At my house we're currently battling a pretty bad bottom rash. The Peanut has food allergies, and every once in a while something sneaks by us, and she ends up sad and rashy. One of the occasional challenges of cloth diapering is finding the right solution for diaper rashes. Most popular rash ointments (um, kind of hate that word, not sure why) include ingredients that will result in leaks and/or stains when used with cloth diapers, especially synthetic fiber diapers.
Here's why: most zinc oxide creams and a lot of other diaper potions (like how I'm avoiding that "o" word?) contain oils that have a melting temperature that is higher than the temperatures you use to wash your diapers. That means the oils will build up on your diapers, causing them to become water (and pee) repellent and possibly stained.
So what to do?
Fear not. You have two easy choices.
1. Choose a cloth-friendly diaper cream (they're made with oils with a low melting temperature). Popular choices include CJ's BUTTer and California Baby Diaper Rash Cream. I've personally used California Baby, and I like it for mild rashes.
2. When you've got a serious rash and you need to go hard-core butt cream, make sure to use a liner or something in between your baby's bum and your diapers. I like Bummis BioSoft Flushable Liners. Before I found those, I used to use some little cut-up scraps of an inexpensive Gerber flat diaper. The catch-22 with this option is that the liner itself will hold some moisture against your baby's skin, so you'll need to make sure to be a little generous with the cream. Also, if you like to go the reusable route, make sure to wash the liners separately from your diapers.
Another important thing to remember about all rash creams is that the baby's skin needs to be really dry before you apply them. Otherwise, you're sealing the irritating moisture in, not blocking it out. When you're trying to let your baby's skin get nice and dry after a change, cloth diapers offer you a great option. Try letting her run around in just a fitted diaper without a cover (or a Snappi'd prefold ONLY if you're going to keep a close eye on her - the Snappi can pose a choking hazard if it comes off the diaper). A soft, cozy cotton or bamboo fitted will prevent puddles on your floor while letting baby's skin get nice and dry - something disposables could never do! After a few minutes, you can change her into whatever diaper you intend to use (or just put on the diaper cover).
So while I will wish you a rash-free cloth diapering experience, in the likely event that wish doesn't pan out, I also will wish you a ready supply of cloth diaper-friendly butt creams and flushable liners.
Good luck!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
If at first you don't succeed... Part One
I wanted to talk a little bit about how I first got into cloth diapering because - gasp! dirty little secret! - my first try was pretty much a failure, and it's probably a pretty good case study of what not to do when you first start cloth diapering.
First, why did I start cloth diapering? Long story short, I thought they were cute. The Pumpkin was almost a year old, and I (as much as one ever does) had the mommy thing down, so I was ready to try something new. Plus, I always hated the characters that were all over disposable diapers, and when I discovered that there were these lovely, character-free diapers out there, I was all over trying cloth.
Another member of a moms' board I frequented used cloth (BumGenius 3.0s), and she raved about them - how easy and functional they were, how green, and how much money she saved using cloth. Knowing no one else who used cloth, I ordered three BG's to check them out (there were no retail stores anywhere near me), loved them (the colors, the ease-of-use, the fluffy bum), and ordered a dozen more.
I then found myself with fifteen pocket diapers, a modicum of cloth diapering know-how, and a baby who, it turns out, is a VERY heavy wetter.
We started with leaks at night, so I went back to overnight disposables. (Did I mention we were cosleeping? Yeah, good times when you wake up in a puddle of baby pee!) For me, having disposables in the house was like having a house full of cookies when I'm trying to lose weight. I was trying to make this change to cloth, but every time something went wrong I used a disposable instead of trying to identify the problem.
It also didn't help that I'd taken a one-size-fits-all approach to cloth. The BumGenius diapers that I bought during that time were fantastic - they are still a big part of my diaper stash, but I've since learned that for many babies different times require different diapers. And it's just a little harder to find the right solution for some babies, especially for overnights. (I think baby boys can be particularly challenging at first because gravity is not exactly working in your favor when they pee!)
So long story short... the nighttime leaks turned into part-time diapering which turned into cloth not becoming part of my daily routine which about four months later turned into a big pile of fluffy goodness sitting unused in a basket under my changing table. So sad, right? Luckily, the Peanut came along eventually, and I tried again with much more success. (More to come on that next time.)
So how about you? Have you tried and failed to use cloth before? Did you go back, and if so - how? Please share your story!
First, why did I start cloth diapering? Long story short, I thought they were cute. The Pumpkin was almost a year old, and I (as much as one ever does) had the mommy thing down, so I was ready to try something new. Plus, I always hated the characters that were all over disposable diapers, and when I discovered that there were these lovely, character-free diapers out there, I was all over trying cloth.
Another member of a moms' board I frequented used cloth (BumGenius 3.0s), and she raved about them - how easy and functional they were, how green, and how much money she saved using cloth. Knowing no one else who used cloth, I ordered three BG's to check them out (there were no retail stores anywhere near me), loved them (the colors, the ease-of-use, the fluffy bum), and ordered a dozen more.
I then found myself with fifteen pocket diapers, a modicum of cloth diapering know-how, and a baby who, it turns out, is a VERY heavy wetter.
We started with leaks at night, so I went back to overnight disposables. (Did I mention we were cosleeping? Yeah, good times when you wake up in a puddle of baby pee!) For me, having disposables in the house was like having a house full of cookies when I'm trying to lose weight. I was trying to make this change to cloth, but every time something went wrong I used a disposable instead of trying to identify the problem.
It also didn't help that I'd taken a one-size-fits-all approach to cloth. The BumGenius diapers that I bought during that time were fantastic - they are still a big part of my diaper stash, but I've since learned that for many babies different times require different diapers. And it's just a little harder to find the right solution for some babies, especially for overnights. (I think baby boys can be particularly challenging at first because gravity is not exactly working in your favor when they pee!)
So long story short... the nighttime leaks turned into part-time diapering which turned into cloth not becoming part of my daily routine which about four months later turned into a big pile of fluffy goodness sitting unused in a basket under my changing table. So sad, right? Luckily, the Peanut came along eventually, and I tried again with much more success. (More to come on that next time.)
So how about you? Have you tried and failed to use cloth before? Did you go back, and if so - how? Please share your story!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
The Dreaded Tummy Bug and a Silver Lining
This is going to be a short post, I think, because I'm just getting back into the swing of things after an eleven day productivity hiatus. Seriously, eleven freakin' days! (Is "freakin'" too offensive for blogging? Hope not, but sorry, I'm new.) Anyway, everybody in the house was hit with a miserable tummy bug. It started with the Pumpkin two Wednesdays ago, and because three-year-olds have a sort of weak sense of hygiene, managed to take each of us down one by one. I swear even my dog threw up one day.
Amidst all the, uh, mess I learned two valuable things: 1) It is a complete waste of time to wipe down every hard surface in the house with disinfectant wipes twice a day. The bug will still get me. And 2) In times of digestive distress, cloth diapers will absolutely save you time, effort and money. Let me explain.
Without going into detail, I will just tell you that the Peanut's output has been something unholy for a few days. We are talking the kind of dirty diaper that would shoot up the back and out the legs in seconds - sort of like a newborn's poopsplosions. Each of those blowouts, if she were wearing a disposable diaper, would have resulted in completely soiled clothing, furniture or worse. Worse being mommy's lap. Maybe it would have been so bad that I would have stripped her naked and actually thrown away the outfit, rather than dealt with trying to clean it. (I confess to having done this once when the Pumpkin was a newborn and I was still afraid of poop.) Or maybe things would have been stained and ruined or whatever. All perfectly plausible scenarios, right?
But none of that happened because the Peanut wears cloth diapers, and most cloth diapers have this fabulously sturdy elastic at both the legs AND the waist. These diapers contained some serious, superfluous messes. And while I won't tell you cleanup was super-easy, it was way easier than it would have been otherwise. No trash, no poopy clothes in my regular laundry, no lap carnage. Just some particularly messy diapers that I washed at the end of each day (adding a tiny bit of bleach to kill the misery-causing virus).
So to finish, here are a few tips for cloth diapering families when you find yourself (or your kiddos) on the wrong side of the Dreaded Tummy Bug:
1. Stick with cloth. You might end up doing your diaper laundry more often (every day instead of every 2 or 3 days), but you will save yourself time and effort by keeping clothes and linens clean.
2. Make sure your diapers and covers are fitting snugly at the legs. I recently resized my one-size diapers (see previous post), and boy was I glad. Gaps at the legs will undo all of the mess-containing magic that is the modern cloth diaper.
3. Skip the flushable/disposable liners. If your baby has it badly enough that you're not dealing with actual solid matter in her #2s, the liner is just going to be a gross little mess to deal with. (I do otherwise love them though.)
4. Look for covers with leg gussets. They'll give you an extra layer of protection from blowouts. I like Bummis SuperBrites for this reason. I also have a Thirsties wrap, which is great around the legs (though this very popular cover doesn't fit my Peanut well at the top).
5. Stick with the basics. I found myself reaching for my (Bummis brand) organic cotton prefolds over and over this week (I only have six of them!), doing a ""bikini twist" or "poop pouch" fold with them, and fastening with a Snappi. Why? They are crazy-super absorbent, they don't stain or hold stink, and they are soft against irritated skin.
Okay, so it turned out not to be such a short post, but I am feeling better for having found a silver lining in the misery that was last week. Stay healthy, y'all!
Amidst all the, uh, mess I learned two valuable things: 1) It is a complete waste of time to wipe down every hard surface in the house with disinfectant wipes twice a day. The bug will still get me. And 2) In times of digestive distress, cloth diapers will absolutely save you time, effort and money. Let me explain.
Without going into detail, I will just tell you that the Peanut's output has been something unholy for a few days. We are talking the kind of dirty diaper that would shoot up the back and out the legs in seconds - sort of like a newborn's poopsplosions. Each of those blowouts, if she were wearing a disposable diaper, would have resulted in completely soiled clothing, furniture or worse. Worse being mommy's lap. Maybe it would have been so bad that I would have stripped her naked and actually thrown away the outfit, rather than dealt with trying to clean it. (I confess to having done this once when the Pumpkin was a newborn and I was still afraid of poop.) Or maybe things would have been stained and ruined or whatever. All perfectly plausible scenarios, right?
But none of that happened because the Peanut wears cloth diapers, and most cloth diapers have this fabulously sturdy elastic at both the legs AND the waist. These diapers contained some serious, superfluous messes. And while I won't tell you cleanup was super-easy, it was way easier than it would have been otherwise. No trash, no poopy clothes in my regular laundry, no lap carnage. Just some particularly messy diapers that I washed at the end of each day (adding a tiny bit of bleach to kill the misery-causing virus).
So to finish, here are a few tips for cloth diapering families when you find yourself (or your kiddos) on the wrong side of the Dreaded Tummy Bug:
1. Stick with cloth. You might end up doing your diaper laundry more often (every day instead of every 2 or 3 days), but you will save yourself time and effort by keeping clothes and linens clean.
2. Make sure your diapers and covers are fitting snugly at the legs. I recently resized my one-size diapers (see previous post), and boy was I glad. Gaps at the legs will undo all of the mess-containing magic that is the modern cloth diaper.
3. Skip the flushable/disposable liners. If your baby has it badly enough that you're not dealing with actual solid matter in her #2s, the liner is just going to be a gross little mess to deal with. (I do otherwise love them though.)
4. Look for covers with leg gussets. They'll give you an extra layer of protection from blowouts. I like Bummis SuperBrites for this reason. I also have a Thirsties wrap, which is great around the legs (though this very popular cover doesn't fit my Peanut well at the top).
5. Stick with the basics. I found myself reaching for my (Bummis brand) organic cotton prefolds over and over this week (I only have six of them!), doing a ""bikini twist" or "poop pouch" fold with them, and fastening with a Snappi. Why? They are crazy-super absorbent, they don't stain or hold stink, and they are soft against irritated skin.
Okay, so it turned out not to be such a short post, but I am feeling better for having found a silver lining in the misery that was last week. Stay healthy, y'all!
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