Diaper Details: a very long post

I've posted details about cloth diapers before, but I've been thinking that I need to break it down a little more.  One, because I think it could be helpful and two, because I want to be sure I remember which diapers I like for what stages.  

(bumGenius Elemental (AIO/OS), Clementine)

Back Row Stacks Left to Right: FuzziBunz Pocket OS, FuzziBunz Pocket OS, Rump*a*Rooz Pocket OS, bumGenius Pocket OS (there's actually one bG Freetime mixed in that stack), bumGenius Elemtental OS.  Front Row Stacks Left to Right: GroVia (AIO & AI2), Thirsties Duo Pocket Size 1, Thirsties Duo Pocket Size 1, Thirsties AIO/OS.

My thoughts on what we have...

Thirsties 

-Duo Size 1: these were awesome when O was tiny.  I've mentioned before, and everyone will tell you, a 'one size' diaper is not really going to fit a newborn.  It's just not practical.  We have about a dozen Thirsties in Size 1 and I loved them for newborn stages.  It was still a couple of months before he fit well in them, but they were great because the fleece is soft and the gussets were really great for containing breastmilk poop.  They fit him until around five months.  I ordered a set of Size 2s, but they were huge.  At 18lbs, even the small setting was big.  I sent them back.  They are no longer a favorite for his current stage.

-I have one fitted and one cover.  I LOVE the fitted for when we need to air out - ha funny story... we went on a walk last summer and Oliver was wearing the fitted (sans cover) and a tshirt.  I forgot to grab the cover since I'm used to pocket or AIO and as we were almost home I was suddenly wet all over before realizing why... oops.  This combo is a little bulkier, but overall I like it.  I am not a fitteds type mom, but I can see why people like them.

-Thirsties All in Ones are new.  I ordered four to try them out... don't like.  They are super bulky and the snaps cause them to sit low on Oliver.  I primarily use them at night.  They take a lot longer to dry but I've found that flipping them inside out makes it speedy and they're dry about the same time as inserts.  There is a tunnel under the absorbent middle and you could stuff that with another insert for extra absorbency.  I did this the first couple of nights to be sure we didn't have any leaks, but found that it was completely unnecessary as they're super absorbent.   

FuzziBunz

-FuzziBunz were my favorite after Thirsties.  I used them both for a while but FB were my absolute favorite until we started solid food.  For some reason, the fleece is thicker and the poop stuck to it like glue.  It made for some nasty spraying.  They are decently trim and have a great fit.  I pulled them out recently and thought I needed to loosen the elastic, had some leaking when I did that and ended up going back to the original setting I'd had it on.  I rarely use FB anymore.  They're packed up in the closet with our Thirsties.  We have 17 of these.

Rump*a*Rooz

-I'm fairly new to these.  A friend ordered a dozen and really liked them so I bought a couple to try out.  Initially, I loved them.  They are super, super soft inside and have an inner gusset that's fleece and not PUL like the Thirsties.  (PUL is the waterproof lining inside the covers.)  I loved that and I think that for a second baby I will look into buying a few in the Lil' Joey newborn sizes.  These diapers are bulky in the front.  I have the insert set on medium and it's really annoying how fluffy the front of O's pants are in this diaper.  I have been using it at night or in the mornings before he's changed out of pajamas.  We have 8 of these.

GroVia
-We have one GroVia All in Two (AI2) and one All in One (AIO).  The AI2 was part of the Jillian's Drawers trial we did and I kept it when I sent some back... I LOVE the cover.  This diaper is super trim, the velcro (most companies call velcro 'hook and loop' since Velcro is a name brand, I'll refer to hook and loop as velcro because it's what I'm used to - sorry Velcro company) - so the velcro is AMAZING.  It's got teeny tiny loops and it sticks like magic.  Love.  I don't know why I don't have more of these... There's an insert that snaps inside instead of one that is stuffed.  The idea is that you snap new liners in and reuse the cover through a few changes so that you'd only need three-ish covers each day.  I think it's great for multiple children, but with one child you wouldn't have enough diaper laundry for a load every other day.  I do need to get a few more inserts and covers though.  Maybe one more cover and a pack of inserts?  Hm.  This diaper is NOT good for newborns as it doesn't contain breastmilk poop at all.

-The AIO is just okay.  It's trim but not as trim as the AI2.  I hate the snaps.  It doesn't come in a velcro style so snaps are the only option.  It has a flap for quicker dry time, which is really nice.  It's also cotton, as are the inserts for the AI2.  This is also not a good breastfed baby diaper.  Great for a solids eater though.

bumGenius
-bG Elementals were the first diapers we bought.  I ordered six from Cotton Babies thinking that we only needed 12 and I'd get six then and six later.  I never bought another six.  I actually hated them until recently. They were HUGE on my guy for months and months.  Now that Oliver is bigger, I LOVE bumGenius and know I know why everyone raves about them being a favorite.  They are my current favorite.  All of them.  If I had to pick one I'd say the pockets, but the Elementals are close behind.  These are by far the trimmest of all our diapers.  They are seriously just the same as a disposable with regard to trimness.  I love that.  Especially now that we're sort of in between clothing sizes.  They required a lot of prep washing, but I really really like them.  They take a while to dry, but just as with the Thirsties, I flip them and they dry faster.  Dry time is really about three times longer even still but that is mainly due to the inside being organic cotton and not polyester fleece like most other diapers.

-bG Pockets are my go-to diaper.  I am always bummed when I've gone through our almost dozen stash of them and realize I have to grab something else.  It doesn't happen often since we're only using about 6-8/day now, but I am loving them and wish we had more.  I keep ordering more.  Every week or so I'll add another to the mix.  I'll probably stop soon though because we really have plenty of diapers.  These are just the best for us right now though.  Seriously, I am LOVING these.  They are trim, the velcro gets super tight and is a great fit, they are absorbent... I actually have the insert on the small setting but the cover on medium because it reduces the bulk in the front of the diaper.  I am giddy even writing about this diaper, no joke.

-Freetime... so this is a new diaper.  It's their new All in One.  We have one.  I originally thought I'd get more, but now I think I'm good with just the one.  That may change, WHO KNOWS?!  It's essentially the same idea as the Elementals, but it's not organic cotton and it's got flaps instead of being sewn together.

Left: bG Elemental AIO OS (Twilight) Right: bG Freetime AIO (Mirror)

I mentioned that GroVia and bG were the super trim diapers - here's a comparison those two.  Under clothing, you wouldn't be able to distinguish which he was wearing, but I thought it would be good to see the width side by side.  Really, the bulk is the insert (on the left below is GroVia AIO/OS and on the right bG Elemental AIO/OS) and because these don't have an insert that automatically makes them a little more trim than other diapers, especially too because they are both cotton and not fleece/microfiber. 

Both Thirsties and Rump*a*Rooz have inner gussets.  Here's a shot at how they compare.  The Thirsties' gusset is made from PUL (the liner of the cover that makes the diaper waterproof) and is part of the cover itself and the Rump*a*Rooz gusset is made of fleece and is sewn more inside the diaper rather than part of the PUL cover. 

Top: Thirsties Duo Size 1 (Honeydew)  Bottom: Rump*a*Rooz Pocket OS (Platinum)

Top: Rump*a*Rooz Pocket OS (Platinum)  Bottom: Thirsties Duo Size 1 (Honeydew)

This next photo shows the differences in the AIO diapers.

Left to Right: GroVIa AIO, Thirsties AIO, bG Elementals AIO, bG Freetime AIO

Finally, here's a comparison of GroVia AIO (left) and GroVia AI2 (right).  You can see on the left how the flap has a snap so you could add extra for more absorbency.  I never use it.  I will say however, if you aren't using that extra snap-in and you miss the first pee and a second pee happens, you will have a leak.  I've only had it happen once because I'm pretty robotic about checking for a wet diaper, but it's not fun when it does happen.  And if I could only find the extra snap-in, I'd just use it so I wouldn't have to worry... :)  I really only use this diaper because of the cute airplane print because the snaps are just awful!  Also below, it appears that the insert on the right is longer than the diaper cover, it's not.  It's just the way it's laying on the table... the cover stretches and fits well over the insert, which snaps in at both the front and back.

A FEW FINAL THOUGHTS

I think this just about covers every detail I can think of with regard to diapering.  Whew.  I doubt I'll write another post this in depth about cloth diapers again.  I might modify this post and write a new post that just let's you know I've updated it... but I think I'm done. :)  Before I really knew much about using cloth and the different types, I wish I'd found something that showed pictures like this comparing.  I think it would have helped me a little, so I hope it helps someone else.  I tend to stick to the 'name brands' and haven't ventured out to the smaller, newer companies like Kiwi Pie, Tot Bots, Blueberry, etc... There are also a lot of moms who make their own diapers.  I have a friend who does this and her diapers are so, so cute!

If you're new to cloth, thinking about trying it, or just want to try some new types, I cannot say enough good or encourage you enough to sign up for the trial at Jillian's Drawers.  You basically pay about $150 up front, get a package of about a dozen NEW diapers of different brands and styles and try them for two weeks.  You can either send them all back and get a refund of all but $10 OR you can keep what you want and send the rest back.  I ended up keeping several of mine.  

I primarily order my diapers from Diaper Junction because they have a points program and I've been able to earn enough points for several free diapers.  Also, they're local for me and I love being able to support that... and because they are awesome girls who love cloth diapering and know tons and tons of information!  It also helps that I get my orders overnight since they're just a few (or 40) minutes away.

One last thing... Rump*a*Rooz recommends a different wash routine than ALL of the other diapers.  It's because they use TPU instead of PUL.  The difference is a little more eco-friendly because it's thermal instead of chemical bonding.  Gotta love that... because of that, they recommend Tide over other non-additive, enzyme free detergents.  I was bothered by the disturbance of my routine and had several long conversations with a few companies.  What I found was that it ultimately does not matter what kind of detergent you use (the exception is anything free & clear, still stay away from those) as long as you RINSE, RINSE, RINSE.  So... with that, we switched to Tide and added an extra rinse.

CURRENT WASH ROUTINE

Now, my wash routine (with an HE front loader) is as follows:

-Rinse & Spin (cold/cold) with water booster (diapers only)

-Normal Hot/Cold cycle - I use about a teaspoon of Country Save in the pre-wash and then Tide in the regular detergent spot... the amount varies on the diaper load I have, but it's usually about half the amount suggested by the manufacturer for a regular load.   Both the amount of Country Save and Tide changes each wash cycle more or less depending on how dirty my diapers are, how long it's been since I last washed, and how many diapers are in the load.  If you want details, email me.  I add an extra rinse and push the button for water booster during this cycle.  I add my wet bags to this cycle.  Usually, I fill a wet bag with some water to trick the washer into thinking there is a big load so I get more water.  LOTS of water is the key to cleaner diapers.

-Rinse & Spin (hot/cold) with water booster.  I sometimes add an extra rinse to this rinse.

Sometimes I hang dry my covers, but most of the time I toss everything in the dryer on low heat for 40 minutes.  If any inserts are still damp where they're folder and snapped, I take the covers out and dry the inserts for 20 minutes on medium or high heat.  When I used FuzziBunz, I had enough that I could hang dry my covers and it wasn't a big deal... now I usually want whatever diapers I just washed which is why I usually just toss them in the dryer.

The Honest Company - Review (Updated 9-17-12)

UPDATED 9/17/12
(Updates in bold are from June 2012 update those in red are from September 2012 update)

I've been following a new company, The Honest Company, for a while now.  It's basically an all natural-eco-friendly company started by Jessica Alba and Chris Gavigan.  Their products boast to be the best and after reading about them, we decided to give it a try.

We signed up for Honest Company's subscription on their opening day and have been using their products for almost six nine full months now.  

I was a little disappointed to find that you can't just buy individual products, but since there were several I liked, it wasn't bad.  So... you decide you want to try the products and you go sign up for a $4.95 trial.  The trial includes travel/sample sizes of shampoo, lotion, hand soap, laundry detergent, and healing balm.  You can also sign up for a trial of diapers and they send you 7 - more or less enough for one day.  The company is in California and I'm in VA - I got my package in two days once shipped (so three or four total, very fast considering I ordered the first day they opened).

Honest has added ordering for individual products - yay!  Shipping is a little high, but overall not bad.  

Honest now allows those who have a subscription bundle to add products (up to 3 per month) to their bundle for the individual price.  We are adding a product next month.  Excited for this!

When you order the trial, you provide your credit card.  If you don't cancel within 7 days of receiving the trial, you'll be charged $36.95 each month for the Family Essentials Bundle (the five items, but you get to pick other items once your first bundle is delivered), and $70 for the diaper bundle (you get four packs of diapers, definitely enough for a month if you use disposables).  

I actually caught a great Zulily deal for $52 for both bundles so we did that and ordered before our trial was over.  Before I get started with my thoughts on each item, I want to just share that I've called customer service several times about different things and they are fantastic.  Seriously the best customer services I have, hands down, ever experienced.  I don't know how they did it, but each one of their girls is amazing.  I think I've talked to four different people now.  My favorite was a girl who said, 'Oh I see you're in VA, I went to JMU...'  We started talking and I casually asked if they got to hang out with Jessica Alba and she said yes and talked about how down to earth and nice she is.  So cool, right?!

We received several months bundles and then I realized we were pretty stocked and decided to call Honest and have them push back our next delivery date.  The day I called, our bundle was already processing to ship - I decided to call anyway and they were able to stop it.  Amazing customer service!!  They are so, so nice and the program is actually a lot more flexible than they advertise.  Once you're a customer, you really do get the feeling that you're part of their family.  I've always felt very valued when I call and considering $40/month isn't a lot, it's really nice to feel that way from a company that is growing so quickly.  I love how flexible and down to earth they are.

Now, you can control when your bundles ship.  It used to be that you had only seven days earlier or after about the 30th day in your cycle.  It's been updated so you can adjust it however you like.  We have been getting deliveries about every other month.  It's just what works with our family's consumption.  I love that I don't have to call each time.

So as I mentioned, the first month you get the automatic bundle that includes each full size of the trial items.  I called though to see if they'd shipped our first bundle out because I wanted to see if they'd swap the laundry detergent for the multi-purpose cleaner.  She said they couldn't do that b/c the bundle had shipped but offered to send me two free products.  So, I got the cleaner and another hand soap (it's amazing).  Free.  And it came three days later.  I called again just this week to cancel the diaper bundle because we still have every single pack and the person accidentally canceled both bundles.  She set it back up (but I can't edit it now until after it ships, bummer) and offered to send me two more trial kits (I asked :)) since she goofed.  So sweet.  

Ok... now my thoughts:

-Shampoo: (It's also body wash but I prefer Dove soap.)  I didn't care for the smell initially because it reminded me of the polish that my dentist uses (orange creme), but then I used it a couple times and ohmygosh, my hair was SO soft.  Seriously, so so soft.  After I used it for a few days, I got over the smell and now love it.  The shampoo is my favorite.  My only complaint is that you only get something like 6.5 oz while most comparable shampoos are closer to 10 or 12 oz.

-Lotion: Another love.  It says it's fragrance free, but it's not really.  It may not have any additives to make it smell, but it does have a very light scent (think rose oil) that is so fresh and amazing.  I keep this on top of the shower so I can use it while still damp.  I wish the lotion was in a tube rather than a bottle.

-Healing Balm: I have used it on Oliver's bottom once and on very dry skin once.  I really haven't used it enough to say much.  I'm sure it's better than petroleum.  We've used the healing balm for various things and I love it.  Dry skin, diaper area, chapped lips - you name it.  I love that it's petroleum free.

-Laundry Detergent: I really want to like this.  It's super concentrated (70 loads in each bottle) and I used half of it along with half Tide and had to rinse the load twice because of all the suds.  Oops.  I just need my clothes to smell fresh, but this detergent does clean well.  If it had a smell, I would totally switch.  Because it's such a good deal in the bundle, I still order this from time to time.  I like it for random loads that aren't necessarily clothing or towels.  Every now and then I'll use it on towels if I know I plan to use a fabric softener b/c then the softener smells so I still have the 'freshness.'

-Hand Soap: Love this too.  It's lemon scented and delicious.  We have two bottles and keep one in the kitchen and one in our bathroom.

-Multi-Purpose Cleaner: This is good too.  My favorite thing about it is its light grapefruit scent (shocking since I don't like grapefruit as a food) and that it cleans my flat top stove with no streaks whatsoever.  It's a winner.

-Sunscreen: We like Honest sunscreen a lot.  It is very, very thick.  Beware!  Chandler forgot once and looked like a ghost.  :)  It's not as strong as I'd prefer and I feel like I have to stay on top of re-application, but so far none of us have been burned while using it.  Definitely be careful when using near clothing - we have one spot on a dark shirt, but it's light and not too noticeable.  The only other sunscreen we use is Badger brand because it's SPF 30.

-Automatic Dishwasher Liquid Soap: Don't like at all.  The several times we've used it our dishes have not come out clean :(  Not sure if it's just our washer type (Kenmore) or the soap.  We are back to big box brand for the dishwasher.

-Dish Soap: The best comparison for Honest's dish soap is 7th Generation.  I don't really have a lot to say about it... it's good.  It doesn't have a scent.  I think I've made it clear that I'd prefer a scent, but only because it make washing things by hand a little more fun.  We use this and like it as much as you can like dish soap!

-Bug Spray: Really, really liked this!  It was a new product launched late summer.  It's a lot like California Baby.  We used it on all of us and never had a problem with bugs.  I'm hopeful that it will keep until next Spring.

-Hair Conditioning Mist: Think spray detangler for your hair.  I use it on my one-year old's hair in the morning and after naps.  It works the same way Johnson and Johnson's detangler works but smells like Honest's shampoo.  Yum!  

-Diapers/Wipes: We have used only a handful but as far as disposable diapers are concerned, I love them.  They are more absorbent than Earth's Best and 7the Generation.  I think they are most comparable to an overnight diaper, but without the extra padding.  I love the prints they come in - so cute.  We ordered the skull and cross bone print and the anchor print. The wipes come with the bundle.  I'll be honest, they're just okay.  They are similar to other 'natural' wipes in that they are thin.  I prefer Huggies wipes or cloth wipes.  They're just thicker.  We keep these in each bathroom and in the car for miscellaneous use.

We got the diaper bundle in January and because we mainly use cloth, it lasted us 6 months.  I will order again, but am waiting until Oliver is in a solid size 4 because he definitely won't be a size 3 for another 6 months and a 4 is still a little too big right now.  

I would LOVE if you could add a pack of diapers to the family bundle.  

I'm not a huge fan of the wipes, they're a little too thin for my liking - but I do like the concept and I keep a pack on the back of each toilet for adult use.  I also keep a pack in the car for wiping dirty hands and faces.

Overall, I'm really impressed with The Honest Company.  If I could make changes I would make the shampoo and lotion in a tube rather than a bottle and I'd prefer to have different bundle options.  For example, the only options now are monthly and you get a set number of products (5).  It would be nice to have options for that, 3-product bundle, 5-product bundle - and then have an option to add a product to that if you only needed one more.

Right now the only option is to subscribe for two bundles, which is silly.  They are awesome in that you can order one month and then cancel.  Then wait a month and subscribe again... that's annoying though.  They need to set up different options for people and I think they will.  I've been keeping up with them on Facebook and they've had a lot of great feedback like this from other people.  A great example are the number of people who, like us, cloth diaper and only use a handful of disposables at a time.  Having a quarterly diaper bundle would be great for that situation.

See above for my comments on their monthly service, but you don't have to cancel and re-start, just log into your account and adjust the date of your next deliver.  you can simply call them and they'll just not send a bundle during the month(s) you don't need it.  They rock like that :)

We will keep the Family Essentials bundle subscription indefinitely.  Even Chandler likes it. :)

After six nine months of using products from the Honest Company - we are still very pleased and like the product and the company very much.  I would encourage you to try it if you prefer a more natural product.  We check EWG.org for just about everything and Honest has consistently rated very well.  We're impressed!

Honest recently started a referral program.  For every friend you refer you get $10 credit.  Here's my referral link http://honest.com/19383 if you feel led to join right now :)  xo

(Disclaimer: I did not receive any of these items free.  I simply thought it would be helpful to write a review since the company is new and people were probably curious about the products.)

Cloth Diapering - One Year Later

(Rumparooz)

My cloth diaper post continues to be one of the most read posts on my blog, so I thought I'd give an update one year into cloth diapering.  

I'm just going to jump right in ... 

During the transition from exclusive nursing to nursing and some solids - diapers were messy.  I found myself reaching for disposables when I knew it was time for poop.  There were days where I'd use disposables all day.  I felt a little guilty at first since we'd spent so much money on cloth, but I had to do what worked and that was it for a while.  Once we got into a pretty good routine of solids, diapers were easier and the sprayer worked.  That said, I hate the sprayer.  Hate, hate, hate.  It's a fine sprayer, but it's messy even with the pressure turned down, and with a wiggly, crawling baby - it just wasn't great.

(bumGenius 4.0, Albert)

We continue to use cloth at home, but when we left the house we use disposables.  We also use disposables when we travel because it's just easier.  We did take cloth when we went on vacation for a week in the summer, but we found that since machines are all different, it takes a while to figure out what works and by the time you do that it's time to leave... At this point, we're happy still doing a mix.  From time to time we do use cloth while we're out and about, but it depends how long we'll be out and where we're going.  (Now that he's eating solids, I will not ever probably do cloth out and about in the summer .)

I've found that my choice in diapers has changed as Oliver has gotten bigger.  I used to love (LOVE) my FuzziBunz and didn't care for my bumGenius (Elementals or 4.0) at all.  Now, I rarely use FuzziBunz.  I have found that poop clings to the fleece and even the really solid poop is hard to get off and necessitates the sprayer.  Nothankyou.  I have some liners, but I sort of feel like that is slightly against the purpose of cloth to begin with (at least partly). These days I find that I'm reaching for any of my bumGenius, GroVia, Thirsties AIO, and more recently Rumparooz.                                                

(Rumparooz, Gray)

Speaking of Rumparooz, we bought two to test them out - LOVED them - and bought six more.  They are awesome.  I like them so much that I might have to buy some of their tiny 'Lil Joeys' newborn diapers for down the road.  

With the Rumparooz came a new set of washing/care recommendations.  Lovely.  They recommend Tide, which other companies say is the absolute worst.  After tons and tons of reading and asking on a diaper message board, it seems that a lot of moms use Tide for their diapers.  Who the heck knew?!  I've been using Country Save and really like it, but sounds like Tide is the preferred choice for both Rumparooz and for diapers once baby is on solids. 

After a year I thought I knew about as much as I could on how to care for my diapers and then everything seemed to be confusing.  I've finally concluded that it doesn't matter what detergent you use as long as you're aware of what kind of water you have (i.e. hard water doesn't rinse detergent well so lots of rinses if you use a residue detergent like Tide, soft water rinses better and generally takes less detergent) and that you understand that you can't ruin your diapers.  ...and learning how to strip them and start over is also crucial.  Pretty much, as long as you rinse really well, you're good.  (At least, that's what I'm saying for now.)  I'm still warming up to this whole Tide-on-diapers phenomenon.

(FuzziBunz, One Size, Tootie Frootie)

Worst case scenario is I have a smell or leak issue (which I've never really had before) and I have to strip them and try something different.  

I think I have also shared that at night we'd been using disposables (for months!) but lately I tried cloth again and no leaks. I think a lot has to do with the fact that he's sleeping more at night and not nursing as often, therefore not soaking his diaper as much.  There are still mornings that are heavier than others, but so far, so good.  

A few things to note...

-bumGenius Elementals seem to fit the trimmest of all of the diapers we have.

-Rumparooz has an inner gusset that is fleece and so, so soft.  I love it.  Oliver loves it.

-GroVia is awesome, but the side snaps on the AIO are annoying and I still prefer the AI2.

-Another reason I rarely use FuzziBunz is that the PUL is sticky and takes twice as long to stuff.

-bG and Rpr pockets stuff incredibly fast.

(FuzziBunz, OneSize, Big Sky)

We recently bought a bumGenius Freetime.  I. love. it.  It's super soft, but different from the Elementals in that it's not organic cotton and it has two flaps like the GroVia AIO.  It's amazing.  We'll be getting a couple more of those.  

Bottom line: one year in... all is well.  I still recommend cloth.  I like that we aren't militant about it and use disposable when we have to - in the beginning I didn't think I'd ever want to use disposables.  Now, I'm fine with it.  As parents, we try to make the best decisions we can.  There is a lot of crap in disposable diapers that probably isn't the best for baby skin.  There's also a lot of crap in my favorite cookies that probably isn't the best for my body.  Pick and choose.  Disposables every now and then, or even weeks at a time because I don't want to deal with a sprayer, is not a big deal and I'm okay with that.  

Questions?  Go.

Gemini

Last week, my friend Emily posted a link to PaxBaby on Facebook.  It is the coolest site!  Along with the link, she shared that she'd rented a Beco Gemini.  I love (LOVE) our Beco Butterfly, so I decided to read more about the Gemini.  I should also share that I take Emily's likes to heart... years ago I was at her house and she had the most amazing candle ever (pineapple cilantro) and long story short, she basically got me hooked on this candle company called Illuminations.  Fo' real.  Real as in, I won't even think of a candle from another company.  Except, she recently mentioned another company, oh brother...

Back to the Gemini...

My friend Shelley is who originally introduced me to Beco.  We were pregnant at the same time and would often swap thoughts, tips, etc... She had great things to say about the Butterfly, so when Oliver was too small to use our other carriers, I got the Butterfly too.  I have really enjoyed it.  I also have an Ergo Performance.  I got it because it was mesh and I thought it would be much cooler than the organic cotton Beco.  The problem with the Ergo is that while he doesn't need the infant insert anymore (which I didn't order, I just used an Eeyore stuffed animal at the bottom!), he's still a little too small for it.  Bummer.  

For some reason, I thought I'd done a pretty thorough review on our collection of carriers, but when I pulled the post, it was lacking.  Oops.  I guess Oliver was only a couple weeks old then so that was a lot for me to write at that point!  I need to do a better post now that he's older and we've been using them for a while.  And when I say 'a while' I mean every day.

All this to say... I checked out PaxBaby and found that you could rent a carrier for two weeks for - get this, NINE dollars!  Nine bones.  Nueve.  Score!  I had to try it.  Click, click - done!  The confirmation email mentioned that they only had a few loaners so they'd let me know when one was ready for me.  What?!  Being impatient, I decided to just order one from Amazon.  Gotta love Prime!  Choosing the color was such a challenge for me.  The Butterfly is espresso so I decided to go with black for this one.  When it came the next day though, I decided that I needed another brown so I ordered espresso and sent the black one back.  WHEW!

Can I just say - I loooooove this carrier!  I thought I loved the Butterfly - and I totally still do, but the Gemini does so much more!  Who knew?!

Here it is with the hip carry - I've not even had it for a week, but I use this position the most:

(front view)

(side view)

(back view)

This is the front facing out position (second most used):

 (front view)

  (back view)

The biggest challenge for me with Gemini as opposed to Butterfly is that the waist belt/hip clip is their special two handed clip and it's not easy to take off while holding a baby.  Butterfly has a regular clip there and the special double clip on the upper part of the carrier so it's not too difficult.  I've used the back carry with the Butterfly only once and it was easy because Oliver was securely fastened in the middle piece, but since Gemini doesn't have that, I don't see myself using back carry at all until he's much older.  

Butterfly came with a CD and was pretty thorough in how to use the carrier.  Gemini came with a folded pamphlet that left a lot of questions.  It took a couple times before I got the hang of the hip carry.  Also different is that I can keep my Butterfly straps the same all the time, Gemini's straps are constantly changing because of the different carries so you can never really wrap the excess webbing because as soon as you wrap it, you're ready to switch it up and will need the length you just wrapped.

Chandler seems to think we have a lot of carriers.  We do.  However - I think they each have a strength and I'm glad we have each one as I use them for different things.  The reason I bought the Butterfly was because Oliver was too small for the other carriers we had.  Honestly, because of its design with the infant insert, I still like it for small babies.  The Gemini is a long body and even at five months, in the front carry, it still covers Oliver's face when he faces out and is plenty high in the back when he faces front (me) even folded down.  Oh - also on that note... when he's facing out I use one of the drool pads or a small burp cloth over the front or else I'd end up with a giant puddle of drool. :)  

One more thing - Butterfly's literature said to wash it before first use since it was organic dye and would/could come off on clothing.  I did that, but when Oliver drools, a little color still gets on light clothing.  It washes out, but still a pain.  The Gemini is the same color and they didn't say to wash it - so far the drool hasn't caused the color to get on clothing.  I'm thinking I should have used vinegar in the wash to seal the color... if I need to wash the Gemini I'll do that.

Wow.  I didn't plan to write this much... my friend Jill normally reads all my posts, but I bet she tuned out by now. Jill, if you're still reading - shout out to you! ;)  Chandler is a post skimmer.  I bet he's long gone.  Chan, if you're still here I'll write a special post just for you! xo

PS - I emailed PaxBaby to cancel my rental and not only did they refund my nine bones, the owner, Jillian, was SO helpful!  Dialogue with her is what ultimately made me realize that I really did want brown over black.  She was so friendly and I would encourage anyone who is interested in trying a different type of carrier to check out their site.

Magic Diaper Rash Cream

The best diaper rash cream - in my opinion.

Ingredients:

-Desitin: Maximum Strength (purple tube) - 40% zinc oxide
-Lotrimin (can also substitute Cortisone cream)
-Maalox

Pre-heat oven to - just kidding.

Mix equal parts Desitin and Lotrimin then add Maalox until you have a toothpaste-like consistency.  Apply liberally at each change.  We dangle (diaper free) as much as possible when there's a rash and at least 15 minutes after a change if there's not enough time to dangle the dingle and the tush.

When we do use disposable, I use A&D (I like Target's Up&Up brand best) as a preventative and if there is a rash I use the above cream.  Note that no diaper rash cream can be used with cloth diapers unless it specifically states such on the packaging (most commercial diaper rash creams cannot be used) - you will need to order cloth specific cream from a cloth diaper distributor/retailer.

Shout out to Cassie - her husband is an allergist and this was what they used on pink hineys.  I frantically messaged her a few months ago so I would be armed with the ingredients just in case Oliver developed a rash.  We've since determined that he has sensitive skin and he's prone to rash, which is why we go diaper-less as often as possible. ... and we have a variety of creams at each of our four common changing areas.

***Updated to add that since most diaper rash creams can't be used with cloth diapers (due to ruining the absorbency) I had to get creative if I still wanted to use cloth and fight the rash without buying more cream(s).  It occurred to me that when you start breastfeeding, a lot of natural sources say to use expressed breast milk on sore nipples and allow it to dry... I decided that chapped was chapped and did the same for Rover's hiney cheeks.  Honestly - I shouldn't have been surprised that it worked.  After all, it did wonders for my nips - was way better than lanolin... and it didn't leave grease stains!  Anyway, so now I recommend trying that.  It's free, fast, and you always have it handy!

The Cloth Diaper Post

Lots of people have asked me how cloth diapers are going for us. 

Without further ado, I present you with:

The Cloth Diaper Post

 (Thirsties Duo Wrap Pocket - Easter morning!)

I was four months pregnant when we decided that we would use cloth diapers.  (I've since learned that 'cloth diaper' can also be used as a verb, so I could have written, I was four months pregnant when we decided to cloth diaper our child.')  Interesting, right?  There's more.  After all kinds of crazy research, bumGenius' Elemental All in One (AIO) One Size (OS) seemed to be the best fit for us.  There weren't lots of parts to deal with, they came in super cute colors, and they would fit him from birth until he didn't need them anymore. To start with, I only ordered six.  I wanted enough to try but not too many that if they didn't work, we weren't out too much money. 

When Oliver was born I was SO excited to use our diapers.  They were really big, but I decided it was because he was small (he was 6lbs 10oz when we came home) and bumGenius claimed they would fit most babies between 7 and 35lbs.  I tried them on him once a week to see if they'd fit and finally when he was a little more than 10lbs, they seemed to fit - only they gaped at the leg and well, poop didn't always stay inside the diaper.  At 25 bucks a pop I was quite disappointed.  I read more and more about cloth diapers and know what?  I didn't know squat.

(bumGenius Pocket)

What I learned from the new world of cloth was that the one size diapers don't really fit until babies are at least 12lbs.  Now that Oliver is about 13lbs, they do fit him much better, but they're still the last diapers I grab and because I've accumulated quite a stash, I've not used them in a couple weeks.  But back to the story...

A couple friends had mentioned Jillian's Drawers.  Jillian's has a program where you can try cloth for $10.  The deal is, you pay $165 up front and they send you around a dozen different types of [new] cloth diapers (the most popular ones).  If you don't like them, hate them, changed your mind about wanting to use cloth, or whatever - you send them back after three weeks (21 days!) and they refund you all but your ten bones.  I did it.  I didn't even have to convince Chandler.  He was game.  He'll do anything for his tiny boy's tush.

I was probably too excited than what should be considered 'normal' for something like this and found that we had a diaper retailer somewhat close to us.  SCORE!  Since I was only familiar with the AIOs, I decided I should check out some other diapers before ours came and I was lost.  I called Diaper Junction and they said we could come to their office/warehouse.  Chan and I decided we would get a couple diapers and set aside some cash for shopping. When we got there, the owner came out and talked to us about the different diapers and pros/cons of them.  I told her I'd ordered the Jillian's trial and that I wanted to buy a couple diapers but she recommended we wait on buying anything since I didn't know what I liked yet.  It was the equivalent of a child finding out that they were going to FAO Schwartz but that they couldn't pick out a toy.  I felt silly for not taking her advice and still made a purchase.  We left with a Flip pack (two shells and liners) and one bumGenius 4.0 (pocket style).

Oh how right she was.  The bumGenius is just not my favorite diaper - at all.  And the Flip?  I kinda hate it.  It's probably great for bigger kids who made solid waste, but definitely not the best choice for a tiny baby.  Lesson learned.

Our Jillian's order arrived the next day and I eagerly read every single word on the diaper packaging.  Seriously - way too excited!  I washed, prepped and used each diaper and found exactly what I liked and didn't like.  I think it's great they give you 21 days, but I didn't need that at all.  In fact, we mailed our diapers back over a week early because we stopped using them after just a couple washes.

(FuzziBunz OS)

Before I spill our favorites - some cloth diaper lingo:
-AIO: All in one - the inside and outside of the diaper are connected and there's no prep to put it together, baby poops, you toss the entire diaper into the wash and voila.

-Pocket: These diapers have a soft layer that is sewn to the outer waterproof part and there is a slit at one or both ends where you stuff a thicker insert into it to make it absorbent.  When the diaper is dirty, you shake the insert out and then wash both parts (you can't wash it with the insert still inside).

-Prefold/Flats: Your mama's cloth diapers.  These are the old school diapers that most of us use as burp cloths or rags these days.  You can fold them as a trifold or like a kite and use a Snappi, pins, or nothing to keep them in place.  Some people also use them to add extra to the pocket diapers.  They require a waterproof cover.

-Snappi: Before having one, I couldn't figure out what this thing was.  Diaper Junction showed it to me and had they not, I would have been totally lost.  It's like an ace bandage teethy thing that has three ends so you can secure a prefold on the hips and crotch (I hate that word) of your baby.

-OS: One size.  Ideally, this diaper should fit babies from birth to potty training.  What I learned from the cloth diaper world that isn't so secret but that I couldn't find before I needed it is that one size diapers are not really one size unless your baby is ginormous - and in that case, let me know and I'll say a special prayer for you because oh my ouch!

-Fitted: This style of diaper is just soft, there's no waterproof outer layer so you have to use a cover.

-Hook and Loop: Velcro.  I guess 'hook' and 'loop' refer to the tiny pieces on the Velcro and because 'Velcro' is a brand they can't use that term?  Go figure.  Another term for hook and loop is aplix.

-AI2: All in two diapers are two parts, an outer shell and an inside that either attaches to the shell or just lays inside.  There's no pocket to stuff so it takes much less time to put together. 

-Hybrid: These diapers are often the same as AI2 but you can often use different liners, fabric or disposable/flushable.

The diapers we tried were:
-Smartipants
-2 bumGenius 4.0
-Thirsties Duo Wrap Pocket
-Thirsties Duo Fab Fitted
-Thirsties Duo Wrap Cover
-Fuzzibunz OS
-2 types of prefolds (2 of each) and a Snappi
-GroVia

(FuzziBunz OS)

Our experience/my thoughts...

-The Smartipants looked too big on Oliver.  They fit great around the legs and waist and never leaked, but had a lot of extra fabric due to the limited adjustablility.  I loved that the pocket was open on both sides and it was easy to stuff.  I would have kept this one for nighttime use but the color they sent was periwinkle and it was a little too feminine for my guy.

-bumGenius just isn't my favorite.  I hear it's the 'cream of the crop' in cloth, but it just doesn't float my boat.  I'm getting fancy with my words - I hope you are still with me here... With the 4.0 there are two options on the front closure, 'hook at loop' and snaps.  We tried one of each and I didn't really care for them.  I love the diaper alone, but it's very bulky under clothes and I would only put this diaper on him when we were at home.  Never had a leak and it fit much, much better around the leg than the AIO Elementals that I have.

-Thirsties Duo Wrap Pocket - I love this diaper!  It's really compact, adjustable AND has an extra gusset in the leg to prevent leaks.  For the record, when I reference leaks in this post, it's about poop.  If you didn't breastfeed or don't know, breastfed babies have a gooey/liquidy poop.  Urine is absorbed into the liner so the only way urine would leak is if the diaper was so soaked that it was sponging out of the sides.

-Thirsties Duo Fab Fitted - I used this diaper twice.  Once alone while we were at home so I'd be able to change him as soon as it was dirty and once with the cover mentioned above.  With the cover it was too bulky and without the cover, I didn't see why I'd use it.

-Thirsties Duo Wrap Cover/Prefolds are not my favorite. I only used the prefolds a couple of times. Even with the Snappi, they didn't really stay in place. I don't mind them, but I prefer a better, easier to use combination. I use the prefolds alone more than I use them with the cover to help air out his bottom.


-FuzziBunz were by far the favorite!  They are trim, have fleece inside, and fit great around the legs.  They also have more places to adjust - which could be a con, but I think it makes for a better fit.  The elastic in the legs can be adjusted and there's also an adjustable elastic in the waist to adjust in addition to the outer snaps on the front.  I found that the waist was fine and I just snap the diaper as tight as it will snap since it's easier to adjust the snaps than the back elastic for later.  So for us, we use a 1 on the waist (the way they come), a 3 on all the leg elastics (four places) and I snap the tightest top waist and use the 3rd snap around the leg.  Confusing?  It's not as bad as it sounds.

I did have some trouble with three of my FuzziBunz.  The PUL (polyurethane liner) that lines the inside of the diaper that makes it waterproof was so sticky it was difficult to get my inserts inside.  I figured out that it was the ones made in Turkey and the ones made in China were smooth.  I contacted the company and they were aware of the problem.  There was rumor that they were going to pull out of Turkey but after speaking with them I learned that they felt Turkey's textiles to be superior and it was not the case at all.  They were aware of problems and offered to replace my diapers.  I have since ordered more diapers that were also from Turkey after not finding anymore from China and they don't have the problem so I am guessing it was just a bad lot.  I'm still pleased with this diaper and it's still one of my favorites.

(Note: FuzziBunz come in two types, OS and sized.  I have both - I bought a few sized b/c I read that they fit trim and so I got some smalls.  This was not the case for us and they are much more bulky than the OS - go figure.  The crotch area is much wider in the sized variety and because of the bulk, I only use them at night.  I would never buy sized ones again.)

-GroVia's are different.  I like the snap-in shell, and the design on the sides to keep spills in, but for some reason I don't grab this diaper very often.  I love the extra grippy velcro (that's right, Velcro is a general term for me so even though it's not technically Velcro - it pretty much is - even though the stuff GroVia uses is really cool and of all the diapers, this is the least like Velcro).  This diaper is much trimmer than the bG or Smartipants and it's also a OS so you can use it for many months (years?).

Want to know what I kept?  All four prefolds, the Snappi, Thirsties Duo Pocket and the cover, FuzziBunz, and GroVia.  I sent back the Thirsties Fitted and now I wish I'd kept it.  I'm not crushed because its color was mango and we've recently established that orange is not the best look for Oliver.  I wish I had it because now I realize that the fitteds are great for airing out the bottom while still catching anything that might come out during that air-out process. 

Because I tend to go all out when I like something, my diaper stash now includes:
-20 FuzziBunz (16 OS and 4 Smalls)
-10 Thirsties Duo Wrap Pocket
-6 bumGenius Elemental AIO
-2 Flip
-1 GroVia
-1 bumGenius 4.0 Snap
-1 Thirsties Duo Wrap Cover
-1 GroVia diaper pail liner
-1 GroVia wet bag (travel/diaper bag)

I change Oliver as soon as he wets (or poops) so he still goes through around 15 diapers/day.  Therefore, I wash mostly every day.  With so many diapers, I don't have to wash daily, but I do.  It's nice because I have enough diapers that I don't have to panic if there's no time to stuff them all after they're clean.

And speaking of clean - let's take a quick minute to chat about washing.  I used All Free & Clear because I read in several places that it was better than some detergents.  I also read a lot of 'if you use commercial soap' followed by how much to use.  Well - WRONG.  Wrong, wrong, wrong.  Oliver started to get a bit rashy while in cloth, which I found interesting since cloth bottoms don't usually get a rash.  Immediately though, I knew it was the detergent.  I talked to Diaper Junction (they rock by the way and if you cloth diaper (see how I used it as a verb there?  hahaha), you must check them out) and they suggested it may be detergent build up.  I washed my diapers three times on hot water with no detergent, then used Country Save.  Problem solved.  We've not had any issues so far (other than just acidic poop and it's obvious when that's the problem). 

(While he had his rash, I made two sided wipes (flannel on one side, fleece on the other) and used water with just a tiny bit of Aveeno Baby Wash to wipe his bottom.)
We have HE machines and this is our routine:
-Cold Rinse and Spin: 18 minutes; no soap
-Hot Wash/Cold Rinse with Extra Rinse and Water Boost: 1 hour 22 minutes; 1/16 cup Country Save

(One $12 box of Country Save will last you more than 150 loads of cloth diaper washes!)

I toss the liners in the dryer on low heat and hang the diaper itself.  If I need more diapers I toss them in the dryer, but I try to let them hang dry as much as possible.  Because Oliver is exclusively breastfed, his poop is water soluble.  When we have dirty diapers, I shake the insert out into the pail (Why do cloth diaper people call it a pail?  Our 'pail' is a simple 8 gallon plastic trash can that we'll change up once we move to solid foods and have more smell), then drop the diaper itself in too.  The 'pail' is lined with a wet bag with a cinch cord (that I never use b/c I wash them every day).  I just toss them all (along with the bag) into the washer without rinsing and wash away.  I do a tub clean for the washer every week just to prevent any yuck and we also clean the filter twice/month and so far we haven't had any problems.

I haven't had much trouble with stains; the few times I have had them I placed my inserts outside in the sun and in about an hour they were bleached and stain free.  It's magical.  I've since started putting any poop stained onesies out there too!

Remember how I said I was really excited to use our cloth diapers on Oliver and then he was too small for them?  Well, then I got used to disposables and after using them for several weeks I was REALLY nervous about making the switch to cloth.  So nervous that I decided I would only use cloth part time because it was going to be a lot of work.  And he looked cute in his Pampers.  And I liked that they had the yellow stripe that turned green when they were wet.  BUT - now that I have cloth diapers I like and that work, I LOVE them.  I love that when I change Oliver his skin is flawless.  When he wears Pampers, he has red marks all over him.  They go away, sure.  But why are they there in the first place???  He doesn't have them at all with cloth.  Hmm. 

That said, I hate that cloth is bulky. However, FuzziBunz are much trimmer than most diapers and Thirsties are even trimmer than our FuzziBunz.  Every now and then I'll use Pampers so we can wear an outfit that might be on it's last wear before it's time to pack it up.  Overall, I'm really pleased with cloth.  I'd say that we use cloth more than 90% of the time.  If we're going to be out and about much of the day (especially now that it's getting warmer) I use Pampers and when we travel I use Pampers just because I don't want to dirty up someone else's washing machine.

Now I'm anxious about when he transitions to solids and I have to spray out his diapers before washing (yuck!).  There is definitely a diaper sprayer in my future.  And some diaper liners!  (You can use these thin liner things over the inside of the diaper and just toss that with the solid poop into the toilet to flush away - it's supposed to mean that you spray the diaper out less).

Wow - this might be the longest post yet - and it's about poop. 

I have a diaper rash recipe that I was planning to share, but for the sake of being able to find it, I'll post that separately.  Because you can't use regular diaper rash cream with cloth, if we do have any sort of rash, I let Oliver dangle (aka go diaper free) for as long as I can and put him on a soft waterproof mat with a prefold draped over him and then use my special creme with a Pampers for a few hours.  That usually does the trick.  When we do have to use Pampers, I always coat his bottom with squirt Vaseline or A&D (usually Target's Up&Up brand b/c it's softer and cheaper) as rash prevention.  Normally it does the trick unless it's an acidic poop and then I use the special stuff.

Bottom line:
-I love cloth.  I love it for many reasons I didn't even mention due to the length of this post already!
-If you're at all considering it, find a company that offers a trial program like Jillian's Drawers or Diaper Junction.


If you've made it this far you should comment so I know you're my bestest friend!  And if you want to read more, check out my friend Hope's blog about her experience/take on cloth....and see her cute baby!

Cloth diapers one year later - check out how our experience has changed, what works, what doesn't, etc... now that Oliver is ONE!

Fuzzibunz

...sweetest buns!

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Thirsties

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