flat is fab

my first ever attempt at using a flat

 

Over the past few days I have gone back to basics and have been giving flats a bit of a go... I really did think I wouldn't like them, or that I'd think they were 'okay', but then not really give them a second look.  HOWEVER, I am thoroughly impressed by these 'old school' diapers, and think they may become an important component of my fluffy wardrobe. They are definitely on par with prefolds, and possibly actually better [in my opinion] than prefolds, because of the variety of ways they can be folded, and the fact that they are really a one size fits all diaper solution... I find that with prefolds, once Emersyn has grown and is closer to the end of the weight range for a certain size of prefold, they become quite hard to do up - there isn't a lot of fabric left at the 'wings' of the diaper.  Admittedly with a snappi this doesn't cause a lot of problems, but if you're pinning - it does.
 
Why do I like them?  I think it's the absorbency mainly - and the fac t they can be folded in certain ways, so that the absorbency is where you need it.  I have tried three folds - the airplane fold, the origami fold and the kite fold, and I think my favourite of the three is the origami fold.  I remember my Mum [and Aunties] using the origami fold on my sister and cousins - and it always looked so hard, and complex - very adult... but it only took a couple of goes before I felt like I was somewhat a pro.  I think that is part of what is so great about flats - they are almost the 'blank canvas' of the diaper world - and you can modify them to suit your own needs...  I imagine the airplane fold is great for using on boys, and the kite fold is probably very adjustable and could be used on a newborn.  


I have actually found flats to be so good, that I'm now using them overnight.  I have found that for Emersyn they are best used in the origami fold, with a Real Nappies night time booster pad on top - and then a pad folded flat on top of that... there are umpteen layers of absorbency - WHERE it is needed,  and when accompanied by a fleece cover, or a Bummis Super Whisper Wrap, they seem very much leakproof - and foolproof.

So are flats overrated?  In MY opinion - NO... infact, I think it's quite the opposite - flats are UNDERRATED...

pining for pins

I decided earlier this week that I would give flats a go - that was all well and good until I realised that the fabric of my [single] flat is an 'unsnappiable' fabric, therefore I would need to do something I had refused even try.... I would have to use pins.... 

Thursday the girls and I traipsed around the mall, trying to find what I presumed would be an easy to find item - considering that up until awhile ago, they were the MAIN form of fastening a diaper.  But no.  Neither of the supermarkets had them, the two department stores didn't have them neither did the first baby store I tried.  I was shocked a BABY store wouldn't stock them... Baby and pin seem to go hand in hand for me [of course not literally...], apparently they are now an item that there isn't a lot of demand for.  Interesting.  Fast forward to the last shop on my list - Baby Factory - FINALLY I found the longed for pins.  Hallelujah.
 

my first prefold pinning attempt

I got home and couldn't resist having a go at pinning a nappy for the very first time... I got Emersyn ready, said a quick pre-emptive pin-stabbing  apology took a deep breath and away I went.  It was surprisingly a lot easier than I imagined it would be - I remember watching my Aunts when I was younger, and it seemed like there was a lot of force require to get the pin through the actual fabric, but it seemed quite effortless when I did it..  I did need to re-pin a few times, to get diaper tight enough and even, but I eventually got there.

I have been using only pinned prefolds for basically three days now, and have to say I REALLY love using pins.  I am not sure what it is about pinning, but I think it's to do with the fact you get a snugger fit around the waist, and they seem to bunch a bit less.  Today for the first time I didn't have to re-pin to get the right fit, so I think I am starting to become a little more skilled at pinning... not that that is a huge accomplishment that I expect praise for - but I am proud of myself, because it's a little bit of the 'back to basics' which seems to be something I am fond of right now.

I have even started to enjoy using the prefolds and pins so much, that I have been having vague ideas of selling most of the rest of my stash, and then buying some more prefolds and extra covers... but I don't know if I can bring myself to part with my stash, especially with all the effort I've gone to to build it [aka, after all the money I have spent on it].  I think there are some I would definitely keep - but maybe I should go through and get rid of the diapers that I don't LOVE.....

food for thought....

If I could do it all again.... Prefolds and the newborn

'if I had to do it all again' is a phrase I think most parents say throughout their lifetime...  My 'if I had to do it all again' moment of the day, is a cloth diapering issue. 

prefold fastened with a Snappi

IF I HAD TO DO IT ALL AGAIN.... I would definitely stick with using prefolds for a newborn baby - infact probably for the first 6 months of the babies life.  Why?  Because prefolds are simple, and they aren't as bulky as some diapers can be on a newborn.  I don't think Emersyn really counted as a 'newborn' when I used my first prefold - she was about 2 months old, perhaps a tiny big younger, but as soon as I'd used them for the first time, I was HOOKED - and still am.  I think they are the most versatile diaper (along with flats, I'd imagine) out there, and they seem to grow with your baby.  I liked them as much on Emersyn when she was 2 months old - as I do now that she is almost 1 year old (again, GULP!).  They can be folded and fastened, or they can be pad-folded/trifolded, it really depends on what you prefer, and what you find works best for your baby.

'basic' fold, fastened with a Snappi

put on a cover & you're good to go!

As I stated in a previous entry, prefolds are basically the step up from flats - and as with flats they can be fastened, though today a lot of parents prefer to use a 'Snappi' - which you can see in the photo above.  It is basically a rubbery plasticy... 'thingy', in a 'T' shape, with little pointy prongs at the end of each part of the 'T'.  You simply put the prongs in one side of the diaper, then the other side, followed lastly by the 'tail' of the Snappi.  They are a lot safer than pins, and admittedly a lot easier to use as well - I find they can generally be put on one handed with a small baby, but once they're wiggling around a little more, they can be easier to put on using both hands.  Then there is the simple pad-fold/trifold, where the prefold is folded in thirds, placed inside the wrap/cover - and then all you need to do is place the baby on top of the prefold & put the wrap on as per-usual... No pins (or Snappis) needed.. no fancy folding.. nothing.  The way in which you use your prefold really depends on your baby, and your personal preference - and if you're anything like me, you'll find that different stages call for different folds...

When Emersyn was little, I really really liked the 'bikini twist' fold - it's a great way to get lots of absorption between the legs, BUT it also creates quite a trim appearance.  For my old blog I did a step by step photo blog of how to do the bikini twist (which I believe is popular amongst Mums of girls)... so here it is again!

Step 1 - put baby on top of flat prefold

Step 2 - twist the bottom half of the prefold - left corner to the right, right corner to the left - it will in essence, look like an hourglass shape

Step 3 - bring the lower half up between the babies legs

Step 4 - tuck the outer edges under the 'wings' from top part of the prefold, and fasten!  I learnt soon after this that you can also fold the part of the prefold that is around the legs under - creating a trimmer look, and also providing a little extra protection

(example with the fabric around the legs tucked under more)

As I said, I really loved the bikini twist - particularly when Emersyn was at the age where she would just lie still during a diaper change - however as she started getting older I preferred doing a basic fold (which I sadly don't have a photo example of how to do this fold), OR just using the prefold pad-folded/trifolded.  The 'jelly fold' is another fold that I really loved when Emersyn was little - and it is one that is VERY popular with Mums who are breastfeeding!  I found the following instructions for the jelly roll (aka 'side wall' fold) on the diaperco website.. it's a simple fold - as follows

step 1 - fold down as much prefold as you desire, to get the right size for your baby & place baby on the prefold

step 2 - start rolling the sides of the prefold until it is a little wider than your babies tooshy

step 3 - roll up the other side of the diaper, then bring the diaper through the babies legs

step 4 - fasten!

as you may see by now, rolling up the sides of the prefolds creates a barrier of sorts, to stop any of that runny breastfed-baby-poo getting out, or to at least make it harder anyway!

Another benefit of prefolds is that they tend to be the cheapest option (along with flats) for cloth diapering - and I believe that in the early days it is best for a baby to be in a diaper that fits comfortably, and not one that is big and bulky... and it's going to be a lot cheaper to buy a stash of newborn/infant prefolds, rather than a whole stash of xtra-small/newborn/small diapers, and then have to purchase more when your babe grows out of them.  I definitely LOVE pocket & AIO diapers for Emersyn at the age she is now, but I do keep going back to prefolds.

An added bonus of prefolds is that when they do grow out of the newborn/infant size, you can use those prefolds as boosters and inserts for your bigger diapers - so you can get a LOT of use out of them... Not to mention the fact they can be used for more than 1 baby!

Back to the beginning...

I thought it was time to take some photos of the different types of diapers, so that those of you who haven't come across modern cloth diapers before, would have more of an idea what the heck I'm talking about!  In amongst all the AIO, AI2, OSFA, OSFM, FB, BG, PF abbreviations & associated cloth diapering jargon, are the 4 (well, 4 of the 5) basic types of modern cloth diaper - the AIO & AI2 (all in one & all in two), the fitted, the pocket & the prefold.

We will start with the pocket diaper.  This diaper consists of a waterproof cover, which has a stay-dry layer on the inside - and in between the waterproof cover & stay dry inner, are insert - which provide the absorbent layer/s for the diaper.  They do up with either snaps or velcro/aplix, and come either sized (small, medium, large, x-large) OR in a OSFA (one size fits all) style.

the waterproof outer

the stay-dry inner (microfleece)

the cover and an insert

the insert slides in between the two inner & outer layers

Next, we have the fitted diaper.  The fitted diaper has all it's absorbency sewn in, and often will come with an optional soaker which can be snapped in, OR is sewn in as a flap.  Fitteds are NOT waterproof and require a waterproof cover.  As with pockets, these can be fastened with either snaps, or velcro/aplix

fitted, fastened with snaps

inside the fitted, you can see a detachable soaker pad

Now we get on to the AIO & AI2.  They are a combination of the fitted and the pocket, in the way that the absorbent layers are sewn into the diaper, and again there can be the snap in, or sewn in soaker flap, but unlike the fitted - and like the pocket, the outer material of the AIO is waterproof.  There is a distinction between the AIO & AI2 however.  The AIO - as said above, has all the absorbency sewn into it, whereas the AI2 has the cover - referred to as the 'shell', however all the absorbency needs to be added to it - generally with snaps.  The AI2 is sometimes referred to as a 'snap in' or 'snap in one'.

the AIO & AI2 are the same on the outside

the AI2 has a shell - with all the absorbency separate & to be snapped in for use

all the absorbency that can be snapped in (you can customise to suit your child)

the AIO however, has all of its absorbency sewn in, with or without an extra soaker flap

And last but not least, we have the prefold.  The prefold is the closest thing to the old school flats that were used 'back in the day'.  The diaper is essential sewn in thirds, with absorbency on the inside.  The two outer sections with less absorbency, the inside with more (usually 4x6x4 layers), and they can either be folded into a pad shape (trifolded), or they can be folded & fastened as with flat diapers.  As with the fitted diaper, prefolds do require a waterproof layer over top of the diaper.

a prefold in its flat state - you can see it is sewn in thirds, lengthways

a prefold in its trifolded state

Another option for cloth diapering - as I mentioned with the prefolds, is using flats.  I haven't added them as I don't have any personal experience using them, however I do plan on purchasing some & giving it a go - so stay tuned for my flats experiment! 

Why I love..... Bummis!

Super Brite

One of the first diaper brands I tried was Bummis... the first ever wraps that I bought were a blue, a green & pink Super Brite wrap, for use over prefolds.  The initial reason I bought them was purely because they looked cute - up until then I just had solid colour diapers, and so badly wanted to get a cute print... I came a cross the Bummis Super Brites on TradeMe & just couldn't resist purchasing them!  You wouldn't believe my excitement when they arrived - actually, those of you who cloth diaper would believe it, but anyone who doesn't - well, you'll be thinking "excited about a stupid diaper.. what the...?".

'Flower' SWW

'Bloom' SWW

After the first use of a 'SB' (Super Brite) I realised just how FUNCTIONALLY awesome the wrap was.  Unlike [most] other wraps I looked at, the SB's have leg gussets, which is a function I believe ALL wraps should have... they make sure that anything that accidentally escapes the prefold or fitted underneath, stays contained inside, but I've also found that for overnight use they cover a VERY bulky diaper easily....  Emersyn (as I have posted previously) is a very heavy wetter at night, and while the Bamboo has helped to improve the situation, I'm still finding that by the time she gets up in the morning she is wet, so have begun putting the SB cover over top... and even if the pocket diaper underneath is wet through, her pyjamas (and skin) are still nice and dry.  This is possibly why she has started sleeping a lot better over the last week - she's a little more comfortable. 

'Jungle' SWW

So I love Bummis [Super Brites] because of their leg gussets, but I also love the prints - particularly the Super Whisper Wrap (SWW) prints.  My first SWW prints I had were 'Jungle', 'Froggy Pond', 'Flower' & 'Celery Dot' - and more recently I have added 'Ladybug' & 'Bloom' prints to my collection.  Dotted around this blog post are pictures of the SB & SWW from the Bummis website - and are examples of the print-cuteness that I couldn't resist!  There are a few other new prints that I'd love to get, but have decided to wait until I have gotten over the novelty of having the new 'Bloom' & 'Ladybug' prints!

'Ladybug' SWW

The only downside for me, of the Bummis SWW is that they don't have leg gussets.  My perfect wrap would be a Bummis SWW with leg gussets..... the ideal combination of cute prints - but also the excellent function that is the leg gusset!  For the most part I have only used wraps over prefolds, but now I seem to be using wraps over fitted diapers more than the prefolds - and am still very impressed with how well they work.

"Eww but cloth diapering is GROSS..."

"EWWW BUT CLOTH DIAPERING IS GROSS!"

... how many times have I heard that since I started using cloth diapers?  I don't know - I never kept count, but it is one of the most common replies I receive, when I say the simple phrase "I"m using cloth diapers".

Cloth diapering + gross don't really go in the same sentence for me, unless it is with regard to teething-baby-poop, or stomach-virus-baby-poop.  I'm not too sure why people automatically think that cloth diapering is gross, there hasn't been one time when I've thought "oh god I wish I was using disposables - this is so gross", well I have said that on the odd occasion - but never seriously.  You try cleaning diarrhoea off a diaper you forgot to line with a liner & tell me if YOU don't wish for just a second you could just wrap it & throw it away!

I guess a lot of people make judgements from their impressions of cloth diapering 'back in the day', when you did have to scrape the poop off diapers and have a bucket of dirty diapers in dirty water, creating a horrible stink in the laundry or wherever they were stored... that said, I remember very clearly my two aunties using cloth diapers (20+ years ago) and I don't remember it being gross.  A little labour intensive PERHAPS, but that was about it.  I used to be fascinated by my Aunty doing a special fold for my boy cousins - up until then I'd only been around girl babies, and found it very interesting that boys needed a different fold!

I find that cloth diapering now - compared with back then - seems a LOT easier.  Simply a case of remove dirty diaper & wipe little bottom, place baby on top of new diaper & snap/velcro/aplix the tabs, remove dirty liner from dirty diaper & dispose of any solid waste in the toilet (often these liners can be flushed along with the poop), then place dirty diaper in 'wet bag' or DRY diaper pale.  When ready put the diapers in the washing machine - then hang them out or put them in the drier.

Yes  - when cloth diapering you do have to deal with poop, but that's the same when you're using disposables... no matter what diaper you use there will always be a bum to wipe, and as far as I can see that is really the closest that cloth diapers become to being 'gross'.  If you use diaper liners most time any poop can be removed from the diaper by simply lifting off the liner... on the odd occasion poop does miss the liner & get on the fabric of the diaper, a quick run under a fast flowing tap - or with a diaper sprayer, and it's gone...  That may be the ONLY positive side there is to disposables.

You tell me - what looks 'grosser', more 'offensive', like something you'd hate to have in your house?

A pale full of used disposable diapers....

Cloth diapers folded & ready to be used

'old school' cloth diapers - aka 'flats'

Cloth diapering has come SO far from 'back in the day' - the cloth that our grandparents & parents used.  Back then the only real option when it came to cloth diapers, was using the flats & pins that we probably all naturally associated with cloth diapering when we were younger.... These are the diapers that were most likely used on us, because going back not so long ago a bulk of babies were in cloth diapers - it was more 'kooky' to use disposables than cloth diapers... go into any backyard and chances are you'd find cloth nappies drying on the washing line, getting ready for their next use.  When it came time to change diapers, the diaper was folded, slid under the baby & then the magical (well to me it seemed that way!) task of pinning the diapers took place - a fluffy cover (if a cover at all) was placed on top & the child was good to go.  Then out to the laundry the used cloth diaper would go - and into a pale of cold, manky, stinky water it would sit until a load of diapers was put into the washing machine & then back out on the line - where the whole process would repeat itself.  In most households in your street - in the street next to you & 50 streets away, THIS would have been the process.  It was just normal!  It was what you did when you had a baby!

Then disposables became more widely available - and cheaper, more parents decided to take the leap & try out the new fandangled diapers to see what the fuss was about... and in the space of a few years suddenly cloth diapers became a thing of the past for most families, and disposables were a regular part of life with a baby.  The history of cloth diapering is something I'll get into another time, but long story short - cloth began becoming somewhat popular again, but this time things had changed.  Cloth diapers were easier to use, more hygenic - and a lot cuter...

Going along with the 'cloth diapering is gross!' theme, take a look at these pictures & tell me which you think is the 'grosser' of the two - which would you sooner put on your babies booty?

A 'MCD' - Modern Cloth Diaper

A disposable diaper

The only thing that is gross about cloth diapering, is the poop aspect, and whether you are using cloth, disposables or eliminiation communication - you are going to have to deal with poop, so if you ask me you might as well make the rest of the diapering experience a darn cute one!

My Clothaholic World

I never imagined that just over a year ago when I decided to exclusively cloth diaper my daughter Emersyn (who was still tucked safely inside at that stage), that it would turn into such an obsession for me - and yes, I think obsession is a fairly apt word to describe my love for cloth!  I started out with 20 OSFA pocket diapers, all the same brand - and thought that would be all I would need - or want.  However after spending some time on the cloth diapering board at JustMommies, it didn't take long for me to realise what was on offer out there in the world of cloth - OR that I wanted to try it alllllllll!

Emersyn arrived on June 16 2010 & I began cloth diapering her when she was 2 weeks & 3 days old (yes, very exact - I know!), her little but looked so big & bulky in her OSFA diapers, but at the same time they were too cute to NOT use.  For a couple of weeks I was more than happy with the OSFA diapers, but after a little searching on TradeMe one day, I realised that I too could have all the cute cloth the American ladies on my forum had - there was a mass of diapers for sale on TradeMe - some new, some used... considering money was tight, I decided to purchase a couple of preloved diapers, I don't remember right now what they were - but it was certainly the beginning of this clothaholism.

Fast forward 9 (beautiful!) months & my stash (that's a technical term in the cloth diapering world) is huge, and full of various brands of diapers, and various types of diapers.

Types? of diapers - I here you ask yourself.  Yes.  There isn't just one type of cloth diaper - they are split into 4 main categories

1. pockets
2. AIO's (all in ones) / AI2's (all in twos)
3. fitteds
4. prefolds

each of course having their own list of pros and cons, which I assure you I will go into in the not too distant future.  I can understand why cloth diapering can be overwhelming to those starting out - there is SO much out there that it can be hard to know where to start!  I personally started out as a huge fan of pockets (because they were all I had), I then bought some prefolds & covers - and fell in love with THOSE... a couple of months later I purchased my first fitteds, and again it was love at first sight/use.... Very recently I have started purchasing a few AIO's - and again....... LOVE.

If I had to sum it up, cloth diapering for me is LOVE... it's love for your little one, love for the environment & love for the adorable fluffiness that IS the modern cloth diaper ('MCD')....

My little clothbutt has just woken up, so I do need to sign off now to go and put another cute diaper on her little booty - but with that mention of 'clothbutt' - why not check out my 365 day photo challenge blog - CLOTH-BUTT CUTENESS 365 - with the focus being on - you guessed it, cloth diapers!  365 days in a row of cloth diaper photos to be precies!