If you give a mother some cereal...

If you give a mother some cereal, she's going to want to refill the cereal jar.
When she refills the jar, the box will be empty.
She'll want to recycle it.
When she takes the box outside to the recycling bin, she'll realize the sprinkler in the backyard needs to be moved.
When she goes to move the sprinkler, she'll realize the backyard has been watered enough and she'll want to water the front yard instead.
When she takes the sprinkler out front, she'll realize all the flowers need watered.
When she waters the flowers, she'll want to pull weeds.
When she's done pulling weeds, she'll want to wash her hands.
When she washes her hands, she'll realize her cereal bowl is still sitting empty on the counter. She'll want to fill it and add milk.
She'll empty the milk carton and then she'll want to recycle it.

See where this is going? I still haven't eaten breakfast!

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Cloth Diapering Out & About

When I began my cloth diaper journey I was able to manage perfectly at home. However as soon as we left the house I found myself reaching for the disposables to ensure baby would stay dry on a car journey and because I was unwilling to carry around a whole set of wet, smelly diapers in my bag. Being committed to cloth diapering, I found this a very unsatisfying situation and I was determined to find a way to use cloth wherever and whenever.

To address the dryness issue I got some doublers, which increase the absorbency of diapers and are a great boost for car journeys or anytime very regular changes might not be possible. My favourites are the Knickernappies stay dry hemp doublers with hemp on one side and a microfleece on the other. When the fleece side is placed next to baby’s skin the moisture seeps right through and gives an amazing sensation of dryness that really is comparable to a disposable without all the chemicals involved!

Then to solve the carrying problem I invested in a Planet Wise Wet Bag. This fabulous bag seals in both wetness and odours and thus allows me to carry a whole day’s worth of wet, dirty diapers without anyone ever knowing! The bags are nicely designed and come in 3 sizes that are suitable for differing needs. I then bought a slightly bigger baby bag that was more suitable for the increased bulk of cloth diapers.
Another essential on-the-go diapering item is to use a liner, as they make flushing away poop simple and leave the diaper clean enough to tuck in the wet bag without making everything else mucky.

Whilst I do use my prefolds for some journeys, these can sometimes be more challenging to get on a wriggling baby in an unfamiliar tight space! Pocket diapers or All-in-Ones are a faster, easier option and are also especially good when someone else, unfamiliar with the origami of a prefold, has to change her.

So now with all these items in our changing bag I feel very happy that I can leave the house as a true ambassador for cloth diapers and show the world how great cloth is!

--written by Terri Henry

Swim Diapers!

Summer is here and that means it's time to hit the pool or the beach with the kids! Like many people, we used disposable swim diapers for our son at first, but when I compared the price of disposables and cloth swim diapers, I knew cloth was the way to go!

First of all, cloth swim diapers cost about $14, the equivalent of one pack of disposables. Depending on your baby's age, he can quickly outgrow those disposables before you finish the pack. If you're the type of family who love the water and swim on a regular basis, you may be buying multiple packs of disposables each season, making them even less economical and environmentally friendly.

There are lots of different brands of cloth swim diapers, but my favorite are the Imse Vimse for several reasons. First, these diapers are very trim and fit my slim toddler well. Sometimes people are surprised that cloth swim diapers are not thick and fluffy like regular cloth diapers. Cloth swimmers are not meant to be absorbent (neither are disposables, by the way), only to contain poop and keep it from getting in the water. Other suits have been too baggy around the thigh, which defeats the whole purpose because they won't contain the solid matter.

Second, the diapers are just adorable. They are basically baby Speedos and covered in a cute fish pattern. You can add a matching top for girls for a stylish tankini look.

Lastly, I prefer snaps on my diapers rather than velcro, and Imse Vimse uses side snaps which make changing a breeze.

--Written by Elita.

Diaper Liners – The Small Things That Make a Big Difference

I started using diaper liners as soon as I began cloth diapering, convinced that they would save me time on cleaning messy poop from my prefolds. However, this was still in the early days when my baby was entirely breastfed and the consistency of poop usually ran overboard. Since I almost always ended up washing out the stains by hand before they were put in the pail, I stopped buying the liners.

When baby started solids, things immediately changed. With the poop now more firm it would have been easily contained in the liner and it was frustrating to be spending so much time each day washing the marks out. Because the liners were not locally available I started using pieces of folded kitchen paper instead but this disintegrated with urine and made a mess. So it was with eager anticipation that I awaited for my next online order of Imse Vimse liners to arrive. As expected I now find these liners invaluable. They make cloth diapering so much easier and are truly an item that I don’t want to live without!

I bought the Imse Vimse range because it said they were biodegradeable and suitable for septic tanks and at the outset I threw every used one into the toilet. Then I read a review of the product in which the reviewer shared her experience of using the liners, saying that whilst the dirty ones got flushed immediately, the ones that were just wet could be washed and reused. Well to me, an eco-mama on a budget, this was great advice. I started washing them out by hand which was successful but when one slipped into my machine load and came out fine I began to add them to my pail for the main wash. So I save both time and money with these liners!

As an aside, this recycling of the liners gave me the opportunity to compile some statistics on my daughters diaper habits. I kept all the clean and dried reused ones in a bag and when I finished the roll of 100 I counted how many had been saved in order to tally her poop to pee ratio! A mothers fun!

--Written by Terri Henry

Traveling with Cloth Diapers

This time of year, this is one of the questions we receive most often: Can we travel with cloth diapers and how?

The answer? Absolutely! Preparation and foresight is key. Here are some tips I've learned from traveling:

Plan around the use of washing machines. If you're staying in hotels, try to book a room in a hotel that has guest laundry (the self-serve kind). Only dry your inserts or prefolds. Hotel dryers can run VERY hot and may ruin snaps or PUL products (the waterproof fabric on your covers and diapers). Hang the covers and pockets to dry.

Take your own detergent. A baggie of your favorite detergent is worth the hassle. If you have liquid, pack it in your checked baggage so it's not confiscated at the airport. Double bag powders. If you have a bottle of detergent, put it in a baggie to contain any leaks.

If you have two pail liners, take them both. One can hold dirty diapers and the other can hold clean ones. One of our pail liners is a hanging pail liner (Doorknob Diaper Pail). At home, it's a liner for our plastic pail, but on vacation, we snap it around a doorknob or towel bar for an instant travelling diaper pail.

Take all of your diapers that fit. Every last one, even the ones you never use. You never know how long you'll need to go between washes and having extra diapers can really be beneficial.

If you fly, take 1/2 of your diapers in a carryon and 1/2 in your checked luggage. If possible, spread them out to as many suitcases as possible, just in case a bag is lost.

If you can't find a washing machine, wash by hand. Most inserts will dry overnight, prefolds can still be used even slightly damp, and most covers and pockets will dry quickly.

For longer trips or trips totally without washing facilities, covers and flats are a great way to go. They are easily handwashed and dry very quickly.

We took a trip two years ago that really challenged our use of cloth diapers. First we had a 12 hour flight with two layovers, then a 3 hour drive, then an overnight stay where we washed diapers. Then an 18 hour car trip and a 3-day stay in the boonies. Almost broke down and bought disposables, but ended up finding a secret washing machine in the basement. Snuck in to wash diapers. Another 18 hour car trip, then a week at my Mom's with her machine. Then the flight home. We successfully cloth diapered the entire trip. During the long car ride, we had a huge bag of dirty diapers, but with the top twisted on our pail liners, no one in the van could smell a thing. Whew!

Next time I post: Camping with cloth!

--Written by Heather at Cloth Diaper Outlet

Daycare and cloth diapering

Once I decided to go back to work, many people asked me what I would do with all my cloth diapers. I replied, “Use them, of course!” My stash is mainly compiled of pockets and AIOs, so I knew it wouldn’t be too hard for the wonderful women who care for my girls to catch on.

The first thing I did was talk to the director about accepting cloth diapering-- and I came prepared. I printed out literature from our local county health department explaining the acceptable uses and storage for cloth diapers in a child center. I also brought examples of cloth diapers, wipes and wetbags to show her exactly what would be used and how it wasn’t much different than the daycare’s policy of double-bagging disposable diapers. I went through step by step how I use diapers at home: from stuffing, to wearing to washing. She was pleasantly surprised at how evolved cloth diapering has become and said she didn’t see why it would be a problem.

The first day was a bit of a challenge. I composed my daycare stash of mainly pre-stuffed Bumgenius OS pockets with aplix. I did think about starting them out with disposable wipes, but figured I should just go for it and get it over with, as I prefer cloth wipes. I showed the morning teacher how easy it is to put on the diaper and just wrap the cloth wipe inside, rather than a 2 step process of tossing a paper wipe and then bagging a cloth diaper. They seemed a bit hesitant but definitely open-minded. I brought in 12 diapers and after 6 hours all 12 diapers were gone!!!! When I picked up my baby, she was in a spare disposable. The teachers complained the diapers were leaking! What happened?

Turns out, the teachers got a bit confused and thought they had to unsnap the rise. My petite baby was now in a large sized pocket and just peeing through the legs. The teachers were also afraid to really tighten the aplix, so the large diaper was drooping right off of her. Luckily, they were game for another tutorial and the next day I was greeted with a fluffy-butted baby and smiles.

It’s only been 3 weeks but the teachers seem like old pros. They are now willing to pull out wet inserts (“We get peed on all the time”, one teacher said, “What’s the difference?”) and even plop poop into the toilet. I know not every daycare is as open-minded but I think a positive attitude, patience and the willingness to educate make a huge difference!
……….Next week maybe I’ll try snaps! ;)

Written by Nicole Hinden