Summer, Sun and Sunscreen

Although this is a “cloth diapering” blog, I know that many parents who cloth diaper tend to embrace a more natural approach when it comes to other decisions concerning their children. I thought today, I would stray from diapers a bit and discuss sun safety.

It’s summer and every time we take our tender skinned wee kiddos outside, we consider the implications of the rays emitted by the big glowing orb in the sky. The debates surrounding sunscreen and sun protection rage and many parents are unsure what to do. Do you avoid the sun altogether during the hours of the day when the rays are most dangerous? Can a parent safely lather on the sunscreen to protect their kids? Does sunscreen really protect? Is sunscreen chemically safe? Should a parent allow their child some sun exposure? I definitely cannot answer all of these questions, but will attempt to have a look at the sunscreen issue. I am not a scientist, but what follows includes some of what I have read.

Because I continue to question the safety of sunscreen yet acknowledge the potential harm from prolonged unprotected sun exposure, I advocate for a covering up and reducing the need for sunscreen. My kids are used to heading out in sunny weather with a hat and long sleeves or their NoZone sun suits. They cover up as much as possible, requiring little sunscreen.

Standing in the sunscreen aisle trying to decide which one to buy can be a daunting prospect. When considering a sunscreen what should exactly should a parent look for? Obviously, if it does not protect adequately from the sun’s rays, then it is not worth smearing on your child’s skin, no matter how safe it is. What about that complicated list of ingredients. What do those long words mean? Which ingredients should be avoided and which ones are safe? Are there particular ingredients which provide effective sun protection yet are chemically safe?

The Environmental Working Group provides a list of sunscreen chemicals to avoid. They have recently stated that they can recommend only 8% of 500 sunscreens they reviewed, based on the finding associated with some of the ingredients. They have research excerpts to back up their assertions.

Some Canadian doctors do not agree with the Environmental Working Group’s recommendations. The Canadian Dermatology Association points out that many Canadians are not aware of the dangers of repeated exposure to sunlight. While we worry over the potential carcinogenic effects of sunscreen, we sometimes lose sight of the fact that sunshine too is a carcinogen.

What then is a parent to do? We all must make our own informed choices based on research and review. My choice has been to cover my kids up as much as possible, to apply minimal amounts of sunscreen when necessary, and to use a sunscreen which the EWG rates as effective yet safe. If I need to shop for sunscreen, I actually take a copy of the rather complicated chart shown below, with me to the store. I then look up individual ingredients from sunscreen labels. It's a bit of a labourious process, but important.

This is a copy of the Environmental Working Group’s sunscreen chemical chart. Not included in the chart, but discussed in their essay on the subject, is a form of vitamin A, retinyl palmitate which the Environmental Working Group states data from an FDA study indicate that when applied to the skin in the presence of sunlight, may speed the development of skin tumors and lesions (NTP 2009).

· Human exposure – resulting from sunscreen chemicals penetrating skin and reaching sensitive organs or hormone receptors

· Hormone activity – which can impact the regulation of the reproductive, nervous, thyroid and immune systems, particularly if exposures occur during pregnancy or childhood.

· Other toxicity concerns—including sun-related skin allergy, effects on skin and breakdown products

No ingredient is without concerns; EWG’s rating system for sunscreens takes into account the range of concerns and differences in the weight of the evidence for each active ingredient.

Sunscreen chemical	Percent of U.S. sunscreens containing it	Exposure (skin penetration and biomonitoring)	Toxicity concerns
Sunscreens with highest concern for human exposure and toxicity
4-Methylbenzylidene camphor (4-MBC)	FDA approval pending	Limited skin penetration (1%) in vivo 1-3. Detected in European mothers’ milk at low parts per billion levels 4	Strong evidence of hormone disruption 5-7; 8 9 10; thyroid effects 5; behavioral alterations in female rats 11
Benzophenone-3 (oxybenzone)	60%	1-9% absorbed according to in vivo skin studies 1, 2, 12, 13; detected in volunteers’ urine 14, 15 and in European mothers’ milk 4. Present in 96% of Americans’ urine 16, 17; higher maternal exposures are associated with a decrease in birth weight for girls and an increase in boys 18	Hormone disruption 19-22; reproductive effects and altered organ weights in chronic feeding studies 23. High rates of photo-allergy 24.
3-Benzylidene camphor	FDA approval pending		Hormone disruption 8; in vivoeffects—behavior and estrous cycling 11
Octyl methoxycinnamate (OMC)	40%	Limited skin penetration in vivo <1% 12, urine 1, 2, 14 and in European mothers’ milk at low parts per billion levels.4	Multiple estrogenic effects 5, 6, 19; 21. Thyroid hormone reductions 25; and hormone-mediated immune effects.26Moderate rates of skin allergy. {Rodriguez, 2006 #2683}
Padimate O	1.0%	Limited skin penetration.27 Detected in European mothers’ milk at low parts per billion levels.4	Estrogenic effects 19, 28 8. Damages DNA 29: causes allergic reactions in some people.
Sunscreens with moderate concern for human exposure and toxicity
Octocrylene	49%	Limited skin penetration in vivo 27. Detected in European mothers’ milk.4	Slight to moderate skin irritation.30
Ensulizole	1.2%	Skin penetration measured in vivo, documented concentrations in urine.31	Occasional photoallergic reactions reported.32, 33
Homosalate	45%	Limited skin penetration in vivo <1% 12. Not detected in European mothers’ milk.4	Limited evidence of hormone disruption.8, 19, 22, 28. Toxic metabolites 34
Sulisobenzone (Benzophenone-4)	0.2%	Skin penetration measured 35, estimated at 1%.36	Limited evidence of hormone disruption.37
Zinc Oxide	29%	Very limited skin penetration.38 Estimated at 0.4% in volunteers for nano- and conventional partical sizes. Unknown whether it is in elemental (harmless) or insoluble particle form (toxicologically harmful)39	No photoallergy or hormone disruption. Skin cell study found zinc nanoparticles provoked oxidative stress and DNA damage 40. Coatings may reduce skin reactivity. Zinc inhalation causes lung inflammation.41
Titanium Dioxide	28%	Very limited skin penetration 38: penetration of hairless mouse skin 42: no skin penetration in min-pigs 43.	No photoallergy or hormone disruption. Probable carcinogen when inhaled 44. Inhaled nanoparticles reach organs, cross placenta and enter brain.45-47 Skin damage in vitro48.
Sunscreens with lowest concern for human exposure and toxicity
Avobenzone	50%	Limited skin penetration in vivo 27; and in vitro (0.8%) 3, 49	No evidence of photoallergy or hormone disruption.
Mexoryl SX	Limited approval (4 formulations); broader FDA approval pending	Limited skin penetration in vivo (0.16%).50	No evidence of hormone disruption. Rarely reported skin allergy, more often in children.51
Octisalate	59%	Limited skin penetration in vivo <1%.12 andin vitro (~0.5%).52	Rarely, allergic contact dermatitis.53
Tinosorb M	FDA approval pending	Low skin penetration measured in vitro.54	No in vitro hormone effects. Did not stimulate uterotrophic activityin vivo.55 Allergic reactions uncommon.56
Tinosorb S	FDA approval pending		No in vitro hormone effects; did not stimulate uterotrophic activity.55

4 other ingredients approved in the United States are almost never used in sunscreen, and poorly studied: Menthyl Anthranilate, Benzophenone-8, PABA and Trolamine salicylate

Stripping Diapers - No Pole Necessary

Stripping Diapers..... *ack* what does that mean??? How much work is that going to entail?! YIKES!

Well, thankfully, it is a lot simpler then most people think *phew*.

Most of us have to strip our diapers once in a while. Whether we use bounce sheets with our clothes in the dryer and it slowly cakes on our diapers so they aren’t as absorbent OR if your little one had a diaper rash and you used a barrier cream of some sort – it can easily be fixed by using these simple steps.....

1. Divide your stash in half (if you have 24-36 diapers) – I usually start with my dirty diapers. You want to strip ALL of your diapers on the same day so you don’t have one leaky culprit left.

2. You need dish soap that does NOT have hand sanitizers in it. There is a myth out there in the cloth world that it needs to be ‘blue dawn’ but that is not true. All dish detergent is a grease fighter which is what we are stripping our diapers of.

3. Rub a small amount of dish soap into the center of each diaper and insert. IF you have a serious leaking problem, you may need to scrub the area with a toothbrush – usually this is if you have made a huge error like using Vaseline or a ton of cream directly on your baby’s bottom without a liner. Otherwise, you should be fine.

4. Put your diapers, liners and cloths into your washer and do a full cold wash – no laundry detergent. I also add a little dish detergent into the water for extra kicks!

5. I then do a second full cold wash – no laundry detergent. This time I don’t add any extra dish detergent either.

6. Time for your regular Hot wash with your ¼ scoop of cloth diaper approved laundry detergent!!

7. I do one last cold wash, adding a ¼ cup of vinegar instead of detergent and let it run through.
**** Some diaper companies will void their warranty if you use vinegar and others recommend it, please use your own discretion ****

8. Throw them in the dryer or line dry them and voila! Super, duper FRESH, ultra clean cloth diapers!!

9. Place cheek on diaper and rub the soft cloth on your face – OK, you don’t have to do this, I have to admit that I do – they are soooo fresh afterwards!

10. Repeat with the other half of your diapers!!

That’s it – how easy is that. When you’re done, you’ll wonder what all the fuss is about. I do this every 3-4 months – why – for step number 9!! hehe

~ Kristen
Eaton Family EcoBabies
www.ecobabies.ca

The Simplicity of Prefolds

I have a confession! I used to tell people that if I had to use prefolds I would not do cloth diapers. Yes, it’s true. The simple rectangle of absorbent cotton even scared this cloth diaper addict. When I got pregnant with my second child I did buy some with the intention of using them but never did. When I had my 3rd I knew I should give them a try, if for nothing else to tell my customers an opinion of them. When my 3rd child was born a month early he was the smallest baby I had ever had weighing a little more than 6lbs. Although I was armed with a lot of diapers I did not expect such a small baby as my others were closer to 7.8 lbs. With 3 children at home and laundry galore with 2 in diapers; prefolds became my first grab over all the expensive diapers. They were so versatile that the preemie size fit him right away. I was able to fold over the top to cover his little parts and keep the absorbency where I wanted. The ease of washing and drying with no stuffing or folding was a sanity saver. I was able to do laundry quicker which in my land of 3 small children is a necessity. I simply would pile the prefolds on top of one and another and stacked them in the drawer. My baby had GERD and anyone who has lived with a baby with this extreme reflux knows how often they projectile. My prefolds were great at catching it all. I was going through 18 bibs a day, the prefolds can hold a good spit up unlike the little bibs. At almost 1 yr old now I still use the prefolds. I keep them on the change table if a little poop gets on them I am able to throw them in the wash and not have to change the table cover. I also use them as inserts by folding them in pocket diapers. Absorbent and trim its perfect for this application. There are not many baby products that you can get this kind of mileage from for the nominal price. Later I can use them as cleaning rags or donate them to a mom in need. My mom still uses the prefolds from when I was a baby (30+yrs ago) as cleaning rags... that’s REAL value. If you are not a prefold user I suggest you give them a try. There is nothing complicated about them and you may just fall in love with the simplicity of them like me!

Diapering accessories

Happy Monday to you all! My name is Stepheny, and I am the owner of Growing Up Green. We are a retail store in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. I hope your weekend went by very slow and was full of lots of sleep….. I know-Ya right!! We packed a whole lot into 48 short hours, but we enjoyed every minute of it.

As a mom to 6 kids, I am always trying to find new ways to save money, reuse products, and I’m always thinking about other ways to use something -to make them more multipurpose. One of the greatest things about cloth diapering is that all cloth diapering items and accessories are multipurpose. And really, the sky is the limit with most of them. I thought I would use this post to share just some of my favorites. Please feel free to post comments at the bottom of my post, because I would LOVE to hear how you are multi-using your items!

Wetbags:

-Snack/Lunch bags: We love the small and extra small sizes. No more needs for Ziplocks, and no need to worry about that banana exploding or cookies crumbling in your child’s back pack

-Swimsuit bags: Great for the pool, or beach

-Laundry bags: A must have for any traveling person or family! No more mixing the clean with the dirty

-Accident bag: We LOVED wetbags when the triplets were potty training because no matter where I was we had a clean bag that could contain the mess and not mess up the diaper bag or my purse.

-Make-up/toiletry bag: Wetbags are perfect for containing any soapy messes or melted lip gloss. Now you can be on the go without worrying about what the airport is doing to your shampoo! They are made to hold up in the wash so there is not a mess that is too big for a wetbag.

Wipes:

-Wash cloths: Wipes are made to absorb and clean and most wipes are made with amazing fabrics that can do a FAR superior job then basic terry wash cloth AND wipes are much gentler then terry cloths ever could be.

-Spill rags: Kids are always making spill, so grabbing a wipes instead of paper towel will save time and money!

-Bibs: Just tuck a corner under baby’s shirt and catch that drool or dibble without having to fuss with tying something around their neck.

-Breast pads: We have all found ourselves somewhere searching our diaper bags needing a breast pad or feminine pad and finding nothing. Wipes are perfect to sand in and keep you from an embarrassing leak.

-Diaper inserts: Thanks to their absorbency, they are the perfect doubler to get you just a little bit longer out of a diaper, when you just can’t change a diaper at that exact moment.

-Diaper Liners: Wipes are perfect for keeping your precious diapers safe from harmful creams and salves that could cause build up.

-Cleaning Rags: Our younger kids love to clean right now, but their hands are so small. So using a full sized rage is awkward. Now we have a big stack of our wipes put aside just for them to clean with, and they can do a better job too because the wipe fits in their hand.

Diaper Sprayer:

-Cleaning the toilet: It’s perfect for reaching around the bowl and cleaning under the lip.

-Cleaning out buckets: Getting buckets under a tap to rinse is a HUGE pain! Use your sprayer to rise the bucket and dump into the sink or bath tub.

-Cleaning potties: Pee is easy to rinse out, but poops can be VERY messy in a potty. It’s already attached so you might as well put it to work!

-Bidet: For yourself or a child with the runs, it make clean ups a breeze.

-Rinsing your shower walls: Some bathroom layouts are just perfect for reaching those hard to reach corners of your shower.

I am sure there are many, many more uses for our cloth diapering accessories. But my mind is going numb as the hours creep into the early morning. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and I hope you can take something from it!

Take Care and have a great week!

Stepheny

Growing Up Green

Aubrey' s Undies #1 - Happy Heiny's Pocket Trainers and Giveaway!

...Training Undies That Is
At Moms and Bums we make a point of trying to test out each product we carry on our three little Guinea Pigs. Aubrey was our original diaper tester, and has now moved on to the position of trainer tester! Aubrey is a very head strong 2 year old, and has taken longer to learn to use a potty than her older sister Kiera did. Why you might be asking was it so difficult for her to learn? Well the real issue was that she really likes her cloth diapers! She would tell you which one she was going to wear, and she had flower ones, and cow ones and and pink prints... her diapers were fun! In her eyes they were much nicer than the plain under wear Kiera had- even if Kiera's did have Dora on them. So we knew it was time to find her some fancy undies!
We had ordered in trainers for customers before, but didn't really keep them in stock because we hadn't had anyone we could test them on until now.
We started off with some Happy Heiny's Pocket Trainers with snaps.
First a bit of info about Happy Heiny's and what makes them different than other trainers on the market:
First they were redesigned with your busy toddler in mind! Snaps can be added for ease in messy clean ups and to make stuffing easier. Snaps can be added to one side, both sides or the side can be sewn shut for older bed wetters.
Happy Heiny's have an elastic waistband making them easy for your little one to pull up and down on their own. This is also good for older children with bed wetting issues. Quick on and off. Like their diapers, the inner lining is custom milled fleece for a more stay dry feeling and the outer layer is PUL to hold in wetness. The pocket opening allows you to add as much stuffing as you need, so even the heaviest wetter still has protection overnight.
Happy Heinys Trainers have been child tested and last 12+ hours overnight with absolutely no wicking for most children. Happy Heinys® Trainers are available in a variety of solid colors. They have a 100% poly laminated outer layer and work wonderfully for potty learners who still need protection overnight.
I will add a word of caution here- do not buy any trainers that are the same pattern as those they have for diapers- Aubrey's favorite diaper was her Happy Heiny's cow print, her "Cow Diper" (she has since learned how to pronounce diaper), so silly me thought she would also love having undies the same print... boy was I wrong! She took one look at what I thought was going to be her favorite new undies and exclaimed "that's a diper!", and wouldn't even try them on.
My second word of caution: don't buy patterns the same as their siblings diapers! I absolutely love monkey prints, so of course picked a silly monkey print OS for Gabriel and a silly monkey print trainer for Aubrey, only for her to exclaim "That's Gabriel's diper", and again wouldn't even try it on.
So, Aubrey and I took a little walk into our store room and I pulled out all the prints in her size and let her pick the one she wanted. She chose the Peace Bears print. There are some theories on potty learning/training that suggest you even let the child pick out their own seat. We have not taken things that far, but allowing her to choose her own "undies" assured that she would want to wear them. In fact she was quite disappointed when she had to wait for her new undies to be washed first.
Once her new undies had been washed and she was able to wear them, we gave her quite simple instructions "don't pee pee in your new undies". Aubrey was just starting the learning process at this point, she knew when she was wet and wanted a "bum change", but hadn't needed to know before she went until now. About half an hour later, Aubrey shouted out "Oh no, my undies, mommy pee peed, bum change". Aubrey quickly learned that her Happy Heiny's were waterproof and were just like her "dipers", thus we have since reserved them for car trips, overnight and nap time.
We found the fit of the Happy Heiny's to be a bit puffy, which was perfect for adding that extra hemp insert for overnight! Aubrey really didn't notice or care about the puffiness, and her clothes fit over them just as well as her regular cloth diapers. We loved the side snaps in the beginning when there were still poop accidents as it made clean up much easier. Aubrey was able to pull up her new "dipers" herself which made her feel like a big girl- just like her big sister.
Our recommendations for Happy Heiny's Trainers: Overnight protection for older bed wetters, nap time protection and all day protection for the toddlers who are just beginning the learning process and will still require a waterproof layer. For a heavy wetter overnight we recommend a layer of microterry followed by a layer of hemp.
All our Happy Heiny's Trainers are sold with a Happy Heiny's Large MicroTerry insert, so there is no need to purchase anything extra, just wash and start that potty learning process!
Stay tuned for our next edition of Aubrey's Undies... Still to come: Bummis, Little Beetle and Imse Vimse.

Want to win a Happy Heiny's Pocket Trainer of your own to test out?
How to enter: Visit Baby's Bottom Line, Natural Parenting Shop or Moms and Bums and tell me what one other item you would purchase besides the Happy Heiny's Trainers and why.
Entrance Guidelines
-Please, be sure to be logged into your email account when you post your comment for us to be able to contact you if you win (that is with the option called OpenID). If you have a blog, be sure to be logged into the account linked to your blog for an easier way to contact you....
-This contest runs until Friday Jul 23, 2010 @ 11:59pm EST.
-Winners are chosen using random.org, and notified on Saturday July 24th, winners name will also be posted on Blog and Facebook
-Winners have 7 days from contest end to claim their prize.
-Participation is open to cloth diaper users in CANADA ONLY!
-How to earn extra entries:
* Become a Follower of this Canadian Cloth Diaper Stores Blog
* LIKE Canadian Cloth Diaper Stores on Facebook
* LIKE Natural Parenting Shop on Facebook
* LIKE Moms and Bums on Facebook
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* Place the Canadian Cloth Diaper Stores Button on your site or Blog
* Tweet About the Giveaway. Using @ParentingShop, @momsandbums, @babysbottomline, or @CDN_clothstores in the tweet and link to this GiveAway (You may tweet 2x per day/@ for 1 bonus entry each)
* Advertise our Giveaway in your blog, facebook, forums or website (post with your comment the direct link where you posted about it for 1 bonus entry per posting).

--- Please post a separate comment for each extra entry and let us know which you've chosen to do in that comment ---

Our Transition to Cloth

After my first Daughter was born, we had family pressure to use disposable diapers. "It's easier" they would say "Cloth is too much work", "The soaking, rinsing and washing is gross", "We were so grateful when you were born that disposables were invented". All these comments left us on the path to throw away diapers. We were never okay with it. We felt uncomfortable buying mass amounts from Walmart because they were on sale. Seeing the pallets full if diaper boxes outside the store to this day makes me sad.

Our little girl was 10 months old when friends finally told me the truth about cloth diapers. After researching all the information I received, on both sides. Water usage, detergent use, electricity and manufacturing, our decision was simple. We switched to cloth.

I was intimidated by the cost so I started out slow, buying a few diapers at a time. I used Kushies AIO diapers, as they were inexpensive and available in my area. They were at the time the only choice. These diapers were not as absorbent as I hoped, so this forced me into late ec'ing. Elimination Communication-learning the toilet needs of babies and children at a young age. Wow I felt like a Mother! I was responding to all her needs and I knew when she soiled her diaper every time. She was on the toilet more and more throughout the day. Because these diapers didn't hold more than 1 pee I was on top of it. It also made me nervous to leave the house with them as she soaked through and onto the car seat a few times.

The Internet..."Googling" cloth diapers is intense. I was overwhelmed with choices and if I thought Kushies were expensive...I was faced with big dollar signs online. My next purchase were Bum Genius. They seemed simple, one-size fits all and possibly something I could use for night-time. (we were still using throw-aways at night) Lets just say these started the diaper addiction and soon diapers replaced all my needs for anything for myself. And opened up buying online, as this was a first as well. The Bum Genius worked well for us for nights as my daughter was not a heavy wetter as we used the toilet often. I felt good about my choice and I knew this was the best for my Daughter as well as the Planet she was to inherit.

When I purchased diapers from a reputable Canadian store I received great information on detergent use and washing instructions. Its was easy! We were already doing massive amounts of laundry whats 1 more load? The best part was the washing, there's something satisfying about folding your cute little diapers fresh out of the dryer or off the line. Oh and big cloth bums-too cute, and I loved feeling proud of her cloth bum wiggling around town.

This journey through the transition to cloth has led me to inspire others to find their own path and was soul inspiration for Podlings. I have gained knowledge and since then we have tried and tested almost every brand out there and of course those dollar signs are easily replaced with
awesome resale value. Having a large consignment addition to our store is an essential part of our spirit, as in this world to us Less is More and Used is even Better ;)

"Our Truth About Cloth" informational workshops are popular and good for the spirit. We love what we do and we are believers in the power of information and the freedom of choice.

Sherry Turnbull
Mother of 2 Cloth Bums and Co-Owner of Podlings, Naturally Childish
www.podlings.ca


More great value-diapers can be used as a hat ;)

Prefold, Pocket, All-in-One…Huh?! Decoding Diaper Systems

To function effectively, a diapering system needs to have an absorbent layer and a waterproof layer. Some diapers add to this a wicking or stay dry layer through which urine passes to get to the absorbent layer. The absorbent layer can be a material such as cotton, hemp, bamboo or microfiber and the water proof layer may be polyurethane laminate (PUL), wool or polar fleece. Wicking layers are generally made from a synthetic fabric such as microfleece or suede cloth.

The most basic diapering systems available are flats and prefolds. Flats are squares or rectangles of fabric, usually made from a single layer of fabric which is either folded and tucked in a cover or folded to fit around the baby like a “diaper.” Prefolds are rectangular in shape and are divided into thirds with more layers of fabric in the inner third than the outer. This makes them thicker in the middle. Flats and prefolds tend to be the least expensive of diapering methods. Tiny prefolds and covers are an ideal way to fit a newborn until they grow in to larger diapers. A newborn can be outfitted with prefolds and covers for approximately $85 for 24 diaper changes worth or diapers. At Huckleberry Baby Shop, for the perfect newborn fit, we love the Bummis Organic Prefolds in the preemie size, tucked into a newborn sized Bummis Super Brite.

Fitted diapers are shaped to fit around an infant or toddler. They usually have elastic gatherings around the legs and waist and may have Velcro or snap closure. Made from cotton, flannel, cotton sherpa, hemp, bamboo, or other fabrics, they are not waterproof and require a waterproof cover. Sometimes they come without fasteners and you can use a Snappi fastener to do them up. Fitted diapers come in both sized and one-size varieties. At our store, Mother-ease Sandy’s Bamboo Fitteds under a fleece cover or a Bramble Bean wool soaker are a popular overnight option.Pocket diapers are also shaped to fit around a baby. They are made of two layers of material sewn together to form a pocket. The outside part is usually made of waterproof PUL (polyurethane laminate). The inner layer that touches baby’s skin is made of a stay-dry fabric which wicks moisture away from baby’s skin. Pocket diapers fasten with Velcro, snaps, or hooks. Inside the pocket, you need to stuff an insert to provide absorbency. This insert can be made of cotton, hemp, bamboo, microfiber, etc. After laundering them, you can stuff the inserts in so that they are ready to go when you need them…as easy as a disposable! You can adjust the number or thickness of the inserts you use depending on the amount of absorbency you need. Pocket Diapers come in either sized versions (i.e.: small, medium, large) or one-size versions which “grow” with your baby by adjusting the rise snap setting on the front of the diaper. The inserts made for pocket diapers may be hemp, bamboo, cotton flannel, terry, velour, or microfiber. The inserts are the absorbent part of the diaper. Without them, there is nothing to soak up the urine. Some of Huckleberry Baby Shop's favourite Canadian made pocket diapers include the AMP One Size Duo Pockets and Baby Kangas.

An all-in-one diaper or AIO, is the absolute easiest diaper to use. No folding, stuffing, or covers are required. An AIO has a waterproof outer cover and a sewn-in absorbent inner. They usually have a stay dry layer that sits against baby’s skin. All of this is sewn together in one piece. The diaper goes on and off just like a disposable. Most AIO’s, such as those made by AMP (which we LOVE!), are sized (i.e.: small, med, large), but there are a few “one size” AIO`s out there which will “grow” with your baby via adjustments to the rise snaps on the front. The main drawback to AIO’s is that because of all of the sewn together layers, they often take longer to dry. Several manufacturers have attempted to solve this problem by creating an attached “flap” which folds out for quicker washing and drying. This feature is evident in the Tots Bots Easy Fit diapers and the Bamboo Baby One Size All in One.

An All in Two or AI2 diaper is a two-part diaper system made up of an absorbent part and a waterproof part. An AI2 is usually created with an absorbent soaker or insert which is laid into, attached to, tucked into or snapped to a waterproof outer cover. An example of AI2’s is the Tuck and Go (TAG) system from Monkey Doodlez. With the TAG system, an organic cotton/ bamboo rayon velour pad is tucked into a PUL cover.

Thanks for reading! ~Cristi from Huckleberry Baby Shop