The Cloth Diaper 411

Washing woolies

2012-02-27T07:00:00.003-08:00

Many people are intimidated by the idea of washing wool diaper covers since they need to be washed separately than your regular cloth diaper load. It's relatively simple to wash and lanolize them, and only takes a few minutes of effort on your part, and only needs to be done every few weeks to months.

We had a few gorgeous days in Arizona this week, and I let my son outside in only his wool cover. Since he had a blast with a dirt and water combination, our wool was in need of a bath. Normally I wash wool when it starts to seem "un-waterproof" or it starts to take on the smell of urine. In my experience, new covers will generally need to be washed and lanolized every two to three weeks, however the more you use them, the less upkeep they will require as the lanolin works into the fibers. Our well-loved covers only need to be washed every two to three months now...unless of course they get covered in mud or food.

Here is Dempsey in his large Sugar Peas Wool Flannel Cover over a prefold. Notice the pile of dirt behind him. ;)

Our Little Beetle Little-To-Big Organic Wool Cover also fell victim to a food mess, so I decided to throw both covers in together.

I always start with a cold rinse.

Then I turn on the warm water and put the stopper in the sink. I add between 1-2 T of liquid wool wash.

Then I swish them around to make sure the wool wash get distributed evenly.

Then I let them soak in warm (not hot) water until I remember them. Sometimes they stay in the sink overnight. That's okay. The wool wash they are soaking in contains lanolin, and it's good to let the fibers soak it up.

I drain the water and gently squeeze a little of the excess water out of them. Do not wring them out or rinse them.

I place them in a towel and blot more of the moisture out of them.

I use spray lanolin and apply it to the area inside the diaper where baby pees.

Then I turn it over and apply the spray lanolin to the outside as well.

I pick up the cover and gently rub the material together to make sure the lanolin is distributed well on the cover. Then I either place them outside on a flat surface to dry, or hang them over a bar in the bathroom if it is cold, dusty, or rainy outside.

Then they are ready to go! I'd estimate it takes about five minutes of work time for me, not counting the soaking or drying time. See? Easy!

Today's giveaway is a Thirsties Duo Pocket Diaper! You have four chances to win!

Here's how to play:

1. Comment here and let us know what you love about wool, what you'd like to learn about wool, or why you haven't tried wool yet.

2. Subscribe to our blog and leave a comment here stating that you did.

3. Sign up for our newsletter and leave a comment here stating that you did.

4. Share our blog with your friends via Facebook or Twitter and let us know where you shared it in a comment here.

Nighttime diapering with cloth-Part 1

2012-02-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

Many babies will do fine with your chosen cloth diaper system during the night time. Some babies, however, will need a little something different during their sleeping hours. Here are a few common nighttime woes and possible solutions for them:

1. Baby wakes up whenever he or she is wet.

Solution:

Try a diaper that whisks moisture away from babies. Pocket diapers are often made of microfleece or microsuede and the stuffed with absorbent layers between that and the PUL. They are designed to draw the moisture away from baby into the absorbent layers, leaving baby feeling dry.

If you already own prefolds, fitteds, or All in Ones, this same effect can be achieved by adding fleece liners or stay-dry inserts, which also add additional absorbency. If you would like to stick to more breathable natural fibers, silk liners can be placed right up against baby's bottom and possess the same stay-dry capabilities.

2. Baby soaks through everything!

Solution:

First, try adding more absorbency. Extra doublers can be added inside pocket diapers, prefolds, or All in Ones. Any natural fiber can go right next to baby's skin; microfiber should be kept away from direct contact with baby. Hemp and bamboo will offer the most absorbency while adding minimal bulk. The combination of hemp with microfiber, as found in SuperDo inserts, also does wonders for heavy wetters.

Some people experience trouble with fit of pocket diapers and All in Ones with added layers. If this is the case, a few fitted diapers or prefolds in a super-absorbent material may be the answer. Pair with a fleece or wool cover for optimal breathability, especially if your baby is one who sleeps through wet diapers.

One of our favorite nighttime diapers, even into the toddler years has been a Happy Hempy diaper stuffed with two Babykicks Hemparoo Joey-Bunz inserts under a Lanacare wool cover. We have found that system fail-proof.

3. Baby wakes up with what looks like a heat rash.

Solution:

Try for more breathable fibers. PUL and other synthetic fibers, while more breathable than disposable diapers, do not offer as much air to move through them as wool or fleece. Fleece is a great option for those looking for the ease of washing all of their diapering items together, as it can be thrown in with your regular wash. Wool requires infrequent hand washing, however it is also absorbent in addition to being breathable.

Today you have a chance to add a Thirsties Duo Hemp Prefold to your nighttime stash!

Here's how to play:

1. Comment here with any nighttime cloth diapering issues you have had or are currently experiencing.

2. Subscribe to our blog and leave a comment here stating that you did.

3. Sign up for our newsletter and leave a comment here stating that you did.

4. Share our blog with your friends via Facebook or Twitter and let us know where you shared it in a comment here.

Storing your cloth diapers and setting up a changing area

2012-02-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

Many people who are considering using cloth diapers ask how to set up a changing station and how to store them in their home. Here are a few things to think about:

1. Pick a place that is convenient for you. You will likely be changing a great deal of diapers during the newborn phase, so accessibility is key. Some people store their diapers in the nursery, others opt to store them in a room where they "live" most of the time.

Here diapers are stored right in baby's room. You can see the Flip One-Size system with covers and inserts on the shelf above the changing area, the wipes warmer off to the right, and the diaper pail to the left.

Here diapers are stored right in the family room of a two story house for easy accessibility during the daytime.

2. Determine where you will change the baby. You might choose an elevated changing table with a washable cover, or choose to keep washable changing pads around so that you can change baby on the couch, floor, bed, etc.

Here an elevated changing table is useful to store diapers in bins on the shelf below and the wipes warmer at a height that is easy to reach. Fitted diapers, All in Ones, pocket diapers, covers, and wetbags are kept in separate bins.

3. Consider your needs around your changing area. If you decide to use a wipes warmer, you will need an electrical outlet. You may want space for a diaper bin with a pail liner if you are storing dirty diapers in the same room you are changing in. Or you may opt to hang a wetbag at the site instead.

This changing and storage setup is located in a place with a plug outlet nearby for the wipes warmer, and space for the pail with a colorful pail liner right next to it. Baskets are used to organize covers, fitted diapers, prefolds, pocket diapers, and additional diapering accessories.

4. Think about what you will store your diapers in to keep them neat and organized. Some people store them in dresser drawers. Others choose to utilize baskets, crates, or buckets. Some diapers stack nicely on open shelving. Some are even kept in laundry baskets until they're used.

Here all diapering items are kept in a large bin. Wetbags are folded in the back, covers and one-size systems are tucked in between the bags and extra wipes, fitted diapers and inserts are on the right, changing pads are in the middle, and prefolds are stacked on the left.

Here diapers are arranged by type in open, easily accessible bins. Prefolds are stored in the larger bins, while covers, pocket diapers, and other diapering accessories are stored in the smaller bins below.

This collection of pocket diapers , one-size diapers, and wipes is stacked in a small shelving unit with square divisions on the floor.

These pocket diapers are stacked on shelves hanging from the wall, out of the reach of toddlers.

What does your storage and changing area look like? We'd love to see it! If you are willing to share a picture for our blog, please send it to info@gogonatural.com with the subject "storage" and we'll add it here!

And today's giveaway is for a gorgeous itti bitti wetbag!

Here's how to enter:

1. Take a look at our itti bitti Luxury wetbags here, and let us know which is your favorite in a comment.

2. Subscribe to our blog and leave a comment here stating that you did.

3. Sign up for our newsletter and leave a comment here stating that you did.

4. Share our blog with your friends via Facebook or Twitter and let us know where you shared it in a comment here.

Traveling with a hybrid system

2012-02-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

I have cloth diapered all four of my boys since birth, but I have always had reservations about taking our cloth along on trips for several reasons. First of all, the space issue. No matter how big our vehicle or family, we always seem to be able to pack to the brim. When flying, there was just no way to handle the extra. Second, I'm not extremely trusting of washers and dryers that don't belong to me. I have smelled the detergent and fabric softener on other peoples' clothes, and I can never be certain that there isn't build-up that might effect my diapers. Third, even if I brought a big load and did trust the washing facilities, is that really what I want to spend my time doing after a long day of vacation fun? And if staying at a hotel, what if all the machines are busy at night and I fall asleep before doing my wash? I did consider taking cloth on 2-3 day trips before, but ultimately decided against it because I feared the smell in a confined space while driving home with a bag full of dirty diapers.

I was extremely excited when hybrid diapering systems offering disposable insert options came on the market a few years ago. Since I already invested in one-size covers for these systems, I only needed to purchase disposable inserts to take with me on trips. It was actually more affordable and less bulky than buying disposable diapers.

Here's a little photo journey of traveling with a hybrid system with a six month old baby:

This is what my prefold and wipe load for 2 days would have looked like-

This is what I packed for our 5 day trip-

1 package of GroVia BioSoakers - 50 count

1 package of Flip Disposable Insert - 18 count

4 Flip One-Size Diaper Covers

1 GroVia Shell

1 IttyBitti Shell

1 Bummis small wetbag

1 Planetwise wetbag

Cloth wipes made with paper towels soaked in a solution made with Baby Bits

All stored in a Happy Tushies Wonderbag

8 Flip Inserts (left) compared to 8 GroVia BioSoakers (right)-

8 of each insert, 5 covers, 2 wetbags, and the wipes in the Wonderbag for accessibility during the car trip-

Here's the stack of what I would have needed to wash every two days with what lasted the entire trip with leftovers-

Here's the stuffed Wonderbag with 16 inserts and all of the other goodies compared to the 30 prefolds I would otherwise need to take-

I experimented with stuffing each type of cover.

I learned a few things about Flip stuffing I'll share in a bit.

P.S. This is NOT the optimal way!

GroVia BioSoakers have sticky tabs to attach the insert to the cover. These should not be used with PUL covers in that manner as the stickiness may delaminate or cause other issues for the insides of the cover. They are really sticky!

The BioSoakers could be used as designed with the IttiBitti shell. I chose to tuck it into the gussets.

Here are all three stuffed-

And Dempsey modeling them. I did need to adjust all of them down a size from what we usually use over a prefold or fitted diaper.

Flip-

GroVia-

IttyBitti-

The six hour ride (8.5 hour day) went great. Only pees on the way and everything felt dry and there was no odor in the covers. I switched between the GroVia and IttyBitti. I did realize that there was skill involved in sticky tabs and placement of the inserts. When nightfall came and I was tired, I decided to go with the Flip disposable system so I wouldn't have as much to deal with. I placed the diaper under Dempsey as I photographed the cover and insert above and decided that probably wasn't the best use. This is what I did instead-

Laid insert in and spread to entire width of cover-

Laid baby on and pulled insert up and folded over thin portion while spreading on top-

Pulled up cover and snapped closed-

Finished closing cover, making sure insert was completely inside-

Patted baby on his cute little bum since he rolled over-

I did truly love the ease of use with this system for nighttime changes since my little guy pees at least 3 times during the night. He also pooped in Flip, and it was all contained just fine. I used the Baby Bits soaked wipes and disposed of the insert and the cover was still fine for another use the first time. The second time, I dropped a wipe and got a little poop on the cover. I rinsed it and it was ready to go the next day.

We relaxed at the beach-

It was slightly colder there than where we're from, so we took advantage of our BabyLegs to make diaper changes a breeze on the go. Good thing since a lot of our changes took place on the car seat-

I did notice that his bum was quite a bit smaller than his normal cloth diapered bum. He doesn't quite fill out his clothes as well. You might want to size down.

The only issue that we ran into was that by the beginning of day four, my "daytime" diaper covers (GroVia and IttyBitti) started taking on the smell of urine on the inner material. I panicked a little, because we weren't leaving until the end of day 5, I had mostly GroVia BioSoaker inserts, and everything was taking FOREVER to air dry in the humidity. I was worried that even if I washed them they wouldn't dry over night. And of course, the hotel's dryer was out of order. Then I had an idea! I laid the BioSoaker inserts inside the Flip covers. They worked perfectly so I used those for the rest of the trip. Since I had four Flip covers in rotation, we made it home with no issues.

I brought two wetbags in case we had any blowouts or other issues with dirty covers. I ended up putting the GroVia and IttyBitti cover, as well as the most-used Flip cover in one of the wetbags and packed it in our suitcase until we got home. I'm happy to report that there was absolutely no odor in the minivan!

I am definitely happy this option is available to us, and I wouldn't hesitate to use the disposable inserts again. I think with an exclusively breastfed baby with runny poops, I would choose to use the Bio Soaker inserts for containment purposes. Dempsey just started adding solids to his diet though, and his transition poop was fine in the Flip inserts. I definitely preferred the lay-in insert option for nighttime changes, and they didn't cause any noise to wake the family in the shared hotel room or waste (sticky tab covers) to deal with in the dark. I thought all of the covers fit equally well with the disposable inserts. I would consider a few more covers with material inside if I was planning on using the sticky BioSoaker inserts again, because by nature, those will take on the smell of urine faster than covers with a PUL interior.

If you are just beginning to research cloth diapers, or a seasoned cloth diaperer seeking out travel options, I would definitely recommend adding a few hybrid diapers to your stash. It was compact, easy, and baby still got to wear his cute covers!

I think everyone needs a wetbag to travel with cloth diapers, whether it's a trip to a mall or a trip to the beach! How adorable is this one from Leslie's Boutique? You have four chances to win it!

Here's how to enter:

1. Tell us which cloth diapers you use for travel. Or if you haven't taken the cloth-while-on-the-road plunge, tell us why!

2. Subscribe to our blog and leave a comment here stating that you did.

3. Sign up for our newsletter and leave a comment here stating that you did.

4. Share our blog with your friends via Facebook or Twitter and let us know where you shared it in a comment here.

Resusable swim diapers

2012-02-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

Do you have a little water baby? If so, cloth, reusable swim diapers are a great option. Many public pools, as well as private pools offering swim lessons to babies require cloth swim diapers for children under the age of 3, even if they are potty trained. Swim diapers shouldn't be absorbent, as that just weighs babies down while absorbing the pool water. They are designed to hold in solid messes. We love the cloth, reusable swim diapers with snaps and aplix, because should a mess occur while swimming, you don't have to pull the mess down babies legs to change them. The swim diapers open right up for easy clean up!

Here are a few pictures of our third son in a Bummis Swimmi enjoying the backyard kiddie pool with his big brother. We used it for two consecutive summers with our third son because of the high adjustability of the aplix. It has now been used for a full swim season with our fourth son and is still going strong!

Today's giveaway is an Applecheeks swim diaper (we can give you a different color if you have a boy).

You have four chances to win an Applecheeks swim diaper!

Here's how to enter:

1. Take a look at our swim diapers and tell us your favorite. Or if you have another that we don't carry that you love, let us know what it is.

2. Subscribe to our blog and leave a comment here stating that you did.

3. Sign up for our newsletter and leave a comment here stating that you did.

4. Share our blog with your friends via Facebook or Twitter and let us know where you shared it in a comment here.

Just one more cute picture...

Why we love BabyLegs

2012-02-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

People often ask, "why BabyLegs?" Besides being absolutely adorable, they are useful for a variety of reasons. Here we give you 10 good reasons to try out BabyLegs!

1. They make diaper changing easier. At home, a lot of parents choose to leave their child in just BabyLegs and a shirt and diaper. There are no tricky snaps or buttons to deal with when changing diapers, and baby still stays warm. This is a big bonus at night time, when sleep deprived diaper changes are the norm!

2. They are perfect for potty training time, whether you choose the naked time method or your child just runs around with trainers or undies on.

3. They protect knees from hard floors or rugs when crawling. They are also great in dirt, sand, or grass.

4. They provide great sun protection.

5. They keep legs warm in baby carriers when pants tend to ride up or as an addition to a simple onesie.

6. They can be worn instead of tights, which are often uncomfortable and difficult to get on for babies and toddlers.

7. Here in Arizona, they are perfect for trips heading in and out of places during the summer. Keep them off when riding around in the hot car, slip them on when you enter someplace blasting the air conditioning.

8. They are also useful to add extra layers for babies, toddlers, and big kids alike when the temperatures start to drop.9. Some people incorporate them into their costumes.

10. Did we mention that they're adorable?

Today's giveaway is a pair of BabyLegs!

You have four chances to win today!

Here's how to enter:

1. Tell us your favorite BabyLegs design after checking them out here.

2. Subscribe to our blog and leave a comment here stating that you did.

3. Sign up for our newsletter and leave a comment here stating that you did.

4. Share our blog with your friends via Facebook or Twitter and let us know where you shared it in a comment here.

Winner will be announced on Friday, February 10th.

PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL IN THE COMMENTS SO THAT WE MAY NOTIFY YOU IF YOU ARE THE WINNER!

What's the BEST cloth diaper?

2012-02-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

One of the most frequent questions I am asked is, "What's the BEST cloth diaper?" My simple answer is that there isn't one BEST diaper, however there might be a BETTER diaper for your situation. And what makes a diaper the BEST for you is the diaper getting used and working for your child. Hopefully our journey will give you insight on some of the types of diapers available and determine which might work for your personal needs.

In 2002 we found out we were expecting our first son. I can't remember how I was exposed to the idea of cloth diapering, but early in the pregnancy I decided it was a good idea. I shared the benefits with my husband and he was completely on board, so I sat at the computer for months and researched the types available, compared prices, and read reviews. I was completely overwhelmed! And believe it or not, at that time there were only a handful of "big" manufacturers and very few retailers who had a variety to choose from. There were many WAHM-made diapers, but seldom did one of these moms have enough available for an entire stash.

After much deliberation and building intimidation about all things parenting related, we settled on two and a half dozen All in Ones from an online retailer that only took checks by mail. My husband and I agreed that something that was already assembled for us, in one piece, straight out of the dryer, would be easy for us to use. We liked the reviews that stated we would probably only need two sizes to take us through potty training, and we wrote off the reviews that claimed the sewn-in layers take forever to dry since we live in Arizona.

Atticus is wearing discontinued All in Ones. If this type of system interests you, check out the popular styles of All in Ones here.

We did use the first size of All in Ones successfully. They were very simple and not intimidating at all, but all of the layers sewn together did take FOREVER to dry. This type of diaper has undergone several revisions over the past nine years, creating diapers with layers sewn separately for quicker drying time. When it was time to think about the next size up, I decided to research other types of diapering systems. I stumbled across wool diaper covers online, and was further intrigued after talking to a coworker at a local breastfeeding store about this fantastic fiber. We decided to take the plunge and bought two dozen premium prefolds, a few Snappis, and three wool covers for my almost one year old. I read the washing and lanolizing instructions, realized it would only take a few minutes of my time, and a new diapering path emerged.

Atticus is wearing a discontinued wool cover over a premium prefold. You can find cute wool covers here

We continued on with the prefolds and wool until our first son was potty-trained. In 2005, during his last few months in diapers, we found out boy number two was on the way. We loved prefolds and wool so much, we decided to sell off our All In Ones and buy three dozen prefolds and a few wool covers in the infant size for our impending arrival. We used them exclusively for the first two months until our chunky son was too big to fasten them with a Snappi.

Creeley is wearing a hand-knit soaker over a prefold fastened with a Snappi.

Around this time, I returned to managing the breastfeeding store full-time with both kids in tow. I thought it might be nice to have something that packed a bit smaller and changed a bit quicker than prefolds while I was busy helping customers and caring for a newborn and toddler. We were intrigued by the pocket design, and purchased a batch of Fuzzi Bunz in a rainbow of colors. We fell in love with the colors, the quick drying time, the ease of changes in odd places, and the slim fit under clothing. We quickly eased into our washing and stuffing routine at night, and I loved the way I could compactly fit enough for a full work day in my diaper bag. We added more pockets to our stash, but still used prefolds and wool at home. As an added bonus, my mother-in-law, who was unable to attach a Snappi with her arthritic hands was able to put on the Fuzzi Bunz and willing to use them due to their simple design as our baby got older and stayed with her on occasion.

Creeley is wearing a medium Fuzzi Bunz pocket diaper. Before the invention of One-Size diapers, the medium diaper fit babies for a long period of time due to the weight range it accommodated.

In 2007, when number two was a bit over a year, we were surprised with the news of a third boy on the way, and the realization that this would mean two in diapers at the same time! At this point we had a ton of cloth, but friends added to our stash at the baby shower. Since the cloth diapering market was exploding at this time, we received quite a few fun new fitted diapers and different types of pocket diapers to try with number three. We started out with infant prefolds and a few infant fitteds with wool covers and shorties and longies that I knitted myself. Our second son was still wearing his medium FuzziBunz out and prefolds at home. When the baby quickly grew out of the infant size, we moved him into the medium FuzziBunz as well, also depending on the other pocket diapers we were gifted to stretch out our stash for two kids.

Townsyn is wearing a medium Fuzzi Bunz pocket diaper.

At this time, my position at work was very demanding, and stuffing pocket diapers for two was becoming a tedious task for me. Our second son was also ready to move to a larger size of diaper, but requiring less changes each day as we worked toward potty training. We decided to order him toddler prefolds and a few fitteds and use them with some PUL and some wool covers, mainly due to the inexpensive price tag. We set aside the pockets for a while and used our premium prefolds with the baby. We enjoyed the out-of-dryer-into-basket simplicity very much during this period.

Toddler Creeley and infant Townsyn are both wearing Thirsties Fab Fitted Diapers under Thirsties covers.

As time went on and our second son resisted potty training, we also tried out fleece and PUL covers and used our fitted diapers for times when we wanted a trimmer option and for nighttime use. We used a few fitted diapers with PUL covers on our youngest as well, enjoying the ability to throw the covers in the wash when life got hectic and hand washing wool wasn't in the cards.

Creeley is wearing a discontinued fleece cover. Fleece is more breathable than PUL, but unlike wool, it can be thrown in your regular diaper wash.

Eventually our second son potty trained but continued to pee during his long stretch of nighttime sleep. We invested in cloth trainers, which turned out to be a good investment because we are still using them three years later. We enjoyed using the mix of everything until our third son moved on to toddler prefolds and the few fitteds we had in that size range. As he moved closer to potty training, we needed to get rid of some of the diapers to make room for storing too-small clothing as the boys grew. Uncertain if we would have more children, we decided to keep only the prefolds and a select few fitted diapers, as well as our favorite Berry Plush cover and soaker combination. The pocket diapers had excellent resale value since they were well-maintained in a large rotation of diapers and were sent off to another home.

Townsyn in a Berry Plush cover with a JamTots Snap-In Minkee Soaker.

We found out boy number four was on the way in May of last year. We felt great about using our collection of prefolds with various types of covers throughout his diapering years. We also decided to add a few One-Size covers and inserts to our stash to replace the worn out diapers and covers we gifted. The One-Size phenomena really grew when number three was pretty well set with the number of diapers we owned, although we did try one out when he was two.

Townsyn is running around in a BumGenius Flip One-Size Diaper Cover with a Stay-Dry Insert.

Dempsey is wearing a pair of wool longies (hand-knit by me) over a Kissaluvs Fitted Diaper.

We were very excited that a few of these covers offered the option of disposable inserts to use while traveling, when facilities or space for cloth diapers isn't an option. We were glad we had a few on hand when number four was born because he was an extremely high-needs newborn who did not like feeling wet at all. We found the use of Stay-Dry Inserts in these covers to be sanity saving during car rides, naps, and at night. They take up barely any space in the diaper bag, which is a huge bonus when packing for four kids. We continue to use our prefolds and fitteds as well, and they fit great under the highly adjustable One-Size covers.

Brand new baby Dempsey in a BumGenius Flip One-Size Cover on the smallest setting at a little under 9 pounds.

Dempsey in another One-Size option, the GroVia cover, shown here with the BioSoaker used on our vacation.

Dempsey in the beautiful Itti Bitti Tutto One-Size Diaper with two soaker pads.

Hopefully this journey has shown you that any diaper can work for you, but there may be a BETTER diaper for your particular situation. You may be happy with a complete stash of one type of diaper, or you might want a variety. The best thing to do if you are having trouble picking a system is to attend a class if you are local to the Phoenix area, or seek out the advice of a cloth diapering professional at GoGoNatural if you are an online customer. By assessing your personal needs, you will be given suggestions on a system that will work best for your family. I wish this type of help was available when I was furiously searching the net nine years ago. Please leave a comment if you have any questions for me as well!

Now for the giveaway!

Today's prize is a BestBottom One-Size cover.

You have four chances to win today!

Here's how to enter:

1. What is your *best* cloth diaper? Leave a comment here for a chance to win.

2. Subscribe to our blog and leave a comment here stating that you did.

3. Sign up for our newsletter and leave a comment here stating that you did.

4. Share our blog with your friends via Facebook or Twitter and let us know where you shared it in a comment here.

Winner will be announced on Tuesday, February 7th.

PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL IN THE COMMENTS SO THAT WE MAY NOTIFY YOU IF YOU ARE THE WINNER!

What do you really need to cloth diaper?

2012-02-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hi! I'm Susan, and I'm very excited that GoGoNatural has invited me to share some of my cloth diapering experiences with you. I am the mother of four boys, ages 8, 6, 4, and 1. They have all been cloth diapered from birth through complete potty training (including nighttime wetting) and I have had the opportunity to try a plethora of the diapers available out there. Hopefully I can help you with any questions you might have during your cloth diapering journey!

Researching and choosing cloth diapers can be extremely overwhelming! Many parents become stressed out and ask what they really need to successfully cloth diaper their baby. I've broken it down for you in terms of *Must Haves* and *Might Wants*. I hope this helps!

*Must Haves*

Diapers - 36 for newborn stage, 24-36 for infant and toddler stage. If you choose diapers that come in many sizes, you will need 24-36 diapers in each size. If you choose one-size diapers, you will need 24-36 total. There is a chance that you might need to replace worn items on occasion after extended use.

Choose from:

Prefolds or Flat Diapers, Contours or Fitted Diapers plus Covers - 4-6 diaper covers or 3- 4 wool covers per size (or choose those with adjustable sizing)

~OR~

All-In-Ones or Pockets (AIOs and Pocket Diapers have 'built in" covers)

~OR~

One-Size Hybrid System - 4-6 diaper covers to be used with 24-36 inserts

Wet Bag - Waterproof bags designed for storing your dirty diapers when you are on the go. They keeps messes and smells contained and come with either zipper or drawstring closure in a variety of sizes. Throw them in with your diaper load to clean. Many parents prefer to have two or more.

Cloth Wipes - I suggest 24-36. They are available in a plethora of shapes, sizes, fabrics, colors, and even prints. Many parents claim that they are planning on using disposable wipes, but it really makes sense to throw everything in one container rather than running with a poopy diaper to the pail and poopy wipes to the garbage. And they are useful for other things too...runny noses, bloody knees, spilled juice.

Pail Liner or Hanging Wet Bag - Waterproof bags used to store dirty diapers at home between washes, either inside diaper pails or hanging on doorknobs or hooks. Simply push your dirty cloth diapers into your washer and push the bag in after them. Many parents prefer to have two.

Detergent - We suggest Allen’s Naturally, Rockin Green, BumGenius Diaper Detergent, or Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder.

Wool Care Products - If you are using wool covers, you will need a wool wash (available in liquid and bars) and lanolin (available in solid and liquid spray form).

Swim Diapers - Many public pools require washable swim diapers now as the stuff the disposables are made of clogs their filters.

*Might Wants*

Diaper Sprayer - Attaches to your toilet and makes the removal of solid waste as easy as a spray. Otherwise, you'll need to dunk-n-swish or use a poop scraper.

Snappis - Fasten prefolds, contours, or fitted diapers without closures.

Baby Bits - Tiny chunks of glycerin soap that can be made into solution in spray bottles or wipes warmers.

Wipe Spray - Spray directly onto baby bottoms and wipe clean with a cloth wipe.

Wipes Warmer – Use a solution or plain water to keep wipes moist and warm at home.

Small Wet Bag – Keep your dry wipes and spray organized and protect from leakage when you are on the go.

Flushable Liners - For easy cleaning of soiled diapers

Inserts, Doublers, or Liners - Customizable to the needs of your child, these may offer additional absorbency or stay-dry capabilities to your diapers. Many different fabric options are available. It is best to consult with a cloth diaper expert to determine which is right for your situation.

You have three chances to win a wetbag from Leslie's Boutique today!

Here's how to enter:

1. What do you consider your cloth diapering *Must Haves*? Leave a comment here for a chance to win.

2. Subscribe to our blog and leave a comment here stating that you did.

3. Share our blog with your friends via Facebook or Twitter and let us know where you shared it in a comment here.

Happy Groundhog's Day!

Review of Happy Heiny's One Size Diapers

2010-10-09T13:09:00.000-07:00

My Tester: Isaac
Age: 9 months
Weight: 20 pounds
Materials: Several Happy Heinys One Size diapers
Lead Tester: Amanda

My son was extremely small when he was born, but was also a super soaker with very sensitive skin. We were having some serious overnight problems with our diapers, which at the time were either disposables for overnight or prefolds during the day. Disposables were really making his sensitive skin so irritated that I knew I had to get rid of them quickly. The first diaper I chose to replace overnight disposables was a One Size Happy Heinys. At three months old, he was only at about 10 pounds, so I had the diaper on the middle setting the first night.

My first night using Happy Heinys was amazing to me. I woke up and kept checking him, but didn’t feel any wetness at all. This was the first night that I hadn’t had to change his outfit, my outfit, and the bedding in the middle of the night since bringing him home from the hospital. The stay dry inner of the diaper really kept him feeling dry, even though when I looked at the inserts later they were soaked!

My first Happy Heinys was in aplix, which was a big plus for a smaller baby. I could get it tight enough around his tummy and the legs were snug enough to keep any leaks in. I still can’t get a great fit with snap diapers, but One Size Happy Heinys in aplix are always a perfect fit. I love that my now 20 pound son still has a perfect fit with a diaper that I bought over six months ago. I have moved the setting on the one-size Happy Heinys up to the next to last setting, but this diaper also fits my 35 pound son who wears diapers overnights occasionally so I know that he isn’t going to outgrow it before potty learning.

What I Love About Happy Heinys

The absorbency- even months and many, many diapers later I still grab my Happy Heinys first for overnights when I need more absorbency.
The aplix lets me get a good fit even as my baby grows, and is still going strong even after other diapers hook and loop systems have failed.
The generous sizing- I don’t have to worry about sizing up with my One Size Happy Heinys. There is plenty of room for baby to grow. Plus, he never had any red marks around his legs from the Happy Heinys, which is a big plus because he has always had thighs on the chunkier side.
The stay dry inner on the One Sized Happy Heinys has been awesome for my baby’s skin. I don’t have to worry about wetness sitting on his sensitive skin when we are out and I can’t change him right away or overnight.

Downside

The biggest downside for me was the initial investment of One Sized Happy Heinys. They are about $18 each, and I wanted a dozen so it was an investment. I have been using them for about six months, so I can say now that it was worth it but it is a little expensive at first.
The inserts do start to thin out after several months of daily wear, but I just added an extra insert which took care of the problem nicely.
The snap closure One Size Happy Heinys aren’t as easy to get a perfect fit as the Happy Heinys in aplix.

Now that I have used Happy Heinys for a while, I still grab them first every time I wash diapers. They are comfortable for my son and fit perfect every time even when he has grown. I would definitely recommend One Sized Happy Heinys to anyone who is using cloth diapers.

October Giveaway Alert

2010-10-08T12:57:00.000-07:00

We really think you should try out Happy Heiny… how better to do that than win a free Happy Heiny One Size Diaper right here at The Cloth Diaper 411! Meredith of GoGo Natural has been generous and donated one to get you started. The giveaway includes one Happy Heiny One Size Diaper (Color & Closure of your choosing). To enter you must go to gogonatural.com and browse the site. Find your favorite product that they carry & come back and tell us what that is!

To gain additional entries, you can do any and all of the following (be sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do):

Follow @GoGoNatural AND @ClothDiaper411 on Twitter.
Tweet the giveaway. You must include the link to both @GoGoNatural and@ClothDiaper411 in your tweet. Be sure to leave the permalink of your tweet! You may tweet once daily for extra entries.
Follow The Cloth Diaper 411 on Blogger
Subscribe to The Cloth Diaper 411 via email
Become a facebook fan of The Cloth Diaper 411
Become a facebook fan of GoGo Natural
Grab my button and display it on your blog (leave me a link letting me know where it is!)
Make a purchase from GoGo Natural (for five additional entries!)

This giveaway is open to US residents. It will close on 10/20/2010 at 10 p.m. mountain standard time. Winner will be chosen via random.org and will be contacted by email. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the notification email, or a new winner will be chosen. The Cloth Diaper 411 did not receive any product or money for this post.

Review of New Diaper System Flip, Manufactured by bumGenius

2009-12-16T09:38:00.000-08:00

Review of New Diaper System Flip, Manufactured by bumGenius

My Tester: Megan

Age: 14 Months Old

Weight: 23 lbs

Materials: 2 Flip One-Size Covers, 6 Stay Dry Flip Inserts, 1 Pack of Flip Disposable Inserts

Lead Tester: Meredith Abney (Owner of GoGo Natural)

I will be the first to tell you that I love my cloth diapers, but over the past 3+years of diapering I will also admit there have been a dozen or so times that a responsible disposable solution was really needed around the Abney household. When I heard in September from Jen of Cotton Babies that they were indeed releasing this solution I was intrigued and ready to try it out. As soon as my shipment arrived I immediately pulled out my Flip Stay Dry Day Pack & disposable inserts to test out.

I must admit that my first day in Flip was a bit rocky; I was ready to quit right away. Megan was having quite runny poops & it seemed like every time I changed her cover had been pooped on so I had to change the whole system. In Flip with 2 covers it can be a little hard washing & drying a cover after each change was frustrating for me. This is when I realized I needed one more diaper cover…. Would that solve my troubles? It did! After I ran back into my office & nabbed one more cover I grew to love Flip & now have decided instead of selling my set used… I am keeping them in my stash of Fuzzi Bunz & Swaddlebees Pockets.

Why do I love Flip?

Cost is low for entry into cloth diapers… a daypack for $49.95!
The diaper is one-size fits all! Recomended for 8-35 lbs
The system is very, very trim! The cover fits fantastic & with the stay-dry insert or disposable insert inside you honestly cannot tell the diaper is cloth nor can you tell that it is a one-size fits all diaper!
Using a stay-dry daypack I got away using only a regular sized wet bag with extra room to spare for storage before washing keeping down even more expenses.
Easy to wash & fast to dry. I washed the covers out in the sink & then hung to dry over our shower rail.
2 stay-dry or 2 disposable inserts will get a heavy wetting toddler through the night!
I moved my ‘diaper bag’ into a regular sized purse because I am no longer carrying around any ‘bulk’.

Downside?

I added an extra cover to my mix & these are now available to you for $13.95
You must be prepared for the occasional poop to spill onto the cover… but this happens in any prefold/fitted with a cover situation

Overall I would really recommend Flip to anyone looking to start cloth diapering. If Flip had been on the market when I first started, I would have definitely started with them.

-Meredith-

Giveaway Alert

We really think you should try out Flip… how better to do that than win a free Individual Flip Stay-Dry right here at The Cloth Diaper 411! Meredith of GoGo Natural has been generous and donated one to get you started. The individual pack includes one Flip One-Size Cover & one Flip Stay-Dry Insert. To enter you must go to gogonatural.com and browse the site. Find your favorite product that they carry & come back and tell us what that is!

To gain additional entries, you can do any and all of the following (be sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do):
- Follow @GoGoNatural AND @ClothDiaper411 on Twitter.
- Tweet the giveaway. You must include the link to both @GoGoNatural and @ClothDiaper411 in your tweet. Be sure to leave the permalink of your tweet! You may tweet once daily for extra entries.
- Follow The Cloth Diaper 411 on Blogger
- Subscribe to The Cloth Diaper 411 via email
- Become a facebook fan of The Cloth Diaper 411
- Become a facebook fan of GoGo Natural
- Grab my button and display it on your blog (leave me a link letting me know where it is!)
- Make a purchase from GoGo Natural (for five additional entries!)

This giveaway is open to US residents. It will close on 01/15 at 10 p.m. mountain standard time. Winner will be chosen via random.org and will be contacted by email. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the notification email, or a new winner will be chosen. The Cloth Diaper 411 did not receive any product or money for this post.

The Cloth Diaper 411

Washing woolies

Nighttime diapering with cloth-Part 1

Storing your cloth diapers and setting up a changing area

Traveling with a hybrid system

Resusable swim diapers

Why we love BabyLegs

What's the *BEST* cloth diaper?

What do you really need to cloth diaper?

Review of Happy Heiny's One Size Diapers

October Giveaway Alert

Review of New Diaper System Flip, Manufactured by bumGenius

What's the BEST cloth diaper?