I HATE CLOTH DIAPER!!!!

Oh no... that's not us.... but, while I was surfing the internet, I saw some comments like that made me wonder why people have such comments.  Then, thinking about it, some parents do not want to even give Cloth Diaper a chance.  In fact, my sister is one of them. She has never tried cloth diaper before, she sees what I do, what I go through and her only comment is "I rather pay and throw away the diapers".  Well, since this time around, she will leave her baby girl with us (my mom) during the day, I will help convert her to a cloth diaper mom :)  

So, back to the statement again, "I Hate Cloth Diapers!"  Why? According to the comments from a lot of the mom, they did give cloth diapers a try but just failed, so, I would like to list what reasons they gave when they boxed their cloth diaper up or sold them away.

·       

• First try was on a newborn and he/ she pooped more than 5 times a day everyday!

       Having 2 babies, I do agree, I want to say the first 1-2 weeks of their life, they poop a lot!  I  didn't know why but read that in the early days, a newborn's bowel movements are thick and dark green in color. This is due to a substance called meconium that has been building up in her intestines during pregnancy. So, what can new CD moms do?

Option 1: Choose the hybrids, they can still use the diaper covers but disposable diaper inserts, just throw out and continue to reuse the diaper covers.

Option 2: Use flushable diaper liners, lay a layer on top of the cloth diaper, just throw the liners away and put a new diaper liners on top unless there are poopy over the cloth diapers, if not, just continue to do that.

• It stinks, it smells so horrible, I cannot stand the smell

Usually, when people complain that their cloth diaper stinks, it is most likely the ammonia smell.  It is very common with cloth diaper because the baby’s urine gradually turns into ammonia as it sits. 

Option 1:   Use odor remover spray – There are odor remover spray out there that you can spray a few squirt on the cloth diaper before putting in the pail. 

Option 2:   Check on the detergent that you are using – There have been advise to use a little of Calgon into the rinse cycle if you live in the “hard” area.

Option 3:   You can try stripping your diapers.  This simply means running a full hot wash cycle without detergent, repeating until the water is free of suds. Then dry as usual.

Option 4:  Replace your inserts

• I hate doing laundry and now I have to do more laundry?

        This is one of the easiest solution…. Get more Cloth Diapers so that you don’t have to do laundry that often!  Of course… that means spending more money.

• I have not been successful, the cloth diaper leaks!  
  There are a lot of reasons why cloth diaper leaks. 

Option 1:   The right settings is really important.  You don’t want the diapers to be too tight nor too loose.  My personal experience was with mama.  She cloth diapered us when we grew up, of course then, there were no fancy cloth diapers like what we have today.  every one of us used prefolds with pins.  I want to say when it came to my youngest sister (there are 4 of us we the age difference between the oldest and youngest is 17).   The Bububibi diapers were new to mama.  We didn’t know why each time she puts the diaper on for  him, it leaks but when I do, it doesn’t.  So one day, I looked at the way she prepares the diaper and put on my son.  Immediately I saw the problem.  He was so young and she had the largest setting on him and everywhere was loose.  I told her, this is not the right setting.  She said I don’t want it to be too tight on him.  I had to educate her that it is unlike the prefolds, these are gussets on the leg and bag, it really is not tight at all.  She thinks that it has to be loose fit and I said no, this has to be a perfect for the baby, if not, it would leak.  Now that we’ve got the right setting, we don’t have leak problems any more. 

Option 2: Did you include enough inserts and or did you insert them correctly? Sometimes, especially when we are in a hurry, the other kid is demanding for something or the baby is crying, you had to rush and quickly put his diaper on so that you can attend to the other kid, you just stuff the insert into the pocket without adjusting correctly.  That could make certain part of the diaper not have the insert  and cause leaking.  Also, if you have a heavy wetter like I do, 1 insert wasn’t enough for us, we had to use 2.  Lastly, the placement of the inserts do matters for boys or girls. Since I only have boys, I made sure that the inserts were always on the front and not the back.

Option 3:  Change your baby more frequently.  Some babies just need more frequent diaper change compared to others.  Just change them more often.

Option 4:  Did you damage your diapers by using bleach OR softeners?   That is one of the biggest NO, NO for cloth diapers.

• Too much work to save the environment
  I guess this is one of the hardest but then again, nothing comes easy.  At least that’s what I learn in life.  If we want something, we have to work hard for it, so, if we want to save the environment, make sure that our future generations still get to enjoy what we have today, we have to do our part.
  
  
• My husband/ family is not supportive
  This is another one where I personally do not have experience with.  My husband and family has always been very supportive in everything that I do.  I guess this is what people can do:
  
  Option 1: If $$$ is one of the things that they care about, explain to them and show them how much you can save by using CDs.
  
  Option 2:  Explain to them on how much this means to the environment.
  
  
• They are too expensive upfront
  There are many diaper brands out there.  Some cost $18- $22 each, some half the price.  That’s why as a mom, I offer the lowest price that I could.  Everything stock that I own is out of my personal  savings.  I try to offer as low as I can but often people’s mindset is CHEAP = LOW QUALITY.  I hope moms out there would understand that it’s not that most of the case and would give our BubuBIbi diapers a chance.

Option 1:  Find cheaper alternatives, try to test other diapers out there that are more towards your budget.

Option 2: Purchase used cloth diapers, sometimes you can find used branded cloth diapers on craigs, ebay where people are done with their cloth diapers or totally gave up the cloth diapers, you can purchase them at half the price.

Option 3: There are a lot of nonprofit organization out there provides free cloth diapers for those who are in need of them.  BubuBibi actually are going to be sponsor a few of them, providing free diapers every month.  Please check them out.

Cloth diapering is really fun, the thing I love most is looking at his cute butt.  It is colorful and it sticks out, makes him look like a chubby baby.  Give it a little more time, I am sure those who said this statement before “I hate Cloth diapers” would in turn tell their story and say, “I love cloth diapers” and thank goodness I gave them a little try!

BubuBibi - Original Solid 2.0 Bamboo Cloth Diapers - How to put on a baby Cloth Diaper

There are some first time cloth diaper mom out there that are not too sure on how to use the cloth diapers.

It is really easy.... just a few steps.  First of all, determine the best setting for your baby.  The recommended weight and setting is as shown above.  Then, snap down the front to ensure that you get the best setting for your baby.

Once that is done, insert the bamboo insert into the front pocket.  IF your baby is a heavy wetter, please use 2 inserts to ensure that it absorbs more.  Lastly, put your baby on the diaper and fasten the snaps. 

It is really very easy.

Cloth Diaper 101 : Are you ready? Is Cloth Diapering for you?

Occasionally, I do get questions from first time cloth diaper mom, unsure about whether cloth diapering is for them or not.  I hope this will help some of clarify some of their doubts.  Please note that this is just from my personal advise as well as close friends.

Why I choose to cloth diaper?  First of all, I grew up in them, so, I
already had a feel when I was a little girl.  Of course, 30 years ago, the
cloth diapers were nothing like what we have today.  It is not as convenient as what we have today.

So, you are considering Cloth Diapering but not sure if it is for you or not.  But before you move on further, maybe you should ask yourself why are you considering cloth diapering?  Is it because of cost, your baby's health condition, you are worried about environment or do you like your baby to have a cute diaper? 

Though, it is definitely not easy, I have to admit myself.  It could be frustrating at first.  At least for us, the first time wasn't the best.  But after trying out a few system, we found the best for us and that's how we came out with the BubuBibi Cloth Diapers.  Different things works for different people.  Different people have different preferences and likes of dislikes.  I personally think that it is best to try several types to see which one works best for you. 

1. What system to use?
   There are many different types of cloth diaper system out there. 
   
   (Yes... there are many out there!) 
   Types of Cloth Diapers:
   Fitted Diaper - A fitted diaper is shaped to fit the baby and typically uses velcro or snaps as a closure. It closely resembles disposable diapers. They are contoured and fitted with elastics around the legs and back. This type of diaper requires a cover. Since it requires a cover, some say that it is not as convenient compared to the AIO but the good thing is that it can be washed at high temperatures, separate from covers. Fitted comes in a variety of materials, such as cotton, flannel, bamboo, terry cloth, hemp, bamboo and velour. According to most, fitted diapers are one step up from the prefolds used many years ago.
   
   Pocket Diaper – A pocket diaper is a diaper with a waterproof outer layer (PUL) and an inner layer of a stay dry material such as microfleece, suedecloth or bamboo. They come with a pocket (mostly at the back but some could be at the front), for the absorbent inner layer to be stuffed in the pocket during use and then to be removed for laundering. This makes them really versatile and also less bulky than some other type of cloth diapers. Most say that they are very similar to the AIO or AI2. Good thing about the pocket diaper is that you choose what you want to “stuff” into the pocket so that you can find the right absorbency level. On the other hand, the disadvantage of using the pocket diaper is that it requires a separate stuffer and sometimes, it could be a little too bulky if too many inserts are stuffed.
   
   Pre-Fold – A rectangular of cloth that is thicker in the middle third than on the sides. The pre-folds are most commonly made from cotton. The fabric is folded in the middle so that the middle is more absorbent. The pre-fold can also be used as burp cloth. It can be folded and pinned or snappied into place or simply laid into a waterproof cover. Pre-fold are the cheapest cloth diaper options but it will require a diaper cover. The prefolds require a diaper pin or snappi to close. Some also say that the pre-fold can also be used as inserts or doublers. The advantage of using the pre-fold is that it is very economical, easy to launder and very fast to dry. The down side to it is that it requires a diaper cover or pin/ snappy to work.
   
   Diaper Liners – Diaper liners are added to a diaper next to the child’s skin. Liners are thin layers of cloth or paper that is placed inside the diaper to aid in the cleaning of solid waste. They usually come in a roll or boxes of 100 or 120. It is not used for absorbency but instead as a barrier that allows the transfer of liquids through it. A flushable liner for instance is used to keep solids off the diaper easily. They also helps prevents stains on cloth diapers. Most common fabric liners are made out of silk, micro fleece and flannel but the lately, bamboo has been a hit as well.
   
   AIO – Known as the All-In-One Cloth Diapers. This diaper contains the waterproof outer layer (PUL) and the absorbent middle layer and the stay dry inner layer in one piece. Most say that it is the closest to disposables diapers since it is a one cloth diapering system. The absorbent soaker is sewn onto the diaper.
   
   AI2 – Known as the All-In-Two Cloth Diapers. The AI2s are very similar to the AIOs with the exception that the absorbent soakers are not attached to the diapers all the way. These diapers have a snap in the soaker layer so that it can be detached. The advantage of the AI2s over the AIOs is that the AI2s dries faster since the soaker can dried and wash separately. Some AI2s work more like Pocket diapers.
   
   CPF – Known as the Chinese Pre-fold diapers. These are high quality cotton diapers but most say that it is not as soft as the Indian Pre-fold diapers. They are often choice for embroidery and are very durable. Since they are cotton, you can sometimes find them in a wide variety of colors or tie dye.
   
   IPF – Known as the Indian Pre-fold diapers. These are very similar to the Chinese Pre-fold. They are soft, absorbent cotton pre-fold diapers made in either India or Pakistan.
   
   OS – Known as the One Size cloth diapers. It is a diaper that folds or snaps down to adjust the size to fit newborns all the way to toddlers.
   
   Material Used For Cloth Diapers:
   
   Hemp – The hemp is a fast growing plant that requires few chemicals than cotton. Hemp fiber is one of the strongest and most durable natural textile fibers. Not only is it strong, but it also holds its shape having one of the lowest percent elongation of any natural fiber. As a fabric, hemp provides all the warmth and softness of other natural textiles but with a superior durability seldom found in other materials. Natural organic hemp fiber ‘breathes’ and is biodegradable. Hemp blended with other fibers easily incorporate the desirable qualities of both textiles. When combined with the natural strength of hemp, the soft elasticity of cotton or the smooth texture of silk create a whole new genre of fashion design. While growing hemp is banned in the US due to an uniformed political situation, it was once grown freely in the US for making rope and other materials. Some may wonder if hemp is legal, yes, industrial hemp products such as clothing and food stuffs are completely legal in the U.S. but the cultivation of industrial hemp is not. Hemp is absorbent, durable, natural and has an anti-microbial quality.
   
   Bamboo – Bamboo is a fabric that is pretty popular for cloth diapers. According to most research, bamboo absorbs 3-4 times better than the cotton. They are really soft like silk. Bamboo is known for their antibacterial qualities, from the time they are grown to the process of being manufactured into cloth diapers, they have the natural qualities that repels and eliminate most forms of antibacterial. Bamboo is highly water absorbent. According to research, it is able to take 3 times more water weight. It retains this ability in some extent, pulling the moisture away from the skin so that it can evaporates. Bamboo can be worn all year round. It keeps babies cool during the summer time and warm during winter time. Babies who has sensitive skin or who are allergic to fabrics made from other materials find that they will have no problems with the bamboo. Bamboo has lots of micro holes, it makes breathability superior to that of cotton.
   
   Fleece – There are many different types of fleece but the two main types of fleece used for diapers. The most common one is cotton fleece. Both cotton and hemp fleece is absorbent and is used for the main part of the diaper or for inside soaker layers. Polyester fleece is not absorbent and is used for wicking layers (microfleece) or outer waterproof layers or diaper covers (polar fleece).
   
   Microfiber/ Microfleece – Microfiber is usually made out of 75% polyester and 25% polyamide. Microfleece is usually 100% polyester. Typically used next to baby’s skin to keep the baby feeling dry and even for wet diapers. Though, some people advise not to use microfiber next because it can dry out baby’s skin. One thing good about the microfleece is that it resists staining and most importantly, it does not hold solids like other diaper fabric can.
   
   Cotton – Cotton is a soft, fluffy, staple fiber that grows in a boll around the seeds of the cotton plant. It is a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, Pakistan, India and Africa. The fiber most often is spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft, breathable textile, which is the most widely used natural-fiber cloth in clothing today.
   
   Organic Cotton - Organic cotton is generally understood as cotton, from non genetically modified plants, that is certified to be grown without the use of any synthetic agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers or pesticides.[1] Its production also promotes and enhances biodiversity and biological cycles. In the United States cotton plantations must also meet the requirements enforced by the National Organic Program (NOP), from the USDA, in order to be considered organic. This institution determines the allowed practices for pest control, growing, fertilizing, and handling of organic crops.
   
   Sherpa – Sherpa is a super soft fabric that is perfect for cuddly diaper and absorbent soakers or inserts. It is made by brushing the loops of the terry cloth to make them even softer. It is soft even after several washes. Most Sherpa has at least some polyester to make it more durable. Sherpa is a favorite for cloth diapers as well as wipes.
   
   Suadecloth – Suadecloth is thinner than microfleece but shares many similarities and therefore makes it perfect for diaper inner lining in some pocket diapers. The moisture goes through the fabric to the soaker pad, allowing baby’s skin to dry longer.
   
   Polar Fleece – According to Wikipedkia, polar fleece is also known as microfleece but typically referred as “fleece”. Polyester fleece that is commonly used for the outer layer of pocket diapers or as a waterproof diaper cover. One of the first forms was Polar Fleece created in 1979 by Malden Mills. Malden fleece is sought after because it is the most reliable anti-pill fleece and it is also the most water resistant. Fleeces differ widely, even from one manufacturer so some fleeces are more water resistant than others. Polar fleece is also used for blankets, outdoor gear and winter wear.
   Yes.... there are tons of different types and materials used for Cloth
   Diapers, I personally prefer the One Size, Pocket Snaps bamboo diapers, at least
   it works perfect for my 2 boys.
    
2. Accessories?
   
   Accessories??? Are these even necessary? What are they?
• Wet Bags These comes really handy especially if you go out with your cloth diapers.  Or if you don't want to use the wet or dry pail, you can just use a wet bag, zip them up till your next diaper wash. The wet bags comes in various different sizes and variety.  Some even comes with the wet/ dry bag, the wet portion to put dirty diapers and the
  dry portion for clean ones!
   
• Biodegradable Flushable Diaper Liners
  Again, this is not a must, it is perfect for mommy who hates dealing with poopy
  diapers.  All you do is to lay this flushable liner on the top and if there
  is a poopy diaper, just throw away the dirty liner but of course, if you have a
  major blow out, you will still get poopy on the cloth diaper but at least... it
  won't be as bad as nothing on it.  Also, we advise to not use rash cream or
  any cream while using cloth diapers but sometimes, you may need to, for example,
  my second son had his circumcision when he was 4 months old and we had to put
  lots of petroleum jelly to help heal, so, the liner was perfect for us.
   
• Diaper Pail Liner
  This could be an alternative to the wet or dry pail.  Sometimes, I even use
  this as a laundry bag, it's big enough for us to put tons of cloth diapers and
  his clothes.
   
• Diaper Sprayer
  We personally did not use this since I have a sink in my laundry room.  But
  for those who do not have them, then the diaper sprayer is good since it is
  attached to the toilet system where you can flush away the poopy diaper directly
  into the toilet bowl before putting the cloth diaper in a wet or dry pail or wet
  bag.
3. How to wash?
   I believe each diaper brand would have its recommendation on how to wash their
   diapers.  Like ours, especially for the first wash, since we mostly sell
   Bamboo Diapers, we really do recommend our customers to pre wash them 7-8 times
   before using the diaper.  Therefore, I strongly advise you to read the
   instruction or recommendation by the cloth diaper that you are using. 
   
   Then, you'd probably have question on which detergent to use?  Again like
   the cloth diaper, there are many different brands out there.  Though, we do
   carry 2 brands that works best with our diapers, Charlie's Soap as well as
   Rockin Green.  We have a post that tells the difference between them.
   
   Cloth Diaper Laundry Mistakes!!!
   The 2 biggest NO NO for washing cloth diapers is NO Bleach, NO Fabric
   Softener!!!
   
    
4. Where to buy?
   Of course we would love for you to purchase our diapers BubuBibi from our website (http://www.bububibi.com/) but again, like mentioned above, some people may like our diapers, some may not, so, if you do not, you can also purchase from
   http://www.ibabydepot.com/, they sell various different top cloth diaper brands out there.
   
    
5. Other considerations that a lot of time people miss:
   1. Diapering Services
      Should we use diapering services?  To be honest, I have never used one, my
      goal for cloth diapering is to save money and my kids have sensitive skin, and I
      use our BubuBibi Diapers, so, I did not opt for the diapering services since
      most of them handles the regular cotton diapers, which didn't work for me but if
      it works for you, the diapering service is a great option if you are all for "Go
      Green" and do not mind spending the extra money since you may not have time to
      do laundry.
      
       
   2. Day care that accepts Cloth Diapers
      For mom who works but love the idea of cloth diapering, make sure that you find
      a day care that would do cloth diapers.  A lot of them do not, one of my
      son's old pre school even specifically told us that they would throw away poopy
      underwear if my toddler has accidents.  Yes, so, if you plan to cloth
      diaper, make sure that you choose or talk to the day care to make sure that they
      will help you so that you can fully cloth diaper.  I do have friends that
      have to put their kids in disposables and only when the kid is at home or on the
      weekends, they get to use cloth diapers.
      
       
   3. Siblings
      If this is your first kid or if you plan to have more, cloth diapering is
      definitely a good option.  Research shows that people spend easily $2,000
      on disposables through out until the kid is potty trained, so, if you have 2 or
      more kids, you are looking at at least $4,000 above, but for me, I was able to
      reuse the cloth diapers from my 1st son to my second and now 3rd. 
      Definitely a money saving option!

Now, are you ready???

Difference between the BubuBibi Original Solid 2.0 Versus the BubuBibi Cute Solid?

We do have customers occasionally asking us, what is the difference between the 2? 

First of all, we wanted all to know the similarities:

• Both comes with 8 Solid Colors (Colors are different but they both comes with 8 Color options each)
• Both are made out of PUL outside (Ensure that diaper is waterproof)
• Both are made out of Bamboo Inside
• Both comes with Pocket
• Both are One Size
• Both now comes with Hip snaps to avoid Wing Drooping

Differences:

<><><><>

Differences	Original Solid 2.0	Cute Solid
Pocket	Front	Back
# of Inserts	1	2
Inserts Layer	1 Bamboo + 3 Microfiber	Each comes with 2 Bamboo & 1 Microfiber (Middle)
Insert Snap	Yes	No
Adjustable Inserts?	Yes - Adjust to 4 sizes	No
Tab Style	Round	Square
Double Layer PUL infront	Yes	No
Price (Including Shipping)	$9.60	$12.50

Here is a close up picture of both:

ORIGINAL SOLID 2.0

CUTE SOLID:

Why does my Cloth Diaper leak? Reasons why and hopefully you can prevent it from leaking.

I'm sure you have experienced at least one or more leaks when you were cloth diapering.  Does it feel like you have wasted your money and time on cloth diapers?  Especially for new cloth diapering mom, don't give up just yet!  Check out the reasons why they leak and hopefully you can use them to prevent your diapers from leaking.

    * Cloth Diapers worn correctly?
      Are you wearing your cloth diapers correctly?  The fitting of your diapers is crucial.  You need to ensure that you fasten the snaps or velcro/applix especially around the waist and thigh areas to a correct fit.  Some parents think that allowing those areas to be lose fitting is better for the babies but in actual fact, it may cause the diaper to leak. How to figure out the best fit? Diapers have to be well snug.  If you still can fit a finger easily near the thigh area, it means that the diaper is still a little loose but make sure that it is not too tight.

    *  Are the diaper inserts/ soakers properly inserted?
      For pocket diapers, if you want to put the diaper inserts into the pocket, you need to ensure that the inserts are properly inserted.  The inserts have to be laid flat inside and not folded somewhere.

    * Did you use a detergent that you are not supposed to?
      All of the cloth diaper manufacturers advise cloth diaper mom to NOT use bleach, softeners nor detergents with enzymes.  Please make sure you are not using them on your cloth diapers. Some new mom thinks that by using bleach, they can remove the stains from the cloth diapers not realizing that it is actually hurting the cloth diapers.  Please make sure that you are not using them.

    * Are you leaving the cloth diaper on your baby for too many hours?
      You have to change your baby's diapers every 2-3 hours even for disposable diapers, the same goes with your cloth diapers.  Again, like adults, each person is different, some need to go to the restroom more often, some less.... babies are like that too.  You know your baby well, so, if he is a heavy wetter, then, change him/her more often.

    * Does your cloth diaper have detergent build up?
      What is detergent build up?  Basically, after using the cloth diaper for a while, there could be detergent that is trapped in them.  You may not notice it but if you start to notice that your diapers are not absorbing as well, most likely that is the case.  This will cause your diapers to repel liquid, what it means is that the liquid will stays on the surface instead of being absorbed.

    * Are you stripping the diapers?
      For some new cloth diapering mom, you may be asking, what is stripping the diapers?  Basically, like we've mentioned above with build up Over time, you may notice that your cloth diapers no longer smell fresh, even right after laundering. This usually means that they have build-up and need a good stripping. Build-up occurs when residue left by detergents, oils or other substances remain in the fibers. Diapers with either super-absorbant hemp or man-made materials like micro fleece tend to gather stink more easily than diapers with all-natural fibers like cotton or bamboo. By stripping the diapers, it will remove any build up on your diaper to get it to function properly again. If you have repelling you will need to strip your diapers. There are a lot of videos on youtube or instructions on how to strip the diapers.  You may wonder how often you need strips the diapers?  I would say once a month but whenever you feel that your diapers are not absorbing as well, then, do it.

    * Did you pre-wash the diapers?
      Most of cloth diaper manufacturers advise to pre-wash the diapers.  Most of them advise to pre wash the diapers 3-4 times depending on materials. but some advice even up to 7-8 times especially for bamboo and hemp.

    * Are you using any creams on your baby’s bottom?
      Some creams like diaper rashes cream can create a layer and cause the diapers to not absorb that well.  If you are using any type of cream, you can use a diaper liner on top of the CDs to avoid the cream touching the diapers.

    * Is your baby a boy or a girl or how do they sleep?
      You may be wondering what does the gender of my baby has anything to do with leaking?  Well, of course there is! If it’s a boy, try to increase the absorbency on the front of the diaper and for girls, increase the absorbency on the back.  Did you notice that even the disposable diaper manufacturers have boys or girls diapers?  That’s the reason.  Also, if your baby loves to sleep on the back, increase the absorbency on the back and if they like to sleep on their tummy, then, increase the absorbency on the front.

Now that you have read the possibilities why the diapers would like, see if it works.  Don’t give up yet!