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      November 19, 2018

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best cloth diapers

My Cloth Diaper Plan For Baby #4
BabiesCloth DiapersReviews

My Cloth Diaper Plan For Baby #4

by Jill December 2, 2016
written by Jill

It’s been a long while since I’ve blogged about how we plan to use cloth diapers on here. I have some really old posts in my archives from when I first cloth diapered my oldest- EIGHT YEARS AGO. Holy cow.

In some ways, a lot has changed, but what hasn’t changed is that I’m STILL using bumGenius diapers by Cotton Babies. So it’s super exciting that this year they are working with me on a series of posts as I embark on cloth diapering my 4th baby, including sponsoring this post.

My Cloth Diaper Plan for Baby #4 | BabyRabies.com

Newborn Cloth Diapering

To start, I’m thrilled to have 18 bumGenius Littles on hand for the tiny newborn phase. This will be the first time I’m using these, but I’m hopeful they will be just as effective and easy to use as the full-size (one-size) bumGenius diapers. While I usually prefer snaps over hook & loop closures, I think having h&l for newborn size is just perfect because sometimes you’re too tired to operate snaps, like when you have a newborn.

My Cloth Diaper Plan for Baby #4 | BabyRabies.com

Because these are sized specially for babies 6-12 lbs, they are far less bulky than regular size cloth diapers on a tiny bottom. They are also designed to rest below baby’s belly button to keep the umbilical area dry. The ultra absorbent microfiber core and waterproof outer layer are all one piece, meaning there is no stuffing required. They go on and come off just like a disposable diaper. Another win for exhausted parents!

*A note on investing in newborn size diapers- I’ve used newborn sized diapers on all my babies (I did fitteds with covers for the other 3), and I think it was a worthwhile investment if you can swing it. You won’t be using these diapers nearly as long, so they will make it through more than one baby with no issue, and retain great resale value. 

In fact, you can even sell them back to Cotton Babies, along with many other sizes and brands of cloth diapers, via the Cotton Babies buy back program. 

Infant to Toddler Cloth Diapering

Once baby outgrows the Littles, we’re moving right along to bumGenius Freetime and Elemental one-size diapers. I’ll have about 30 of these once I finally get the diapers I used with the other kids out of the attic, but a stash of 18-24 should be plenty for one baby.

My Cloth Diaper Plan for Baby #4 | BabyRabies.com

With my first and second babies, I used mostly bumGenius pocket diapers, and they were wonderful, but I really dislike stuffing them, especially with such limited time now. Luckily, the all-in-one diapers have improved so much since then in terms of durability and absorbency. I donated most of my pocket diapers, and am excited to exclusively use all-in-ones this time around.

Like the newborn sized Littles, and as “all-in-one” suggests, they are all one piece, so no stuffing pockets or snapping inserts in.

These fit kiddos up to 35 lbs, so they should get us all the way to the potty training stage, which they have in the past.

Wipes

Sometimes (a lot of times, actually) we’re pretty lazy and use disposable wipes. I don’t know why I classify that as “lazy” because it’s really more work. When you use cloth wipes, you just throw them right in the diaper pail with the dirty diaper. With disposable wipes you have to separate them and throw them in the trash. So I’m going to try not to do that as much with this one. (Of course, with my first, I never used disposable wipes.)

You can buy special cloth diaper wipes, but I’ve found the inexpensive, thin baby washcloths that you can get at big box stores are just as effective. No need to keep either kind in a special wipe box or wipe warmer. Just toss the clean ones in a box or basket that’s within reach of your diaper changing area. I promise, there are better things to do in life than spending time folding your wipes.

Oh! And I like to use the peri bottle I bring home from the hospital to fill with water and tiny bit of baby shampoo. Then I squirt that on the wipes right before I use them.

Cloth Diaper Laundry

I try to get a load of diapers in every 2-3 days. In the meantime, the dirty diapers are stored in a basic plastic, step-lid trashcan, lined with a large, waterproof pail-liner. I actually need to get a new one of these, and am eyeing this one by Planet Wise. In my experience, this method is really effective in keeping smells at bay – no fancy diaper pail required.

While the baby is exclusively breastfed, it will be fine to toss his diapers in there without rinsing poop off first because breast milk poop washes away with no issue in the washing machine. Once he start solids, though, it’s super important to rinse the poop off before throwing them in the wash. I use a combination of flushable diaper liners, and the help of my Spray-Pal splatter shield and diaper sprayer.

To wash, I like to use All Free & Clear, and I follow the washing suggestions for our top-loading washer from Cotton Babies (though I’ll admit I rarely line dry and usually tumble dry on low).

My Cloth Diaper Plan for Baby #4 | BabyRabies.com

While Out And About

It’s pretty easy to cloth diaper while you’re out of the house running errands. Just keep a couple clean diapers in your bag, along with a travel size wet bag. These do a great job of containing mess and smells, so you can throw the dirty diaper (and wipes if you use cloth wipes while out, too) in there, zip it up, and then toss it in the diaper pail when you get home.

On Keeping It Real

With my first baby, I cloth diapered him full time, like even on vacation. As I’ve had more kids, that’s just not been an option. With our 3rd, I cloth diapered while at home and used disposables or Flip covers with disposable liners while out and traveling.

The cool thing is cloth diapering doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Do what works for you! I’m hoping I’ll be able to cloth diaper this baby more than the last one. We’ll see! Not going to be upset if we don’t.

This is a very basic overview of our cloth diapering process, but I also feel like cloth diapering has become so much more streamlined (at least for me) over the years, that there’s not much of a learning curve anymore. I’m sure a lot of you have questions that I didn’t answer, though, so feel free to ask away! I’ll do my very best to get you some answers.

December 2, 2016 5 comments
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Tried & True Baby Items I’m Happy To Use Again For Baby #4
BabiesGreen LivingParenthoodReviews

Tried & True Baby Items I’m Happy To Use Again For Baby #4

by Jill November 4, 2016
written by Jill

You’d think after 3 other babies that I’d have a huge stash of stuff ready for this one. I mean, yes and no. There isn’t a ton we need for this baby, but I also haven’t kept every single thing I’ve ever used with the other 3, either. For good reason. Half of it was crap.

And while there are some awesome new things that have come out over the last few years that I do plan on getting, I am pretty confident in all the good stuff that I’ve kept.

Tried & True Baby Items I'm Happy To Use Again For Baby #4 | BabyRabies.com

This includes our bumGenius cloth diapers by Cotton Babies, who is also sponsoring this post. 

If you’re a first time parent, I think these are some quality items to put on your registry. Of course, everything in parenthood is subjective and really relative to your lifestyle, so take this for what it’s worth- just my opinion… my opinion based on having 3 other babies in 8 years, with a 4th on the way.

Fisher Price Bouncer SeatTried & True Baby Items I'm Happy To Use Again For Baby #4 | BabyRabies.com
There are a few variations of this, but I’m partial to the most basic. The vibration function is nice, but what we use this for the most is to manually bounce our babies to sleep because our babies love them a good, hard bounce.

My favorite pro-parent tip is to master how to bounce a baby to sleep with your foot with the seat on the floor in front of you while you sit at your desk and work, sit on the couch and watch TV, or sit at the table and eat. It’s also the perfect place to put a newborn while you shower. Yeah, there’s going to come a moment when you’re alone with a baby, and you can’t stand your own stench, and then you’re going to be like, “Uhhhh… so like, what do I DO with you?”

bumGenius Cloth Diapers by Cotton Babies

Tried & True Baby Items I'm Happy To Use Again For Baby #4 | BabyRabies.comI can’t even begin to quantify how much money cloth diapering has saved us while raising 3 kids. bumGenius diapers are the most reliable, longest lasting brand I’ve tried. I’ve got some bumGenius Original pocket diapers that I used on my first baby 8 years ago, that I’m prepping for baby #4 now, along with a nice stash of new Freetimes and Elementals.

I’ve been all over the place with cloth diapering, from using them ALL THE TIME with my first (road trips included) to using them just at home with baby #3. Even if you’re not planning to commit to full-time cloth diapering, I think it’s great to have at least 6 on hand. Then you don’t have to stress if you run out of diapers in the middle of the night, or if the brand you’re using suddenly seems to be giving your baby a rash.

Not to mention, they’re ADORABLE. (Look at those prints!)

Tried & True Baby Items I'm Happy To Use Again For Baby #4 | BabyRabies.com
I’ll be sharing a lot more about cloth diapering over the next year!

Miracle Blanket & Woombie
Tried & True Baby Items I'm Happy To Use Again For Baby #4 | BabyRabies.com
These are the only 2 swaddles that have ever contained our hulk-smashing newborns. (They are all born with super strength.) The Miracle Blanket helped save my sanity when my first baby had colic. The Woombie came about in time for our 2nd, though she seemed to prefer having her arms at her side in the Miracle Blanket. But, our 3rd LOVED having the freedom to scoot his hands up a bit in the Woombie. I’m going to have both washed and ready to see what works best for baby #4.

Aden & Anais Muslin Swaddle Blankets and Dream Blankets Tried & True Baby Items I'm Happy To Use Again For Baby #4 | BabyRabies.com
The basic swaddle blankets are such workhorses. They make excellent nursing covers, spit up rags, car seat covers, light blankets, and plain ol’ swaddles. They are HUGE, which is really useful. The Dream Blankets (like that star one up there) are several layers of the basic swaddle, and they are the perfect weight blanket for when you need something a little heavier. They get softer with every wash, and soon you’ll be wishing you had one in your size (which they actually make).

Fisher Price Rock & Play
Tried & True Baby Items I'm Happy To Use Again For Baby #4 | BabyRabies.com
I’ve only had the Rock & Play for my 3rd baby, and man, I wish I had it for the other 2. My babies all love to sleep in a slight incline, and this thing is PERFECT for that. The Bouncer seat is, too, but it’s not always convenient to sit it on the floor, especially with older kids and dogs running around. Lowell napped in this all the time, and even spent a few fussy nights in it. I hear there’s one now that automatically rocks itself?! Yeah, getting it.

Diono Radian RXT Car Seat
Tried & True Baby Items I'm Happy To Use Again For Baby #4 | BabyRabies.com
These seats are WONDERFUL if you need to fit 3 carseats across one row of your car. With just one Radian RXT in the middle, we were able to get 3 carseats across the back of our Infiniti G35. Leyna, at nearly 6, just outgrew hers and is switching to a Britax Frontier.

Medela Harmony Breast Pump
Tried & True Baby Items I'm Happy To Use Again For Baby #4 | BabyRabies.com
If you think you’re going to even try to breastfeed, I can’t recommend having a manual pump enough. I have used this so much with 3 kids that I’m actually on my 2nd one now. The first lived a long, hard life. Even if you think you’re going to exclusively breastfeed and never give your baby a bottle, and even if you already have a fancy double electric pump, here’s why you need it:
1. Sometimes you need to pump a little bit to relieve engorgement to get a newborn to latch, and having to bust out the electric pump for that can be overwhelming.
2. If you unfortunately wind up with a clogged duct or mastitis, this can really help you get milk moving to help it clear up faster.
3. If you travel, a small manual pump is immensely easier to throw in your bag and take on an airplane with you.

Stokke Tripp Trapp
Tried & True Baby Items I'm Happy To Use Again For Baby #4 | BabyRabies.comThis is the only high chair we’ve ever had, and I fully expect we will still have it when we have grandchildren. It’s easy to clean, impossible to destroy, and functions as a high chair, booster seat, and adult size chair. It’s a fantastic investment that you can feel confident will not wind up in a landfill anytime soon. You can read a more thorough review of it here.

 

Boppy Feeding Pillow
Tried & True Baby Items I'm Happy To Use Again For Baby #4 | BabyRabies.comNot only does it make a great nursing/feeding pillow (and mine looks a little deflated here because it’s been used A LOT)…
Tried & True Baby Items I'm Happy To Use Again For Baby #4 | BabyRabies.com
But it’s also wonderful for tummy time, and helping babies sit up. I love that it’s uncomplicated, and you can find a ton of cute, custom covers on Etsy or from sellers on Instagram. Get you a couple because this thing gets covered in a lot of bodily fluids on the regular.

Bonus- I also need to add some sort of baby carrier to this list, but since I can’t narrow down a specific favorite, and we’ve used several over the years, I’m just going to encourage you to do some research and find a good quality baby carrier (that you can usually find 2nd hand for a great price if you’re not sure it will work out) that works well with your lifestyle.

Tried & True Baby Items I'm Happy To Use Again For Baby #4 | BabyRabies.com

I do love a stretchy Moby Wrap for those newborn days. This saved me when my oldest had colic. I also love soft structured carriers when they get older.

What about you, seasoned parents? What are some of your tried & true baby items you’d recommend a new parent get?

Thanks to Cotton Babies for sponsoring this post. Many of these items, plus so much more, can be found at CottonBabies.com, and shipping is FREE with every order.

November 4, 2016 2 comments
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