Cloth Diapers Rock: Daycare, 11 ish lbs

In my prior cloth diaper post, I mentioned how One Size AIO/Pocket type diapers didn’t really fit Will when he was 0-10 lbs. Well my friends, they still aren’t the best. Will has some skinny legs. Janet and I rejoice over anything on his thigh that even slightly resembles a roll! You might ask, well, why are they using one size instead of sized? I know I could use sized, but both cost and hassle wise, that wouldn’t make sense either. I didn’t/don’t want to have to figure out what to do with a complete stash of x or y size every time he grows out of it. I might be making my way over to the dark side on a two size system though. What I didn’t mention in my prior post was how much I hated pocket diapers even before Will was born. Stuffing and remembering which insert goes with what diaper is annoying. You will see these themes in my reviews.

Onward to daycare info. When sending a kid to daycare in cloth, one must remember two key things: Always be grateful the daycare will use them and keep it VERY simple. Using these two principles I have two categories of diapers: Pre daycare and daycare.

Definitions:

Pre-daycare diaper: Right before we walk out the door, I put him in a diaper that is easy for the daycare to take off. These diapers usually have snaps that took me a minute or two to figure out when I first tested them on Will, so I wouldn’t want daycare to have to deal with them.

Daycare diapers: Diapers that are both easy to put on and take off, almost always Aplix/Velcro/hook & loop and occasionally the easiest of snaps.

My reviews of diapers of each category

Pre-Daycare Only Diapers

Fuzzibunz: Of all the pocket diapers, these have fit Will best all along thanks to the adjustable legs. It’s a pocket, so I still hate stuffing it, but it is easier to (un)stuff than most others. This is pre daycare only because the snaps aren’t particularly easy to deal with or adjust. These come in pretty nifty colors and have never leaked for us.

BumWear: These diapers are beautiful (batik prints!) and fit well! I hate to cover these up because they are so cute and incredibly soft on the inside. They aren’t the easiest to use due to lots of snaps and the stuffing is a pain, but they work really well. They roll down in the front for the newborn phase, snap down in the rise and have leg snaps so you can adjust the size of the leg. Along with the adjustable leg, they have an inner gusset that seems to be great at holding in infamous EBF poop and have never leaked

Pre-Daycare and Daycare Diapers:

Bumgenius 3.0 and 4.0: Super easy diaper with the aplix, pain to stuff, super absorbent, but occasionally leak around the legs. I hate the pastel colors.

Flips: This is an all in two diaper versus a pocket and isn’t a pain to (un)stuff by any means. It is essentially a snapping cover a BumGenius Sized soaker lays in. Like the BG, it’s been known to leak around the legs. This is one of the only snapping systems we send because the snaps are very basic to figure out (no overlaying). Theoretically, we could probably send extra soakers with this instead of more diapers because the cover wipes clean- but as it leaks around the legs, why bother. The colors available on these are a little nicer.

GroBaby: Another all in two. This one we had high hopes for as I adore the aplix/Velcro type stuff and the idea of being able to just change the soaker if it was a pee diaper. It is easy to snap in/out the soakers and thus you have to touch less pee/poop when washing. Unfortunately, we’ve yet to have a diaper where the pee or poop didn’t get on the cover. Apparently the GroVia’s have a layer of PUL now so you can wipe them off. They’ve also been known to leak around the legs.

Happy Heinys: See Bumgenius description. Two additional pros for these though: better colors and made in the U.S.

Kissaluvs Marvel One Sized All in One: Coolest diaper ever. This diaper has a soaker that’s attached. Instead of having to pull it out to wash, it flips out on its own. The only slight annoyance is having to flip it back in after it washes, but I’m more willing to do it because I didn’t have to figure out which soaker goes with it or put my hand in a dirty diaper to pull it out to wash. While it has snaps, they are easy to use. This diaper is sized generously and occasionally leaks around the legs. I think in a few pounds I will love this diaper. These get extra points for decent colors and being made in Texas.

Thirsties Duo Diaper size 1: These diapers make me want to cross over to the dark side. They are a two size diaper system: Size one is ~6 to 18 lbs and size 2 is 18+. I bought one on a whim because I love love love Thirsties Duo Diaper Covers. Not only are these easy to use just like the covers, but the diaper has an opening on each end, so you can throw the diaper into the wash and the insert agitates itself out! Thanks to the size 1 generally being cut trimmer and the adjustable rise, these always fit. They never leak thanks to the double gussets. They are also the trimmest of the bunch and work well under the G.ap jeans Grandma bought. These get extra points for colors and being made in the U.S.

All in all, I’m not ready to write off any of these diapers. For the reduced ick and work factor, I’m heavily leaning towards the Kissaluvs and Thirsties.

Packing the daycare bag
My bag always includes: 

• Two changes of clothes
• Two Wetbags- one with 6 clean diapers, one empty and ready for clean diapers. I really really adore Planetwise zippered bags. I have 4 of those and 2 Thirsties mini duffels. I bought so many knowing that at some point I would get behind on laundry. 

Feel free to share your experiences with me! Have I missed any of your favs?

Record Sealing?

We’ve been working with an attorney in Austin via phone and email for our second parent adoption. The initial motion is in place, my fingerprints have been taken, and the social worker has been contacted. As the balls are in motion, I was sent a copy of the initial filing, a draft copy of what the judge will sign, etc. Both the initial filing and draft of what the judge will sign call for the records of the adoption to be sealed. As an adopted person who worked incredibly hard against my sealed records to find out about my background, my heart sank. I don’t want my son’s record sealed. There is NEVER a reason in existence to justify sealing an adoption record.


I have a call out to find out if we can have the clause changed or if it’s required. I really wish she would call me back because just thinking about it makes me angry.

Cloth Diapers Rock: The first 10 lbs

I think I posted a long time ago in a far away place about our using cloth diapers. We were originally going to wait until Will hit the 10 lb mark. A horrible case of diaper rash, little clear mini marble things being left on Will’s parts from both Huggies and Pampers, and ill fits of aforementioned brands prompted us to start MUCH earlier. Because he was so little when he came home, we didn’t have a single AIO/Pocket diaper that would fit.


What did work:
• Osocozy unbleached cotton prefolds.
I purchased these gently used on a whim. In the infant size, they were pretty big, but I could just fold down the top a bit and not only did it fit well, he had more absorbency where he needed it. I found that while I could have just trifolded them in a cover, a well placed Snappi kept them nice and fitted around the legs.

• Thirsties covers
These are wonderful. Both the duo size 1 snapped down to its smallest setting and the XS worked like charms. The leg gussets really helped prevent any leaking/blow outs. Did I mention how great the colors are?

• Kissaluvs Fitted
We were given a bunch of size 1’s at a shower, and I could actually make them work. While looking around to buy more, I found out they make a size 0 specifically for newborns. Oh my gosh, they are the best things EVER. Super soft, super easy- I wish that I had started off with a full stash of Kissaluvs.  Recently I'm on a kick to buy majority USA/Canada made and was thrilled to find out Kissaluvs are made in Texas.  I ordered several seconds from their website and had a great experience- they even through in free wipes.

• Wool Covers
I bought a couple of hand knitted ones on Ebay. They were cute, had draw strings at the waste and never leaked. I recently washed them with Eucalan and found the process easy enough, but they definitely need another lanolizing session. Eucalan, even after soaking for 6 hours, didn’t leave enough lanolin in the wool to keep it from wicking. Lesson learned: Just use the instructions on DiaperPin instead of trying to do it the “easy” way.

Washing Routine: Easy peasy! I wash the pail when it looks like its halfish full. I do a warm rinse (in Texas, even our cold tap water is warm!), warm wash with Rockin Green’s Hard Rock (Also made in Texas), extra rinse (cold, warm, whatever), and then line dry.  I'm tempted to try Crunchy Clean, another small US company, but, so far, if RnG works, I can' really justify switching.

Normally, I’m THRILLED with line drying. It’s a few minutes of peace in the sunshine every few mornings. This morning, it rained, I’m less thrilled. Two loads of diapers, wet bags, and wipes are now soaked because I thought the rain was showing up at 6 pm today instead of 6 am. Ugh.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, cloth wipes- best things ever! They are so much easier for cleaning up “messes” and I don’t have to have an extra trash can in Will’s room. I really really like the wipes I bought from Quilter’s Nappies. When I run out, I move on to baby washcloths. They work great as well. The official biggest waste of money ever? The Prince Lionheart Wipes Warmer. It molded my wipes! I kept thinking something smelled funny and low and behold, mildew. I’ve moved to just a Gladware container with wipes and diaper solution (water, tea tree oil, a little baby wash) and its working great.

Next up:
Cloth Diapers Rock:  Going to Daycare!

Breathing is easier now.

While I never got around to writing a birth story (it was a routine c-section without much to tell), some of it might end up being interspersed here.


Today was a big day for Will’s mommies. It was a big day, not because today was his two month checkup, not because the doctor swooned all over him, and not because he received his vaccinations- but because he’s made it out of the 5th percentile for weight.

When little Will was gestating, we never thought he was going to be big baby. Janet never really looked 40 weeks pregnant, no one ever joked that she was as big as a house- so I just assumed he was going to be a high 6, low 7 lb baby. Dr. Lo always seemed to be on the same path as well.

Fast forward to delivery day. When I was huddled at Janet’s face, waiting for them to bring him over from the initial check lungs/wrap in blanket stage of delivery, I couldn’t figure out why it felt like it was taking them forever. I looked to see the scale on the warming cart- 5lbs, 9.8ozs. “What the F$%%???” was the first thing that went through my head, immediately followed by, “Did we do something wrong?”. His vitals were fine, but it wasn’t my imagination, it was taking longer because they spent more time warming him. Holding tiny William for the first time, was akin to mortal fear combined with complete joy. Was he truly healthy, did he have an underlying condition, why is he latching on to my nose, he looks like a cute old man in a tiny body...all questions/thoughts streaming though my head. Dr. Lo tried to convince me that Will’s weight was at one time a normal baby weight. She’s right, but I still felt scared/worried, etc.

The next 2.5 days were spent with a two fold mission, stop his weight loss and keep him warm. He had problems latching- not with the will to latch- he came out rooting for the goods-but with the- my mom has big boobs and I have a small mouth- how do I make this work? The day before we were to leave, he had lost more than 10% of his birth weight, so we were handed formula to supplement. While Janet was working so hard at breastfeeding, we succumbed- as nice as they were at the hospital, we just wanted to be home. By Sunday, he had gained enough weight to be let out of jail. The weeks following release were filled with scales, weight checks, and visits to the lactation consultant. At his first non weight check pediatrician visit, he was 5th percentile for weight, and 50th for height- I don’t remember his head. We were highly encouraged to bring back a baby double his birth weight to his two month check up.

~2 months later, our little man, while not doubling his birth weight, is a happy 10lb 4oz boy and in the 25th percentile for weight. He’s happily hanging onto his 50th percentile for height, measuring in at 22.25 inches. I finally know his head measurement (why is that one so hard to remember?)- 15.25 inches, which places him in the 25th percentile as well.

Our little man will probably never have chunky thighs or baby rolls- but his mommies can now stop stressing out over him sleeping an extra hour here and there.