Confessions of a "Newbie"

Contributed by Miracle- our newest employee!

When I first discovered I was pregnant with my oldest son in 2007, I immediately began thinking about the best way to birth him and feed him. Like any pregnant or new mother, you research the best options for your child, from car seats and cribs, to daycares and pediatricians.

For me, breastfeeding was a given, as was attempting the most natural and intervention free birth possible. For some reason, it never occurred to me to think about using cloth diapers as part of a more “natural parenting” lifestyle. Diapering was hardly a blip on my radar!

After my son was born, a friend mentioned her use of a hybrid cloth diaper and this allowed me a tiny peek into the world of cloth, but I was still unconvinced. It seemed like this unreachable goal for me and I kept visualizing dipping diapers into the toilet and smelly, stinky mess everywhere. I did not have the
confidence in myself as a new mother to try out a new system. (I have since learned that I am capable, strong, and absolutely can do this!)

As he grew older, I discovered multiple problems with using disposables. He would break out into a rash, they always seemed to leak (up the back blowouts anyone?), they were expensive and smelly, we ran out constantly, and it felt as though my trash was always overflowing. I also started thinking more the environmental impact of these diapers…where do they end up when they are used? A landfill? What resources are being used to make them? What exactly are in these things?

All of these questions continued to follow me through the course of my son’s baby and toddlerhood, but I did not have adequate information, support, or resources to make a decision at that time. When I discovered I was once again pregnant with baby #2, I made a firm decision to research cloth diapering.

What I found was definitely surprising. The variety, ease of use, and flat out cuteness of cloth diapering was amazing. I knew this time I would be able to have success with cloth, I just needed someone to inform and encourage me. With the help of my sister and several people at the store, I was able to stock different types of diapers and covers. Since the birth of my second son, I have not only had success with diapering, but I have grown to love cloth and trying out and collecting different diapers. My husband teases me whenever I come home with new diapers! One of the best moments I have had with cloth diapering is my grandmother telling me how proud of me she is for using cloth. If cloth was good enough for her, it is good enough for me!

So, my confessions are that I was not a faithful cloth user with my oldest son, but I am a loyal cloth user now and I am so glad I made the change! It is never “too late” to try cloth. Even if your child is a toddler, you did not use cloth with your older children, or you just aren’t sure what is out there, switching to cloth can still be a very cost effective and helpful change,. So if you aren’t already using cloth or
considering, give it a try!

Spontaneous Product Review: purEcosheet

Confession: I love fabric softener and/or dryer sheets. I love the smell. I love the feel of fluffy towels. I think part of my adoration stems from warm, fuzzy memories of my mom giving me clothes straight from the dryer that still smelled like Snuggle :)

Sadly, my love affair with "main stream" dryer sheets and fabric softener had to end when I started cloth diapering my son. Part of it was because I knew that they were bad news for the absorption factor of my stash. The bigger issue was my newly gained knowledge of what is actually in those products. Just a few of the ingredients found in fabric softeners like Downy and Snuggle: alpha-terpineol (causes CNS disorders), benzyl acetate(carcinogen-linked to pancreatic cancer), choloroform(neurotoxic, carcinogenic, anesthetic, ethyl acetate (narcotic), linalool (narcotic). Pretty scary, right?

After learning about the potential poisonous side of fabric softener I went cold turkey. I found that using better detergent like Country Save eliminated some of the static automatically but not completely. I've experimented with Ecover's line of fabric softeners but was not overly impressed. Bayla, our fearless leader here at Soft and Cozy Baby, ordered a product called purEcosheet and I was intrigued.



PurEcosheet bills itself as having "all the advantages of a traditional dryer sheet, with none of the chemicals. The perfume, dye and chemical free way to keep your fabrics soft, natural and free of static". I figure it was worth a shot. Two reusable sheets (good for 100s of loads according to the box) is $14.95 so fairly comparable in price to other options out there. The package gives instruction for how to prep (wash in any load of laundry after their first three uses) and maintenance (wash again every 3 months for best performance). After about a month I can tell you that these really do work! My towels and sheets feel softer and my clothes have less static. I cannot think of a single drawback!

Here are some other great things about purEcosheets:
*unscented
*made in North America
*100% hypoallergenic
*safe for use on infant's sleepwear, cloth diapers, technical fabrics, fine linens and towels
*safe for allergy and eczema and allergy sufferers
*great for baby's sensitive skin
*available from Earth Angels Diaper Company!

Hey Target, What's the deal??

In case you have not heard, a mother was recently harassed in a Target store while she tried to breastfeed her 4 month old baby under the cover of a baby blanket. Initially an employee of the Texas Target informed her that she should nurse in one of the changing rooms. When she declined another employee told her that she could be cited for indecent exposure. Within minutes word must have spread throughout their staff and several other workers walked by to get a peek and shake their head in disapproval. Disapproval of a woman feeding her baby. Apparently these employees were concerned that her public act of breastfeeding would bother her fellow shoppers. How many customers complained? Not one. After this story had garnered national attention (at least among those concerned with breastfeeding and women's right), Target issued a statement saying that “guests who choose to breastfeed in public areas of the store are welcome to do so without being made to feel uncomfortable".

Unfortunately, I did not find this story very shocking. As a mother that breastfed two babies for a total of 35 months between them I had experienced a fair amount of ignorance and ill treatment. A museum employee once approached me while I nursed my son under a nursing cover and told me that I would be more comfortable in the "mom's lounge" in the bathroom? When I walked into the stale air of the restroom I was greeted by a folding chair. I turned right around and assumed my former position and fed my son. I have several stories like this and they all end in me standing my ground and feeding my baby. Many times I was able to nurse my babies while wearing them and no one was the wiser. Who was I hurting??

What disturbed me most about this incident was reading the comments on articles about the story. Grown men and women referring to breastfeeding as "icky" and "inappropriate". That this woman must have wanted to cause a scene because she refused to be relegated to a stall to feed her baby. Others questioned her fitness as a mother for not pumping bottles in anticipation of his hunger. Still more made rude comments about her body (HELLO, she just had a baby four months before!. I was aghast. Do these same people clutch their pearls when they pass a Victoria's Secret? when they watch cable? Can't they understand that this woman was just trying to provide milk to her baby??

Listen, I know that not everyone can or wants to breastfeed. I feel very strongly that "breast is best" but I know that every mother just wants to raise a healthy baby and has to make her own choices. What I do not understand is why all the moms of the world are not enraged at what happened in Target. Why it is okay for corporate America to use images of breasts to sell clothes, beer, cars and so much more but not okay for me to feed my baby? Nursing moms are not trying to expose themselves, to shock people or to cause a commotion- they just want to feed their babies. They do not want to feed them in a dank public restroom or in the broom closet. Why aren't we more concerned with nurturing these moms so that they can feel more comfortable in their role as a mother? Why are breastfeeding moms being harassed in 21st century America??

My sons are 5 and 2. I have no problem with them witnessing a mother nurse their child. I want them to grow up knowing that breasts serve a biological purpose and are not just there to be ogled. If I am ever blessed with a daughter I want her to know the power of her body and all that it is capable of. I want her to breastfeed confidently without feeling as though she is going to be harassed. I want her to feel as though her rights as a woman are upheld.

Cyber Monday Sales at Earth Angels Diaper Company!

Cyber Monday is going on now!

Here are just a few of what we've got on sale this Cyber Monday at Earth Angels Diaper Company!

• Buy 4 Get 1 Free on Rumparooz!
• Tiny Tush Buy 5 Get 1 Free!
• GroVia Buy 2 Get 1 Free!
• Lollidoos are 40% off!
• Econobum Buy 1 Get 1 Free!
• EcoPosh are 10% off!
• Ergo, Free Infant Insert with Purchase of Carrier!
• Boba are 20% off!
• Peanut Shell Carriers are 40% off!
• Beco Discontinued prints are only $85!

Plus Flat Rate Shipping of just $5 or Free Shipping on Orders over $100!

Cost of Cloth Wipes Solution. Is it worth it?

I had the opportunity to use Knickernappies’ Baby Bum Drops back in May. I had been making my own solution with water, baby shampoo and oil. I really thought I was saving some money and doing a good thing for my boy’s skin, however, after trying the Baby Bum Drops for two weeks I changed my story.

Now that I have two little ones I can honestly say that one of my favorite things about Baby Bum Drops is how easy they are to use. I really feel like I’m doing laundry 24/7. With cloth diapering, I’m washing diapers every other day now because my daughter is four months old and goodness does she know how to pee! The less work I have to do – like mixing my own wipes solution – the better. I didn’t understand the beauty in the Baby Bum Drops at the time I did my review because I only had my boy. Alas, apparently one little addition does make a huge difference in the amount of time you have during a day.

Let me submit an idea to you: you’re cloth diapering and using clothwipes. You have to wash and dry them. You need to put them together by stuffing them, folding them before you put them on your baby or adding an insert to a shell. Why do everything on your own? You don’t have to. Use Baby Bum Drops and take one more thing off of your “to do” list.

Still not convinced? Here’s the breakdown in price that my hubby figured out (he’s the brilliant numbers man in this household):

Avg. Retail Price of Baby Bum Drops: $13.95

Baby Bum Drops makes 50 8 oz spray bottles

Price of Baby Bum Drops per ounce: 3.5 cents

Avg. Cost of making solution made out of water, shampoo and oil: 2.1 cents per ounce

50 Spray Bottles of Own Solution: $8.40

Price Difference between Baby Bum Drops and the solution I made: $6 per year

If you’re making your own solution as a way of saving money like I was perhaps you should re-evaluate if it’s worth the time and effort. If it’s just one more thing to add on to your day, I think the extra $6 you’re going to spend by buying the Baby Bum Drops is worth it.

Elizabeth (aka Bert) Anderson married her college sweetheart in 2005, and started her journey into motherhood in 2008 with the birth of her son.  She started blogging in 2009 as a way to keep track of her thoughts on being a first time mom, especially her struggle with postpartum depression, and as a way of reaching out to other moms who are struggling with the same things.  This June, Bert had another first in her motherhood travels - a little girl!  Even though she's newly a mother of two, Bert maintains that no matter how many children you have you will always be a "first time mom" because there's a first time for everything!  Visit her blog, at FTM. Bert is a contributor for She Thinks Media.

This one time...I thought my nipples were going to fall OFF!

Breastfeeding, it's not supposed to be painful but is it?  Considering that most first time mom's aren't used to nursing a baby, practically around the clock, there certainly is a little room for error and some pain, although not "normal" is to be expected.

I'm an only child and my mother was a La Leche League Leader so when I got pregnant I was going to breastfeed, it just was what you do, for me at least.  My mom had some experience, some advice...She said you should sit in the bath, before you deliver, and use a wet washcloth to rough up your nipples. I laughed!

Sure, like that would really work! Ha Ha Ha!  Like I'm really going to sit in the bath and use a washcloth to do that!  An old wives tale I was sure.  Did I do it?  Absolutely not.  Who listens to their mother anyhow?

So baby came and I was nursing!  Yippee, see this was easy, piece of cake.  Until....maybe a few days or so into it.  I started to feel a burning pain when my daughter nursed, it turned into a searing pain, and then into an eye watering excruciating pain, a very bad I am now totally dreading breastfeeding my new baby pain.

I asked my mom in all seriousness "Is my nipple going to fall off?  Can it fall off?"  I was really worried.  It felt like someone was cutting it off with a razor blade every time my daughter nursed.

Turns out that having a baby gnawing and sucking at the breast takes a little getting used to, a lot of getting used to and there is a learning curve.  Sure, baby is getting milk and appears to be nursing just fine but is she latched on properly?  It's hard to know, especially since everyone's breasts and nipples are different.

We figured out that she wasn't latching on quite right, not enough of the areola was in her mouth.  Using my thumb to gently encourage her to open a little wider seemed to help.  It took a couple weeks for the latch to improve and the pain to go away.  I'll never know if I had used the washcloth method to rough up the nippples for a couple weeks before the birth if that would have helped but heck, hindsight is 20/20 and when I was in pain I seriously wished I had given it a try.

My advice is...

• Make sure you have a good nipple cream.  Lansinoh, Earth Mama Angel Baby, Coconut Oil...Something that will help relieve the pain and discomfort you might experience.
• Use cloth breast pads.
• Ask for help.  You may be modest but you just have to get over it.  If you're in pain past about day 10 you need to see a lactation consultant, doula or midwife who can take a look and make sure baby is properly latched on.
• Stay positive.  Once you've got the right latch and you've found your breastfeeding groove, it only takes a little while before you're poor nipples adjust.

Well I hope you're found my post a little helpful.  Don't forget, this too shall pass!

Here's a good couple of links if you need to check out latch-on techniques:
http://www.breastfeeding.com/helpme/helpme_images_latchon.html
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/start/basics/latch-resources.html

Julie, Cloth Diaper Geek

New Product: Charlie's Soap Hardwater Treatment & Laundry Booster!

Did you know that we carry Charlie's Soap Laundry Treatment and Hardwater Booster?  Did you even know that there was such a product?  Well we do, and there is!

What exactly is it and how can you tell if you need it or not?

Charlie's Soap Laundry Booster & Hard Water Treatment uses a biodegradable phosphate that leaves no residue on your clothes while softening your wash water. 

Certain phosphates can safely eliminate these problems and be environmentally friendly. They're only a problem with overuse.

If hard water is an issue, why not use an environmentally-safe product from Charlie's rather than take a chance with other detergents that put bad things into the environment?

The advantage of using Charlie's Soap with our new Laundry Booster & Hard Water Treatment is that you get the benefit of really clean clothes without a lot of chemicals left behind.

The Charlie's Laundry booster and hard water treatment works hand in hand with our Powder or Liquid to give you the best of both worlds. 

How to use it?

Simply add a 1/2 tablespoon per large load with your Charlies Soap detergent!  Your laundry will be whiter, brighter, softer and you can rest assured that they'll be clean, even if you have hard water issues.

MSRP, Just $18.99 for enough to treat 80+ large loads

How UnderCover Mama Saved My Baby from Chickenpox!

A few weeks ago I noticed 2 itchy spots on my belly and back. I thought it was mosquito bites but had no idea how they got to my belly! Someone suggested it was poison ivy but again, almost impossible. A couple days later it turned into a blistery rash. As we were going out of town the next day, I decided to go to Patient First being that it was quite uncomfortable and I wanted to make sure it wasn't contagious.

The Doctor at Patient First took one look at it and announced, "That is definitely Shingles."  Shingles?! I thought that's for old people! She said that she's seen a few young people with it lately. So am I contagious? Only if someone comes into direct contact with the lesions. But I am nursing a baby! She said my baby was likely already exposed so there's nothing I can do about it anyway. Someone can contract chickenpox from shingles, but they wouldn't contract shingles. But my 8 mo old nursling has not had the chickenpox or the vaccine, and he's the only one who has been in direct contact with my belly!

Her only advice was to keep it covered, wash my hands, and take an antiviral. I was taken off work for a week as I'm a midwife and don't want to expose my patients - just in case. I called my pediatrician who wasn't concerned. It's not dangerous for a baby at 8 months to get chicken pox.

So we went on our trip as planned. And my baby never got the chicken pox!

I attribute it to my Undercover Mama! I LOVE the Undercover Mama and wear one all the time! It is great because it just hooks to your regular nursing bra and is much cheaper than a nursing tank. I like that it keeps my belly covered while I'm nursing as I wear a lot of T-shirts. I also wear it to sleep because nursing in bed makes for a cold tummy! I think because my Undercover Mama kept my belly covered all the time, my baby was never exposed to the shingles lesion.

Another great benefit of the Undercover Mama!

Cloth Diapering Boys vs. Girls, How do they compare?

Guest Post by Bert

You wouldn’t think that there would be that much difference between girls and boys when it comes to cloth diapering. Incorrect. I have learned over the past few weeks that stuffing a nighttime pocket diaper for Lady Bug is completely different than what I had been doing the last two and a half years for Buggie.

You see when little boys pee it fills the front of the diaper. Not rocket science, I know, but I promise you this never occurred to me! That’s the main reason I’m writing this…because I’m thinking that maybe you didn’t realize this either. Anyways, when little girls pee it fills the back of the diaper. And that, my friends, affects how you stuff your pocket diaper if you are using a newborn/doubler sized insert.

With Buggie we stuffed the diaper with the doubler insert in the front. Worked brilliantly with him and as he aged and his bladder grew we simply added more layers. Okay it was only a hemp (I LOVE hemp for a nighttime diaper by the way. It’s not bulky but it holds a lot of urine.) layer but it did the trick for us. So our diaper for Buggie looked like this:

Trust me that did not work for Lady Bug. We’ve had leaky night diapers for about a week and a half. Ben and I could not figure out why this kept happening. We were about ready to contact the diaper manufacturer and ask if other parents had this problem. That’s when it dawned on me. Was the extra insert even getting wet? So I grabbed her sopping wet diaper and pulled out the inserts. Sure enough the back of the diaper was soaked and the front part where the doubler insert was placed was practically dry. No wonder I’ve been changing crib sheets and mattress pads every day this week! It wasn’t the diaper’s fault. It was me! And let me tell you what a relief that was.

For Lady Bug the doubler needs to be placed towards the back of her diaper for optimum pee absorption. Her nighttime diapers need to look like this:

Noticed how the doubler is not in the front? That’s the key my fluffy fanatic mamas! I also will be using a hemp doubler on top of a regular insert. That diaper will look like this:

And as she grows and her bladder grows her nighttime diaper will probably be the same as Buggie’s was. It’ll look like this but with the doubler in the back:

Happy absorbent diapering my friends! I hope this spares you of many late night sheet changes. Don’t worry; I was happy to be the village idiot on this one!

Elizabeth (aka Bert) Anderson married her college sweetheart in 2005, and started her journey into motherhood in 2008 with the birth of her son.  She started blogging in 2009 as a way to keep track of her thoughts on being a first time mom, especially her struggle with postpartum depression, and as a way of reaching out to other moms who are struggling with the same things.  This June, Bert had another first in her motherhood travels - a little girl!  Even though she's newly a mother of two, Bert maintains that no matter how many children you have you will always be a "first time mom" because there's a first time for everything!  Visit her blog, at FTM. Bert is a contributor for She Thinks Media.

Vinegar, The perfect green cleaning solution!

Guest Post by Liz

I love vinegar and it’s not only the yummy salt and vinegar chip kind either.  (Mmmm and cue mouth watering now.)  I love cleaning with vinegar.  Let me tell you, if you haven’t started using vinegar as a cleaning agent in your house you’ll soon want to.

It all started when Buggie began crawling on our laminate kitchen floors.  He was already into eating solids so our kitchen floor was an absolute sticky mess 90% of the time.  I needed to clean it on a weekly basis but the more I thought about it the more anxious I felt about him crawling on the floor that I had just cleaned with store bought solution that was not natural.  Then the thought of him using his hands to put everything that was in sight into his mouth made me do a quick search on the ‘net for natural (and cheap!) cleaning products.  I happened upon vinegar but a lot of my mommy friends had already been raving about it for months before I too became a convert.

Here are the ways I use vinegar to clean in my house:

• Floor washing solution – I’ve already mentioned this but I use it to wash my floors.  I simply mix 1 part warm water and 1 part white distilled vinegar into a large spray bottle.  Then I simply spray it on the floor and wipe it up with a reusable Swiffer pad and my Swiffer.
• Cleaning my dishwasher – I don’t know if this has happened to you or not but sometimes after I’ve run my dishwasher there’s this nasty white chalky film on my dishes.  It’s disgusting.  Bleh!  Even thinking about it makes me want to wash my hands.  Well, apparently it’s a calcium build up or something like that (really it doesn’t matter THAT much what it is – it’s gross) and guess what can get rid of it?  White distilled vinegar!  That’s right.  Simply fill a bowl full of white distilled vinegar and place it upright into the dishwasher.  Then run your dishwasher for a full cycle.  You can do this monthly to help clean your dishwasher of soap buildup and calcium deposits. This can be done with either an empty machine or full of the filmy dishes.
• Cleaning my garbage disposal – They get yucky with all that stuff we shove down them.  So…I simply pour ½ cup of baking soda down the drain and then I add ½ cup of white distilled vinegar to that.  It makes this lovely bubbling sound.  I like to imagine the guck and grime fizzing off. Let it sit for five minutes and then rinse it down with hot water.
• Cleaning toys – It’s a safe and non-toxic way to clean toys.  Fill the sink with soapy water and add the white distilled vinegar to it.  Soak, rinse and that’s it!
• Cleaning my beloved coffee maker – The instructions in the manual say to do it!  Duh!
• Cleaning mirrors, windows and any other kind of glass – I don’t know why but my vinegar solution consisting of water and vinegar is an awesome glass cleaner!  No waxy streaks left behind.
• Cleaning my stove – I have a smooth top electric range and my little spray bottle does a great job making it sparkling clean!
• Cleaning the counters in my kitchen – We eat off of them…enough said there.
• Cleaning the funk out of my diapers – Because of its acidity vinegar is a great neutralizing odor eliminator for cloth diapers.  I use it in my cold rinse cycle.
• Cleaning the microwave and refrigerator – Again, if you eat stuff that touches it why would you not use something natural to clean it?

I hope this sparks the inner June Cleaver in you and you become a vinegar cleaning fool!  Do you use vinegar when you clean?  If so, what are your uses for it?

Elizabeth (aka Bert) Anderson married her college sweetheart in 2005, and started her journey into motherhood in 2008 with the birth of her son.  She started blogging in 2009 as a way to keep track of her thoughts on being a first time mom, especially her struggle with postpartum depression, and as a way of reaching out to other moms who are struggling with the same things.  This July, Bert had another first in her motherhood travels - a little girl!  Even though she's newly a mother of two, Bert maintains that no matter how many children you have you will always be a "first time mom" because there's a first time for everything!  Visit her blog, at FTM. Bert is a contributor for She Thinks Media.

New Product Coming Soon: BumGenius FreeTime Cloth Diaper!

BumGenius, one of the most innovative cloth diaper manufacturers is a leader in the industry.  Constantly innovating and reinventing, they aim to please!  Now they're releasing a new product, the BumGenius FreeTime Cloth Diaper!

• One step cloth diaper - no stuffing!
• Semi-attached inserts dry faster.
• 3×3 snap down design* adjusts the sizing to fit small, medium and large sizes (approximately 8-35+ pounds).
• Trim, snug and comfortable stretchy tabs* provide a custom fit.Available in both snap and hook & loop closure.

Best of all, it takes less time to diaper a baby... we don't think you should have to give up any time in your day.

That's why Freetime has all the features of an all-in-one diaper, with a carefully designed interior that makes one-size diapering simple and fast.

MSRP: $19.95

Coming soon to Earth Angels Diaper Company!

Flip Training Pants and New BumGenius Prints are coming soon!

Have you heard about the new Flip Training Pants?  They are adorable, they look super functional, highly adjustable and comfortable too.  Cottonbabies also announced they'll be coming out with some new BumGenius prints as well!

Watch the Youtube Video below for a sneak peek at the new trainers and a glimpse of the new prints!

Is your baby a lazy pooper?

Guest post by Liz

There are definitely things I thought I would have to do once I had a baby such as: Getting up in the middle of the night multiple times. Doing anything to make the baby happy - singing, bouncing, rocking...Those were the many things I anticipated. I didn't, however, anticipate having to help my baby poop nor did I ever guess that it would become a habit for him. Now, my son is a pooping machine, however that wasn’t the case when he was a baby. The things we do for a kids, right?

Two years ago, my boy went five days (count 'em...FIVE DAYS) without pooping. Now this wouldn’t be of any concern if he hadn’t started solids and was still exclusively breastfed. He wasn't in pain and his stomach wasn't hard. I called my friend, who is a pediatric nurse practioner, for advice on what to do. I tried a myriad of the tricks - juice, movement, massaging his stomach. I was willing to try anything but what would really end up working - The thermometer or worse (da da DA!!!) my finger.

Finally it got down to the wire and I got desperate. So I put on a pair of gloves, Vaselined my pinky up and in it went. Like a little gopher finally escaping its underground home, out it came. I held Buggie's legs up to his chest so he would have a better pushing advantage. Out it all came, gobs and gobs of it. Yuck.

They say that mother's don't mind the smell of their own child's poo. I would have to agree with that. I didn't even notice the smell. I did notice how disgusting the whole event was. When my hubby and I decided we'd get pregnant in2008, I didn't think helping my child go #2 would be one of my caretaking activities.

After that first time, it seemed that Buggie only pooed when I was changing him or taking his temp. He'd be sitting in his Baby Einstein's jumper, grabbing onto the bars, face red and grunting. I would look at him and chuckle thinking, "Finally he's going to do it", only to find that nope, that wasn't the case. This happen many times and then I had an epiphany.

He was lazy. Now don't get me wrong, Buggie was not a lazy baby in other areas of his life. He's always on the go, very social and seemed to press ahead in his development. Except that is when it comes to pushing out his bowels. Yeah, it was not pretty and you bet I'm going to tell him about this later on his life. Perhaps there's a part of him that enjoyed the time spent on his changing table with me. It's a very comfy changing pad, he had a brightly painted fish mobile hanging above him and I'm there talking to him holding his legs up. Who wouldn't want a little help with that?

We talked to Buggie's pediatrician about it at his six month appointment. He agreed with our assessment. Buggie was a lazy pooper. So we were instructed to just let him be. Five days with no pooping? No worries. I mean let's be honest here; I can't go to pre-school or kindergarten holding his legs up in the air so he can relieve himself.

Ah, the joys of parenting.

Elizabeth (aka Bert) Anderson married her college sweetheart in 2005, and started her journey into motherhood in 2008 with the birth of her son.  She started blogging in 2009 as a way to keep track of her thoughts on being a first time mom, especially her struggle with postpartum depression, and as a way of reaching out to other moms who are struggling with the same things.  This July, Bert had another first in her motherhood travels - a little girl!  Even though she's newly a mother of two, Bert maintains that no matter how many children you have you will always be a "first time mom" because there's a first time for everything!  Visit her blog, at FTM.  Bert is a contributor for She Thinks Media.

Lollidoo Overnight Ecopocket to the rescue!

All moms suffer from lack of sleep and look forward to a time when their little one will sleep through the night without waking.  We dream about it, well actually moms who don't get good sleep don't actually get to dream, but we daydream about dreaming...lol

The heartbreak happens when the time comes, baby sleeps through the whole night, the problem?  Well the problem is that you cloth diapers can't make it through the whole night without wicking or leaking and there's nothing like a soaked cloth diaper, sheets and onesie to wake a sleeping babe!  I know, it's a sad thing, all you want to do is sleep and finally baby wants to sleep, but you need to find an overnight cloth diapering system that works!

That's where the Lollidoo Overnight Ecopocket comes in!  Fleece is a really awesome cloth diapering solution for heavy wetter and overnight and that's why Lollidoo has created a pocket diaper for overnight using it!  Fleece repels moisture which keeps the wetness inside the diaper, in the inserts where it belongs.

About Lollidoo:
Made in the USA with recycled and organic fibers, LolliDoo cloth diapers are available in a whole host of styles, beginning with our versatile eco-pocket pocket-style cloth diaper with recycled fleece outer and your choice of certified organic cotton skin liner or recycled StayDry skin liner. eco-pocket diapers are available in Classic or Overnight styles in an array of vibrant colors.

The Overnight Ecopocket comes with THREE absorbent innies/inserts.

Visit Earth Angels Diaper Company today and check out the Ecopocket by Lollidoo!  We promise, you won't regret it!

Have your reasons for cloth diapering changed?

Do you continue to use cloth diapers for the same reason you started?

Families cloth diaper their babies for all sorts of reasons.  In the past cloth diapers were the only option, then disposables became the preferred method, and now cloth diapers are making a comeback due to improved design, modern conveniences and the importance now placed on being green.

Depending on your influences, friends, family and online connections cloth diapering may not have even been on your radar.  Some look into it because they saw a cute cloth diapered baby on a website or magazine page, perhaps a celebrity used cloth or you've decided you want to save money.  Other's consider cloth because they care about the environmental impact and health risks involved in using disposable diapers.

So, we're curious...Do you continue to cloth diaper now for the same reasons as when you first started?  Did you start cloth diapering to save money but now you continue because you've become more eco-conscious?  Are you addicted to cloth diapers because of the cute factor and the online communities you may have become a part of?

What are your thoughts?

BumGenius, one of the world's most popular cloth diapers, is on SALE!

If you haven't tried BumGenius One Size pocket diapers then you haven't experienced just how easy cloth diapering can be!

Regularly $17.95each, throughout August you can take advantage of great savings and buy 5 get 1 FREE! 

Features:

• NEW! Durable snap closures if you prefer snaps over aplix, help keep diapers on older babies.
• NEW! Generous sizing accommodates larger babies.
• NEW! Easily replaceable elastic keeps your diapers fresh.
• 3x3 snap down design* adjusts the sizing to fit small, medium and large sizes (approximately 7-35+ pounds).
• Trim, snug and comfortable stretchy tabs* provide a custom fit.
• Waterproof insert stopper* prevents leaking at the tummy.
• Diapers are bundled with two inserts: a newborn insert for newborns and a one-size insert for your older baby.
• Wide slot opening makes it easy to stuff and remove insert.
• Slot cover* protects your baby from wetness.

All bumGenius One-Size Cloth Diapers include a small, lightweight insert for newborns and a larger one-size insert for your growing baby. When your baby outgrows the newborn insert, it works as an overnight booster or as extra absorbency for heavy wetters.

Visit Earth Angels Diaper Company today!

Benefits of Babywearing for moms and dads!

Babywearing has been practiced for centuries worldwide.  There huge emotional and physical bonds created through babywearing, and the practice of babywearing allows a parent or nurturer to provide for their own needs, the needs of their family, and more while caring for their baby at the same time.

Babywearing is great for daddies too!  Often dads are left wondering how they can help and bond with baby, especially when baby is breastfed.  Once baby is accustomed to being "worn" you'll find that since daddies who  may not have had an active role in feeding baby, if their breastfed, he can now create a close bond with the baby through babywearing.

Here are some other great benefits of babywearing:

• The closeness and secure feeling provided by babywearing and keeping your baby close is great for those fussy, hard to console babies who seem like they never want to be put down.
• Also perfect for babies or toddlers with special needs.
• Great for when your little one is sick and needs constant affection and attention. 
• Keeps them cozy and allows them to sleep while being worn.
• Perfect for breastfeeding.  You can often nurse while wearing your baby, depending on the wrap or carrier used.
• Ideal for when you have more than one baby, like twins, or when you have other children in the household that require your attention.
• Eliminates the need for those bulky baby carseats that you'd otherwise need to place in your shopping cart, stroller, etc.
• Many can be used through toddlerhood.
• Each provide a variety of styles and methods for use.  Different wrap styles, techniques, front carry, back carry, hip carry and more!

The list of benefits to babywearing is endless.  It creates and builds a bond with your child while allowing you the freedom and mobility you need to take care of any other day to day activities and family needs.

Earth Angels Diaper Company has a great selection of babywraps, carriers, slings and more!  Shop online or visit our store, Soft and Cozy Baby in Baltimore, MD.  Not sure which one is right for you?  At Soft and Cozy Baby can teach you the different techniques and help you choose the perfect baby carrier to suit your needs! 

You use what kind of diapers??!!

One of the things I love most about cloth diapering (and working at a cloth diaper store) is getting to share my knowledge and passion with others. I love when a fellow mom expresses interest in learning more and gives cloth diapering a try. I get a thrill when a fellow mom notices my son's adorable diaper in the Nordstrom ladies lounge. What better way to spread the word?

That being said, I often run into those that are super skeptical of the whole cloth diaper concept. I hear questions like "You wash that in your washing machine?", "You have to rinse them out?", "You know disposables are so much easier, right??". I wish I knew the perfect way to respond but I am usually at a loss. I generally revert to smiling and conceding that cloth diapering might not be the best choice for everyone... I wish I could express to them how cloth diapering changed the way I look at consumerism, the environment, my budget, my baby's health and so much more!

Have you encountered many nay-sayers?? How do you respond?

Cloth trainers make sense and save cents over disposables!

Seems like common sense to me, if you want to potty train your little one and get them used to wearing underwear wouldn't you want them to be wearing training pants that look and feel as much like real underwear as possible? 

Disposable trainers make no sense at all.  Just because of the faux underwear print do they think the child will understand that they're supposed to be "big kid" underwear?  No!  If your little one is used to disposable diapers then they're going to think disposable trainers are one and the same, after all they look about the same, feel about the same and they can see you getting them in the same plastic packaging from the store, just like baby diapers.

Luckily cloth diaper companies have come to your rescue and provide you with some cloth alternatives to disposable trainers.  Trainers that are made to look and feel like real underwear.

One of our favorite brands of cloth trainers is Little Beetle Learners!


Little Beetle Learners provide a wonderful way to welcome your little one into the world of potty learning! 

Pull on, snap off. What could be easier? 

Two layers of our favorite fair trade organic velour cotton, with a third layer tucked into the wet zone and hidden by some very sporty stitching! Our Learners are 100% natural fibers, that means no PUL or other waterproofing layer. (couple with a wool soaker short for heavy duty needs). Designed to catch an small accident or miss while headed to the potty, the fit is trim yet contemporary. Surprisingly enough, we find these to be almost as absorbent as our diapers and thus can serve double duty if you like (for use as a diaper, add a doubler and wool soaker short)  

 

Not only are cloth trainers much more comfortable for your little one, they save you a ton of money, they're better for the planet and they can be saved and used when your next child is of potty training age!

There will always be regrets...Do all, see all, be all, cherish all.

Guest post republished from the Cloth Diaper Geek Blog

I know, it's not good or healthy to have regrets in life, but surely it's natural to reflect upon things you wish you'd done differently or more often.

Maybe it's more common to regret things that you know you can't do-over or will not get the opportunity to do again?  For example, I'm done having kids and I didn't get into cloth diapering until I had my sons.  So I never used cloth diapers on my daughter.  Family photos and albums are filled to the brim with her wearing her ugly disposable diapers, ugh.

And babywearing, well I wish I'd done more and known more.  There are so many cool carriers and styles.  Sometimes you just stick with what you know, I wish I'd branched out more and done more research.  With my twins, I honestly had no clue you could babywear with two so I practically wore either of them unless someone was with me like my husband or mother who could wear one while I wore the other.

You can't go back in time and you sure can't beat yourself up over things.  "If you knew better you would have done better," isn't that how the saying goes?

All these silly little thoughts, I guess they are sort of regrets, are probably the reason I had baby fever, bad, a couple weeks ago.  My irrational mind, and perhaps the minds of others, think of a new baby as a new chance.  Now I can cloth diaper again, now I can babywear, have a homebirth, take more photos, cherish them while they're little more than I did before, because now I know how fast time can fly by and how you can't get it back.

My husband is "snipped" so my baby fever was in vain. If we were able to conceive I probably would have been crazy enough to try and convince him.  But the above regrets should not be the reasons to have another child, and I knew that.

Certainly there are some who have regrets over more serious issues than cloth diapering and babywearing, but who am I to judge what is and isn't a valid regret.  So I'm sharing this brief little story with you to remind you to do all, be all, see all, and cherish all.

They're only little once. 

Julie, The Cloth Diaper Geek