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Birth & Beginnings: childbirth conversations

Hello mothers and mothers-to-be! This blog focuses on pregnancy, childbirth, children, and parenting. Along with providing helpful information and resources, it is also a place to discuss choices and trends in these areas. The blog will inform and encourage mothers as we share and learn from each other. It is not a place to say that one opinion is better than another; instead it is a forum for camaraderie and for sharing personal experiences. So feel free to read, respond, and absorb information on a daily basis as together we traverse this world of motherhood.

Laura Tolman, CCE, LSP

Laura Tolman is a local certified childbirth educator and labor support professional. She also works as a postpartum doula. She and her husband are long time Alaskans and are the parents and forming relationships with families while learning about other cultures. In her free time Laura enjoys writing freelance articles, poetry, and the performing arts. Her favorite pastime is being with family and coaxing uproarious laughter out of her young son.

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Diapering Dilemma

Posted by mamas

Posted: April 2, 2008 - 11:27 pm

The use of the cloth diaper is among one of the most rapidly accelerating parenting trends that are making a comeback today. Now with greater improvements in availability, style, and ease of use, mothers of all ages are re-thinking the idea of alternative diapering. There is a definite pattern emerging in society that lends itself toward a more natural childrearing approach. However, it does not mean that all parents will see eye-to-eye on these matters. Parents are learning that they have options and that it is good to ask questions and seek out their own values as they make decisions on behalf of their little ones.

Some common reasons for choosing cloth diapers are to protect the planet by sparing our land fills and to keep chemicals off of the baby’s skin. It may be a combination of these ideas or even different reasons such as cultural settings or traditions. For me, the biggest concern was for my baby’s skin. Because of my own highly sensitive skin situation, I must admit that I contemplated this issue a lot before the birth of my first child.

As it turns out there are a lot of factors to consider regarding diapering a child and they only get more complicated when living in Alaska. I found that there is a very good selection of cloth diapers and such products on-line, but the cost of materials and shipping were steep. I searched for local options and found some basic cloth diapers and water-proof coverings. By attending craft fairs, I found some hand made diapers with detachable inner cloths that could be individually washed, but again were pretty pricey.

After asking some friends that live in the “lower 48” about their thoughts I realized that there are geographical differences to be sure. To cut down on the use of energy and bleach, my friend would always hang the diapers outside in the sun to dry. This made sense to me, but I couldn’t figure out how that would practically work with our limited hours of daylight in the winter. Also, she stated that she had received her whole collection of cloth diapers from someone else who was giving them away and that they seemed to be in abundance in her particular state.

In the end, we took diapering one step at a time. When we tried a brand of disposable diapers on my son and there was a rash, we switched to a brand that did not cause any redness. We also experimented with some cloth diapers at certain points but couldn’t find the right fit for our child and circumstances. Finally, I found the middle ground of diapers that were disposable, planet friendly, and preservative/chemical free.

The G Diaper system provides an outer cover and then you can throw away the soiled inner diaper or flush it down the toilet. We also used a brand of natural diapers that were disposable, but they were not as flexible and didn’t fit my son very well. Then we struck gold with a brand that was affordable, disposable, and good for my son’s sensitive skin and I was happy at having reached a personal solution to the diaper dilemma.

I now believe that if you are going to use cloth diapers, you should have good information and resources available to you. Tap into the knowledge of those who are already using cloth diapers and they will help you to learn the tips and tricks of trade. If you know that you are going to use disposable diapers, recognize that there are many different options and styles to choose from and shop wisely. Either way, you must find what suits your family’s needs and lifestyle.

What are your thoughts on these diapering dilemmas?

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5 April 9, 2008 - 11:26pm | mamas

Clarification

For whoever read this blog post when it was printed in the newspaper, I did not perform the editing on the article or write the title and caption. It seemed to change the meaning of the article in some ways, so I just wanted to clarify that this post was stating my support for cloth diapering and other alternative diapering styles.
Thanks,
-- Laura Tolman

4 April 6, 2008 - 9:17am | SomethingNew

Cloth Diapers

Hi, thanks so much for the article. I love to promote cloth diapering, and while the cost seems daunting at first, in the long run, you save so much money, and of course, the environment. I have used (and am currently using) the same 20-25 diapers on all 3 of my children, for the last 6 years, and many of them still have lots of life left in them!
I also wanted to put a plug in for my site for Alaskans, especially lower peninsula residents, I make cloth diapers out of recycled fabrics, and I love to work with moms to make things as affordable as I can. Check out my site at www.somethingnewcreations.com

April 7, 2008 - 9:04am | mamas

Thanks for Sharing the Site

Hi There,
Thanks for commenting and for sharing the site. I love that we are finally having a local market for cloth diapers. I went to the site and I think it looks really great and that you provide a complete line of products. I'm so glad that you live in Alaska. -- Laura Tolman

3 April 4, 2008 - 11:43pm | servicesmanager

Score!

I got 13 size small Funnibunz for $100 the other day off of Craigslist. I'd read about the company and the diaper and thought I'd like to try it (this will be my first). The diapers are in great shape for being used and I can't BELIEVE how soft they are. And the person from whom I purchased it told me she would buy blue rags from Costco and use those as inserts - seems like an awfully economical way to go.

But my question, as a first-time mommy, is whether I should register for more Funnibunz or wait till LB is here and then try out different ones until i find one she likes? I don't like the idea of doing this, just b/c it seems inconvenient, but OTOH I don't want to make a huge investment (myself or by friends/family) only to find out she doesn't like it.....thoughts?

April 5, 2008 - 1:49pm | mamas

:-)

God bless Craigslist and its deals! It does sound like a wonderful way to go. Maybe you could register at a place that sells fuzzybunz as well as other products so that you're not locked into just that diaper. My advice would be to wait till baby arrives to fully invest, but then again if you find more craigslist deals, who could resist? -- Laura Tolman

2 April 3, 2008 - 12:08pm | Beth_451

More Diaper Delemas

I have often read and heard that parents need to try several different kinds of diapers with individual babies, disposable & cloth. The problem is that with disposables the "rejects" are used up, but the cloth ones are not. I've read a lot of good things about "Bum Genius" brand (they can be used for all baby sizes and have a removable insert that is super absorbent, although the whole diaper gets washed), but If I bought them and hated them, what would I do? I would love to have a single diaper exchange where I could try different diapers on my baby and choose the one I liked best.

I have read about G Diapers and really think they sound neat. I read that the flushable insert is 100% cotton and biodegradable as well. Also, once the initial cost is set up, the inserts are not more expensive than regular diapers. The little pants could be registered for as a shower gift. But I think I'm leaning toward one of the cloth diaper options. I wish I was brave enough to do the pre-folds, and maybe I will be eventually, but I think I will try some of the fancier diapers.

Also, as long as you are washing your diapers, you can buy or make your own cotton flannel wipes, soak them in a home made solution, and just wash those with the diapers.

I am also looking for information on good diaper ointment and such that is good for the baby, and won't cause permanent discoloration to the diapers.

April 4, 2008 - 7:20pm | mamas

I agree

Yeah, it would be great to be able to try out different cloth diapers without having to invest in them until you know that they work well. Thanks Larrissa for the information/resources.

I did like the G diaper for our son, but our toilets weren't strong enough to flush the diaper down them even after breaking it up with the swish stick. We still used them for quite a while. I have heard good thinkgs about Bum Genius and Fuzzy Bunz as well, I also have tried Bumkins as well and thought it was good, although the insert dos not detach separately.

As far as a good baby ointment....I know of several natural products such as the ones sold at www.naturescrib.com and www.burtsbees.com but I don't know if they would stain a cloth diaper. Maybe call the companies? Anyhow, best of luck and I'll post if I hear any other tips or information on this.

April 4, 2008 - 10:14am | wright_elson_larissa

good points

Great points Beth. I am going to point you to http://www.birchtreebaby.com because Claire hosts a "gently used - for sale" board for local diapers. Recently I have seen/heard of a lot selling off of Craigslist too. http://www.diaperswappers.com is the best place to go for a huge range, but you may have to pay shipping. Read the reviews on Diaper Pin and then look for used versions of what you think you might like, that's how I got my first BumGenius diapers before Claire started carrying them.

April 4, 2008 - 2:23pm | Beth_451

Thanks

Neat, so you use BumGenius diapers! Do you recommend them?

PS I'm definitely checking out BirchTreeBaby.com!

1 April 3, 2008 - 8:37am | wright_elson_larissa

local cloth diaper store

Don't forget about birchtreebaby.com - Claire is incredibly knowledgeable and has a great selection of cloth diapers. We are beginning to have wonderful resources for cloth diapers, slings, and natural baby products in Alaska. It saves customers money on shipping, sure, but the level of customer service is unparalled.

There was also a post on Craigslist recently from a company considering offering diaper service in Anchorage again.

We used cloth and drying outside in the winter is definitely possible. Even using a washer & dryer you save money in the long run after your initial investment. Diaperswappers.com and diaperpin.com are great places to do research and ask questions online.

Locally, ask questions about cloth diapers and the LLL meetings and the Far North Babywearing meeting (farnorthbabywearing.org) where many of the parents have lots of knowledge and experience with cloth diapers, g diapers, and chlorine free diapers.

Thanks for a great post about "alternative" diapering!
-Larissa from mckinleykidz.com

April 7, 2008 - 9:15am | mamas

Impressive

Wow, I visited birchtreebaby.com and am very impressed, they even have clearence and gently used items. I thought that the regular priced items were very well priced also. There was a great link to miraclediapers.org and what a great program to get cloth diapers to low income familes. I really appreciate you providing the link for this and thank you Claire for the website.
-- Laura Tolman

April 3, 2008 - 9:31am | mamas

A Big Thank You

Thank you, thank you, thank you! It's so great to have local resources! -- Laura Tolman

April 3, 2008 - 10:42am | mamas

sunshine

Sorry, I should have clarified. My friend was saying that by drying the diapers outside, it would bleach them white naturally when the sun was out. I thought with our limited sunshine, the bleaching process may not work. I am curious so let me know if anyone has found that this works in Alaska. Thanks, Laura

April 4, 2008 - 10:17am | wright_elson_larissa

tried it

It still works, you just have to be home when the sun is out! If they are fresh out of the wash then they may freeze but they will still dry. Certainly it is far easier in the summertime (watch for rain clouds though!) and would be WAY easier if we lived in the desert.

So, it works, but we may not be able to do it AS often as people in other states. :)

April 3, 2008 - 10:34am | wright_elson_larissa

diaper service

Here's the link to the new diaper service
http://www.happybumsdiaperservice.com/Survey

I hope they are successful.
Thanks Laura!

-Larissa

April 14, 2008 - 8:10pm | servicesmanager

...anybody know

when this new diaper service might get operational? just trying to decide whether to purchase more diapers for my july baby. It would be FABulous to have a diaper service operational by then!

April 16, 2008 - 9:21pm | mamas

Info

Hi, I e-mailed the company and they responded that their current estimation for opening is late spring or early summer. Sounds like it is going to be a wonderful diaper service. For more info. you can contact them at info@happybumsdiaperservice.com
-- Laura Tolman

April 17, 2008 - 2:10pm | servicesmanager

thanks!

I'll email them. Thanks so much for following up.

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