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Many people fall into one camp or another when it comes to Best Bottoms. Either they are devoted to their natural fibers or they love the stay dry microfiber inserts for their baby. I have to admit, we are more on the stay-dry side in our house. I love how they quickly wick the moisture away so Baby Z doesn't feel the wetness. My husband has even told me multiple times that she wasn't really wet because he only felt the top of the insert and didn't realize how much wetness had been absorbed.
Hemp has its place in our house as well though. Overnight we use the dream team combo of a hemp overnight on bottom with a stay dry insert on top. Stay dry quickly wicks the moisture away and hemp absorbs an impressive amount, so we have no leaks in the morning. We have our daytime favorites and our overnight dream team, so why would we make any changes? Change is hard, especially when something is working well.
But then Best Bottoms went ahead and released new bamboo inserts. How could we not try them? Maybe they could have their place in our perfect rotation too. Our daughter is generally an average wetter. At around 20 pounds we use large inserts, have her on the middle rise on her Best Bottom covers, and change her around every 2 hours. Except nap time. Nap time has become a fun trial and error game lately. We recently dropped from two naps a day to one and that one nap lasts somewhere between 2-3 magical hours. To be clear, that's 2-3 magical hours in which I'm positive she just continually pees the entire time. She chugs her milk at snack time, settles in for her slumber, and then pees and pees. We've adjusted to using doublers during nap, just to be sure her sheets stay dry. I wondered if the new bamboo Best Bottom inserts could help fill this nap time gap for us.
We snagged a few of the large bamboo inserts when they were released and went about prepping them to try them out. The first thing you'll notice about the bamboo inserts is that they are so buttery soft that our daughter likes to snuggle them out of the dryer. Many washes and uses later and the softness hasn't changed a bit. In addition to being snuggly soft, they are so extremely trim. It's hard to get much trimmer on Best Bottoms, but the bamboo is so trim it made me second guess whether they could really hold that much during nap time. We pulled out her skinny jeans that we never use, slipped them over her Best Bottom cover with a bamboo insert, and smiled at her adorable fluff butt.
Like hemp, bamboo is a natural fiber, which means they need to be prepped by washing them 4-5 times before use in order to reach maximum absorbency. This means 4-5 times through the full wash cycle (with detergent) and dried, but the good news is that you can wash them with anything, not just diapers. I was impatient, so after 4 laundry loads of diapers and clothes on wash day, I called it good and ready to try.
Here's a comparison between the three insert types. Stay-dry on the left, hemp in the middle, and bamboo on the right. Hemp naturally shrinks some during the prepping process, while stay-dry and bamboo do not.
Along with being soft and trim, the bamboo inserts are extremely moldable. They sink snugly into place in the cover, and fit perfectly, even though we use the middle row of rise snaps. The first few uses we tried them out during her normal change schedule and changed her every 2-3 hours. She's a crazy wild child and basically runs after the dog for two hours straight and we had no issues with bunching or leaking, and they absorbed wonderfully.
Once we'd used them a few times during everyday use, we got real crazy and decided to try them during nap time. We wanted to know their true potential, so we didn't even use a doubler, just one large bamboo insert for her pee filled nap. As usual, she chugged six ounces of milk during her snack, we changed her right before we put her down, and then crossed our fingers and settled in for the test. Two hours and fifteen minutes later Baby Z was well rested and ready to chase the dog some more, and jumping on her DRY SHEETS! Dry I say! No doubler, no wool, just a single buttery soft bamboo insert that was so impressively full of liquid that it was heavy. My skeptical husband was sure it was a one off fluke, but we've tried this option for a full week now and had success every time. (Minus the one day grandma had a chunk of the insert sticking out the top of the cover, but you can't blame the bamboo for that!)
The only drawback we've been able to find compared to our stay-dry inserts is that, like hemp, the bamboo inserts take two full dryer cycles to completely dry, rather than the one for stay-dry. Let's be fair, with how much they absorb, that's probably reasonable. However, the extra dry time is worth the soft absorbency that has been added to our Best Bottom dream team of inserts.
Have you tried the new Best Bottom bamboo inserts yet? Let us know what you think!
The adorable bright colors set against a starry sky will be available in Planet Wise wet bags, snack bags, and a Best Bottom cotton diaper. This limited edition collaboration will be flying in on Tuesday, February 16th at 10 am CST to Nicki's Diapers and will also be available at many of your other favorite Planet Wise retailers. Get yours before they fly away!
Stock up on these top-selling Made in the USA Cloth Diapers, including the new prints and color!
To be among the first to know when these stock, get on the waiting lists HERE and HERE!
Congratulations! Please email annie@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prize!
FREE shipping on all Best Bottom Diapers and Planet Wise Products in the US!
*Nicki's Diapers selects Planet Wise bag prints, make requests in comment section of your order and we will do our best to honor it!*
When my family made the decision to cloth diaper I was so
excited I couldn’t wait to tell my friend who had been cloth diapering for
nearly a year. She spent the next few days constantly reminding me that when
she moved to cloth I would ask her, “How’s that going for you?” I honestly don’t remember passing judgment, but
apparently I did — something I’m not proud of since I have found that I
actually love cloth diapering.
As it is, to get to this point in my children’s lives, my
family had to make the leap from disposables to cloth, and it was from an
unlikely source, in my opinion, that the encouragement came from — my husband!
We took a trip our local Nicki’s Diapers retail store one afternoon to get some
reusable swim diapers for my son, and while I was looking for the right fit, my
husband wandered off. Looking up, I see him completely engaged in a
conversation between a mom-to-be and one of the employees at the Best Bottoms Diapers
display.
Ten minutes must have passed before he came up to me and
started spewing fact after fact about cloth diapering and how he thinks he
might be something we should try with our 14-month-old son before our newborn
arrived this fall. I must have looked at him with the widest eyes, because he
responded with, “What? Do you know how
many diapers we throw away and how much trash we have every week? I actually
feel bad about it. I always have. I just never have said anything. And I didn’t
realize how easy it seems to be to cloth diaper!”
Still in shock that he of all people was a cloth diaper
advocate, I just stood there staring at him. We looked around the store at the
different styles, he picked up a brochure at the counter and we continued the
conversation during the entire drive home. We talked eco-friendly benefits,
health benefits for our son, cost efficiency. You name it, we discussed it,
because let’s face it, one child in diapers is expensive, but two? It’s been a
rough year, and we needed to make some adjustments.
The thing that surprised me the most about making the
decision to cloth was that had my husband and I been a little bit more
communicative about things, we probably would have made the decision long
before our son was starting the toddler phase. I had seen my friend cloth and
it always intrigued me, but never did I think my husband would go for it. (And
truthfully, maybe I was slightly embarrassed that cloth was on my radar. My
family would laugh at me!) And the bottom line is he had just never been around
it, he didn’t know anything about it, so had I brought him in earlier or just
mentioned it a bit more, his curiosity probably would have piqued and things
would have been different a lot sooner.
The lesson learned: don’t assume anything. For me, I assumed
my friend was crazy to cloth, and that my husband nor myself would never try
something so “unconventional.” Little did I know he was just unaware of the
diapering possibilities and that he did care how much garbage we put into the
landfill every week! I still thank him for encouraging us to cloth every time I
get online to try and find new fuzzy and squishy material to get on my little
man, and he just laughs at me.
Guest Blogger, Jenna, is a
freelance writer and editor who lives in Verona, Wisconsin with her husband
and 18-month-old son. They are expecting their second little one in late
September.
Best Bottoms are a well-loved, smart, cloth diapering
solution. Designed to achieve all of the “pros” of other
cloth diaper systems while cutting out the cons, they
consist of a one-size diaper cover and sized (Small,
Medium, Large) absorbent inserts that snap to the cover.
The best thing to me about Best Bottoms is how compact
they are. This has three wonderful implications for cloth
diapering:
- They are SUPER EASY to wash! There is a lot less to
wash in a cycle with Best Bottoms than with any other
system I’ve tried (prefolds, pockets, fitteds, etc.)
You only have to wash the shell when it is soiled (if
it’s just wet, you can wipe it and air dry), so
usually the wash is just a trim pile of inserts and a handful of covers!
- The TRAVEL really well. This is the least bulky
system for traveling. (Flats may be comparable, but I
haven’t tried those yet!)
- They are TRIM on baby! Baby’s butt will be a lot
less “fluffy” in a Best Bottom than in a prefold or
fitted, and pants and shorts will fit Baby better!
Whether you’ve just decided to give them a try or have
been using them for awhile, here are a few tips for
getting the most out of your Best Bottom Diapers!
Save Money Overnight
You may not need to purchase overnight inserts for your
Best Bottoms in order to make them work for overnight. If
you’ve already purchased Small and Large Inserts, you may
have everything you need on hand to use Best Bottoms
overnight!!
You likely will not need Small Overnight Inserts at all,
as you’ll be changing baby so frequently when they are
teeny tiny that absorbency probably won’t be an issue. If
you’ve already purchased Small Overnight Inserts, do not
fret! They are an excellently absorbent option that can be
used when baby is bigger and in need of more absorbency!
For a boy, more absorbency is needed in the front
of the diaper. Snap one snap of a Small Insert to the
front snap of the shell. Then, snap one snap of a Large
Insert to the rear snap of the shell. The Large Insert
will cover the Small Insert. You have now added extra
absorbency right where Baby Boy needs it, without adding
rear bulk! Give this a try and see if it works for you for
overnight! This combination is a perfect place to use your small overnight inserts!
For a girl, more absorbency is needed in the middle
of the diaper. Lay a Small Insert in between the snaps of
the shell. Then, snap a Large Insert over the Small
Insert. The Large Insert will be snapped on both ends and
will completely cover the small insert. You now have added
absorbency right where Baby Girl needs it, without adding
extra bulk!
If the For a boy or For a girl suggestions
are not absorbent enough for your baby, you can also try
combining two regular Large Inserts in the shell. Snap one
insert in, and then lay the second insert over it. You
will not have the advantage of being able to snap both
inserts in, as you would be able to with an Overnight
Insert combined with a regular insert, but this option may
be absorbent enough for your child!
If none of these combinations work for your child
overnight, then you’ve proven to yourself that it is
indeed time to try Overnight Inserts!
How to use Best Bottoms on a Heavy Wetter
Some kids are just Heavy Wetters! If you find a regular
insert of the appropriate size just isn’t cutting it for
your child (i.e. they leak through within an hour to an
hour and a half), there are a few things you can try!
First off, if you are using Small or Medium sized inserts,
try stepping up to the next size. You may need to fold the
insert down a bit until Baby grows larger (For Stay-Dry
inserts, make sure you always fold so fleece is touching
Baby’s skin, NOT the microfiber back, which can be
irritating!).
If you are already using the Large inserts, check out the
tips above for Overnight Diapering. These are excellent
solutions for heavy wetters that still maintain trimness!
Little boys can have more issues with leaking than little
girls. Make sure his little boy parts are directed
appropriately towards the insert when you diaper! I had a
brief stage with my son where he would leak out the side,
particularly during naps. I was using a Large Insert,
which was a little bulky on him at the time, so his parts
had space to move around which caused the leaking. During
that brief phase, I found that stuffing the shell with a
tri-folded small or medium prefold for naptime was the
best solution for us! Prefolds are super absorbent, and
because they are bulkier, they will fold around Baby Boy’s
parts and help contain leaks! They are also a cheap way to
‘bulk up’ your cloth diaper stash!
If you have a really, really heavy wetter, it’s probably
time to start thinking about combining Hemp and Stay-Dry
Inserts. Keep the Stay-Dry Insert next to Baby, as the
microfiber absorbs really quickly, and below it use a
regular or overnight Hemp Insert. The Hemp is very thirsty
and will absorb a ton, but it will absorb more slowly than
microfiber. So, as Baby pees, it will be absorbed quickly
by the microfiber, then the hemp will start to suck it out
of the microfiber. Then, when Baby pees again, it can be
absorbed quickly again! You can try using the tips found
in the Overnight Diapering section above for combining
Hemp and Stay-Dry Inserts.
Snaps vs. Hook & Look
You’ll hear it said that moms prefer snap closures and
dads prefer hook and loop. This was definitely true in our
home until Baby Boy got to be about 6 months old and VERY
ACTIVE! Unfortunately, I had purchased all Snap Best
Bottom covers and only ONE Hook & Loop (for my hubby).
My recommendation to friends nowadays is that they
purchase a combination of Snap and H&L closure Best
Bottoms covers. Snaps are great for baby who likes to undo
their hook & loop diapers, as mine does, but Hook
& Loop can be faster to get onto a wriggly, crawly
toddler! And you can always pull a pair of shorts or pants
over a H&L diaper to deter diaper removal! Definitely
purchase more of the type of closure you think you’ll
prefer, but choose two or more of the other option as
well! I think an ideal set for our family would be five or
six Snap covers and three or four Hook & Loop covers.
Once Baby gets older and wriggly, they don’t poop as
often, so even if you want to use your three H&L
shells all day long, you’ll probably be able to!
I hope you found at least one pearl to take away from this
post. Please let us know if you have any other great Best
Bottom tips!
Guest Blogger, Lauren, is a stay-at-home mom in Madison, Wisconsin.
She lives with her husband, their 14 month old son, and baby number
two is on the way! She started cloth-diapering her son the week he
came home from the hospital and became even more of an expert in
cding while working at the Nicki's Diapers retail store in Madison.
While supplies last!
FREE shipping on ALL Best Bottom Diaper Products in the US!
Hands down the most popular modern cloth diapers on the market right now are one-size diapers. There are many benefits to using one-size diapers!
- They are incredibly economical since they grow with your baby
- They are a great option for families who have more than 1 child in cloth diapers since children can "share" diapers
- They allow you to change settings on the diaper to accommodate change in baby's body shape as well as extra bulk for overnight diapers
There can also be a few cons to one-size diapers, especially when it comes to using them on a newborn.
- Most one-size diapers don't start fitting till 8-10 pounds (depending on baby's shape) so you will have to use a "newborn" diaper in the mean time, or some families choose to use disposable diapers till their little one fits into their one-size diapers.
- Since the diapers have to last through toddler hood, there will be some extra bulk on a smaller baby.
The good news is, I believe the pros certainly outweigh the cons! Since cloth diapers have such an awesome resale value (try your local craigslist or a cloth diaper resale website like undermycrib.com), you can start with a newborn stash for the first couple months and easily get a good amount back from re-selling!
When you are first trying one-size diapers on your little one, keep a few things in mind.
- They're going to look HUGE! But remember your baby is going to grow SO fast and they don't move around much as a newborn anyhow.
- Check the common spots for leaks do to poor fit. Lift their legs up and make sure you don't see any gaps. Make sure wings are tucked in and there is no gapping around the front.
- Try a few different brands. Something that fits your baby at 3 weeks might fit completely different at 3 months. I generally do not suggest people build their entire stash out of the same brand if they haven't tried other brands yet.
- Use a sized insert! Many one-size diapers come with 2 inserts, one of them usually termed a "newborn" or "small" insert. Take advantage of these as they will reduce bulk. Another great option is a system like the Best Bottom Diaper with the sized inserts that keep the diaper fitting nice and trim!
I've chosen some of the most popular brands of one-size diapers to show you on Emmett.
The BumGenius 4.0 One-Size Pocket Diaper is stuffed with 2 newborn inserts. It adjusts with a snap up rise and the stretchy tabs allow for a really custom fit around the waist. These started fitting Emmett (who has very skinny chicken legs) right around 10 pounds. These are also available in a hook & loop closure.
The Fuzzi Bunz One-Size Pocket Diaper is stuffed with the "small" insert. It adjusts with elastic in the back and legs to get a great fit! I did find these to have a little more bulk to them when the legs are cinched very tight but they fit closer to 9 pounds.
This Best Bottom One-Size Diaper has a small hemp/organic cotton insert snapped in it. These adjust with a snap up rise and close with either snaps or hook & loop around the waist. The extra leg gussets hold even the messiest of messes. These started fitting Emmett at about 9 pounds.
This Blueberry Coverall has a small Imagine Smart Fit Prefold under it. These generously sized covers fit suprisingly well on a small baby. The extra leg gussets also contain messes well! And just a sidenote, this particular cover was originally purchased for my now 4 year old when he was 1 1/2! This is the third child to wear it! :)
The Microfiber Diaper Doubler is made of 2 layers of microfiber and has snaps on both sides. Simply snap your Diaper Doubler into your Best Bottom Diaper Shell, and snap your Stay-Dry or Hemp/Organic Cotton insert (of the same size) on top! This is a great option for a heavy wetter, nap-time or long car rides! I've found it difficult to find a trim cloth diaper option that is absorbent enough to hold Emmett's heavy wetting. He's teetering on the edge of the next clothing size and in order to get a few more wears from them, we need a trim diaper! I've found these fit the bill perfectly!
If heavy wetting is a concern during the day, imagine what it's like at night! Emmett is still nursing every 3 hours at night, but we've found he is WIDE AWAKE for HOURS if we change his diaper. Enter... the Best Bottom Hemp/Organic Cotton Overnight insert! This insert snaps into your Best Bottom Diaper Shell and you snap a Stay-Dry or Hemp/Organic Cotton Insert on top. This creates a bullet-proof overnight diaper!
You might tag a look at the price tag and get scared off. $9.99 for an insert? The truth is hemp is one of your best options for absorbency but it's often a little pricer. But think of it this way, you'll only likely need 2 or 3 of them (depending on how often you wash) and buying a $9.99 insert to turn your daytime diaper into a night time diaper is a heck of a lot cheaper than buying a diaper specifically for night time!
Congratulations! Please email annie@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prize!!
BEST BOTTOM DIAPERS NOMINATED FOR BEST ECO-DIAPER IN
THE 2011 SHEKNOWS PARENTING AWARDS
Fans Can Vote Online For Best Bottom Diapers Through October 18, 2011
Los Angeles, Calif. (September 30, 2011) – Best Bottom Diaper announced their nomination today for best Eco-Diaper in the 2011 SheKnows Parenting Awards. According to SheKnows, the coveted award recognizes outstanding products in the parenting and pregnancy industry based on functionality, quality and convenience. Winners will be announced October 25, 2011 on SheKnows.com.
SheKnows, a global destination for women with the latest news on parenting, health, entertainment and more, created the award program to recognize products within the parenting industry for excellence. The awards span over 50 comprehensive sub-categories that cover everything from baby gates and diaper bags to pregnancy essentials and eco-toys.
“Just like last year, the 2011 SheKnows Parenting Awards nominees such as Best Bottom Diapers, consistently set the standard for quality when it comes to products and services used by parents nationwide,” said Kyle Cox, Vice President and General Manager of SheKnows. “It is an incredible achievement to be selected as a finalist from the hundreds of submissions we review and Best Bottom Diapers has clearly demonstrated they are a leader in the parenting industry.”
As a nominee, Best Bottom Diapers will also be eligible to win an Editors’ Choice Award, which spotlights one specific brand per category chosen exclusively by the SheKnows Editorial Team. Starting September 18, 2011, readers can access voting here!
You can do each one of the entries however you must post back here to our blog and tell us WHAT you did. Be sure you follow the Nicki’s Diapers blog - publicly for your chance to win!
We will post our winner on Wednesday, October 5th! How do you enter to win? (Each worth 1 entry per day unless otherwise stated)
REQUIRED ENTRIES: - Blog about our giveaway and link back to our site. When you post back here you must link to the URL where you blogged. (2 entries)
- Follow Nicki’s Diapers @nickisdiapers on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway. Leave the URL where you Tweeted.
- Tweet @nickisdiapers #clothdiapers (1 entry for each unique tweet)
- Tweet @planetwise #clothdiapers #wetbags (1 entry for each unique tweet)
- Like Planet Wise and My Swim Baby on Facebook - Be sure to state your facebook name when you post back here. (1 entry for each)
- Suggest the following facebook pages to your friends: Nicki’s Diapers , Best Bottom Diapers , Planet Wise. You must post back here telling us which friend accepted your page suggestion. (1 entry per page for each person you suggest that LIKES us)
- Grab our button and place them on your blog. Post a link to the blog here. (2 entries per blog - per button)
- Start or comment on a discussion on the Nicki's Diapers facebook page discussion board.
- Blog about your choice to cloth diaper and include a link to www.nickisdiapers.com (2 entries)
- Tag @nicki's diapers or @best bottom diapers in a facebook post.
- Have a friend subscribe to our blog. Post their username in your comment. You can do this as many times as you can get friends to subscribe!
- Talk about Nicki's Diapers on any forum and include a link to www.nickisdiapers.com.
- Sign up for the Nicki's Diapers newsletter (enter your email address on the top right of our homepage).
- Start a thread about this giveaway on any baby or cloth diapering related forum and include a link to your thread. (2 entries)
- Place an order at nickisdiapers.com, myswimbaby.com or clothdiaperclearance.com between 9/21/11 and 10/4/11. Include your order number in your entry.
- Suggest a new print/color for Best Bottom Diapers!
GOOD LUCK!!
Congratulations to Liao Family! You've won a Best Bottom Diaper in your choice of snaps or hook & loop! Please email annie@nickisdiapers.com to claim your prize!
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