High-Tech-Style Cloth Diaper Review
Natali Morris' diaper stash from her 30-day cloth diaper challenge.
/ Natali MorrisI have been asked to run down the various diapers that I have tried. I do this with hesitation. Most of these diapers were created by work-at-home moms (or WAHMs as the lingo goes). They were made with love and the small businesses that resulted are a mother's attempt to succeed at a livelihood while raising her children. There is no more noble endeavor, so I don't take it lightly that my words will have impact.
Continue »Cloth Diaper Challenge Update
Charlie Banana diapers are one of my favorites!
/ Charlie BananaMy son's nanny was in Brazil when we started our cloth diaper challenge.
When she came back, I gave her a cursory review, but I guess I was a
little rushed because I received this email from her later that day:
"I'm pretty sure I messed it up with the cloth diapers yesterday, sorry. I didn't know anything about it and when I got home I Googled the topic and realized that I only put the cover of the diaper on [the baby]. I'm so so sorry... Could you please teach me how to do it right?"
The poor thing! She actually had not messed it up. I pre-stuffed the pocket diapers so that they were ready to go on demand. However, her email speaks to how intimidating cloth diapering can be out of the gate.
About
a week and a half into our challenge, we seem to be going strong. I
feel great about fewer chemicals on my baby's bottom, plus we are
saving the environment and some cash. I'm still having a little trouble
getting into the cleaning routine, but I'll save those details for
another time. It's lunchtime and I'm not in the mood to talk poop.
We are using FuzziBunz, Rumparooz, RagaBabe, Charlie Banana, Evolution Diapers, SoftBums, and Bootyful Babys. These are all pocket diapers but we are also trying a few gDiapers with disposable inserts.
In my day job, I review gadgets. You would think that I could apply my product review experience to diapering. but I just can't bring myself to give a bad review to a product that was designed by a work-at-home mom (or WAHM, as the lingo goes). These women stitched and sewed together these products out of love for their children. How can I say disparaging things about something like that!?
I will say that some work better than others, some are easier than others, and some are just so darn cute! I really like SoftBums for evening because of the extra protection, and I LOVE Charlie Bananas because you remove the pocket insert from the front instead of the back. This means you're much less likely to get poopy hands removing the padding. (I guess I can't avoid talking about poop.)
I also really like Rumparooz and FuzziBunz because they are less bulky and have great designs.
I'm on the fence about the semi-disposables. I somehow feel like maybe that is cheating? My husband saw the gDiapers and said, "Doesn't that defeat the purpose?" Also, when they say flushable, I'm not sure they have New York City plumbing in mind. The flushables absorb a lot of water and get huge. I'm not sure my toilet can handle that so I ended up throwing them in the Diaper Genie. But you can stuff gDiapers with non-disposable inserts so that certainly isn't sacrilege.
I
guess my question to the CD community is this: Is there a heirarchy of
cloth diapering that I should be aware of? For instance, are you less
of a true CDer if you use disposable inserts and disposable wipes? Are
there snooty purists who look down their noses at anyone who doesn't
use all reusable material? And if that is the case, do those people
shun toilet paper on their own backsides? Just wondering.
Note: This post was originally posted on my personal mommy blog, MommyBeta.
Cloth Diaper Challenge Hits The Road
I nearly blew up my mother-in-law's laundry room washing diapers but, other than that minor mishap, traveling during the first weekend of the cloth diaper challenge was mostly a success!
My husband's mother hosted an early Thanksgiving dinner, so we packed up our Rumparooz, SoftBums, and FuzziBunz and headed to Grandma's house in Pennsylvania. The downside of traveling with cloth diapers is that they take up a lot more space than "sposies" (or disposable diapers for those of you unfamiliar with diapering lingo). Since I am currently using all-in-ones, I had to bring the padded inserts, the diapers, the detergent, and the wet bag. That is significantly more stuff than just a squished-together stash of sposies.
Cloth Diaper Challenge Do-Over
I am restarting my 30-day cloth diaper (CD) challenge. I had to go back to what the diapering community calls "sposies" (disposable diapers), but I take full responsibility for the failure. It is only a reflection on the fact that cloth diapering takes a little more organization at first.
I wasn't really ready to start the challenge on Monday, but I got a little overzealous and jumped the gun. My stash wasn't complete and I needed time to get organized. I had washed the SoftBums samples once, but then a blog commentator said I needed to wash them three times. I didn't know that.
Question: Is that wash and dry three times? Or just wash three times and then dry once and for all? And where is that written? It wasn't on the labeling for the diapers or inserts.
Also, I ordered a wet bag because I wasn't sure that the Diaper Genie II would work with the two-in-ones. The wet bag just came in yesterday with a whole new stash of Rumparooz, which now I have to wash three times.
And finally, I am a little concerned about travel. We are taking a trip to Grandma's house this weekend. Any cloth diapering travel tips I should be aware of? The first time I took a road trip with my son I failed to bring a plastic bag to hold the soiled diaper. It isn't fun to sit in the front seat with a poppy diaper at your feet, driving around looking for a dumpster. Learned that one the hard way. How can I avoid a similar mistake while cloth diapering on the go?
My stash should be dried and ready to go by tomorrow, so we'll officially start the challenge then. I hope the CD community gives me a pass on this one. They have been tremendously supportive and encouraging this week, so I certainly don't want to disappoint them all.
Do-over!
I wasn't really ready to start the challenge on Monday, but I got a little overzealous and jumped the gun. My stash wasn't complete and I needed time to get organized. I had washed the SoftBums samples once, but then a blog commentator said I needed to wash them three times. I didn't know that.
Question: Is that wash and dry three times? Or just wash three times and then dry once and for all? And where is that written? It wasn't on the labeling for the diapers or inserts.
Also, I ordered a wet bag because I wasn't sure that the Diaper Genie II would work with the two-in-ones. The wet bag just came in yesterday with a whole new stash of Rumparooz, which now I have to wash three times.
And finally, I am a little concerned about travel. We are taking a trip to Grandma's house this weekend. Any cloth diapering travel tips I should be aware of? The first time I took a road trip with my son I failed to bring a plastic bag to hold the soiled diaper. It isn't fun to sit in the front seat with a poppy diaper at your feet, driving around looking for a dumpster. Learned that one the hard way. How can I avoid a similar mistake while cloth diapering on the go?
My stash should be dried and ready to go by tomorrow, so we'll officially start the challenge then. I hope the CD community gives me a pass on this one. They have been tremendously supportive and encouraging this week, so I certainly don't want to disappoint them all.
Do-over!
Cloth Diaper Challenge: Day 1
I don't have the wet bag, diaper pail, or diaper spray yet, but I still started my 30-day cloth diaper challenge last night. I received a few samples from SoftBums, which I concede are super cute. I may have gotten a little overzealous, so I put them on my little boy even though I don't have all the proper gear yet.
I'm only two diapers in, so I have a cursory impression to share. First, it was not as easy as I had hoped. I had to watch the instructional videos two or three times. I was confused with the extra insert that the babies in the videos have between their legs. I finally concluded that those pieces of fabric are there to protect the private parts of the baby models from the prying eyes of perverts, right?
Another question: what do you do with the poopoo diapers? Do you throw those in the wetbag too? My son did soil past the shell. Are you supposed to dump the inserts, the shells, and the wetbag into the washing machine at once?
These may seem like simple questions, but I figured that if I have them, other moms must have them too, so I might as well learn in public.
Also, cloth diapers are a lot more bulky than disposables. My husband walked in on me diapering and said, "That's the biggest diaper I've ever seen." Do you buy baby clothes one size up to compensate for this?
I did notice that my son's skin inside of the diaper was not shriveled and red like it normally is when I remove a disposable diaper. I attribute that to a lack of synthetic material that is meant to dry out everything around it. That is certainly comforting.
And of course, these things are adorable! I didn't understand what the blog commenters meant when they said that cloth is cuter until now. These things are way cute! And I have to think they feel better on my baby's bottom than spongy paper.
My son fell fast asleep in the SoftBums Echo System. This all has me thinking: I'm a high tech reporter who reviews gadgets for a living. How did I come to be reviewing diapers? A crap job but someone's gotta do it! :)
Note: This post was originally posted to my personal blog, Mommy Beta.
Can You Potty Train an Infant?
CBS
At the risk of offending yet another subset of parents, how in the world can this possibly work!?
In theory, infant potty training involves watching for your baby's signs of impending stool or urine and holding them over a receptacle of choice. They are eventually supposed to learn the cues and what? Ask for the toilet themselves? Wait for you to take them to the toilet? Hold it? At 6 months old?
The article suggests that "the ideal time to start is anytime from birth to 4-5 months old. During this time, the first window for toilet learning is open."
I don't mean to be cynical, but all of the books I have read about babies say that they are too immature to learn, manipulate, or retain information in the first 3 months. How can they be expected to draw a parallel between urinating and being in a particular place in the home?
And parents are supposed to watch them for signs that they have to use the bathroom? I can tell when my son is "working on a poop," as we say in my house, but there are no visible signs for pee. I would basically have to count on him urinating in every single outfit.
Further, what about undergarments in general? Would I leave my baby bare-bottomed? Baby commando?
As you can see, I'm terribly perplexed by this whole concept. No judgment, of course, but I'd love to hear from any parent who has successfully potty trained an infant. Or any parent who feels as perplexed about this as I am.
Note: This blog was originally published on Natali's personal blog, Mommy (beta).
Pregnancy: There's An App For That
"Early Show" contributor and CNET Senior Editor Natali Del Conte.
/ CBSThere are many ways to incorporate technology into your pregnancy. My friend Nathalee is a Microsoft Excel super-user and admits to making spreadsheets to track her trimesters. I did the same with my baby shower gift lists and thank you cards.
Continue »Very Worthy Hi-Tech Hospital Bag for Births
"Early Show" contributor and CNET Senior Editor Natali Del Conte.
/ CBSMy bag is packed, but I'm pretty sure it is insufficient. I just don't know what to anticipate. What I do know is technology!
So, here is my high-tech hospital bag checklist so I am guaranteed to be able to communicate with my family, document the experience, and surf the Web if and when I get bored. (I'm told it can be a long process with lots of down time!)
Continue »Tweeting from the Womb
Kickbee in action
/ KickbeeA device called the Kickbee will post a tweet from your unborn child every time he/she kicks. I discuss the Kickbee briefly in Tuesday's episode of my technology news show, Loaded.
The Kickbee will post a tweet to a designated Twitter account that says, "I kicked Mommy." Sounds innocuous enough, right? I'm not so sure. Continue »
