Thirsties Duo AIO

Normally I wouldn’t come out with a review a day after a new diaper is released. I like to take my time and really test out a diaper with BW to see how it works. It’s easy to quickly get caught up in the excitement of a new diaper in a stash, new color, style, etc., and lose sight of how well it really functions. In this case, I knew Thirsties Duo All-In-One {AIO} was a great diaper before I even put in on BW’s biscuits. It’s exactly like Thirsties Duo Fab Fitteds but with a PUL waterproof cover. {Remember an All In One is a diaper with the soaker sewn in place. No stuffing or folding necessary for use.} I have experience with Thirsties Fitteds, especially nighttime use, and so I knew the fit and absorbency of the Duo AIO would be great. Thirsties Duo AIO is very trim both in the rear and between the legs. And like the Duo Fitted, the Duo AIO has a tunnel opening to allow for extra absorbency to be added if you need it. This makes for a great diaper for naps, nights, and extended trips away from home. All you  need to do is stuff in a Thirsties Fab Doubler or Thirsties Hemp Insert, depending on your baby’s needs, and you have a diaper that can really hold up to a super soaker. The tunnel opening between the soaker and the waterproof layer also helps with washing and drying. More water can get to the microfiber layers as well as more air flow whether you air dry or use a dryer.

AIOs are also well known for being easy for care givers to use. There is no need to fold a prefold or use a snappi, no snapping & unsnapping a soaker pad, or stuffing a pocket. Thirsties Duo AIO is very similar to the use of a disposable diaper, but without the waste and chemicals of a disposable.

Maybe by this point you’re wondering what’s up with the use of the word ‘Duo’ in front of just about every Thirsties product. This is because they make 2 sizes for each diaper and diaper accessory. Size 1 fits from 6 to 18 lbs and Size 2 fits 18-40 lbs. With each size there are 3 rise settings. Thirsties came up with this sizing to help combat the problem of one size diapers never truly fitting the teeny-weeny-newborn stage and the almost-big-kid-potty-learning stage. The Duo line of products are definitely made to fit newborn to potty learning.

I know I always say to keep a stash simple by using as few brands & styles as possible, but with an AIO it’s easy to add it to whatever stash you may have already built up. I highly recommend Thirsties Duo AIO. Give it a shot. At $15.75 a diaper, it’s well worth a place in your stash!  

What's the deal with pocket diapers?

Recently I had a client ask me, “Why use pockets?” For a moment I thought, “Yes, why use pockets?” At first glance, it does seem like the most difficult option compared to an All-in-Two {AI2} system, and All-in-One {AIO} system or even prefolds. With pocket diapers, you have to stuff the pocket and then pull out the insert before putting in the pail. Seems like a lot of extra work doesn’t it? Have I turned you off from using pocket diapers? I hope not. Here are a few reasons why I like pocket diapers…

o   Easy to clean. The absorbent part of the diaper washes separately from the PUL or TPU cover, which helps to ensure a good deep cleaning of both parts of the diaper.

o   Dries fast. The insert dries separately from the cover, so both parts of the diaper can dry thoroughly without being attached. The covers can air dry quickly, and the inserts can be thrown in the dryer if need be. I air dry pretty much anything, especially pocket inserts since it doesn’t matter if it stays soft or not because it doesn’t touch skin. But in a pinch, it’s nice to have the option to use the dryer.

o   Customizable absorbency. You can stuff anything inside a pocket. Hemp, microfiber, prefolds, or anything else you can think of that is absorbent that you wouldn’t mind your little one making a mess on. You can add as many inserts as you’d like or as little as one. {This is my fave reason for using pockets. And not to mention a great way to turn any pocket into the perfect nighttime diaper.}

o   Deep cleaning. If the inserts, whatever you may be using, have a funk, it’s very easy to wash/soak the inserts without having to worry about damaging the PUL or TPU cover. {Prolonged soaking of covers isn’t recommended and may damage them. Also, keep in mind that frequent soaking of cotton is harsh on the fabric.}

o   Some don’t even require stuffing. WHAT?! It’s true. BabyKicks 3g diapers don’t need to be stuffed. The hemp/cotton insert can be placed right on top and be used without stuffing. {I’m traditional when it comes to pockets, so I stuff my 3gs. Don’t ask me why.}

o   Some don’t even require unstuffing. HUH?! You heard right. Thirsties Duo Diaper is a sleeve diaper. There is a pocket opening at the front and back of the diaper. The insert comes out in the wash. Really, it does! {I do that all the time now. So easy.}

Does all the talk of stuffing and unstuffing still seems like a hassle? What about all the time spent organizing and stuffing the diapers? Isn’t that a waste of time? Nope. Even if you have one system, {I so wish I could pick one & stick with it} you still have to fold or organize your stash. Prefolds require folding ahead of time. AIOs still need to be folded neatly together before putting away. AI2s need the inserts snapped in covers to prepare them for use. So with any system there is organizing of the stash on laundry day. Now the question you may be asking is, “Doesn’t this take a lot of time? Shouldn’t using cloth be fast & easy?” My answer is this…it doesn’t take a lot of time, and it is easy. Maybe not fast, but it is easy. My time organizing my eclectic {sounds so much better than random} stash takes place on the floor in the play area. I sit and work while the boys play. Sometimes I’ll even read stories or sing songs while I work. I enjoy the time I get to sit and watch the boys play. And right now I’m using the diapers to help teach BW his colors. CW even gets involved in the process by doing a big boy chore of taking the diapers off the drying rack and bringing them to me in the play area. It teaches him how we work together to do our chores, and we can still have fun in the process. The fun part for him comes when he throws the diapers on my head while I sit and wait for them. Makes me wish that every day is laundry day!

CW is my happy helper!

Looking to increase your stash and want to save some $$? From now until Sept. 30, 2011, FuzziBunz are buy 6 get 2 free. As an ex-math teacher and a full time bargain hunter, this is an awesome deal. You can mix and match One-Size FBs and Perfect Size FBs. The 2 free diapers will be mailed to you after filling out a rebate form. 1 free diaper will be a solid color and the other free diaper will be a mystery print. For more details go to the online store http://www.greenbabyelephant.com/ Hurry for the best selection of colors and sizes!!

Tucson Baby Fair 2011

I am excited to announce that GBE will be attending the 94.9 MIX FM Tucson Baby Fair on August 20^th from 9 am to 3 pm at the TCC. Diapers and accessories will be available to purchase. That’s right. I’m bringing the whole kit and caboodle with me. And with every purchase of $30 or more, I’ll include a free wet bag {valued at $6.75 and while supplies last}. You’ll also really want to stop by and see me because GroVia has generously given a diaper package worth over $100 to be raffled off. It’s a great prize for any and all stages of cloth diapering and whether you’re new or an old hat to the world of cloth diapers.

And I’m shaking things up at this year’s Baby Fair. The Daddy Diaper Olympics is going green this year. For those of you that don’t know what the Daddy Diaper Olympics are I’ll fill you in. It’s a relay race where Dads change diapers. It’s super fun to watch. And as far as I know disposables have always been used. When I first pitched the idea of using cloth, I was told “No” due to liability issues. I was honestly stumped for a while, and I could not figure out where the liability was in changing cloth diapers until it dawned on me…PINS. Once that was straightened out, everything changed. Thirsties graciously supplied 12 refurbished diapers to be used for the Daddy Diaper Olympics. When the Daddy Diaper Olympics are over, the 12 Thirsties diapers that were used for the competition will be donated to the Gospel Rescue Mission. {How cool is that?} Cloth diapers are going to *WOW* everyone there. Since the race takes place two separate times, cloth diapers are going to be showcased on center stage twice during the Baby Fair. {No one is going to think about pins when looking at the Thirsties Duo Diapers!} And I love the fact that Dads are going to be up there changing CLOTH diapers. I hear from many clients that Daddy is the hesitant member of the family, and I know that was my experience as well. At the Baby Fair, Dads are going to be showing off how easy it is to change a cloth diaper. And to make the race even more interesting, a prize valued over $100 will be given to the winning Dad. Thirsties once again stepped up to graciously donate a prize, and FuzziBunz has also generously provided a prize. Want to know what the prizes are? Well, you’ll have to get yourself to the Baby Fair! Or an even better idea would be to have Daddy compete for the prize. I encourage you to come and watch or participate in this historic Daddy Diaper Olympics. 

Are you excited yet? I’m at the point of “Field Trip” excited. Think back to elementary school and how the night before a super fun field trip you couldn’t sleep at night? Well, that’s me. I’m constantly thinking about how much fun the Baby Fair is going to be. I’m looking forward to seeing you there. And pass the word along to your friends, family, and mommy groups, especially those that don’t cloth diaper. What a great way to show them on a grand scale how easy & cute cloth diapers are without talking their ears off about cloth. This is going to be an event you and your friends won’t want to miss.



A Refubished Thirsties Duo Diaper Size 1 in Alice Brights. It's going to amaze the masses at the Daddy Diaper Olympics!


P.S. Thank you Thirsties, GroVia, FuzziBunz, and Rockin' Green for all the support and generous donations. I couldn't make my spectacular debut at the Baby Fair without you all!!

A Non-Cloth, Cloth Diaper Baby Shower Gift

Want to give a baby shower gift that shows off how great cloth diapers are, but are worried about giving a gift that won’t be used? Or you don’t want to be pushy about how great cloth diapers are to a new mom? I remember registering for my first baby and being completely overwhelmed. It took me months to research and register for everything that I needed and thought I just had to have. Keeping that in mind, it’s no wonder that I never seriously considered cloth. My brain wouldn’t have been able to make any more decisions after choosing a stroller, car seat, blankets, crib, pacifiers {there are about 1,000,000 of those to choose from}, etc. So without causing a new mama’s head explode, I have a great, green gift idea for you. GroVia Shells in hook & loop and a package or two of GroVia BioSoakers. It’s seriously the best of both worlds. Earth friendly, disposable inserts paired with cute, easy to use cloth covers. It’s the perfect match to let a new mama experience the best of cloth without using cloth. Huh? Think about it. She will get to experience diapering a newborn without blowouts. {Isn’t this really the best part of using cloth diapers?!} Chances are she doesn’t have firsthand knowledge about blowouts at her baby shower, but she will by the end of the first couple of weeks of her precious baby’s life. Desperate for an answer to her problems, she’ll vaguely remember the set of “hippie” diapers {her words, not mine} you gave her at her shower and give them a shot. And like the miracle she was searching for, she’ll find the “transitional” cloth diapers you gave her are perfect. Then wanting more of these hippie miracle diapers, she’ll call you. Hearing her tired and desperate voice, you’ll let her know all about cloth diapers. And of course you’ll tell her to shop at Green Baby Elephant, which is where you found out about this fabulous baby shower gift in the first place. And we all lived happily ever after. *sigh*  

See pictures of how BioSoakers work with GroVia shells here.

Also, for the month of August 2011, every GroVia diaper {Shells, AIOs, Newborn AIOs} in Ice {light blue} and Cosmos {light pink} are buy 2 get 1 free. So now is a perfect time to stock up for future baby shower gifts. No scrambling around last minute at a baby store searching for items off a registry! And want to add more to your gift without actually gifting cloth? You can add any combination of the following to your gift to really show how useful cloth diapering accessories are: cloth wipes {can be used a washcloths}, a wet bag {to hold poo covered clothes while disposables are being used, which will then convert to a true wet bag utility after cloth diapers are used}, diaper rash balm {Magic Stick or Rockin' Delish}, and/or cloth diaper safe detergent {Tiny Bubbles, Thirsties Super Wash, or Rockin’ Green as an alternative to Dreft to be used on baby’s clothes}.  Now pat yourself on the back for putting together a unique and green baby gift!

~~Tonya~~

Cloth Wipes 101

When I first started cloth diapering, I was totally clueless. I didn’t know anything other than the directions that came on the packaging. No knowledge of cloth wipes, diaper sprayers, liners, or detergents. As I began researching more and more about cloth diapers, I began stumbling across cloth wipes on blogs and online shops. At first I scoffed. I always scoff and resist change. No surprise that once I tried them, I liked them. {Note to self: Change is good!}

Once again, there was so much information and so many choices for something as simple as cloth wipes. I was immediately overwhelmed. After wading through the info, I discovered an easy way to make wipes pop up out of a disposable wipe container. That was the deciding factor. Once I found a way to make cloth wipes easy, I knew I had to give them a try. Plus, I was getting tired of picking disposable wipes out of the diapers before washing. So I knew that cloth wipes would be a nice solution. Everything gets washed at once, and no extra trips to the garbage can with poopy wipes. I couldn’t wait to get started.

 As soon as I got my wipes in the mail, they were promptly folded to pop out of an old disposable wipe container. Next up was making a wipe solution. Ugh. Again I was overwhelmed by the onslaught of wipe solution recipes. Because I like things to be simple, I use 1 cup of water and 1 tsp of Dr. Bronner’s soap in a spray bottle. I don’t bother with any essential oils or things like that. This is something that you’re making a couple of times a week. I don’t have the time to pull out a bunch of bottles and put a lot of effort into a solution to wipe my son’s rear. Keep it simple.

Surprisingly, Mr. GBE took to using cloth wipes without a hitch. No complaints. Remember mamas, if it’s the only option at the changing station, then it must be used. Plus, I think at this point, he’s cool with my “hippie-ness” as he calls it.

Below are pictures to help demonstrate how to make your wipes pop out of a wipe container. It’s pretty easy. These are Thirsties wipes. They are unbelievably soft. Once you feel them, you won’t be able to resist them. No joke! They are perfect for more than wiping bottoms. I can see how they can easily be used as washcloths for the entire family! And bonus…all Thirsties products are USA made. Sweet! You have to try them. They’ll quickly become a fave with every family member, so good luck keeping the wipes next to your changing station! {So that is my brief sales pitch. Buy your Thirsties wipes here.}

Perseverance Pays Off

My garden is showing some progress. And by progress I mean SPROUTS. Yippee!! I have melon sprouts, bean sprouts, squash sprouts, and random old seeds that have decided to sprout. I can almost taste the fruits and vegetables. I’m so excited. I know there is a long way to go before there’s anything to pick, but just seeing green in the brown dirt makes me hopeful. I’m so glad I didn’t give up. Stubborness Perseverance pays off.



Zuni Basin Method...Melon Sprouts in a Ditch



The last 2 posts have been laundry related, and I can’t help but to once again connect my garden to washing diapers. I have experienced setbacks with both my garden and my laundry routine. And I have worked with other moms that have experienced the same thing {laundry issues, not green thumb issues}. The best advice I can give is to not give up. Things change as your baby grows, so flexibility when washing is helpful. Some examples of situations that will change your wash routine are when baby begins to sleep longer at night {more ammonia in the diapers} and when baby begins eating solids {transition between EBF poo and food poo}. More ammonia and more poo will mean rinsing diapers in the toilet is the first step to rinsing away stinkies before the pre-wash cycle. Less urine and poo left after the pre-rinse will allow for the wash cycle to do its purpose…wash with soap. If you are still fighting ammonia {a very common problem for nighttime & toddler dipes} using Funk Rock or Thirsties Pre-Wash in the pre-rinse cycle may be just what you need. It is worth buying either product to help battle the stinkies. Let me tell you from experience, it sucks to have a wash finish and find that there is still stink. Talk about wasteful when you have to rewash the load…waste of water, electricity, soap, and time! A little Funk Rock or Thirsties Pre-Wash is worth using when you know that your diapers are going to come out clean! For any newbies reading this, I hope I’m not making it sound like washing diapers is difficult. It’s easy, and with washing anything sometimes adjustments need to be made. {Think about the stains that didn’t come out of a shirt, so you end up having to rewash.} When it comes to washing diapers, it is as easy as pressing buttons on your machine!!

Washing Tips

My last post was about washing routines, care, and instructions. Now I’d like to discuss some tips that I’ve learned when it comes to washing & drying cloth diapers. A common theme that runs through all the tips will be trial and error. It’s normal in the beginning to have washes not turn out clean diapers. Find what works for you! Different machines, water types {hard/soft}, detergents, and diaper brands will all create different wash routines for different people. And from my experience sometimes even a good wash routine may fail. My biggest problem…broccoli. The boys love it, but when served at dinner, I expect horrid diapers in the morning. I now know that a pre-rinse with the sprayer before putting the diapers in the pail does a lot of good. And I also can tell when our water softener needs more salt, because more soap is needed. So be flexible with your wash routine, and hopefully these tips will make wash day so easy it won’t even feel like a chore!

·         Detergent Amount: Use enough detergent. How much is enough? Your diapers should not have any stink smell when coming out of the washing machine. If they smell stinky, re-wash. It’s also a good idea to check if there are any suds in the final rinse cycle. Too many suds means too much soap. Run another rinse cycle, and use less soap next time.

·         Proper load size: Too many dirties and too few diapers will create havoc. Too many and they won’t come clean. Remember, HE machines don’t use a lot of water. Too few diapers, and they can’t “scrub” against each other very well when washing. There isn’t a magic number, but 18 diapers is a good number to work with. Have I washed more than 18 and less than 18 in loads? Yes. It’s all about being flexible. Adjust soap and wash cycles as needed.

·         Rinse: Rinse the poo! A diaper sprayer is a must. Rinse all the poo off that you can. Less poo on the diaper while in the pail, means less poo in the pre-rinse cycle, and hopefully no poo in the wash cycle. {Please note that breastfed poo is exempt. This rinses away without the need to spray in the toilet.} Rinsing also helps to keep staining at bay. {Confession Alert! I rinse during naptime and after bedtime. Too many “helpful” hands and people in the bathroom while I work. I flick what comes off easily into the toilet and close the diaper up until rinse time. Gross, but effective.}

·         Trick your washer: I have read about, but never used the “Towel Trick”. It consists of adding a towel in your load during the sensing part of the cycle {the beginning} and removing it before the water & soap is added. I have often times poured large bowls of water over a load before the pre-rinse to make the diapers heavier. HE machines go by weight to determine how much water to use. My reasoning is that half dry diapers are only half as heavy. So pouring large bowls of water will make them heavier, and then more water will be used by machine. It’s ok if the water drains out, this is just to get your diapers wet and heavy not to add water to the cycle.

·         Hang dry: Hang drying means less wear and tear on your diapers. Lint is the breaking down of fabrics. Anything that is microfiber hang dries in my house. No need for it to be soft and fluffy since it never touches skin. Pockets and covers are also air dried. Anything that is cotton and touches skin gets dried on low heat for 15-20 minutes before hanging out. Or a good shaking out helps soften up the fabric after air drying.

·         Sun: The sun is the best sanitizer and stain remover. Be sure to Practice Safe Sun.

·         Large Stash Size: This is probably the least mentioned and most important tip when it comes to washing diapers. It is essential to have a good size stash {over 24, closer to 36 + diapers} to keep your diapers functional. Repeated washing of a small stash will wear out your diapers faster. I guarantee it! You will not save money by having a small stash, because they will wear out quickly and you will have to buy more. A large amount of diapers will keep them rotating through less frequently, and will make them last longer. The diapers will then wear and tear at a slower rate, and since they will last longer you will get your money’s worth. They’ll be sure to last for more babies or will be acceptable condition to sell to others. As with any fabric, repeated washing & drying will wear out the item. Think of your fav shirt. You’ve probably had it for years and wear it in high rotation in your wardrobe. Does it have holes? Is it frayed? Is it super thin and faded? Yes, yes, and yes. You love it, but it’s not a “functional” shirt to wear outside of the house. At least mine isn’t. The same will happen if you have too few diapers. Be sure to invest in your diapers and make them last through potty learning and then some!

~~Tonya~~

Perseverance

CW playing in my 1st garden. Yes, I grew that honeydew!

I am currently experiencing a major setback with one of my favorite hobbies, my garden. After two years of successful and productive summer gardens, I have nothing but dirt outside. I won’t get into details about what’s been going on, but I will focus on how disappointed I am. It bothers me so much, that I hate to talk about my garden or anyone else’s garden. I hate taking the trash out, because then I have to walk by the desolate ground. It’s a huge failure, and I hate failing. But it’s time to stop wallowing in my personal pity-party and get back out in the dirt. This past week, I spent time “working the land” as I like to call it. Really, I was just tilling it with a metal rake, and then flooding the garden with a lot of water. I was working to get it back to a good starting point before I begin again. Sunday morning, I replanted. This is my third time planting since March. *sigh* So depressing…so much work and nothing to show for it! Anyways, it’s been replanted, and I’ve been spending a lot of time making sure the ground isn’t drying out. {This may have been one of many problems this season.} Now I’m optimistic. I feel good about this replanting. It’s difficult to pick yourself up after failure and trying again.

BW staring at the 2 lone squash plants.

Cloth diapering for me has been a lot like my garden. I’ve had good experiences and have also faced a setback. My washing machine was broken for quite some time, and it took me and Mr. GBE awhile to figure out what the problem was. While the machine was broken, it took forever to wash diapers. I’m talking 4-5 hours. I dreaded wash day. Some of it was inexperience: not using enough soap, using too much & not rinsing enough, and forgetting to pre-rinse. But the main culprit was not enough water! I would take buckets of water and pour them into the washer during the pre-rinse, wash cycle, and rinse cycle. It was insanely time consuming. It was unbelievably frustrating. *Ack* Looking back, the only thing that kept me going was my stubbornness to make cloth diapers work. I just loved them so much, even with all the work I had to do. Thank goodness Mr. GBE realized this was crazy to spend so much time washing diapers. He watched me do laundry one weekend and called the repair man as soon as they opened on Monday. Once my machine was fixed, my wash routine was so simple. No sitting around and waiting for the right time to add water in the cycles. I felt liberated by my free time! I’m so glad I stuck it out during the rotten time. Wash routines are meant to be simple!

I’ll be discussing wash routines next, as well as keeping you all updated on my garden. For my local followers, we used Authorized Technical Services {520.903.141} to repair our washer. And for my gardening buddies, I’m working with Westwind Seeds to rehab my patch of dirt. Neither one has asked me to pass along word of their businesses. I am just pleased with both, so I thought I’d like to share with you all.

~~Tonya~~

Mr. GBE

Mr. GBE was not a fan of using cloth diapers. Not a fan at all. In fact, he made it clear that he was not and would not change any cloth diapers. He also informed me that once BW was walking, we would not use cloth diapers any longer. He’ll deny it if he reads this, thankfully my sister was witness to his behavior. I blame Mr. GBE’s misguided thoughts on BW’s incessant crying which in turn made his sleep addled brain woozy and confused. Thankfully, BW has been a good sleeper for many months now, and Mr. GBE’s thinking cleared up as we all got more sleep.   Slowly, Mr. GBE warmed up to the idea of cloth. This is how I wore him down changed his mind:

1.       Our first cloth diaper system was a gift. So we saved $$ to begin with by not having to invest in cloth diapers.

2.       I never complained about laundry. {This was difficult as my stash was very tiny in the beginning with a 1 month old – 12 diapers. And add insult to injury, my washer was broken for a long time, and it took us a while to realize it. It also took the repair man several attempts before it was finally fixed.}

3.       I acted like I knew what I was doing. {Thank goodness for Google and cloth diapering blogs/message boards.}

4.       Mr. GBE was never asked to rinse a diaper.

5.       Mr. GBE was never asked to wash a load of diapers.

6.       Mr. GBE was never asked to hang out diapers to dry.

7.       Mr. GBE was never asked to stuff/fold/put together any diaper.

8.       I proved that using cloth was easy when traveling away from home. {Disneyland + BW @ 5 months + GroVia’s disposable hybrid option = Success}

9.       There was a drastic decrease in our spending due to less frequent trips to Target to buy diapers, which also meant fewer impulse buys. *Cha-Ching!*

10.   When the only option in the house is a cloth diaper, cloth must be used.

So needless to say, Mr. GBE is quite adept at using cloth diapers.  He’s now rinsed, washed {with detailed instructions left on the washer}, dried, and stuffed diapers without nagging supervision. I think he even secretly enjoys using them. Mr. GBE, you’ve come a long way baby! He's’ become my biggest fan and supporter. Without him, I would have never started my own business. Hip, Hip, Hooray to Mr. GBE. I love you!

Using Cloth on a Newborn

I decided while still pregnant that I was going to try cloth diapers with my second baby. It was something that I had always contemplated after my first child was born. However, I did not feel as I had enough information about how they work and many other details that many of us Mommies require before making a big purchase.
Then my sister had her second child and began to cloth diaper. I was able to see first-hand all of the ins and outs of the cloth diapering world.  Learning how to wash, stuff, and put them on an actual baby helped immensely!
With this pregnancy I was all about being prepared early, as my first child was a month early and I was not ready.  As I packed my hospital bag I also packed a bag for my new baby that included about 8 of my 12 newborn AIO Grovia's.  I had prepped them the week before and loved how tiny and cute they were!  I also packed some liners in anticipation of my baby's first poopie (meconium).

I wondered what the nurses and doctors would think about the cloth diapers and if anyone would flat out refuse to use them. I wondered if there would be that nurse that would put a disposable on my baby in an effort to discourage me, and make her life easier.
Boy was I wrong! The nurses were intrigued by the tiny cloth diapers and soon my son and I were the talk of the 4th floor labor and delivery ward! My nurse came in and asked to borrow one of the diapers to show off at the nurses’ station.  Everyone commented on how adorable and easy they were to use! Every time there was a shift change I would get the same questions.  How do you wash them? How much are they? What made you decide to do cloth? The list went on.
I love having the newborn size Grovia and Fuzzibunz.  Totally worth purchasing!!! They fit so well and do not rub on his little belly button as it heals. There is very little bulk and fit under a onesie perfectly. Newborn's little legs are so skinny and newborn size diapers are trim and don't keep them from scrunching their tiny legs up into the fetal position. I used liners while in the hospital waiting for the meconium. It came out with the liner so easily.  The only downfall  I found was that no one but me snapped them tight enough. I think they are afraid to put them on too tightly since they don't stretch like disposables do. But trust me, you will know when you have put them on too tight, because they won't snap : -)

Once we arrived home from the hospital it was time to wash them...I was dreading this, and I don't know why.  I was worried about stains.  The first time I washed them I forgot to rinse them first.  Not a big a deal. However, I have, through trial and error found a certain method to washing newborn AIO's.  I snap them on the loosest snap after a diaper change and throw them in the wet bag. Once I am in the laundry room I go through and turn them inside out while still snapped. The ensures that the outer covers will not take precedence over the inner liners.  This has helped tremendously to get all the poop out and most of the stains out with one wash.  This also greatly reduces the time in the dryer!
I had heard about the sun being a natural stain remover, and I can honestly say that they were true! Now, that said the sun has not come out where I live since my son was 3 days old.  So, on the first sunny day that we have you can bet money that I am going to "sun" all my diapers!  The stains are minimal, but I still would like them gone : )
After a week of using cloth diapers I feel like I have a pretty good handle on them and a newfound love! I am no longer anxious about changing them while away from home, washing them, getting stains out, or dealing with leaks. We use the GroVia's and Fuzzibunz during the day and the Thirsties at night. I have both the Thirsties Duo Diaper & Duo Fitted.  I like them both the Thirsties diaper and fitted equally and never worry about leakage with them! They hold a lot!  They are much bulkier than the newborn size GroVia & FuzziBunz diapers. My husband and I have had quite a few laughs from them, and love them all the more! If you are worried about the bulk then stick to the newborn size until your child grows bigger.
Also, our son was circumcised and I continued to use cloth. We just use a liner and a gauze pad with Vaseline and haven’t had a problem. I did decide to use a disposable to see the difference during the healing time....WOW night and day difference! He leaked terribly out of all four disposables that I placed on him.  The poor little guy woke up during the night completely wet through a sleep sack and a swaddle!!! Unheard of with cloth! Never again disposable for me!

If you are nervous about taking the plunge into the world of cloth diapering a newborn, I urge you to give it a try. I promise it is easier than you think.  Your baby will thank you!  And I think you will thank yourself!

~~Nina~~

P.S. Many more posts on newborn dipes are to come! Nina will be reviewing each diaper much more thoroughly as soon as she gets the chance.

Dirty Little Secret

I have found that the accessory aspect of cloth diapering, while not mandatory, can be extremely helpful and oftentimes serves other purposes. That’s just me being wordy instead of just saying, I use my wet bags and pail liners for more than dirty diapers. Swim lessons, vacation, and clothes hamper are all alternate uses for my wet bags. I love knowing that I will be able to put these items to good use when my cloth diapering days are over. In fact when adding up cloth diaper costs, I really don’t consider the extras into it since there are plenty of other uses for items like my wet bags.

I currently have 2 wet bags and 2 pail liners. All are GroVia brand. The wet bags were a gift, and they became my only method of storing dirty dipes. This became an improbable solution as my baby grew {think  Mr. Stinky Pants} and my stash of diapers increased. Two wet bags were not enough to hold all the dirties in between wash days. My solution {this is gross} was to stack the wet diapers on the floor of my laundry room. Honestly, there was hardly a stink. Pee doesn’t bother me, and since they stayed in one small spot on the floor, no one walked there and no one noticed except me. I had to save the two wet bags for poo pants and outings. Soon this became a problem because of too much poo and too few bags. I had to talk to the Hubs about getting something bigger. He never knew of the dirty little secret on the floor in the laundry room, and once I outted myself he was grossed out. I purchased two large pail liners and a 13 gallon trash can with a lid from Target, of course. Ahhh, life became easier. I now I have 2 wet bags to use when I leave the house, and no more hiding wet diapers in my laundry room. Laundry days are even better because all the dirties are in one place. And to be even more specific that one place happens to be in the bathtub in the downstairs bathroom. The pail is located where I do all the rinsing off of diapers, so for me it is easier to have all the dirties in one spot. About 98% of diaper changes happen downstairs at my house. The 2% of the changes that occur upstairs are then brought downstairs into the pail in the bathroom. Another plus to having the pail in the bathtub is that I can shut the shower curtain and no one knows it is there.

Storing dirty diapers work differently in different households. Maybe a pail is needed upstairs and downstairs. Maybe a hanging pail that can be on a doorknob or hook would work better than a trash can with a pail. The key is to find what works for you. Luckily, Green Baby Elephant stocks wet bags, pail liners, and hanging pails. So find what works you’re your fam and get those dirty dipes corralled while waiting for wash day.

Tell me what works in your house. I’d love to hear how you manage stinky dipes between washings.

Another First Time Cloth Diaper Experience

I have been using cloth diapers for over a year now and I really enjoy the process.  I love using products that are better for my baby, I love that I'm not contributing to unnecessary waste, and I'm glad that I can save money by not buying disposable diapers every few weeks.

 

My journey to choosing cloth has been quite an adventure.  I started investigating the idea of cloth diapers when my first child was under 2 years old.  But at that time I decided it wasn't an investment I wanted to make since he was older and close to potty training.  At that time the only information I had about cloth diapers was what I found on Amazon.com.  I had no idea that there was a larger community for cloth diapers, and at that point I put the idea on hold.

 

Then my daughter was born in October of 2009.  I started with disposables but did quite a bit more research about cloth and I discovered a multitude of online communities that provided a plethora of information about various types & brands of cloth diapers.  It was a bit overwhelming.  I researched for 2 months before making my first purchase, which was 2 diaper covers & a set of 6 prefolds.  I started out basic to see if I would enjoy the process. 

 

I fell in love with cloth and began to increase my stash of diapers, using pocket diapers, fitteds & covers, and all-in-ones.  My husband was surprisingly supportive since he realized we wouldn't be spending $20-$30 every few weeks on diapers that would ultimately be thrown in the trash.  Literally throwing our money away.

 

Now that my daughter is 18 months old, my cloth diaper needs have evolved with her.  We now primarily use snap diapers since she is quite skilled at undoing the velcro.  I also work outside of the home part time and my parents watch my kids while I am gone.  They have found cloth diapers to be much easier than they thought, and my mom loves using them on my daughter.  It really is FUN.

 

My journey with cloth diapers will continue until my daughter is potty trained, and then I will most likely sell my stash of diapers to other parents.  That's another perk of using cloth diapers: there is resale value.  You can't say that about disposables.

~~Karen~~

The 3 R's

Jack Johnson, my new fav singer, has a song titled “The 3 R’s.”  It’s crazy addicting, and I find myself singing it to myself quite often.  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.   He sings about ways kids can live the 3 R’s. 

"If you're going to the market to buy some juice
You've got to bring your own bags and you learn to reduce your waste
And if your brother or your sister's got some cool clothes
You could try them on before you buy some more of those
Reuse, we've got to learn to reuse
And if the first two R's don't work out
And if you've got to make some trash
Don't throw it out
Recycle, we've got to learn to recycle…"

Such a simple message.  Not so simple to apply to our lives in today’s throw away culture. 

Growing up, my mom & dad were “green” because they wanted to save money.  I thought they were trying to ruin my life.  My mom made us bring lunch from home and use reusable lunch sacks.  Even in middle school! *Gah*  Talk about social suicide.  When we were young, she would find different toys and furniture in the alley or garage sales and fix them up for us.  This was cool since we did get “new” things.  But in all honesty, it wasn’t the same as getting something new in a box.  We saved cans and took them to get cash.  My dad used the backs of envelopes as note paper at his business.  He still does this today.  He also used paper towels to dry his hands and would let them air dry so they could be used again multiple times.  We {meaning me and my siblings} thought our parents were so lame.  Hello, let’s throw stuff away and buy new!!  And I can’t even count the number of times we were told to turn off lights when we left the room and to keep the front/back door closed.  “We’re not paying to heat/cool the outside.” Lame-o parents always ruining our fun.   

And the cycle of “lameness” continues with me and the hubs.  We yard sale, garden, recycle everything that we can.  Lights are turned off when not in use.  Thermostats are set to save a little money.  We use reusable grocery bags {when I remember}.  Electronics are unplugged when not in use.  And now we cloth diaper.   To say that using cloth diapers was life changing would be an understatement.  The amount of trash we throw away is so much less than it was with our first child.  And this may be a little TMI, but it’s not half as stinky as it used to be.  Think used diapers, garbage can outside, and hot Arizona summers. *Gag*  When I made the change to cloth wipes {this was a gradual transition} our trash output decreased even more.  I love that I’m not hauling garbage outside as often as I used to.  And not to brag, but *ahem* our recycle bin often has more in it than our garbage can.

So now, that we’re using cloth diapers and wipes, I’m looking for more ways to reuse things.  Much to the hubs frustration, I’m refusing to use paper towels to clean with.  I use our kitchen towels to wipe down the counters, table, and floors. {Yes, mealtimes are insanely messy here.}  I can use one kitchen towel instead of multiple paper towels.  And when it’s been used, I just throw it in the wash with whatever load is going in, except for diapers.  Easy.  Cloth wipes are also doubling as Kleenex for the boys.  Unfortunately, noses are always running.  Those I’ll throw in with diapers to wash.  Once again, less trash to throw out.  Awesome! 

I’m not trying to say, that we are such a super duper “green” family.  We’re not.  There’s more we could be doing, but we don’t for whatever reason.  I use paper bibs at restaurants.  We’ve been known to use paper plates on occasion.  Paper napkins are always used.  Disposable cups serve their purpose every now and then.  Ceiling fans are sometimes left on in rooms during the summer.  My list of transgressions can go on.

I’m learning that living the 3 R’s isn’t so difficult.  Small changes can have a huge impact.  However, at times it can be challenging.  Cloth diapers on vacation isn’t always the easiest, and grabbing a paper towel and tossing it in the trash means there is one less kitchen towel to fold.  But what kind of lesson am I teaching my boys?  Being mindful of our waste and using what we have is something that they can learn and pass on to their children.  Hopefully, I won’t have them commit social suicide in the process!

What do you do that is green? What are some things you’d like to try to change to become less wasteful?

My First Time

I had never given cloth diapers a thought in my head. My only and brief thought about cloth diapers was that they are old fashioned. I was not going to be an “old fashion” mother. So that was my one, very fleeting thought about cloth diapers. 

My first time using cloth diapers was with my second baby.  Again, cloth diapers were not thought about.  Not even a fleeting thought like I had with my first baby.  My mom gave me quite a few GroBaby {now GroVia} diapers for my second baby. My immediate thoughts were CUTE, but uh...I don’t know about this!  I smiled and thanked her.  The diapers sat on my laundry room floor for a week.  I hemmed and hawed. Should I do this? Can I do this? I looked up cloth diapers on the internet and was immediately overwhelmed, so I stopped looking at cloth diapers online. I couldn’t decide if I could do this, so I do what I normally do in situations when I can make up my mind. Nothing.  Thank goodness my sister came to visit.  She took one look at the mess of diapers on the floor and threw them in the wash. WHEW! A decision was made! She and I washed and prepped the diapers. 

At a little over a month old, BW wore his first cloth diaper. ADORABLE! I melted when I saw him in his little mandarin GroBaby.

At first, I used cloth only at home and only during the day. I had to baby step my transition to cloth.  Even though I loved using my new cloth diapers, it took me awhile to get used to the idea of them.  It’s not that I had any particular stumbling blocks using them.  No stink, leaks, rashes.  Actually, it was quite the opposite.  They washed like a dream, and instantly, BW didn’t have any leaks.  No BLOW-OUTS!  It was almost like it was too good to be true. A miracle. Or maybe you’d prefer to say it was like magic. *Poof* All my problems with disposable diapers were gone!  Another plus that I noticed was that since I was only using disposables at night, we were going through less paper diapers.  This meant less time spent going to the store, especially during the first couple of months when babies grow out of diapers literally overnight.   The thrifty part of me loved not spending money on something that I throw out in sometimes a matter of minutes of using.  I also noticed that the garbage bin wasn’t quite as full when taking it to the curb.   Dare I say, this whole experience was like a dream come true?  Yes! Really! 

Here’s the Good and the Bad summed up with some nice bullet points for those that like lists. {I am a list person.}

The Good

·         No rash, no creams to use.

·         Less trash, so fewer trips to the garbage can outside to empty the diaper pail.

·         Less money spent on paper diapers as I slowly transitioned to cloth.  This changed to no money spent once we transitioned to only cloth. Yippee!

·         Darling outfits in the summer. T-shirt + diaper = super cute!  As a mom to two boys, the cuteness factor for boy clothes is nowhere near girl clothes, so this was a major plus for me.  Shallow, I know.

·         Easy to use.  Press some buttons on the machine to wash and air dry (sunned outside). Easy Velcro-like closures (hook and loop or Aplix) made for an easy transition to cloth since they went on just like a disposable.

·         No explosive poo leaking everywhere, which meant less washing of clothes and stain removal.

The Bad

·         After a few weeks, I realized I didn’t have enough diapers to make it through a day, and I was getting tired of CONSTANTLY washing.  I think he poo’ed more than any baby his age should! This was solved by buying more diapers. I now wash every other day.

·         More frequent changing. I hesitate to mention this, because I don’t want anyone to be turned off by using cloth, but at the same time I promise to be totally honest here.  So here goes nothing.  This more frequent changing was a double edge sword for me.  At first, I felt like I was changing a lot more than I would have with disposables. But I came to realize that it was a good indication of how well he was nursing and an easy way to monitor his fluid intake.  Because disposables are so absorbent, I often couldn’t tell how much or often my baby urinated, which in turn meant I didn’t know how well he was breastfeeding.  Luckily, this was a short lived issue. Babies grow and change quickly, and this is no longer a “problem”.

·         I was clueless about using diapers at night and was yet again paralyzed by indecision and information overload on the internet. Yikes! Obviously, this is now no longer a problem.  I will focus on nighttime diapers in a future post.  Hint: hemp.

·          I felt uncomfortable using cloth out of the house.  Yet again something that I didn’t have any experience in doing, and it made me feel anxious about leaving the house. Once again, problem solved.  We leave the house & travel.  Again, this will be discussed in detail in the future.

·         No support. This is a total peer pressure issue.  No one I knew was doing this.  I felt so alone. Ugh.  Luckily, I fell in love with all the good that I saw with cloth diapering that this was just about a nonissue with me. Yay for being independent!  For help and advice, I reconnected with a childhood friend that cloth diapers, so the beginning of a support group began.  Also, friends saw the benefits of cloth and began using them as well on their babies.  Support and information is a major reason why I began Green Baby Elephant!

BW lookin' angry and cute at the same time in his first cloth diaper. I like to think that the angry face means that he was trying to say, "Why didn't you put one of these comfy diapers on me sooner mom?!" or something like that.