Where to Donate Used Cloth Diapers?

Recently on the podcast, Natali asked our listeners where she should donate the cloth diapers that Miles and Ava have outgrown. I have the answer: Giving Diapers, Giving Hope.

Their mission: “To provide free cloth diapers to low income families to help alleviate the cost of diapering their children which will help them use their money for other essentials.” My most recent donation to Giving Diapers, Giving Hope.

I’ve donated diapers and covers to them several times and plan to continue doing so. This testimonial from their site really hit home for me, “Transitioning to cloth diapering has been a dream! I had no idea how much of the stress in my life was how I was to diaper my daughter. On a regular basis I was down to using my own tshirts with tape and plastic pull up pants because I had to save the disposables for daycare.”

Moms have too much stress in their lives already to worry about how they are going to diaper their little ones. I feel good knowing that the diapers that have provided my babies with comfy, fluffy bottoms are now going to help relieve financial and emotional strain in families experiencing rough financial times.

So, if you’ve reached the end of your cloth diapering adventure, or if you have too-small dipes in your stash, please consider sending them off to Giving Diapers, Giving Hope. 

Cloth Diaper Hacks

After three years of cloth diapering, I’ve found that I can bend the “rules” with good results. I started cloth diapering with a service (pre-folds) and then switched to pockets. Now I use both, and sometimes even mix the two! Here are a few of the hacks that have made my life less complicated and my stash less expensive: Baby Z in cloth. Photo by Adriana Klas Photography. 

• OsoCosy BetterFit prefolds: These prefolds don’t need to be folded lengthwise, which makes diapering quicker and less bulky. They also don’t require a Snappi clip—you can just close it up inside the cover and it stays put. I bought these for Baby Z’s newborn stage and they were wonderful! They fit him from the time I brought him home until he was about three months old.  
• Using prefolds as inserts: Natali has been generous enough to loan me the dipes that Ava has outgrown for Baby Z. Because my boys tend to be heavy wetters, I sometimes need to add extra absorbency. I’ve found that tri-folding an OsoCosy prefold and using that as an insert works great as a nighttime solution (although it’s a bit bulky for day).
• Using bigger prefolds to fit for longer: A few months back, BabySleepBags.com chose me as their “Mom of the Month,” and sent me a great prize pack. Included was a package of Real Nappies, which are super soft pre-folds. The sizing was for 6+ months, but Z was three months old and we needed some more diapers in the rotation. I was able to use the bigger diapers by just folding them lengthwise an extra inch or two. This saved me from buying the in-between size and only made them a bit more bulky in the interim.
• Using pocket shells for covers in a pinch: I love the Real Nappies, but they only came with three covers (Z has grown out of his Thirsties covers). Occasionally, I run out of covers and in desperation one day I realized that I could unstuff one of Nic’s medium FuzziBunz or Charlie Bananas and use it as a cover. Since Nic is only in nap and nighttime diapers, I have plenty of extra “covers” if I need them.

The moral is, be confident in your diapering! Mix and match to save yourself some trouble and some money.

Cloth Diapering Q&A

Update: This event has passed but you can follow the discussion thread on the Diapers.com Facebook page! 

Have questions about cloth diapering? Join a live Facebook chat tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern. I'll be helping Charlie Banana and Diapers.com educate new moms on cloth diapering. Info here! 

I sure wish there was something like this when I started cloth diapering. It can be confusing and there are so many options and questions. Brand, wash, care, travel, etc. Bring your questions and join us tonight! 

Hope to "see" you there! 

When Cloth Diapers Are NOT Best

Baby Mo's staph infection is clearing up, albeit slowly. Yesterday I took him to the doctor because a new rash had popped up. I thought it was impetigo, which can be caused by staph infections. Thankfully the doctor did not think it was impetigo but he decided to treat it as such just in case with a topical ointment. 

I asked the doctor why this rash had come up while the staph was healing and he said that the cloth diapers were likely irritating his skin. He said that since cloth diapers don't chemically wick away wetness, the urine that collects in the fabric overnight is probably causing a new rash while there is already an infection in that area. He suggested I switch back to disposables until the staph clears up. 

I left his office feeling a bit defeated, I have to be honest. You try to make choices that you think are best for your child and then in instances like this, they backfire. I hate disposable diapers - for a lot of the same reasons as Nathalee - but I obligingly switched back until the infection clears up. I hope that is soon! Staph can be known to take its sweet time going away! 

I called my mother-in-law on the way home from the doctor's office and she was very sweet and encouraging. She told me I was being too hard on myself. How was I to know that staph was one of the few instances where cloth diapers would not be the best choice? She basically told me to take a breath because motherhood will continue to throw me curve balls like this and all I can do is try to keep up. I know she is right but I still can't help but feel a little responsible. 

Thankfully Baby Mo does not seem sick, uncomfortable, or otherwise inconvenienced in the least by any of this. Kids are resilient, eh? 

Meanwhile, I am putting gauze over the infected area in between the medicine and the diaper. I am also using Thirsty Duo Diaper Wraps at night over the disposable to prevent leaks. These things work just as great with sposies as they do with cloth! Highly recommend for all mommies! 

Side note: I had forgotten one thing since switching to cloth diapers nearly a year ago: disposable diapers are expensive! Sheesh!! 

Wool Diaper Covers: Part of a Nighttime Solution?

Nic is a super heavy wetter and has been soaking through his nighttime diaper lately (a Charlie Banana with one Charlie Banana insert and two Thirsties hemp inserts).  I tried going up to three hemp inserts, but then it was overstuffed and leaked even more.

Yesterday I posted a query to my Facebook page, the MommyBeta Facebook page, the Diaper Junction Facebook page and my Google+ page asking for advice.  I am so impressed by all of the feedback I got!  I love how passionate the cloth diapering community is and how willing to share information they are!

One suggestion that kept popping up was to use a fitted diaper with a wool cover.  I was a bit embarrassed because I didn’t even know what a fitted diaper was!  A quick Google told me that it looks like a pocket diaper, but it doesn’t have a waterproof shell, and the whole thing is absorbant.  I decided to go with a Thirsteies Duo from Diaper Junction (since they gave me such quick and great advice on Facebook!).   The price is fair, the reviews are great and I’ve really liked the other Thirsties products I’ve used.   I also really like that there is a “channel” in which I can stuff a hemp insert if I need more absorbancy.

Now, I need to decide how I’m going to keep that moisture in the diaper and off of Nic’s bed—I need a cover.  I used the Thirsties Duo covers back when I was still doing prefolds and really liked them.  But so many people suggested wool and were really pumped about it that I’m really considering it.  I’ve done some research and here are some benefits of wool covers:  Kissaluvs Wool Diaper Cover. How cute and snuggly is this!?

• All natural
• Breathable (less diaper rash)
• Naturally water repellant
• Naturally anti-bacterial
• Can hold a lot of moisture without feeling wet
• Only have to be washed every few weeks if using in rotation (unless they get poop on them!)
• Super cute!

Sounds great right?  There are some cons though:

• Expensive (at least $30 each!)
• Have to handwash
• Have to lanolize them every few weeks(Huh?  What’s that!?)

So, for now I think I’m going to order the Thirsties fitted and cover and make sure that works for Nic.  If it does, and you gals are passionate enough in the comments here, I’ll invest in a wool diaper cover. :)  Do you have any brands you love?