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.

FAQ - "How Do You Keep Baby Secure in a Ring Sling?"

Submitted by Valerie! Thanks again, Valerie! Keep 'em coming! =-)

"I have a ring sling and I want to continue to use it, but I always feel like he is wiggling out of it and I don't feel like he is secure. How long can I wear him in a ring sling? And can you give some pointers on the best way to wear him in it so that he and I both feel he is secure?"

You can wear a baby in a ring sling as long as the baby is within the manufacturer's weight guidelines (many are up to 35 lbs, but be sure to check your particular brand), and as long as it is physically comfortable for you. If the ring is positioned correctly (in front of your shoulder, rather than on top of your shoulder) and the fabric is spread to distribute the weight, most people can wear their babes up to the manufacturer's weight recommendation with no problems.

There are a couple of key points to making sure that your baby is secure in a ring sling, in the carrying positions designed for older babies (hip and back carries, for example).

1. Make sure the fabric is spread not only under the baby's butt, but well under the thighs. I always spread the fabric almost all the way to the underside of my son's knees, which creates what I call the "butt hammock". You can then cinch up that edge of the fabric through the ring to make sure the baby has a "seat" ("butt hammock") for their little buns to sink into a bit, thus securing their weight.

2. Spread the other edge of the fabric up by the baby's armpits or shoulders, and be sure to cinch this edge up through the ring as well. This keeps the baby's torso close to you, so the baby can't lean away from you and create a dangerous situation.

By spreading the fabric both low (knees) and high (shoulders) and tightening each edge, you are able to keep your baby snug and secure as they get older and curiosity makes them more wiggly! =-)

FAQ - "Which Wrap for an Older Child?"

Submitted by Valerie. Thanks Valerie!

"I am wondering about using my Moby with a one year old? Is that reasonable? I wanted the opinion of a mom, not just something that the makers say. I know that the longer he is in it, the stretchier and looser it becomes, so is it something you can use with a kiddo that weighs over 22 pounds? Just wanting a mama's opinion. Thanks"

It really depends on how heavy your one-year-old is, but as the baby gets bigger, "stretch" gets less fun. I like a non-stretchy wrap for an older kid. 100% cotton wraps are nice because they really don't stretch, so they offer more support when wearing a big-kid, especially for a longer period of time.

My all-time favorite is the Ellaroo Wrap, but you can also search Hyenacart and Etsy for great mom-made wraps which are a little less spendy!

CONTEST! Link to me *or* submit a question for a chance to win BabyLegs!

Announcing a super-easy contest! If you have a blog or website, link to Cloth and Carriers 101 for a chance to win a free pair of BabyLegs! You can also enter by submitting a question you'd like to see answered.


The details...

1. Place a link to Cloth and Carriers 101 ( http://clothandcarriers101.blogspot.com/ ) on your blog or website. You can also place a link as part of a shout-out on a public forum, but it must be a forum that I can view to verify without having to become a member. Then email me at ClothAndCarriers101@yahoo.com to let me know where I can view the link you've placed.

2. You can also enter by emailing me a cloth diaper or baby carrier related question you'd like to see answered. Just email your question to ClothAndCarriers101@yahoo.com.

3. Each person may enter twice... Once by linking to me, and once by submitting a question.


4. Entries must be received by 11:59 pm Pacific time on Saturday, April 4th. After that time, all eligible entries will be placed into a random drawing. The winner of the drawing will receive a free pair of BabyLegs!

5. I will contact the winner via email to find out where to send your BabyLegs. If the winner does not respond to my email within 5 days, the winner forfeits the prize and a new winner will be drawn from the remaining entries. If you have sketchy email, you may want to also include a phone number so you don't miss out if you are the winner.

6. Your contact info will only be used for the purpose of this contest. You will not be spammed or contacted in any other way, and your info will never be shared with a third party.

So that's it! Have fun, and GOOD LUCK! =-)

FAQ: "How can I get to know cloth diapering moms in real life?"

Do all of your local mommy friends look at you like you have 3 heads when you mention cloth diapers? Have you never met another cloth diapering mom in real life? Well, as scarce as cloth-diapering moms may seem at times, we're out here... just waiting to get connected! Why not get to know some local cloth diapering Mamas?

Check out Meetup or Yahoo Groups to search for a local group in your area... one may already exist, undiscovered!

If you can't find a local group devoted to cloth diapers, why not start your own? Yahoo Groups are free, and fairly user friendly.

I personally organize my group through Meetup. I prefer Meetup to Yahoo because it's a bit more snazzy. You can customize the look, and we've had great success expanding. I started the group in November 2007, and less than a year and a half later we are up to 90 members! Imagine knowing 90 cloth diapering moms in your immediate area. And that's with me putting forth absolutely NO effort trying to find new members. With Meetup, local cloth diapering moms will find you. And no, I make absolutely no sort of commission for promoting Meetup. LOL! I just really love it!

Meetup does cost a nominal $6 per month on a 6 month subscription. This can be offset by charging small dues to members, or better yet, by finding a sponsor. Local natural businesses will often jump at the chance to sponsor a group of their target audience for such a low fee.

Why are local groups awesome? Well, besides just the sheer coolness of having real-live friends who love cloth as much as you do... you can buy, sell and trade used cloth locally with your group members. This way you can avoid destroying your hard drive by visiting a certain online community who shall remain nameless. In our group, we have fluff parties where everyone brings examples from their stash to show off. This is a wonderful way to see a myriad of brands and styles in person before you decide to buy online. The group is also an excellent resource for those who are new to cloth or thinking of switching, and would like to get tips and advice from those who are more experienced.

You can check out my group if you're in the Inland Empire area!

If you have any questions about how to start a local group, just give me a holler at ClothAndCarriers101@yahoo.com. I'd be more than happy to impart any wisdom I've gained over the last year and a half!

FAQ - "How do you strip your diapers when needed?"

Submitted by Mama Kalila. Thank you! =-)

"Quick question... If you don't recommend Dawn [in the washing machine] (and your explanation makes a lot of sense) then how do you strip your diapers when needed?"

Good question!

For general repelling (when the diapers just don't seem to be absorbing very well, or moisture is leaking off instead of being absorbed) the cause is usually detergent buildup. You can also tell if this is the likely culprit if you notice that there are suds or scum in the final rinse when you do your normal wash routine. To help with detergent buildup, wash your diapers in hot with 1/2 the recommended amount of detergent. Then follow that with hot washes with NO detergent. Run hot washes with no detergent as many times as needed until there are no suds or scum in the rinse cycle. You can see why Dawn would be counter-productive in this case since you are trying to remove all suds from your diapers.

If someone (hubby, mother-in-law... never you, of course!) has done the unthinkable and put a cloth-unfriendly diaper cream on without a liner, the cream will stick to that diaper like there's no tomorrow. This will cause repelling (and likely staining) in the area where the diaper cream came into contact with the diaper. To remedy this, I do recommend Dawn, but in the kitchen sink... not the washing machine. Using hot water, a squirt of plain Dawn, and a super-soft bristle toothbrush (think baby toothbrush) you can gently rub out the diaper cream. Just squirt a little Dawn right on the affected area of the fleece or suedecloth, and very softly rub with the toothbrush. After you've scrubbed one side of the fleece or suedecloth, flip the diaper inside out (if possible) and scrub the opposite side as well. This will not be a two-minute fix, but it will save your diaper. It just takes some diligence and a lot of patience. After you're done, rinse the diaper as well as you can in the sink, then wash in the washing machine as usual. Just be sure that there are no suds left in the rinse. You may need to do extra rinses.

And of course I recommend prevention above all! To avoid buildup in the first place, be sure to use a cloth-friendly detergent, use only 1/2 the recommended amount, and do an extra rinse after every wash cycle. Avoid diaper creams when possible. When necessary or prescribed by your doctor, use as directed but use a fleece or flushable liner as a barrier between the cream and your dipes!

FAQ - "HE Washer Woes!"

Submitted by briannalc.

"Hello! I was a customer of Keen Bambino and I am very glad that you decided to start this blog. Anyway, I used prefolds with my 3rd child. My older 2 were potty trained, so no need to start them, too. We will be trying for a 4th baby sometime late spring/early summer, and I really want to cloth diaper again. The problem has to do with why I stopped cloth diapering. When I bought cloth diapers, I had a top loading old washing machine. After about 4-5 months of cloth diapering, I had to get a new washer and dryer because mine died. I bought an HE front loading set. Soon after using the new set, my son started getting horrible rashes. I know that my machine was just not getting them as clean as he needed them. I think it is because of how little water my machine used. I just used baking soda, vinegar, and a squirt of dawn. I ended up going back to regular diapers because I was so frustrated with those diaper rashes. After that long explanation... what is the best way to get diapers clean in an HE machine? I have an LG model, if that makes any difference! I have friends with different models and they never had a problem."

Let me start out by saying that I have a top-loading washer which is at least 10 years old. The stupid thing runs like a champ and I have never had to have a single repair on it. It just won't die. I wish it would so I could have an excuse to buy a fancy-shmansy new washer. But I guess if appliances NOT breaking is the biggest problem around my house then I should count my blessings, huh?

HE machines are a mixed blessing. On the one hand, you can cut your family's water usage which is nice for your checking account and nice for our planet. But HE machines and diapers are just fundamentally opposed, it seems. Diapers need to be thoroughly rinsed to avoid detergent residue buildup, so a machine that's designed to use a fraction of the water of a traditional model can be an issue.

As much as it seems to defeat the purpose of an HE machine, when washing diapers many parents find that they need to do 2 or 3 extra rinses (instead of the usual 1 extra rinse recommended when washing diapers in a top-loading model). Rinsing is so important, I really can't stress it enough. Yes, it's lame to have to do several rinses in a machine that's designed to save water. But the alternative is stinky diapers and rashy bums... and that's even more lame, isn't it?

My other suggestion would be to NEVER use Dawn in any washing machine... especially an HE machine. Dawn is not designed for washing machines. I know it is widely recommended on diapering forums, but remember that these ladies are not washing machine technicians. Think of how incredibly sudsy dish soap is. Now pair that with an HE machine which we know doesn't really rinse clean. It is very likely that there was a ton of Dawn residue in your diapers, which was what was causing the rash. Over-sudsing can also be damaging to your washing machine, so I really wish people would stop recommending it.

I would recommend using a detergent specifically designed for HE machines, and then using 1/2 of the recommended HE amount when you do diaper laundry. When choosing a detergent, be sure to avoid those with softeners and/or brighteners like the plague. Fragrances should be avoided if your baby's skin is sensitive to them. There is some debate about enzymes, as well. Some parents find that detergents with enzymes cause a rash on their baby, while others find that detergents without enzymes aren't sufficient when tackling something as nasty as human waste. My boys had recurring rashes until I switched to a detergent with enzymes (we use plain, basic Tide with great success). However, I still won't recommend enzymes across the board. It's really a matter of what works best for your baby and what you are comfortable with trying.

So in your situation, I'd say give it another try next time around! Just be sure to do extra rinses, avoid the Dawn, and use an HE-specific detergent.

FAQ - "What is the best carrier for plus size mommas ?"

"What is the best carrier for plus size mommas ?"

Also submitted by Jenn! Thanks again! =-)

I am just barely on the lower border of plus-size as far as clothing stores are concerned (size 12 on a good day), but I do have some pretty hefty DD knockers for my 5'4" self, so I'm definitely not a stick figure either. I do, however, know what my plus-sized baby-wearing customers raved about, so I can provide a list of some of my top-sellers for plus-sized Mamas:

Sleepy Wrap Baby Wrap Carrier (Wrap Carrier):
If you're looking for a wrap-style carrier, this would be the way to go, in my opinion. The material on the Sleepy Wrap is just slightly more stretchy than on other brands I have tried, which means you can get a great fit no matter what your size. Don't let the word "stretchy" scare you, though. It truly is just slightly stretchy... definitely not ridiculously stretchy where the material loses shape and the baby is hanging down to your knees after 5 minutes.


New Native Baby Carrier (Pouch):
I love pouches because they are so simple, yet so versatile. You can wear your baby in so many different positions and there are never any buckles or belts to adjust. And they fold up incredibly small, which makes them so easy to bring along. I would suggest that plus-sized Mamas who are looking for a pouch should check out the New Native Carrier. The company's standard lineup goes up to XL, and they will happily custom make slings from 2XL to 5XL. It's a very easy carrier to size yourself for (just measure your chest above your bust), and there is detailed sizing info available on the manufacturer's website. if you're still not sure about size, the manufacturer even provides a toll-free number that you can call for guidance.

ERGObaby Carrier (Soft Structured Carrier):
The ERGO is probably my very favorite carrier overall. My younger son is a hefty guy, so it wasn't long before he was just too heavy to be carried comfortably for long periods of time. The ERGO has been AMAZING! At 30+ lbs, he would pass out on my back while we were out walking and I could carry him for hours if that's how long he decided to sleep. I have tried a lot of soft structured carriers, and the ERGO is hands-down the most comfortable. That's one major reason why it gets my recommendation for plus-sized Mamas. Another reason is that the carrier's waist straps fit up to a 43" waist, and you can also add an extender which brings the waist to 51".

If you are a baby-wearing plus-sized Mama, I'd love to have your input! Which carriers have you fallen in love with?

FAQ - "What is your fave OS Pocket ? Sized pocket? "

SQUEAL! My very first FAQ submission!

This FAQ was submitted by Jenn. Thanks Jenn!

"What is your fave OS Pocket ? Sized pocket?"

I was asked these questions all the time as a retailer. Since I took it upon myself to try everything I could get my hands on, I can give an honest opinion about both.

Mandi's Favorite One-Size Pocket:


The winner is the bumGenius 3.0 One-Size Cloth Diaper.

I *love* this diaper. I've been using them since they came out (I used the 2.0's long before that), and they just have such a nice, trim fit. I'm generally not a huge fan of hook & loop closures, but the laundry tabs on my bG's keep the Aplix closed during the wash much better than any other hook & loop diaper I've tried. Mine are used in heavy rotation (no diaper is used "gently" around here!) and they've held up very well. I love that they come with a newborn insert in addition to the one-size insert. That means that even on a newborn there is a nice, trim fit.

I have quite the variety of diapers in my stash, but I always reach for my bG's in regards to a one-size diaper. They're just an all-around great diaper, very well-made, and relatively competitive in price.

Mandi's Favorite Sized Pocket:

The winner is Fuzzi Bunz.

These diapers have lasted over TWO YEARS of daily use, and still have life in them. Every baby is shaped differently, so preferences will vary on that front, but for my kids FB's are simply the best fit. They are super-adjustable in the thigh area, which has been really nice. My oldest was very skinny, and my youngest had thighs like the Michelin Man. Fuzzi Bunz fit them both perfectly. There is a great selection of colors, and I love that the prints are made of the same material as the solids.

You can see in the picture at right how trim Fuzzi Bunz are. This particular diaper was being worn during sprinkler time, and it even had the insert in it. That diaper was soaked, and look how trim it is!

A close second for my favorite sized pockets would be Knickernappies Disposanots. They are also fairly trim-fitting, and come in an equally adorable array of colors. The quality and durability of KNDs are top-notch, as well. The only reason they are my second favorite is that the sizes are a little smaller than the Fuzzi Bunz, and my little linebacker outgrew each size more quickly than he did in the Fuzzi Bunz. For my chub-a-lub I prefer the more generous sizing of Fuzzi Bunz... but if you have petite babies, I would actually recommend Knickernappies.

These are my preferences based on trying one of everything ever made (just about!). But every baby is different. My first and foremost recommendation to anyone starting out is do not invest in dozens of any one particular diaper until you have tried it out first!

Submit a FAQ!

Do you have a burning question about cloth diapers or baby carriers you'd like me to answer? Submitting a question is easy!

Either-
1. Post your question as a comment to any previous post

Or-
2. Email your question to ClothAndCarriers101@yahoo.com

I'll post your question (and my response) ASAP!

What are my credentials, you may ask?

* I have cloth diapered 2 children, and soon I'll be diapering my third!

* I have experienced "converting", as I switched to cloth when my oldest son was 16 months old. Until that point I had never even seen a cloth diaper. So, yeah, I've been on both ends of the spectrum in that sense!

* I cloth diapered my second son from the start, so I am familiar with diapering a newborn, as well.

* Because of my time as a cloth diaper retailer, I have literally tried every major brand and style of diaper out there. I've also tried many smaller-scale WAHM-made brands.

* I have worn both of my children in just about every carrier imaginable... from the mainstream Snugli, to the Maya Wrap, woven wraps, the ERGO... and everything in between.

* I have basically lived and breathed cloth diapers and baby carriers for the last 2 years, during which time I was a retailer.

So whether you're an expectant first time mom weighing your options, or a seasoned pro with a specific wondering, email me your question and I'd be happy to weigh in!