Bummis Tiny Fit diaper Review and giveaway!

I was recently given the opportunity to test out the Bummis Tiny Fit Diaper.

"The innovative Tini Fit diaper features an insert that is attached to the diaper. This makes it super simple to stuff – easier than a conventional pocket diaper. No fiddling around, just a quick tuck to slip the insert in the pocket. No more losing liners in the laundry! Because the liner is attached to the diaper, the Tini Fit combines the convenience of an all-in-one (AIO) diaper with some of the benefits of a 2-piece diaper – quick to dry and easy to clean.

The liner consists of 2 layers. One layer of ultra soft rayon from bamboo against baby’s tender skin, which absorbs 70% more quickly than cotton (on contact), which prevents run-off leaking out the side of the diaper when baby pees! The second layer is made of an ultra-absorbent 100% polyester microfibre that basically doubles the absorbance of the diaper. The Tini Fit also has protective side guards made of anti-wicking, soft brushed polyester that prevent compression wetness. This is a diaper engineered for successful leak containment and total convenience! People who use this diaper adore its trim fit, as well as the generously sized Velcro-type closures and fold-back laundry tabs that really stick.

The Tini Fit will sweetly and effectively fit a tiny baby (5-14 lbs). Each diaper comes with an an additional microfiber booster that you can add inside the pocket, which will boost its absorbency almost to the level of the one-size Easy Fit. The Tini Fit comes in bright and trendy colours (Oeko-tex certified dyes!), plus white."

As most of you know, my Ellie is a peanut. At 2 months old, she is just barely over 8 lbs. So, none of the cloth diapers I had for Jack fit her. Especially since I didn't start him in cloth until he was 6 months old. I was really excited to try this diaper out on her, because I have an easy fit diaper for Jack that I won, and I love it!

The tiny fit was no different! I loved it and wish I could afford a whole stash of these diapers! It fit Ellie at 7 lbs without leaking, and is very absorbent!



Overall, I love this diaper! it is very absorbent, soft against baby's skin, and the velcro and laundry tabs are the best out of any diaper I have ever tried!

Want to try it for yourself? Head over to Bummis to see where you can get them!

Or you can win one! One lucky reader will win a white tiny fit diaper!

How to enter:

1. (mandatory) head over to Bummis and tell me another product you would love to try.

2. Follow my blog or the Bummis blog (1 entry each)

3. Follow Bummis or Me on Twitter (1 entry each)

5. "Like" Bummis and/or My Life as a Married Girl on Facebook (1 entry each)

6. Subscribe via email to my blog (on right sidebar. Must be verified!) (2 entries)

7. Tweet about this giveaway. Make sure to mention @bummis and @katrinawelch (1 entry)

8. Blog about this giveaway. Make sure to link to Bummis and this post. (valid for blogs with at least 25 followers, thanks!) (2 entries)

9. Put my blog button on your site (1 entry)



I will verify all entries, and non valid entries will be deleted! Good Luck!

U.S. Residents only. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway will end on June 16th.

SgBum Cloth Diaper review!

Somewhere in the middle of moving and having a baby, SgBums sent me some diapers to review. It has been forever, but I finally got the chance to try them out!

"SgBum cloth diapers are specially designed to be practical for parents and comfortable for babies with premium quality materials. As parents, we believe in value for money products, and hence providing good quality with affordable price has always been our mission."

I really like these diapers. They sent me the naturelle bamboo, the grande suede, and a diaper cover to try.

The first one I tried was the naturelle bamboo. This diaper uses 100% natural bamboo fleece as the inner lining next to baby’s skin, and a PUL outer. The leg gussets are also a great feature of this diaper, and provide double protection to prevent leask, and prevent red marks on the thighs.

This diaper worked great! It fit my 28lb 22 month old with plenty of room to spare. It was super absorbent, and we haven't had any leak problems at all. The lining is super soft, and something I would want against my skin!

It looks a little bulky, but i had both inserts in it. =)
no gaps!



The next one was the Grande Suede diaper. This version of SgBum Suede Cloth Diaper comes with big and generous cutting for chubby babies. It fits baby from newborn to 16 kg. It is designed not to appear bulky when worn. This Diaper also fit my son great. It was also very absorbent, and we haven't had any leak problems with it either. It reminds me of the Kawaii baby diapers.

This one was very trim!

I didn't get a chance to try the diaper cover, as I have no fitteds or anything to try it with! But, it looks like it would fit well over a fitted or prefold without being bulky. =)

Overall, my impression of these diapers is great! I would definitely recommend them! Waht to check them out for yourself? Head over to sgbum.com!

So, what about the poop?

I "borrowed" this post from Becca over at her Cloth Diaper Blog. =) Be sure to go visit her and say hi!

What do you do with the poop?

Breast milk Poop
When your baby is a newborn and is producing that liquid, breastmilk poop, there's no need to do anything with it. You can put it right in the washer as is. I don't know about formula poop, but I assume it's the same?

Solid Poop
Once your baby starts eating solids--rice cereal, pureed veggies, etc.--it's time to put their poop in the toilet. You can do this through a number of methods

1) A diaper sprayer. This is a simple device that attaches to your toilet and is used to hose off your diapers. You can usually set the strength of the spray to where you want it. It's a great device for removing solids from your diapers hands-free

2) Diaper liners. Mostly, these are found in the flushable variety. You lay them in your baby's diaper, and if they poop, the liner catches it and you just dump it into the toilet and flush. If you manage to find cloth liners (which can easily be made with a bit of microfleece or microsuede), it will be much easier to dump the solids using them than not using anything.

3) Shake it off. Many people say that you can just shake the solids into your toilet, but this doesn't always work. However, in certain cases, the poop does just "shake" off into the toilet. If you cant get it off this way and you have no sprayer or liners, you can dunk your diaper in the toilet water or use toilet paper to pry it off.

What about the poop residue that stays on the diaper? I hate to break it to you guys, but your washers are MADE for cleaning really nasty stuff off your clothes! It's not going to hurt it to get a little poop in there. It will not contaminate your clothing! Trust me, I've been doing dirty diapers in my washing machine every 1-2 days for nine months now and my other clothes still come out fresh and clean! :-D

So, are you grossed out? Are you wavering in your decision to cloth diaper just because of a little poop? Well, there's one more thing I have to tell you:

Disposable Diaper Poop
According to the instructions on the package of disposable diapers, you need to shake the poop off of them into the toilet when soiled. Human feces are not meant to dwell in landfills because they can pollute and contaminate the water, the soil, and even the air . Human poop is meant to be disposed of in the sewer system. So, no matter how you slice it, you will need to dispose of your baby's poop in the toilet. You might as well do it with adorable cloth diapers that save your baby's skin, the environment, and tons of dollars!!!

So, what do you do with the poop? Do you use a different method? If so, please share! I use the classic dunk and swish method because we don't have the money to get a sprayer. But it works for me!

Cloth Diaper Care

So now you have your cloth diapers, how do you take care of them?

It is best to wash your diapers at least every 2-3 days. Any longer than that and they will start to smell!

First of all, Take a look at the detergent that you are planning to use. You will want one that has no heavy perfumes, dyes and no added fabric softeners (like Dreft). You also do not want to use laundry soap. The added fabric softeners and the laundry soap can cause the diapers to become moisture repellent (not what you want in a cloth diaper). I recommend a detergent made for cloth diapers or a simple detergent such as Lulu's in the fluff, rockin green or charlie's soap. And, don't use fabric softeners of any kind! Also, bleach is a no-no, and will usually void your warranty if there is one.

There are two methods for storing soiled diapers.
The wet pail - Keeping your diapers soaking in water is not necessary to keep them clean. A pail full of water can be a safety hazard to small children. The pail also has be on the small side or you will not be able to lift it. If you to soak, don't use detergent or bleach in the water and make sure that the lid on your pail locks.
The dry pail - Just dump any loose solids in the toilet, then put the diapers in a dry pail with a liner. On wash day dump in your washing machine. a sprinkle of pail freshener or baking soda will help with any odors.

Note: If you exclusively breastfeed, you don't even need to rinse your diapers! The breastfed poo is completely water soluble and will wash out easily. Once you add formula or solids, you need to rise the diapers in the toilet or use a diaper sprayer to get the excess poo off the diapers. No need to rinse wet diapers.

As for the wash cycle, I recommend doing a cold soak and rinse, followed by a hot wash and an extra hot/warm rinse to get any leftover detergent out.

Detergent needs to be completely rinsed out of all diapers each time. Detergent build up will trap old odors and that wonderful smell will be released when your baby pees. Only use half the recommended amount of detergent. (unless using a cloth diaper detergent, then follow the instructions!) Check the diaper load when you haven't added any detergent. If there is foam on top, the diapers have detergent built up in them. Run them through another cycle until there is no foam on top.

Drying your diapers
Diapers can be dried in the dryer on low heat, but hang drying is great for increasing the life of your diapers. Just make sure that you don't use fabric softening sheets!

let me know if you have any more questions!

The different types of Cloth Diapers... what should I choose?

There are several different types of cloth diapers out there these days, and it can get confusing as to which ones to try. I am going to try and go over the different kinds of diapers, and the pro's and con's. Please keep in mind that most of these are my opinions. =) Everyone feels differently about different things! Hopefully it will help!

Pocket Diapers

These are the ones I use the most. They consist of an outer waterproof shell and usually have a fleece interior. there is a pocket opening in the front or back to allow you to put in the absorbent inserts. The fleece lining wicks moisture away from babies' skin, leaving it dry to the touch, and you can put in as many or as few inserts as you want making it completely customizable. Common Pocket diapers are Fuzzibunz & BumGenius.
Pro's: The fit is great. They usually come in a one-size system so you can use the same diapers from birth to potty training. They are easy to clean and dry quick. They are waterproof, so you don't have to worry about using a cover.
Con's: You have to pull the inserts out of the diapers, which can be gross for some people. The lining is generally made with fleece which is a synthetic fabric.

All-In-Ones (AIO)

AIO cloth diapers are shaped very much like disposable diapers with an hourglass shape and elastic in the legs and waist to keep messes inside. All-in-one cloth diapers consist a waterproof outer, an absorbent soaker, and a one-piece inner. They close with snaps or a hook and loop system similar to Velcro. All-in-one diapers come in different sizes to fit from birth to potty learning. AIOs are one-piece diapers that do not need a cover. This makes them one of the most simple types of cloth diapers. Common Brands are Little Smudgeez, Bumkins and Kushies.
Pro's: They are easy to use. They are one-piece, and great for babysitters or dads.
Con's: They take longer to dry, the fit can be bulky and you need different sizes just like with disposables.

All-in-Twos (AI2)

AI2 cloth diapers are similar to AIOs except that the soaker in an AI2 is separate from the diaper body. Usually AI2 soaker is snapped to the diaper body, but it may be laid or sewn in also. AI2s do not need a cover because the diaper body has a waterproof outer layer.
Pro's: They are easy to use, Body and soaker separate, so they dry faster than AIOs, and the soaker can be replaced if needed without buying a whole new diaper.
Con's: fit can be bulky depending on the diaper, and you have to snap in the inserts.

Hybrid Diapers

Hybrid diapers are an AI2 system that can use either a disposable insert or a reuseable insert. The insert typically lays or snaps into the waterproof outer shell. They are available in a one-size system and a sized system. Common brands are the Flip, gDiaper, and grovia.
Pro's: They are good for people who want to be greener but don't want to take the full leap into cloth diapers. The disposable inserts are usually flushable and cleanup is easy. They usually fit well and can be used from birth-potty training if you get the one size system.
Con's: The disposable inserts can be just as expensive or more expensive than disposable diapers, so if you are wanting to save money, this is not the way to go. (unless you use the reusable inserts.)

Prefolds with covers

Prefolds are your grandma's diapers. They are a square of cloth that is folded and fastened using pins or a snappi. They are made with cotton, and require a cover.
Pro's: Prefolds are the most economical diapers. They are much cheaper than the other diapers.
Con's: They require a lot of work. you have to fold and pin them which can be difficult on a squirmy baby. They require a cover. you don't really get a great fit, and they can be a bit bulky depending on the size of the baby.

Well, Those are the types of diapers I can think of right now. If you want me to add anything, just let me know! Hope this helps!

Cloth Diaper Glossary

There are so many different terms in cloth diapering that can sound foreign if you are new to the whole idea.
So, I decided to post all of the common abbreviations and types as a glossary of sorts. Hope it helps!

All-in-one Diapers
Also known as AIO's, all-in-ones are fitted diapers that have an outer waterproof layer. Often they have fewer absorbent layers than their counterparts. These diapers are ideal for out of home use. They are not practical for daily use since frequent washing and drying reduces the effectiveness of the waterproof outer layer.
Reviews

Diaper Covers
Like diapers, covers come in many forms. Like fitted diapers they may be contoured shaped and can fasten with snaps or velcro. Some covers resemble underwear. Either are made of polyester or vinyl to prevent wetness from getting on baby's clothing. These are ideal for covering your child's diaper during the daytime.
There are also wool and polar fleece diaper covers. These too may be contoured shaped with snap or velcro fasteners. Others come in "boxer-like" shape. Some prefer these covers for night-time use because they breathe.

Doublers
This term is often used interchangeably with liners perhaps because they do overlap from time to time. Doublers are thick rectangular pads that can be inserted between your baby's bottom and the diaper to provide extra absorbency. These are great for heavy wetters or for night-time use.

Fitted Diapers
Fitted diapers resemble disposable diapers. They have a contoured shape and have gathered edges around the legs. Instead of tape, they are fastened with either velcro or snaps. A waterproof diaper cover is necessary when using a fitted.

Flat or Square Diapers
Flat diapers refer to the single-ply square shaped diapers that resemble the diapers our mothers and grandmothers used.

Hemp
Hemp is a course fiber made from the inner bark of the hemp plant. It is becoming increasingly popular for use in diapers because of its durability, absorbency and natural anti-microbial properties.

Liners
Liners are thin material used between a baby's bottom and the diaper itself. Most liners are used to keep stool away from diapers for easy clean up. Most are flushable.

Polar Fleece
Fleece's ability to wick moisture away from the skin makes it a great fabric for covers. Also, since fleece has the ability to allow liquid (such as pee) to shoot through it and not penetrate back, it works as a wonderful stay dry liner.

Pre-folds
Pre-fold diapers are rectangular shaped diapers that are divided lengthwise in 3 sections. The outer sections usually have a thickness of 4 layers. The middle section can have 6 or 8 layers. This gives pre-folds absorbency where it is needed most, in the middle. You will often see prefolds defined as 4-6-4, 4-8-4 or more rarely 2-4-2. These numbers refer to the layers of cloth in each section from left to right. Pre-folds are the cheapest alternative in diapers. They can be enclosed in a velcro or snap fastened diaper or they can be pinned with safety pins or snappi fasteners.

Pocket Diapers
Pocket diapers are the newest type of diapers to hit the cloth diapering world. Pocket diapers are two piece diapering system typically with a piece of fleece that makes up the inner portion of fabric and a waterproof layer that makes up the outermost portion. An absorbent insert is placed inside of the two pieces making the whole system act as an all in one system that keeps babies dry.

Soakers
The term soaker is used for two different things. First, this word refers to the middle layer of the diaper. Often this layer is made of a different fabric than the rest of the diaper, one that is more absorbent. The term soaker is also use in reference to wool or polar fleece diaper covers. Unlike other diaper covers, wool and polar fleece are water resistant, rather than waterproof. They do allow some wetness to wick through from the diaper but still manage to keep babies' clothes dry.

Wool
Wool is a fabric made of fleece of sheep or lamb. Its water repelling properties and breathability are what make it popular for use as a diaper cover. Most cloth diaperers save their wool covers for night-time use since it is bulkier than their vinyl or polyester counterparts. Many choose wool because it is natural. You have to take special care when washing and drying your wool products or they will dry out and become stiff.


One-Size Diapers
One size diapers are diapers that fit a wide range of sizes. Each one size diaper is different in some way, but they all give an average range of weights that their diapers fit. The most common range is 7 to 35 lbs, but some even average around 10 to 40 lbs.

Hybrid Diapers
Hybrid Diapers are diapers with cloth diaper covers that use either cloth or environmentally-friendly disposable inserts. g-diapers are a popular hybrid diaper.

Inserts
Inserts are most popularly used with Pocket Diapers. They are comprised of a couple of layers of extremely absorbent fabric such as cotton, microfiber, hemp, etc…that is stuffed into the sleeve or pocket of the diaper to give it absorbency. The great thing about inserts is you can customize your diaper’s absorbency depending upon which insert you use. In addition, you can lay them inside an AIO if you feel it needs more absorbency, you can use AIOs within some covers as a diapering system, or you can lay them in AI2s.

Wet Bag
Wet Bags are waterproof bags used to hold soiled cloth diapers and/or other wet things (such as bathing suits and towels). A small wet bag can be placed in your diaper bag for short trips, and a larger one can be used instead of, or inside of, a diaper pail. The great thing about wet bags is you can throw them in the wash with whatever cargo they carry. Also, any bad smells stay inside the bag. They are a great, and necessary, cloth diapering accessory to have.

Any other terms you want defined? Just let me know!

Cloth Diaper Event!

It's Time! Extra entries are now closed! Over the next week we will have several reviews and/or giveaways from Lulu's in the Fluff, Snap-Ez, Mother-ease, Kam-snaps, Green Acre Designs and possibly one or two more companies!
I will also be posting on several topics including why choose cloth, a cloth diapering glossary, how to care for your cloth diapers and more.
I would love to do a post on any questions you have, so if you have any questions, please ask them here and I will do my best to answer them!

Are disposable diapers dangerous?

CBC News recently posted This Article asking that very question.

They referred back to the pampers lawsuit and the claims that the new dry max diapers are causing bad diaper rashes and even chemical burns.

They state "Regardless of the legal outcome, the bad Pampers press has shed light on the fact that parents are largely in the dark about the chemicals found in the disposable diapers their children wear. There's little data available." So True.

They also go on to say "Research on the issue is scant. Apart from the countless websites set up by eco-conscious groups or purveyors of organic diapers, very little scientific literature exists on the chemicals diaper manufacturers use.

There is an often-cited study by Andersen Laboratories in 1999, published in the Archives of Environmental Health. In the study conducted on mice, scientists found that "diaper emissions were found to include several chemicals with documented respiratory toxicity,'' according to lead author Rosalind Anderson, a physiologist. She found that the mice suffered asthma-like symptoms when exposed to a variety of diaper brands.

It was noted that xylene and ethyl benzene were emitted by the diapers, chemicals that are suspected endocrine, neurological and respiratory toxins; along with styrene, a chemical linked to cancer and isopropylene, a neurotoxin.

Diapers contain a variety of plastics, adhesives, glues, elastics and lubricants, some of which can cause irritation."

and

"a manufacturing consulting website, The Diaper Industry Source, says most disposable diapers contain sodium polyacrylate, a super-absorbant gelling material. A polymer, it has the ability to absorb 1,000 times its weight in water, making it a very useful diaper component in its ability to contain urine.

Sodium polyacrylate's material safety data sheet indicates that "the respirable dust is a potential respiratory tract irritant." The dust "may cause burning, drying, itching and other discomfort, resulting in reddening of the eyes," not to mention lung irritation.

Diapers can contain cancer-causing dioxin when the paper used to make them is bleached, though a 2002 U.S. study found that exposure through diapers is significantly less than through food, and not of great concern. They can also contain polyurethane, adhesives, inks used to create the cartoon images found on many disposable diapers, and lotions used to coat the diaper liner.Procter and Gamble denies Dry Max causes chemical burns. (Jennifer Kerr/Associated Press)

These lotions often include petrolatum, essentially the same substance as Vaseline, which has the potential to be contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), cancer-causing chemicals found in crude oil, according to the U.S. Environmental Working Group.

Many disposables also add fragrance to their diapers to mask fecal odours or chemical odours, which in many cases contain phthalates, the class of chemicals known to disrupt the endrocrine system. That's the strong smell that diapers often give off when newly opened."

They say some other interesting things too, but I thought these were the main points. I knew diapers contained chemicals, but I didn't know that it was this bad! How can we be putting this stuff on our baby's skin? The skin is the largest organ, and absorbs anything we put on it. Makes you wonder if some of these chemicals are to blame for so many of the new problems and sicknesses that we have around now that were rarely present 30-40 years ago (back before disposables were invented!)

This makes me even more glad to be using cloth diapers. What about you? do you use cloth or disposable? what are your thoughts on the matter? Want to know more about cloth diapering? Feel free to email me! (marriedgirlblog(a)gmail.com)

Operation Fluffy!

So, a group of cloth diapering Mamas have made it their mission to get Ellen to feature cloth diapering on her show! I think it's a great idea!

I am a recent convert to cloth diapers, as most of you know, and I can tell you I already love it! It is so much easier than I thought it would be! I mean yeah, it's still a pain when you have a poopy diaper, but it's worth the money we are saving on regular diapers!

Now, I am not really "green" though I try and do small things. But on Dirty Diaper Laundry, she says:
"Without mass media exposure, something the mom run diaper businesses simply cannot afford, we can’t really let the moms of the world know that there is a better way. Mention cloth diapers to a room with 100 new moms, and maybe 10 would have heard of the Modern Cloth Diaper. The rest would think of pins, rubber pants, and stinky wet pails. The internet is full of niche cloth diaper communities, but we are preaching to the choir! They already know the benefits of cloth. The mom who watches your show every day doesn’t. She might recylce, buy organic food, compost, and drive a hybrid, and still use disposables. Why? Because she has no idea how easy they are. I have actually met people who are very green, and still use disposables for that reason!"

That is so true! I think if more people knew about how cloth diapering is now, more people would do it! Heck, if I would have known before Jack was born, I would have probably started then! =)

Anyways, I will leave you with a couple pictures of Jack in his new diapers!

Day 1 of cloth diapering...

Well, I survived my first day of using cloth diapers! =)

I was able to get a decent amount thanks to my wonderful mom! (I told her to buy them for me for my birthday... haha)

She got me 2 bum genius used, and a bumkins used, and a set of 10 Kawaii baby new All in one diapers.

I am also getting a heck of a deal on some g-diapers that I get tomorrow... 5 diaper covers, 15 reusable inserts, and a pack of 30 disposable inserts for $50!

So far I have just used the Kawaii Baby diapers, and they have been good! The first one leaked a little, but I think it was user error. ;-) i am happy with them, and for $6.99 each, you really can't beat the price! They are pocket diapers, even though they say all in one, but that isn't a big deal to me. =)

Now I just need to get or make some wipes. =) I may ask my grandma to... I think it will be easier than trying to use disposable wipes.

Cloth Diapering

Lately we have really been feeling the lack of funds, and our diaper stash that I built up before Jack was born is almost out. After thinking about it, and researching it, I am going go switch to cloth diapers.

They will save us a lot of money in the long run. Diapers are so expensive! Plus, from what I've heard there are less problems with leaking, and they are definitely more eco-friendly. Many people think they are a lot more work, which isn't necessarily true. They do require washing every couple days, and rinsing out poo, but that's about it. not too much extra work to save thousands of dollars until Jack is potty trained!

So far, I have 3 diapers, thanks to a lady on freecycle. But man! Those suckers are expensive to get started on! I am trying to find some good deals, and praying I get my unemployment hearing soon, because if I do, and I win and get unemployment, a chunk of that money will go to getting a decent stash of cloth diapers. Unless anyone out there reading this has some laying around that they don't want anymore! *wink*wink*

So yeah. Anyone have any good advice regarding cloth diapering? =)

My wishlist