say such a thing? Because new babies poop and pee all day long. A squirt here, a drop there, as soon as you've placed a fresh diaper on their tiny bum they've gone and soiled it again. You check it and think, "man I can't just let them wear that diaper, even if it is only a pea sized amount of poo." Before you know it you've changed that babes diaper 3-4 times in one hour!

This is where prefolds come in. A soft and fluffy prefold, which are easily laundered and very forgiving, can be tri-folded into a cover, think Thirsites, and you're ready to go. Baby soils it two seconds later, you grab a fresh prefold and replace the soiled one with a clean one. Chances are your cover didn't even get dirty. Repeat this scenario throughout the day and you might go through a dozen prefolds and 2-3 covers. Depending on how often you plan on doing laundry, you could get started cloth diapering an infant with 4-6 covers and 2 dozen prefolds.

When you're ready to take baby out and about or have a need for diapers that you can or need to leave on for an extended period of time (like overnight), then you should experiment with pocket diapers and microfiber inserts or hemp inserts. Microfiber and Hemp are miraculous in the amount of pee they can hold, and paired with pocket diapers such as BumGenius or Duo Diapers they've been known to rival disposables in terms of how much they can hold before leaking. This makes them a perfect option for night time diapering or for use when heading to the doctor, the mall, or the grocery store.

Final thoughts, extend the life of your expensive pocket diapers by utilizing prefolds and covers when you can, especially when babies are less than 6 months old.

Thanks for reading!

Julia Clark, Earth Angels Diaper Co.
Posted by Julie at 5:18 PM 2 comments
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Dealing with the Stinkies

Some of you who cloth diaper may be lucky enough to never have to worry about stinky diapers, but if you have hard water, chances are, no matter how good your washing routine, you will periodically get stinky diapers.

When I diapered my first, I never knew stinky diapers. I used a wet pail system, and the diapers soaked in a solution similar to oxiclean until I was ready to wash them. And then her diapers were hung on a line to dry. A combination of soaking and sunlight, I believe meant I never had build up. Given I lived in several different places while she was diapered, and used anything from rain water to town water to city water, I know that it was the method, not the water that prevented stinky diapers. So if you can truely never beat the stinkies, try a wet pail.

Anyway, these days I can only use a dry pail system. Because of the way my laundry is set up, a wet pail system is out of the question. I would only use a wet pail if I had a safe place to store the pail, as it can be a drowning hazard.

So here are the stripping methods I have tried with success. As with most things in life, the most expensive method is the one that works the best for me, and uses the least water to do so.

RLR - Cost $1.85 (I was only ever able to find it online, but you might be lucky enough to find it at your local supermarket in the laundry isle).

Read my full blog review here.

Method:
  • Cold rinse the diapers to remove any solids etc.
  • Fill my machine on hot and add a FULL packet of RLR. I then let the diapers soak for several hours in it, preferably overnight. My machine is a top loader, and when I leave the lid up, the machine does not drain. If you have a front loader that will not allow you to soak, you might want to try to do this part of the method in a large bucket or the bath tub or large sink.
  • Drain and finish the machines cycle.
  • Run the machine on a full hot cycle without any detergent.
  • Dry diapers as normal. If the weather allows, I will do this outside. Sunlight really does help with stains and stink I have found.

Bac Out - Cost is approx $1.30 (You may be lucky enough to find this one in the laundry isle at your local supermarket. Keep an eye out for it going on sale if you do.)

Read my blog review here.

Method:
  • Rinse on cold.
  • Fill the washer with warm or cold water. Do not use hot, I have heard it can kill the enzymes in bac out.
  • I add around a quarter to half a cup of bac out to the load.
  • Soak several hours, overnight preferably. If your machine does not allow you to soak, then try a large bucket, sink or the tub.
  • Finish the cycle.
  • I generally run another full cycle with no detergents. It is important that you rinse this out totally as some babies skin can be sensitive to this product.
  • Dry diapers as normal. If the weather allows, I will do this outside. Sunlight really does help with stains and stink I have found.

Dawn - Cost is pennies. Get the blue classic dawn dishwashing detergent in the supermarket.

Read my blog review here.

  • Rinse on cold to remove solids etc.
  • Fill machine with hot and put in a very tiny squirt of dawn. I don't bother soaking with this method.
  • With this method, you keep rinsing with just water, preferably hot, until you no longer see suds.
  • If you use too much dawn, there will be a lot of rinses.
  • Dry diapers as normal. If the weather allows, I will do this outside. Sunlight really does help with stains and stink I have found.

Tips to avoid build up.

  • Use a diaper friendly detergent. Don't use detergents that have additives etc. There are some good detergents made for cloth diapers on the market. Just be aware, that not all detergents will work with YOUR water. So that friend who lives three states over who swears by said brand, may not work for you because your water composition is different.
  • If it is not a detergent made specifically for diapering, use less than recommended. When I used Ecos from the supermarket, I used about a quarter of a cup. Anymore than that and I would end up with stinky diapers.
  • Don't be stingy with the water when washing your diapers. You need the water to be able to flow freely through the fibers of your diaper in order to clean the fibers. If you use too little water, then particles will remain behind.
  • Do not use diaper creams directly on your diapers. If you need to use a diaper cream, use something to protect your diapers. You can use a flushable liner, or fabric liners that are cheap, or cut up an old t-shirt if need be. There are some creams out there that are safe to use on cloth diapers, but only in the recommended amounts.
Sharni - www.nappyshoppe.com
Posted by Sharni at 2:00 PM 3 comments
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Registering for Cloth Diapers

I've found that when you have a baby, people want to buy you gifts. Lots of gifts. I've also found from experience that a baby only needs so many onesies, hats, and socks! Here is where the baby registry comes in...

Today, most expecting parents register at major-name and big-box stores in order to make it easier for their friends and families to purchase gifts for their baby. My feeling has always been that if I'm going to buy you a gift, I would also hope that it is something that you need. The registry is there to help those of us who want to purchase something for the new mom get her what she wants and/or needs, rather than something that is going to have to be returned.

If you are planning on using cloth diaper once your baby is born, then the major baby registries aren't going to be very helpful to you. What you need is to find a cloth diaper store that hosts registries. (I suggest Merrimack Valley Diapers!) Once you have found a place to register comes the big question... 'What do I register for?'

Here are a few different registry ideas...

Registry #1 - Basic plan for a newborn

  • 24-36 cotton prefold diapers. More diapers means more days between doing the wash!

  • 4-6 waterproof diaper covers. Meant to keep your little one's clothes dry and contain poopy messes!

  • 2-6 fitted diapers. These are great for use at night... who wants to be fumbling with pins or Snappis in the dark at 3:00 am?

  • 1-2 Snappi diaper fasteners. These are great for holding prefold diapers closed - no need for pins!

  • Accessories: 1-2 diaper pail liners or hanging wet bags, 1-2 small wetbags for the diaper bag, 1-2 changing pads, 12-36 cloth wipes, etc.

Registry #2 - Basic Plan PLUS (great for dads/grandparents/caretakers)

  • 12-24 cotton prefold diapers. More diapers means more days between doing the wash!

  • 2-4 waterproof diaper covers. Meant to keep your little one's clothes dry and contain poopy messes!

  • 1-3 fitted diapers. These are great for use at night... who wants to be fumbling with pins or Snappis in the dark at 3:00 am?

  • 1-2 Snappi diaper fasteners. These are great for holding prefold diapers closed - no need for pins!

  • 8-12 pocket diapers. Pocket diapers go on just like disposable diapers, making it easy for helpers to change the baby, too!

  • Accessories: 1-2 diaper pail liners or hanging wet bags, 1-2 small wetbags for the diaper bag, 1-2 changing pads, 12-36 cloth wipes, etc.

Registry #3 - Birth to Potty-Learning Plan

  • 24-36 One Size (OS) diapers. These diapers can be adjusted for size, and fit most babies from sizes newborn through toddler. Never need to buy bigger sizes!

  • Accessories: 1-2 diaper pail liners or hanging wet bags, 1-2 small wetbags for the diaper bag, 1-2 changing pads, 12-36 cloth wipes, etc.

No matter which plan you prefer, register for you diapers early enough so that you can have all of your diapers washed and prepped before your little one makes her/his appearance!


Noreen
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Posted by Noreen from Merrimack Valley Diapers at 9:47 AM 0 comments
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The Kitchen Family's 1st Cloth Diaper

The very first cloth diaper I used was a standard, 4x6x4, unbleached prefold. I folded it in thirds and laid it inside a medium Thirsties diaper cover. My daughter was a petite 18 month old at about 20 lbs. We chose these diapers for a few different reasons:

1) Prefolds are inexpensive.
2) Thirsties Covers are the #1 rated cover on diaperpin.com
3) The standard prefolds would be less bulky on my petite toddler than premium prefolds.
4) She was not a heavy wetter.
5) The medium cover was roomy enough to last her until potty training.

It also had to be easy for my doubting husband. I accomplished this by having the prefolds folded in thirds ready to go in the covers for him. The system worked well for us and we still use the same prefolds and covers on my second child!

LeAnn

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Posted by LeAnn at 6:52 AM 0 comments
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Gabriel's Picks #1- Preemie Prefolds




We are always asked which cloth diapers we use and what we prefer, so we decided it was time to share:) Over the next few posts we are going to highlight some great cloth diapers that we found worked the best for Gabriel.

First you may need a bit of background. Gabriel was born January 24th at 5lbs 3oz and 34 weeks gestation. He is our 3rd child, our second to use cloth diapers (the nurses in the NICU were not open to cloth, so he was 2 weeks old before we started, and just back birth weight).
We used a variety of diapers on him, some fitting much better than others. My favorite was Bummis organic cotton preemie prefolds with a preemie/newborn super brite cover. He has since outgrown the Preemie/newborn cover (at just over 10lbs and nearly 3 months old) so we have moved up to small Bummis Super Brites and xs Thirsties covers. The prefolds are however still fitting great, and seem to get softer with each wash! We will have to update when they become too small for him.
A note on Thirsties xs covers and AIO's- Although the design for Thirsties and Bummis are quite similar, (with Bummis being made right here in Canada) we found that the leg holes with Thirsties were much larger than the Bummis ones- allowing for our preemie with the common preemie "chicken legs" to pee right out of them. Gabriel was about 8lbs before he was able to wear them without leaks.
We definitely would recommend Bummis Newborn Super Brite Covers and Premmie Prefolds for small newborns and preemies.
Why did we chose the Super Brite over the Super Whisper? The leg gussets of course! If you haven't had a newborn, then you may not know about the liquid poops that come along with them. You see until a baby begins solid foods poops are generally liquid, and sometimes seedy liquid- gross right! Without those legs gussets you run the risk of that liquid poop leaking right out the sides of the diaper... ask a mom who used disposables how many outfits they ruined with blowouts. Here at Moms and Bums we are all about the leg gussets!
Check out the great video below made by Bummis on how to use their prefolds and stay tuned for the next edition of Gabriel's Picks coming soon...

Posted by Moms and Bums at 5:56 AM 0 comments
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