I'm so excited to have this bloggy buddy over today! She's friendly, encouraging and she's beautiful inside and out. I love how she blogs with the honesty and humour of the girl next door. I also love reading about her little son, Nolan who just turned ONE yesterday! (well that's still 'today' for them). I've practically 'watched' him grow up through cyberspace. Happy First Birthday Little Nolan!
I am grateful to Lovelinks once again for helping me find such a supportive blogger friend. I am truly honoured to have Natalie here today to share her wisdom about something close to her baby's bottom - cloth diapering! I'm sure after reading this you'll feel inspired to go green with diapering your babes. Welcome to my bloghome Natalie!
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I was ecstatic when my good bloggy pal Germaine asked me to be one of her Tipsy Friends! It is quite an honor to be over on her blog today. I always love reading about her two adorable children and her sense of humor in her posts. She suggested maybe I could write about tips for cloth diapers, and I thought that is a swell idea! I've been cloth diapering for a year now (**tear**my little one turned a year old yesterday!) so I feel like I do have a fair amount of knowledge to pass on to others who are thinking of jumping on the cloth diaper train.
I started my cloth diaper journey by using old school prefolds with a snappi which is the replacement of your mom's safety pins she had to use in yours. I used these because they are the most affordable and because as a newborn they go through a trillion diapers. I also used these because as a newborn my one size diapers were a little bulky for my little bambino.
Once Nolan put on a little weight, I started using my one-size BumGenius 4.0. Most of my diapers are the one size because I felt that would be the most economical way since they last throughout the diaper years. I do own a few fitted cloth diapers just to try them out and when your child is smaller they are a little less bulky if you like a trimmer diaper.
I have tried out several different types of cloth diapers, but my favorite is the BumGenius 4.0 with snaps. It comes with two inserts, a newborn and a much larger one. I also own several FuzziBunz which come with extra inserts, so I have also used some of those in the BumGenius covers. I have found that the BumGenius resulted in less leaks because Nolan had skinny legs. With FuzziBunz they have a different type cut to them in the legs which can result in more leakage for thinner legs and side sleepers. I also like the BumGenius snaps because they are pretty straight forward and easy to do with a wiggly baby. The FuzziBunz has some at the waist and near the legs so it takes a little more maneuvering.
Now for my fast tips for a successful cloth diaper formula:
1) Become friends with your washing machine. If you solely breastfeed, you can just throw all diapers including poopy ones in the washer. You just need to soak them for about 20 minutes, and then do a cold rinse. Then follow with a hot wash with detergent. After your baby is on solid food or formula all poop needs to be rinsed off in the toilet.
2) Invest in a diaper sprayer (it looks like a sink sprayer.) Once they do have other foods, you'll need this handy tool to help rinse off poop in the toilet. Just be sure not to have the water pressure up to high or you might end up with some yuckiness all over your bathroom. Believe me you don't want to go there!
3) Learn to adjust and improvise. If you have a heavy wetter, then I strongly suggest double stuffing your diaper. At night time, I use the cotton microfiber insert and an infant prefold behind it. The microfiber insert helps wick away from baby skin, but the prefold is the heavy duty worker that holds in the majority of the wetness. This method has been a lifesaver for me. At nap time, I use the microfiber insert and then a thin hemp insert behind it. This has also worked like a charm! Be sure to adjust snaps or inside size adjustments for some diapers. Babies bodies are always changing so you've got to change the diaper too.
4) Use cloth wipes too! I didn't in the beginning, but I do now. It makes it so easy to just put the dirty cloth diaper and wipe in the diaper pail. You can even make your own wipes solution which is super easy. Most recipes call for mixing baby shampoo/wash and baby oil. I strongly suggest the Itty Bitty wipes, and I also own some flannel ones that are a little cheaper in price.
5) Travel with your cloth diapers. I know some people might fear this, but it's really easy. All you need is a travel wet bag and a washing machine at your destination, and you will be set!
6) Save money, so treat yourself. Ok, ok you don't have to treat yourself but using cloth diapers is a great way to save money! Especially if you use them for multiple kids. My diapers are all still in great condition, so I plan on using them for my next little one in the future. (You also are being green, but for me I was mainly concerned with saving the $2k-$3k in dollar bills!)
If you are on the fence about cloth diapers, please feel free to shoot your questions my way! I'd be glad to share my love and tips of cloth diapers with you.
And again thanks Germaine for having me over in your part of the world today!
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I wished I had read this before I decided to cloth diaper. I only cloth diaper my daughter at home and never dared venture into cloth diapering at night or travelling with them. I think I should start to now.
Thanks so much for sharing your cloth diapering tips with us today Natalie! It's been wonderful having you over!
Please head on over to From Corporate to Domestic, to get to know more about Natalie and her family, and send her little Nolan some Birthday love too! Do follow her there and on Twitter!
