LuSa Organics Booty Balm reveiw and Giveaway!

I know I have talked about LuSa Organics Booty Balm before, but I've partnered with Mama's Emproium to bring you yet another giveaway, and I figured I'd finally do a real review. After you read the review, make sure to enter the giveaway to WIN a FREE .8oz tin of Lusa Organics Booty Balm! Perfect to put in the diaper bag, your purse, the car, or keep at the babysitter's house.

This Giveaway is Brought to you By Mama's Emporium

 

First, let's talk about Mama's Emporium! Mama's Emporium is owned and operated by a WAHM (Work At Home Mom!) named Amanda. She does so many great giveaways and always is having awesome sales. I love shopping at Mama's Emporium because I know I will be getting only the best quality items at the greatest prices, and that I'm helping a mom stay home with her children and still pay her bills! Plus I love to save up points and get awesome stuff like free gift certificates, free teething necklaces, and more. Amanda is also based in Colorado, so if you are local to her, go check her showroom out in person or choose local pick up to save on shipping!

 

LuSa Organics Booty Balm

 

Where do I start? This stuff is amazing! I wasn't even in the market for a new booty balm, but I got a Stash Surprise from Mama's Emporium, and one of the many things included in that glorious box of wonderful lovely fluff was a .8oz tin of this booty balm. I figured well, it's free, I'll toss it in the diaper bag and try it out! Then my son got a rash. The other creams we were using before didn't work. We tried this out of desperation and boy were we surprised! Within one change his butt was drastically better! I started using it as a preventative as well and he quit getting rashes all together. It has a delightful scent that is soothing. One thing I really love is a little goes a long way! You can use just a tiny bit and make a .8oz tin last months. We keep ours in the diaper bag and have a large tin for the house. We haven't had to reorder for a while. I like to use it especially at night.

Other Uses For LuSa Organics Booty Balm

You can also use it as fist aid cream, kind of like neosporin! I like to use it on minor cuts or burns. It is so soothing and I love it! My husband actually prefers it to regular neosporin because he says he can "feel" it working unlike other first aid creams.
Another thing we use it for often in our home is eczema! I have very severe eczema. I have to be very careful and once I get a patch I have to treat it fast or it gets out of control. The only way to really treat it is steroid creams and lots and lots of lotion and/or Vaseline, which I hate. Well one day I realized I was out of everything I usually use, or, more likely, since we had just moved, I had misplaced it all. I couldn't afford to go to the doctor and buy the steroid creams that I needed. That's when I remembered my son's diaper rash! I went ahead and slathered it on my hands which were the worse, right before bed. The next morning I woke up and it wasn't all gone, but it was significantly better! Another night of that and I woke up with clear, healed hands! It was so nice to have that taken care of so quickly! Now I use it on pretty much any rash the boys or I get and I've never been disappointed!

Is It Cloth Diaper Safe?The short answer, YES! The long answer, kind of. I will say I use it on both my boys, my oldest is in disposables for medical issues, and my youngest is in cloth. The only issue I noticed was when I first got it and was using WAY too much. I mean I was really globbing it on there at every change. I figured you couldn't have too much of a good thing! I didn't notice any repelling or anything, just that it smelt like the booty balm even after washing. I stripped them with GroVia Mighty Bubbles once and voila, all better. I still use it and while I recommend using a disposable liner such as EcoSprout's Eco Bottom Liners, which you can buy at Mama's Emporium as well, you don't have to. I have heard of people having buildup issues but I have also heard that they went away after being stripped and using less. I just make sure that if I'm not using a liner, I only put just enough to cover the area on, not an excessive amount. Most of the time I use the liners even with other cloth diaper safe creams just because it's easier and I'm really into making my diapers last as long as possible in great condition. So I would suggest you buy the EcoSprout flushable liners and use it at night time with LuSa Organics Booty Balm, I'd rather be safe than sorry, but at the same time this stuff is just too amazing to no have on hand when little one gets a rash! Plus since you can use it for other things, like first-aid cream and eczema, I think it's essential!

Bottom Line

Bottom line, I love this stuff. I would recommend it to anyone. If you use disposable diapers you should still try it on your little one. If you use cloth, you should try it on your little one, and maybe get flushable liners just in case. If you don't have kids in diapers you can still use it! It's great to have on hand, in the car, your purse, your first aid kit, AND your changing table!

You Can Win Some Too!

That's right! You can win some FREE LuSa Organics Booty Balm! Enter using the rafflecopter below and you may win a free .8oz tin of LuSa Organics Booty Balm from Mama's Emporium and Cloth Diapering, a Hobby!
The Giveaway opens Today, Monday 1/28/13 at 8pm and closes Sunday 2/3/12 at 8pm!

Enter to win HERE!

If you can't wait, or you don't win, you can always buy this and other amazing LuSa products such as natural baby chest rub at Mama's Emproium!

Great Blogger Opp! And a Great Giveaway is Coming!

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Sponsored By: Natural Littles LLC

Coming soon to Cloth Diapering, a Hobby!!

A Cloth Diaper Starter Set Giveaway

Diapers, Wet Bag, and Cloth Friendly Detergent from Natural Littles LLC!

Two Free Links with announcement post.

You can write your own announcement post or use the text HERE.

$2 for Additional Links (up to 2)

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(Up to 5 Links on Your Own Host Page)

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Click here to sign up!

Make sure to let them know that Anna from Cloth Diapering, a Hobby sent you!

Myths and Misconceptions: Cloth Diapers Are Expensive!

I've decided to do a series of blogs all about common myths and misconceptions about cloth diapering! If you have any ideas feel free to comment here, share on my twitter, or post to my facebook page any myths or misconceptions you have heard, especially ones that really drive you nutso!

 

Myth #4: Cloth Diapers Are Expensive

 

Ok this one is more of a misconception than a real myth. I say this because yes, it can be, especially if you are into all the cute little prints and cannot resist, or if you are trying to buy only AIOs or other more expensive types of diapers. I'm not saying if you are in it to save money that you have to just have flats and prefolds, but I find it best for me to have a large stash of more affordable diapers with some fitteds and AIOs accenting the stash rather than making up the entire stash. Plus, unless you are going way overboard and buying a lot more diapers than you could ever use, you will still save money in the long run, especially if you use them for more than one child! Plus you can resell your cloth when you are done with it, cloth actually holds it's value very well.

The fact of the matter is, you don't have to spend a lot to save a lot!

 

Buy Used, Save the Difference

 

You don't have to spend a lot on cloth diapers, but you sure will save a lot if you use them! There are several ways to do this! You can buy used, which may sound weird at first but I just strip and steralize my used diapers and they are as good as new. Stains don't bother me because usually I can get them out with BacOut or by sunning them! First I strip them like normal. If you don't have a whole load or a good amount to do you can just soak them in a tub or sink overnight with a little bit of stripping agent. Then I fill the washer with HOT water, no detergent. When it is completely full of hot water I put in 1/4 a cup of bleach. I close it and let the agitator run for 10-30 seconds to mix the bleach in, then I toss the diapers I want to sanitize in there. Afterwards I do a hot wash with detergent and then as many hot washes as it takes for them to not smell like bleach whatsoever. I am a germaphobe when it comes to diapers and even I feel comfortable putting used diapers on my baby after that routine! 

 

Buy Simple, Buy Affordable

 

Another way to save on your start up costs is to buy simple types of cloth diapers! Generally the most affordable diapers are the simplest. I found that the cheapest way to start my stash was to buy prefolds, flats, and covers. Maybe they aren't the fanciest, but I got some adorable diapers and most importantly, my baby was diapered! It does take a little extra work because you have to fold the diapers and then put a water proof cover on over them, but it works out! You can see my post about Flats here and my post all about prefolds here. If those don't work for you, you can just stick to the type of diaper you like, but more affordable brands. One VERY affordable brand is OsoCozy diapers! OsoCozy is based here in Utah and they have VERY affordable prices but they don't seem cheap at all. You get what you would get with a more expensive diaper, for a fraction of the price. I have their AIOs, Better Fit Prefolds, Better Fit Staydry Prefolds, and fitteds. I don't dislike one thing I have from them, and they are one of my most trusted brands. I know that if I buy something with the OsoCozy name on it, it will be good and I won't be throwing my money away! You can buy OsoCozy brand diapers at Mama's Emporium. I really want to try their flats out next!

 

Find A Diaper Bank Near You

 

For those in dire need of financial assistance diapering their baby, you can still afford to cloth diaper! This is especially good for those who are in such a financial situation that they cannot afford to start a stash, but would also struggle to keep their baby diapered in disposable diapers. Help a Mother Out, Jillian's Drawers (run by cloth diapering store), and Giving Diapers, Giving Hope are just a few where you pay a small fee and are shipped diapers. Then you return them when you are done and in most cases get most of your small fee (I've heard some are as low as $20 or $30) back minus some for sanitizing and repairing diapers as long as they are in great condition and they are all returned. Here is a list of resources I found, but I cannot personally vouch for any of them. You can also google "free cloth diapers city,state" or "cloth diaper lending city, state" etc to find local cloth diaper banks in your area.

 

Save Up Points

 

One of my favorite ways to get free/cheap cloth is to save up rewards points. I shop almost exclusively at Mama's Emporium for this reason in particular. I enjoy supporting Work At Home Moms and I want to shop as much in one place as possible to save up as many points as possible! I buy all my EcoSprout detergent there, the diapers I need and love such as OsoCozy products, diaper fasteners, all my Diaper Rash Cream, EcoSprout disposable liners for when we are out and about, and baby gifts for new and expectant mommies I know such as Melissa and Doug toys and Amber Teething Necklaces! You can save up your points for free products and for gift certificates to the store! I make the most of my points! Right now I'm saving up for another gift certificate!

Enter Giveaways 

 

This one is a little out there, but hear me out! I enter giveaways A LOT. I figure if I can spend five or ten minutes entering a giveaway, liking facebook pages, tweeting about the giveaway, etc, and have the chance to win something, why not? My time doesn't cost me anything when I'm just relaxing after the kids go to bed, or in the morning when I'm all ready for work but have a spare 20 minutes to sit and relax! If you don't win, what have you lost? If you do win, you have free stuff! My favorite giveaways to enter are, of course, cloth diaper giveaways! I have won so many things by entering giveaways! My first cloth diaper giveaway I entered was a Mama's Emporium giveaway and I won a gift certificate! Since then I've entered so many giveaways sometimes it is hard to keep track. I have won free Rumparooz diapers, free aprons, free books, free diaper covers, and all sorts of other free things! If you want to enter giveaways but don't know where to find them, follow cloth diaper companies on facebook and twitter! Especially on twitter, companies like to promote giveaways where their product is being given away! I follow OsoCozy, EcoSprout, and many more cloth diaper related companies on twitter and that is where I find some of the best giveaways! When a blog does a giveaway I make sure to follow their twitter as well! You can follow me on twitter, I always retweet giveaways I enter or am involved in, even if I don't put them on my blog. Also, I now have my twitter linked to my facebook, so if twitter just isn't your thing, follow me on facebook.

 

Make Your Own and Re Purpose Materials

 

This is where the Internet becomes your best friend! There are SO many tutorials on pinterest and floating all over the Internet about how to make your own diapers. You can also re purpose tshirts, hand towels, receiving blankets, wool sweaters, and much more to make diapers, covers, doublers, etc. Sure, some take some talent sewing, but if you already have that talent, or you are determined to learn, you are in a good place! Shop around for cheaper fabric, use coupons, and see what you can come up with! Necessity is the father of ingenuity after all. One thing I did was reuse a bunch of flannel receiving blankets. You know, the things you swaddle baby with until about a month when they are too big. The ones that the hospital gives you a bunch of, that everyone and their mother gives you, and that you can find at thrift stores for very very very cheap? Yeah those ones! I stripped them all and then cut them into squares. I sewed (with a simple zig zag stich, it was my first time ever even touching a machine) two squares together and voila, I had homemade cloth wipes! I have also heard of people using the same method but instead of squares measure your diapers, newborn diapers, one sized, whatever you want a doubler for, and insetad of just two, sew four, five, six, seven, eight, how many ever you think will make a good absorbent doubler together with a simple stitch and then lay it inside the diaper at night or whenever to add extra absorbency. You can also stuff it in a pocket with the normal things you stuff them with. You can also fold tshirts into diaper shapes, or into a pad fold to lay in a cover. You can even use tea towels, flour sack towels (usually about $5 for 5 at walmart or target!) or hand towels as inserts, flats, or doublers. Just remember to strip whatever you are going to use so it is absorbent. When your baby outgrows those tiny preemie/newborn/infant prefolds, use them as inserts in your pocket diapers! They are so absorbent and a great way to get more bang for your buck as it's usually much cheaper to buy pocket diapers without inserts!
Some of the MANY tutorials out there:

Newborn Cloth Diaper Pattern

Lots of DIY Diaper Patterns

Diaper Cover Tutorial 

Cloth Diaper Tshirt Tutorial

No Sew Tshirt Cloth Diapers

China Cheapies

I am only going to touch on these briefly as we haven't really gone over them much before. I am planning on doing a blog in the future comparing different kinds of China Cheapies and discussing them more in depth. China Cheapies is what people call cheaper diapers that literally come from China. You usually pay less because it's cheaper to manufacture them in China, but it can also be hard to deal with people who speak limited English when customer service issues arise, and it can take a long time for them to come over, 2-4 weeks, sometimes more from ordering them till you get them in the mail. They also are often not as well made. I'm not saying they don't work, a big part of my stash is made up of china cheapies and they will catch poop and pee just fine, but I feel you really do get what you pay for when you buy higher quality stuff. Another drawback is often you cannot order just one or two to try out, but must order in intervals of 6, 12, 24 etc. Sometimes you can't decide what kind of inserts come with them. Sometimes you can't decide much of anything. But they are cheaper. You can get them even cheaper in Co-ops, which I think we will save completely for another day. It's where many people join up in a group, one person orders a HUGE order so they pay wholesale prices, and then that person ships the items out to the individuals. A big draw back is it takes longer to get things, but a big rewards is they are generally a lot cheaper. More on that later though.

 

Bottom Line

 

Yes, cloth diapering can be expensive, if you let it. If, however, you start early and take your time, and watch for ways to save money, you will be able to build a stash cheaply and it will save you a lot of money. You will also save more money in the long run if you reuse your cloth diapers for more than one baby. Obviously, a mom who buys cloth diapers once and uses them on one baby saves money. One who buys cloth diapers once and uses them on two babies, will have saved twice as much and so on and so on. Our pediatrician has cloth diapered seven babies. She said she used the same prefolds and covers for the first four, and added a few more around that time to replaced worn out ones but never had to buy a complete new stash. You can also do other things to save money on cloth diapers such as entering giveaways, buying used, reusing materials you already have, making your own, saving rewards points, and more! It can be done very cheaply, and it's worth the investment!

Mama's Emporium Is Doing a BIG Giveaway!

Mama's Emporium is about to hit 1500 fans on facebook! Check out her facebook page here! The owner of Mama's Emporium is a WAHM who works very hard to get her customers the best products for the best price. She also provides customer service that I, as a customer, would say goes above and beyond!

 

To celebrate this huge milestone, Mama's Emporium is doing a huge giveaway! The giveaway ends Sunday, January 27th at 8pm MST and is AWESOME if you ask me! There are 10 prizes up for grabs in this giveaway! The prizes are:
One of Five (5) Packages of GroVia Organic Cotton Terry Cloth Wipes (12 ct) OR

One of Five (5) bottles of CJ's Carcass Cleaner Wipe Solution!

 

Like Mama's Emporium on Facebook and let her know that Anna from Cloth Diapering, A Hobby sent you!

 

Enter to Win this Giveaway Here!



 

While you are on facebook entering giveaways and liking Mama's Emporium, make sure to like Cloth Diapering, A Hobby on facebook!

Myths and Misconceptions: Cloth Diapers Stink!

I've decided to do a series of blogs all about common myths and misconceptions about cloth diapering! If you have any ideas feel free to comment here, share on my twitter, or post to my facebook page any myths or misconceptions you have heard, especially ones that really drive you nutso!

 

 

Myth #3: Cloth Diapers Stink

 

Oh my do I hear this one a lot! When talking to new moms or moms to be who are curious about cloth diapering, the number one question I get is "Well don't they stink?" People assume that they stink when you change them, they stink when you are waiting for them to be washed, and they probably stink after they come out of the wash, just a little. People think that because they are pooped in you will never be able to get them completely clean and they will stink at least a little bit. They think stink is normal, but it's not. It doesn't happen to everyone but if it does happen to you, it can be fixed! It could take a little bit of experimenting, but you can figure out your stink problems and get rid of them once and for all, if you ever have stink issues in the first place! There are two main kinds of stink I've heard of, and that is Barnyard or "dirty" stink, and Ammonia stink. I've also had people who say they are worried about the smell while they store their diapers that are waiting to be washed.

 

Storage Until Washing

 

One thing that people think is that cloth diapers must smell while they just sit there waiting to be washed. There are plenty of ways to store your diapers while you are waiting for wash day, and if you experiment around you can figure out just what works for your family! First off, you rinse, dunk, or shake all the poop out before you do anything. See my blog post "So What Do You Do With All the Poo?" to see different ways of getting rid of the poop. So it's not like your diaper is sitting in a bag with poop in it. Some people choose to rinse wet diapers out too, especially if they have had ammonia issues (which we will talk about later!). Then you can either store them in a wet bag, or keep them in a pail. Some people use large zip lock backs instead of a wet bag, or put each diaper into a plastic grocery bag and tie it tightly. Whatever works, works I say! I have done the plastic bag thing while out and about and never ever ever have I smelt the smell through the bag. I've also used a wet bag, which is made of PUL which is waterproof on the inside, and a cute fabric on the outside with a zipper closure. I use both Planet Wise brand and Super Green Label wet bags and have never had a leak or a stinky smell come from either! It might stink for a second when you open the bag, but once you toss the diaper in there, you zip it back up and can't smell it anymore! A lot of people also use pails. You can get a Rumparooz pail liner from Mama's Emporium and a trash can from wherever. The pail liner is washable so you can toss it in the wash with your diapers. I've heard this open air system, where air is allowed to get to the diapers, actually keeps the stink away better than the wetbag system. I plan on trying it just as soon as I can convince my hubby! This is because the air helps inhibit bacterial growth which causes the smell.
Another thing that can help keep your diapers from smelling while you wait to wash is not waiting too long to wash. I wash every other day and have gone as long as three days when the need to wait was dire, but I wouldn't go longer than that, and I would still stick to every other day. If you must wait three or more days to do diaper laundry, rinse all the diapers off after each use, wet or dirty, and I suggest you get some BacOut from Mama's Emporium. It smells like limes and not only is it a great stain remover/preventative, but it will help keep the stink away and make your diapers smell like limes until you wash them. It doesn't hurt your diapers either.

 

Barnyard or Dirty Smell

 

The most common smell issue I hear about is that diapers just smell icky after each wash, or maybe not icky, but just weird. If you are washing your diapers and they come out of the wash or dryer smelling like anything, there is something wrong. Something that can be fixed, as any smell issue can be fixed. This one is actually a super easy fix usually. Usually a barnyard smell or a dirty smell usually means there is a problem with your wash routine and/or detergent. Most of the time it means you aren't using the right ammount of detergent and you need more. This is especially important if you have hard water. I've struggled with this because we have VERY hard water and very old pipes. It can also be that you aren't using the right detergent. Different detergents work for different people and it depends on your washer, your water, and your personal preference. I started out using BumGenious detergent but didn't love it so I tried a bunch. I liked Rockin Green till we got very stubborn ammonia issues, so we switched around until we found the one we liked. Remember, liquid detergent doesn't work quite as well as because it doesn't rinse out as cleanly and easily as powder detergents and that can cause repelling issues in your diapers, which you can read about in another Myths and Misconceptions post called "Cloth Diapers Always Leak". Some people find Free and Clear powder detergents such as All Free and Clear or Tide Free and Clear work great. Others find that Cloth diaper detergents work wonderfully and they don't always work for others. I have heard about using original tide on your diapers but as my son has a sensitivity to tide we haven't used it. I've considered trying and making sure it all gets rinsed out but I found something that works so I don't need to bother. I suggest you experiment with different detergents and amounts. I also suggest stripping in between trying a new detergent. So if you are going to stop using what you are using now and try a new detergent, strip first! I have had the best results using GroVia Mighty Bubbles, which you can read about in my review of them. We use 4tbs of EcoSprout detergent in our wash cycles and it has turned out to be great. We had to experiment with going from 2tbs to 3, and then from 3tbs to 4. But once we found the right detergent and the right amount, the issue was no longer an issue!
You may also want to adjust your wash routine. I found what works best for us is a cold rinse cycle, so I'm not washing the diapers in water that has a ton of poop and pee in it, then a hot wash on heavy setting with detergent, and then a hot wash on heavy setting with no detergent to make sure all of the detergent gets rinsed out.

 

Ammonia

 

Ammonia is a smell that you kind of know when you smell it. It will smell like a strong cleaning chemical or just very strong urine but worse than that it will burn your eyes and nose as soon as you get a whiff! It seriously burns to smell it! You may also notice a rash on your child. Ammonia is really bad and unfortunately, all to common, especially for overnight diapers because  the urine sits in them longer. Some good things to do to prevent ammonia is to rinse each diaper, even the wet ones, before putting them in your pail or bag. You can also spray each diaper with a spritz or two of BacOut to make it smell like limes and neutralize bacteria. You could also try adding a presoak to your laundry routine. If you already have ammonia however, you will have to strip the diapers to get rid of the ammonia. I had stubborn ammonia issues and I tried everything. I tried a strip with bleach, a strip with RLR, washing multiple times each load, a presoak with detergent, a presoak with RLR, all sorts of stuff. I couldn't get rid of it. Finally I tried GroVia Mighty Bubbles from Mama's Emporium and it worked! If you have a lot of buildup you may need to do it two or three times but these little packs really got rid of our ammonia. Then we changed our detergent and wash routine to what it currently is and we have not had issues since! I'm also finding I have to strip less and less compared to what I was before.

 

Bottom Line

 

Bottom line is, cloth diapers do not need to stink! If you are having stink issues, you can cure them! You just need to experiment and find a wash routine and detergent that works best for you, and you may need to strip your diapers. I suggest anyone having any smell issues strip first before adjusting anything. I use GroVia Mighty Bubbles and have never been disappointed with them. Please don't give up if you have stink issues! You can fix them! There are plenty of ways to prevent stink issues though, such as storing them correctly, rinsing diapers well, and using BacOut on every diaper before putting it in the pail or wetbag. 

A Brand New Giveaway!

So the Trainers giveaway is over, but Mama's Emporium isn't done! I am once again participating in another giveaway being put on by Mama's Emporium! You can find it here.

 

This is an AWESOME giveaway with a cool twist: you choose! That's right, if you are the winner you choose either a $15 gift certificate to Mama's Emporium or a GroVia One Size All in One Cloth Diaper and get this, you can even choose the print! (choices are choice of surf blue, cloud grey, bicycles print, or robots print!) The best part about this giveaway is how EASY it is to enter to win! There are pleanty of entries and you can do as little or as many as you want. I think it took me 5 minutes to do ALL the entries, plus you can tweet about the giveaway every day for even more chances to win!

 

Want to be updated whenever I find awesome new giveaways to enter? I don't always post them on my blog, but I do make sure to tweet them! Follow me on twitter to see all the awesome giveaways I enter! I also have my twitter set to post directly to my facebook page now, so if twitter isn't your thing, don't worry! You can still get all the awesome giveaway news by liking my page!

Myths and Misconceptions: Cloth Diapers Always Leak

I've decided to do a series of blogs all about common myths and misconceptions about cloth diapering! If you have any ideas feel free to comment here, share on my twitter, or post to my facebook page any myths or misconceptions you have heard, especially ones that really drive you nutso!

 

Myth #2: Cloth Diapers Always Leak

 

Today we are going to talk about another myth of Cloth Diapering. That they always leak. This is simply not true. Yes, cloth diapers can leak. They can also repel liquid, but if you are taking proper care of your diapers, cleaning them correctly, changing as often as is needed, and getting the right fit, you shouldn't experience leaks.

 

An Improper Fit

 

One of the leading causes of leaks, and what I would look at first when troubleshooting leaks, is the proper fit. You want the diapers to be snug enough to keep the contents in while loose enough to not leave marks on baby's legs and waist. You should take notice of when and how much the leaks are happening, and where they come through. For instance if I don't use the correct snap setting on my son, I will get leaks out his belly and legs. If I am using the proper snaps but not the proper hip snaps on diapers with hip snaps, I get leaks out the legs because while the waist is the proper fit, the legs are too loose causing leaks. Sometimes some diapers just will not fit right on a baby's body. This is one reason I don't suggest stocking up on one brand or type before baby gets here, or buying only one type to try. I suggest trying many different brands and types of diapers because what works on one child may not work for another. Even what works on your first cloth diapered baby won't always work on your second or what did work for your first few cloth diapered children won't always work for the next. Also, as your child grows and change you may find you get different fits from diapers that did fit well or didn't fit so great before. If you think fit is the issue, try experimenting with the fit, how tight or loose you have it, the rise, how long it is, etc. They try experimenting with different brands or types.

 

Repelling

 

Repelling happens when something is introduced to the diaper that causes it to repel. This can be caused by hard water buildup, where the minerals in the water build up in your diaper, making them not as absorbent. This can also be caused by detergent buildup, when you are using too much detergent, not the right detergent, or not rinsing enough and the detergent builds up, causing the diapers to not be as absorbent. It can also be caused by using non cloth diaper safe rash creams or too much of any diaper safe rash cream which can also cause your diapers to become not as absorbent. If you think repelling may be your issue, try taking a clean, dry diaper, and pouring some water on it. If it rolls of, you have repelling issues. If it's absorbent, it could be either starting to repel, or that may not be your issue. If you think repelling may be an issue, try striping the diapers. If you think it's because of a rash cream, use liners in your diaper when you use cream. If you think it may be a detergent issue, try switching your detergent, using less, and/or rinsing more. To strip I recommend GroVia Mighty Bubbles, which you can find at Mama's Emporium. You can also find flushable liners at Mama's Emporium, I suggest EcoSprout flushable liners. I also suggest using CJ's BUTTer rash cream and EcoSprout Detergent, all of which can be found on Mama's Emporium. If you think hard water buildup is the problem, try using GroVia Mighty Bubbles to strip once a month. I have VERY hard water and that is what I do. LOVE it!

 

Not Enough Absorbency

 

Another issue you can run into is that you don't have enough absorbency for how much your child is wetting. Some children are light wetters, others are medium/normal wetters, and others still are what I call super heavy wetters. My son is a super heavy wetter. He eats a lot and is very hydrated, so he pees a lot. Therefore, I need extra absorbency in his diapers. You might try adding a booster to your diaper if you suspect this may be the problem. Anything made of natural fibers like bamboo and hemp works great and can be right next to baby's skin. Synthetics like microfiber should not touch baby's sensitive skin. Any type of diaper can have a booster added for extra absorbency. Pockets are especially easy to add absorbency to though, you just stuff more or less depending on your needs. I like to stuff my pockets with an OsoCozy Better Fit prefold. If I need even more absorbency like for nap times, I add a bamboo insert or two either inside the pocket or inside the diaper. For my GroVia AI2s I found my son was too much of a heavy wetter for them, so I added two GroVia boosters and it did the trick! You can find all sorts of boosters to add extra absorbency here. When in a bind, anything can really be added. You can always add a prefold, flat, receiving blanket that has been stripped, flour sack towel, etc to give your diaper the extra boost.

 

Not Changing Enough

 

One thing that can be a little difficult to get used to when switching to cloth is how often you sometimes must change your child. Depending on the child, you may need to change as often as every hour and a half to two hours, or as little as every four. I encourage you to pay attention to when your child wets or soils the diaper and change as soon as possible. Just because the baby isn't uncomfortable and the diaper isn't completely full, doesn't mean a rash cannot occur, or that it's good for your little one to be sitting in that. Even with disposable diapers, just because it's not full doesn't mean it doesn't need to be changed. I am of the belief that no child should have to sit in a diaper for 6 hours or more unless they are asleep. It just cannot be comfortable or healthy, in a disposable or cloth diaper. I know sometimes if my son sleeps a little longer than usual for a nap, he will leak. If you don't change the baby soon enough, they will eventually leak. Obviously this makes a mess for you but is also not very good for the poor baby. So if you think this may be your issue, try to change your little one a little sooner. If it's happening to the point of you needing to change every hour or less, I would suggest adding more absorbency because your baby is probably a heavy wetter. You should still change after every diaper is used, but this will keep it from leaking out.

 

Bottom Line

 

The bottom line is if you do run into leaking issues, there are ways to fix them. Try troubleshooting before you give up, and do not let the fear of leaks keep you from trying. Cloth diapering can actually prevent blowouts and other leaks as long as you are using them correctly. Find and use a good wash routine and detergent, use liners when you use cloth, strip if you think there is buildup, change your baby often enough, use the right absorbency,  and experiment with fit, type, and brands of diaper until you find what works best for you and your little one. Leaking doesn't have to ruin cloth diapering for anyone!

I'm taking part in a giveaway!

Go enter the giveaway here http://www.facebook.com/#!/MamasEmporium?sk=app_228910107186452&app_data for a chance to win a GroVia cloth trainer! Much softer and more effective than pull ups, GroVia Trainers are the reusable alternative to expensive pull ups and other training pants! People who like my page on facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Cloth-Diapering-a-Hobby/369767526444079 for an extra chance to win! A special thanks to Mama's Emporium for putting the giveaway on!

Myths and Misconceptions: Babies With Sensitive Skin..

I've decided to do a series of blogs all about common myths and misconceptions about cloth diapering! If you have any ideas feel free to comment here, share on my twitter, or post to my facebook page any myths or misconceptions you have heard, especially ones that really drive you nutso!

 

Myth/Misconception #1

 

Today we are going to talk about one of my least favorite myths about cloth diapering. It's my least favorite because it's just so not true and not only does it discourage people from cloth diapering but it discourages people from cloth diapering who would probably benefit the most from doing it!

 

Cloth Diapering Will Irritate Babies Who Have Sensitive Skin and Will Cause Rash

 

One of the reasons we started cloth diapering and cloth wiping were because my little one has VERY sensitive skin. Every diaper gave him a rash, some more so than others, and wipes especially did it. Every kind of wipes besides pampers sensitive gave him a terrible rash. Yes money was another huge issue but the skin was the biggest reason. I couldn't stand seeing my little one's tush all raw! In all my research I've found a lot of great stories about moms switching to cloth and it helping clear up their rash problems. But recently I've heard a lot of moms tell me on the Internet and in person "My child's skin is too sensitive for cloth diapers, they cause rashes!" This is simply not true.

 

Stay Wet? Not if You Use Something Stay-Dry!

 

One reason people give for them causing more rash is that they stay wet. This also is not true. Yes if you are using prefolds or flats, baby will feel wetter sooner. But you don't have to have a prefold/flat up next to baby's bum! While prefolds still worked for my son we noticed he did still have a little bit of a rash when using them from feeling the wetness, so we switched to pockets. I LOVE pockets, especially rumparooz, because they have a stay-dry layer that sits next to baby and takes all the wetness away, drawing it into the absorbent material inside! You can stuff pockets with prefolds, flour sack towels, flats, or inserts. Whatever works, plus you can customize your absorbency. You can also buy stay dry prefolds. OsoCozy staydry prefolds are my favorite prefolds, and they give us a great fit too. So baby doesn't have to be wet and feel wet!

 

Timely Changes Changes Things!

 

Another thing that can help with the wetness issue is if you change baby often enough. I won't lie, you will probably need to change your baby more than if you were using disposables. But it's so worth it. The natural fibers are so much more gentle on your baby's skin than the scratchy rough paper of disposables! Just try wrapping one disposable around one knee and one cloth around your other knee. You will be able to see quickly just which one is more comfortable. As long as you change your baby often enough, baby won't be irritated by urine. It is suggested you change a cloth diaper baby anywhere between ever 2-3 hours or more if you have a light wetter and/or a very absorbent diaper.

 

Chemical Stay-Dry is Not the Same, so Irritating!

 

Last but not least, disposables tend to dry babies out. Why is this? Because there is gel inside the paper lining that is made to absorb the wetness, soaking it up. That is why a disposable diaper swells when wet. And that's why if you accidentally run one through the washer, you find beads of gel all over everywhere. Not only can the chemicals irritate baby's sensitive skin, but the gel won't discriminate against urine and skin moister, it draws it all out and absorbs it all. This is very drying to baby's bum and it causes rash and irritation.

Does That Mean Your Baby Will Never Get A Rash?

Not always. My son has had a few rashes since starting. One was due to ammonia buildup which we have since solved, and the others have all been due to being sick and/or teething. We find if you use LuSa Organics Booty Balm with a disposable liner (I like EcoSprout), both of which you can buy here at Mama's Emporium, things clear up pretty quickly, even the nastiest of teething rashes! Using an Amber Teething Necklace we got at Mama's Emporium as well has also helped tons with how much the little one drools while teething and makes things much easier on him and me! If you don't want to mess with liners, I suggest CJ's BUTTer which you can also buy at Mama's Emporium. CJ's can also be used as a nipple cream for nursing moms, for dry skin, eczema, and even as a preventative at every diaper change, every day, or just after the bath to keep baby protected.

Bottom Line

The bottom line is I encourage all mama's with children who have sensitive skin to at least try cloth. Don't just try prefolds either, try pockets, AIOs, AI2s, and other kinds. Maybe try more natural fibers like bamboo and hemp. Experiment till you find something that will work for your baby. I'm sure if you play around, change baby plenty, and use creams as needed, maybe even use CJ's as a preventative every so often, and you and baby's skin will all be much happier!