Miranda talks about SmartiPants Newborn Diapers

most newborns (breastfed at least, not sure about formula fed) gain about half a pound a week. baby3.0 was 6 pounds 7 ounces when he was born (and 6 lbs 2 oz when we went home) so i figured it would be much longer until he outgrew the newborns diapers. of course i have super boobs and he has gained a pound a week. the diapers were sooo cute and tiny, and although i gave them away already (yes, you can resell them but im lazy) i did keep one or two just to remember how small my babies were...

  smartipants AiO newborn cloth diapers were the ones i used most, and were my favorite ones. the velcro made for easy on and easy off during the zillion changes a day we do, and made middle of the night changes so much easier than toddler2.0 and his snaps were. i changed every two hours, and never had a leak until the very end when baby3.0 was beginning to get to the limit for the diaper weight. smartipants are made to fit babies 5-12 pounds, but around 10 pounds i started getting the leaks. the only downside i saw for them was the front goes straight across without a spot for the cord. i didnt start this part of the process until after the cord fell off, but i know many people who start immediately and that detail would be a factor. for $17.95 they are a little pricey for my cheap self when the baby will only use them a short time, but comparatively they are the same price or lower than other newborn diapers. i really did like them for the time they fit, and am going to try out some of the smartipants one size diapers now that we outgrew the newborns!

Taking a look at Lindsey's Cloth Stash

After using cloth diapers for over 3.5 years… I have finally built my perfect cloth diapers stash. I admit – it took a long time {3.5 years!}, a lot of trial and error, testing and reviewing, selling and buying, washing and sunning, but we're here and all that work was worth it.

 Actually, our cloth diapers stash is ever changing. I am constantly finding new favorites - finding diapers that worked well during crawling stages, but for an older toddler just don't cut it. I get lazy and only want to use AIO's so I don't have to stuff, then my daughter will start needing more absorbency so I adjust my stash to more Pockets. It's a crazy cycle keeping up a cloth diapers stash but it sure is fun!

 After lots of experience with using cloth diapers, I've found that these are the diapers that I absolutely prefer. Since my stash changes so often too, it's quite telling when a diaper sticks around for a long time. There is one diaper, that has been in my stash the longest, and you shouldn't be surprised that it's that Fire Engine Red Smarti Pants Cloth Diaper!

 I don't save many cloth diapers – if they're not in the current rotation, I usually sell them to get something that works better. But my Smarti Pants went through both girls and I am ecstatic to finally have been adding more Smarti Pants to our Perfect Stash!

So, how's that for a cloth diapers stash? What does your stash look like? Does it change often or remain constant?

Lindsey is the author behind the So Easy Being Green blog. Once she decided to use cloth diapers on her children, she started making green-er choices in all areas of her life. SEBG is a resource for parents who want to make small changes that will make a big impact on their path to a green-er life.

Miranda's Love for Cloth!

There are so many reasons and things to love about cloth. they are eco friendly. they are cute. they work so much better than sposies. they keep yucky chemicals off my baby's bum. my all time favorite thing about cloth? their reusable nature! when i started cloth diapering toddler2.0 it was not one of my top reasons, or even one of my reasons at all. the thought of being able to use them for another child hadnt entered my mind. after all i had just had a baby, i wasnt planning on a third quite yet!

as soon as we found out we were expecting belly3.0, the hand me down ability of cloth diapers became one of my favorite things about my massive stash. while calming babe down from his utter panic over the cost of another baby and being outnumbered before we had originally planned, i pointed out we wouldnt need diapers at least! all those cute fluffy diapers we had been using with toddler2.0 were perfectly fine, and would also be able to be used on the newest member of the family. of course i didnt get into the minor detail of being able to use them once the baby was 10 pounds, but i handled the newborn stash later.

because we cloth diaper, preparing for baby has been so much easier than i see other friends who dont cloth diaper. while some would lament how we would just be getting one out of diapers (haha no end in sight, hes only 21 months now) and be starting with another one, i think of it as a great investment. no slowing stocking up on diapers before baby gets here to be prepared since we have them. no need for a "sprinkle" or diaper party... we have them! after belly3.0 arrives and is eventually finished using his/her hand me down diapers, they will still have their resale value and continue to be cost effective!

Contributed by: Miranda

One (or more) Things I Love About Cloth Diapers

February is the month of Love. Why not share some of my favorite things I love about using cloth diapers.

• Cloth Diapers save you money – the average baby can use up to $2000 worth of disposable diapers before they are potty trained. Cloth Diapers can cut your cost significantly. Plus you don’t have to make any midnight runs to the store!

• Cloth Diapers are eco-friendly – disposable diapers will sit in landfills for many years before they break down where as cloth diapers can be reused for many years to come.

• Cloth Diapers are super cute – with the modern cloth diaper comes many styles, colors, prints, closures, and even ruffles!

• Cloth Diapers help to prevent leaks and blowouts – I have found that cloth diapers, when used properly will hold in leaks and blowouts better than disposables.

• Cloth Diapers have no chemicals – cloth diapers do not contain chemicals that will be in contact with your baby’s skin for hours at a time. They are all natural. 

• Cloth Diapers can be used on multiple children – this can make the cost savings skyrocket when you use your cloth diapers on multiple babies. Be sure to keep your diapers clean and store them properly when not in use. 

• Cloth Diapers can be sold after use providing additional cost savings – if you are done with your cloth diapers, you can sell them back for up to 90% of your cost depending on the wear and use. Not bad!

What do you love about using cloth diapers??

Contributed by: Julie

Oh, Cloth Diapers, Why Do I Love Thee?

Challenging a SmartiPants Cloth Diapers Blogger to share the ONE reason they love cloth diapers, well, that's like asking why you love your children, isn't it!? I might be stretching it a bit with that comparison, but there are so many reasons why I love using cloth diapers!

  Some super popular answers to this question include:

• Cloth is way cuter than any paper diaper you can find.
• They're better for your baby - cloth has no chemicals and causes far fewer diaper rashes for most babies.
• Cloth diapers are one million times better for the Environment. By choosing cloth, my bathroom trash can gets emptied every month or 2 instead of daily.
• Cloth can be used for more than 1 child. Forget buying disposable diapers every month for every kid you have - cloth diapers have a lifespan that can easily make them last through 2, 3, maybe even 4 children!
• Cloth diapers have been shown to help children potty train faster! Even though we all love using cloth diapers, it sure is nice when anything makes potty training easier and faster!
• And probably most people's first response, and definitely the number 1 reason I love cloth diapers...

I love making healthier choices for my children, I love the cuteness of cloth, I love contributing less to the landfills, but... Money Talks. Can you imagine that $2,500 cost savings!? You could put that back in a Savings Account and start a great fund for your child for college just by not buying them diapers for 3 years! Just by choosing cloth, you can make a tremendous impact on the earth, your child's health, and your family's budget! That's the number 1 reason why I love cloth... with the cuteness factor at a super close 2nd!

  Lindsey is the author behind the So Easy Being Green blog. Once she decided to use cloth diapers on her children, she started making green-er choices in all areas of her life. SEBG is a resource for parents who want to make small changes that will make a big impact on their path to a green-er life.

Cloth After Potty Training

If you have kids, you will get to the point where your little one’s will no longer be in diapers! While it may be a sad day, it is also an exciting point in your child’s growth and development. But if you are like me and have a ton of cloth diapers lying around that are no longer being used, what are you to do? I have come up with a few different ideas for you.

• Sell - This may seem like one of the most common and profitable ways to go after you are done using your cloth diapers. You can sell many of your used cloth diapers for up to 90% of what you paid based on the condition of the diaper. The condition of the diaper can be dependent on how big your cloth diaper rotation was, how many children you cloth diapered, how often you used cloth diapers, or even what type of cloth diapers you used. There are many different sites that you can sell your used cloth diapers on including: eBay, craigslist, local mom’s group, cloth diaper retailers “used” sections and specialty cloth diaper trader websites. It’s up to you how and where you would like to sell your cloth diapers and is an excellent option if you are looking to recoup some of the money spent on your original cloth diapers!

• Inserts can be used for cleaning – Some cloth diapers are in such bad condition that they simply cannot be resold for any value. In this case, the fabrics on some of your cloth diapers would make a great cleaning pad or wipe. I know of people who have used the cloth diaper inserts for scrubbing floors, bathrooms and even windows. This is definitely a viable option if you are looking to stick with the “green” theme that cloth diapers offers.

• Donate to Cloth Diaper Charity – If you want to pay it forward to people who are in need of cloth diapers, but are having a hard time affording them, I suggest you research some of the national and local cloth diaper charities. These charities seek to help and educate families about the use of cloth diapers while providing them with their own stash whether it be temporary or permanent. Many families struggle to diaper their babies, but cloth diapers when distributed properly can help out many of these families and babies. Check your local area for charities that may need your donations!

• Pay them forward to a Friends or Family – You may not know of any local cloth diaper charities, but I can be sure that many of you probably know a friend or family member who is looking to try out cloth diapers. Maybe they are curious and would like to get started, what a perfect way to help them take the plunge. Passing down cloth diapers to friends or family will help to pay it forward, and hopefully your friend or family member can pay it forward to the next person!


What other ideas do you have for the use of cloth diapers following potty training?


Contributed by: Julie

Diaper Cream and Cloth Diapers

One of the first things new cloth mommas learn is that you cannot use typical diaper creams when using cloth diapers. It is completely logical if you look at the way diaper creams are meant to work. they act as a barrier to keep wetness off the baby's rash, and give it healing time. When this gets on a sposie its no big deal, but when applied to cloth it causes repelling issues. The diaper cream will work on the cloth diaper the same way it works on the baby, and repel wetness preventing the diaper from absorbing and doing it job. What to do for rashes then? There are four options: switch to sposies during the rash, use a liner, cloth diaper safe cream, and my cure all for everything, coconut oil.

Some moms, especially ones who already use sposies part time during day care or at night, simply use traditional methods and keep their baby in sposies until the rash goes away. This is a preferred method if the rash is a yeast rash, because yeast is as tricky as diaper cream to get out of a diaper! The other option while using traditional cream is to use a liner inside your cloth diaper to protect the diaper. Ive heard great things about viva paper towels being laid in the diapers, or you could use a cloth diaper specific liner like the ones from gDiapers.

The third option is to try cloth diaper safe creams. The ones I know about for sure are the ones marketed by cloth diaper companies, or more "natural" companies like California Baby, CJ's Butter, Angel Baby Balm, as well as some smaller WAHM companies. If natural is for you, I like naked baby time (diaper free! woo!) to get air circulating on the rash, as well as coconut oil, my cure all for everything. At the first sign of redness I pull out my jar of coconut oil and apply it with every change, and the redness is usually gone within the day before it turns into a full blown rash.

What do you use to combat rashes with cloth diapers?

Contributed by: Miranda