This is one of the first questions asked by anyone looking into different types of cloth diapers and researching all the options. I think the main reason this question comes across everyone’s mind is due to the significant cost difference between hemp fiber, organic cotton, and conventional cotton products. The truth is, there are significant differences in the absorbency, durability, overall performance, and of course, environmental impact of hemp fiber products versus conventional and synthetic fibers.
First, and probably foremost, is absorbency. These are diapers after all and they need to hold a lot of “liquid”. Hemp is perfect for diapers because it absorbs at least 3x its weight in liquid. This allows for a trimmer fit without sacrificing absorbency. BabyKicks JoeyBunz are a perfect example of this. When microfiber or cotton inserts are replaced with hemp JoeyBunz, the diaper bag suddenly has a lot more room for changes of clothes, mom’s purse, snacks, goodies, etc. We feel that with less bulk babies are able to move more freely and be comfortable while showing off the cute “fluffy butt” that cloth diapers are known for, all at the same time.
Another great fact about hemp based products is that it wears in rather than wearing out. Hemp fibers are one of the most durable known to man so it will hold its shape and become increasingly more malleable with use. That’s right, the more hemp is used and washed, the softer it gets. The fibers are several times stronger than cotton, so garments (including diapers) will outlast other items made with 100% cotton as well as many synthetic products.
Hemp is also naturally antimicrobial, web definition: capable of destroying or inhibiting the growth of microorganisms. Which means your baby will be naturally protected from rash causing bacteria, fungus, and mold. No rash means happy baby, and happy baby means happy parents. With so much to worry about with a new addition to the family, at least diaper rash is in check.
Speaking of a new addition, one of the most important things for our little ones is having a healthy earth to thrive in. After all, none of us would be here without it, right? So, to return the favor of taking care of us, we should take care of our planet. Using hemp is a great way to be truly eco friendly. It grows well without any pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers, it is drought tolerant which means less water is needed to acquire an adequate crop, it replenishes the soil with nitrogen making it the perfect rotation crop for food farmers, and it grows rapidly, ready for harvest in about 4 months.
Hemp has been known as a “super fiber” for thousands of years and we are finally rediscovering why. Because of its absorbency, durability, mold/mildew resistance, and soft feel it is the perfect material for cloth diapers. Happy baby + Happy planet = Just the way it should be!
With the help of The Cloth Diaper Whisperer we are hosting an Easter Diaper Hunt through the entire month of April! Our general manager, Stephan, is travelling (and hiding) all over Europe with our Bumboo Pocket and Organic Fitted, who we have nicknamed Otto and Maya. They will be sending pictures of landmarks in well known cities as a clue to where they are hiding. If you know where they are you have a chance to win 1 of 6 Easter bags that are guaranteed to include at least one Bumboo Pocket diaper! There will be 5 weeks of giveaways and one GRAND PRIZE at the end. We will also give clues on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday every week throughout the journey on our Facebook page, www.facebook/BabyKicksOrganic. For more information and official rules please visit www.TheClothDiaperWhisperer. Good luck everyone!
I have to admit I was one of those people who is afraid of wool. Even though I read about it and how everyone loves it, I wasn’t sure if I could handle the gentle care it requires. Being a working mom with two babes under 15 months calls for full days and a lot of laundry. Plus, I also noticed the price… it can get expensive! Sure I love the look of a hand knit “monster butt” longie set. But $65 and up is a little steep for something my little one is going to fit in for a couple months, maybe. So I decided wool needed to be bypassed so I could keep things simple and within my budget.
Then one day while browsing one of my favorite sites, Etsy.com, I came across some WAHM items that included upcycled wool diaper covers. There were soakers, shorties, longies, and wraps. As I read about the covers I found that “upcycled” means items that have been repurposed. For example, a long forgotten wool sweater that has been shoved in the farthest corner of your closet is cut and sewn into a completely different item, wool diaper covers. Depending on the size of the sweater and the size of the soaker, multiple covers can be made. The average price for each cover was around $10 and came with care instructions. I thought to myself, “Well, for $10 I think I can give wool a shot!”. So I made my first wool purchase of three upcycled soakers for my little man. All three were a little different in style because I didn’t know which would work best for us. When they arrived in the mail I followed the included instructions for initial lanolizing, which is very important. I still had my sampler tube of Lansinoh from the hospital so I didn’t have to purchase any; which was a definite plus! I mixed it with a little baby wash, and wahlah! I was always under the impression that I needed to have “special” wool cleaner, and that lanolizing was a technique that required some getting used to. After my covers were dry I tried them out on little man. And, as soon as I saw him running around in this soft, breathable, unrestricting “underwear” I was converted. I immediately went on a hunt to find more upcycled wool for my new addition that was on the way. I went back to Etsy and found more in newborn size for $10 each again. The price can’t be beat and the moms who make the covers could not be sweeter. One shop I bought from, Snuggle Pants, even included a handwritten thank you card in my package. Now THAT is dedication to customer service!
I’ve been using wool pretty regularly now for the past 4 months, and I am so pleased with it that I can’t believe I was actually intimidated by it. Never any leak issues, because of the lanolin, and I love that my little men’s special parts can breath. I have my washing routine down now, and it’s nice that I only have to wash my woolies every two weeks, unless they get poo on them which doesn’t happen very often. It only takes about 10 min of actually doing anything. The rest is all soaking and waiting. It really is very simple. I recommend wool to everyone now. Whether it’s upcycled or hand knit, wool is natural, biodegradable, breathable, and better for baby. So, here’s to not being afraid of wool!
We’ve started our BabyKicks Teaching Series! Here is the first video with step by step instructions on how to use our Organic Fitted. We hope the information is helpful and it answers most (if not all) questions anyone may have. Enjoy!
When I was pregnant with my first child and made the decision to use cloth, I originally invested in one size diapers. I didn’t want the hassle of having to buy bigger sizes later on, especially since I had no idea how fast my baby would grow. Plus, in the end it is more economical to buy one diaper that will fit throughout the entire diapering period, rather than two or three different sizes. But, after my baby was born I ran into a problem: all the one size diapers I had in my stash were HUGE on my 7lb newborn. They either came up too far and irritated his cord, or were so bulky through the legs that there were gaps. I had purchased some small prefolds as well, just in case, and those are what I used for the first 2 months until my son was big enough to start fitting the one size diapers. Now, a year later, I see (and know) that it is common for one size diapers to fit after baby has grown some. But, I still love cloth either way.
I was fortunate to test one of our new BabyKicks Organic Fitted diapers on my son starting when he was 11 months old. It fits great! No gaps in the legs and no red marks from the gussets. He is a heavy wetter, so I always double stuff the diaper with 2 JoeyBunz. I noticed after the first time he wore the diaper that the outside wasn’t even damp, so I didn’t need to use a cover. So, this is how he always wears the fitted now, 2 JoeyBunz and no cover. Overnight I use our trifolded Hemparoo prefold with 1 JoeyBunz and a cover. We haven’t had a leak yet, and we use the fitted regularly in our stash. He still has room to grow, and I love that we can use this diaper as a trainer when potty learning time comes. Little Man is 13 months and 20lbs in these pics. Second one shows how the gussets fit around his legs.
Over the past two weeks I’ve been nestling back into being a new mother, again. Getting used to overnight diaper changes and feedings, as well as helping Little Man learn what it means to be a big brother. It’s been an adventure so far, but I think we are starting to fall into a routine and the family love is radiating from all of us. But, in between all the ‘love’ there are loads of laundry to be washed, meals to prepare, and diapers to be changed. I am appreciating how much Little Man likes to help with the household chores, and how much Mini Man (new baby) is content to be carried around in Mama’s wrap.I now alternate the Organic Fitteds I have on both kids. It’s nice to be able to just grab a diaper and not have to worry about it being the right size. Every time I can’t believe how great it fits! Mini is 1 week old and 7lbs in these pics.
I can’t enough of this diaper! It fits our lifestyle and is a great investment. It really is the only diaper needed from birth through potty learning!
Many of us are going green because we know it is good for our children, ourselves, and our environment. We don’t litter, we recycle, we buy organic food, bring our own reusable bags when we go to the grocery store, and, of course, cloth diaper. We are taking all these steps to ensure a healthy, happy planet for the generations to come. But, many of us overlook one of the most earth and health devastating culprits which has saturated our everyday lives. The thing is, we don’t even realize it.
Okay, so most of us know the clothes we wear everyday are made of cotton. Our couch, carpet, curtains, tablecloth, sheets, towels, and stuffed animals… cotton (at least in part). I think many of us also know that cotton is referred to as the ‘king of chemicals’. So, I can’t help but wonder why we continue to buy conventional cotton? We shouldn’t have to wonder if in the end it was worth it. It is cheaper, true. And, it is everywhere. But, don’t we want the best for ourselves and especially our babies?
I came across a very interesting and in depth article that I would like to share with everyone. I also found a shorter version that I am including as well. Both are very informative on the differences between conventional and organic cotton. It truly is amazing that it is the same plant, but they do not in any way compare to each other.
Go Green Baby Co in Salisbury, MD is offering a session called “Cloth Diapering 101″ this coming Saturday, September 20, 2008 at 10AM!
If you have considered cloth diapers, but don’t know where to begin, this looks like a great place to start. Go Green Baby Co. is located on E. College Avenue in Salisbury. You can get more information by calling 443-736-8611 or emailing Jennifer at jennifer (at) gogreenbabyshop.com.
Learn more about this class, and Jennifer’s other offerings at:
I am considering joining the Baby Sign Language Group. Prospector starting signing over the past few weeks- current favorite signs are “car”, “fan” and “milk”.
My family is taking a trip to Disney World in September. We found a great deal on an economy room and are looking forward to taking our kids who will be 4.5 and 12 months at the time. Panorama is still young enough to get a huge kick out of the princesses, and Prospector loves animals, signing and dancing shows.
My initial thought was- well, this will be a week of disposables. But now I am not so sure. The hotel has a laundry room, and I could use liners to minimize the amount of solid mess.
Has anyone tried cloth diapering on trips to Disney or similar adventures?
Vacations to the beach, camping and with family/friends seem less intimidating than a week in a hotel with a strange washer. I’d love your ideas. I’ve started a thread on the BabyKicks forums here:
I had the chance to try out some gDiapers over the past week. There were many things that I liked about them, but I really wasn’t impressed with the flushable/compostable inserts.
I did discover, however, that they worked AWESOME with BabyKicks Joey-Bunz. Of course, you know I am biased since I blog here, but I always give my honest take on anything I try, and they really worked great.
The gDiapers inserts seemed oversized, and I could never really get them crammed into the little plastic sling the way that I wanted.
When I went to change the diaper, it seemed like a lot of the gDiaper insert was unused, so I felt wasteful removing it, but I couldn’t really figure out how I could leave it in there any longer.
Theoretically, the insert is flushable. There are three layers of material that make up the insert. The outer layer is a thin mesh, then there is a fluffy core, and another layer of mesh. In order to flush the gDiaper insert, you need to use your hands to pull open the two outer layers and dump the inner fluff into your toilet. Then you have to use a "swish stick" (included in the kit) to break up the fluff before you flush. The package says not to attempt flushing if you have any doubts about your toilets or pipes. I have a pretty gnarly septic system, so I did not attempt it. It says you can compost, or if you put it in the trash, it will degrade there in a few months.
I like the idea of a biodegradable diaper, but this seemed like a lot of work for little payoff. The inserts are a little on the expensive side (128 Med/Large inserts for $52 when you order from their site which is about on par with the equivalent amount of size 4 Pampers).
So after a few rounds with the gDiaper inserts, I stuck two medium Joey-Bunz into the little plastic hammock inside of the gDiaper. It was a nice, trim fit on Prospector. I didn’t put a cover on him, and the little plastic hammock did its job- he didn’t leak even after a big wet. The only thing that I wish worked differently was that I prefer sticking the Joey-Bunz into a pocket because they really draw the moisture into the core of the diaper and the part that touches the baby stays extra dry (like with our One Size Hemp Diaper, or a compatible pocket diaper like Fuzzi Bunz.) When the insert was soiled, I just did a quick dip in the toilet while I was flushing and threw it into my diaper pail. The gDiaper could be used over and over unless it got wet or dirty.
Another thing to consider is that since the gDiapers are lightweight cotton, if there is a blowout (and there always are a few here and there in life) the diaper itself doesn’t offer any backup protection.
So if you are a gDiaper user- definitely check out BabyKicks Joey-Bunz. Maybe you just use them occasionally, or for backup protection under the flushable inserts, or maybe you switch to using Joey-Bunz full time. Either way, I’d say they are a great enhancement to your diapering arsenal.
There are still a few days left on some of my ebay auctions for slightly irregular Joey-Bunz. For about $35 plus shipping you can try Joey-Bunz with your gDiapers and potentially save yourself a ton in refill costs.
If you have any questions about my experience with gDiapers (they are definitely still in my rotation) head over to this thread in the BabyKicks forum and let’s start talking more.
A few weeks ago, I went over to BabyKicks to learn some more about the diapers I have been using the past few months. Stephan was nice enough to walk me through all of the features of the new diaper and teach me some tricks for snapping, adjusting and more.
This short video shows off the snaps and sizing of the diaper and also shows a technique for diapering small newborns. I am not the best videographer in the universe (though I do have many other talents) so forgive my first attempt at filming and editing!
I have a few more videos to post over the next few days- so stay tuned!
This Hemp Diaper does it all and when we designed it we had your baby’s comfort in mind. That is, for example, why we developed a special new hemp/cotton/polyester blend giving you a one of a kind hemp diaper. This fabric is very very soft and ‘comfortable’, super-stretchy and best of all it does not stiffen over time!
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microfiber or cotton inserts are replaced with hemp JoeyBunz, the diaper bag suddenly has a lot more room for changes of clothes, mom’s purse, snacks, goodies, etc. We feel that with less bulk babies are able to move more freely and be comfortable while showing off the cute “fluffy butt” that cloth diapers are known for, all at the same time..jpg)
is also naturally antimicrobial, web definition: capable of destroying or inhibiting the growth of microorganisms. Which means your baby will be naturally protected from rash causing bacteria, fungus, and mold. No rash means happy baby, and happy baby means happy parents. With so much to worry about with a new addition to the family, at least diaper rash is in check..jpg)
finally rediscovering why. Because of its absorbency, durability, mold/mildew resistance, and soft feel it is the perfect material for cloth diapers. Happy baby + Happy planet = Just the way it should be!v2.jpg)
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