Cloth 101

I'm taking things in a new direction...

I've created Cloth 101 to serve as a resource for all the basics of cloth diapering. Feel free to come follow my new blog, as well! Solely dedicated to cloth diapers, and fantastic diaper deals:

Cloth101.blogspot.com

Hope to see you there!

FAQ - Cloth and the Umbilical Stump

Submitted by Mama Kalila. Thanks, Mama!

"We're planning to start out w/ prefolds on our next baby... but a little unclear on how to do the belly button thing. Is there a type of diaper or cover or fold that works best for that or any other advice? Thanks!"

As far as a prefold during the umbilical stump phase, most folds can be modified to fit underneath the cord. You can use a jelly roll fold, and just fold it down a little in the back first to shorten the prefold, so it fits right under the belly button in the front. This is probably my favorite newborn fold because it really holds in that explosive newborn poop. But even the newspaper or bikini twist can be customized this way. So pretty much any fold you an find is fair game, you'll just need to fold down the prefold in the front or back a little to make the rise shorter.

As far as covers, Thirsties XS Diaper Covers are my very favorites. They are fairly roomy, so an XS will last a long time... no growing out of them after two weeks! LOL. They also have a little dip in the front that fits nicely under the umbilical area. Bummis Super Whisper Wraps are great for this reason, too, although they run a little smaller so my Ruby outgrew them pretty quickly.

"Fake" Diapers

My husband officially luuuuuuuvs cloth diapers.

I bought a pack sposies for the meconium phase, but since Ruby was in the NICU, we never used them. They've been sitting on a shelf in the bathroom collecting dust.

Yesterday hubby was going to change the baby so I told him that I already put one of her Fuzzi Bunz out for him. He asked "Is it this one that's sitting on top of the fake diapers?"

I love that he now considers disposables "fake" diapers! This from a man who relentlessly teases me about all of my "hippie crap," as he calls it.

FAQ - Method Baby Wash in Wipes Solution

Submitted by Valerie. Thanks! =-)

"I am cloth diaper user and we also use cloth wipes. Recently I started making my own wipe solution (previously had just used water) and I am really loving the solution. As I was putting the cloth diapers and wipes into the washer I had a thought. Am I supposed to wash them separately now that I have a solution on my wipes (Method Baby Wash with Grapeseed Oil). Will my solution hurt my diapers?"

A little grapeseed oil in solution won't hurt your diapers if washed together. I was reading up on the Method wash, though, and I saw a lot of reviews of mom's complaining that it wouldn't rinse off of their babies, but rather left an oily film. So I'm guessing it has something in it that could potentially coat your diapers. I would have to research into this a little more to give you a definitive answer, but my gut instinct would be to wash separately if you are using any type of natural soap. Natural soaps are a big no-no for washing diapers, so I think enough wipes coated in them could pose a problem in your wash.

Savvy Chic Kids Consignment Sale has Cloth Diaper Deals!

Savvy Chic Kids’ Consignment is a twice-yearly consignment sale event, held in the spring and the fall, where families can come to BUY great name-brand, gently-used items at amazing bargains and also SELL their unwanted and outgrown children’s items and turn them into cash! Consignors can also DONATE their unsold items to worthy Inland Empire Charities.

The best part? In addition to baby and child items of all kinds, you can find gently used cloth diapers for deep discounts!

SCK 2009 FALL CONSIGNMENT SALE

October 16, 18-19, 2009

Riverside Community Church

4850 Jurupa Ave

Riverside, CA 92504

Visit the SCK website for sale hours and details!

Donate $5.00 or more to Miracle Diapers and receive a $5.00 Coupon Code to Earth Angels Diaper Co.!

Reprinted with permission from Julia Clark at Cloth Diaper News



Earth Angels Diaper Co. proudly supports Miracle Diapers and their continuing efforts to provide needy families with cloth diapering and natural parenting items.

Currently, the gals at Miracle Diapers are trying to make the move into a more comfortable office/warehouse environment. They need our help in raising the money they need to fund their move.

Earth Angels Diaper Co. will be providing a $5.00 Coupon Code to anyone who donates $5.00 or more to Miracle Diapers as a THANK YOU for your generosity and support. The coupon code will be automatically sent upon completing the donation through PayPal.

Please donate through one of the links at Earth Angels Diaper Co. to take advantage of this offer.

And, as always, Miracle Diapers is also accepting donations of cloth diapers, accessories, and other natural parenting items.

Thanks for reading!

Ruby Mae is Here!

You may have noticed that it's been eerily quiet around here...

Between those last few agonizingly uncomfortable weeks of pregnancy (in 90 degree heat, mind you!) and a quick labor ending in a very unexpected c/s and a sweet little babe in the NICU, it's been a crazy couple of months!

After arriving at the hospital at 8 centimeters, an initial monitoring strip scared the living crap out of all of us. For an entire half hour after we arrived, the baby's heart rate was never once anywhere near normal. It would alternate between super-low and racing-high. After 30 minutes of trying an amnio infusion, oxygen, and different positions, we all agreed that a c-section was in order ASAP! Turns out she had an extremely thin cord, and had also aspirated and swallowed the nastiest meconium any of the medical professionals in the room had ever encountered! Nasty!

But after a stay in the NICU, our baby girl is home and perfect as can be. Life is settling down, and we are getting back into the rhythm of life. I've been having so much fun cloth-diapering my new baby girl, and I'm excited to get back to blogging!

Here's a picture of our sweet little Ruby Mae while she was still in the NICU. The photo is a coupe of weeks old, but since she's been home I've been too darn lazy to get the USB cable down from the closet so I can upload the newer pics from my camera. Because taking 30 seconds to do something like that is a big deal when you've just had a baby...