Posts Tagged ‘all-in-ones’

The Fourth Trimester: Cloth Diapering from Day One

Wednesday, October 29th, 2014
The Fourth Trimester: Cloth Diapering from Day One

10 lb, 4-day-old baby boy in Lil Joey Newborn All-in-One Cloth Diapers in pumpkin

I’ve had my eye on Lil Joey Newborn All-in-One Cloth Diapers for a long time now. So when I got pregnant with my fourth child, I was super excited to order a two-pack for my own little wee one. We didn’t know baby’s gender so I went with gender-neutral colors crimson and pumpkin.  Now for those of you who have ordered cloth diapers before know the excitement of getting fluffy mail! The day my diapers arrived was a happy day. They looked so itty bitty to me; super soft and fluffy! They were completely perfect for a newborn. I was really looking forward to cloth diapering my new baby from his very first diaper.

Sometimes even pro cloth diaper people will be discouraging about cloth diapering a newborn from day one. Some of the reasons range from the issue of meconium, to how quickly babies outgrow their newborn stash, to how much work newborns are. I would like to offer some simple and inexpensive solutions to these obstacles.

Meconium – Meconium is a baby’s first stool. It is dark green, almost black in color and is very thick and sticky. Some people prefer to use disposables until all the meconium is passed, typically within the first days. The thought is that meconium might be hard to clean or will possibly stain cloth diapers. Personally I have had no issues with washing meconium from cloth diapers, nor has it ever stained my diapers. However if you were really concerned about diapers being difficult to clean or staining, there are some easy fixes. One option would be to use disposable diaper liners.  These also come in super handy when baby starts eating solid foods.  Another option would be to make your own inexpensive cloth liners. I bought some clearance fleece and cut it into strips to place inside our cloth diapers– Inexpensive diaper liners that you can wash! Although you won’t feel bad about tossing one if for some reason you cannot salvage it.

Investing in a newborn stash – We all know how quickly newborns grow. How often do we hear a new mom say, “He/She never even got to wear most of his/her newborn clothes more than once!” For this reason some people are hesitant to invest in a newborn cloth diaper stash. However there are several ways to build an affordable newborn stash. My very favorite cloth diapers for newborns are prefolds.  Prefolds are generally the most economic cloth diaper choice and are truly multi-functional as they can also be used as an insert for pocket diapers.  Prefolds with one-size covers are a wonderfully affordable cloth diaper option for newborns. I will be honest: It is nice to throw in a few newborn all-in-ones (such as Lil Joey Newborn All-in-One Cloth Diapers) into your stash for outings or special events but it is not at all necessary. You can easily get away with a newborn stash consisting of all prefolds.   Another option is to use one-size cloth diapers that grow with baby or pre-loved diapers.

Keeping up with washing diapers – Are cloth diapers more work than disposables? Yes. Are they a ton of more work than disposables? Not really. For me it amounts to a couple extra loads of laundry a week. An ample cloth diaper stash should allow you to go at least 2 days between washings. You will likely burn out quickly if you have to wash your diapers daily. I generally go about 3 days between washes. I find the economic and ecological benefits of cloth to be well worth 2 to 3 extra loads of laundry per week.

Overnight Options – Often it takes a little experimenting to find a good overnight cloth diaper solution, especially for newborns due to the frequency of dirty diapers.  This is where I think woolies are awesome! Wool is hands down the best night time diaper cover I have used. Finding a night time cloth diaper for your newborn doesn’t mean you will get through the whole night without a diaper change, but might help you get through longer stretches of time if you find something extra absorbent.

Keep in mind that cloth diapering doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing commitment. Some families find a balance of cloth and disposables for them. For example some might use disposables overnight and/or for outings and then cloth diaper the rest of the time. Some families might opt to use disposables when someone else is caring for their baby and then cloth diaper the rest of the time. Like most things in life, finding a rhythm that works for your family is the most important factor. Our cloth diapering habits have evolved and changed over time as our family grows and we adapt to the season of life we are experiencing.

Sarah Johnson is a crunchy mama to four boys. Her family feels blessed to currently live abroad in the Netherlands and enjoy exploring all it has to offer. 

 

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Friday Family Spotlight: Meet Jill’s Family

Friday, December 14th, 2012

I really enjoy introducing you to some of the families here at Breastfeed.Babywear.ClothDiaper.Naturally! It’s been a really fun way to get to know our readers better! This week I am excited to spotlight Jill’s family. They are blessed to live on 8 acres in the country. Jill has some great tips for meal planning and establishing a daily groove with your kids. Read on to learn more….

Who are the members of your family? 

Matthew, Jill and 2 daughters: Keeley (4) and Brennan (1). We live on 8 acres in the country. My husband has worked on machines that go underwater and up in the air. I  stay at home and keep my feet on the ground.
Describe your cloth diaper stash:

Full circle: I started out with prefolds and covers for a newborn, then added pockets and All in Ones, and have just re-stashed with some flats and prefolds as pocket stuffers, kind of a ‘best of both worlds’ attitude. You get the great fit of a pocket with the old-world of cotton/hemp inserts that absorb well and wash up wonderfully!

Describe your daily routine:

One of my friends introduced me to the EASY routine for babies (eat time, awake time, sleep time, you time). We still go around this type of schedule for both kids, you just have to adjust the time in between the ‘sleep’ the older they get! I sneak in kitchen and laundry chores while the kids are eating at the table. I don’t really get ‘you’ time anymore because my kids sleep at different times, but I do the things I CAN do while each kid is awake (for instance if I sleep late, then while the baby naps in the morning, the 4 year old watches tv while I shower).

What are some of your favorite “me” time indulgences?

I rarely do things just for me, I can’t justify the expense, so instead I take great happiness in just getting to paint my toenails a fun color, reading books from the library, or watching ‘crime’ tv shows after the kids are in bed.

What’s your number one secret for stretching a dollar?

Meal planning with leftovers. I like to make a bigger item like a roast chicken and then get several meals like soup, enchiladas, and sandwiches out of the same main dish.

Share one special family tradition you have?

On Christmas Eve, we take the kids to church services in their pajamas and read the Christmas story from the bible and ‘Twas the night before Christmas’ to the kids before bed!

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Hands down, it would be to take a short nap and be completely refreshed. My kids ‘split’ naps so there’s never a ‘break’ in kid caring. On those rare opportunities that they are quiet at the same time, I don’t have enough time to get a real nap, but if 10 minutes was enough, I could probably sneak that time in somewhere and be a whole different person!

Thanks Jill for sharing your family with us! I love the idea of an EASY routine! I have never heard that before…sounds like a great daily rhythm for you and the kids. 🙂

Would you like to have your family featured in a Friday Family Spotlight AND win a FREE $10 gift certificate to Mom’s Milk Boutique for your participation? If so email sarah@momsmilkboutique.com with the subject line “Friday Family Spotlight Inquiry” and share something interesting about your family in your email message.

Happy Friday Everyone!!

-Sarah

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Cloth Diapers: How Much Will They Cost Me?

Friday, October 19th, 2012

Often when people are considering using cloth diapers, the main question is how much will it cost me to get started? (What do I do with the poop? is the second most popular question). The answer to this question can vary greatly depending on what type of diaper you purchase and how many diapers you purchase. However my best guesstimate is that in order to get a decent stash and adequate accessories you would probably spend somewhere between $250 – $500. Yeah, I know that probably sounds like a large chunk of money, but remember that cloth diapering is WAY cheaper than using disposables!

I recommended having at least 25 diapers in your stash, 3 travel wetbags, and 2 pail liners. You can pay as little as $10 per cloth diaper or as much as $25+ per cloth diaper, again depending on the type of diaper you select. While cloth diapers can range in price significantly, there are more factors to consider than just price tag when selecting a diapering system.

The first main decision is do you want/prefer a two-step or a one-step diapering system? Then the second main decision is do you want/prefer sized diapers or one-size diapers? Okay, I know that sounds like a foreign language when you are new to fluff.  So let me briefly explain….

A two-step system would consist of an inner absorbent diaper (options are pre-fold, flat, fitted, or contoured) and a separate outer waterproof cover. Generally this is the least expensive route when building your diaper stash. For example, an Econobum trial pack that includes 1 cover and 3 pre-folds retails at $11.95. Keep in mind you can often re-use the same cover through several diaper changes. Basically you remove the soiled inner diaper and replace it with a fresh one. Then as long as the outer diaper cover is clean/dry you can continue to re-use it. That being said you typically need far more of the inner absorbent diaper (ie- pre-fold, flat, fitted, or contoured) than you do of the diaper covers. Hence the reason the Econobum trial pack includes 1 cover and 3 pre-folds. Econobum is a great option to build a diaper stash very inexpensively!

The other option is a one-step diapering system. In a one-step diapering system the inner absorbent diaper and the outer cover are essentially “attached” so there is only one step when diapering baby. Pocket diapers and all-in-ones fall into this category. Many people enjoy the convenience and ease of cloth diapering with a one-step diapering system. Generally cloth diapers that fall into this category are going to cost a bit more per diaper than you would pay for a two-step diapering system (even when you add the cost of the inner diaper and the cover together).

The next consideration is sized diapers versus one-size diapers. A one-size diaper means it is adjustable and developed to fit baby from newborn to potty training. A sized diaper means it comes in sizes such as small, medium, large, etc or size 1, size 2, etc. Once baby outgrows a size, you would need to purchase the next size up. While one-size diapers cost more up front, you generally end up spending as much or perhaps even a tad more if you purchase sized diapers. Although the benefit to sized diapers is that they usually provide an overall better fit, particularly in the newborns stage of diapering.

Okay now, bear in mind you do not have to be a purist when it comes to cloth diapering. You can build yourself an eclectic stash that includes a wide variety of cloth diapers. This is especially beneficial if you have the ability to build your stash over time and take advantage of all the incredible deals as they become available.

Still confused and unsure about where to start and what kind of diapers to purchase? Well then a Cloth Diaper Trial Package might be a good option for you! You’ll get to try out 13 NEW cloth diapering products for 30 days for only $20! Check out the details here!

What was your start-up cost to cloth diapering? What did you start with in your stash? Would love to hear from you!

-Sarah 🙂

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Video Review: bumGenius Freetime One Size All In One Cloth Diaper

Monday, June 18th, 2012

Thinking of adding some new fluff to your stash?

bumGenius Freetime All-In-One One-Size Cloth Diapers feature a patent pending butterfly closure system to provide a comfortable, trim fit. This simple design makes cloth diapering as easy as using disposables. They are available in a hook and loop or snap closure.

The “no-stuff” system with semi-attached inserts is an ideal solution for families with a child in day-care or family members resistant to cloth diapers! Using the snaps on the front of the diaper, adjust the size if needed, put the diaper on your baby, wash, dry and re-use. No extra steps. No stuffing. No cover required. Our one-size diapers are designed to fit most babies weighing between 8 and 35 pounds.

Check out my video review of the bumGenius Freetime One Size All In One Cloth Diaper!

 

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Cloth Diapering: Where to Begin

Thursday, October 13th, 2011

Interested in cloth diapering but not sure how to get started? I can totally relate! When I first examined the option of cloth diapering, I was completely overwhelmed with all the information. Words such as all-in-ones, prefolds, or wetbags were not in my vocabulary. I actually had never seen a cloth diaper in real life before making the commitment to cloth. Needless to say diving into cloth diapering was navigating a whole new world of parenting products and choices.

Selecting a cloth diaper
This is actually probably one of the hardest parts of cloth diapering; selecting a style diaper for your initial investment in cloth. There are pros and cons to all the available options so individual factors such as budget, baby’s body size/proportions, who will be changing baby on a regular basis, how many subsequent babies you plan to have, etc will influence your decision. It helped me to organize the options into two basic categories: one-step diapering systems and two-step diapering systems. A one-step diapering system would include all-in-ones or pocket diapers (assuming you pre-stuff them) and a two-step diapering system would include pre-folds /flats or fitted diapers with a cover. Some factors to consider when deciding between a one-step or two step diapering system is primarily budget, however some additional considerations include fabric type, ease of diapering, age of baby, and amount of laundry. Some people prefer to stick to natural fibers such as hemp or wool in which case you would select from available two step diapering systems. As for ease of diapering, there is a big difference in changes a newborn’s diaper as opposed to an older toddler’s diaper. Differences include how cooperative (or rather uncooperative) the child is during diapering, frequency of diaper changes, and the consistency of the poop. Yep, can’t talk about cloth diapers without mentioning poop! Something to keep in mind is that infant breastmilk poop is quite different than a toddler who eats a variety of foods which may impact diaper choice. Additionally when a toddler is starting to explore potty training, a two-step diapering system might be less desirable.

For me initially deciding between a one-step diapering system or a two-step diapering system helped narrow down my choices into a more manageable selection. Once you have decided what type of diaper you want, you will then need to determine what size to purchase. The available sizes range per brand of diaper, but typically you would need to invest in two sizes; one stash for newborn/early infancy and then another stash for later infancy/toddlerhood. There is also the option of one-size diapers that grow with baby which is a concept that appeals to many parents.

The next big decision is how many diapers to purchase. If you plan to cloth diaper full-time my recommendation is to have around 25 diapers in your rotation. That is a generous estimate as you could get by with less, however 25 diapers would allow you to comfortably get through three days of diapering. You are likely going to wash diapers every 3rd day and this will ensure you have clean diapers available while you are washing the dirty diapers. It’s not fun to run out of clean cloth diapers!

What style cloth diaper do you use on a regular basis? What do you like about that style? Sharing your experiences may help mamas decide what fluff to put on their baby’s bottom!

Stay tuned for more cloth diapering information throughout the week! Tomorrow’s topic is cloth diapering accessories!

-Sarah

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