19 January 2009

Cloth Diapering How to's...

So this is according to my tastes and what I do for Lincoln. You will find MANY different opinions and ways to cloth diaper (CD) your little ones (LOs). This is what we do:

PREFOLDS
We use unbleached prefolds (PFs) as well as some red edge clotheeze PFs from http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/. I love this site. They have a HUGE selection of diapers to fit a wide variety of babies. Here's a shot of their selection of PFs:


Now I had some green edge infant size diapers and we use those as doublers now since Lincoln has grown out of them. But they don't have the green's anymore, but they are the standard infant size you get at your local CD store or online. They are 4-6-4 in layers meaning the outside parts are 4 layers thick and the middle is 6 layers. Now we trifolded them and that means that they are all folded together so there was really 14 layers. :)

Lincoln is now in premium size so they are 4-8-4, but since his rise (the measurement from top of waist in the back to just under the belly button) is short still we fold the front down 3-4". This is nice since it he's in a variety of covers.

FITTEDS

I have a few different brands (Kissluvs, Under the Nile-organic Egyptian cotton, Sugarshack baby, and Goodmama) and they are all fine, the last 2 are the softest ever! They are Organic Bamboo Velour. So yummy!


Sugar Shack Baby-this one has snaps-mine doesn't. But it's a onesize-I love this print! It's so cute! We use pins or snappis to fasten it. But I might add snaps to it, since I have snap pliers.



These are Goodmamas. They are onesize diapers with snaps. They are fitteds so you need a cover, just like a PF. We have 4 of these. They have a snap in doubler too!

PUL COVERS
Now with all of these need covers since they are not waterproof. We have several covers the first set I will describe are PUL covers (pronounce pull, which is short for poly urethane laminate). And I like a bunch of different ones for different reasons. According to GMD, "OK, this is the hard part. The diaper choice is easier, because that is often a budget (price-driven) decision. But the covers are closer in price to each other, so personal preference comes into play more here." They are totally correct!
Bummis, they have 2 different covers and there is 1 main difference between the 2. The Super Wisper Wrap (BSWW) doesn't have a gusset to keep contents inside the diaper. The Super Brite does have one. They are only available in 4 prints and white. While the BSWW has more choices for prints. They are about $11-13 locally or online.
Thirsties, are one of my absolute faves. This is because they are cut bigger than either of the Bummis and they have fantastic gussets! They do not have prints but have a wide variety of colors, over 10! I even had my mom take one of my orange/melon colored ones and embroider "Go Beavs!" on the butt! Very OSU!

Imse Vimse, is also a great cover, and it's organic! We have 2 different ones. The first is a regular waterproof cover, and it's cut generously. It works great over the fitteds! I think it's due to the higher rise. It's a great diaper because it's got such an adjustable waist setting with the hook and loop closure.

Zoom baby Gear & Bumpkins are others that we have used, but I only have 1 of each and really don't use them as much. The Bumpkins is nice and roomy-enough for the fitted! But it's a daytime cover only due to the mesh on the back-which they warn you about. The ZBG is new to me, I have had it for 2 weeks and it's been great so far. It's a side snapping cover and I am not sure if I like that yet.

WOOL & FLEECE COVERS
Again according to GMD, "Why wool? Wool is breathable. This cover is a favorite at nighttime because it virtually never leaks. The wool is totally untreated and is naturally antibacterial thus doesn't retain odors. Is wool itchy? Commercial wool can be, but this wool is untreated and wonderfully soft. Don't be afraid to try wool! This style has been loved for generations because it is so effective. The knit stretches for a gentle and comfortable fit over a very wide size range. A must for the family bed! Nighttime heavy wetter? This is the answer. It's cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Yes, really! That's because it's so breathable. Wool does need to be hand washed, and occasional lanolization is helpful. But washing is needed only very infrequently, sometimes only once a month. Wool airs out to fresh easily."

I have several fleece covers/pants that Lincoln will wear. These are fantastic because they are fully breathable! They don't trap the heat from the diaper. The fleece that I have I have either made using a thick polar fleece or they are fleece pants that I bought at the store that work. Fantastic! There are Stacinators, which had a couple of when Lincoln was a newborn. They worked nicely.

For wool, I have the Imse Vimse wool cover. It's bullet proof! I love it!!! It's great! This kiddo can pee all night long and wake up without soaking the sheets! Seriously I was skeptical with wool, but man once you have it properly lanolized, it's awesome (more on that in a bit). I have had 3 wool covers. One was when Linc was a newborn and it was a Zoom Baby Gear cover. It was nice! I love that ZBG are made here in Portland. The other wool item I have are a pair of crochet wool longies (pants in the CD world-Shorties are shorts, Skirties are skirts and Soakers are just a cover). They are great longies! I love her work, she used some very soft wool and made them custom to Linc's measurements.
He can wear these with the fitted or a PF that is pinned or snappi'd. He loves them and I get so many complements on them! To Lanolize check out this video: http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/lanolize.htm
Step by Step: http://pinstripesandpolkadots.com/CaringForWool.htm

DIY-DO IT YOURSELF
I have become a DIY kind of girl. I am working on crocheting Linc's first pair of longies. I have a ton of patterns and links and I will post them all in a separate post. There is a lot of resources for those that want to learn how to sew, knit or crochet CDs. It's addicting, beware! The one warning I will give, when you are making covers in the form of knitting or crochet, you need to use at least 80% wool. I use 100% wool, and you will need to wash and lanolize them to make them waterproof.

HOW TO WASH
This is just as important as everything else mentioned! Why you ask? Because if you don't do this right you can have a few problems: Stink issues and repelling issues. Stink is yucky because once the babe has gone pee in it, it reeks! Repelling isn't good because once the babe goes pee, it rolls down their leg because it's not absorbed.

So the main concern here is what do you WASH your diapers in! Here's the best site for laundry detergents and CDing: http://pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentchoicesataglancepspd.htm
DO NOT use any fabric softeners! This will cause repelling issues! Use wool dryer balls! They are so easy to make and perfect for those who are making covers and have left over wool-think green! :)
For us we use Charlie's Soap for our HE front loader. I use 1 scoop of that in hot water wash with a few dashes of essential oils (right now it's lemon grass or sweet orange). I will add 1/4 C of white vinegar to the cold rinse (where you'd put the softener) this helps with stink. I use BacOut, by BioKleen. It helps with poop. We also use a diaper sprayer to spray the poop off the diaper! This is a great invention! I made mine myself using a blog that I found-got all the stuff at Home Depot! Easy!
Here's a link for info on detergent aides: http://pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentbasics.htm

We store all the dirties in wet bags and throw the whole bag (turned inside out) into the washer. Works perfectly. I dry on medium/regular in the dryer. When there are poop stains and the sun is out, I will "sun out" the stains! Amazing how the sun will bleach things! But in Oregon it's hard to do right now. :)

So that's my basic overview. OK, so it's long! Sorry. I will add the DIY part soon.

Crazy!

Life has been a bit crazy. I have been planning our family's trip to Southern California (Disneyland and Seaworld) in March. It's been fun researching. I have been countless times, but it's neat to see what it's going to look like though a 4 yr old's eyes. :)

We are going to celebrate Chandler's 4th b-day down there. Since Rob's extended family lives in the area, we are going to do a mini party at the hotel. It will be a couple weeks early, but we know Chandler will love it. Plus most of them haven't even met Lincoln yet!! So it's a win win on all accounts.

We are going to stay at the Disney's Grand Californian, thanks to my mom's generousity. We are going to stay at Rob's Aunt & Uncle's beach house the first night then hit Sea world the next morning. Then we will drive up to Anaheim to check into the DGC. Rob is going to go see the Anaheim Ducks play against the Vancouver Canucks, which will be his highlight, no doubt!

For me, I can't wait to walk into Disneyland and see the Mickey face done up in flowers! I need to get a picture of Rob and I in front of it, since it's been 5 years since our honeymoon where the picture below was taken.
Honeymoon @ Disneyland

So that's been the big deal for the time being. I have plenty on my to do list to blog about, but this was the first. Next up...diapers. :)