Babykicks Organics One-Size Fitted Giveaway WINNER!

Congratulations! Please email annie@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prize!

Happy Hemp Day! Babykicks Giveaway!

Every Wednesday is Hemp Day for our friends at Babykicks Organics! Why give hemp one whole day every week? I say... why not?! Hemp is one of the greatest fibers to happen to cloth diapers, and here is why:

• Hemp plants grow like weeds with few resources, making it very renewable and eco-friendly!
• Cloth diapers made from hemp are extremely absorbent, but more trim than cotton most synthetic fibers.
• Hemp is less likely to retain odor and has some anti-microbial properties.
• When blended with cotton, it's one of the most durable options for cloth diapers.

You can read all about my experience with the Babykicks Organics One-Size Fitted Diaper, made with  33% hemp here! You can enter for your chance to experience the love of hemp with your own Babykicks Organics One-Size Fitted Diaper below! Be sure to join in on the Hemp Day fun on the Babykicks Facebook page and tell them Nicki's Diapers sent you!

Cloth Diapering From Day 1: Fitteds and Wool

Something I learned very early on with my first child is that no matter how small the baby, they are fully capable of putting out obscene amounts of urine. I'm all too familiar with double stuffing pocket diapers, adding extra inserts to prefolds and searching for the perfect solution for overnight.

It was no surprise to me when our 3rd some came along that he was also a heavy wetter! Even though we were changing him at least twice per night, I still had to construct a properly absorbent diaper to last more than a couple hours without leaking! My search for the perfect night diaper came to an end on night, thanks to a mis-communication between me and a small error by my husband! Instead of putting one of the assigned "night diapers" on Emmett before bed, my husband had a slip of the mind (sleep deprivation?) and put a simple prefold with one of our hand-me-down wool soakers over it. I also forgot to mention to him that I was going to try to avoid changing Emmett's diaper at night because the cool air on his bottom was keeping him awake. Normally, I'd say this was the perfect storm for a full clothing and sheets change in the middle of the night. I was FLOORED when I woke up the next morning and changed his diaper to find that combination. So then I got thinking, if a prefold could hold, can you imagine what a good fitted could do?!

Enter, the Babykicks One-Side Hemp Fitted! This diaper is soft, stretchy and can hold a river! It's a pocket fitted that includes a Joey Bunz Hemp insert but can be stuffed with more if you need it! I love the color coded snaps because it makes diaper changes a breeze, knowing which snap I'm snapping without searching. The side snaps make for a nice trim fit, even on my youngest son, and allow for my potty training 2 1/2 year old to pull it up and down on his own. This one-size diapers adjusts with a snap-up rise that fits birth to approximately 40 pounds. Is your baby between snap sizes? Find out how to use a Snappi for a custom fit with the Babykicks One-Size Fitted Diaper here! The gentle elastic in the back and legs hold in messes without leaving red marks and the natural fibers against my boys' SUPER sensitive skin allows for breathability. There is a very informative video explaining all the feature of the Babykicks One-Size Fitted here.

Emmett is 2 months old and just over 12 pounds. I use this diaper for him overnight paired with Little Beetle Wool Soaker Shorts. I found the diaper to be absorbent enough with the single hemp insert it comes with, but for larger children I might suggest adding an additional Joey Bunz Hemp Insert. Emmett wears this diaper on the smallest rise setting and on the second smallest waist setting. Lots of room to grow!



Why wool you might ask? Wool covers or soakers are really nice for daily wear, but even BETTER for overnight! Wool is a natural fiber, so it's breathable and allows air to your little one's bottom at night, often preventing irritation. It's naturally antimicrobial and won't retain odor. Unless it gets soiled, it only needs to be washed every couple weeks. The best thing about wool for overnight it is absorbs 40% off it's weight in liquid without feeling damp, so it's great for super soakers!

Sean is 2 1/2 years old and about 30 pounds. He wears the diapers on the 2nd largest rise setting and since he is potty training, I snap is on the largest waist setting so he can easily pull it up and down. The natural fibers allow Sean to feel if he wets in it, which encourages him to use the potty!



I'm so in love with this diaper that I want you to try it, too! Now though February 7th, get 10% off all Babykicks Products! Also, look for a giveaway for your chance to WIN a Babykicks One-Size Fitted Diaper!

On finding 'stashisfaction'

I've been cloth diapering my oldest full-time for about 18 months.  My youngest is now 14 months old and he's been in cloth since day one.  I think at this point I've used just about every choice possible with varying degrees of success.  I thought at one point that I could purchase a whole system of one-size diapers that would work perfectly for both boys.  I forgot, however, that every kid is different.  My big guy is tall and lanky, and not potty-trained yet now at a bit over three years old.  My youngest is now a small but solid (stocky!) guy who finds great joy in taking off velcro diapers.

I used prefolds and covers for awhile, sized appropriately for my boys.  They are, unfortunately, very heavy wetters and have sensitive skin, so I needed something that was going to keep their skin drier, especially overnight.  Contours had essentially the same problem.  Just not the perfect fit for us.

I started using hemp and bamboo fitteds overnight.  The BabyKicks one-size hemp fitteds, Bamboozle fitteds, and Kiwi Pie fitteds are some of my favorites.  I really love using wool longies (like Aristocrat) over fitteds, especially at night.  Very simple and bulletproof.  I also use all-in-ones at night, but only Dream-Eze (for some reason their absorbency and fit is good for my boys - they're now the GroVia AIOs).

During the day, I found that pockets were easiest for us.  I stuff them right out of the laundry, and then they're ready to go.  My big guy is still in bumGenius pockets, and I hope those will work till he is out of diapers.  The little guy has a smorgasbord of diapers.  Pockets and all-in-ones are what I tend to stick with during the day, as that system just fits our lifestyle the best.  For him, I love the Blueberry pockets, Rumparooz pockets, and BabyKicks Bumboo pocket diapers.

It has taken a long time to find out what works for us.  I've bought and sold a TON of diapers.  My message to you is to not get discouraged if one brand or style doesn't work for you.  Try something else!  Tell us what you liked/didn't like and we'll try to help find the PERFECT diaper system for you.  Take advantage of our sampler packages and try lots of different things.  There is a perfect system out there for you, and we'll help you figure it out.

By Casey

Overnight Cloth

It's the middle of the night. Your baby wakes up, and you feel that dreaded cold, wet fabric clinging. A leak. Now instead of going back to sleep, you have to change a diaper in the dark and wake baby up even more...not particularly enjoyable with cloth OR disposable diapers.

So how do you get through a night and stay dry? My experience with my two heavy wetter boys will hopefully benefit you.

We ran the gamut of nighttime cloth choices.

• Prefolds and Blueberry minkee covers. No dice, leaks and midnight changes.
• Tried adding hemp doublers to things. Still not enough absorbency.
• Hemp seemed more absorbent, so we started using hemp fitteds. Success! No leaks! BabyKicks Organic One-Size Fitteds really work well for us at night, especially with an extra hemp doubler inside.
• Mother-ease One Size Fitteds in Bamboo Terry are awesome, too. Bamboo is so soft!

As he got bigger, the covers just didn't seem comfortable for him, so we tried wool. Wool longies/soakers over hemp fitteds became our big nighttime solution. Wool is a GREAT cover option at night, as it won't shift and leave gaps that can leak. Breathable and comfortable, too.

When the little one came along, we did the same with him right off the bat. The Mother-ease seemed trimmer and less overwhelming on him overnight, so for a long time it was one brand on one boy and another on the other boy...very confusing.

Finally, I found one diaper that works great on both boys for overnight that isn't quite so difficult....Dream-Eze Organic Cotton AIO. For cotton, it is amazingly absorbent and I haven't had leaks! I love these diapers.

It seems the trick to successful overnights is finding a diaper combination that:

1. fits your child correctly
2. has enough absorbency
3. is trim enough to be comfortable. 

If you're having nighttime issues, try these:

• Leaks? Add a doubler or switch to a wool soaker/longies.
• Too bulky? Switch to hemp or bamboo.
• Red bottom? Try adding a liner to wick moisture away from the skin.

If, of course, you try some things and still need some help, call Nicki's Diapers and we'll be happy to troubleshoot with you.