UrbanMommies » Diapering

Huggies Denim Diapers

Jill — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 16:39:57 +0000

You needn’t feel sad about leaving your skinny jeans in a drawer. Your baby can now put on (and soil) several iterations every day. Huggies has upped the ante in designer disposables. To be honest, though, we’re a little saddened by this. One of the advantages of cloth diapers was always that the covers were available in super-cool prints. Hopefully with the new chic disposables, parents won’t find another excuse against cloth. We must admit, though, that if you’re in a bind and need some style, these tiny Daisy-Dukes are a cool option. For more diaper ideas, see our articles on cloth vs. disposable diaper cost comparison and gDiapers.

Ever Bamboo

Jill — Mon, 10 May 2010 22:14:15 +0000

Purify. Detox. Buzzwords? Maybe. But these charcoal bamboo diaper pail deodorizers, air fresheners, soap and bath/spa packs really work. (And the black and white packaging is super-chic, not that we care. Much.) Each in their own bag, you drop them into the area which most needs freshening or dehumidifying, and the bamboo charcoal inside goes to work. Gym bag odour begone. Kids shoes? Bye bye. Hockey bag. Ok. Enough. You get the picture. Available at www.everbamboo.com.

Lalabee Bathworks

Jill — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 06:24:26 +0000

As I was smearing this on the little one’s soft skin, it occurred to me that the word ‘butter’ could be misleading. This gorgeous certified organic product is not greasy or oily, but soaks into skin making it soft and luminescent. Lalabee offers a whole line of Mom and Baby products available across Canada, and each beautifully packaged treat is handcrafted in British Columbia. Unscented, organic and not tested on animals, either. Hmmm. Silk lotion? Smoothing balm? Moisture-inserter? Oh well, butter it is I guess. But you will definitely believe it’s not butter. www.lalabeebathworks.com

Diaper Cost Comparison Sheet

Jill — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 04:08:42 +0000

Many people say that the diapers you begin with are the diapers you will use until toilet training. We would have to concur. Our hospital made us use cloth from day one (it’s easier to see signs of urination and make sure baby is getting enough to eat). We could have done without the diaper pins (ouch!!), but now that we have cloth diapers with snaps and velcro, we feel pretty confident. How many people do you know bought cloth and then returned them after using disposables at the hospital? All we can say, is – discuss the options carefully, and make a commitment to your decision. For both health and financial reasons, you will want to weigh the choices.

Many people can’t imaging washing diapers, but there are services available. Speaking from personal experience, we’ve been washing diapers for 4 years straight and it doesn’t really phase us. We use a dry pail, throw liners and waste in the toilet, and then put the whole works in the washer with detergent and borax or Oxyclean. In the summer it is terribly satisfying to see a clothesline full of clean diapers, and in winter the dryer makes them soft and fluffy. Our grandmothers didn’t have the option and they never complained.. (expect when speaking of that walk to school in the snow – uphill both ways..). Before you make your choice, check out our Cost Comparison: Disposables, Hybrids, Diaper Services & Cloth Diapers.

Disposables (based on mid-range priced brand name diaper) + Accessories

0-3 months        12 changes per day + wipes + diaper Genie/refills:    $479
3-6 months         8 changes per day + wipes + diaper Genie/refills:     $320
6-30 months      6 changes per day + wipes + diaper Genie/refills:    $1930
30-36 months    4 trainers + 2 diapers per day + wipes + diaper Genie/refills: $562
_____________________________________________________________
TOTAL of 7200 diaper changes for 3 years:                                               $3291

Hybrid Flushable/Compostable Diapers for 0-36 months (No Accessories): Covers, Waterproof Liners & Flushable/Compostable Pads: $3069

Diaper Delivery Service – Two Services available in Vancouver
1. 0-36 months of weekly diaper delivery service + Wipes + Covers + Diaper Pail: $3557
Mixture of Prefold and Contour Diapers & disposable wipes
Purchase your own covers & diaper pail

2. 0-36 months of weekly diaper delivery service + Wipes + Covers + Diaper Pail: $4128
Fitted Diapers & disposable wipes
Purchase your own covers & diaper pail
Service charges to 30 months, then free if not potty trained

Cloth Diapers + Accessories (Pail Liner + Tote Bag + 36 reusable baby wipes) for 0-36 months

48 Organic Cotton Prefolds + 8 Covers + 4 Snappis + Accessories:     $415
or..
30 bumGenius One Size Pocket Diapers + Accessories:      $825
or..
48 Kissaluv Cotton Fitted Diapers (24 sm, 24 med)+ 8 Covers + Accessories: $910
or..
40 Fuzzi Bunz Pocket Diapers (24 sm, 16 med) + Accessories:     $1010

plus..

Home Laundering (based on 15 loads/month, including washer + dryer + detergent) = $533.88 (61% of cost is dryer use)

All stats and figures provided by New and Green Baby Co. For more information on Cloth Diapering Solutions for your family, visit www.newandgreen.com

Cloth Diapering Basics

Jill — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:14:30 +0000

Cloth diapers are making a comeback! Parents are saying yes to reusable diapers and finding the washing routine a breeze! Cloth Reusable Diapers are increasingly becoming a household fixture for new families these days. Parents are more conscious of their choices for their children, more mindful of their spending habits and more aware of how their choices affect the environment. When looking at diapering options for their baby, parents are looking to cloth and here is why.

1. Better for Baby: Babies in cloth diapers have healthier skin. That means less rash and discomfort and a happier baby!

2. Better for the Family Budget: Families can save upwards of $2000 per child in diapers by using home laundered cloth diapers!

3. Better for the Earth: Only 48 cloth diapers (or less!) will get you through from birth to potty. If you go the disposable route, you’ll be throwing away more than 7000 diapers which is equal to about 1 tonne of solid waste per child!

4. Better for Toilet Training: Children diapered in cloth diapers better retain the association between eliminating and feeling wet. This gives them a major hand up in learning how to use the potty earlier and easier than their counterparts in super-absorbant disposables.

5. It’s Fun: Really, how fun is it to put on a white paper diaper? You’ll be spending a lot of time changing diapers with your little one. Cloth diapers can come in many colours and patterns. Why not make diaper changing a fun event for both you and your baby?

So you are convinced? Not yet? You want to go cloth, but can’t imagine the washing routine. You are worried about smell, all the poop and spending hours upon hours in the laundry room. Don’t fret! Modern cloth diapers are very easy to care for! Here is a basic routine I recommend for storing your diapers until wash day followed by your basic washing routine:

1. Storage: Store diapers in a pail with a tight lid. Simple. No tricky Genie or Champ required. Don’t use any soaking solution and there still will be no stink (I promise!).

2. After Changing: Peed on diapers get tossed in without any thought. Soiled diapers need no further steps if the baby is only drinking breast milk. Once the babe is on solids or formula milk, however, you can use a flushable liner that catches the poop and makes it easy to dispose of. Then the remaining cloth diaper goes in the pail with the rest.

3. Washing: Dump all diapers into the washer. Run a cold rinse cycle, then a hot wash cycle with an approved, residue-free detergent. Everything goes onto the clothesline or into the dryer on medium. You’re good to go for another few days!

Cloth Diapers: Easy, simple, sustainable living with babies in a time when consumption can feel overwhelming.

Karen Randall – Owner, New & Green Baby Co.
Guest Contributor

gDiapers

Jill — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:18:12 +0000

Bye bye perfume, no more chlorine. Flush them down and your life will be green.. Ok, so maybe not a great ditty, but we haven’t stopped singing since we tried these fabulous diapers. A mix between cloth and disposables, the inner liner pops out and you can flush it – or get this… stick it in your compost bin to decompose within 3 months and give soil directly back to the earth. (Add this to our fun list of things to do with kids in the garden). For those of you who are mortally offended, not only by the landfill factor of using disposable diapers, but by constantly seeing Elmos and princesses on your dear one’s tush, these are the solution. gDiapers have soft, stylish covers that close with velcro and come in swanky colours. The one featured here features pink ruffles, and there are also very stylish ‘g’ logos, stripes and patterns. It makes you want to leave the baby all but naked.

www.gdiapers.com

Interesting facts:

- Disposable diapers take 500 years to decompose in landfills.
- Some estimates suggest that 82,000 tons of plastic and 1.8 million tons of wood pulp (1/4 million trees) are consumed each year in the production of disposable diapers.
- Experts estimate that 2% of landfills are entirely disposable diapers (the other part is old Ikea furniture. Just kidding).
- The average child uses over 5,000 diapers during the 30 month period before toilet training, contributing to a total of over 16 billion diapers or 2.7 million tons of single use diapers requiring disposal each year.

Sources: gDiapers, The Diaper Decision: Not a Clear Issue, by Joyce A. Smith and Norma Pitts, Ohio State University.