Starting Out and Overwhelmed? Tip-toe in....

I'll often receive messages from those just starting their research. They've started reading reviews, finding information, bookmarking sites - but just don't quite know where to go from there. I empathize, as I remember that exact feeling! So many ideas, so many options, then there's the upfront expense. How can I know I'm making a good decision?

The following is how I break it down for people who come in to our store - for 1:1 consults, for 101 classes or just starting their research on their lunch break. If the following sounds a bit off-the-cuff, it is! An email reply I typed up tonight, and then realized it was high time I share this with all!

So here goes:

My favorite recommendation - start with the preloved newborn diaper rental. It gives you a chance to see how you like cloth diapering, and if you decide it isn't for you, you have just a minimal investment (even using the rental just a few weeks will already be saving you money over disposables).

If you are having a good experience (out of our hundreds of rentals, I can count on one hand those who haven't gone forward with cloth), do a trial package alongside the rental (thus ensuring you aren't left in a limbo period without enough diapers). The trial will let you test out several types and brands to see what you like best.

Then, after the rental and trial periods are up, trade in the whole thing for credit for your permanent diaper stash.

I think the best part about this^^ is that it lets you dip your toe in slowly, without having to jump in with hundreds of dollars. Each step of the way allows you to do a lot of research before making the next step. Hope that helps!

Want to do some more reading? Check out our 'help!' section, which walks you through step-by-step the usual research questions.

Want to check out the products mentioned above?
Newborn Diaper Rental
Trial Packages


 

Starting Out: What Do I Need?

The first question we get in the store from those beginning their research - just what do I need?

While it may seem there are a ton of diaper and accessory options out there, there are ways to get your horse blinders on, and funnel yourself towards just those items that will work best for you.

First, your shopping list. In other words, just what on earth do I need to make cloth diapering work for me?

There are six catagories you will consider when shopping: 

1. which diaper(s) will you use?
2. how will you store the dirty diapers until laundry time? aka storage
3. which detergent will you use? 
4. will you use cloth wipes? 
5. what will you use when baby gets a red bum? aka rash cream
6. how will you deal with poop?

Over the next blog posts we'll consider each of these six categories!

Anxious to begin your research now? Check out our 'help!' section. It takes you through your research, step-by-step. We know there are a lot of options out there, and we want to be sure you find just what will suit your family's needs best!!

AppleCheeks: The Skinny on Fit, Absorbency and More

A giant kudos to the ladies at AppleCheeks for continually reaching out to their customers, offering education on everything from supply chain and sourcing to continually updating product materials! As a retailer, it is so helpful to have these tools I can then pass along to you. They recently published two amazing visuals, which you'll find included below (to view either in more detail, click on the image and you will be taken to a zoom-able view). Also included below, my two-minute take on these diapers, as well as a short AppleCheeks shopping guide.

New to AppleCheeks? My two-minute take:

• Fit: Super-soft leg and waist elastics offer a nice fit, particularly on babies with sensitive skin or chubby legs.
• Sizing: The two-size system offers a fit from newborn through large toddler.
• Functionality: Use as an All-in-Two or Pocket.
• Customize! The shells and inserts are sold a la carte, so you can mix and match just what you need! Natural fibers, synthetics, stay-dry, bamboo, lots of absorbency? light absorbency? yup, they have it all!

Ready to give AppleCheeks a try? Here's what to purchase:

• Using as an All-in-Two? Purchase a shell + a couple of inserts (unsure on which insert you'll like best? get a 2pli and a stay-dry). This will let you see how you like using the shell back-to-back. 
• Using it as a Pocket? Purchase a shell + insert (unsure of your preferred insert? try both the stay-dry and 2pli bamboo - OR - already have a bunch of inserts? just buy the shell and stuff your favorite inside the pocket) 
• Want to dip your toe further in the water? Try a Starter Kit! This gives you a day's worth of diapers. 
• Want a full stash of AppleCheeks? Check out the Full-Time Kits! A full stash of AppleCheeks, just ready and waiting for a new home.  

One-Size Diapers: Rise-ing to the Challenge

One-Size diapers (often referred to as 'OS diapers') are a favorite of many families thanks to their versatility. For, just when it seems your infant is outgrowing every item of clothing, you can rest assured your diapers will still fit next week, and next year.

Most* one-size diapers use rise snaps to allow them to grow with your baby -

As your baby grows, simply unsnap the rise and move it to the next rise setting - by moving up a row of snaps you now have more fabric in the rise. This extra fabric then gives you more diaper to pull up against baby's stomach, and therefore more wing length to wrap around baby's sides.

Quick tip - If you ever find your one-size diapers suddenly are leaking at the thigh or front inner leg, chances are it is time to adjust the rise setting.

Now, don't be surprised if your little one seems to outgrow his/her rise setting overnight. Also, do not worry if your baby is wearing the diaper fully unsnapped at 9mos. While there are a select few babies who will outgrow one-size diapers, most babies will be just fine in their one-size diapers through potty time. In fact, don't be surprise if you end up snapping the diapers down a row at some point.

Just today I had to snap the rise back down one setting on my ~32lb three-year-old (she had a growth spurt last week - suddenly the tallest rise setting came up too high on her belly) -

*Don't love the look of the snap-down rise? Consider these alternatives - all adjust the rise using the elastic around the legs -

• Softbums: adjusts via a toggle attached to the leg elastic - this ingenious design feature is also what allows this diaper to truly get small enough to be functional on a newborn. 
• Fuzzibunz: the elastic is held in its desired position via a button hole in the elastic - what sets Fuzzibunz apart is that the elastic is not sewn in at either end - so no sewing or seam-ripping skills required to replace elastic that has lost its stretch - AND - Fuzzibunz will send you new leg elastics for free if you need them 
• Charlie Banana: the elastic is adjusted via a 'bra strap' slider on the leg elastic 

Whoopies Stash - 'Honey, I forgot the diapers.'

Ever get somewhere and realize you forgot to pack diapers? Did a one hour coffee date turn in to an afternoon out with friends? Little one decided to poop four times during errands, and you are now considering wrapping him in the paper napkins spilling out of your glove box?

Consider a Whoopsies Stash! In sum, a stash of diapers and accessories intended to be stored in the car.

In ours? 

• 1 Sweet Pea Wet Bag 
• 1 Sweet Pea One-Size Cover 
• 6 OsoCozy Infant Prefolds
• 6 Cloth Wipes

Why do I Love This Assortment?  

• The wet bag is the perfect size to hold all of the supplies until needed but not take up much trunk space
• The prefolds and cover both work as one-size diapers - simply trifold the prefold and fold it in to the cover (diapering a newborn? consider also adding a Snappi to your kit, so you can fold and secure the prefold around baby) 
• Disposable wipes dry out in the car over time - cloth wipes can be wet from my water bottle
• Economically-minded prefolds and one-size cover keep the overall price low 

Murphy's Law
If you use your whoopsies stash, be sure to get them back in the car asap, lest you decide to have a Whoopsies Whoopies stash. For, as theory goes, as soon as your emergencies supplies are forgotten, that is sure to be when you'll need them again.


Happy Travels!

How Many Do I Need?

How many diapers do I really need? 

Fair question, and often one of the first asked when someone comes to the store. Before quantifying the amount, I like to start with the following analogy - blue jeans.

Forever In Blue Jeans

Yup. An item of clothing that occupies nearly every closet of every home. They can be expensive designer jeans. They can be 'home' jeans, reserved for weekend gardening, or 'nice' jeans saved for errands and mom's night out. You name it. But they all serve the same purpose, to cover one's bottom half. And most folks have at least a couple of pairs, if not more.

Enter diaper comparison. 

Styles

Just like very few people have five pairs of the same jeans (unless you are my father, God love him and his Lees), most people find they like to have a variety of diapers in their stash. These favorites usually fall into a few categories: 

• Home diapers - diapers that may be a bit bulkier, or a bit more hands-on - but they do the job just fine, and for the price it is nice to get a lot of mileage
• Diaper-Bag and/or Daycare diapers - these are the convenient/trim-fitting/easy/what-have-you - easy to use when on the go, and fit well under those adorable yet quite skinny bottoms you had to buy at Target the other day
• Nighttime/Naptime diapers - these are the diapers that can go the distance for longer sleep stretches

Wait, I use the same diaper for all of these categories? Yes, some people find they will end up with three (or more, hello fellow addicts!) kinds of diapers to cover these three metrics. For example, when we first started it was prefolds+covers around the house, All-in-Twos and Pockets for out of the house, and Pockets for Overnight. Some families will find one diaper that does all of these jobs, and they'll invest in a full stash of that option.

Back to the Blue Jeans

Think back to how often you wear and wash your jeans. If you wear jeans almost daily and rotate between two pairs, after a couple of years these jeans might be showing their wear. Yes, they still work fine, but maybe there is a fray or two that needs repairing, or maybe the knees have faded or maybe they developed super-thin fabric in places not mean to be seen by public eyes. But you only had to buy two pairs of jeans up front - low out-of-pocket and completely functional - can't beat that.  

Or if you have six pairs of jeans, chances are they cost you more up-front. But, after a couple of years most of them are probably still in good shape and have a few years of life left in them. 

The same thinking can again be applied to diapers. You can get a smaller stash of diapers, planning on washing more frequently and likely have tired diapers after a couple of years, or a larger stash that is likely to last past the first child. 

So now let's talk numbers

• Newborns - plan on 12-15 diaper changes per day
• Infants - 8-10 diapers per day (the switch from 'Newborn' to 'Infants' doesn't correlate as much to age as to frequency of pooping - a 6mo still pooping 4+ times a day will require more diapers than one who only has 1-2 dirty diapers)
• Older Infants/Toddlers - 6-8 diapers per day (this assumes they are holding their bladder for longer stretches, so there are spans of time with a completely dry diaper)

Math Time

Take the number of diapers planned per day and extrapolate out to consider the number of days you go between washing - ie - an Infant in diapers, washing every 2 days, would come out to somewhere around 16-20 diapers. 

Wiggle Room? 

Would you prefer to invest in a lower quantity of diapers, with the expectation that some of them may need to be replaced between children? Or would you prefer to have a larger stash, allowing for greater rotation? There isn't a right answer to this question, rather, it is about figuring out what works best for you and your family. 

If you'd like to allow for greater rotation, plan on adding at least another day's worth of diapers to the stash. For an infant, this would mean around 24-30 diapers. For a toddler, likely 18-24 diapers. 

Resale Time

Time to apply our jeans analogy again. You walk into the consignment shop with your blue jeans. If you had many pairs of jeans in your closest, chances are the shop is going to take the jeans eagerly into their store. Diapers that see less wear and tear will retain a higher value, thus fetching you more on the resale forums. 

More Tips For Extending Diapers' Life

• Use an optimal detergent in your wash routine - using a less-than-ideal detergent usually necessitates more frequent stripping, which means more wear and tear on fibers, elastics, velcro and PUL (aka 'bells and whistles')
• Hang any diapers with 'bells and whistles' to dry - if you must use the dryer, use a low heat setting and throw in a towel
• Avoid extra additives - vinegar, chlorine bleach, oxygen bleach, etc - unless absolutely necessary - extra additives = extra wear on diapers 
• Use a dry pail - constant exposure to the contents of a wet pail will again cause premature wear

Now the real question of the hour - children of the eighties - anyone remember rolled jeans+slouch socks?