Cloth Diapers: Our System

NOTE: if you don't care about how we cloth diaper, this will be a very boring read।

NOTE 2: We cloth diaper because we are stewards of the earth, of the money entrusted to us, and of our baby's bottom. An essay on benefits to all.





Some diaper sites I like for information and products:
wildflowerdiapers.com (my favorite site, easy to navigate, great detail)
cottonbabies.com (the home of BumGenius, they have a diaper grant for missionaries I love to suport)
greenmountaindiapers.com
(Best price for pre-washed cotton prefolds. This saves lots of time, H2O, energy.)





A few of you have emailed me about cloth diaper recommendations. Diapering really is a system and, as there are so many options, systems vary. Our system is basic with a few frills. Some of the fancy diapers and covers are really amazing. But the basics are easy to use and almost all our 'stash' was 'showered' on us at my Diaper Shower. Here is our system.

Terms:

DSQ: diaper service quality

Chinese prefolds / prefolds: multi-ply cotton or hemp diaper what has extra thickness in the center.

Cover: go over the cloth diaper. Not all diapers need a cover, some have covers attached

PUL: polyurethane laminate. The coating on most covers to make them water-proof

Newborn: Diaper service (great gift from friends) using DSQ chinese prefolds and our own covers (Classic Proraps, newborn size, worked best on our skinny-thighed boy.) We used Snappis fasteners as they are faster to put on and less dangerous than pins.

When the diaper service expired at one month, we used our own DSQ prefolds, some cotton, some hemp (it's more absorbent). We never bought newborn size, just folded the diapers down a bit in front. When Aedyn outgrew the newborn size Proraps, we had Bummis covers. They have a little pocket in the front of the cover to hold the diaper if you fold it in thirds and just lay it in. That way you don't need a fastener as the cover wraps around the waist and velcros closed. We folded in thirds the short way until he was about 6 months because he has a small bum.

We also had a few AIOs for going out. They are constructed like disposables, are trim fitting and convenient. We loved the BumGenius AIO and liked the Bumkin. That one was better suited to a chubby waisted baby.

Now he's in medium sizes. We didn't make the switch until about 8 months, later than the sizing on most products indicates, because Aedyn is leaner than average (25 percentile.)

We use the small prefolds still folded the long way. We also have several contour diapers that are the same shape as the wrap covers. They work better for us if we use a snappi. They are nice and cushy and have a sewn in 'doubler' for extra absorbency. We have added Kushies covers and some med. classic Prowraps as well as Bummis. I also now have a few wool soakers. They pull on like underwear and are make of wool. The lanolin in wool neutralizers pee. These aren't washed often. Seriously! Ours are so cute and soft and they keep a bottom warm.

OUR FAVORITE DIAPER! BumGenius One-Size Diaper! We have 6 if these. They are 'pocket diapers.' While several companies make pocket diapers (the cover has an inner liner and you stuff the diaper or absorbent liner into the cover, then it goes on like a disposable) Bum Genius One-Size has an adjustable rise. We've used these since Aedyn was about 2 months old. They are our night time diaper. Now we double stuff them with the original inserts and/or a small prefold. This gets Aedyn half-way through his 12-13 hour night. They are easier to put on in the dark than prefold/cover combo.

Pail: we bought a 22 gallon garbage can with a foot-operated lid and a liner. The liner gets washed with the diapers. We also use a wash basin to soak a diaper if necessary or store dirty covers and then wash them in the basin. (I usually hand wash covers at the end of the day, dry over edge of tub all night. they can be machine washed with the diapers, too.)

Diaper sprayer: started using this when he started eating solids to spray poo off the diapers into the toilet. now I hardly ever need to soak a diaper.

Washing: 1) a cold, short cycle wash/rinse with NO detergent. 2) a hot, longest cycle wash/rinse with about 1 TABLESPOON ONLY. Diapers hold odors and become less absorbent due to detergent build-up. I have used a bit of bleach only once, on a single poopy diaper I forgot about in a bag for a week. USE SUNLIGHT instead of bleach to whiten out any stains. Never use bleach on PUL covers.

Q3

I'm doing my second inpatient Pediatric rotation right now. November is a weird month for the Family Practice residents (e.g., me) because whatever rotation we are on that month, each of us gets pulled off of it for 10 days to cover our own hospital service. I was on FP hospital service the first 10 days. The peds people found it fitting, then, to kind of punish me and put me on call Q3 (which no one else is doing). What that means is that every 3rd day I am on call from 7AM until 1PM the next day. Every 3rd day is tough. It means that for the next few weeks, including Thanksgiving holiday, I get ONE day off total—the Friday after Thanksgiving. Now, the peds chief resident argues that I actually get Thanksgiving off, too, since I am post-call that day (work only from 7AM wed till 8AM thur). Really? That's a day off? I guess if I work mostly during dark hours but can get home before more than 2 hours of light, that counts as a 'day off'. Well, this is all my way of saying, "Sorry for being absent from the blog." Hope to catch up more later, but I'm glad Heidi is able to keep you all updated. Love you.

Absent

Sorry I've been absent for a while. We all had colds, Aedyn's was the worst. A few nights I propped him up against my chest so he could sleep inclined to help him breath. He's finally better and has been gumming in 2 top teeth. (some crying. little sleeping. some screaming.) Right now Aedyn and I are playing 'stand-up' at the bookcase's second shelf. (yes, it's anchored to the wall.) 

The boy has really grown up in the last 2 weeks. He follows me all over the house with his speed-crawl. He's so expressive! I can almost watch his thoughts process through his big brain. One Great Thing--he's happy in his car seat!  Aedyn also loves our walks. I have the stroller seat on a small recline but Aedyn leans way forward or over the side so he can watch everything better. 

Eric's call schedule is brutal this month. He can't get caught up on sleep before he has another all-nighter. Pray for him if you are a pray-er, please. He's so tired and he's hoping to replace several of our windows in the next few weeks, we have company coming, and then the baby and I go to Oregon for a week. 

Yeah for visits--

Carrie comes Sunday!

GG & Gary come Thursday!

Honduras, The Lask Week--The Resort!

Near the end of our time in Honduras, we attended a worship service with nurse Peggy. The fellowship was mostly part of the international community and the service was held at a beautiful resort. As we were leaving Eric checked on the price of a Saturday night stay thinking that we might go there our last night in Honduras. It was WAY too pricy for us. I asked Peggy if there was another place that might be less expensive and still beautiful. That afternoon she sent a message that she would help us move to our new lodging the next day! Clinica Esperanca, the free clinic Eric was working in, has an arrangement with the Henry Morgan Hotel. A doctor serving at the Clinic can 'moonlight' at the hotel in exchange for room & board! Usually the doctor needs to be there at least a month but we were able to go for a week. We did have to pay something for me to stay but it was worth the $. The meals were buffet and soo nice. Every dinner was a different theme. The resort is owned by an Italian and most of the guests are Italian and they all gushed over Aedyn. The hotel is next door to the one where we attended worship service so we had the same lovely beach we hoped for. The baby loved the pool and the parrots and made great friends with our waiters and the hospitality team.  Eric did have to man the doctor's office form 5:30-7:00 each evening and carry a pager but he only saw 3 or so patients. One of them was a consult for a cat with mastitis! 

Our week at the Henry Morgan was special (though I did get a tummy bug and missed several of those lovely meals) but we were really ready to come home. 

Eric's grandma and great aunt came for a visit (fun and relaxing;) Eric painted our bedroom, bathroom, and guestroom; he planted our ground cover plants in the front yard-hill, and I've been holding a baby with a bad cold. And, of course, Eric is working lots so the week-and-a-half home have been busy.

Enjoy the pics of the Henry Morgan.

Honduras, The First Three Weeks

Our super neighbors drove us an hour to the airport at 5am for the first of 4 flights. We were tired and giddy all day and Aedyn slept a total of 2 hours in those 16 hours. We spent the night on Taca Airlines dime at a cute little hotel in San Pedro Sula and flew to the island of Roatan the next morning. A beautiful sunny day in the western Caribbean greeted us.

Aedyn loved the hammock and seemed to enjoy the crunch of sand in this mouth. He loved the water! He's not a fan of baths so we were surprised he was so happy in the very calm bay and in the pool at the Henry Morgan resort (more on that later.)

Eric worked 8-2 at Clinica Esperanza, a free clinic, on weekdays. The workers at the island's hospital were on strike the whole time we were in Roatan so the clinic saw some cases that would have normally been sent to the hospital. Eric liked his experience there and learning from the other doctors.  Here's the clinic and the view from it's front door. (Ooops. I can't seem to move them down here. They are at the top, the first 3 pictures. The clinic will soon have birthing rooms and hospital capabilities.)