Disenchanted with Diapers

I don't know if it's because I want Eloise to potty train or because I am just bored of dealing with poop, but I am so disenchanted with diapers.

Our stash of cloth diapers has dwindled, many of the covers requiring new velcro tabs and elastic after being used and laundered every other day for 22+ months. Some of our diapers have held up better than others, but our heavy wetting kid requires a super diaper for naps and nighttime and we now have a limited few that do the job. Honestly, after too many leaks and wet beds I've succumbed to disposables for sleep. But guess what? We've discovered Eloise leaks through disposables too!

All this aside, we've had a wonderful experience with cloth diapers and I wouldn't change a thing. I have my favourite diapers and tools to make cloth diapering easier, so once again, here is what has worked the best for us.

Blueberry One-Size Pocket Diaper with hook/loop
I always recommend these diapers because they are a great fit and the quality is also unbeatable. Our Blueberry Diapers have been laundered the same way as every other diaper we own but they look nearly new. The elastic has stayed stretchy and tight and the hook/loop (aka velcro) is still sticky.

bumGenius Freetime All-in-One One-Size Diapers with hook/loop
We discovered these diapers too late because they are awesome and so, so easy to use. The liner is attached and does not need to be stuffed into a pocket before use, they simply fold one on top of another and boosters can be added for more absorbancy. My only concern with bumGenuius diapers is that the elastic and hook/loop have failed on many of our 4.0s which means a lot of fiddly repair work before our next child.

Wool Soaker
We need a wool cover for naps and bedtime because Eloise is a super heavy wetter. These covers absorb wetness and keep both Eloise and the bed dry, in theory. In reality, Eloise is such a heavy wetter that many mornings she wakes us with a wet diaper, cover and bed. These covers worked better when she was small and would be excellent for babies with more chub.

Wipes Warmer & Cloth Wipes
If you are going to cloth diaper it makes no sense to use disposible wipes. Actually, even if I didn't use cloth diapers I think I would still use cloth wipes because they are just that good. Think about it, if you have a spill and can either use a half piece of paper towel or a dish cloth, which is going to do a better job? The warmer itself acts as a storage container for wipes moistened with a solution of olive oil, baby soap and water, ready for clean ups. Plus, wouldn't you prefer a nice warm wipe at 3am?

Diaper Accessories
We have a few wet bags in rotation and they've been both good and bad. We started with two Kissaluv pail liners but one de-laminated so we replaced it with a Bummis wet bag, which also de-laminated. I can't say if one is better than the other but maybe the Kissaluv solely based on length of use. Our take along wet bags have been consistently great; we use one by Itzy Ritzy, and one by Bummis.
 

Gwoss

In Eloise's words, what I'm about to write about is "gwoss" so feel free to stop reading now. But if you're a mom (or not squeamish) then you too are well versed in the following:

I'm talking about pee and vomit.

Eloise, I'm sorry to divulge information on the internet that will embarrass you as a teen, but you are a heavy wetter. You also have a tendency to vomit everywhere if we put you in your crib and leave the room rather than rocking you to coma-sleep. It's not that we're okay with you throwing up and sleeping in it, but after a few hours of trying to get you to sleep in your crib we are exhausted and two minutes of crying really shouldn't be such a big deal. You do always manage to sleep through the night and wake up cheerful the next day. The surprise for us in the morning is a urine-dampened and/or vomit-scented baby which results in an immediate load of laundry, crib and carpet clean and a bath. (As a result Eloise's Piglet, her bed sheets and her hair are quite possibly the cleanest ever.)

Back in January we were having problems with Eloise waking up often because she was wet. We experimented with different diapers and ended up using wool diaper soakers which worked like a charm. Until now. Since Eloise sleeps 12, sometimes 13, hours a night we find that her diaper and soaker just can't keep up so we've been experimenting once again with different combinations. So far a Blueberry or bumGenius pocket diaper with two bamboo liners, an additional bamboo-terry liner and the wool soaker have worked the best but after a wet week we're back to the drawing board.

I did some research and heard about the great absorbancy of Tots Bots Bamboozle diapers so I ordered one from New & Green and a Bummis Super Brite cover for on top since we had so much success with these covers when Eloise was small (not even one newborn poop blowout!). We used a wool soaker on top of it all and I am pleased to report that Eloise and her bed were totally dry when she woke up this morning.

Unfortunately, we let her cry for a few minutes after a marathon bedtime last night and though she may not have been wet from pee, she had thrown up everywhere. Gwoss.

Cloth Diapers: A Year Later

Cutest cloth diaper bum.

The mystére surrounding cloth diapers still amazes me. When Chris and I tell people we have used cloth for more a year now they often remark how gross it must be and that they just don't have the time. Here's the thing: cloth diapering is not difficult, it's not gross and you can't slag it before you try it. Yes, we have to do an additional load of laundry every other day, but it's an easy trade for Eloise's health and the health of our planet. By choosing to cloth diaper we are not contributing to the 27 billion (BILLION!) tons of waste that disposable diapers make up in landfills each year.

So what have we learned a year later? Lots. Deciding to cloth diaper Eloise was a great choice and I want everyone to know that they can do it too. Read on to find out what worked for us.

Newborn to three months:

We started with a rotation of 18 Kissaluv Kissa's Cotton Fleece Fitted diapers (size 0) and six Bummis Super Brite covers (size small). One cover lasts until it gets soiled so you can reuse it a few times before reaching for a new one. This combo was unbeatable for containing messes we didn't experience one dreaded newborn 'blowout' or any other leakage, even with a round the clock newborn poop machine. When your diapers get streaky (trust me, it'll happen), an afternoon in the sun will take out even major stains and removes odours too. For reals.

Three to six months:

When Eloise got a bit bigger we added six AMP Stay-Dry All-in-Ones (size small) to our rotation which were easy to pack for outings and trimmer under clothing too. We also switched to medium Super Brite covers and continued to use the same size 0 Kissa's until around six months.

Six months to One year:

Once Eloise reached around 10 pounds, we added pocket diapers into our stash. We have around 30 and our favourites are bumGenius 4.0 One Size and Blueberry Diapers One Size for both fit and durability. We like pocket diapers with a hook/loop (aka velcro) closure and love, love, love Blueberry Diaper's bamboo inserts which are trim yet amazingly absorbent and our go to for night or long car rides. Eloise is a skinny baby and we've used gDiapers, FuzziBunz, and Baby Kangas as well but struggled to get a good fit. We have nine AMP Stay-Dry All-in-Ones (now in size medium) and enjoy how little room they take up in our always overflowing diaper bag.

Speaking of night, now that Eloise sleeps through the night we swear by wool diaper soakers from Babyology to keep her dry until morning. Wool is super absorbent and naturally antibacterial so it's the perfect solution for heavy wetters and we can't put Eloise to bed without her soaker. Solid food also brought on new challenges to diaper 'clean up' and we are huge fans of Bummis Bio-Soft Liners. These awesome, flushable liners allow you to remove solids and they provide a barrier to protect diapers from cream which we always need when Eloise is teething.

Washing:

We currently have about 40 diapers in rotation and wash diapers every two days. We use Country Save detergent to wash and the wash routine is as follows: dump diapers and wet bag into the washer, rinse cold, wash in hot water with 1/8th of a scoop of soap, rinse with hot water and rinse a final time with hot water. This routine does take a good deal of water but I was finding one hot rinse was not enough to get all the soap residue out of the diapers. Once and a while I add 1/4 cup of vinegar to the first hot rinse which helps to eliminate odours and reduce build up. I put liners and all-in-one diapers in the dryer and hang the rest to dry, in the sun if possible (ha ha).

Accessories:

Our pail is a simple plastic garbage can with a tight fitting lid and we have two diaper pail liners (or wet bags). We have found Bummis Fabulous Wet Bag to be better quality than other pail liners and I like the zip closure too. We have two wet bags to pack in the diaper bag (one to use, one to wash) and enjoy the fun patterns available from Itzy Ritzy.

At home we use Kissaluv Awesome Terry Knit Wipes and keep them at the ready in a Prince Lionheart Warmies Wipes Warmer. The wipes warmer was one of those items that seemed extravagant at the time but has become my number one 'must have' for cloth diapering. It is always stocked with moist wipes so we have a warm, clean cloth at the ready when needed. Cloth wipes do a WAY better clean up job in much less time than disposable wipes and just get tossed in the wash along with your diapers.

Next up? It's potty time.

You're Covered

No one likes waking up wet in the middle of the night, especially not when you have to change the baby AND the bed. This was our reality when Eloise started sleeping longer than a few hours at a time. We've discovered that she's a pretty heavy wetter so extra hours between diaper changes resulted in many wet sleepers and damp sheets. Lovely.

I searched online to see what other cloth diapering parents recommended and the unanimous answer was wool. Wool is soft, breathable, anti-bacterial and quick drying. Wool soakers (aka diaper covers) can retain a third of their weight in moisture so your baby's skin and clothing stay dry all night long. In the morning you just turn the cover inside out and any dampness evaporates. Another bonus is that the soakers only need to be washed every few weeks or when soiled (washing instructions below).

I was reading reviews for wool soakers on Diaper Pin and came across covers made by a company called Babyology. I purchased two soakers through Babyology's eBay site and since the seller just happened to be located in Vancouver, I received my order in just two days. Their customer service was impressive and they actually waived the cost of shipping and included a pair of booties as a bonus. Each soaker was just $19, they are beautifully made and super, duper cute.

Stripes? Why not! Cute & functional Babyology Wool Soakers.

These wool soakers work like a dream. Eloise has been sporting hers under her sleeper, over a nighttime diaper (pocket diaper stuffed bamboo liner & booster), every night for about a month and we have not had a leak since.

Washing Wool Soakers

Fill your kitchen sink with lukewarm water and a few squirts of all-natural baby soap (or a wool-specific detergent). Add the soaker(s) and gently agitate, letting soak for 15 - 20 mins. Rinse in cold water and gently squeeze most of the water out. Roll into a towel then let dry flat.

Lanolizing Wool Covers
*Why lanolize? Lanolin is a natural water repellent that keeps moisture off the skin while leaving your soaker dry and the wool feeling soft!

Squeeze a pea size amount of Lansinoh Lanolin into a jar with a tightly fitting lid. Fill the jar 3/4 full with very hot water and shake well to combine. Pour this mixture over your freshly rinsed wool soaker and swirl to ensure full coverage. Let sit for at least 30 minutes. Drain water and gently squeeze wool to remove excess. Roll into a towel then let dry flat.