Cloth Diapering Time Machine

This cloth diapering thing has worked out well for us so far - almost seven months in and counting - but there have been a few lessons learned. These are the things I would do differently if I had access to a Michael J. Fox-esque DeLorean.

1. I would have got it through my head sooner that sometimes you have to spend money to save money (and energy).

I know, I know, we should have just done the smart thing and gone with the 10 week trial diaper service, and rented covers like reasonable first timers. In hindsight, by buying covers we ended up locking ourselves into a set of diapers that we might have otherwise decided weren't the right type for us. We're lucky we don't mind the flat/fitted plus cover combination, but I sometimes wonder if we would have gone the more expensive but also more convenient route of pocket diapers or all-in-ones. By doing the trial we could and should have tried all of these options, and decided what was best for our family based on real experience rather than on our assumptions. Also, having been through the early days of having a newborn and imagining doing that with a toddler in diapers at the same time, if we were to have a second child I can envision us engaging a diaper service for the first few months, to get us through the period of time where we'd be in survival mode.

2. I would not underestimate the affect of first-time-parent syndrome and would have been slower to make purchases.

At the time, the wipes warmer seemed to be an absolute must. I had a screaming baby half the night, and if I could prevent even one episode of screaming baby in the daytime I was going to do everything in my power to do so. The day after we took the warmer out of its packaging, our midwife told us about another genius solution. Get a thermal carafe, that you fill with hot water every day. Take a pair of tongs and dunk the wipes in the carafe just prior to use. Ta-da!!! a less expensive, and dual purpose solution. Taking a wait and see, or a wait and research, approach would have saved us money, and in many cases left us with a better solution. 

3. Everything changes. Quickly. Constantly.

Just when we thought something had become consistent enough to be a pattern (discomfort at being wiped with cold wipes, or needing extra covers because the baby is pooping so much), it changed. This too caused an unnecessary outlay of money, and some baby frustration because we were a bit slow to catch on. It turns that the fundamental definition of parent should be, “learns to adapt, frequently, out of necessity.”

And finally…

4. What works for other families may not work for us, and vice versa.

So much of what we've learned by trial and error is really about adapting to what works for us and our child. For instance, I can only imagine that most human beings don't like to have a dirty diaper. But our baby really, and I mean REALLY, does not like it. As a result it was causing her to wake up multiple times through the night in distress. As soon as we got some super absorbent microfibre stuffed pocket diapers like Bum Genius diapers, she was able to sleep through the night in relative comfort. Similarly in the day, bamboo squares work better for her than cotton fitteds, just in terms of her comfort level. We can still tell when she needs her diaper changed, and we respond immediately, but thankfully it isn't accompanied by the screeching pterodactyl cries, which had come to be her ‘I must be changed, and I must be changed NOW' signal. Along those same lines, we have the time and energy to deal with flat diapers and covers, but all-in-one diapers might better suit other families' lifestyles.

Next up: Advice for first timers...

Since there’s a Rumparooz G2 OS pocket diaper give-away on this week...

...I thought it would be a great time to write a little blog about them. I feel it’s only fair to start off by saying I’m more of a fitteds/AI2’s kind of mama, although I do have a few pockets I keep on hand. I’ve tried my fair share of pockets and found a few I like, but for $25-$30 per diaper I have high expectations. I can honestly say the Rumparooz G2 easily surpasses and meets my high standards.

First off let me say a little about how much I like the “green” factor of the Kanga Care company. Of course the whole concept of cloth diapers is in itself earth-friendly, but Kanga Care takes it a step further by making their diapers completely biodegradable. The outer waterproof layer of their diapers is biodegradable TPU (thermoplastic poly-urethane) as opposed to the PUL (poly-urethane laminate) used in most diapers. The inner fabric is 100% polyester, which is also biodegradable. This combination of earth friendly fabrics mean that when composted the diaper will break down in 4-5 years.
One of the other great features of the Rumparooz G2 is that it’s a OS diaper, but with 4 sizes rather than the common 3 sizes of many OS diapers. In general I really like OS diapers and the Rumparooz G2 is no exception. To me it just makes economical sense to have a diaper that can be adjusted from birth to potty learning. They are designed to fit right from birth (6.5lbs) due to a contoured insert that makes the diaper narrower through the crotch. At 7 months and 19 lbs, with chunky, chunky thighs, Emma fits perfectly on the medium rise setting. I anticipate these diapers will easily last her as long as they’re needed (the large setting fits 35lbs +).

When trying a diaper I figure it’s a “sink or swim” kind of situation. There are so many great diapers on the market that if a diaper can’t stand up to heavy wetness or messy poops it doesn’t get a passing grade. With this is mind I first tried a Rumparooz G2 overnight. Emma is normally in her diaper for 11-12 hours and she sleeps beside me so has access to the all night milk bar. This means her diapers need to have a lot of absorbency and be leak proof (I really, really don’t like rolling over to find wet spots!). The 6r soaker included with the diaper is comprised of two microfiber inserts that snap together and can customize to 6 levels of absorbency and sizing. I used both inserts, with the doubler folded down into the “girl” position, as illustrated on the package. As luck would have it Emma also had a little bit of an upset tummy and ended up having a runnier than normal poop in the middle of the night (Emma NEVER poops in the night!). I was extremely impressed that after 5-6 hours of wetness and a very messy poop there were no leaks, thanks in part to the innovative inner gussets that completely trap even really messy poops. There are currently no other cloth diapers with this feature and it is definitely one of my favourite things about this diaper.

I was worried that because I didn’t take care of the messy diaper the way I should have (who really wants to deal with a super messy diaper in the wee hours of the morning?) I might have stain issues, but with a regular wash and a couple of hours in the sun the inner fabric looked as good as new. I find that in general I am very pleased with the inner fabric. It stands up really well to washing, maintaining its softness and whiteness. I also like that the fabric is made of a hypoallergenic microchamois fleece. Emma is very sensitive and she didn’t have the slightest bit of redness with these diapers, even after wearing them for extended periods of time.

Of course one of the best features of the Rumparooz G2’s is the selection of great colours and prints to choose from. I am a sucker for a cute diaper and these diapers come in some extremely cute patterns and colours. The colours stay vibrant after washing and with so many options to choose from, matching with an outfit is a breeze, (call me obsessive, but often I match Emma’s diapers to her clothes).

Overall I am extremely impressed with the care and thought that clearly went into designing this diaper and am more than pleased with its performance. It stood up to the toughest tests, has many great features, is economical and gets and A+ for cuteness. The Rumparooz G2’s have been awarded a permanent place in my ever-changing diaper stash!

Jenny