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!! 

Why I’ll Never Fly with Disposables Again

It’s official.  I HATE disposable diapers.  I just got back from a great short vacation (more on that later!), and this little trip has convinced me (and my husband) that cloth diapers rule.  We made the unfortunate decision to go the ‘sposie route while we were gone, and man, did that have repercussions.  

Flying with a super active toddler is definitely a team sport—I wear Nic in the Ergo as long as he can stand it, and then Shaun and I switch off holding him while the other person does whatever they can to occupy him.  This doesn’t sound so bad, unless you have to do it soaked in urine like we did.Nic, taking a break from peeing on Mommy and Daddy.

You see, disposables and the Ergo’s straddle position just don’t seem to mix for us.  About 10 minutes into our first flight, I felt very warm and wet all of the sudden.  The pee had come straight out the side of the Ergo and onto my belly.  Awesome.  A little while later, Shaun got surprised by a big wet spot on his lap.  And that was just our way to our destination.  The return flight resulted in me being peed on twice more.  (My non-mommy friends might freak out when they find out that I just let the pee dry instead of changing my clothes--they find my level of comfort with bodily fluids to be disconcerting).  

So maybe it’s us—perhaps we don’t put the diaper on right, or we’re not using the best ones for him, but seriously, we might as well have let him go commando on the flights.  All I know is that I’m going to do whatever I can to avoid flying in ‘sposies again.

And the fact that we also had an up-the-back blowout in the grocery store really reinforces my love for cloth.  It’s almost impossible to blowout of those bad boys!

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?

The Stand Up Diaper Change

As Nic has gotten older, stronger and squirmier, sometimes it’s just impossible to lay him down to change his diaper.  Plus, when we’re out and about, there’s often not an available spot for traditional diaper changing.  In light of this, we’ve turned to what I call, “The Stand Up Diaper Change.”

That’s right.  What you’re picturing is exactly what it is. There's a better way to change diapers on the go! Photo by Sean Dreliinger on Flickrused under creative commons.

1. Stand the toddler up
2. Pull pants to the ankles
3. Take off diaper
4. Quick wipe
5. Put clean diaper through legs and fasten
6. Pull pants back up
7. Ta da!  Clean pants, no screaming and you didn’t have to lay him on the asphalt in the parking lot!

I do have one MAJOR caveat for the stand up change—it’s VERY risky with poop.  It’s not impossible, but the probability that you’ll have to change his clothes, yours and rub hand sanitizer all over both of your bodies is relatively high.

Wet T-Shirt Night... And Not The Good Kind

"Diaper sprayer... That is a first," said the Roto-Rooter man at 10:30 p.m.

I had tried to install it myself and it went horribly awry. I ended up doused in toilet water - and I mean doused. We're talking wet T-shirt contest style here.

Oh and in tears. I was doused in toilet water and in tears. Here's the story that is only funny in hindsight.

After a nice dinner with Clayton, I decided to get ahead on chores in preparation for my mom's visit this weekend. On my list: laundry, finish painting the changing table and shelves, wrap Baby Mo's birthday gift, and if I got ahead of the game, install that diaper sprayer. 

I hadn't used the diaper sprayer that was sent to me for my cloth diaper challenge because it didn't fit our New York City apartment's toilet. Since moving into the new house, I had been eager to install it in Baby Mo's bathroom.

For those of you that don't know, this is a diaper sprayer. You use it to spray the poop off of your diapers before you throw them out or wash them. You are supposed to dispose of all baby poop before disposing of diapers or washing reusables. Throwing poop in the landfill is a health hazard. Most people don't do that but they should. Anyway, I digress.

I followed the instructions on the package but when I turned the water valve back on, the toilet started showering me in the face like a polite reminder.

This is not correct. Please go get help.

I ignored the reminder. The package said to tighten the valves if there was leaking. I kept tightening but the spray got worse. So bad in fact that it soaked up three towels, and eventually went off like a geyser all over me.

PANIC!

Now I decide I must get Clayton, who is recovering from leg surgery yesterday and knows nothing about plumbing.

"Honey," I said faux-calmly, walking down the stairs dripping wet with wrench in my hand, "I need you. Like right now. Immediately. It's urgent."

He limped up the stairs and stopped in his tracks at the sight of our leaking toilet and his insane drenched wife.

"Why did you just go and do this? I can't fix this. Get a plumber here now!"

Ladies, you know the fantasy. If I can just do this by myself he will be so impressed with me and I will be liberated from having to ask him to do handy things like this for me. Key word here: fantasy.

Roto-Rooter, God bless that company, showed up in about 15 minutes. The nice man did not even really know what a diaper sprayer was until he got upstairs. He noticed that the package was missing a washer and that was why the sprayer was leaking. He got one out of his truck and fixed it in about 10 minutes, all the while trying not to chuckle at me.

"Ah new home owners," he said, shaking his head while twisting my wrench under the toilet. He stopped to look at said wrench and said, "And these are somebody's dad's..."

It is true. The wrench was likely purchased from a hardware store in 1957 before Home Depot ever existed by my dear sweet father-in-law Don.

When I ran downstairs to recount the story with Clayton he was embarrassed.

"My good tools are still in storage!" he said defiantly.

I told the plumber that my husband was embarrassed about the tools and he said, "I wouldn't be embarrassed. It means that they're good tools."

After a few minutes the sprayer was successfully installed and I gotta say, it is kind of neat! I wonder about its potential as a bidet?

"So I don't even know what to call this job," said the plumber when he was done. "We charge $52 for emergency response so I'm just going to charge you for that and chalk the rest up to experience."

So I stumped a plumber tonight. One for the books. Maybe even the baby book? I could put the receipt in Baby Mo's? I'll consider it while I shower off this toilet water.