As part of our Earth Day 2010 Contest, Rachel  shares her {rather suprising} finding when switching to home laundered cloth diapers:

I am going to put myself in the new mom category. While my son is 6 months old now, we used a diaper service for the first 3 months and then I switched to doing it on my own.

The most surprising thing I have learned in the last 3 months of cloth diapering has been that it can be fun! There were many people that told me not to bother, that I would give up, that it would be so much work…. and I have proved them all wrong. Not only is cloth diapering easy, I spend maybe 30 minutes every 2-3 days on laundry, it is also a lot of fun.

There are now so many options for cloth diapering, different brands and styles, cute printed covers and pocket diapers, and I have had a lot of fun trying out different diapers to find the ones we love and that work for our baby. I wish everyone knew that it is no longer plastic pants and diaper pins. It is cute prints, easy to stuff pockets, all-in-one diapers that are just as easy to put on as a disposable and beautiful wool covers for night that let a baby’s bottom breath. These are not the cloth diapers our mothers used – these are our cloth diapers!

Along with the fun is a huge desire to tell other moms how easy it can be. How good it feels to not take out bags of diaper garbage every day. How running a load of late night diaper laundry is a lot easier than going to a store. And how cute a baby bottom looks in a cloth diaper!

*The opinions expressed in this blog post are those of the contest entrant and do not necessarily reflect that of New & Green Baby Co.  We wish to thank all of our contest entrants who graciously shared their stories to help further the education and support of families wishing to cloth diaper their children.  Read more about our Earth Day 2010 Contest.

Thank you to Amber, who shared her story with us about traveling with cloth diapers.

Amber, where have your adventures taken you recently and what was your diapering strategy while you were traveling?

We have just returned from two international trips in the last few months in which we used cloth diapers and did not have access to a washing machine.

Our first trip was to the UK for 10 days in which I took an assortment of bumGenius 3.0 pockets diapers for nights and long days, bamboo fitted and Bummis covers and two g-diaper covers with both disposable inserts and cloth inserts.  England was pretty easy.  On the plane (for both trips) I used the G-diapers so that I wasn’t traveling for over a day with wet and soiled diapers.  I would put a bumGenius on if I knew that she might be down for a longer nap on the plane to ensure no leaks.  I actually didn’t have any major disasters the whole time!

During the day in England we used the fitted and then at the end of the day I used the normal powdered detergent I usually use at home and rinsed and scrubbed down diapers.  In England, the radiators came in very handy for hanging and drying (no access to sun or outside here) and they were usually dry over night.

Our trip to Vietnam and Thailand I pretty much brought the same amount of diapers.  I should have brought more bumGenius pocket diapers as they dried much better in a humid climate.  This time I did bring a whole package of G diaper inserts as we had many travel days and airplane rides but did not use the whole thing in the end.  It was good to have the mix of diapers though.  We were usually in one place for at least 2 nights, so we were always washing and hanging.

We spent a week on an island that pretty much could be described as paradise.  My daughter, Safia, pretty much only wore a diaper the whole time or a t-shirt and a Swimmi Swim Diaper.  Drying was great here as we had a line on our bungalow and the wind and sun had them dry in no time.

I was worried that my diapers would come home pretty worn and with soap build up but because of the sun and our washing, I think they came home whiter and brighter than before.

My one difficulty with traveling with cloth diapers and a baby of course, is the amount of suitcase space they take up.  We were travelling very light for the month but the diapers eat up a lot of space!!  Looking back I wouldn’t have done it any differently.  My husband and I discussed the amount of garbage we would have created over the month and especially when we were on the island where everything’s is boated in and I am pretty sure they just burn the local garbage.

This in its self is worth the effort.

Thank you to Kelly and lovely Miss O. for this guest blog post.  For more great reading, head over to Kelly’s blog, the Accidental Pharmacist.

Recently, my husband and I took our infant daughter on her first trip to join my parents in Maui. Normally light packers, we had no idea what to bring now that there are three of us.  Though we use cloth diapers at home, we were leery of taking them on vacation. However, the alternative – using disposables – was no more attractive largely because we felt strongly about carrying out what we carry in.

Overall, the consensus among moms that I asked was that traveling with cloth diapers is manageable, and with a little planning, 1.5 days worth of diapers is plenty. In addition, some moms also suggested that we divide the cloth diaper stash between multiple bags in case one bag gets lost, that we bring our own laundry detergent and that we try to pack lightly.

With that in mind, here’s what we brought:

1. 16 prefolds (versatile, easy to pack, easy to wash)
2. 2 fitted cloth diapers (overnights)
3. 4 diaper covers
4. 10 cloth wipes
5. change pad
6. diaper cream
7. Nature’s Clean detergent in a ziplock freezer bag
8. waterproof diaper tote & 2 wet bags for day trips
9. infant bathing suit

What worked for us:

• Prefolds: We started off with a diaper service so we’re used to prefolds. The nice thing about prefolds is that they’re versatile, serving sometimes as a bare-bum playmat and other times as a diaper – this was perfect for the hot weather. Also, because prefolds are flat, they dried quickly (good in a humid climate) and didn’t take up too much room.
• Overnights: We packed a couple fitted diapers for overnights. The fitteds took up a little more room but they also came in handy on the flight home, saving us from an in-flight diaper change (ever tried to change a diaper on a plane?).
• Washing: Ahead of time, we changed our initial booking from a hotel to a cottage with a washer and dryer (and it was cheaper!). It turned out that the cottage, which also had 3 bedrooms, a kitchen, and a pool, was perfect for travelling with a baby. I should also mention that we don’t have an in-suite washer at home, so this alone was a treat (and another post for another time).
• Swimming: rather than buying the disposable swimming diapers, we took along an infant bathing suit that was purchased at our local pool. The prefolds fit nicely underneath so we didn’t have to worry about buying disposable diapers for swimming.
• Day trips: For the day trips we just did as we do at home and took along our wet bag.

What we’d do differently:

• Easier Diapers: We’d bring at least 5 all-in-ones or pockets for the grandparents. My mom has Parkinson’s Disease and sometimes the snappi/prefold/cover combination was a bit much. My dad didn’t even bother. Needless to say, after a little time on Google my mom is the new biggest fan of AMP’s all-in-one diaper (which we have but didn’t think to bring). “This is it? Made in Canada, you say? Fantastic!”
• In-Flight Diapers: We used disposables on the way to Hawaii thinking it would be easier. In the end, it was quite the opposite. For future trips I think we’ll just stick to a super absorbent cloth diaper to minimize the in-flight diaper changes.
• Back-up: Unsure of our system, we did bring along some disposables. However, following the advice of others, next time I think I’d bring along some Flip Disposable Inserts instead.
• Relax: I wouldn’t worry so much. Cloth diapering is surprisingly easy and it was just as easy on vacation.

Have you traveled with cloth diapers? Do you have any tips to add?

(Going swimming on holiday or at the pool – check out our contest here - runs until June 13)

As part of our Earth Day 2010 Contest, Mary (from our Mom-to-Be category) shares her thoughts on what her choice to cloth diaper means:

My partner and I decided to use cloth diapers before we had any idea what that meant.  Before looking into it, the barriers were:

1. the initial cost of getting set up for cloth diapering vs buying jumbo size packages of disposables as needed;
2. buying new products vs used or home-made didn’t quite fit with our values.

Once we had done our research, we became excited about cloth diapering because it makes so much sense!  The fabulous environmental and economic benefits aside, cloth diapering allows us to:

1. support a local, planet/ people/pet-friendly company
2. take responsibility for our waste
3. facilitate elimination communication and toilet-training
4. act as ambassadors for cloth diapering
5. resell or gift our diapers when we’re finished with them
6. buy quality products that connect us with a new community

Our decision to use cloth diapers was best supported by the resources offered New & Green, including the awesome information on the website, a helpful conversation with your team at Birthfest, the free demonstration DVD, and the workshops.

We’re excited about starting cloth diapering when we welcome our baby in June!

*The opinions expressed in this blog post are those of the contest entrant and do not necessarily reflect that of New & Green Baby Co.  We wish to thank all of our contest entrants who graciously shared their stories to help further the education and support of families wishing to cloth diaper their children.  Read more about our Earth Day 2010 Contest.

As part of our Earth Day 2010 Contest, Sarah J (our winner in the Seasoned Mom category) shares her thoughts on why cloth diapers have been a good fit for her family:

I can still remember the first day – everything swirling around in my mind – toys, diapers, rashes, feeding, dog barking, my older son yelling and my baby crying AGAIN.  It was like slow motion.  I had tried EVERYTHING.  I  was at my wit’s end.  My baby had the WORST diaper rash and NOTHING was helping.  I had switched to every kind of disposable diaper and diaper cream.  I shudder to think of the environmental impact that all of this had not to mention the economical impact that the experience had on my wallet.  I opened my mailbox and found an ad for cloth diapers.  Cloth diapers – the ONLY diapers I had not tried.  So I ventured.  I bought a pack of Bummi’s Prefold diapers and pre-washed them three times to prepare them to be absorbent.

Skeptical?  Absolutely!  I was at my wit’s end remember?  My daughter was colicky and rashy and miserable.  Nothing helped.  Nothing stopped the rash or the crying.  I put the diaper on and waited.  First pee change – rash was less.  Second pee change – rash was less.  Third change – NO rash.  Seriously?  Wow – I was hooked!!  Even my husband who thought my project was crazy, jumped on board with great excitement!  Our daughter never had a rash again and she potty trained at 18 months.

Since that monumental moment we have had another daughter who is cloth diapered since birth.  She is also rash free.  She is our cloth diaper tester and has worn most of what is out there.  She certainly has her favourites at 8 months old!!

I have pangs of guilt daily that my oldest child was not cloth diapered because I think that it helps to set a precedent for how they will treat the environment – though he is very earthy now helping with his sisters.  It has become a way of life for them!  We wash our diapers in the evening and then my middle daughter helps to hang them on the line.  My middle daughter doesn’t know what a disposable diaper is and I hope to keep it that way!  I have talked to many a new mom and mom-to-be about the benefits of cloth diapering.  The biggest EXCUSE that I hear is that it is “too much work”.  Honestly I tell them that they can’t AFFORD not to try. How much work is a load of laundry??  Start the wash and walk away.  That isn’t a lot of work and the benefits to their darling skin, the environment and your wallet are AMAZING!!

*The opinions expressed in this blog post are those of the contest entrant and do not necessarily reflect that of New & Green Baby Co.  We wish to thank all of our contest entrants who graciously shared their stories to help further the education and support of families wishing to cloth diaper their children.  Read more about our Earth Day 2010 Contest.

As part of our Earth Day 2010 Contest, Meaghan M (our winner in the New Mom  category) shares her journey to successfully using cloth diapers with her daughter:

We started our cloth diapering experience by attending a Cloth Diaper 101 Workshop by New & Green when I was still pregnant.  The best part of attending this great workshop was my husband’s enjoyment of the learning experience.  On our way out he said ‘I could have listened to that for another 2 hours!’, as compared to the breastfeeding class we had been to that day, which he almost fell asleep in (Kresha was the fabulous instructor at this workshop).

After the class we were so excited to pick up or Newborn Rental Kit and check it all out, but we still didn’t have a baby…Charlotte came two weeks late, on February 27, 2010.  We used disposables for a couple of days settling in, then jumped full steam ahead into our rental kit, and loved it!  When our time was up with the rental, we (reluctantly) used disposables for a couple of weeks until we had decided on and ordered our own set of prefolds.

The first time my husband put the disposable on he said ‘How do these things work?’, which is a real testament to how easy the cloth were.

Now we’re two days into using our prefolds and consider ourselves true cloth advocates and aficionados!

*The opinions expressed in this blog post are those of the contest entrant and do not necessarily reflect that of New & Green Baby Co.  We wish to thank all of our contest entrants who graciously shared their stories to help further the education and support of families wishing to cloth diaper their children.  Read more about our Earth Day 2010 Contest.

As part of our Earth Day 2010 Contest, Rachel M (our winner in the Mom-to-Be category) shares her thoughts on why cloth diapers are right for her family:

Our first baby is due June 25th and we’ve decided to cloth diaper.  Both my husband and I are concerned about environmental issues, particularly climate change and the impact of our ’carbon footprints’.  We decided that cloth diapering was something we could do that would actually make a difference - start putting our money where our mouth is so to speak (although we are in fact saving money in the long run, BONUS!).

My mum cloth diapered all five of her children but my husband was “disposable” or “single use” diapered. It may sound a bit silly but he wishes he’d had the choice to not pollute landfills with 2-3 years worth of his dirty diapers! And that’s the choice that we are making for our baby, our children are the ones inheriting this planet, I’d like their early years to be as environmentally-consequence free as possible. We can hope they make the right decision later in life…but at least we can make the right ones before they start making them for themselves. Change begins at home, one diaper at a time!

We understand it’s perhaps not going to be as “convenient” to start out with – we live in an apartment with a front loading high efficiency washing machine and of course no clothes line in the backyard, so there will be challenges.  But we are committed and I am confident we will get into the swing of things with a system that works for us in no time!

We have met with a bit of opposition in the form of the odd disparaging comment from relatives or colleagues at work.  Of course this just makes us more determined!  I have found online resources really helpful in looking at various types of diapering as well as getting feedback from other cloth diapering parents! I love the kinds of options that are available to us now – cloth diapering has come a long way from large cotton squares and safety pins!  It’s encouraging as a mum-to-be knowing that there is support and advice out there and we’re looking forward to being part of that community!

All the best with meeting your little one Rachel!

*The opinions expressed in this blog post are those of the contest entrant and do not necessarily reflect that of New & Green Baby Co.  We wish to thank all of our contest entrants who graciously shared their stories to help further the education and support of families wishing to cloth diaper their children.  Read more about our Earth Day 2010 Contest.

We asked our customers, FaceBook fans, newsletter subscribers and Twitter followers to join us in sharing their stories.  Moms-to Be, New Moms and Seasoned Moms generously shared their stories and photos and we are so excited to share them with you.

Be prepared to smile, nod with that sense of knowing and feel inspired by other Moms, who, like you have considered or are already choosing to use cloth diapers for their babies.

These stories were part of a contest to win a year’s worth of Cloth Diaper Detergent in a Fabulous Wet Bag.

We are pleased to announce the winners today.  Watch, starting on Monday and running through the week as their stories are published here.

And we’ll continue to share stories because stories and experiences connect us, make us feel a part of something bigger and inspire us to either rise up or push forward with what we believe in.

Enjoy!

Congratulations to the following Moms (and thanks to the more than 35 moms who shared their stories!):

In the Mom-to-Be Category – Rachel M

In the New Mom Category – Meaghan M

In the Seasoned Mom Category – Sarah J

For many urbanites, apartment dwelling involves a shared laundry room, coin operated machines, and designated time slots for using the washers and dryers. Can families really still manage cloth diapering in these circumstances? The answer is a resounding “yes, oh YES!”

Dealing with cloth outside of one’s own suite may seem like a nuisance, not to mention expensive when you’re shelling out coins in hand. In reality, it’s quite easy and the cost is usually comparable, if not less, than paying for the extra energy usage on your monthly utility bill.

Here are four tips for using cloth when you don’t have insuite laundry:

Choose diapers that unfold or come apart to wash easily and dry quickly. Pockets, prefolds, and flats are great options for this. If you use fitteds or all-in-one’s, choose ones that have multiple, separated layers for ease of washing and drying.

Sign up for time slots or make your schedule to allow you to wash every two or three days. If you can’t get three slots a week, try to sign up for two slots that are 3 ½ days apart, such as a Monday evening and a Friday morning.

Consider line drying. Since most laundry-room machines are coin operated, line drying will certainly save you $$$. If you’ve got the room either in your suite or in your building’s laundry room, give it go. Inexpensive drying racks can be found at Ikea or any hardware store or mass merchandiser.

Do a short cold wash cycle first or choose your own rinse. The fact that many coin-op machines can’t do an isolated rinse cycle adds unwanted cost and time to the washing process. If you prefer to avoid this cost, consider two cheaper and faster ways of rinsing your diapers (and of course, as always, it is preferable that you knocked off all solids into the toilet at the time you changed the diaper!):

In the diaper pail – Place the diaper pail in a large laundry sink or bathtub. Fill with cold water and swish with a stick. (This is a great use for an old gDiaper swish stick or consider investing $1-2 in a 1/2”– 3/4” dowel.) Pour out as much water as you can, then dump all the contents into the washer and start your normal hot wash. This method requires a strong back, but ensures that you never have to touch the dirty diapers!

In a laundry sink – Dump the dirty diapers from your pail into a large laundry sink, fill with cold water, and agitate them with a stick or with your hands. Drain the water from the sink, pressing on the diapers as the water empties. Toss the diapers directly from the sink into the washer and wash on hot with detergent. Presto change-o, you’re done!

With a bit of planning and some considerations about how to save even more money with cloth diapers, laundering in a shared laundry or a coin-op laundry is definitely do-able.

Are you are a “no in-suite cloth diapering family”?  What is your best strategy for making it work for your family?