ARGH! So the diaper rash thing... it is rearing it's ugly head again! I fear I may only be able to use my GroBaby's on the weekends with the disposable inserts :(
So on Friday mom and I headed to our fabric store where I purchased a yard of anti-pill fleece fabric. When we got home I proceeded to spend almost an hour cutting it into strips to fit inside the cloth diapers. Then came the not so fun part of pinning the edges and sewing them. We started sewing by hand, and that lasted for about 6 strips, then we decided we had had enough for the night. Upon arriving home I find my Kissaluvs on my doorstep! Oh happy day! Diapers that are AIO's (all in one's for those newbie's) and are already fleece lined!!!! My only regret is that I only ordered 8 of them :( I proceeded to prep my Kissaluv Marvels Friday night, and all through the weekend. Tatum went to the babysitters with the GroBaby shells and the Biosoaker disposable inserts. More on how that went in a little bit....
So all of my Kissaluvs were prepped and ready to use Tuesday morning. I had continued to use the overnight Huggies on her over the weekend as we continued to slather Desitin on the Tot's bum all weekend long. By Tuesday morning it was looking darn near as fresh as a newborn baby's butt :) Tuesday morning I started using the Kissaluvs, as all of my fleece liners had not been made yet. Successful day on Tuesday. A little bit of redness, but I used some cornstarch baby powder on her bum with each diaper change and it didn't get too bad. Last night she had a Kissaluv with 2 extra hemp inserts. One underneath the fleece, and one on top of the fleece. She stayed dry all night, and slept until almost 6:30 (insert happy dance here!). Put another Kissaluv on her this morning and she was fine. Did I forget to mention that in the meantime, Tuesday evening mom and I whipped out the rest of the fleece liners on her VERY old sewing machine that she finally dug out? So I had washed them with all of her diapers from yesterday, and they were all fresh and ready to go today. So for her 2nd diaper of the day I thought, "what the heck I'll try a GroBaby with the cloth insert and a layer of fleece." NOT a good idea apparently. She pooped, it ended up all in the shell, and her butt was as red as a baboon's! So all this afternoon I have been trying to get her bottom cleared up. Made a mad dash to Target, where I found out they sell California Baby products (including CD safe diaper cream). So I have been slathering that on her with every diaper change, and trying to change her about every 1 to 1.5 hours. She is still pretty red, but she isn't crying as bad with each diaper change. So I am thinking there is improvement.
I posted a comment on the GroVia discussion board on their Facebook fan page about the rash she got last week. After some back and forth, I got an e-mail from Kim, the company's CEO. Very lovely woman, that Kim. She is being very helpful, and sending me a pack of Bioliners, which are disposable liners to put on top of the GroBaby inserts. I also have ordered a couple of "Magic Sticks" barrier cream, and some StayDry doublers that have fleece on one side. I am planning on making every attempt at getting the GroBaby's to work without giving Tater a rash. That is how much I love the product, or the idea of the product. I still plan on using the shells on the weekends when she goes to the sitters, though. With the Biosoakers.
So about the sitter.....
When I told Ruby that I was switching to cloth diapers, I don't think I could have measured how big her eyes got, or the amount of crazy she thought I was. She didn't say much other than "Okay..." So when I showed up on Saturday morning, sat down, and pulled out the GroBaby shells and disposable inserts, her little face just about lit up. You could see the relief!! She let out a big ole sigh and said, "well that's not gonna be bad at all!! I thought you were talking about those old birdseye white diapers with the pins and the plastic pants like we used to use 30 years ago!! These are WAY different!" All I could think of was the old Virginia Slims slogan "You've come a long way, baby!" Definitely NOT our mother's cloth diapers!
Today in the mail came the Rumparooz I orderd off of EcoBabyBuys.com, and the DreamEze I orderd off of BabyHalfOff.com . Those are in the wash, prepping, as I type. I hope I can get two washes in tonight, and a third one in the morning. I will be anxious to see how the Rumparooz go. It's a "pocket" diaper that I have to "stuff," but I have a bunch of hemp inserts that ordered with the Kissaluvs that I can use with those, as well as the microterry inserts that came with them. I will let you all know how those work out.
TaTa for now!
TaterTotMom
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Okay, so yeah, I know it's Thursday, not Tuesday. So I'm a couple days late... But here's the scoop:
I am LOVING the GroBaby's I ordered! I spent all weekend prepping them. Threw them in for the first wash Friday night. Another one Saturday night when I got home from work. One Sunday night when I got home from work. Two washes on Monday night after work so they were ready to use on Tuesday AM. The prepping was very easy... Throw them in the wash, throw them in the dryer, back in the wash, back in the dryer, etc, etc, etc... Five to six washes to prep, fully absorbent after 10 washes.
Tuesday morning the first GroBaby went on the tush. She didn't make any fuss about it. It rode up her back a little bit so I had to do some slight readjusting, but after that it was good to go. Tuesday was a good day. Only had one leak, and that was while I was holding her, so I think I may have moved the diaper a bit and got my shirt in contact with the liner, osmosis and all that :)
Tuesday night.... My first inclination was to use up the Huggies Overnites that I have left. My original plan was to just use cloth in the day, and keep my absorbent 'sposies overnight. But then I though, what the heck?!? What is the worst that could happen? She could leak all over the crib and I have to wash her sheet with the next load of diapers. Big deal. I don't go back to work until Saturday, so missing a bit of sleep tonight if she gets all wet won't be a big deal. So I put her GroBaby with the snaps on her, with a booster folded double up front, and put her to bed....
Wednesday morning.... The sheets are DRY!!!!
My only issue is that she woke up at 5:30 am because she was wet and uncomfortable. But there were no leaks, so I was okay!!!
So Wednesday morning I also had the joy of dealing with my first poopy cloth diaper. Let me tell you.... I was definitely regretting letting her eat some of my burrito the night before... that was some stinky stuff!!!! And she didn't just poop once, but twice!!! ICK!
But I am used to icky stuff and smells, and it didn't deter me one bit. Now, for some fun stuff.....
They make sprayers now that connect to the water output valve in the wall next to the toilet. You just rinse the diaper off with the sprayer into the toilet, and toss it in the pail. But how adventurous would I be if I had a sprayer and did it the easy way???? Nope... old school baby!!! Dunk, dunk, flush, flush. Luckily I have some pretty powerful water flow in my porcelain god! It wasn't too bad at all. For the ones with a weak tummy, though.... You may want to shell out the $45 for the sprayer :)
So it is Thursday morning..... 4:30 AM and she is up because she is all wet....
A quick change, rock for a minute, then back in the crib with our favorite blanky and back to sleep we go for two more hours.
All in all it hasn't been a bad couple of days. I do, however, have some issues...
1) I thought cloth diapers were supposed to help with diaper rash. At this point in time it is the opposite. Tater has a hellacious rash as we speak. Apparently I am not using a "wicking" material in between her little tushie and the wet diaper. Now normally I would just slather on the Desitin... but you can't do that with cloth diapers. You have to find a cream that is cloth diaper safe. Luckily, I have a pretty good online support network. I have been instructed to head to the fabric store and pick up a yard or two of fleece. Apparently fleece is great for it's wicking properties. Cut it up to fit in the diapers and put it over the insert before putting the diaper on. AND.... I can use the Desitin this way, as long as I have something between it and the diaper.
2) I never thought it possible, but this stuff is addictive. I find myself surfing different cloth diaper stores, looking for new cute stuff, different systems, and all things cloth diaper related. My friends are no help either. They keep sending me new sites to check out. My bank account is not happy with me :)
As I was writing this, another downfall of cloth diapering occurred. Tater ripped off her diaper. It wouldn't be so bad, but right after that she decided she needed to poop. In her favorite chair :( Fun times, fun times, fun times.
I love this ride :)
TaTa for now!'
T8rtotmom
I am LOVING the GroBaby's I ordered! I spent all weekend prepping them. Threw them in for the first wash Friday night. Another one Saturday night when I got home from work. One Sunday night when I got home from work. Two washes on Monday night after work so they were ready to use on Tuesday AM. The prepping was very easy... Throw them in the wash, throw them in the dryer, back in the wash, back in the dryer, etc, etc, etc... Five to six washes to prep, fully absorbent after 10 washes.
Tuesday morning the first GroBaby went on the tush. She didn't make any fuss about it. It rode up her back a little bit so I had to do some slight readjusting, but after that it was good to go. Tuesday was a good day. Only had one leak, and that was while I was holding her, so I think I may have moved the diaper a bit and got my shirt in contact with the liner, osmosis and all that :)
Tuesday night.... My first inclination was to use up the Huggies Overnites that I have left. My original plan was to just use cloth in the day, and keep my absorbent 'sposies overnight. But then I though, what the heck?!? What is the worst that could happen? She could leak all over the crib and I have to wash her sheet with the next load of diapers. Big deal. I don't go back to work until Saturday, so missing a bit of sleep tonight if she gets all wet won't be a big deal. So I put her GroBaby with the snaps on her, with a booster folded double up front, and put her to bed....
Wednesday morning.... The sheets are DRY!!!!
My only issue is that she woke up at 5:30 am because she was wet and uncomfortable. But there were no leaks, so I was okay!!!
So Wednesday morning I also had the joy of dealing with my first poopy cloth diaper. Let me tell you.... I was definitely regretting letting her eat some of my burrito the night before... that was some stinky stuff!!!! And she didn't just poop once, but twice!!! ICK!
But I am used to icky stuff and smells, and it didn't deter me one bit. Now, for some fun stuff.....
They make sprayers now that connect to the water output valve in the wall next to the toilet. You just rinse the diaper off with the sprayer into the toilet, and toss it in the pail. But how adventurous would I be if I had a sprayer and did it the easy way???? Nope... old school baby!!! Dunk, dunk, flush, flush. Luckily I have some pretty powerful water flow in my porcelain god! It wasn't too bad at all. For the ones with a weak tummy, though.... You may want to shell out the $45 for the sprayer :)
So it is Thursday morning..... 4:30 AM and she is up because she is all wet....
A quick change, rock for a minute, then back in the crib with our favorite blanky and back to sleep we go for two more hours.
All in all it hasn't been a bad couple of days. I do, however, have some issues...
1) I thought cloth diapers were supposed to help with diaper rash. At this point in time it is the opposite. Tater has a hellacious rash as we speak. Apparently I am not using a "wicking" material in between her little tushie and the wet diaper. Now normally I would just slather on the Desitin... but you can't do that with cloth diapers. You have to find a cream that is cloth diaper safe. Luckily, I have a pretty good online support network. I have been instructed to head to the fabric store and pick up a yard or two of fleece. Apparently fleece is great for it's wicking properties. Cut it up to fit in the diapers and put it over the insert before putting the diaper on. AND.... I can use the Desitin this way, as long as I have something between it and the diaper.
2) I never thought it possible, but this stuff is addictive. I find myself surfing different cloth diaper stores, looking for new cute stuff, different systems, and all things cloth diaper related. My friends are no help either. They keep sending me new sites to check out. My bank account is not happy with me :)
As I was writing this, another downfall of cloth diapering occurred. Tater ripped off her diaper. It wouldn't be so bad, but right after that she decided she needed to poop. In her favorite chair :( Fun times, fun times, fun times.
I love this ride :)
TaTa for now!'
T8rtotmom
Friday, June 11, 2010
Day one.... arrival!
I guess I should start off with a little bit about who I am. My name is Gina, and I am 35 years old. I live in the beautiful Gulf city of Pensacola, Florida. I am a single mom (by choice) to the most awesome daughter, who we call Tater Tot. I have always wanted to be a mom, but being a mom isn't ALL that I am. I am an ER nurse, a sister, a daughter, a friend. I am pretty laid back. I work a crazy schedule. I love to laugh, and dance around the living room to disco music with the Tot. My favorite moments are when she runs to me when I pick her up from the babysitters, and when she crawls up into my lap, and when she falls asleep in my arms :) Okay, well, pretty much any moment with her is going to be a favorite moment.
So I have made the decision to use cloth diapers on my now 20-month old daughter. We have been using disposable up until this point. There are actually quite a few reasons I made the switch. Cost..... I can pay for one cloth diaper shell/insert/booster what I pay for a box of disposables. And the cloth is reusable!!! I know of people who have had the same cloth diapers for at least two children. Talk about economical! Cuteness..... Have you seen some of the designs for shells these days???? OMG! Can we say SWEETCHEEKS?!?! Footprint.... After the last couple of months with the BP oil spill threatening my favorite beach (Pensacola Beach) I realize that I need to do more to save this planet for my little Tater Tot. Now I am NOT going to get all "granola," start composting, etc. I am just doing a small part to reduce waste. Popularity.... Cloth Diapering is becoming more mainstream these days. I can find all kinds of support for this venture online, from friends, and even right here in good ole Pensacola!
Now, for all of you out there thinking "I just can't do it.... so much laundry! So much effort!" please know that there are many different options nowdays. I have a friend who is starting to use gDiapers. This is a cloth shell with a disposable insert. You can even flush it!!! No real effort/laundry involved. I myself am taking a bit of a bigger plunge. Cloth inserts in my shells. I will, however, give my babysitter a break and purchase some disposable inserts for the Tot to use while there. I haven't yet discussed my experiment with my babysitter, but she has been wonderful to work with, and I don't forsee much of a problem. I will most definitely let you know how that turns out. Will talk to her about it this weekend.
I ordered some GroBaby's off of a wonderful website at a great steal!! I will be adding their button shortly because EVERYONE needs to check out this site.
The GroBaby's came in the mail today :) I am super excited to get started!!! I think I will start prepping them this weekend to start use on Tuesday, so the Tot can get used to them before the weekend. Now all I need is to get to the grocery store to buy some detergent that is CD safe. I ordered some Rockin Green online(cause that apparently is highly recommended), but it hasn't arrived yet, so if I want to start this next week, I gotta start it right. I also need to go and pick up a small garbage can with a lid to use as a diaper pail. Man, oh man. The initial output for this cloth diapering thing seems like alot, but in the long run I know it will be a great thing. And, I can reuse all this stuff for the next little munchkin!!!!
So I will keep you up to date on this crazy journey I am about to undertake. I probably won't post again until Tuesday (that whole crazy work schedule thing!) but look forward to sharing the "prepping" experience!
Tata for now!
TaterTotMom
So I have made the decision to use cloth diapers on my now 20-month old daughter. We have been using disposable up until this point. There are actually quite a few reasons I made the switch. Cost..... I can pay for one cloth diaper shell/insert/booster what I pay for a box of disposables. And the cloth is reusable!!! I know of people who have had the same cloth diapers for at least two children. Talk about economical! Cuteness..... Have you seen some of the designs for shells these days???? OMG! Can we say SWEETCHEEKS?!?! Footprint.... After the last couple of months with the BP oil spill threatening my favorite beach (Pensacola Beach) I realize that I need to do more to save this planet for my little Tater Tot. Now I am NOT going to get all "granola," start composting, etc. I am just doing a small part to reduce waste. Popularity.... Cloth Diapering is becoming more mainstream these days. I can find all kinds of support for this venture online, from friends, and even right here in good ole Pensacola!
Now, for all of you out there thinking "I just can't do it.... so much laundry! So much effort!" please know that there are many different options nowdays. I have a friend who is starting to use gDiapers. This is a cloth shell with a disposable insert. You can even flush it!!! No real effort/laundry involved. I myself am taking a bit of a bigger plunge. Cloth inserts in my shells. I will, however, give my babysitter a break and purchase some disposable inserts for the Tot to use while there. I haven't yet discussed my experiment with my babysitter, but she has been wonderful to work with, and I don't forsee much of a problem. I will most definitely let you know how that turns out. Will talk to her about it this weekend.
I ordered some GroBaby's off of a wonderful website at a great steal!! I will be adding their button shortly because EVERYONE needs to check out this site.
The GroBaby's came in the mail today :) I am super excited to get started!!! I think I will start prepping them this weekend to start use on Tuesday, so the Tot can get used to them before the weekend. Now all I need is to get to the grocery store to buy some detergent that is CD safe. I ordered some Rockin Green online(cause that apparently is highly recommended), but it hasn't arrived yet, so if I want to start this next week, I gotta start it right. I also need to go and pick up a small garbage can with a lid to use as a diaper pail. Man, oh man. The initial output for this cloth diapering thing seems like alot, but in the long run I know it will be a great thing. And, I can reuse all this stuff for the next little munchkin!!!!
So I will keep you up to date on this crazy journey I am about to undertake. I probably won't post again until Tuesday (that whole crazy work schedule thing!) but look forward to sharing the "prepping" experience!
Tata for now!
TaterTotMom
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