How to Have HAPPY Fluffy Holidays

Cloth diapering during the hustle and bustle of this magical holiday season can seem extremely daunting. Shopping through crowds, wrapping gifts, preparing meals and goodies, making drives to visit family can make you wonder HOW you’re going to do it all and make sure you get that extra wash of cloth diapers in. 

You CAN do it!

 My first tip is to be prepared. Long lines at stores= longer shopping trips. Make sure before you leave the home that your diaper bag is armed with the essentials. Diapers, wipes, wet bag, etc. When you get home from shopping trips, make sure to restock your bag immediately that way it’s ready to go next time you leave. 

Second, if you’ll be at home during the holidays, try starting your diaper wash first thing in the morning on wash days. That way if you do forget about the diaper during the stress of entertaining, you have more opportunities to remember and get it done. For me, nothing is worse than starting a wash a night and remembering halfway through the next day that I had started a wash the day before! Oops! Also try setting reminders on your phone to remind you to start a rinse, or take the diapers out. 

Traveling is a bit harder. For me, I have to outweigh the pros and cons. I love our cloth and try our very hardest to travel with cloth when possible. If I’m only leaving for a day or two, I’ll take a large wetbag and store the dirty diapers there until I can take them home to wash. [Remember, it isn’t recommended for your diapers to go more than 3 days without washing]. If it is a longer trip, I have to take more things into account- Will family let me use their washer? If the answer is no, or it will cause drama, I will try looking into other options- such as biodegradable inserts for my cloth for covers or hybrid diapers. Am I traveling by car or plane? If I’m flying and have limited baggage space, that will greatly affect my choice. In the past when traveling by plane, I’ve taken hybrid covers and had biodegradable inserts mailed to where I would be staying. That worked out great! I’m going to be realistic and say sometimes it is not always possible to travel with cloth- or it IS possible, but personally you’d rather just buy a pack of disposables and wait til you get home to use them. Don’t beat yourself up over it. You’re still saving money and your cloth will still be there when you get home.  

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Contributed by: Alex

Cloth Diapers, Holidays OH my!

The Holidays are here; it’s a fun time to be with friends and family. We tend to be really busy shopping, attending Christmas parties, getting together with friends and family. And even though these days are busy it doesn’t mean that our whole routine of cloth diapering our little ones has to change. Some may choose disposable diapers because it’s just easier and you throw away, if you go this route there is no judgment being passed. I will say that Cloth diapers are just the same except your saving your money and using it on more Christmas gifts this year. Actually if anything you should want to use cloth diapers around the holidays for the comfort ability of them, rash free and of course cute baby pictures of your little with fluff on their bum. 

I think the best way to handle cloth diapering your baby is really just thinking of the benefits that come with it. Why would you change what works normally for you and believe is the BEST thing for your baby because of the holidays? It really doesn’t make any sense right? Some may say using disposable is a break from cloth diaper routine wash. Quite honestly I don’t find doing dirty diaper laundry being a hassle so this not a problem for me.  I would just work around the schedule and you should be fine. Some tips on making it easier to cloth diaper could be having your pockets stuffed and ready to go, maybe even having some all in one diapers. Having a wet bag or diaper pail on stand by just having everything organized that way when you have your friends and family over your all set to fight some poopy diapers. And always remember to stay calm!

How do you handle cloth diapering your little one(s) during the holidays? Do you have any tips or tricks?

Contributed by: Pollyanna

Busy? No Reason Not to Cloth Diaper!

Yes, I know, it is the busiest time of the year.  And what do most people want to do straight away?  Buy a bag of disposables.  I know I was about to.  Heck, this is one of the most busiest mama's you will hear from.  What do I do?  Ohhhh, I just like to do a bit of everything.  I make Christmas gifts, run an Etsy shop, have two children, clean the house, cook every meal, have my own blog....goodness, the list goes on and on.  But that doesn't mean I get disposables :-)  Here is what I do to make things easier.

1.) Use pockets or AIOs during your busy periods.  They are super simple and put on take off!

2.) Get a hybrid option for the times that you are not going to be home for super long periods of time.  Like say, when I go to my father's house, we are there for like 10-12 hours.  So, what is the easiest thing to do?  I get some Flip inserts and throw them in covers.  You don't technically need the Flip cover to use their inserts...just any cover will do just fine!

3.) Run a load of laundry when you get the chance.   Even if you only have 8 dirty diapers, I recommend washing them while you have the time.  Actually, I am probably doing more laundry now then I usually do because this is what I have been doing.  But like I said, I only use pockets and AIOs during this time period, so it limits my stash.  This way I always have some clean diapers around!

I hope this helps everyone for the busy season and I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and Happy New Year!!!!

 

 

Contributed by: Nicole

Traveling with Cloth Diapers

The holiday season is now in full swing. Whether it be local family gatherings or longer car and/
or plane rides, almost everyone will be going somewhere during the holidays. With this travel
comes the decision every cloth mom or dad needs to make… “Will I be taking my cloth diapers
with us while traveling this holiday?”

At first the decision to travel with cloth diapers may be overwhelming and even a little
daunting, but don’t let the fears and worries overtake you. Cloth diapering on the road is a lot
easier than it seems. Add in a few helpful tips and you will have a fully mobile cloth diapering
experience for the holidays! Check out these suggestions to make travelling with cloth diapers a
joy this holiday season.

1) Pack what you need, don’t exceed. Now this depends on how long you will be traveling
for. If it is just overnight, then you don’t need to worry about washing until you get
home. But if this is for an extended period of time, and you will have access to a
washing machine, you will only want to pack enough diapers for 2 days at a time. If
where you are staying allows you to wash your diapers on a daily basis, you can pack
even fewer diapers. But remember, you don’t want to spend your entire holiday
washing diapers. The key is to pack enough so you won’t be doing laundry every day,
but not so many that they take up all of your luggage.

2) Don’t be afraid to supplement with disposables. It is ok and perfectly fine to
supplement with disposables. Don’t feel guilty. Using disposables may be practical for
the actual travel time itself, or maybe just at night-time. Whatever the reason may
be, don’t feel that you need to use your cloth diapers the entire time you travel. Give
yourself a break, traveling for the holidays should be fun, you shouldn’t have to worry
about the how’s, why’s, what if’s of your cloth diapers. If it causes too much stress just
supplement here and there.

3) Biodegradable flushable liners are a great option for. If you are addicted to your diaper
sprayer like me, you are totally lost when it comes to traveling with cloth diapers. I have
learned that sometimes it is easier to use a biodegradable flushable liner in your diapers
to catch the poop. Simply lay the liner over the diaper. Once baby poops simply dump in
toilet and flush away.

4) Hanging Zippered Diaper Pail is very helpful when traveling. Instead of having to set-
up an entire diaper pail, just hang the bag up, toss the diapers, zip up and you are done!
This will keep the smell of your diapers sealed while looking neat and tidy. These pails
fold up nicely too.

5) There are many options for washing your cloth diapers. Washing your cloth diapers is
probably the most challenging part of traveling with cloth diapers. You are most likely in a new place with new washing machines, or lack of washing machines. Here are some
options for washing your cloth diapers while traveling. Figure out which works the best
for your particular situation:

a. Hand Wash – This would probably be best if you only have a few diapers and
have practiced hand-washing before. Might not want to try this out for the first
time while traveling for the holidays. I was able to hand wash my cloth diapers
in the bath tub of a hotel we were staying at. It worked very well. The only thing
I recommend is bring some cleaning solution for after the wash if you intend on
using the tub or shower.

b. Ask to use a Family or Friend’s Washing Machine – If they agree, you are all set.
Just remember that the amount of detergent and the settings may differ slightly
from what you are used to depending on the type of washing machine you use
or the type of water they have.

c. Use the Laundromat – This will be similar to using a friends or family member’s
washing machine except you will have to pay for the wash. To avoid doing 3
loads of laundry (Rinse, Wash, Rinse), you might want to do a thorough rinse
with cold water where you are staying, then you only have to pay for 1 Hot wash.
If you have access to a drying rack, you could even air dry to save a few bucks on
the dryer.

d. Wait until you get home – if you will only be gone for 2-3 days, you might be
able to wait and wash when you get home. I will leave this up to your best
judgment. You can easily rinse out each diaper in the toilet or tub and do a full
wash when you get home.

I hope this article helps you to realize that traveling with cloth diapers can be done and is easier
than you might think. With a little planning and some cute fluff, your cloth diapers can travel
with you this holiday season.

Contributed by: Julie

Pollyanna talks about her diaper stash

I am always very intrigued to see what other mamas have in their stash. There is so many brands and different types of cloth diapers, and not all work for each baby. I have tried many brands of cloth diapers and my stash shows what is in my current rotation some diapers are not in the photos because they are in the wash. (It's hard to get a stash shot of everything since I wash every other day I think the only way to get a good one is when baby has a rash.) 

So here is what I started with 12 bum-genius diapers and worked my way up to 12 more. I have also worked my way up on smartipants I love these for the fact that they are super easy to use. Stuffing them is easier then any pocket diaper I have tried having to not deal with PUL exposed is amazing. I love these two different pocket diapers for the simple fact that I have used these since Ashton was 2 mths old which is when we started cloth diapering him till now at 1 yr old. We don't have diaper blowouts which is something very important not only that but also their prices are affordable for a good quality diaper. 

Another favorite are my Ragababe diapers these come in an AIO and a 2-step making it an AI2 diaper these are neat for the fact that AIO is ready to go no stuffing at all. Their 2- step are awesome because you can reuse the shell more then once if baby went #1 :) all you have to do is replace the inserts. 

I also have old fashion pre-folds and flats that I use when my son has a rash or when I want to air his bum out along with fleece covers at night time. I do have other brands of diapers that are not pictured here. Just because they are not our current rotation diapers meaning we only use them if we are out of the ones we normally use. I love my pocket diapers and AIO they are easy for me and my husband to use. 

What type of cloth diaper do you like on your baby? How many diapers do you have in your stash? 

Contributed by: Pollyanna

Importance of Choosing a Cloth Diaper Safe Detergent

When I first began researching cloth diapers, I was slightly overwhelmed with all the information and
opinions there are on the web about detergents for cloth. You will read over and over again that you
must choose a detergent that is cloth diaper safe…but what defines cloth diaper safe?

 

You should use a detergent that is free of dyes, enzymes, perfumes, softeners, whiteners and
brighteners. The detergent should be free of soaps too, such as castille soap, fels naptha, or zote soap.

 

Some of the no-no additives in detergent are for the safety of your little one’s bum. Many babies will
have negative reactions to certain additives causing diaper rash. These additives include dyes, enzymes, and perfumes. Enzymes are proteins used in detergents to remove stains, but if not thoroughly rinsed out, the enzymes can attack the proteins on baby’s skin and cause rashes. Enzymes will not harm your diapers, but they are one of the biggest contributors to skin irritation. Some recommended detergents by cloth diaper manufacturers, including Tide, use enzymes in their ingredients. If you do choose a detergent with enzymes, be sure to watch your baby for rashes. Dyes in detergent are solely used to color the liquid or powder and have no actual use for cleaning. Dyes are best to avoid since they can cause skin irritation. Fragrances, natural or artificial, are not necessary for cleaning cloth diapers. Not only because they can cause skin irritation, but because you  don’t want scented detergent masking any unpleasant odors coming from your diaper. Your  diapers should smell fresh [as I would call it] or odorless after being washed to ensure they are clean and ammonia free. Scents in detergent can mask the appearance of ammonia build up.

 

You should avoid whiteners and brighteners because these additives leave chemical residue on fabrics. This residue on your cloth diapers can cause buildup that will lead to absorbency/repelling/stink/leaking issues and/or skin irritation.

 

Soap as an ingredient should be avoided altogether, because it will cause build up on your precious
cloth resulting in leaks. If you have used soap on your diapers, you will need to do a real good strip to rid your diapers of the soap build up.

 

Please remember, the most important thing when it comes to washing your cloth diapers is to use the
CORRECT amount of detergent on your diapers. Using too much or even too little can cause issues. Too much detergent can result in buildup and repelling issues, while using too little can cause stink.
Smartipants recommends using no more than ¼ [for HE washers] to ½ [for top loaders] of the
detergent’s recommended amount per load. It is also recommended to wash no more than 16-18
diapers at a time and to use as much water as possible in the wash.

 

Choosing a cloth diaper detergent doesn’t need to be stressful. Many cloth diaper companies

recommend main stream laundry detergents for washing their diapers in. When using these detergents, or any detergent for that matter, it is essential to keep an eye out for any redness or irritation on your baby’s skin. This can be a sign that one of the additives in the detergent is bothering your child. Try your best to follow the recommendations and instructions from your cloth diaper manufacturer and washing should be a breeze!

 

 

Contributed by: Alex

 

I live in Idaho. I am a wife of 4.5 years and a mother of 2 beautiful daughers who are 2.5yrs and 2 months. I have been cloth diapering for 2.5years now. I am a stay at home mom and I will admit I am addicted to crocheting

Confessions of an Addict

Have you ever wondered what other people have in their cloth diaper stash? Curious as to whether you qualify as a complete addict? Or do you think you’re addicted and turns out that you actually have a very modest stash?

While I personally don’t think I have too many diapers, I did decide to let you see just how many we
have and what works best for our family. I tried to get all of our diapers pictured, but since we will have TWO in diapers by the time this post is live, I was only able to get about 75% pictured.

In the picture above are all of our clean OS pocket diapers. You’ll notice that we have quite a few and
that they are by a wide variety of brands. I’m not sure as to the exact number that we have, but here
are my best estimates:

4 SmartiPants
25 Rumparooz
4 Happy Heiny’s
1 BumGenius
1 FuzziBunz
5 PinkSeamstresses’ Sewing Room
14 Kawaii
4 Blueberry

As you can tell, pocket diapers are what works best for our family 95% of the time. However, there are times when other styles work well too.

In this picture you’ll see all AIO diapers. These are the easiest diapers for grandparents and babysitters since they are so similar to modern day disposables. We have 3 Swaddlebees and 4 Tots Bots.

As you can see, these are not the most popular style of diaper in our stash, but they are the most
convenient.

In this picture we have our diaper covers and our prefolds. We tend to go through a lot of prefolds in
this house, simply because my son needs a prefold and regular pads for naps/bedtime because he is
such a heavy wetter. Here’s how our diaper covers breakdown:

1 Franklin Goose
3 Wolbybug
2 Thirsties
12 Econobum prefolds

Finally a little sneak peek into my new diapers stash:

My newborn daughter is all ready with a few mini diapers just for her. Here’s what her personal stash
looks like:

8 Lil Joeys
2 Grovia
4 WAHM diapers


Ok, now that you’ve seen my entire stash, which according to my best guess consists of 65 OS diapers, 6 diaper covers, 12 prefolds and 14 newborn diapers, what do you think? For having two children under 16 months I’d say I need every last one of my diapers :)


Contributed by: Katy

Yeast Issues? Start here!

Today I am going to talk about the yuckies of the yuckies....the dreaded yeast infection.  So, instead of my normal joking manner, this is kind of serious, so it is going to be a more serious post.

Anyways, the first thing I really recommend before trying to clear up yeast on your own is to take your child to the doctor.  A yeast infection has almost the same qualities as a UTI.  You want to make sure that it is yeast.  Also, if it is a yeast infection, they will give you a prescription fungal cream.  This fungal cream is seriously amazing and rid my son of yeast in about 2 days.  We continued with it for 5 days though, just to be sure.  I highly suggest switching over for disposables for these few days just to be able to deal with sanitizing the diapers and so on.  You can also use a liner with this cream, but like I said, you are going to want to wash and deal with your diapers, so it is just easier to buy a thing of disposables.

Now that you have a diagnosis of yeast, what do you do?  Well, this is where it gets hard.  There are so many different suggestions online and it is hard to figure out which one to try and which one not to try.  I decided to use the heat and bleach route and it worked magically.  I know a lot of people like to do the less harsher treatments, but if you want to completely make sure you are done with yeast, this is what I recommend and what my son's cloth diaper friendly doctor recommended as well (yes, my doctor is the one that helped us switch and taught us most of what we know).

So, what I did is I cleaned the diapers as normal and then ran a COLD cycle with 1/2 cup bleach.  If you only have pockets and inserts, it will not make marks on your diapers.  If you have fitteds or other diapers, you might want to use color safe bleach.  It does not work as well, so I recommend doing it twice.   After doing this, wash on hot 3-4 times to make sure that you get all the bleach out and the hot will help finish sanitizing the diapers.  

After this is all done, just put everything out in the sun and your diapers should be completely sanitized and perfectly fresh!  After all this, I have not had a problem with yeast again.

 

 

Contributed by Nicole

What do you do with the poo?

One of the biggest obstacles that people have with cloth diapers is the poop! When I am out

in public or visiting with friends and family and have to change my son’s diaper, I quickly begin

to notice as eyes start to glance and then stare at what exactly I am doing. Then the questions

begin… “Cloth diapers?” “But what if they poop, what do you do with the poop.”

I have heard it all and my answer is the same…it is not as bad as you may think. Here are

some different things you can do to get rid of the poo.

• If the poop is solid, simply shake the poop out over the toilet and flush away. If the poop is breastfeeding poop, there is no need to even clean out the diaper as the poop is 100% water soluble. If you don’t feel comfortable not cleaning the breastfeeding poop out, simply follow number 2.
• Use a diaper sprayer. A diaper sprayer is an easy way to make modern day cloth diapering even easier. Simply hold the poopy diaper over your toilet and spray away the poop, then flush.
• You can use the pre-diaper sprayer method which involves taking the diaper and swishing it around in the toilet to loosen any poop remaining after you shook the diaper out. Simply swish or swirl and then into the diaper pail it goes.
• Use flushable biodegradable diaper liners. Simply place a liner over the inside of your cloth diaper and go about business as usual. When it comes time to change the diaper simply toss the liner into the toilet with the poop and flush away. Some say this is the easiest way for people who don’t like to deal with the poop. There is no swishing, swirling or spraying.

Personally, I have a diaper sprayer that is my savior! I recommend getting one as I used it on

a daily basis, even with breastfeeding poopy diapers. I prefer one with an adjustable spray to

allow for a hard or soft spray.

  So the next time someone watches you change a diaper, be sure to tell them it’s not as hard or

gross as they think! You can share from your own experiences and maybe convert a couple of

people to cloth diapers!

What do you do with the poo?

Contributed by: Julie

Family and cloth diapers

After finding out I was pregnant with my son. I started doing a lot of researching for baby things I would love to get for my soon to come baby. One of those things was cloth diapers as soon as I read about them I was intrigued and wanted to do something different, something I had not done with my daughter. After talking to my mother about it, I learned she also wanted to cloth diaper me as a baby but didn't do it because it was too expensive for her at the time after learning that from my mother knew I had her support not to mention my husband who was excited about the idea, yet not really knowing how I was going to go about it. Since this was new for us, my parents bought my son his first 12 bum genius one size pocket diapers in snaps. When we received them in the mail and having them in our hands we were just in "Aw" of them didn't really know what they felt like since ordering the online. We started off with 12 and soon branched out to other brands like Smartipants and a few others some worked some didn't on my son. My husband currently is used to pocket diapers in snaps, he doesn't change a lot of dirty diapers but when he does he does it gladly. Then again the diapers have always been stuffed for him so not sure how he would act if not being stuffed :)  The best part of cloth diapering that he loves is the fact that cloth diapers is better for our son as he does have very sensitive skin. We have saved a lot money just in one year so far. I think the least thing that he likes about cloth diapering is opening up the dirty diaper pail sometimes. Other then that he is my #1 supporter along with my mother and other family members that don't really know how it works but support me through it. Which is huge for me!! 

Who is your support system? 

Stay tuned for next month ill be showing my stash... 

 

Contributed by Pollyanna

Disposables-Who needs ‘em?

My husband and I decided to use cloth diapers shortly after we found out we were pregnant. We
knew that they were more work, however, so we also knew that we’d be using disposables sometimes
for convenience. When my son was born we used the disposables in the hospital just because it was
easiest. As soon as we got home with our new bundle of joy we started using cloth diapers and were so glad! They weren’t nearly as hard to use as we thought and our son seemed much happier. We still had some boxes of disposables that people had given us as baby presents, but they just sat untouched.

 

Fast forward a little while. We were going out of town with our new baby for the first time. We were
going to be away from the comfort of our own diaper washing system and decided that even though we could use the washer where we were going to be, disposables would probably be easiest. We packed up one of the many untouched boxes that we had been given and headed out of town.

 

While we were out of town we changed our son’s tushie at least every hour and yet it stayed this nice
pinkish red color. We thought maybe it was because he had had him in salt water for the first time and just dismissed it. We never suspected that disposables were the real culprit.

 

We took a day trip a few weeks later and packed our cloth diapers, but somehow didn’t pack quite
enough so we ended up using a few spare disposables. When we returned home we noticed that
our son’s tushie was not just pinkish red, it was fiery red. This time we knew that it had to be the
disposables!

 

We decided then and there that we would not be using disposables on his tushie again, no matter how
convenient they might end up being. Nothing is convenient enough when it ends up hurting your child. Now we always travel with our cloth diapers/wipes; our family is very supportive and our friends just think we’re plum crazy!

 

I’m happy to report that in the 15 months since we brought our son home from the hospital, the only
time his little tushie has been irritated has been when we’ve used disposable diapers/wipes. As long as we use our beloved cloth diapers and cloth wipes his tushie looks just as cute as ever and remains, “soft as a baby’s bottom.”

 

Contributed by: Katy

I'm a tech geek turned Eco-friendly mommy by the absolute adorableness of cloth diapers. My son has been in cloth diapers since the day he came home from the hospital and I wouldn't have it any other way. One of my favorite pastimes includes showing off my son's cute, fluffy butt.

 

Check out Nicole's Stash!

Currently my stash is all over the place, and that is how I like it!  To be honest, I believe that different diapers have different advantages and they all seem to make it into my stash.  I like to have AIOs and AI2s for trips out, pocket diapers for at home and at night, fitted diapers for when the babies bottom needs a little bit more air with a fleece cover, some fitteds for overnight, and prefolds to stuff into pocket diapers at night.  So, seriously I have everything but flat diapers right now.

Currently I have WAY more diapers then I need...but I love having a larger stash.  I believe that it makes your diapers last a lot longer.  And also with more affordable, but still work just as well, options out there (like SmartiPants!) it makes it A LOT easier to be able to have more diapers for less!  I also recently learned that I can make my own diapers.  I have been sewing for a while, but just never sat and tried it.  This helped out my stash a lot but I still needed to buy inserts!  So, here is my current stash!

 

 

Top row are all made by me diapers.  There are 4 more that are dirty right now

 

 Second row is mostly WAHM diapers.  In order they are HoneyBums AIO, Howler Monkey Bums AI2 (I have two more that are dirty), the next three are BabyLand, orange with yellow snaps is a Dinkledooz pocket, Then 2 more WAHM and the last one (with the dogs) is a fleece AIO by Wee Expressions.

 

Third row is 6 Bum Genius (I have 3 more that are dirty) and 3 Smarti Pants (I have 2 more that are dirty).

 

Fourth row is two Fuzzi Bunz Pocket, AMP AIO, SoftBums (have 2 more that are dirty), Tender Tushies, and Giggle Life.

Last row are all fitted diapers from Wee Expressions, Bum Covered Diapers, Jelly Bear Boutique, and Organic Caboose.

 

Then of course I need covers.  I have four that I made myself, 2 Bummis, one from a WAHM, and three Thirsties.  Then I have 3 longies (1 not pictured) and 5 fleece covers (2 not pictured) and a wool cover (also not pictured).

I also have 36 prefolds for sickie days.  I use prefolds for that because they can take a much harder washing if need be.  I also use them in case I am being too lazy to re-stuff my pockets haha.

So, like I said, I have a much larger stash but when I was buying (and making) I was starting a stash up to have two in diapers (my older was 2 when his baby brother was born and still in diapers).  I also have a little bit of an attachment to some of them :-)

I hope you enjoyed taking a look into my stash!

Contributed by: Nicole

Hi, my name is Nicole. I am the mother of two wonderful boys who are 3 and 10 months. I started cloth diapering when my oldest was 8 months old due to an allergy to disposable diapers. I know host cloth diapering classes, run a blog (http://clothreviews.blogspot.com) and have a shop (www.etsy.com/shop/crazyleggies). I am a pretty busy mama and have little to no free time, but I wouldn't change it for the world!

 

 

 

To Strip or Not to Strip…Diapers that is!

If you are new to Cloth Diapering, the phrase “Stripping your Diapers” may seem like
a strange phrase. I mean why would you need to strip your diapers? How do you strip
them? And why would you strip them? Keep on reading for the answers…

Reasons WHY  I may need to Strip my Cloth
• You notice a NASTY smell coming from your diapers even after washing
• Your diapers seem to be leaking for no particular reason
• You notice an Ammonia smell once the diaper has been soiled
• You use detergents that are not meant for Cloth Diapers
• You have detergent build-up
• You use rash ointments that are not Cloth Diaper Safe
• You have mineral binding/detergent build-up from Hard Water
• Your baby is getting unexplained diaper rashes

WHAT does Stripping my Cloth Diapers mean?
• Stripping your diapers is a way to rid your Cloth Diapers of all of the conditions
listed above. It is sometimes considered regular maintenance if you use Cloth Diapers (kind of like an oil change for your car).

HOW do I Strip My Cloth Diapers?
• Start with Clean Cloth Diapers (Rinse, Wash). They don't have to be dried to
strip! Just wash them as you normally would.
• LET THE STRIPPING BEGIN....
• Next, throw your diapers in a HOT wash with NO DETERGENT.
• Then run 3-4 HOT rinse cycles with NO DETERGENT.
• Let Air Dry or Tumble dry on Low.
• If you can see actual spots from rash ointments, you may want to add a
tablespoon of the original blue dawn liquid detergent to help with the oil build-
up. You can add this in during the First Hot Wash.
• Make sure you do the largest load cycle possible when stripping because the more
water in your machine, the better the diapers will be cleaned.

HOW OFTEN should I strip my diapers?
• You may not ever need to strip your Cloth Diapers, but chances are, your diapers
will encounter some kind of invasion (detergent, hard water, rash cream, etc). For
some people, they like to strip the diapers every month or so. For me, I like to do
it every 2-3 months, or if I notice one of the above problems.

Be cautious not to strip too often it does cause “wear and tear” on your diapers.



Contributed by: Julie
Hi my name is Julie and I am the mother to a little boy. He was my motivation to start Cloth Diapering! Not wanting to expose his little bum to all those chemicals in disposables and not returning to work full time, I was looking for a safe and inexpensive alternative. Cloth Diapering was my answer! I have been cloth diapering since he was 1 month old and have become addicted every since! When I am not cloth diapering, blogging about cloth diapers, or converting others to cloth diapers, I am spending time with my wonderful family and husband who is a devoted Pastor. I also love watching football and water skiing!

Pollyanna's Hardest Part of Cloth Diapering

I’ve now been cloth diapering my son for nine months. The first two months of his life we used disposables diapers because that’s what the hospital gave us, and to be honest I was a bit scared with all that goes on in the first days back from the hospital trying to breast feeding, feeling sore, extremely tired. I thought cloth diapering would just be one more thing to do. Now in retrospect I think I could have done just great. I will be testing that out next year since we are expecting baby #3. He will be a little smarti baby and I will definitely keep you posted as to how I handle that.

That being said I think a couple of the hardest things is really just “going for it”. Secondly is the initial researching as far as what type of cloth diapers you want to use, brands, how to wash, how many you will need?

Now that I have experienced all of these things the best thing to do is just, not working your self up so much. Everything will fall into place and once you actually start cloth diapering it really becomes easy and you start to get into a routine of things and you’ll come across a couple of hiccups here and there but that’s life you cross that bridge once you get there and after you get there and cross it you’ll know how to handle it if it comes up again. Some good ideas for deciding on cloth diapers is if you have a local cloth diaper store be sure to check it out and feel the cloth diapers so that you can see and feel what is going to be on your babies bum.

Hope this helps you if you have any questions please be sure to comment below.

 

What was the hardest thing part of cloth diapering for you?

Confessions of a Fluff-aholic with Katy

I’ll admit it. I’m addicted to cute fluff for my precious baby boy and daughter-to-be. But there are worse things in life than being addicted to cloth diapers, right? Right!

 

It started off innocently enough. My husband and I decided before our son was ever born that one-size, pocket diapers were probably the most cost-efficient way to go. We bought the recommended amount of diapers for washing every other day (around 24) and set off on our cloth-diapering journey. After using the cloth diapers on our son for a few weeks I decided that just one or two more cute diapers really wouldn’t break the bank and would be totally worth it.

 

That was the beginning of the end.

 

Since my son was born our stash has more than doubled. Our diaper stash still consists of primarily one size, pocket diapers, but we have also tried sized diapers, prefolds with covers, aio’s and ai2’s. My son doesn’t go to daycare, but spends lots of time with his grandparents, so I thought a list of everybody’s favorites (and why!) might be kind of cool.

• Mommy’s favorite: AIO’s with snaps because I’ve been able to convince other people to try cloth diapering once they’ve seen how easy it is
• Daddy’s favorite: Pocket diapers with snaps because we have gotten some custom embroidered with Batman, Spiderman and Green Lantern on the tushie
• Grandmother’s favorite: Prefolds with covers because that’s what she used when she cloth diapered 20+ years ago
• Grandfather’s favorite: Pocket diapers with snaps because he knows how to get them on and off
• Great-Grandmother’s favorite: AIO’s, AI2’s, and/or pockets as long as they have hook and loop closure because it’s easier to get on a wiggly baby

Even though we now have a pretty diverse fluff stash, and we all have our own favorites, everybody in the family still usually picks a pocket diaper just for ease of use. That being said, what works really well for our family may not work for yours, so I totally encourage you to buy one or maybe three of each style of diaper so you can test them out :)

 

 

 

 

Contributed by: Katy

I'm a tech geek turned Eco-friendly mommy by the absolute adorableness of cloth diapers.  My son has been in cloth diapers since the day he came home from the hospital and I wouldn't have it any other way.  One of my favorite pastimes includes showing off my son's cute, fluffy butt.

Nicole's Advice to People on the Fence About Cloth Diapering

Hey everyone.  A little birdie told me that there are some people that may be on the fence about cloth diapering so I am here riding in on my cloth diaper horse to save the day!  haha.

Anyways, down to business.  Here are a few things that might help you get off the fence!

1.)  Try to find a place to actually see, touch and feel MODERN cloth diapers.  When everyone hears about cloth diapers, they think big pieces of fabric that you have to fold and manipulate on a crying moving baby that doesn't want to sit still and then on top of that you have to pin the fabric on the baby some how so that it stays on the baby without poking your baby to all heck and back with the darn pin.  Well, let me tell ya, cloth diapers are NOTHING like that anymore.  Call a local cloth diaper store (even if they are only online) and see if you can make an appointment to actually see the diapers.  A lot of cloth diapering stores will let you do that even if they are just online.  If you do not have a store in your area, check to see if you can find a cloth diaper user in the area that would be willing to let you see some of her stash.  I'll tell you, this is one thing I wish I had an opportunity to do.  Thank goodness I had a friend that was looking into all the cloth diapers for her one on the way and was pretty knowledgeable as to where I should go and what I should get to best fit my needs.  Thank you again Charity!

2.) Research, but don't over do it!  If you over do your research, you will get overwhelmed.  Pick one site, read everything on that site.  If you have questions, email the writer of that site.  If you ask advice from everyone, you will get 50 different answers to something that was probably simple, but just became horribly confusing.

3.) Read on the RDA about cloth verses disposable diapers.  http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php

On this page of the Real Diaper Association there are some GREAT facts about disposable diapers and why they are not such a great choice for your baby, your pocket book, and the environment.  Just one of the details that really helped us (besides the fact that my son was allergic to disposable diapers) is the amount of money saved per child!  If you disposable diaper your child, you will spend about $1,600 diapering your child.  I spent $300 to cloth diaper both my children....just saying...

4.)  Just try it!  A lot of stores have a return policy or a trial period.  Get a package that includes that and just try the cloth diapers.  More than likely you will love it once you get a cloth diaper on your child.  It is not that big of a leap to just buy one or two to see what they are like.  And, like I stated already, if you are on the fence, more than likely you will love them when they get there.

 

Contributed by: Nicole

Hi, my name is Nicole.  I am the mother of two wonderful boys who are 3 and 10 months.  I started cloth diapering when my oldest was 8 months old due to an allergy to disposable diapers.  I know host cloth diapering classes, run a blog (http://clothreviews.blogspot.com) and have a shop (www.etsy.com/shop/crazyleggies).  I am a pretty busy mama and have little to no free time, but I wouldn't change it for the world!

What's the hardest part of cloth diapering? Julie let's you know her thoughts!

When asked what the hardest thing about Cloth Diapers or Cloth Diapering in general is, my first thought is...probably taking the plunge to commit to and use cloth diapers in the first place! It was scary at first because I started my little one in disposables for the first few weeks. I had bought all of these cloth diapers, and knew I wanted to use them, but there was a voice in the back of my head that just kept saying "I am not sure I can follow through with this." 

Needless to say, my husband and a few other people had bets going against "how long I would last" use the cloth diapers! Being the stubborn, motivated gal I am, I was fueled to use the cloth diapers for at least the time they bet against me! Little did I know that me trying to prove everyone wrong turned into a way of life! Now, I could never live without my cloth diapers! The thought of going out and searching to find sales and use coupons for disposables stresses me out! I am so glad I got over my nerves and second-thoughts and took the plunge into cloth diapering! 

For me, it wasn't the poop, extra loads of laundry, or even the extra work (which really isn't a lot), sometimes the hardest thing is just getting past your initial fears and worries of the unknown!

 

 

Contributed by: Julie

 

Hi my name is Julie and I am the mother to my handsome stud who is nearly 6 months old. He was my motivation to start Cloth Diapering! Not wanting to expose his little bum to all those chemicals in disposables and not returning to work full time, I was looking for a safe and inexpensive alternative. Cloth Diapering was my answer! I have been cloth diapering since he was 1 month old and have become addicted every since! When I am not cloth diapering, blogging about cloth diapers, or converting others to cloth diapers, I am spending time with my wonderful family and husband who is a devoted Pastor. I also love watching football and water skiing!

 

http://www.myclothdiaperstash.com



Michelle discusses stripping diapers to help with leaks!

When I started cloth diapering, I didn't know too much.

Our daughter was close to turning 2 when we converted so I was lucky that she was simple to fit in to cloth.

She was the biggest rise setting and I thought that was it! Just like disposables, I could snap the diaper on and away we went. I quickly learned how ever, it's not that easy.

Our first day we leaked through every diaper. I was a little overwhelmed because I thought cloth would be a great choice for us but with constant leakage, I started to second guess myself. Our diaper stash was small with about 8 diapers so I washed those diapers and I was determined to figure out what the problem was. 

The next day I timed how long it took for her to leak through a diaper as well as how much she was drinking, and I quickly realized I was giving my child too much juice in a day. The average cloth diaper should last about 2 hours, but she was leaking through at that point, so I made some adjustments. I cut back her drink intake as well as made sure that the diapers were on the correct settings and making sure the legs were tight like they should be. 

A few months after we switched to cloth, we moved in to our newly built home. No one told us how much of a necessity a water softener is, so after a little time I noticed leaking.

I tried a company's stripping product, only to think it made the diapers way worse and my daughter was allergic to the product, so I was on the search to save my diapers and figure out the best solution once and for all!

After asking around, and learning from Padded Tush Stats, I realized that the cause of leaking is detergent build up, ammonia, and even hard water! Now remember, we don't have a water softener so our water is about as hard as you can get! I was leery of people that said bleach or vinegar because most diaper companies void warranties over said items. They can hurt the diapers and in doing so, there's no way the company should be responsible for MY potential mistake, so I opted for what I thought was the next best solution... liquid Dawn Soap.

After reading so many people raving about BLUE Dawn Soap, and even a whole blog post about their routine, I took the plunge! I bought BLUE Dawn soap after I learned that green for some reason doesn't do as well and then immediately started the wash.

You want to do this with CLEAN diapers so wash them first if need be.

You want a few drops of the Dawn soap in the HOT wash cycle, and then a lot of hot rinses!

The Dawn soap helps strip the detergent build up and ammonia out of your diapers that potentially caused the leaking, and then the multiple hot wash/rinses is just to make sure that not only is the soap out, but any access build up is also working itself out as well. When you do this, you'll want a fair amount of diapers in the wash (15-20) because they'll touch and rub against each other (like our clothes) which will help them clean as well. 

I do 3 wash cycles with hot water because our washer is basic and only has a cold rinse, and then I check on the last cycle to see if there's any bubbles in the water.

You'll want to look for bubbles because this tells you if the Dawn Soap is gone and you want it all out.

I've done this a few times and it's helped each time!

I think it also gives the diaper a boost and it's softer than before, smells better, and no longer leaks!

Now some people will tell you that if you're doing cloth diapers right you should never have to strip them, but in our case with hard water, it's something I do every few months just to make sure that they're holding up to the best of their abilities.

Leaking on a newborn however, is a totally different story.

Most of the time this is just because the diaper is an improper fit with the leg gussets and needs adjusted.  

Diapers with hip snaps can help get the tighter fit on the legs.

 

 

 

 

Contributed by: Michelle

My name is Michelle and I'm in my mid twenties. I've been with my husband for a total of eight years. We have three little girls and started cloth diapering in March 2011.

The Dreaded Leaks

When you see a baby you think chunky baby legs, right? Unfortunately my son didn’t get the memo and has some of the skinniest little thighs you’ve ever seen! Having skinny thighs makes it very hard to get a good fit with cloth diapers and so we’ve had quite a hard time over the past year. Luckily having spent the past year figuring it out, I can hopefully help you avoid the leaks.

Even though it sounds like common sense, the most important thing you need to do is make sure the diaper fits properly. At one year old my son is still on the SMALLEST rise on all of his diapers. This sounds absolutely crazy, but if we snap his diapers on the second or third rise, that opens up huge gaps in his legs and ultimately leads to lots of leaks. To counteract how “short” the diapers are on his body, they are snapped on some of the widest settings around his hips.

Another important factor is to make sure your diaper has enough absorbency. Around six months old the doctor said we could start giving my son water in his bottle. It never entered my mind that he would pee a million gallons a day (ok, so it’s not a million, but he pees a LOT!) and leak out of every diaper he owned. My husband and I quickly realized that all of our diapers would need both the newborn insert and the regular insert. Making sure that all of our diapers have enough absorbency has become a big priority.

While these two tips may not solve all of your leaking problems, they are definitely the best place to start if you’re having problems. 

Good luck!

Contributed by: Katy

I'm a tech geek turned Eco-friendly mommy by the absolute adorableness of cloth diapers. My son has been in cloth diapers since the day he came home from the hospital and I wouldn't have it any other way. One of my favorite pastimes includes showing off my son's cute, fluffy butt. 

Why are my diapers leaking? Am I doing something wrong?

Why are my diapers leaking? Am I doing something wrong? These are questions we ask ourselves while going through these problems with our little ones diapers. I started cloth diapering my son 4 ½ months ago; I knew nothing about cloth diapers. I did my research about what diapers I wanted to try or buy, but never on the “ HOW TO’s” so I was totally clueless on what to do.


The day came and I had a leaky Diaper. I found myself wondering “ okay now what, it keeps on happening” what’s going on? Well I did my research and all it was; was that I had the snap rise set on the medium size instead of a smaller setting. So therefore the diaper was fitting my son too big causing the diaper to leak around the legs.


Since then I have now learned a couple tricks as far as having leaky diapers, hope these help because they defiantly helped me.


Prepping your cloth diapers: I always try to prep my diapers even though sometimes I have to admit Ashton wears them without being prepped. They are just so soft and beautiful and sometimes I don’t want to wait to prep them so sometimes Ashton wears them new without being prepped, but this is not recommended. The reason why you want to prep your diapers before you use them is because there can still be residue left on fabric from production and fabric is not that absorbent because its new and not prepped so its not going to reach its full capacity of absorbency until after a few washes.


Diaper Rash Creams: If you use a diaper rash cream always make sure they are “ Cloth Diaper Friendly” I recommend you use a liner. I am OCD about my Diapers they have to all be super “WHITE” and no stains and stinks. I always use a liner even with cloth diaper safe formulas. Just to play it safe. Some of these creams can cause buildup causing the diaper not to be absorbent and leak. You don’t want this!


Fitting: Always make sure your snaps or aplix are on correctly; don’t make the same mistake that I did. Play around with your diaper and figure out the BEST fit for your baby. Also make sure the inserts are not sticking up from the back or the front. Make sure everything is nice and snug to prevent leaks.


Diaper on too long / Heavy Wetter: Another reason can be that your little one has been in his diaper for too long or he/she is a heavy wetter and needs to be changed more frequently. If so, then just change his/her diaper more frequently or add more absorbency by trying different inserts such as hemp/bamboo.


If you would need to strip your diapers. I would suggest you wash your diapers in hot washes. I did about 6-8 washes and rinses with hot water to get all the nasty/ buildup gone. After I do that then I add my detergent and wash and then do 2 more rinses and line dry them. I have not tried using Dawn soap. This is what I find works for me without ruining my cloth diapers. I know there are different ways of stripping diapers but this is what I do, and it works so i'm good with this method. I have also boiled my inserts and they too come out awesome.


Make sure you follow the Cloth Diaper rules and regulations as far as stripping that diaper, each diaper is so different. What you can do to one cloth diaper, you might not be able to do on the other.


I hope my post has helped you with “Leaky Diapers” if that’s what you’re going through right now. Please feel free to contact me or leave a comment if you have any questions or find me on my blog at using the link below.


God Bless You


Have a very fluffy day!!!


Contributed by: Pollyanna
Pollyanna is happily married to a US Navy Sailor, a stay at home mom to Adryana who is 5 yrs old, and Ashton who is 4 mths old. She started cloth diapering Ashton this year as of January 1, 2012 and she is so happy she did. She has only been cloth diapering for coming on 3 months now so if you’re new to cloth diapering too feel free to leave a coment here and ask her a questions or visit her blog at Sew Fatty.

Is it hard to be a first time cloth diaperer?

First time Cloth Diapering for parents can be a tough job, especially not knowing what to really expect. For starters, there are a variety of Diaper brands to choose from, but which is “THE ONE”? After doing a lot of researching I found myself writing down all the cloth diapers brands I would be interested in. After taking another look at my listI was still left with a lot of brands to choose from. So I decided I wouldn’tsettle on one I would try all of them. I have tried several diapers, thanks to websites like diaperswapper.com, Facebook Groups that provide Buy/ Sell/ Trade options for parents to do just that. You try out your cloth diapers and if you don’t like them well you either didn’t spend that much on them and you can then turn around and trade or sell the diaper. So it’s a win-win situation!

I believe that cloth diapering can be affordable with prefolds/ flats and covers, and slowly adding on to yourstash, I also know that not every one is fortunate to have a washer/dryer or go to the laundry mat every other day so unfornutaly that’s why some parents choose disposables which is one of the bad things of cloth diapering you need these essentials to make cloth diapering work.

I personally don't think there's anything hard about cloth diapering; I think it's what you make of it and how you go about it. Dealing with poop diapers is really easy you really don’t touch it though there are times that those things can happen, but hey there are always gloves when spraying/ dunking your diapers and that should do it.

Cloth diapering can get a little dicey when the stinks, ammonia and build up arise it can be a bit frustrating because you find yourself not knowing what do to, this might not be the case for other parents but for myself it was. I was experiencing that strong ammonia smell and I was just second guessing myself on everything so there will come a time in your cloth diapering years where you will reach a challenging situation and you’ll think “ok now what”? Don’t worry there is a solution to everything just take a deep breath in and research, there is a lot of information out there on cloth diapers!


I hope that my input will help parents out there in the Cloth Diapering World.


Till next time...


Contributed by: Pollyanna
Pollyanna is happily married to a US Navy Sailor, a stay at home mom to Adryana who is 5 yrs old, and Ashton who is 4 mths old. She started cloth diapering Ashton this year as of January 1, 2012 and she is so happy she did. She has only been cloth diapering for coming on 3 months now so if you're new to cloth diapering too feel free to leave a coment here and ask her a questions or visit her blog at Sew Fatty.

What is the hardest thing about cloth diapering?

When asked what the hardest thing about Cloth Diapers or Cloth Diapering in general is, my first thought is...probably taking the plunge to commit to and use cloth diapers in the first place! It was scary at first because I started my little one in disposables for the first few weeks. I had bought all of these cloth diapers, and knew I wanted to use them, but there was a voice in the back of my head that just kept saying "I am not sure I can follow through with this."

Needless to say, my husband and a few other people had bets going against "how long I would last" use the cloth diapers! Being the stubborn, motivated gal I am, I was fueled to use the cloth diapers for at least the time they bet against me! Little did I know that me trying to prove everyone wrong turned into a way of life! Now, I could never live without my cloth diapers! The thought of going out and searching to find sales and use coupons for disposables stresses me out! I am so glad I got over my nerves and second-thoughts and took the plunge into cloth diapering!

For me, it wasn't the poop, extra loads of laundry, or even the extra work (which really isn't a lot), sometimes the hardest thing is just getting past your initial fears and worries of the unknown!

 

Contributed by : Julie

 

Julie is mother to her handsome stud who is nearly 6 months old. He was her motivation to start Cloth Diapering! Not wanting to expose his little bum to all those chemicals in disposables and not returning to work full time, She was looking for a safe and inexpensive alternative. Cloth Diapering was her answer!

Starting out with cloth diapers...

When I thought of cloth diapers, I thought of what our parents or grandparents wore. It wasn't until I started seeing other moms on Facebook with cloth that I realized how modern it can be now!

 

I first started wondering about cloth diapers because our middle daughter had severe eczema, but only around her diaper, mainly the tush. No creams helped for months until I begged her doctor for a prescription that can only be used for two weeks at a time. It helped until I had to stop using it, then we were back to where we started. She would take of her disposable diaper and dig at her eczema until she bled and I KNEW something, ANYTHING had to change, so I started my journey of researching different companies and asking other moms who they liked best. I started talking to someone more and more about it and she introduced me to blog giveaways.

 

My husband didn't like the idea of cloth diapers and he thought I would want to give up because of the poo, so I started entering diaper giveaways like crazy hoping to win so I could show him how serious I was. Having two children in disposable diapers and spending $60 a month just wasn't doing it for me anymore!

 

I started entering giveaways in December 2010 and shortly after I entered some, I won! I was shocked but so excited to finally hold a cloth diaper in my hands to see what they were all about. I was impressed and it instantly made me on the hunt for more! After a couple months I had won EIGHT DIAPERS, A WET BAG, 45 CLOTH WIPES AND 45/90 BAG OF ROCKIN' GREEN! One of those diapers was indeed a Smarti Pants! I was thrilled because it gave me a starting point to test everything before we actually bought any products.

 

When I first brought up cloth diapers we had two needing them full time. Our oldest started potty training in January 2011 so that left us with our second daughter. She woke up the morning of March 22, 2011, I put a newly washed diaper on her and away we went! I'll admit, I had no idea what I was doing and with one person as my only real support system (no one I know uses cloth) I just crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. We had multiple leaks our first day because I never realized how much she drinks! After many failed attempts and figuring out which snaps work best for her, we finally started to get the hang of it and guess what... within DAYS her eczema was gone and has never came back!

 

Fast forward just shy of one year later and we have a one month old baby girl that soon will be able to fit in cloth diapers and I'm so excited! Our middle daughter was almost two when we discovered cloth and she is now trying to potty train so I'm anxious and curious what it will be like to cloth diaper from a baby from such a young age. We also are going to save so much money which makes me extra excited! I just wish I knew about cloth diapers while I was pregnant with our first daughter. She's now 4 and to think about all the money that we wasted on disposable diapers makes me sad. Cloth is so beneficial and I never would've figured I'd find something so amazing after talking to other parents via social media sites!

 

I know that switching to cloth diapers was the best decision for our family, not only to save money, but for the best health of my child and I'm happy to tell other's about it every chance I get because society thinks of cloth as a certain way when in fact it's amazing!

 

Contributed by : Michelle

 

Michelle is in her mid twenties. She has been with her husband for a total of eight years. They have three little girls and started cloth diapering in 2011 and she loves every minute of it!

My Cloth Diapering Journey

Today I am going to write a little bit about my journey through cloth diapering. Like I said, I started because of my son having an allergy to the disposable diapers. Soon after I found that, I went online and just purchased the first cloth diapers I found, Bum Genius. I purchased 12 of them and just ran with it. I really didn’t want to cloth diaper at all. I was a first time mom with a limited budget. Not only that, we didn’t even have a washer and drier…but I sucked it up for my kid.

 

As soon as the diapers came in the mail, I was surprised! They were SUPER cute! I packed up my son and all the new diapers and went up to my husband’s nanny’s house to wash them. As soon as they were all prepped, I put them on. I will admit, I thought they looked amazing on him, but I was still super confused. I never did my research, I just bought. I didn’t even understand the one sized feature. I mean, if you saw that first diaper that I put on, you would have laughed your butt off at me. The insert was just laying on the inside instead of being in the pocket, the middle was snapped down to small, one side to medium, and the other was just left unsnapped. I had NO clue.

 

I decide to get on the computer and start researching at that point. About 10 minutes later I had an AHA! Moment. Cloth diapering was NOT hard at all. It was just trying to figure it all out. After I saw how the one size diaper feature worked and the insert went INSIDE the diaper, I was good to go. Until….it happened….the first poop. Ohhh goodness!!!! I half flipped out!!! Thank goodness I was still at my hubby’s nanny’s house because I didn’t know what to do with the poop! She showed me how to just turn the diaper upside-down and the poop comes off. She then placed the diaper in the shower and turned on the shower on cold (she said if you do hot right away, that is what sets in the stains). And the diaper was then poop free.

 

Well, all this was great…and it lasted for about 3-4 months going this way. Then, I decided…this is gross…I do NOT want poop being rinsed out in my shower!!! So we got a diaper sprayer…and now cue addiction. My stash started growing like CRAZY after we got the diaper sprayer. I was no longer scared of the diapers, I wanted one of EVERYTHING. My world started being centered around how I could bring this to everyone. I started up my blog, Nicki’s Cloth Diaper Reviews (I changed the name recently to Nicki, The Eval Gal). I also started up being a cloth diaper advocate in my area. Heck, we MOVED because of cloth diapers so I could have a washer and drier lol.

 

I am happy to report that now, my blog is still going strong, we now have (gulp) 73 diapers, I am starting up a cloth diapering class in my area, AND I am hosting The Great Cloth Diaper Change in my area (of course with the wonderful help from my friend Katy). Oh, and I now sew my own diapers on top of it to feed my addiction when there is a lack of funds haha.

 

That is my journey (obviously in short mode). As you can see, I am just a mom, who went to the drs with her son one day to have her world completely changed for the better from that one appointment!

 

Contributed by : Nicole

 

Nicole is mother of two beautiful children. Her children are 2 ½ years old and 4 months old. She started cloth diapering when her oldest was 8 months old due to an allergy and she is so happy with cloth diapers that she will never go back to disposables.