The Cloth Diaper Blog of BumRite Diapers

BumRite Diapers Customer of the Month - March AND April

2012-04-18T11:57:00.008-07:00

This response was so thorough, it merited two months: March AND April.

Christina L. is a local Napan and has been a loyal customer since she was pregnant with daughter #1. Now she is pregnant with daughter #2!

She has referred many customers our way and "converted" disposable users to cloth (once by recommending a Rumparooz One Size cover over a disposable diaper, snapped in the back to prohibit a toddler from ripping off her diaper and flinging poo everywhere. That person is now converting to cloth with the next baby - Christina told her exactly what to buy!).

Ages of Child cloth diapered: 20 months
Length of time cloth diapering: 19 months

Why did you decide to cloth diaper? Was your decision supported by those around you? If not, what do they think now?

Finances. It doesn’t take a NASA employee to see the impression CDing makes on your wallet compared to disposables. It was seriously a no brainer for me. Not to mention, I anticipated my daughter having sensitive skin seeing as I have always had sensitive skin and my husband as well.

I had mixed reviews. Some people were impressed…”Wow. I had no idea that cloth diapers looked like that?! Good for you!” Others were pessimistic, as though they somehow knew that my life was going to be consumed by laundry and poo would somehow be splattered on walls or something? What the heck? Some of those people STILL ask, “So…how’s that cloth diapers going? ::insert sarcastic laugh, expectant of my description of failing to continue in my plan:: PFF! “Great!” I tell them, “Still completely and utterly obsessed…you should see the new owl print diaper that I just got.” People are still oblivious to the beauty of cloth, not to mention, scared of a LITTLE extra effort in life.

What cloth diaper systems did you begin with? Are you still using those types?

I was gung-ho for Fuzzibunz OS and Grovia Ai2s….I use neither, now. As I mentioned the suspected “sensitive skin”…oh yes…DD has it and she can’t wear a Fuzzibunz or a Grovia without breaking out like CRAZY. It didn’t happen at first for her, but after about 5 months…I couldn’t get away from it. I have almost completely changed my cloth diapering preferences and now use fitteds, prefolds and I have a few pocket diapers for Daddy and Grandma, and when I just don’t feel like snapping on a fitted and a cover. It’s not called “lazy” it’s called “having options” – ANOTHER reason why I love cloth!

Do you stick with one type/brand of diaper, or try multiple? Why?

I’ve tried a lot, looking for the perfect fit. I must admit, I like my CD drawer to be organized, and the random few diapers that don’t fit with the majority of the brands I use always seem out of place to me, like they need their own drawer or something. ::LOL:: You won’t know if you like something until you try it.

What do you wish you would have known when you first started out?

I wish I would have had full knowledge of the pros of fitted diapers and it would have been real nice to foresee my DD’s reactions to certain fabrics, then I could have avoided them and saved money! OH OH OH…and GET A BIG DIAPER BAG! NONE of the cute little bags I thought I liked, got as hand-me-downs or registered for fit my life in them as a CD mom that uses her diaper bag as a purse and carry-all for baby. I’m pretty excited to have researched some awesome new bags for baby #2

What accessories can you not live without?

GroVia BioLiners ("poo paper")

bumGenius Diaper Sprayer

2 words….Diaper. Sprayer. Oh man. I am certainly not one who has a light stomach or is afraid to crack a poo joke…heck…I do the diaper check sometimes with a finger…YES, YES I KNOW…not smart. HOWEVER, I just do not want to be diaper dunking in the toilet any more than I have to (and sometimes you just have to) but the diaper sprayer is brilliant and, I suppose, if anyone upsets you, you can aim at them from the bathroom at about poke an eye out with the water pressure that thing possesses. Multipurpose item!!

Also, at about a year old I learned of the convenience of the “poo papers” (aka GroVia BioLiners) that I bought in the beginning of cloth diapering (while DD was breastfed and had no use for poo paper besides maybe their ability to be an extra barrier when using non CD safe creams) and boy are they convenient! They are quick, protective against your diapers (ok maybe I’m weird, but I prefer my diapers aren’t stained…if I can help it) great for baby sitters and church nursery care takers; don’t fret, just dump and flush. AHHH! Love them. Which reminds me, I just ran out and need a new roll! ;)

How many diapers do you currently own? Are you happy with this amount?

I have 26, with about 2 dozen prefolds (in DD’s current size) and ton of small prefolds, and 6 or so smaller fitteds that she’s outgrown. I definitely don’t need all the prefolds that I have, but with baby number two on the way, I will be set with those. I do want more fitteds and pockets to accommodate two babes in cloth at the same time (YIPPEE FOR REGISTRIES!) I must say though, I really want to try a Tot Bots Easyfit that Angela now carries…OOH LA LA!!!!!

Do you have any cloth diapering tips, secrets, or advice you can offer to parents just starting out?

Rumparooz One Size Cover in Ladder

Tea tree oil…use a couple drops in your wipe warmer and MOST IMPORTANTLY 3-4 drops in every wash cycle…say good byeeee to stinkies and bacteria!

Swap boards…yes…you can sell your cloth diapers USED and heck, when the hubster throws down a “no more budget to buy diapers” strike, you can even TRADE diapers. I was skeptical at first, but once I realized just how CLEAN my diapers are considering my wash routine, I was no longer worried about trading. I have tried many neat diapers through the swap boards and sold off the not so good trades and not to mention, that huge stash I started out with that no longer worked for us. Don’t be scared.

Also, I LOVE CJ’s butter, Bumrite carries it, due in part to my raving about it to Angela. ::pats self on back:: Seriously, the smells are insane! And they are incredibly creamy and go great on the bum. They even have an amazing “yeast formula” that cleared my DD’s yeast infection LIKE NOBODY's BUSINESS. It is a fantastic all natural product. HIGHLY recommended.

And covers…I found after 7 different brands of CD covers, Rumparooz OS are my favorite! No other cover (that I know of) has the quality and coverage as a Rumparooz. The biggest seller for me…the belly elastic. It cinches up below the belly button keeping those pesky prefolds or larger diapers from poking out (VERY IMPORTANT WHEN YOU HAVE A BELLY SLEEPER!!! No more wet jammies and beds for me!)

Which of our in-stock diapers can we send you for being customer of the month? Why did you chose that particular one?

Tot Bots EasyFit in Cherrylicious!! I chose this diaper because of a couple of things:

I like the fact that I can still custom stuff the diaper with the snake like insert that is CONNECTED, which makes diaper laundering that much quicker
The cute prints.
Stretchy PUL and no FLEECE! Seems dreamy <3…do they make them in my size? I mean seriously, after two babies, I feel like I could benefit from a diaper now and then. LOL

TotsBots EasyFit in Cherrylicious

Thank you for participating as Customer of the Month! Your experience and feedback is invaluable to other parents. Your answers may be featured on our Facebook page, part of our blog, and/or by email. We reserve the right to edit answers for length, but please be as descriptive as possible!

On her last visit to BumRite Diapers, Christina picked up a couple of rolls of "poo paper" aka GroVia BioLiners and chose the TotsBots EasyFit in Cherrylicious for her thorough response to our Customer of the Month Survey. Thank you, Christina!

BumRite Diapers Customer of the Month - February

2012-02-23T21:58:00.003-08:00

Miranda M. is our Featured Customer of the Month and will receive a Tots Bots Easy Fit AIO


TotsBots EasyFit AIO

Why did you decide to cloth diaper? Was your decision to cloth diaper supported by friends and family? If not, Why?

Environmental impact! Family has been very supportive, and I actually convinced a friend who is pregnant with her first to cloth diaper as well!

What cloth diaper systems did you begin with? Are you still using those types?

GroVia Newborn AIOs (all in ones), and will move into the GroVia ai2s (all in two - as in two pieces)
Love them!!! Very happy.

Do you stick with one type/brand of diaper, or try multiple? Why?

Sticking with GroVia. Did lots of research, love their products, and won't try others unless GroVia seems to not work.

What do you wish you would have known when you first started out?

I did so much research, I felt well prepared! I found all of the help info on BumRite's website incredibly helpful!!

What accessories can you not live without?

GroVia BioLiners aka "poo-paper"

GroVia Bioliners and the diaper sprayer! Love the GroVia cloth wipes and the hands-free Magic Stick. Oh, and love my wipes warmer.

How many diapers do you currently own? Are you happy with this amount?

24 newborn aios. 24 ai2 shells and 48 soakers. Haven't moved into the ai2s yet, but 24 newborn aios have been plenty doing wash every 2 days...

Do you have any cloth diapering tips, secrets, or advice you can offer to parents just starting out?

Read, read read. Between the info on the BumRite Diapers site and the blog allaboutclothdiapers.com, I felt well prepared! Join facebook pages, helpful to read others questions and comments.

Which of our in-stock diapers can we send you for being customer of the month? Why did you choose that particular one?

Something other than a GroVia, just to have something different, would be great!

Please add any additional comments here.

Love, love love BumRite!!!

Max rocking his GroVia Newborn AIOs from BumRite

We love you too, Miranda! THANK YOU!

BumRite Diapers Customer of the Month - January

2012-02-12T20:00:00.000-08:00

Holly B. is our Featured Customer of the Month and will receive a GroVia Hybrid Shell in ModFlower Hook and Loop


GroVia Hybrid Shell

1. Please enter the following: Name (First Name + Last Initial) Ages(s) of child(ren) cloth diapered Length of time cloth diapering

Riley S. Cloth diapered from 3 months to 2 years old. Jocelyn S. Started to cloth diaper at 3 months and still currently cloth diapering.

2. Why did you decide to cloth diaper? Was your decision to cloth diaper supported by friends and family? If not, Why?

I always knew I would cloth diaper since I had learned of it. The biggest reason was the Earth! I was always concerned about how much waste a person contributes in a year. Also, how hard could it be? Well, I knew it was more involved but really, was it something I could do? Absolutely! This beautiful planet we live on needs to be here long enough for all here to thrive. My children need to know how fragile our environment is and what they can do to protect it! We all know about recycling and what not, why is using "sposie" diapers so forced in our nation? Even our parents were against our decision. And honestly, we are helping to save this environment but at the same time, we are saving a whole lot of money! How could we not!?!

3. What cloth diaper systems did you begin with? Are you still using those types?

bumGenius AIO Newborn

I have used quite a few cloth diapers. We started out the BumGenius 3.0. Also used the Kawaii. I noticed they were not coming out as clean as I would have expected. I was very unhappy with the results but stuck with them.

With my 2nd child, I found Gro-Via. I absolutely love these diapers. They come out very clean in my wash cycle and I'm in love with how you can reuse the shell and just change the soaker pad. The only other thing I use for my diapers is the Tiny Bubbles detergent. This detergent is spectacular! I don't have the fancy gadgets like the diaper sprayer and I don't think I miss it either. I'm sure it works wonderfully but with the GroVia and the Tiny Bubbles, I have no need!

4. Do you stick with one type/brand of diaper, or try multiple? Why?

When I started with the BumGenius I wasn't happy and tried the Kawaii. I stuck with them even though I wasn't happy. I wish I had learned of the Gro-Via from the start! With my 2nd I tried the BGs's and Kawaii's again but still, wasn't happy. I will stick to only Gro-Via!

5. What do you wish you would have known when you first started out?

Tiny Bubbles HE Laundry Detergent

I wish I had known of the Tiny Bubbles detergent. I tried many many detergents and spent a lot of money thinking that maybe cloth diapering wasn't for me. And unfortunately after about a year and a half with my first child, I stopped. With my 2nd, I found the Gro-Via and Tiny Bubbles and it was meant to be!

6. What accessories can you not live without?

I guess I'm a simple cloth diaper person. I have no accessories. But the Gro-Via diapers in conjunction with the Tiny Bubbles detergent...Who needs accessories!!!

7. How many diapers do you currently own? Are you happy with this amount?

At this time I have 8 Gro-Via shells and 12 soaker pads. I'm content with this amount for 2 reasons. First, it gets me through the day. Second, unfortunately I don't have the funds for more shells and soakers. In a perfect world, I would love to have 12 to 15 shells and at least 20 or so soakers. This way I could do cloth diaper laundry every other day. But I'm ok with doing the laundry once a day. I have to keep on top of it though!!!

8. Do you have any cloth diapering tips, secrets, or advice you can offer to parents just starting out?

The sun is a magical detergent!!! Even in the winter I put my stained soaker pads on the window sill and the sun does its job! Sparkling white diapers!!! Also, Tiny Bubbles detergent is wonderful!!! I use it for the baby clothes too!

9. Which of our in-stock diapers can we send you for being customer of the month? Why did you choose that particular one?

If I were lucky enough to be included...I would absolutely love a Gro-Via Mod Flower hook/loop!

Josie in her GroVia Hybrid

Thank you, Holly! Your wisdom will help other parents.

Why Use Cloth Diapers?

2012-01-17T21:04:00.000-08:00

A helpful video, filmed with an iphone in our old backyard in Napa, CA

Q&A: Fix for Leaking Cotton Cloth Diapers

2011-07-14T21:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick email correspondence with a customer who was having problems with her GroVia hybrid cloth diaper system.

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From Customer:

Hello BumRite - I'm not sure who to address this email to, but I'm having some problems with the Grovia diapers I bought from you a few months ago. I seem to have a lot of leakages with them and wondered if you had any suggestions about how to avoid this? My son is 7 months old and I have had problems for a few months with his clothes getting wet when he has a wet diaper. I change him more frequently but this doesn't seem to make much of a difference. I don't have this problem with the other diapers that I have (rumparooz) and I wonder if it's because of the cotton inserts.

Reply to Customer:

Hi! I am sorry that you are having problems with the diapers. I assume that you "prepped" them by washing AND drying at least 5 times before use. I swear - it took my GroVia soakers 15 times before the really worked well.

The dryer also helps to eliminate the naturally occurring oils in the cotton so that they don't repel.

Do you have access to DAWN dishwashing liquid (the Blue formula)? It sounds like you have either 1) mineral buildup 2) detergent buildup 3) a combination of the two and you need to "strip" the material with the Blue Dawn.

Here is a "How To" article on washing (read the section about "stripping"):

http://www.bumritediapers.com/Articles.asp?ID=138

Also - print this list and take it to the store for proper laundry detergent (you don't want anything that will coat the diapers, like softeners, fragrances, brighteners, etc):

http://www.bummis.com/media/detergent-information.pdf

Hope this helps. We use GroVia during the day and love it - but Cotton can be persnickety. Once you get it right, though, it is THE BEST diapering fabric available.

Stick with it!

Angela

Angela Powell
Chief Bum
BumRite Cloth Diaper Company
angela@bumritediapers.com
(707) 812-1BUM

Why Motherhood is so Challenging

2011-05-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

This blog is dedicated to the NEW MOMS out there. It is my desire to give you permission to cry and complain a little about how difficult and exhausting motherhood is - but also to know that these excrutiating first few days/months are created for a reason: To bond with your baby. To strengthen your own self-knowledge and worth. To fortify your character.

I've been meaning to write this post for quite some time. I'm not sure why I've taken it upon myself to write these things - it most likely does not portray myself in the right social light - however, I think it is important to tell MY truth. In my over-sharing and painful honesty, I can only hope to allow other mom's to stop being so hard on themselves, especially at the beginning of their Mom-Journey.

Motherhood is a rite of passage. An adventure. A chance at soul-enrichment.

The moment you bring your first baby into the World, you are immediately inducted into a Sorority of Mothers: regardless of race, background, religious affiliation, social-economic wealth, etc. You are a Mom, Mama, Mum, Madre.

Sometimes your preconceived notions of what being a Mom entails are warped by the media, TV sitcoms, and even your own Mother's recollection of her storied, perfect, Norman Rockwell-like child-rearing days.

Have you stopped to congratulate yourself? You housed and grew a baby from two tiny cells for the last 10 months. And then you survived (maybe even relished) birthing the baby. You may be a little tired from this endeavor. But it doesn't stop here! No way. Now all of those fabulous life-supporting hormones begin to depart and other lovely ones ramp up so that you can continue to grow and nurture your baby - just outside of your body. Now you have to conscientiously make an effort at growing and caring for this baby. Now you are in control. Ha! Not Really.

Did you know that it is scientifically proven that sleep deprivation is equal to legal-drunkeness? There is a law against Drinking and Driving. What about Sleep-Deprivation and Motherhood? It definitely impairs your judgment.

A low point in Week 2 of Baby #1

Scene:

Un-showered for 4 days, Mom is holding screaming baby. Mom is leaning against wall for support. Holding phone. Speed-Dialing Husband.

Conversation:

Dad - is everything OK? Mom - sob. Baby - wailing.
Dad - do you need me to come home? Mom - sob. Baby - wailing.

Phone disconnects.

End of Scene.

In my 20/20 hindsight, I implore you to try as hard as you can to commit those 8am, 11am, 2pm, 5pm, 8pm, 11pm, 2am, 5am feeding/burping/toe-curling/snuggling sessions into your Memory. It is during these times of physical and mental exhaustion - where we are somehow able to trudge onward because a life depends on it - that we encounter our Inner Strength. I've always been a Strong Woman. Because of this experience of Motherhood, I am Sheena - Queen of the Jungle.

It is in this first experience that you and your baby bond. When you pull through a tough time together, you cement your relationship. Together you learn to trust and love. And grow.

Stop being so hard on yourself. Ask for help. Take care of yourself.

When somebody tells me that their baby is sick, I ask how the Mom is coping? I rarely worry about the baby because Mom will escape quicksand to tend to her young. Even at her own peril.

You need to ACCEPT this current role and know that every step of child-rearing comes in stages: as soon as you think that you can't go on another day, it changes. As soon as you think that you are the best parent in the World and that your child is an Angel, it changes. These episodes usually occur in 3 month cycles.

When you are enjoying a good stage, pat yourself on the back and enjoy it. Quickly commit these moments to memory and flash back to them in times of trouble and doubt.

When you are in a bad stage, remind yourself that THIS TOO SHALL PASS.

Know that you will NEVER be challenged with more than you can handle. But you will be tested and stretched to the point of breaking.

After all, this is what Motherhood is about.

Embrace it. Endure it. Grow.

Yours in Motherhood,

Angela Powell
Chief Bum
www.bumritediapers.com

BumRite Birth to Potty Training Cloth Diaper Package

2011-05-14T09:50:00.000-07:00

So many people email or phone us with questions about cloth diapers: they want to do it, but are overwhelmed by the options.

I point them to the BumRite Birth to Potty Training Package that we assembled to make it easy to visually see and read WHY we chose the items that we did.

We advise people to take a look at the package and read the descriptions below. Now they have a foundation on which to build their own stash, or simply choose colors and click, 'Add to Cart'.

Below is the BumRite Birth to Potty Training Package description.
-------------------------

BumRite Birth to Potty Training Package includes:

GroVia LIVE IT Package-

12 GroVia shells
24 GroVia soakers
2 2-packs of GroVia Cotton Boosters

24 GroVia Cotton Wipes
OPTIONAL bumGenius Diaper Sprayer
1 Magic Stick, BioSoakers, BioLiners
3 FuzziBunz One Size Pocket Diapers

3 infant microfiber inserts
3 toddler microfiber inserts

2-2pack JoeyBunz hemp doublers
2 Planet Wise Diaper Pail Liners
1 Natural Baby Company Tote

We put these products together for the parents that want a simple, complete, top-quality package that will take them from birth to potty training and that includes all of the necessary accessories that will make your cloth diapering experience a breeze.

Why did we put these items together? We like organic cotton next to our baby's most sensitive parts. During the Day. We like the stay-dry comfort and adjustable absorbency ability of a pocket diaper for nights.

Here is what is included in this package - and why we chose it:

GroVia LIVE package
12 versatile one size diaper covers (can use with most fitted and prefold diapers, as well)
24 snap in soakers

If you plan to cloth diaper from 8+ pounds on, you need enough shells to keep in rotation 1) for mitigating laundry chores 2) longevity.

These will be your most washed, most used natural fiber organic cotton GARMENT (remember this) in the next 3 years. Each soaker has been commercially wash-tested to last 200+ washes. 24 soakers will get you 4,800 diaper changes. You may need to add a few packs of extra GroVia soakers later on - but it is always nice to get new fluff. Keep it in mind, but don't worry about it now.

Newborn poo is runny. GroVia will hold it in, but it may get on the shell. That is why we put so many shells in this package: longevity and runny-poopy-ness. Expect to go through at least 6-8 shells in one day in the beginning.

We also chose the GroVia diaper b.c it also allows you to choose between using the organic cotton soakers OR an earth-friendly/baby-friendly disposable. Super convenient when needed.

GroVia Boosters 2 2-packs (4 total)

GroVia Boosters are made of 3 layers of thirsty Certified Organic Cotton! Perfect for naps, nights, or long car rides. These will boost the absorbency of your diaper without adding bulk! Great for added absorbency in a pocket diaper, too!

3 FuzziBunz One Size Pocket Diapers

Our nighttime solution when doubled with a JoeyBunz Hemp Doubler (also included!). FuzziBunz are the most adjustable one size pocket diaper available. Button-Hole elastic micro-adjust for the perfect fit around the legs and waist.
A
pocket diaper keeps his skin dry by using fleece to wick away the moisture into the
absorbent material inside of the pocket. We get 12+ hours at nights
with this solution!

We put 3 of these in this package. Expect to use 2/night in the beginning.

Joey Bunz Hemp Inserts for Nights & Naps! (2-2pk mediums included in this package)

24 GroVia Cloth Wipes

Throw your wipes and dirty diapers into your trash can lined with a pail liner.

We chose the GroVia Cotton Wipes because they are simple, soft and absorbent. Use 1 to clean. 1 to dry.

We toss our clean wipes into a basket next to our changing table. No folding. We simply dip a wipe into a solution of boiled water, tea tree oil, and a mild soap that we keep in a wipe warmer. We cheat and use Knickernappies Baby Bum Drops to make our solution.

Confession: since we introduced solid food, we use disposable wipes for the Number 2 changes. Then we follow up with a cloth wipe for a thorough, gentle cleaning.

Diaper Sprayer (optional)
Highly recommended. At the beginning, you don't need to spray off the "solid" poos. But when you introduce solid food, poop transforms. It must be discarded into the toilet. The diaper sprayer is a wonderful appliance for helping those peanut-buttery, sticky excrement into their rightful place: the toilet. We'll be using this accessory even after diapering. It makes a great personal shower (aka bidet), easily rinses out the potty training bowl, etc. Thankful for our sprayer.

click for more info

2 Diaper Pail Liners

These aren't fancy - but they do the job and have held up well over the last 2 years of constant use! Line your diaper pail
with this washable, elastic-topped waterproof bag. When full, simply grab
the bag and haul to your washer. No drips on the floor! No need to touch those dirty diapers! Dump in diapers into the machine by pushing the bottom. Toss in bag. Wash together.

You need 2 because you will continue to change diapers while the first is in the wash. You also want these to last...

PlanetWise Diaper Pail Liner

Innovative Seam Sealing

Reusable to help further reduce waste
Made with sturdy no pill elastic
Resists most odors & stains keeping smells in
Anti-microbial
Made in the USA
Innovative leak-proof construction to prevent wicking and leaks. First & ONLY in the industry!
Generous sizing to fit most diaper pails or waste cans. (approx. 28" tall & circumference of 54". Can be used alone as well.
PVC Free

2 Smalls and 2 Mediums BabyKicks® Joey-Bunz Hemp Inserts

Dimensions are as follows:

Small 13½” long, 6” at the widest part of hourglass shape and 4 ½” at the center
Medium 15 ¼ ” long, 6” at the widest part of hourglass shape and 4 ½” at the center

We
love JoeyBunz! These have the absorbency of 4 layers of hemp, but
since they are only sewn on 1 end - they dry a lot faster! Love that we
can customize the absorbency of our heavy wetter at night when we
double one (or two) of these with 1 cotton microfiber insert in our
pocket diapers. These also work fabulously with a prefold diaper
tri-folded around it. Very Versatile. Very Slim.

Pouch riders for your Pocket Diapers! Now
you can enjoy the trim, absorbent and easy to use Joey-Bunz with 4
layers of our most luxuriously soft 55% hemp / 45% cotton fleece! These
are only 1/8 of an inch thick, and re-engineered to allow for even
faster drying.

Even
better yet, you can fold our Premium Joey-Bunz in order to have
protection where you need it most.

1 Magic Stick Diaper Ointment

With so many options and so much confusion about WHICH, exactly, diaper wetness barrier is safe for cloth diapers, we included one in this package to alleviate some anxiety. This is a big purchase and you don't want to ruin the diapers' absorbency by choosing a non-cloth-friendly ointment. We also love the scent and convenience of the GroVia Magic Stick: no fingers in the bum!

How to care for and wash your cloth diapers

2011-03-07T14:28:00.000-08:00

Washing Instructions

These are not the diapers of the 70's! No diaper service required.

By washing at home, you get to decide what products and/or (not) chemicals with which you wash your diapers.

My diaper load is the easiest of all my laundry. It is already sorted and transportable from the baby's room directly to the washing machine with a pail liner.

HE Washing Machines do the best at cleaning cloth diapers. Lots of rubbing and agitation gets them clean! The fast spin at the end helps with drying time, too. We use a "Bulky" setting for the wash cycle - it adds more water and a thorough soak at the beginning.

Everybody seems to have an opinion on which and how much detergent to use/not use. What are the rules?

No brighteners, enzymes, fragrances, dyes. Salt-based detergent (NO PLANT, like soy, coconut, etc).

i.e. Don't use anything that will coat the fabric and compromise absorbency!

No waxes or petroleum for the diaper balm. We use Magic Stick to create a nice, organic, moisture barrier on the skin.

If a yeast infection is suspected - see your doctor. If you need to use Nystatin cream, switch to a disposable or GroVia BioSoaker.

We use (and sell) Tiny Bubbles on all of our laundry. It is great for sensitive skin.

At the Changing Table:

Change baby. Pee-only diapers can go directly into the pail.

Regarding the Poopy Diapers:
Exclusively breastfed babies make a lovely water-soluble poop that simply washes away in the washer. Once you introduce solids, though, things change. You'll need to shake off the solids into the toilet before you put it into the dry pail. For the sticky ones, a toilet sprayer is helpful. Now that I've introduced solids to my baby, I SWEAR BY THE TOILET SPRAYER! (The toilet sprayers are also nice and gentle for post-partum cleansing, toilet bowl cleaning, and later - potty training bowl rinsing.)

If you choose a fleece-lined diaper, like FuzziBunz or Bum Genius, most solids simply fall into the toilet. If you go with cotton, like a prefold or GroVia , you can lay a biodegradable liner between the baby and the diaper. When baby poops, simply grab the ends of the liner, and plop into toilet to flush. Word of caution: know what kind of plumbing you have in your house before you flush anything besides the norm! For instance, we have a poop-mulcher/pump because our plumbing terminates in our basement, below the grade of the sewer pipe. Having already had to replace the $1700 pump once because a tampon was thrown down the toilet, I don't think that the bioliners will have enough time to biodegrade before they are chewed up and wedged in the pump (and I am not going to test my theory). Same goes for Septic systems. Caveat Emptor.

DO YOU NEED TO PREP?

Definition: A washing and drying process that readies a naturally oily fiber, like cotton and hemp, to become fully absorbent.

Prepping can be a pain, especially when you are excited to start using your diapers right away. But you only have to do it once and it makes all the difference in the world. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! Cotton and Hemp are my favorite diapering materials - but they can be tricky in the beginning. The great thing about natural fibers is that you can beat them up in the washing process and they only get more absorbent and soft.

If you are using plain prefolds or hemp, I will offer you a short-cut. DO NOT do this with the GroVia Soakers or any AIO diapers as it will void the warranty, cause the waterproof material to shrink and render the elastic saggy and worthless.

PREPPING Short-Cut:

Dawn Original Dishwashing Soap

Fill 10 quart cooking pot with water.
Bring to boil. Take off heat.
Add 2 Tablespoon Dawn Original Dishwashing detergent and stir.
Add cotton diapers, hemp, etc.
Cover with lid and leave overnight.
Throw into washer and wash with detergent and dry once.
Use on baby.

TRADITIONAL PREPPING:

Wash on Hot with normal amount of detergent. Rinse.
Dry on Med-Hi.
Repeat 5 times.

You may do this with other laundry, like towels, t-shirts, or sheets. Just don't prep with your other diapers or the oil from the new ones will coat the old ones and cause them all to repel.

Once prepped, all of your diapers can be laundered together from here on out.

Ready to Wash?

1) Grab your full diaper pail liner bag. Insert new one.
2) Drag bag to washing machine. Dump diapers in, toss in bag.
3) Set the wash for a Cold prewash/rinse cycle. No detergent.
4) When complete, set to 'Super Cycle' on Warm with the normal amount of detergent and double rinse. DO NOT use super duper HOT water on items that contain PUL or TPU (the waterproofing layer). Hot water will break down the fibers and cause tears, shrinkage, breaking. And will usually void the manufacturer's warranty.
5) Transfer to dryer on medium heat (be sure to read manufacturer's suggestions as well) or sun/line dry for extra energy savings and natural bleaching.

My favorite detergents? (in alphabetical order):

*Country Save
*Planet
*Tiny Bubbles from The Natural Baby Company
*Tide Free & Clear (for cotton/natural fibers only - contains enzymes)

What does “stripping” the diapers mean and should I be doing it?

Too much detergent, not enough detergent, well-water, hard water, blah blah blah. If your diapers aren't working the way you think they ought to - or used to - it is time to strip them.

Persistent stink? Repelling fleece/cotton? Leaky diapers? You have residue build up and must get rid of it. Here is how:

Put your diapers in the washer, add 1-2 Tablespoons Dawn Dishwashing Detergent. DO NOT add too much as this product is not made for the washing machine and causes A LOT of bubbles. For my HE machine, I simply squirt in what might be 2 seconds worth of a light squeeze.
Run a warm water wash with an extra cold water rinse.
Wash again (short cycle) WITHOUT any detergent to thoroughly rinse your diapers.

Your diapers should be ready to go again - revived!

For tough stains, try the following:

* Wash every 1-2 days.
* Spray with Bac-Out Stain & Odor Eliminator by Bi-O-Kleen before you put soiled diaper into pail.
* Get a toilet sprayer to blow off all the poop directly into toilet (where it belongs!).
* Lay diaper out in the sun for a day (a natural and free disinfectant).
* Use a bit of OxyClean in the second wash cycle. Use conservatively.

Concerned about Bacteria?

Twice a month, whether we are cloth diapering or not, a good practice is to run a load of sheets, towels, shower curtains, etc with bleach or Hydrogen Peroxide (color-safe). This sanitizes the basin.

Stinky Diaper Pail?:

Simply toss a cloth wipe (or torn piece of t-shirt) with a few drops of tea tree oil on it into your diaper pail and don't close the lid all the way. Wash with your diapers. Air circulation is your friend in the diaper pail.

This and other knowledge articles can be found in our Cloth Diapering 101 section at www.bumritediapers.com.

Everybody needs a special place

2011-02-27T20:50:00.000-08:00

Do you have a special place? A place in your memory to where you can escape - if only for a moment?

I remember a high school health class in which our teacher led us on a relaxation adventure.

Seated in our classroom, he asked us to imagine a relaxing place - real or made up. Where are you? How does it smell? How do you feel? Warm? Cold? Wet? Breathe. Relax your eyes. What do you see? Imagine taking off your shoes and socks. Are you connected with the Earth? Do you feel the Earth's pull? Who is with you? Are you alone? How does that make you feel? Breathe.

Fairly progressive for a late 1980's teacher in Puyallup, Washington. And I am so grateful for that lesson.

At 15 years old, I think my Place was a beach. The ocean. Hawaii, maybe. Palm trees. Blue water. Warm sand. Consistent and rhythmical waves crashing to the shore. Then receding.

Fast forward 10 years.

The 25th year of my life was pivotal. A series of unrelated events compounded to create a feeling of unrest. What am I doing? Where am I going? What am I supposed to be doing? I was in a relationship that was, in retrospect, well-timed and key to who I am today - but wasn't an exact fit. My shoulder was so sore from hours of playing volleyball that I needed to down 600mg of Ibuprofen 20 minutes before a match so that I could swing hard and play through the pain. I was working a corporate job for a quintessential Corporate-America company. Rapidly advancing. Recruiters calling. Company car. A mortgage. The works.

Something was off...yet I kept trudging along.

Since I wasn't listening to myself or taking care of myself - my body took care of me.

That Spring, I ruptured my Achilles' Tendon at a National Sales Meeting in Princeton, NJ.

This story is a blog entry unto itself and the only thing that I will say is, "Heed your mother's advice and wear CLEAN, DECENT underwear. Always." You just might find yourself in New Jersey lying face down on an Emergency Room exam table faced with a dilemma: do I let them cut my favorite black velour pants for access to my achilles' tendon OR do I save the pants and expose my g-stringed fanny to a room full of doctors and nurses?

I digress. In retrospect, snapping my Achilles' tendon in half was a good thing. It sat me down. Literally. It forced me to take a hard look at my life. And I made some changes.

I broke up with my boyfriend, quit my job and enrolled in SCUBA classes to prepare to go on a one week sailing cruise - ALONE - in the Caribbean.

I had such an amazing time that first week in the French West Indies, that I decided to extend my vacation. Another week. Another sail boat. This time in the Grenadines and Venezuelan Islands.

I had such an amazing time the second week, that I applied for a job as a Cruise Director.

It was during that Summer as I conjured up Julie McCoy from the Love Boat that my Place was discovered. Actually, I have two memories that serve as my Place(s): one from the beginning of the Summer, and one at the finale of my Caribbean journey at the end of the Summer. Coincidentally, they both happened while sailing back to the port of St Georges Harbor in Grenada.

I refer to my adventure as My Summer of Self-Discovery.

Place #1) Sitting at the bow. Alone. Icing my throbbing Achilles' tendon while gawking at the Millions of Stars. The Milky Way. The sound of the massive hull slicing through the black water. The gentle rolling of the boat. Humid, silky, salty air. Endless sky. Endless opportunity. Endless, unfamiliar LIFE just beneath the water's surface.

Place #2) Lying face down on the Widow's Net beyond the bow tip. My face perfectly positioned between the hexagonal-shaped ropes. Dusk. Flying over the water. Then, from afar, Dolphins. They came to greet our boat. Full of curiosity and playfulness, they surfed at our bow. They darted beneath me. Their long noses gave the impression that they were smiling. I couldn't help but smile. I was flying with them. Optimistic. Light. Hopeful.

I go back often to these Places. I dream about them. They flash in front of my eyes when I feel like I cannot take another minute of the Snarky-ness, the Teasing, the Whining. The Whirling Dervish looks-like-a-Tornado hit our house crazy-ness.

Each day comes to a close. The boys are fed, bathed, tooth-brushed, PJ'd and cuddled to sleep.

I pour a glass of wine and nod to my husband. He nods back. No words are necessary.

We are exhausted. We are sated. We are optimistic.

We have our special Place right here.

First Month Survival Guide

2010-12-02T12:27:00.000-08:00

You did it! You had a successful pregnancy and got that baby O-U-T. However you did it, it doesn't matter. YOU GAVE BIRTH.

Now what?

A close friend recently had her first baby. She had suffered 2 miscarriages in 3 years and went through all sorts of genetic testing and mental anguish to try to put a diagnoses on their miscarriage(s) and to get pregnant again. The third one stuck.

She planned a Natural Birth with a doula and read up on labor and delivery. She was prepared. But that baby didn't want to come! At 42 weeks, she was induced. Labor didn't progress and 2 days later, she had a c-section.

Welcome to parenting. Nothing happens as planned and you learn to roll with it.

But for those that are/were used to controlling their lives, including their body - (ahem, me) - this giving up control and "rolling" with it is/was hard to do.

Now - my friend had her body cut open and a perfectly healthy, gorgeous baby boy. BLISS, right? The ordeal was over?

Nah. She was shocked and overwhelmed with tears of guilt when the expected BLISS didn't immediately arrive.

But, really, give yourself a break! Your body is recovering, hormones are pouring out of you (literally), and you can't get any sleep because that new baby doesn't know it is now detached from you and demands to be ON YOU all day/night.

So - here was my advice to my friend:

Be the Boss. Figure out what needs to get done and make it happen. Remember Bride-Zilla? Now you are Mom-Zilla.

All of the well-meaning people who want to hold the baby? Ask them to bring your family a meal instead. Vacuum your floor. Do your laundry. You sit back in your Rocker and snuggle/feed your baby and put your feet up while you read Harry Potter again. Sneak in a nap, too.
When you need a break. ASK for it. And leave the house. Alone. Get yourself to Starbucks for 20 minutes and read the newspaper. Breathe.

Give yourself time to HEAL.

btw - those GroVia BioSoakers make great postpartum maxi pads for Mom.

Give yourself permission to use disposable diapers (all natural, chlorine-free, of course) until that umbilicus cord falls off. Check out GroVia's BioDiaper in Size 1.

Introduce cloth diapers when you can.

Invest in a Moby Wrap, Sling, Wearable Baby Carrier.

Consider kicking Dad out of the bedroom so that he can get a good sleep. Meanwhile, breast-feeding Mom deals with Baby and Bassinet all night. That way - Dad is refreshed and can take over after the 5am feeding and Mom gets THE BEST well-deserved 3 hours of solid sleep until the next feeding (knowing that baby is taken care of by Dad helps - your mental baby cry trigger can turn off until Dad comes).

Dad also gets time to bond with baby without Mom hovering. Dad gains confidence in his new role as parent.
You stop the inner-monologue of wondering HOW IN THE HECK your husband can't hear the baby cry and continue to sleep so peacefully??? In my case, this created a bit of resentment.

Dreamfeed at 11pm before going to bed. This means gently waking baby up to change into a fresh diaper and giving him one last drink before you crash yourself.

Have 2 diapers ready for nighttime changes (velcro is good for this - you don't have to completely wake up).

DON'T change his diaper unless he poops!

When baby wakes for next feeding, grab him and bring him to bed with you. Learn to breastfeed lying down on your side. Latch baby on. Fall back asleep (BUT NOT A DEEP SLEEP!). When you realize that baby is done feeding and asleep - swaddle him back up and put him back into his bassinet.

That's it!

Survive the first month. That should be your only goal. Bond with that baby and let everything else slide.

Don't expect too much of yourself. Know that the first smile and demonstration of unconditional love from your baby is right around the corner.

And to conclude with the story about my friend? She employed (most of) these suggestions and came out a Winner! At 6 weeks, she had it down. Her belly was better. Mom and Dad had a routine.

She opened the door to BABY BLISS.

CBS News.com Diaper Debate: Should You Use Disposable or Cloth?

2010-11-04T16:09:00.000-07:00

by bumritediapers November 4, 2010 6:47 PM EDT

AH! CBS News just posted a video/article on Cloth Vs. Disposable Diapers and I am fired up!

Diaper Debate: Should You Use Disposable or Cloth?

So - I had to write a (long) comment. So many people are unaware of today's modern reusable diapers that they "poo-poo" the idea of going cloth!

Here is my comment:

Disclosure: I cloth diaper my son and I own a store (www.bumritediapers.com) that exclusively sells cloth diapers - so I am obviously partial to them.

I don't think this video did a good job talking about the actual cost of using disposable diapers. From birth to potty training a child will typically need 6,000 diaper changes. That equates to 2,000 pounds of plastic/petroleum waste PER child in our landfills. At $.20-$.40 each, you are looking at a total cost of $1,200 to $2,400 PER child. You can use cloth diapers on your baby from birth to potty training for as little as $175!

Think of the carbon footprint that is also involved in the processing, creating, and transporting of disposables. Some brands can hold up to 10 pees because of all the SAP (super-absorbent polymer gel) they contain. This is the same product that is used in potting soil to help retain water.

This video did not also show the new, reusable diapers that are available on the market today in a good light. bumGenius, FuzziBunz, GroVia - these are just a few of the brands out there that make a fantastic diaper that is as easy to use as a disposable.

Instead of going to the store, hauling the disposables to your car, lugging them in to your house, and hauling them back out in a plastic trash bag - you simply take them to your washing machine.

Regardless of how you decide to diaper your baby, poop belongs in the toilet so that it can be properly treated by a waste-water treatment plant (unless you wrap it in more plastic - then it won't leach OR biodegrade for 200 to 500 years!).

People just need to be educated about the choice that they make. And this video didn't help.

With the Ease of today's reusable diapers, the Environmental savings, and the Economical ($1000s) savings - why wouldn't a family choose a modern reusable diapering system?

Angela
Owner - http://www.bumritediapers.com
(707) 812-1BUM

A personal birth story: the Epidural Way

2010-07-19T17:02:00.000-07:00

I've done it both ways - so here is my take on an Epidural Birth. Please remember that every labor is different and this is only a personal opinion/story. Not a debate.

Labor #1 - Ignorance and Fear

As my belly got bigger and I was nearing my due date, I begged my doctor to schedule a C-Section. I had no clue how that thing was going to come out of there and being an immortal just 30-something, I would rather undergo major surgery - splitting my abdominal muscles apart and cutting into my uterus - than deal with the mythical labor that people embellished - and the labor horror stories that came with them. When my OB refused the C-Section, I joked that I was going to get a t-shirt printed that read: I am in Labor, Call the Anesthesiologist NOW.

I went to one class about natural labor, stuck a clothes pin on my finger while breathing deeply and felt like an idiot. I didn't go back. I was getting an epidural. Why did I need to know about such techniques? I also maintained a bit of modesty (lost it after child-birth) and felt silly sitting in a circle of pregnant woman, their partners behind them and pillows surrounding them. Lights dim. Enya playing. Come on, really?

So - did I prepare for labor and childbirth? Absolutely not. Did it affect the outcome? Probably.

After 10 hours of minor contractions (I watched movies all day), I made dinner with my mom (Thai Basil Beef - not smart) and sat down to a nice, noodle-y meal. With spice. Again. Not prudent.

When the contractions became regular and didn't go away when I lay on my side, and after consulting with my father (retired doc) on the telephone, we headed to the hospital. My dad and bonus-Mom planned to wake up the next morning and drive to Napa from Phoenix to meet the new baby.

While checking in to labor and delivery, I naively asked, "So how long is this going to last and when will we go home?". They sent me walking. 45-minutes later, I clawed at the walls of the hospital as the cramping overwhelmed me. I didn't know how to cope. WE (husband and self) didn't know what to do - this was all very foreign to us. Helpless, we crept back to L&D and got a room.

The nurse asked if I wanted to take a shower? Walk? Sit on a ball? How was I planning to cope? NO CLUE.

I cowered on the bed and begged for an epidural. I got a shot of Fentanil through my IV. That was nice. Then I slept. My husband slept. Around 7am, the pain came back. 2nd shot of Fentanil. Not as good of result. My water broke and I writhed in pain. Wimp. I wasn't prepared for this.

Epidural, PLEASE. Now.

24 hours into labor and 6cm dilated, I received my epidural. Peace.

My friends visited. My husband ate in front of me. My dad and Bonus Mom arrived from Phoenix. La-Ti-Da. Where is this baby?!

Drugs dripping. The afternoon was spent like this: Epidural pinching - drip cut off. Return of Labor pain. Bolus of some narcotic. Dead leg. No pain. Pinched epidural. Pain. Bolus of...?

Baby wasn't doing so well and my water had been broken for a while - so they put a monitor in his head. So "down there" I now had a Foley to catch my urine, a thermometer thing stuck into my unborn baby's head, an IV, narcotics, a pitocin drip, a Blood Pressure cuff, and....who knows what else?

My husband noticed that while they had been pouring all sorts of IV Fluids, Pitocin and other drugs into my body, my urine bag was almost empty. He notified the nurse. She shook the bag and the Foley and out flowed my urine. IT WAS HOLDING UP THE BABY.

Baby began to descend and an hour later, around 9pm that night, it was time to push. I had been attached to an IV, blood pressure cuff constantly monitoring and squeezing my arm, dead leg, lying down, not eating, throwing up (remember that Thai Basil Beef Noodles??? Yuck) for 23 hours in the hospital.

I was not an active participant in labor. This was about me - and not my unborn child. Do what you want, docs. Get this over with, please.

They pulled back on the epidural to let me sense where to push. I pushed for 2, almost 3 hours. Military style with my mom practically yelling, "ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR......"

Looking back, I now realize that I was doing the biggest KEGAL of my life while pushing. I pushed against myself so forcibly - I popped a blood vessel in my eye that lasted 6 weeks and suffered from sore ribs.

After the vacuum procedure failed and 39-1/2 hours into it - the OB said, "enough". 3 more contractions and we prep for a C-section.

Something clicked in my mind. Hey now, it's one thing to show up the hospital at 7am and have your baby at 8:12am. But 40 hours of this?! No freakin' way.

I grabbed my legs and wrapped myself around my belly and told it to come out now!

They lifted up my gown to expose my belly and lay the baby on me. I was so relieved. I stared. I was completely drenched in sweat. I didn't even realize it was a BOY for a moment. Peace had returned.

However. He was lethargic. Gray-Blue. And not really crying. We did have a moment when we looked at each other for the first time: he, an old soul peering at me with a scowl. From his newborn perspective, I was a new soul and his task in life was to teach me. He didn't seem too happy about it.

They worked on him in the room. A barrage of Docs and Nurses came in and muttered to each other. Then they took him away to the NICU. Everybody followed and I was left with the OB - sewing things up.

What disturbs me now is that I was fine with all of this. I was relieved that it was over. That the baby was out. I wasn't concerned about him. He was in the NICU for peet's sake! I asked for food. And fell asleep.

When they were wheeling me to my room at 1 or 2 in the morning, the nurse had to ask if I wanted to see my baby. Sure, I replied unenthusiastically.

He was hooked up to all sorts of devices. He was in an oxygen box. An IV in his head. His heal smudged with blood from where they checked his biliruben. Breathing rapidly and erratically at the same time.

I went to my room. Beaten. Sore.

This birth had worked us both. We required rest.

An hour later, a nurse woke me up and gave me another bag of pitocin. My uterus was being "lazy" and flopped over to the side - not clenching back up. I was still bleeding. So a nurse began to do Russian-Thai massage on my oh-so-sore belly to convince my uterus to behave. She said if it didn't, they would have to dilate me again and go in to remove whatever was holding it open. Lord.

I slept. I woke up to the Pediatrician telling me that my baby had a heart murmur and would need to most likely go to UCSF for an echo-cardiogram. He was still in the NICU.

I didn't even go see my baby until 3-4 pm the next day. I was tired. I was mad at my friends for not preparing me for this ordeal. I felt like a train had run over me. I couldn't get out of bed without pulling on a bar above my head.

Where was the instant Love? Where was the Bliss?

Cameron was in the NICU for 5 days. He was off oxygen after 1 day. But his pneumonia and biliruben levels remained a concern. The nurses would call me and ask if I wanted to come to the hospital to nurse him at night. I was too tired. Too detached.

We brought him home on the 6th day. I distinctly remember holding him as a doctor would while examining a baby - I had no clue what to do with him. My arms hurt. My entire body hurt.

5 weeks into our life together, we went to UCSF and a pulminary stenosis was confirmed. i.e. he had a kink in the pipe the left the heart and fed oxygen to the body. We would have to wait another 5 months to see if it corrected itself. Or face surgery.

That kind of arrival and subsequent diagnosis did not make for instant bonding. I didn't know if I should/could love this being: if he were going to need heart surgery or worse, die. I hid my depression when I went to the OB or Pediatrician for follow ups. But inside, I was screaming, "WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO! HELP! AM I NORMAL TO FEEL THIS WAY?! WHERE IS THE BLISS?!"

I was too scared to get into the car with Cameron. So I resorted to walking aimlessly around town with him in the stroller. I didn't know how to cope. I was exhausted. He was colicky. I cried a lot. My entire identity as kick-ass corporate woman was gone. Who was I now? This 9 pound Being was wreaking havoc on my OCD personality.

Driving to San Francisco for his 6 month Echo was the first time we had been in the car together alone. What a treat! I got to listen to music and talk on the phone for 1 hour. Why hadn't I done this earlier? Even better was the news that Cameron's heart had repaired itself and no surgery would be required.

Our Mother-Son relationship began that day in San Francisco: 6 months after his birth. We went for sushi.

Writing this now makes me really sad. How naive. Short-sighted. Unloving and selfish I was!

Cameron has made me a better person. He had challenged me (and continues to) in ways I never imagined possible. I've lost my modesty and (some of) my selfishness. I am stronger. Better. More mature because of him. My Old Soul Son.

I do wonder, though. Did my getting an epidural, lack of preparation, and fear of labor and delivery (something women have done for thousands of years?!) have anything to do with the outcome of his birth? With the subsequent 6 months of self-protection and therefore lack of Mother-Son bonding?

I think it did. Sure - we didn't know about the heart issue. But maybe I shouldn't have been so carefree about the quantity of drugs I put into my body - HIS body- during the birth ordeal? Maybe the doctors should not have let it continue for so long knowing about his heart?

One can't know these things in advance. So here is my prescription for birth:

Prepare (read Ina Mayes Guide to Childbirth)
Trust and love your body. Women have been giving birth for years. We innately know how to do this!
Don't fight it. Give In. (this is especially hard for athletes and people used to controlling their bodies)
Write a birth plan, and expect to alter it, if needed
Hire a Doula to support both of you: the Mom and the Dad
Learn to meditate
Concentrate on the two of you - Mom and Baby - to perform the miracle of birth together.
Use drugs with caution. There is a time and place for them. Don't rule them out. But don't count on them, either.

Yours,

Angela

When does the madness end? And do I want it to?

2010-06-01T22:35:00.000-07:00

I am tired. I am fired up. I am exhausted and irritable. I am on top of the world! I need a break.

During any given day, these are the thoughts that constantly jog through my head.

After a 5 day stint of running a household, trying to sell a house, mothering, and running a business without Dad around, I've been fantasizing about a weekend get-away:

One where I check myself in to a hotel with a pile of magazines and a good book. I visit the spa, get a rubdown, and sweat in the sauna (followed by a cold shower). Then I order some awesome vegetarian meal and have it delivered to my room. With dessert. And a bottle of sparkling wine. The next morning, I wake up when I wake up. I have food delivered. I read. I sleep. I meditate. I stretch. I journal. Then I go to an outdoor pool and swim a mile. Or two. Head under water. Breathing rhythmically. Me and my body.

Just thinking about it calms me. But I think I will check the last minute hotel deals after I am done writing. Or maybe I will just announce that Mommy is having a Spa Day in her room ALL DAY. Do Not Disturb.

I haven't had a break since Boden was born March 11, 2009.

I might break.

I signed up for a beginner's meditation class - and missed the first two sessions. Completely forgot about them in the madness of the day.

I used to hate the gym. Now it is my salvation. It represents a gift to myself. A moment to concentrate on me. But why don't I go? Work. Bodie has a runny nose. Tired. Diapers to pack. Excuses, really.

I turn 38 this month, but still think that I am the girl who would bike 10 miles to Alki Beach from North Seattle, pick up 3 hours of doubles beach volleyball, bike 10 miles home...and return to Alki the next morning at 8am to play in an all-day Doubles Beach VBall tournament with a girl she just met the day before. Then she would go home, shower, and meet her friends for dinner on Capital Hill. Exhausted. Content.

Do I mourn those days? Let me think.

That life, and my current life cannot be compared. And it would be futile to do so.

Marriage and a family are a different kind of thrill. It isn't the same adrenaline rush as spiking a ball down in front of the 10' line. It comes on slowly. In the quiet of the evening. When the family has gone to bed.

Do I like refereeing the spats between the boys? Grocery shopping? Thinking about what to feed the family day in and day out? Cleaning? Picking up toys (again and again and again)? Not really.

If that is all I did - if I didn't have BumRite Diapers - I might actually break. I tried to be a Stay At Home Mom for 4.5 years. I went to counseling. I took anti-depressants. I tried a Part-Time job pouring wine at a local winery. But the way I am wired, I have to work. I have to be in control. I have to juggle 10 balls in the air at once. (This revelation cost at least a $grand in therapy).

It has taken me over 5 years - since the birth of son #1 - to figure out what to do next.

Who knew I would find my happiness wrapped up in reusable organic cotton diapers?!

I am tired. I am fired up. I am exhausted and irritable. I am on top of the world! I need a break.

I don't want the madness to end.

Look at what it produced:

Cam and Boden returning from an all day pool party

GroBaby or GroVia: What is the difference and which do I choose?

2010-05-28T22:38:00.000-07:00

The Natural Baby Company in Bozeman, MT has re-branded their best-selling modern cloth diaper system: GroBaby is now GroVia - a Diaper for Every Family.

GREEN (new Biodiaper), GREENER (hybrid GroVia cloth shell and Biosoaker), GREENEST (GroVia Shell Set with Organic Cotton Snap-In soaker)

What does this mean to you? SALE.

We love GroBaby so much that we bought out the manufacturer's remaining stock! That is how confident we are in this product. We have been using it for 15 months on our son.

GroBaby or GroVia: What is the difference and which do I choose during this transition period?

Things to Consider:

Age of baby

under 6 months, save a little money by purchasing the GroBaby Shells (1/2 inch smaller in the rise) and couple with the GroVia Soakers

the new gussets on the GroVia soakers can contain the breast fed poop-plosions a little better.
over 6 months, save A LOT of money and buy GroBaby on clearance
Budget

GroBaby and GroVia are interchangeable - save a little money by mixing it up.

Size of baby

GroVia can accommodate a slightly larger build and/or older child with its extra 1/2 inch on the rise.

Velcro or Snap closure

GroVia comes with snap closures in solid colors (except Blackberry)
GroBaby is only aplix

You can retrofit GroBaby covers to snaps by sending them to the manufacturer within the first 6 months for free. Or for $3.50/shell thereafter.

We hope this helps a little. Feel free to call us (707) 812-1BUM.

Breaking Down Cultural Stereotypes via Front Yard Gardening

2010-03-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

I speak Spanish. My degree is in International Business with a minor in Spanish. I went to University in Granada, Spain and worked (on a cruise ship) in Venezuela. I love the culture, traditions, and the phonetics of the language.

We live in a town that relies heavily on Mexican labor in the vineyards. Our state is 51% Mexican (historically, before it became part of the USA - it belonged to Mexico - but that is a longer story). I am from Washington State, where the various ethnicity's are almost at an equal ratio. It was odd to move to California and discover so much racial/cultural tension between Whites and Mexicans (forgive my political incorrectness). And that so many incorrect stereotypes are still in play.

My ability to communicate in Spanish has helped tremendously.

We moved back to down town Napa - to an 1885 Victorian in the Historical Part of Old Town Napa. Lots of foot traffic. Because we don't have much of a back yard (and the sun is blocked by the building to the West of us), we chose to plant a vegetable "garden" in 6 half wine barrels in our front driveway. Our "Ode to Michael Pollen and the Omnivore's Dilemma".

"PLANT FOOD, NOT GRASS". Reads a banner in uber-Eco Santa Cruz.

This urban, front-yard wine barrel garden is not only pretty, it provides our family with herbs and vegetables throughout the year.

My 5 year old and I also spent a lot of time prepping the soil, planting, and weeding. We were out front a lot. This is how we became friends with our neighbors.

One particular Mexican family comes to mind. Maricella and her son Hugo always passed by on their way to visit her mom who lives next door. We struck up a conversation. Thus began a front-yard relationship that began to break down the cultural barriers and stereotypes.

A few months later, Maricella was returning from work at McDonalds to pick up her son from her mother's house. I was tending the garden. Cameron and Hugo began running around and playing together. Neither spoke the others language. Maricella expressed her surprise that Cam offered Hugo tomatoes from the vine. Cam ate it like an apple. I asked her why she was surprised and here were her answers:

Working at McDonald's, she didn't think Americans ate vegetables or cooked for themselves.
She didn't think Americans knew how to grow their own food.
She thought that the Americans despised the Mexicans in CA and preferred to keep to themselves.
She didn't think an American would speak Spanish so well.

Thus began our front yard relationship. Over the next few months, I expressed my interest in learning how to cook authentic Mexican food. We planned a date. We went to the local Mexican market (food is MUCH less expensive there, FYI) in her car. Oh the stares. What was a white doing in a Latino Market? What was that contraption in which she carried her baby (ERGO carrier)? Why did this person speak Spanish and why was she speaking to her child in Spanish, quizzing him on the Spanish words for various vegetables?

Maricella was worried. You could tell. She wanted to do a good job. Her mom came over to supervise her effort. All three women in a 10x10 kitchen speaking Spanish, all 4 burners cooking something. The blender out. Knives. Chopping boards. Chaos. And a feeling of solidarity. After all, we were women preparing a meal for our families.

And the conversation...did I plan to have more children? (NO). But you are such a good mother, a natural, you are not too old, raising children is the best thing I've done...and lastly, it's God's will. Do you believe in God? Will you come to Mass with us sometime? What Religion are you teaching your children (Spirituality - a blend of Buddhism (learning this now), Christianity, Judaism, to be a good, loving person - basically. Without judging others' choices).

My mom picked up Cameron from preschool and brought him back to our house. Maricella left to pick up Hugo from preschool and bring him back. The two older boys played in the front yard together. We prepared the table on the front porch. Then Maricella and her mother surprised me by announcing they were going home. Why, I asked. Because my husband was coming home and they didn't want to invade his space. Are you kidding me?! He was so excited that I was learning how to cook authentic Mexican food and that he was coming home to a nice, Mexican meal (chicken enchilidas dipped in red sauce made with boiled dried chiles and topped with salsa verde - cilantro, garlic, jalepenos, tomatillos).

I convinced them to stay. Cameron and Hugo continued to play and eat. No need for formal words. My mom (who doesn't speak Spanish) communicated with Maricella's mom with gestures and a few words and laughter. I translated for all. What a nice, memorable meal.

Phil didn't get home in time to enjoy the meal with us, but expressed his gratitude in full-mouthed YUMS, and MMMMss later. He also mentioned that he loved that, because of our front-yard garden, we were breaking down cultural stereotypes one family at a time.

In the months that followed, we've traded home made chocolate chip cookies and tamales. Handfuls of chiles grown in our garden. Basil and tomatoes with a recipe for italian pasta. Authentic Mexican coconut candy from a trip back to Mexico for Christmas...

When a foundation is food - language in unnecessary. We can "communicate" and share of ourselves over a meal of home-grown and hand-prepared food.

Cameron has been bugging me to get our garden going again this year. He knows what to plant in which season. Time to plant peas, lettuce, swiss chard. The strawberries are blooming and fruit has set. The Meyer Lemons are ready to harvest. The Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Parsley, Tarragon and Sage made is through the Winter. The roses were deadheaded (Cam knows this word!), pruned, and mulched around the roots. The paperwhites have blossomed and died back already. The Hyacinths have emerged, the Geraniums are filling out, and the Day Lily's are growing back.

Grow a garden this Spring. Get to know your neighbors. Teach your children to love food fresh out of the ground. Teach them how to care for and nurture the plants and people in our World.

Schedule a play date and learn about cloth diapers

2010-03-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

Live in the Bay Area? Need an excuse to visit Napa? Schedule a play date, bring your babies (or your pregnant self) and come entertain us for a while.

We have kids, too. So tons of toys are available to keep your kiddos occupied while you learn about all the different choices out there to fulfill your cloth diapering needs (or just to learn about them, in general).

We started BumRite Cloth Diaper Company to encourage fellow parents to consider using cloth diapers. From personal experience, it can be an overwhelming decision. And without being able to see-touch-feel-learn, you can end up spending LOTS of money that you didn't need to. Learn from us: we spent at least a $1000 before settling on the diapers and system that work for us. That is why we put together the Birth to Potty Training package.
This is what we personally use. This is what we wish we would have done from the beginning.

We like to tell people to start to budget for their diaper spend as soon as they feel comfortable in their pregnancy. Then the cash outlay won't be such a shock. But remember - you won't have to budget $75/mo for the next 3 years if you choose the disposable route!

We also have a new Registry available on our site - so you can shop and your friends and family can purchase products or Gift Certificates for you!

Cloth diapering is a simple choice: It's Easy, Good for your Baby's Bottom, Environmentally Friendly, and Economical (the money you save could fund your kiddo's education account). Did we mention, Adorable?!

Come learn! Or put together a group for an evening or weekend event, and we'll come to you!

Pepper in the Gravy!

2010-02-17T23:21:00.000-08:00

I have to relay a funny story. One that my husband and I refer to in order to remind each other that one of us (usually me) is over-reacting. By simply saying, writing, texting, IM'ing, emailing the following phrase, a stressful situation is diffused and we smile, laugh, shake our heads, flip each other off while blowing a kiss, etc: "There's Pepper in the Gravy!"

Here is the background and why I think every couple needs a similar phrase.

The scene: Thanksgiving 2009 at my mom's house for dinner, with my Bonus Mom (stepmother), Dad, Husband, and two kids under 4.

In the 8'x8' kitchen: Turkey just came out of the oven, Dad is asked to carve. Rolls go in. I am assembling the salad, Mom is whisking the rue for the gravy and adding the turkey drippings (another story). Husband is holding baby, #1 son is entertaining himself (got to love an almost 5 year old). All of a sudden Mom screams, "S__T! There's pepper in the Gravy!" and begins to frantically open and slam shut EVERY drawer in the kitchen, looking for...what, a ladle? Something to remove the pile of black pepper that she dumped into the gravy when the Costco-sized spice-lid fell off.

The gravy was ruined. But we still sat down to a wonderful dinner surrounded by divorced, but properly behaving biological parents, a bonus Mom that loves me, my husband and my two baby boys. And then there was the torching of the creme brulee...

The moral of this blog?

When there is pepper in your gravy - remember what really matters: time spent with family. The gravy might be ruined, but if you let that get to you and focus on it - you might miss a memorable moment.

Great Cloth Diapering Questions and Answers

2010-02-17T22:40:00.000-08:00

An excerpt from a new category on the bumritediapers.com website.

GREAT QUESTIONS and inspired, unedited answers

My diapers have poop-stains, what do I do?

1) dry in sun 2) spray Biokleen BacOut on them after you spray off 3) don't worry, they are diapers 4) occasionally use oxyclean or a bit of bleach (but don't tell anybody that we told you to!) with the wash cycle and double rinse 5) stop feeding your baby blueberries...

Why do Gro Baby Soakers take so long to dry? Any suggestions?

Gro Baby soakers are made with thick, thirsty layers of organic cotton. They take about as
much time in the dryer as a prefold. The Gro Baby shells make up for the long drying time of the soakers: they line dry (over the staircase banister) overnight.

Suggestions: 1) fast spin cycle 2) do another load of wash and dry with the next load of towels (laundry chores for a family never end)

Do I have to change my baby's diaper more often in cloth?

Yes and No. Babies in disposables typically are not changed often enough and that is why they can develop a rash. Disposables are so absorbent, that we forget to change them until the SAP gel (super absorbent polymer gel) bursts out and touches our baby's delicate skin. An aside: Those same little beads that hold extra water in your Miracle Gro Potting Soil are found in copious quantities in disposable diapers! "Green" diapers use less, including Gro Baby Biosoakers
(3 grams compared to 18-20 in some mass brands).

2-3 hours is reasonable, depending on how much your baby wets. No different than with disposables. Remember, especially with natural fibers like hemp and cotton, the more you wash, the better they absorb.

I am afraid to use my cloth diapers at night. I have a heavy wetter

We strongly advocate the use of a pocket diaper at night. The microfleece wicks away moisture leaving the baby more comfortable and you can adjust the absorbent layers within the pocket, depending on your baby's habits. We also suggest not giving fluids after 7pm to a toddler to help with bed wetting. We have been using a pocket diaper on Bodie at night since he was 6 weeks old (when he poo'd, we would change it). Once he stopped pooping during the night, we were able to put him in his pocket diaper at 6:30pm and not change it until he woke up at 7am the next morning. We use 1 FuzziBunz Med/Large microfiber insert backed by 1 JoeyBunz Premium Hemp doubler. Happy Heinys, in our humble opinion, are easiest to stuff: even with man-hands.

Why all this hype about detergent?

The detergents that we grew up with and that are marketed so prolifically to us contain all sorts of fancy "extras" that coat our diapers. We want them to be absorbent. Softeners and Fragrances coat the fabric. Brighteners and Enzymes break down fabric faster - we need these hard working diapers to last 3 years!

It is important to use the recommended detergent not only on your diapers, but on all your laundry. Those "extras" hang out in the washer and dryer and don't go
away between loads.

No BOUNCE or dryer sheets either!

We recommend Tiny Bubbles and Country Save Detergent. About $.25 per HE load. Dye, Fragrance, and Phosphate Free (why is this important? FISH. Some places, like Spokane and Seattle, WA have proposed legislation to ban the use of phosphates in all detergents. When they hit our rivers, streams, and lakes, the phosphates encourage algae blooms, which in turn, suck up all the oxygen. Plants and Fish die. Personally, we are fans of Salmon from the Copper River in Alaska. We choose Tiny Bubbles. We like Salmon.

Look at the color of the Copper River King!

How Many Diapers to you Recommend?

Depending on your system and age of baby. Like that answer? Seriously, from birth, we recommend 24 diapers. That is why we put together the Bumrite Favorites package. Or the Gro Baby LIVE Package. Or the bumGenius 20 count package. Any less and you will be asking too much of your diapers. If you washed your fancy Victoria's Secret Lacy Panties every day in Hot Water - how long do you think they would last?

My baby gets red marks where the cover meets his legs. Suggestions?

Every baby is different. Just like our bodies are different. Not everybody can pull off a G-String. Or we shouldn't. :-)
Just get used to how the shell fits your baby and adjust as necessary. Sometimes people find snapping down to the middle setting makes them fit better.

Sometimes, you will have to try several different diapers/covers to find the right one for YOUR baby. Diaper Swappers makes this learning process a little more bearable on the wallet.

My MIL/Mother/Friend/Husband/Wife thinks we are crazy for wanting to use cloth diapers!

Send them our way. We love to talk fluff. It really isn't a hard decision to make. Remember the three E's. Modern cloth diapers are:

I don't think I can do this!

Really? You gave birth (or watched your partner do it)! You can do anything. Any new routine takes time to establish. Have faith. Call us. Post questions on Facebook. We are here to guide you through!

Health Care Debate

2010-01-19T20:16:00.000-08:00

To quote Dennis Miller on HBO, "I don't want to get off on a rant here..."

BUT. I refuse to allow my health insurance to dictate what and when I do to/for my body.

I chickened out. I fasted all day and did the horrible "bowel prep" starting at 4pm the night before the scheduled hysterectomy. I wrote a blog entry. I watched the surgery on the internet. I talked to my friends. My parents...

I called the doctor at 10:34pm and canceled the surgery. Then I called the surgery center at the hospital and canceled there. Then I wrote an apology note to my OB and put it in the mail - hoping that he would still want to be my doctor.

Some background:

My haste? I was told on Dec 28 that the only way to get rid of the horrible pain that I experience during ovulation and menstruation was to cut out my uterus. Because I had already maxed out on my $5000 out of pocket deductible for the year, the $80,000 surgery would have been "free" if I had it on Dec 31st.

The hospital was kind enough and willing to accept $33,000 from my insurance for the procedure. For a 3 hour surgery?! I want to make that kind of hourly wage!

The surgery loomed. As I fasted. As I pondered a life without a uterus, it occurred to me that I was a victim of private health insurance.

Giving people access to health insurance IS NOT going to solve the problem of the exorbitant fees that the hospitals/doctors charge. I seethe inwardly when I learn that the person in the seat next to me on the airplane got her fare for $200 less. I explode with outrage when I learn that my friend paid $20 for the same blood draw for which I paid $175!

We shop for deals. We watch our budget. We buy the products and services that we desire. But when it comes to health care - our bodies - we are at the mercy of the health insurance companies. AND we operate (pun intended) without knowing the potential cost. Who shops that way?!

It isn't fair. I need a hysterectomy. I want a hysterectomy. But WHY was I forced to make such a huge decision in 2 days so that I could save money on my deductible?

Why can't we have a Fee-For-Service system and be forced to carry major-medical policies in case of disasters? Then I can shop my doctors. Shop the labs. Shop the services. Doctors can be doctors and not have to pay somebody FULL TIME to try to get a percentage of their fees from the health insurance companies.

Why can't we cap medical liability payouts? If doctors didn't have to practice medicine as if they might get sued, perhaps they wouldn't feel the need to order an expensive test or MRI to cover their bases. Perhaps the overall cost of medicine would go down.

The bottom line? I refuse to pay more money than the woman sitting next to me for the same procedure. So - I stand (in monthly pain) on principal and I will wait out this debate with a healthy dose of...The Pill.

Farewell Uterus - The Prequel

2009-12-29T19:39:00.000-08:00

Tonight I say goodbye to my uterus.

I am scheduled for a partial hysterectomy tomorrow. Did you know that the word derives from ancient medical practices that thought removing the woman's sexual parts would make her less hysterical (i.e. crazy)?

My father, retired MD, referred to this surgery where they remove only the uterus and fallopian tubes, but keep the ovaries and cervix in place as, "Taking the swings, but leaving the playground".

I watched a similar surgery on the internet, performed by a fancy $million+ surgical robot with the typical emotional distance that I employ while watching medical mysteries or dramas, like Grey's Anatomy. But this time, it was different. I cannot pinpoint exactly what I felt/am feeling.

I don't need my uterus anymore. I don't want the physical pain of monthly menstruation. I don't want to have more children. Too old. Too tired. Too risky at my age. I am content that I have two perfect little boys. My uterus has housed 3 embryos in its life, 2 successfully. I still hold a grudge and feel deceived by my body over my miscarriage. But we trudged on together.

In between the two live births, it got confused and started to grow a fibroid, a benign tumor. I put up with the odd periods, heavy flows, random spotting and miss-fired ovulation until I finally got pregnant with Boden. It is now 10 months after the birth of a 9 pound 6 ounce happy baby boy.

Now the period is back. Ugh. And oh-so-painful.

In addition to the bulging fibroid, I have endometriosis inside the uterus (I can't remember the specific medical term for this condition). I am doubled over in pain when I ovulate and menstruate.

I give up. TAKE IT OUT. Tack it up. Put me back together. I am still a fabulous woman. Even without a Womb.

Thank you, Uterus, for allowing me to experience the beautiful and miraculous ordeal of pregnancy and subsequent birth.

You have served me well.

Now. Goodbye.

Paradigm Shift: Cloth Diapers and Homemade Baby Food

2009-12-04T21:03:00.000-08:00

At what point did we just assume that when we had a baby we would buy disposable diapers, add water to powdered "milk" and feed with a silicone nipple screwed onto a bottle and later, buy tiny portions of store-bought baby food in glass jars?

Is this really a convenience? A mind-set? Or marketing genius?

Think about it. Entire aisles in the grocery store are dedicated to the promotion of consumable (mostly plastic) baby products. They keep you coming back. They keep your dollar in their store. They offer convenience.

Just two generations ago, moms did not have a choice. They used cloth diapers (begrudgingly), breast-fed their babies and made their own baby food by mashing over-ripe fruits, steaming vegetables and pureeing everything else.

Smart people in consumer goods companies realized a mass-market appeal for ready-to-eat, prepared foods, plastic feeding devices and disposable diapers. They introduced them as convenience items, but quickly realized their brilliance at creating products that generated recurring revenue. They began to market them to parents who would Only Give Their Best to their children. Products that emulated Mother's Milk (DHA!) and that included numbered artificial nipples that flowed "just like mom's" at certain stages of a baby's life.

OH THE CONVENIENCE OF MODERN-DAY MOMMYHOOD!

Or is it? With so many marketed choices , what should a good mommy buy for their precious little one? Sometimes, too many choices can lead to anxiety.

Can we please just take a step back, learn from June Cleaver (but - did she use a "Mother's Little Helper?"), and acknowledge the simple things? We don't need all of those THINGS.

Just the other day, I was feeding Bodie in his highchair. He was semi-interested as I shoveled Earth's Best Organic Wild Apple Something into his mouth. On a whim, I gave him a bite of my Thanksgiving-Dinner-Made-Into-A-Soup that I was noshing on as I fed him. His eyes lit up and he signed "more" for the first time (I swear!). I got out my Cuisinart Hand Blender and pureed the soup. He pigged out! After we both had our fill for the evening, I pureed the rest of the soup and froze it in ice cube trays. Now I have instant baby food in little cubes stored in Ziploc bags in my freezer. How convenient. And frugal. The equivalent of 20 cubes would have cost me $20 at the store! Light bulb.

Don't get me wrong. I am all for convenience. I admit to buying tons a jars of Earth's Best for feeding on the go - or when my creative juices aren't flowing and I don't feel like cooking.

For convenience sake, I can also rationalize the insane amount of money I spent on cloth diapers BEFORE opening BumRite Cloth Diaper Company. For example, after hearing the disgusting stories from my mother about the toilet-swishing/dunking/swirling/soaking/scrubbing of cloth diapers, I just had to buy the BumGenius Diaper Sprayer to blast off the poop straight into the toilet. The bumGenius Diaper Sprayer is convenient and powerful. It also doubles as an adjustable-spray "poor man's bidet", and an all-purpose chemical-free cleaner for microfiber mops, bath tubs, sinks, toilet bowls, and potty training chairs.

Today's reusable cloth diapers are just as easy to use as disposables. With the advent of velcro on breathable, yet waterproof covers and super absorbent, yet trim natural fibers - cloth diapering is a breeze.

So - now we are in a reverse-marketing game. I just saw a paid-search Google campaign by Kimberly-Clark (manufacturer of Huggies) denouncing the environmental benefits of cloth diapers. They maintain that the water and energy used to wash cloth diapers negates the fact that disposables never biodegrade in a landfill (WHAT!?). I humbly counter - how many times do you flush a toilet a day as an adult? That is about the same amount of water it takes to wash a load of cloth diapers. AND the poop and pee is directed to a facility where they can treat the water and return it to the Earth. Disposable diapers are made with 1 cup of crude oil per diaper - a natural resource, yes. But not a renewable resource. Disposable diapers are also responsible for a large carbon footprint with regard to transportation, distribution and ultimately, their disposal.

Each child requires upwards of 5,000 diaper changes from birth to potty training.

Today's newest cloth diapers are made from renewable materials like hemp, organic cotton, and wool. Yes - it takes energy to weave, sew, distribute and use cloth diapers. Yet each child, at most, only needs 36 diapers (unless you are me and become obsessed with all of the cute prints, designs, etc). But I digress. Cloth diapers can be REUSED with subsequent children. Or as kitchen towels, car wash rags, etc.

We don't throw away our underwear every day. We wash them!

Kimberly-Clark must be concerned about their market share, right? Why would they pay top dollar for every click on the topic 'Cloth Diapers Vs Disposable'? It seems like a defensive move.

Collectively, we must all experience a paradigm shift in our attitudes toward disposable anything. We cannot continue to be a throw-away society.

It is time we all rethink convenience for convenience sake. It doesn't take that much effort to whip out the hand blender and puree the food that we've already prepared for our families or to throw in an extra load or two of laundry per week.

We could save a lot more than cash.

BumRite Diapers Holiday Gift Guide

2009-11-22T21:10:00.000-08:00

Bodie - in a red Happy Heinys One Size

What do you give an expectant mother for Christmas (Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice), that doesn't include food, wine, or soft cheese? I was so happy to get pregnant both times that I didn't have the luxury of planning my pregnancies. However, if I had, I would NOT have chosen to be in my third trimester during the Holiday Season.

Living in Napa, CA, much socializing happens around wine. Add in the Holidays, and a poor pregnant woman can feel excluded.

This is why pregnant moms spend endless hours browsing the internet for baby-related items/stories/reviews. Diaper Pin is addictive. A whole bunch of cloth diaper retail websites exist - usually owned by a WAHM (Work At Home Mom) with varied personal ideas about how to use cloth diapers. It all starts to get confusing. Then you factor in "preg-nesia", and you can't remember who said what. Or where you saw it.

So sit back, grab a cranberry spritzer in a fancy wine glass, and think about the BumRite Cloth Diaper Company Holiday Gift List.

If you are a grandparent, friend, or sympathizer (aka husband/partner) - take into consideration the mental state of your eco-fabulous loved one and BUY HER ANYTHING SHE WANTS. After all, she has sacrificed her body and mind for the sake of this child - and she deserves a medal. Or at least some squishy-tushy fluff to make all those future diaper changes entertaining and colorful.

What type of Momma are you?

Fashionista Momma: Happy Heinys One Size Pocket Diapers come in 22 fabulous colors that will coordinate beautifully with every outfit.

Eco-Minded, but overwhelmed with more than two kids in diapers Momma: GroBaby Shell Set

Working/Traveling Momma: GroBaby with disposable/biodegradable/compost-able bioinserts.

Retro Momma: BabyKicks Hemp prefolds and Thirsties covers

Brand Name Momma: bumGenius 3.0 Pocket Diaper is the best selling CD on the market. They also come in a snap Organic version.
If you can't decide what kind of Momma you are, go to my website and read about the different cloth diapering options available at BumRite Cloth Diaper Company.

Happy Eco-Gifting!

Gro Baby Bio-System on Vacation

2009-11-05T16:26:00.000-08:00

A visit to my parents' house in Arizona provided the perfect opportunity to truly test the new GroBaby system with the biodegradable inserts. I have to say, I've been impressed. Since the birth of my son 8 months ago, I've only used cloth diapers. Lots of cloth diapers. Lots of different brands. 4 months into my cloth diapering experience, I started BumRite Cloth Diaper Company (my husband threatened me. I was spending way too much time on the internet: reading reviews, researching, spending money, etc. He told me that I needed to find a way to convey my cloth diapering enthusiasm to the world...). But I digress. Back to the subject of my blog.

I suppose that any new routine requires a learning curve.

Switching back to a disposable system took some finagling to figure out.

Before the plane even took off in Sacramento, Bodie had soaked through his clothes. Granted, that was 3 hours from packing to boarding. And crazed mama-drama mommy traveler forgot to pack a change of clothes. I've figured out that the wonderful elastic gussets on the BioInserts need to be spread out on either side of the baby's genitals - or they just pee past it. Oops.

Lesson #1: As with any disposable diaper, make sure the gussets are completely splayed out.

As soon as we took off, the negative pressure of the airplane (and the applesauce, I am sure) caused a poop-plosion. I was very grateful for the BioInserts then. I just prepared a new diaper (I like this - it goes fast) and got ready for the mess. HA! Poop contained and a simple roll-up and the diaper was ready to be tossed! OOOO - I had forgotten the convenience of disposables! But with the GroBaby system, I am still able to show off his cute bottom - especially now that the new Seaside Stripe pattern is available and I can color coordinate with his green tree-hugger t-shirt.

40 more minutes and negative pressure hit again. More applesauce poop.

I LOVE THE BIOINSERTS!!!!! Convert. Right here.

I was concerned about night time use, however. It didn't work the first night. Too much pee. But subsequent nights, I've layered the organic cotton booster on top of the BioInsert. No problem from 10-7am.

Lesson #2: Layer BioInserts with booster for nap/night time.

No rash either.

The fit is so trim, I am able to snap the cover down 1 notch. His pants fit much better - there is much less to hold on to. However, I do miss his delightful fluffy-butt.

Now - 6 days into my vacation with GroBaby and BioInserts, I can honestly say that this system is THE BEST! An entire box of 50 liners fit in my carry-on along with all the other baby paraphernalia that comes with baby travel.

The shells wash and dry beautifully in the hot Arizona sun, or just hung over a chair. 2 hours max to hang-dry in this desert air. Papa and Mimi (aka Grandpa and Grandma) are thrilled with the ease of the system and especially like that they can prepare a new diaper BEFORE removing the old.

One word of caution. Even the glue used to secure the "baby maxi-pad" to the shell is biodegradable. When it heats up - it STICKS to the shell and leaves a gooey mess if you try to pull the insert off to dispose of it right away.

Lesson #3: Simply lay the used diaper aside while you are putting on the new one. In less than 30 seconds, the glue cools and the BioInsert is easily removed.

Go GroBaby. They have something special here. They are widening the reach and availability of responsible diapering to the reluctant masses. At about $.40 each, people who love the convenience of disposables can now feel good about it too (If they cared at all. If not, it is my mission to educate them).

Personally, I will mainly use the organic cotton soakers in my GroBaby shells, but it is good to know that when life calls for a disposable, I have a green choice that works! 60 days to compost instead of 200-500 years.

Did I mention that The Natural Baby Company is also introducing biodegradable, fragrance-free wipes in three weeks?

Love the GroBaby system. Kudos to The Natural Baby Company.

Why Are Daycare Facilities Reluctant to use Cloth Diapers?

2009-10-05T14:11:00.000-07:00

I just met a great woman who would like to cloth diaper her baby, but works full time and her daycare provider refuses to use cloth diapers. Understandably, she cannot financially justify two sets of diapers. I think. I'll have to do a little math when I am finished writing (my mom is a CPA and I can't help the urge to always assemble financial models with ROI for important decisions).

I don't understand why a daycare wouldn't accept cloth diapers. Perhaps they don't know how easy they are? GroBaby would be a perfect example of a daycare-friendly diaper. Simply bring a stash of 6-8 already snapped-in diapers to daycare with a wetbag. Or provide the compost-able bioinserts if they are really bent on throwing something away. They really are no different than disposables - except they don't get to shove them in the trash with the other diapers.

Is it poop? Well, poop actually belongs in the toilet! Whether using disposable or cloth, the providers should be plopping solids in the potty, not the garbage and all wrapped up in a non-breathable, non-biodegradable hot plastic ball of chemical-laden plastic/paper. If you look closely on most disposable diaper packages, it mentions that requirement...in size 2 font. Am I biased? Yes!

Is it an age thing? I suppose that it could be. The previous generation that now runs these day cares doesn't get how simple it is! No more toilet-dunking or wet pails. Simply put the soiled diaper in a bag and give back to the parent at the end of the day for washing. I would think it would be better than storing every kid's diapers packages, like I had to do at #1's daycare.

Yes, I used disposables with #1. Simply because I didn't know any different. Perhaps that is the case here.

Maybe I should visit all the local day cares/preschools and shamelessly promote my business?

Yes - that it what I will do.

I am a one-woman cloth diaper crusader in the Napa Valley. After all - who really wants to have poop run-off fertilizing their wine?! Can you imagine the Sommelier's notes: a full-bodied, earthly, sweet potato and apple-sauce scented wine with a touch of baby poop on the nose.....".

Cheers!

Giving Stuff Away

2009-09-27T22:17:00.000-07:00

I love giving stuff away. And I don't mean giving things to a friend or family member who has asked for something or who I know needs something...I mean getting fed up with mess and clutter and simply putting my old stuff on the sidewalk with a 'Free' sign nearby. My husband once put a King size Futon on the sidewalk in Seattle and watched from his apartment 3 stories up as a woman pulled up in a Honda hatchback with 2 kids and tried to load the thing. Realizing her plight, he and his roommate offered to move it for her in the roommate's pickup. Turned out she wanted it in the attic accessible only via the drop-stairs. They got it up there and the grateful recipient dropped off cookies the next day. Yesterday, to make room for cloth diaper inventory, we did the sidewalk giveaway again. Tiny kids chairs went to our neighbor. No one took the 6 half full gas cans - so a nice guy at OSH dealt with those. The quickest 'sale'? LA Lakers shorts and jacket given out as sales schwag at a conference in a past professional life. The weird part is they took the junky plastic wardrobe rack we'd hung it in...and left the Henkel wood knife block sitting on the ground below...