You’ve realized that cloth diapers are absolutely the best for your baby, budget, and lifestyle, but now what? How do you go about using cloth diapers? It might seem complicated, but Tina de Guzman of The Fluffyness Project Corporation, the makers of Fluffy Pwets, and Jen CC Tan of Next9 have you covered with tips and insights for using cloth diapers whether you’re in the comfort of your home or outside, doing errands.Fluffy Pwets is the Philippines’ first and original brand of hybrid fitted cloth diapers. Next9 is dedicated to the principles of attachment parenting. It introduces modernized back-to-basic items which enables moms and dads to become better parents.
Cloth diapers from Fluffy Pwets
Cloth diapers from Fluffy Pwets
FIRST THINGS FIRST
* Train your brain!
Treat your cloth diapers like a disposable without tossing them in the garbage after use. Jen CC Tan of Next9 shares that new, modern cloth diapers or nappies are shaped like a disposable. “They work like a disposable, but the great thing is, you can reuse them again and again because at the end of the day, you just throw them in the wash!”
Your mindset is important as this is going to be an intrinsic part of your life as a parent. Cloth diapers were the natural thing to use for Jen because she remembers her siblings using the same. She says, “My eldest was born 14 years ago, and even when disposable diapers were the trend, we stuck to flat folds. We didn’t have a difficult time at all because this is what I was used to.”
* Toilet habit awareness
Knowing when and just how much your tiny tot usually pees or poops goes a long way to knowing what kind and how many nappies and stuffings you need for nighttime and daytime use. Heavy or frequent wetters usually need more than one stuffing or a more absorbent one than just microfiber inserts. Kids with a regular schedule for pooping can use heavy duty covers or PUL (polyurethane laminate) nappies on the expected time.
The age and diet of your child is also a consideration, adds Tina de Guzman of Fluffy Pwets. “Newborn infants change nappies frequently, like an average of 10 to 12 nappies in a day. A breastfed baby makes even faster output than a formula-fed baby. Then as the child grows older, the bladder develops and will not need frequent nappy changes.”
Next9’s cloth diapers
Next9’s cloth diapers
INDOOR VS. OUTDOOR DIAPERING
Whether you’re using cloth doors at home or outside, Tina assures that there’s really not much of a difference. At home, you have your nappies and supplies readily on hand, along with your diaper pail (where you chuck in nappies and liners for washing later).
For going out and about, you have to consider the length of the trip and opportunity for bathroom breaks. Tina says, “A trip to the grocery store will take a lot less time than a road trip out of town, so the need and the opportunity to change into a new diaper are different. Many cloth diapering moms prefer to change nappies every 2 to 3 hours too, just so the nappy area can breathe. So, you adjust the type of diapers you bring depending on whether you anticipate a nappy change every 2 to 3 hours or after 8 hours.”
Here, Tina’s suggestions on making trips hassle-free:
* Load up on high absorbency boosters: Common among these are hemp and zorb boosters. Hemp boosters are made of organic hemp fabric. It is highly absorbent but quite slow to take in liquid, so the trick in using this is to place the hemp booster as a doubler below faster-absorbing fabric like bamboo or microfiber. Zorb boosters are made of synthetic fabric especially designed to absorb many times the normal capacity of other materials. It is quite fast absorbing and stay-dry, so it can be put on top of the soakers.
* Leak proof: Use a cover over fitted diapers to ensure that there will be no leaks. Better yet, use hybrid fitted diapers, especially ones with Windpro® fleece in the shell. This thick fleece is breathable but leak-proof. It’s best for going out and for overnight use.
* Pack pocket diapers: Since these have PUL, it will prevent early leakage. BumGenius® is one of the highly popular and mom-approved pocket diapers and covers, and Fluffy Pwets is the authorized retailer of this American brand in the Philippines.
* Bring a wet bag and wipes (cloth or disposable).
* Bring 1 to 2 nappies more than what you anticipate you will need.
Photographs of cloth diapers courtesy of Fluffy Pwets and Next9 Baby image courtesy of photostock at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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