Cristi from Huckleberry Baby Shop in Nanaimo, BC

Hi there! I’m Cristi Lundman, the owner of Huckleberry Baby Shop in Nanaimo, BC. I grew up on Vancouver Island and have enjoyed a lifelong love and respect for our amazing natural environment. I have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from UBC and have spent many years working as a nurse in the maternal child health field. My husband and I are Mommy and Daddy to three terrific daughters. We home school the oldest two which really equates to me learning right alongside them! I love organic gardening, running, photography, reading, socializing and yes, chocolate!

My cloth diapering journey started ten years ago when I was pregnant with my first child. At that point all I knew of cloth diapering what I had seen my mom use on my younger siblings: cotton flannel flat diapers, pins and pull-on covers. My husband was supportive of my choices. I found some of the diapers and covers at a department store, stacked them up and was ready to go. What was my motivation for cloth diapering? I really did not believe there was another option when I pondered the financial, environmental and health impacts of disposable diapers!

When my six pound daughter arrived, I quickly discovered how tiny a newborn’s bottom can actually be! The pull on covers I had purchased were huge, but I was able to find a few tinier ones at a thrift store. A friend introduced me to Bummis Super Whisper Wrap covers when my daughter was eight months old and I could not believe what a difference they made in the ease of our diapering routine. This was my first foray into the world of intuitively designed, user friendly cloth diapering products!

Two and a half years later, we were blessed by a second daughter weighing almost seven pounds. I had stocked up on Bummis covers in anticipation of her arrival and decided to fold my flats into rectangles to lie in the covers, thus avoiding the pins.

When my third daughter was born in 2006, I had already decided to expand our cloth diapering world. I stocked up on preemie prefolds and newborn Bummis Original diaper covers and found I had achieved the perfect fit for diapering another six-pounder. As she grew, I sought out some “fancier” diapers. Baby Kangas were the first pockets we tried. The obsession began!

By this point I was extremely frustrated by the lack of local cloth diapering resources available in our community. In 2007 I decided that something needed to be done to rectify this issue and Huckleberry Baby Shop was born. Our business has been a family project from the very beginning. Now that we have a physical store location, my kids come along to the “shop” when I am there. My husband helps out and can often be spotted carrying out recycling, vacuuming floors and replacing light bulbs. My three year old can demonstrate how to use prefolds and covers and gives a convincing lecture on safe newborn baby wearing. My seven and nine year olds fold and snap diapers and wipes and help stock shelves.

The business has grown beyond my initial expectations. I am thrilled by this! Our fabulous cloth diaper selection, complimented by baby carriers, natural toys and gifts, draws customers from near and far. Of particular pride is our huge “Made in Canada” section. We support other local small businesses and enjoy participating in community events. Our workshops are popular and we hope to offer even more in the near future. Overall, I really enjoy this business. Helping families find gentle, earth and family friendly cloth diapering solutions which suit their budget and lifestyle is always a welcome challenge!