Last month, we asked our Parent Review Panel to get cozy with prefolds. Many people love prefolds, but many shy away from them perceiving them to be difficult, messy or slow to get on a fast moving baby. After hearing from our Parent Review Panel on Facebook and some of their responses and observations about prefolds, we hope that you now have a different view of these simple beauties!
What are prefolds you ask? Here is the short & sweet 411.
Prefolds are made from several layers of unbleached organic cotton twill. They are sewn into rectangles which have three panels – a thicker panel down the middle and thinner panels on the edges. They are flat so often folks want to know what’s up with the “pre-folded” name? Those panels, they are pre-folded for you into thinner and thicker sections. That’s the pre-folded part.
They are very versatile and to some this can be overwhelming – too many options can cause fear. We teach parents how to use prefolds at our Cloth Diaper Workshops Snappi them on or Fold & Lay. Simple, simple, simple. The Snappi Method requires a bit of practice at the outset but the fold and lay system is very easy and fast. To get a good visual of how it all works, check out our tutorial in our Video Learning Series.
Based on our experiences as parents and “Diaper Therapists”, these are some recommendations about prefolds:
Newborn prefolds are tiny. They don’t often Snappi on well as they are too small but they are great for keeping a trim bottom and fit perfectly under the newborn Super Brites. Once they are outgrown, they can be used as extra absorbency inside of infant or baby sized prefolds or if you want to upcycle them into another use all together, the owner at Bummis told us they make great pads for moms going the reusable menstrual pad route.
For younger babies with runny poop, parents often love Snappi’ing them on. These babies are often not yet mobile and are patient with parents as they get on their Snappi Groove.
For the ultimate in ease, the fold & lay method wins for older babies that have less runny poop and are on the go.
For younger babies we recommend having 3-4 covers per day, more with the fold & lay method, less with the Snappi method.
For older babies, we recommend having 2 covers per day.
It seems that everyone is decluttering, downsizing, simplifying. Why not try the same with your diapering collection. Start or boost your collection with prefolds – they are beautifully functional and wonderfully inexpensive.
Our Parent Reviewers received 2 Bummis Prefold Cloth Diapers, a Snappi Diaper Fastener, a SuperBrite Diaper Cover and a dose of encouragement. After two weeks with prefolds in their daily diapering routine, here are some musings for you to consider.
Front line, real life experience, coming up!
Yes, I would recommend them for someone to try prefold especially when starting on a young baby and if cost is a concern
We did not have any leaks and love the gussets as it helps keep her leak proof even when our little one was on the move
Snappi: if it was used on a younger infant it would help contain explosions and would be much easier to secure
Absorbency was what we needed the most as our little one wets very heavily at the front of her diaper once we started using the prefold folded for maximum absorbency in the front and fanned out in the back like I showed in a previous post she seemed happier.
The Prefold folded easily and fit very well into the cover.
The Snappi super easy to use, the prefolds easy to fold and I still cant believe how well they hold poosplosions
Prefolds really cut down my laundering time. I feel like I am forever washing, stuffing, unstuffing and snapping my pocket diapers and this can get overwhelming with twins.
I’m happy to say our little one slept about 7.5 hrs straight last night in her prefold. {note from N&G – we love hearing that parents got a good night’s sleep with cloth diapers!}
Only other thing I would recommend is using a fleece liner for the stay-dry effect especially at nighttime (as well as cleaning up any poopy messes).
Some Awesome Tips that came out of this Review Panel:
One technique I use on the prefolds, which I find rather handy when diapering a squirmy mobile baby who requires more absorbency in the front than the back is to flare the back of the prefold out so more surface area is covered at the back. I find when I don’t do this and my little one squirms around during the diapering process and the back part of the prefold often will not end up going up the middle and will be off to one side. By flaring out the back of the prefold like in the photo even if it gets a bit shifted she still has coverage to catch any liquid or solids that make it to the back of the diaper.
Use the large bio-soft liners fitted to the back of the diaper with the edges of bio soft liner tucked under the edges of the prefold. I find by tucking it under and fitting it to the back it catches the most of any poo-explosions both before and now that they are more solid.
And all our parents unanimously said:
Thanks so much for the opportunity to test these diapers. It has totally changed my mind about prefolds! {hooray!}
*all names and specific references to babies were replaced by “my little one” in this blog post to further protect anonymity of our review panel and their precious littles.
We are always interested in finding out why families choose cloth diapers. We think Mama K summed it up nicely:
“Cloth diapers blend my two favorite things- form and function! They contain everything that my two heavy wetters have thrown at them and they are absolutely adorable. Modern and they work.”
Thank you Mama K for your insight. We agree, not only do cloth diapers excel in terms of function, but they look pretty darn cute as well!
Baby C. is checking out his Bamboozle Stretch fitted diaper. These diapers are trim, absorbent and super soft. They pair up nicely with any of our waterproof diaper covers.
Photo Credit: Vairdy Photography. Vairdy is a Vancouver Photographer who works with newborns, children & families.
Since bringing these diapers in over a year ago, we’ve gotten nothing but rave reviews about this mini-me diaper. It blends a few things together to push it high up on the list of faves:
It actually fits the tiniest of tinies, from 5-13lbs.
Natrual bamboo (ever-so-soft) next to baby’s skin in the “wet-zone”
Absorbent & waterproof layer sewn together to make it a one step on, one step off diaper
Absorbent layers are designed to be only two layers at any point during the washing and drying steps, so this process is thorough and quick
This diaper comes with an additional absorbency pad that can be put inside the diaper when your baby needs it, ie getting towards the bigger end of the size range, going through a growth spurt or sleeping through the night (or at least a good few hours in a row!). The option of not having the extra pad in the diaper allows for a trimmer fit when the diaper’s absorbency doesn’t need to be maxed out.
The diaper fastens with velcro. For new parents and for the many shapes and sizes that newborns come in, this is a good thing. It’s super easy and super adjustable.
It’s made in Scotland.
The only downside that we see with this little diaper is that it’s rise (how high it comes up on the tummy) may be a tich too high for smaller newborns during their “umbilical stump” stage which can last anywhere from 4 days to two weeks. For some babies, this is not an issue.
Some families choose to use these for their entire diaper collection, keeping things uniform and simple. Other families will choose to a very simple, prefold system with these diapers as their “easy diaper”. A typical amount of diapers for a newborn collection is 24, with a two day washing cycle.
Go and check these diapers out. On the New & Green Site you’ll find them on the product page with their big sister, the Easy Fit which we recommend for babies from 10-35lbs.
Have you used a TiniFit for your little? Mamas over on our Facebook Page have and they LOVE it!
We asked our customers why they love working with New & Green and this is just one of our very kind reviews:
”I was first introduced to New and Green when my sister enrolled me in a cloth diaper workshop. The workshop turned out to be the most informative prenatal class I took. The woman who ran the course was so knowledgeable! I was totally convinced cloth diapers would be the way for us to go. I was also convinced that there could be no better service in the lower mainland. I also appreciated the fact that when I would go to pick up the diapers, I was able to ask questions and get great explanations. New and Green has the best customer service!”
Thank you L. We are happy to help and to provide you with all the information you need to put little D into cloth diapers!
Baby E. is wearing one of our favourite night time choices – the Aristocrats Wool diaper cover. These 100% wool covers are naturally absorbent and breatheable, allowing for dry beds and happy mornings! Pair this cover with a bamboo or hemp fitted diaper for a super trim and ultra thirsty combination.
Photo Credit: Vairdy Photography. Vairdy is a Vancouver Photographer who works with newborns, children & families.
Gift-giving can be one of the joys of the Christmas holiday and it’s always fun to discover just the right gift for a friend or family member.
In that spirit, we have put together a gift guide with a few ideas for the people on your list. If you know soon-to-be new parents, parents of young children, or are a parent yourself, be sure to check out our list. There’s something for everyone and for every budget!
We here at New & Green wish you and your families all the best during this holiday season.
EasyFits are one of the perennial favorites among New & Green parents and the highest rated by parent reviews on our website. They offer a great fit, good absorbancy (bamboo and microfibre together make a thirsty combo!), stunning colours made from Oeko-Tex certified dyes, and high quality hook-and-loop closures. They’re also made by Tots Bots, a Scottish company that makes every effort for ethical and sustainable production methods.
The Bamboozle is touted among parents as one of the most absorbent diapers available and is popular especially for naptimes and nighttime. It’s also popular among parents who want natural fibres against their baby’s skin. Bamboo is a sustainable fibre and scrumptiously soft!
The Flip is a popular option merely due to the variety of ways in which you can use it, as well as it’s a simple, no-fuss, well-fitting cover for babies of every shape and size. You get to choose either an organic cotton or microfibre insert or purchase it alone to use as a standard cover for other fitted diapers and prefolds.
The AMP Duo is manufactured in Winnipeg by a conscientious mom-run business. This pocket in particular is popular because of its high quality and its superb fit on both lean and chubby babies. The diaper is available in a small size for newborns up to 15 lbs and a one-size option for larger babies.
BumGenius diapers are one of the most recognized and well-loved diapers on the market today. These one-size pocket diapers come stocked with an adjustable full-size insert as well as a newborn insert that also doubles as a doubler to increase absorbancy for car trips, nap times, and nighttime usage. You can now also choose either a velcro closure or snaps, depending on your preference and what works best for your family. The stretch-to-fit tabs help ensure a great fit every time and the diaper can be used from 8-35 lbs.
Wool covers are hailed as a wonder-cover for babies who struggle with diaper rash, for parents who want to use natural fibres, and for babies who need help sleeping through the night. (The breathability of wool allows moisture to evaporate off the baby’s skin as they sleep, thus not waking them due to the sensation of being wet.) Aristocrats covers are manufactured here in BC and so also satisfy parents wanting to buy local!
This diapering-kit-in-a-box provides parents all the basics needed to get started with cloth diapering. The kit includes 24 organic cotton prefolds, 6 covers, 3 rolls of Bio-Soft liners, 5 reusable stay-dry liners, and 1 large wet bag. That’s enough diapers for at least two full days of diapering!
Prefolds are a very easy and practical way to get started with cloth and are especially popular among parents who are budget-savvy.
These brightly colored pail liners and tote-able wetbags will cheerfully hold several days of dirty diapers. They’re an essential part of setting up your diaper pail system and a must-have item for parents who are just getting started.
Rockin’ Green has revolutionized cloth diaper laundry and makes the chore… dare we say, an utter delight. It gets diapers truly clean while leaving no residue, it’s eco-friendly, and you have your choice of a number of yummy scents that don’t linger on the diapers. For parents who are just getting started, this detergent will help make the new routine downright enjoyable.
These oh-so-cute tankinis are perfect for your pool-side babe. They are designed to be paired with the ever-popular Swimmi swim diaper, and even if you don’t cloth diaper, this is a great way to be both sustainable and chic at the swimming pool all year round.
Nothing fits quite as well as a diaper that is designed specifically with the newborn in mind – both for fit and for comfort. This pack bridges the gap between birth and one-size or small size diapers and parents have raved about difference it makes. The pack includes 1-dozen soft organic cotton prefolds and two perfect-size covers – enough for one day’s worth of diapering. This combo is one of the most cost effective ways of managing the early days when you are changing a lot of diapers!
This package features literally everything you need to cloth diaper your newborn starting from Day 1 and features some of the best products on the market for quality, fit, and chic-cuteness. The pack even includes wipes, storage bags, and detergent! Talk about getting everything you need in one convenient package…
Your baby’s poo in the first few weeks can get a little…. well, sticky, and this bum spray is a great way to keep your baby’s cheeks fresh and well-cleaned!
This box is a great way for parents to try out prefolds without investing in large quantities of diapers. The kit includes three organic cotton prefolds and one wrap cover – just tri-fold the prefold and lay it in the cover and voila! you have a lovely, absorbent diaper ready to go.
These tiny diapers are possibly the most popular diapers among parents who are cloth diapering newborns, as they keep all those newborn messes exactly where they should be. They feature a snap-down front to go around the umbilical stump and snug-but-comfy elastic around the back and legs to ensure a great fit.
Cloth trainers catch the dribbles and little messes that are inevitable while potty training, they help provide feedback to the child who is learning about wet and dry sensations, and they save parents money! Bummis pants in particular are easy for the child to pull up and down and offer a secure, comfortable fit.
The 3G pocket diaper is designed as a diaper but works superbly well as a training pant. By snapping the wings shut, you create an easy-up, easy-down pant for the child, but in case of a messy accident, the wings snap open like a diaper in order to get the training pant off without creating more mess. Also, by having a pocket opening, you can adjust the absorbancy according to your child’s need or leave out the insert completely.
This fabulous diaper salve is hand-made right here in BC! Each batch is lovingly made with the highest quality, organic ingredients. This is a zinc-free diaper salve that uses naturals to gently soothe and heal your little one’s skin. It smells great too! We know toddlers who love it so much that they pack it themselves in the diaper bag…
Irresistible fashion prints in the softest flannel on one side and a sumptuous organic cotton velour on the other make these wipes Hip, Green and Gorgeous. Choose from a dreamy Mermaid, a yummy Two Scoops or a mod Lots of Dots.
These covers in delightful prints have been popular among cloth diapering parents for several years running. They offer a great fit, high quality construction, and cover any fitted or prefold diaper. Very useful and multi-functional.
Snappis are an ingenious little invention that make diaper pins obsolete. They come in a variety of colors and are made from a stretchable non-toxic material, which is T-shaped with grips on each end. These grips hook into the diaper fabric to ensure a snug-fitting diaper with enough natural movement for the baby. Pick up several to give to all your cloth diapering friends!
These zippered, toss-n’-go wet bags make going out with cloth diapers easy. (They’re great for daycare or the swimming pool too!) The small size holds 2-4 dirty diapers and the medium one holds 4-6 dirties. These make great stocking stuffers because even if you already have a stash of wetbags, these repurpose well for carrying cosmetics, as gym bags, for travel, and so much more!
Still don’t know what to get that special someone or just aren’t sure what would be most helpful for those soon-to-be new parents? New & Green has gift certificates available in any denomination!
If you’ve ever hunted for information about cloth diapering, you’ve likely run across the instruction to “strip your diapers.” Some sources make this sound like a dire emergency, while other sources ignore it completely. So we thought we’d take a quick look at what stripping is and when it’s useful.
What is Stripping?
“Stripping” merely refers to an easy process that strips any lingering residues from the surface of your diapers. Residues can build up if you use a detergent that has additives or fabric softeners, if diapers aren’t fully rinsed after each wash, or if you have hard water in your area.
Why Should I Strip? (And How Often?)
Stripping isn’t a routine maintenance sort of thing – it’s only something you need to do if your normally soft and absorbent diapers are suddenly leaking or if there’s an undesirable odor that lingers in your diapers even after they’ve been washed and dried.
So, HOW Do I Strip?
There are various methods for stripping your diapers depending on your type of machine. And obviously, regardless of method, start with non-dirty diapers or you’ll have a whole new set of problems to deal with!
HOT water with no detergent(top-loader): Wash your diapers in the longest cycle your machine will allow using the HOT wash cycle and either HOT or WARM rinse. Lift the lid every once in a while to check for soap bubbles - you need to rinse until you no longer see soap bubbles or a film on top of the water during the rinse, which may take as many as 3-4 rinses. But once the soap bubbles no longer appear, your diapers are fresh and fully stripped!
Rock-a-Soak(top-loader & HE): This is a super-super-effective way to get rid of lingering funk and residues. In a top-loader, fill the tub with hot water, add 3-4 tablespoons of Funk Rock Ammonia Bouncer, toss in your diapers, and let them sit for an hour or so. After the soak, run them through a hot wash and rinse cycle 2-3 times.
In a front-loader, add your diapers to the basket and put 3-4 tablespoons of Funk Rock in the detergent area of the detergent drawer. Start a quick wash cycle and hit “stop” or “pause” as soon as you notice that the Funk Rock has been washed into the basket and the water has been added in the cycle. Let this sit for an hour or so, then start a long, hot wash and rinse without adding anything else. You will likely need to wash and rinse 2-3 times.
Vinegar(top-loader & HE): You can also add 1/4 – 1/2 cup of vinegar to one of the rinse cycles. This is a gentle way to neutralize the acids and odors lingering on your diapers and it will help lift away the residues. You can add this via the detergent drawer or if you have a Downy ball, just place the vinegar inside and toss it in on top of the diapers.
Dawn dishwashing liquid(top-loader only): In a top-loader, you may also add one squirt of Original Dawn dishwashing liquid to the wash cycle. Dawn has been formulated as a degreaser, so it does very well in lifting off oily residues. (If your child has recently discovered Vaseline or petroleum-based diaper creams and smeared them all over his or her diapers, Dawn is also a very effective way to deal with that laundry issue!) Dawn creates lots of suds, however, so if you want to use this method with a front-loader, you’ll need to scrub the diapers with Dawn by hand and rinse them out before putting them into the washer. As with all the other methods, once the diapers are in the machine, wash on hot and – you guessed it – rinse, rinse, rinse.
So, as you can see, stripping your diapers doesn’t take much more effort than a regular load of laundry and doesn’t need to happen often. The best way to prevent needing to strip in the first place is just to make sure you’re using a long rinse in your normal wash routine or by occasionally adding a second rinse to your routine.
It may seem from our title that we’re talking about food today, but as is inevitable in any conversation about diapers, today we’re actually discussing poo. (Sorry if we got your hopes up….) As any pediatrician or naturopath will tell you, watching your infant’s stools change from liquid to solid is an important, significant transition, and sometimes that can mean changing your diaper selection as well.
The Newborn Days
In the early days of life, your baby’s gut is immature. For the first few days, it’s excreting all the lovely, tarry meconium that is a by-product of life in the womb, and for the first few weeks is incapable of holding food for long. And obviously, the only food intake is in liquid form, so with all these factors together, you can count on a liquid-y, poopy diaper after every meal. (Diaper liners are a welcome accessory during this period!)
As for color and texture, due to the colonization of the gut with all the good bacteria it needs for nutrient absorption, you can watch the stool go from black to various shades of yellow and green. Your doctor or midwife will likely ask you at some point about the stool’s color and consistency as an indication of the baby’s health, especially if the baby has been jaundiced.
In terms of diapering, all of this liquid stool in the early days means that the most important factor to consider in choosing diapers is containment. You need a diaper or a cover that has good, snug elastic around the legs and waist to keep all the poo exactly where it belongs. Popular choices from New & Green parents tend to be a prefold, Snappi, and cover combo, a Kissaluvs size 0 + cover combo, and the (super cute) TiniFit All-in-One.
Regularity
At about 6-8 weeks of age, your baby’s stools will begin to change. While at the beginning poo tends to be runny, at this point it will begin to hold together and take on a firmer, more tacky texture. The upside to this is that the stool can be easier to shake off into the toilet, as well as that food is now moving more slowly through the gut, so it’s entirely possible that your baby will only move his or her bowels once or twice a day, sometimes at the same time each day. (Wahoo!) And as the months go by and as your baby begins to eat solid food, the poo will continue to solidify.
So as poo becomes more – shall we say, regular – containment is no longer the highest priority for a diaper, but absorbancy. Poo may not be as frequent, but the baby’s bladder is getting bigger and he or she is eating more.
Watching your baby grow and change can be an incredible, joyful experience. We certainly hope that cloth diapering on that journey helps you celebrate the joy of watching your child grow and seeing the miracle of all the changes that your baby’s body goes through, including the myriad type of messy diapers.
And care to share your experiences? We welcome hearing your stories about how you have dealt with your “poo problems,” as questions about how to deal with poop are among our most frequent at our Cloth Diapering 101 workshops and here on the blog. Real-life stories are fantastic!
We asked parents why they loved working with New & Green and this is what the Dad of this family told us:
“New and Green offers a fantastic mix of informative and responsive customer service and great products. We attended the Diapering 101 course and then did a follow up with one of the staff to help us find the best options for our family and lifestyle. We appreciated the guidance and ease of the service.”
Thanks D, T and Baby E. We love the opportunity to work with families like you!
Baby E is sporting an infant sized Organic Cotton Prefold Cloth Diaper with a Royal Blue Snappi. In this photo Baby is just a couple weeks old. Organic Cotton Prefolds are the absorbent part of your two piece diapering system. Baby E needs a waterproof cover over top to complete the system.
Photo Credit: Vairdy Photography. Vairdy is a Vancouver Photographer who works with newborns, children & families.
This post was inspired by an article in our Learning Centre. If you haven’t checked out the Learning Centre or Diaper Care library recently, put it on your list – it’s packed with great information!
Occasional diaper rash is a normal occurrence for babies. When those sweet baby cheeks are inside of a diaper 24/7 for upwards of two-and-a-half years, you are bound to have a rash every now and again.
Some common reasons for rashes:
Staying in a wet or dirty diaper too long
Change in Mama’s diet (for nursing babies)
Change in baby’s diet (watch food introductions)
Teething
Sensitivity to detergent and/or buildup of detergent in diaper fabric
So with that in mind, here are six tips for preventing a rash or decreasing the incidence of rashes:
Give your baby diaper-free time every day.
Allow your baby’s skin to air out at least once a day for more than 10 minutes and preferably, expose the skin to sunshine. Rashes only flare up and proliferate in dark, humid, acidic environments – air and sunshine are the perfect antidote.
Cleanse your baby’s diaper area with just warm water and a cloth.
Make sure you wipe your baby’s bum at every diaper change, even if the diaper was only wet. While the urine itself on the skin will evaporate, irritating uric acid crystals will be left behind. By just wiping the skin clean with a cloth wipe and warm water, you’ll get rid of any residues, leaving your baby’s skin soft and irritant-free.
Make sure your baby’s diaper area is dry before you put on a fresh diaper.
Closing up wet skin in a watertight environment can be a recipe for a rash, so let the skin dry before you put on the new diaper.
These couple of extra minutes can be a really enjoyable bonding time between parent and child – often times newborns and young babies are alert at diaper change time and that’s when they’re cooing and looking around. Older babies sometimes love the routines that are associated with diaper change time – it’s the time when they get to play with a special toy or have a “conversation” with Mommy or Daddy. The minute or two that it takes for the skin to dry can become a lovely interactive time.
Change your baby often.
Leaving a wet or poopy diaper next to the skin for a prolonged period of time is a sure way to set off a rash. Although “prolonged” is relative – some sensitive-skin babies react to the presence of uric acid within minutes while others could go significantly longer before complaining. Regardless of length of time, however, the skin will flare up under these conditions, so it’s definitely in the best interest of both you and your baby to change the diaper as soon as possible once it’s soiled.
Create a stay dry layer.
If your baby seems especially sensitive to wetness, using a non-absorbent layer between your baby’s skin and the wet diaper can be a great way to minimize the skin’s exposure to all that dampness. Either choose a diaper that has fleece right next to the skin, such a pocket diaper, or add a stay dry layer by laying a liner in any diaper you use – fleece and raw silk are the most popular in this case.
Use wool.
If your baby is suffering from a rash and needs healing or in order to prevent a rash when your baby has to stay in his or her diaper for an extended period of time (ie nighttime), consider using a wool cover. Wool offers the best breathability and allows moisture on the skin to evaporate, even when up against a wet diaper. We’ve heard it from parents again and again (and experienced it ourselves) – switching to a wool cover is the fastest, surest way to zap a rash when it starts.
Here’s to healthy, happy babies (and to all you mamas and papas who love them so well!).
We want to know what makes a mama, papa and baby happy when comes to the dirty work of cleaning bums. We have some brand new wipes in stock and some new-ish (and reportedly fabulous) locally made bum wash as well and we’re looking for 6 families to test these products for us.
If you’re interested, fill out an application by clicking on the link below. You must be an {avid} facebook user and be available over the next few weeks to participate.
Thanks so much; we really appreciate working with our Parent Review Panelists.
Whether you decide to cloth diaper your newborn while you’re still at the hospital or whether you start in the first few days, there are few things to keep in mind that will make those early weeks a breeze.
Containment
Since young infants take in only liquid and their little tummies and colons are still developing, their stools tends to be quite runny and are part of every diaper change. Also, since their bladders are quite small at this stage of life, their amount of pee is not copious. Thus, containment is more important for this stage of diapering than absorbancy is.
Until the umbilical stump falls off (somewhere between 4-16 days), it’s important to make sure nothing rubs against it to aggravate it and that there’s enough air flow to keep it dry.
Meconium is the blackish-green tar-like substance that your baby cleans out of his or her system in the first day or two of life. It is sticky and stains diapers easily, so we definitely recommend investing in a few liners with which to line your diapers. There are flushable options, natural fibre options, and fleece options – so every parent’s diapering objectives can easily be met. Liners are also great through the first few weeks as the baby’s stools go through various phases (not to mention colors and consistencies!) These make clean-up easy and minimize staining.
And of course, if you do get any stains on your diapers, setting them in the sunshine for a few hours will do wonders for whitening your diapers and erasing stains.
Skinny Legs
Babies come in all shapes and sizes – some have lovely rolls of baby fat while others tend to be long and skinny. What to do to keep the diapers fitting if you’ve got a lanky child?
One issue that often frustrates new parents is that the small diapers they so carefully researched and purchased before their baby was born don’t seem to fit. And it’s often true – there is something about newborns that makes an 8-pound newborn fit differently in a diaper than an 8-pound, 6-week-old infant.
Despite the intent of various diaper manufacturers to have larger diapers “fit from birth,” more and more leaders in the cloth diaper industry, New & Green included, are recommending that parents set aside their one-size and sized diapers until about 6-8 weeks of age and use newborn-sized diapers at birth. There are some great options that will allow you to keep using those newborn prefolds long past the newborn stage, and avoiding all that extra bulk definitely makes the extra investment worth it.
And as always, if you don’t want to purchase extra diapers, you can always rent them. Easy!
But now, we want to hear from you – how did you successfully get through those early days? What made the difference in your family?
We are looking for a few cute bums! On August 7, 2011 we’re doing a New & Green Photo Shoot in North Vancouver. We are looking for cute babies and their moms and/or dads to join us for a morning of darling diapers and sweet smiles.
All Model Applications will be reviewed as they are submitted and those chosen will be contacted on July 28th. Thanks in advance for your interest!
And whether you are applying to be a model or not, we have a great contest for you. Read on.
We love Vairdy’s work so much that we’ve partnered with her to offer you the chance to WIN a 1 hour Mini Photo Shoot with your little one.
Vairdy’s photo shoot will include:
1 hr mini shoot at your location of choice with immediate family
10-15 images in a password protected online gallery
5 of your favourite images – receive one 5×7 print and a low resolution digital file for each of your five faves
*Shoot must be booked before November 30, 2011
If you are not in the Vancouver area or just want to get your hands on some new gear, we have a portable prize for you:
Up for grabs is a Bright & Beautiful 3 Pack of BabyKicks 3g One Size Diapers.
How to enter:
Head over to Vairdy’s Blog to check out her work and then leave us a comment below about what you love about it and let us know if you’d like to win the photo shoot or the BabyKicks Diapers (or either!).
So, you’ve decided to use cloth and you’ve gotten used to using them at home. But now you’re headed out to run errands or to visit friends who will inevitably comment on the fact that you’re using cloth (yay!) How easy is it to schlep cloth around and be comfortable and successful at each diaper change? Easy!
Comfort is the first rule for going out and about, meaning make sure you take with you whatever diapers you’re already comfortable using. This isn’t the time to try anything you haven’t used before, unless you’re feeling especially adventurous. Regardless of how many different types of diapers you use at home (prefolds with covers, all-in-ones, a hybrid system…) choose whichever ones you enjoy using the most to throw in the diaper bag. For most parents, this is an AIO – simple to put on, simple to take off, and easy to show off to various onlookers.
Ease of use is also important when going out. You never know where you’ll be changing your baby and you need to have a diaper that can be put on quickly or one-handed according to the situation. Public washroom change tables, the back of a car, the front seat of a car, on a hill in the park, behind a row of pumpkins at the pumpkin patch, or on the floor of a store’s teeny-tiny washroom may all have to suffice as a change area – you never know!
Be prepared. As with most things, being prepared will make all the difference in having a successful, enjoyable outing. You needn’t take much, but make sure you have enough diapers for the amount of time you’ll be away from home, a wetbag to carry home the dirties, and several wipes – about two per diaper. (Remember to prewet the wipes if you like them that way.) A change pad can come in handy too.
And a word about having enough diapers – make note of how many diapers you use at home in any given period of time and translate that into the the number of diapers to take with you. Does your little one tend to be changed about every two hours? Three? Then calculate the number of diapers you’ll need accordingly.
And that’s it! When you get home, all you have to do is dump the dirty diapers from the wetbag into your diaper pail so they’re ready to wash, toss in the wetbag so it gets a wash too, and remember to restock your diaper bag with a clean wetbag so it will be ready to grab-and-go the next time you want to head out.
At our popular Cloth Diapering 101 workshops, many parents are eager, or at least interested, to use cloth on their babies. However, the “deal breaker” question many ask first is, “But what do I do with the dirties?”
No fear – the days of lugging heavy pails full of sloshing, acrid water to the washing machine are far behind us. These days, diapers are designed with ease of cleaning in mind and you don’t have to even touch the dirties once they’ve been placed in the diaper pail.
A diaper pail is a good place to start. You can read more about choosing a diaper pail that will work for you in other posts around our blog, but basically any container with a lid that is big enough to hold 2-3 dozen diapers will work just fine. Place a pail liner in the pail and you’re ready to go.
When it comes time to change your baby, there are only a few steps. If the dirty diaper is merely wet, you can toss it straight in the pail. Make sure you keep the cover and hang it to dry, as you can reuse it several more times before wash day.
If the diaper has poo in it, you can deal with it in various ways. If you are exclusively breastfeeding, the diaper can be tossed straight in the pail, poo and all. If the baby is receiving any formula or is old enough to be eating solids, as much of the poo as possible should end up in the toilet. You can shake the poo off if it’s solid, do the Four Corner Dunk and Swish (popularized by our own instructor, Bonnie) if it’s a bit more sticky, or you can pre-line your diapers with a bio-liner that gets flushed, a fleece liner that gets washed, or a raw silk liner, which can also be tossed in the wash. Once the poo is in the toilet, toss the cover and the diaper together into your diaper pail.
If you’re using pockets, make sure to put out the innards as you put the diaper in the pail, as this will ensure that you don’t have to touch the diaper again. (Always a good thing….)
On wash day (we recommend every 2-3 days), take the pail to the washing machine, pull out the liner, dump all the contents plus the liner into the machine, do a rinse on cold, a wash on hot with detergent, a second rinse on cold if you so desire, then toss everything into the dryer or hang them on a line – and you’re done!
Last month, we asked our Parent Review Panel to get cozy with prefolds. Many people love prefolds, but many shy away from them perceiving them to be difficult, messy or slow to get on a fast moving baby. After hearing from our Parent Review Panel on Facebook and some of their responses and observations about prefolds, we hope that you now have a different view of these simple beauties!
Gift-giving can be one of the joys of the Christmas holiday and it’s always fun to discover just the right gift for a friend or family member.
If you’ve ever hunted for information about cloth diapering, you’ve likely run across the instruction to “strip your diapers.” Some sources make this sound like a dire emergency, while other sources ignore it completely. So we thought we’d take a quick look at what stripping is and when it’s useful.
It may seem from our title that we’re talking about food today, but as is inevitable in any conversation about diapers, today we’re actually discussing poo. (Sorry if we got your hopes up….) As any pediatrician or naturopath will tell you, watching your infant’s stools change from liquid to solid is an important, significant transition, and sometimes that can mean changing your diaper selection as well.
We want to know what makes a mama, papa and baby happy when comes to the dirty work of cleaning bums. We have some brand new wipes in stock and some new-ish (and reportedly fabulous) locally made bum wash as well and we’re looking for 6 families to test these products for us.
We are looking for a few cute bums! On August 7, 2011 we’re doing a New & Green Photo Shoot in North Vancouver. We are looking for cute babies and their moms and/or dads to join us for a morning of darling diapers and sweet smiles.
So, you’ve decided to use cloth and you’ve gotten used to using them at home. But now you’re headed out to run errands or to visit friends who will inevitably comment on the fact that you’re using cloth (yay!) How easy is it to schlep cloth around and be comfortable and successful at each diaper change? Easy!
At our popular 