Overnight Diaper Success: Part Deux

My success with my last overnight diaper did not continue. As Little Man started moving around more in his sleep, my BG AIO with a Loopy-Do insert did not hold up. I always ended up with wicking around the leg. I don't remember why I chose not to look for a replacement at the time, but I moved back to using disposables at night.

Fast forward to this week, when we ran out of our overnight disposables. In fact, even before we ran out, we were having leaking issues. I never knew if we'd wake up with a wet bed or not. So rather than buying more disposables and trying to find one of those that would work, I decided it was time to go back to finding a cloth solution.

I bought a Lollidoo a couple of months ago but just never got around to sizing it correctly and trying it out. One of the elastics in the leg opening came undone before I every used it, so I had to figure out a way to thread it through again. Once I sized it correctly (really just guessing), I stuffed it with 2 (count them, two) LoopyDo inserts. I wanted to be stacked up and ready to soak up that pee!

The next morning - dry! No leaks at all. It was a bit of a wrestle to get it sized and snapped properly, but I think it's worth it when I wake up with a dry Little Man.

The other issue I have is the smell. I smell the urine in the middle of the night when he is in cloth. I guess I just have to get used to that and be happy I have a dry baby after 11-12 hours in the same diaper.

On a side note, I tried a fitted and cover that worked, but I don't like how that leaves him to sleep with a sopping wet diaper against his skin all night. I also tried a BG pocket with a regular BG insert and a LoopyDo and it didn't hold up. I may try it with 2 Loopy-Dos to see if that works better.

For now, I'm happy with the Lollidoo and will be looking to snag myself another one. I'm doing diaper laundry every 3 days now, rather than every other, so I'm going to have to have 3 nighttime diapers. Perhaps I'll invest in a SuperDo too.

Here's to Dry Nights!

Come on over

I have a couple of friends who are pregnant and thinking about cloth diapering. There are many reasons to cloth diaper, but for both of them I think it's the money-saving that is the most enticing. When I have people asking me such specific questions about the process, what to get, laundry, etc., it really makes me think about each aspect of cloth diapers more carefully than I would otherwise.

I guess I can't honestly say it's just as easy as disposables, but I think the extra work of laundry is so little compared to all the benefits. And the few times I use disposables and Little Man ends up with poop all up is back? It just reminds me that I actually handle messy poop less with cloth diapers than I did with disposables.

My initial reason for cloth diapering was for environmental reasons. I had people tell me that it doesn't end up helping the environment because of the water you use to wash them, but after doing my own research I just didn't find that to be true. I won't get into all of that here, but I'll just say that water is a renewable resource and, for now, is readily available where I live. And just the thought of all of those chemical-laden disposable diapers sitting in a landfill for an estimated 500-700 years? Cloth diapers are definitely better for our environment.

Now that I have been cloth diapering for awhile, I have so many wonderful reasons to cloth diaper, and I know we made the right decision for our family.

• Saves money
• Better for the environment
• Better for baby's bum
• No harsh chemicals lying around those family jewels
• No more blowouts
• It's fun
• Fluffy bums are cute

Why did you start cloth diapering and what are your favorite reasons for sticking with it?

Funk Rockin' It

I know it's sad that so many of my posts have been about dealing with stink issues. There is so much to love about cloth diapering, but isn't it always the hard stuff and stress we tend to talk about more? I'll try to be better about blogging the good stuff too, but, for now, I'm still on the stink.

I ordered a bag of the new Funk Rock, from Rockin' Green. This detergent is "guaranteed to knock out your ammonia problems in 30 minutes or less (or your pizza’s free!)"

My biggest problem diapers are my BG AIOs. They are my favorite diapers, so I hate that I have a problem with them. But I think it's because the microfiber is harder to get cleaned/rinsed because it is on the inside. I have started turning them inside out for the final rinse.

My de-Funk:

• Washed them all with my regular process, using Hard Rock.
• Turned them inside out and Rocked a Soak overnight.
• Washed according to Funk Rock instructions.
• Dried

Cross your fingers...

Back to Earth

I have ammonia problems again. I had stripped all my diapers and thought I solved the problem, but apparently not. I was feeling very frustrated that I couldn't solve the problem. I know many CD parents like the challenge of determining the problem, and then fixing it, but I don't. I don't want stink issues.

I even gave a fleeting thought to throwing in the towel...

Then I had a blow out. I put one disposable on Little Man while I stripped my diapers again, and he had a blow out. Poop up his back, down his legs, all over his clothes. I had forgotten about blow outs - we don't have them with cloth.

And so I was brought back down to earth. Yes, there are sometimes stink issues and problems to overcome, but I don't have blow outs, I'm saving money, and I'm not leaving mounds of disposable diapers in landfills for years to come.

It's nice to be back on Earth.

Snaps vs Hook and Loop, yet again

Wow, I didn't even realize I've been off the radar for about a month. Life sure does have a way of scooping me up and carrying me along without my even realizing time is passing.

I know the Snaps vs Hook & Loop debate rages hither and yon. I'm not sure I have anything new and valuable to add to the discussion, but I think I am a classic example of how one can go back and forth on the issue. I've been a fan of hook & loop from the start, but I can see the benefit of snaps. I've even been buying snaps when I buy large diapers, thinking I'll need them as Little Man becomes better at removing his diapers. Then he entered the squirmy phase. It is becoming increasingly difficult to get his diaper changed and if it's snaps - forget it! The rolling and tossing and crying make it very difficult to secure the snaps. 

Thank goodness for hook and loop...until the next phase...

Stripped!

Update on our ammonia stinkies: all diapers are stripped and doing well. 

I have added an extra rinse back in and I think we are good to go. I do think, however, that next time I buy detergent I will get the Hard Rock. We get soap scum build-up quite quickly, so hopefully that will help the diaper routine.

Did the cats pee in here?

The ammonia nasties have hit our house. With only a few hiccups in the wash routine, everything was going so well when bam! - ammonia stink. I hadn't read much about the ammonia problem because I wasn't having it. I had ignorantly thought I would smell it on washed and unwashed diapers. Now I know the smell comes out when combined with urine. I don't even know how long I've been having the problem; it was my mother who noticed it when watching Little Man this past week.

It's interesting that the ammonia smell can come from detergent residue not rinsing out, as well as from not using enough detergent. How's a mom to know which one is the problem? I'm first tackling the problem as if it were residue not rinsing out and if that doesn't work I'll go for the not enough detergent.

Two days ago I Rocked a Soak for 60 minutes and ran them through a hot wash without detergent, plus a couple of rinses. No dice. Last night I Rocked a Soak overnight, ran them through a hot wash without detergent, and rinsed a couple of times. They are now in the dryer while I'm at work. I was hoping that would solve the problem, but now I'm thinking I need to strip them more.

I thought running them through the wash and rinse without detergent was stripping them, but as I read up on stripping diapers, I see that I should rinse in hot water too. I don't have a hot rinse on my machine, so I will have to do a warm rinse.

I am also going to add an extra rinse to the end of my regular routine. I was doing one for awhile but have been lazy and cutting it out.

I think for now I'll stick with the amount of detergent I'm using and add back in the extra rinse. We have hard water, and I'm using 2 scoops of Classic Rock with the highest water level possible. If this next stripping doesn't work, I will try 3 scoops.

I guess the cats didn't pee in here after all. My apologies to Shepherd and Figaro for jumping to conclusions.