|
|
As the weeks creep closer to the arrival of Baby #2, and it becomes more of a reality that the precarious routine we've settled into as a family of three is about to be thrown on its head, I've actually started to think about what we'll need to keep everyone from baby to big sister, and mama sane.
Some of the items are obvious and simple, while others involve me second guessing everything we did the first time around. Let's be honest, there are also things I don't even remember about the first time around, so I'm reaching way back in my sleep deprived brain to try and make this list .
1) Mama Cloth- Yes, I'm starting with mama on this one. Forget that new screaming infant for a minute. I had no idea what to prepare for after birth last time around. Nobody warned me. Well here I am warning you. I will not endure the surfboard sized disposable pads and itchy disposable underwear again. I even ended up using some of my husband's old boxer shorts after my first delivery because I was out of hospital supplied mesh panties, but not ready to open my own underwear drawer yet.
Pink Lemonade makes a variety of reusable cloth pads in minky, bamboo velour, and cotton velour. They even have a 13 inch postpartum pad that I'm going for along with a few overnights and smaller pads for when things eventually taper off (and I promise they will...eventually).
Party In My Pants also makes an awesome queen sized option in flannel and cotton although I have no interest in "partying in my pants" at that point in time, the soft material will be very welcome.
2) Nursing Pads- I already started with mama, might as well stick with it right? Again, naive first time mama version of me didn't know what to expect in this category either. I had a pack of disposable nursing pads that a friend had passed on to me, but I also endured several nights of waking up to a wet pool of sour smelling breastmilk on the bed. Reusable nursing pads are so much more absorbent, comfortable, and cost effective. The Nicki's Diapers Stay Dry Nursing Pads are my favorite and come in a set of three pairs.
3) Newborn Cloth Diapers- Like many new cloth families, we didn't get brave with the cloth right away. We waited until the umbilical cord stump fell off and she had grown a bit to dive into the cloth world. Little did we know how addicted we'd be and never want to touch a disposable diaper again.
We're excited to try the Imagine Newborn Stay-Dry All in One since we know the fleece will keep baby feeling dry so that they hopefully sleep a bit longer (please baby sleep!). While we are snap lovers with our older daughter, hook and loop is a perfect option for quick changes with a squirmy newborn.
The Nicki's Diapers Bamboo newborn diapers are also making heir way into our stash. Bamboo is so absorbent so that when baby starts to sleep a few longer stretches at night, we know they'll keep her dry.
4) Diaper Bag - Yes, we already have one (or thirteen) of these, but two children in cloth diapers means we need more space! I tend to be an over packer, planning for the worst even when we're making a quick trip to the grocery store.
The Ju-Ju-Be Prepared is the ultimate over packers dream! The inner pockets are even color coded for multiple children, which feeds right into my obsessive organizational needs. I also love that they come in cute prints so that I can pretend I'm a stylish millennial rather than an overtired mama.
5) Baby Carrier- Baby carriers are another item that we only came to appreciate a few months after our first was born. There were days when she needed the close touch of mama and the only way anyone else in the house was going to eat dinner was if I was wearing her. With baby #2 on the way, we know that walks for a while will consist of wearing one child while the other is in the stroller and many play dates with our firstborn will include the newborn snuggled on my chest.
For the tiniest of babies, a wrap is the perfect option for keeping baby securely snuggled in so you can be hands free. The Boba wrap is a great example of this since its designed for babies 7-35 pounds and there are no buckles, straps, or buttons to mess with. The learning curve of tying it on is easy and you'll become a pro quickly.
Once the baby is a little older and has a little more head control, a soft structured carrier is perfect for baby wearing. Most options like the Tula or Lillebaby can be used for both front and back carry. Some brands also have an infant insert so you can start using them even younger. They distribute the weight evenly over the parents shoulders and hips enabling you to wear them for long periods of time with no discomfort.
6) Bamboo Swaddling Blanket- Yes, we already have lots of blankets and could probably get away without a new one. But have you felt these?! They've all already been claimed in our house because they are so soft and snuggly. Just like I think every new baby deserves a special coming home outfit, Imagine Bamboo Swaddling blankets have been added to my list of new baby must haves. They are light, breathable, adorable, and did I mention soft? Whether you use it to actually swaddle baby or not, cuddling with this blanket will keep everyone happy.
7) Cozy Plush- Remember, I still have an older child that needs love and attention during the transition, so this one is for her. I now cringe when I think of the times I went to friend's houses to visit a new baby, gift in hand for the new little, completely forgetting the older child. A cozy plush is a stuffed animal that can be warmed up in the microwave for extra comfort on these cold winter nights and smells like soothing lavender. We plan on giving this as a gift from our new baby to our older one when she comes to the hospital to meet her.
What else am I forgetting? I'm sure there's plenty that I've forgotten about those first few sleep deprived weeks and many of you have already gone through this transition. Help a mama out and leave us a comment with your tips and advice!
Starting today, get FREE shipping on all Imagine Baby Products including prefolds and flats! Saving money just got even EASIER!
All through the month of December, for every Imagine Cloth Diaper you buy, we will donate one to a child in need! No limit on the amount of diapers donated!
Do you already have enough cloth diapers in your stash and you just want to help out? We have now made it possible to buy an Imagine Diaper to be donated directly, and we'll even match that purchase, so two diapers are donated!
Buy 1 Give 1 TODAY!
Congratulations! Please email annie@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prize!
Yesterday Imagine Baby Products released 2 new products to their economical and bullet proof cloth diapering line. In this blog post, I'm going to tell you about the features of the new Imagine One-Size Stay-Dry All-in-One and tell you why I think every cloth diaper stash needs a few of these on hand!
At first glance, the Imagine One-Size Stay-Dry All-in-One looks like any other all-in-one diaper. It's completely waterproof on the outside, offers a snap up and down rise in the front to fit babies 8-35+ pounds and is available in snap or hook & loop closure. Open it up and you'll find out what sets this diaper apart and makes it a smart buy!
The entire inner of the Imagine One-Size Stay-Dry All-in-One is lined with super soft polar fleece. This means your baby has only the most gentle material touching their skin. The 4 layer microfiber soaker pad is extremely absorbent and is also topped with the same polar fleece to wick away moisture and keep your little one feeling dry. The insert is snapped into the front. That means that no matter what snap rise you use, the absorbency will be where you need it to be. This also keeps the diaper nice and trim fitting in the back, which can sometimes be a difficult feature to find in a one-size diaper!
Something very unique about the Imagine One-Size Stay-Dry All-in-One is that you can utlize other snap-in inserts from the Imagine Baby Product line. One of my favorite options is the new and improved Imagine Bamboo Soaker Pads. Snap one of these babies in your Imagine One-Size Stay-Dry All-in-One, lay your stay-dry soaker on top and you've got a GREAT overnight diaper! Bonus: Because the absorbent soaker pad is removable, washing the diaper in a piece of cake! No stinkies from sewn in absorbency and the insert can be deep cleaned if build-up or yeast were ever to occur.
Why is this diaper a must-have for any cloth diaper stash? This no-frills diaper is easy for anyone to put on your baby! Babysitters, grandparents, and spouses that are hesitant to use cloth diapers will find this cloth diaper just as easy to put on as a disposable diaper. There is no stuffing, folding or removing of inserts. These also make the perfect diaper bag diaper. No other pieces to remember with this diaper, toss one in your diaper bag and you're set! Finally, this diaper is so reliable that it would be a great diaper to build your entire diaper stash from! A cloth diaper newbie would feel confident using this diaper!
It gets even better, for a limited time the Imagine One-Size Stay-Dry All-in-One is on sale for only $10.95! That's an unheard of price for a top quality All-In-One. Grab some to try out risk free, our 15 Day Wash Program insures that you'll get full store credit if you don't love it (but we know you will!).
Would you like to win a set of TWO Imagine One-Size Stay-Dry AIOS? Head over to our facebook page and click on the giveaway tab!
Congratulations! Please email annie@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prize!
Congratulations! Please email annie@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prize!
One of the most common challenges that cloth diapering presents is finding an overnight diaper that doesn't leak on your little one. Even though I'm on my 3rd baby, I still sometimes struggle to find a cloth diaper that will hold Emmett all night long! His ever changing sleep pattern makes that an even bigger challenge as one night he will sleep 12 hours straight (ok, this actually only happened twice) and the next night he'll wake up and nurse 4-5 times per night. No wonder I love coffee...
Anyhow, I digress...
My first son, Ian, did very well with pocket diapers overnight. When we first started cloth diapering, the only diapers we owned were BumGenius One-Size Pocket Diapers. Back then the 3.0 version was all that was available, but you can now purchase the 4.0 version. He only needed the one-size microfiber insert and 2 of the newborn inserts stuffed into the pocket to hold him for 12 hours! As my love for cloth diapers grew, we later tried out several other brands, including Happy Heiny's, Swaddlebees, and Fuzzi Bunz. All of these with an extra microfiber insert or two worked great overnight for Ian!
Then along came my little Sean. Sean was a heavy wetter from very early on and we had to try several different diapers before finding one that worked for him overnight. Sean was an awesome sleeper, sleeping for 10-12 hours per night from about 6 weeks on. That means he needed something heavy duty! We ended up having 2 options that we could use interchangeably. The first option was a Best Bottom One-Size Cover. I preferred the hook & loop version for overnight, it's super adjustable. We snapped an overnight insert in the cover first, and topped it off with a stay-dry insert. Another option that worked very well for him was almost any brand of one-size pocket diaper with a one-size microfiber insert and a large hemp insert. I found the Happy Heiny's Hemp Stuffins to be really great for little boys. You can stuff a couple extra hemp ovals in the pocket of the insert and put that end in front, just where boys need it!
When Emmett came along, I thought I had it all figured out! A pocket diaper with some inserts was bound to work, wasn't it? Not so much! When I say Emmett can pee, I mean Emmett can pee. Somewhere in that tiny body of his is an adult sized bladder. No amount of inserts stuffed in a pocket diaper can hold Emmett overnight. I did find a combination with my trusty Best Bottom Diapers that works, though! Best Bottom Diapers now offers a hemp/organic cotton overnight insert when once they only had a microfiber insert available. I pair this with a stay-dry insert and this will hold. Phew! But I wanted more options. I love using my BB's during the day and sometimes don't have enough shells to use them overnight as well. Then I discovered fitted diaper love! A fitted diaper is unique in that unlike a pocket diaper where just an insert absorbs, the entire fitted diaper is absorbent. Another great thing about fitted diapers is that the vast majority of them are made out of hemp or bamboo, both ultra absorbent materials! I have 2 go-to fitteds that when covered with a wool diaper cover are bullet-proof. The Imagine One-Size Bamboo Fitted and Kiwi Pie Bamboo fitted both are absorbent enough that I don't even need to add an additional doubler! Why wool you ask? Wool is great for overnight and especially for heavy wetters because it's breathable, anti-microbial (you only need to wash it about every 2 weeks!), and it can also absorb when your diaper is soaked.
So don't get discouraged if you have to do some experimenting before finding an overnight option for your child. Even us CD "pros" have to do some trial and error! If you've found an overnight solution for your child, feel free to share in the blog comments!
Imagine Baby Products has just released their newest product in their line of economical and easy to use cloth diapers and accessories! You can now get Imagine BUTTer, made by CJ's All Natural Baby Products!
For a limited time, get Imagine BUTTer 10% off! Available in a sample size and small stick, this is the perfect addition to your cloth diaper accessory stash! Enter below to win one of 2 I magine BUTTer prize packages that include a sample size, perfect for your diaper bag, and a small stick, perfect for home or daycare!
Try the softest, most absorbent and AFFORDABLE prefolds on the market TODAY!
Free shipping on all orders over $75 and Free gift with all orders over $100!
Congratulations to.... Stephanie Klemm! You've won the new Imagine Wipes Owl and Citrus Pinwheels Prints!
Please email annie@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prize!
When we got our last shipment in of Imagine Prefold and Flat Diapers and I helped count dozens upon dozens of them, I had a lot of time to think :) Think about how I had tried just about every cloth diaper type out there and why I liked each one for different reasons. As I stacked up the pile of Imagine Flats, I realized that was one type of diaper I had never tried. Flats certainly aren't a "modern" cloth diaper, but we still sell quite a lot of them at Nicki's Diapers and I like to be able to share my experiences with diapers when customers ask! So that solved it, I was bringing home a dozen Imagine Organic Flats that night!
You should have seen the look on my husband's face. "These are... diapers?", he asked. I showed him several ways to put them on our 2 year old, and he still didn't understand what makes these better than prefolds (by the way, he is a prefold guru). Here are some of the reasons that I gave him for why people might chose flats:
- They are one-size. Meaning, we could use those same flats that we were trying on my 2 year old with the baby I was pregnant with at the time. Extremely economical, especially when paired with a one-size diaper cover!
- They are very easy to clean. When flats are completely open, they are just a single layer of birdseye. When washing this allows lots of water and detergent to get the diapers VERY clean!
- They are versatile. There are a variety of folds you can do to suit you and your baby's needs. They can also be used as doublers and to stuff pocket diapers.
- They are useful after cloth diapering! After your little ones are out of diapers, use your flats to wash your car, as a dusting cloth or general cleaning rag, or to get your mirrors and glass surfaces clean without lint!
Now that our little guy has arrived, I've tried flats on him multiple times. They are so much easier than I had anticipated! Can you imagine how much money you'd save (especially over the course of multiple children) if you used flats and covers exclusively?!
There are quite a few ways to fold flats, probably even more than prefolds. I've found 2 folds that I prefer on my 6 week old. The first is called a pad fold. Basically you just fold it several times till I lays nicely in your cover. Below is a picture of a pad fold in a Thirsties Duo Wrap size 1. The pad fold is nice because it's quick and puts lots of absorbency where you need it.
The other fold that I found to work great on Emmett is the Origami Fold. I would love to provide you with detailed pictures on this fold, but I find it more helpful to look at a video. If you search Origami Flat Folds on Youtube, you'll get lots of great results :) Since Emmett is a heavy wetter, I trifold an XS Imagine Smart Fit Prefold and lay it in the wetzone. I also fold in the wings since he's still pretty tiny around the waist.
  
In the picture below, I held the flat on with a Snappi before putting the Thirsties Duo Wrap Size 1 over it, but I've also found it nice to just wrap the wings around him and put the cover over the top. I like the Origami fold because it's a little bit more trim between the legs, and it also prevents the newborn poop from getting on the inside of the cover.
 
Are you wondering just how economical using flats and one-size covers exclusively could be?
That's just over $100! Can you IMAGINE saving that much money?! And you can use those diapers for future children, too!
And just because my little guy's bottom half has been getting so much publicity... here's his sweet face. Can you believe how much he's chunked up?! WUB!
Congratulations!! Please email annie@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prize!!
Are you OVERWHELMED and confused? Uncross your eyes, take a deep breath and grab a cup of tea! Here is a quick and EASY guide of all you need to know about cloth diapers in a CliffsNotes format INCLUDING some of the most affordably priced cloth diapers and accessories available to purchase below. Why Cloth Diapers? - Save $$$ (lots of money actually - $1000's per baby)
- Save the environment (reduce, reuse, recycle...enough said!)
- Be healthy (no chemicals, no lead, no worries)
- Be hip and cool (okay so cloth diapers won't make you cool but they are turning into the new trend!)
- Be cute (I dare anyone to try cloth diapers and be able to fight the urge to take a picture of that cute little cloth diapered tush!)
Evolution of Cloth Diapers - deciphering the different types - Flat Diaper: A big 'ol single layer of cloth that you fold and use as a diaper. A diaper cover is required if you don't want a wet lap.
- Prefold Diaper: Someone took that big 'ol piece of cloth and folded it into layers and sewed it hence the name "prefold". Though it has the name "prefold" you will still have to do some minimal folding (don't worry it is EASY!). A diaper cover is required to make waterproof.
- Fitted Diaper: Basically added elastic, snaps or hook & loop, and sewing the fabric into a diaper shape. Yup still needs a diaper cover to make waterproof.
- Diaper Cover: You guessed it, what you will need to make all of the above cloth diapers waterproof. Diaper covers do not have any absorbency but go over the top of what absorbs making the cloth diaper not leak.
- All-In-One Diaper: Take the fitted diaper and diaper cover and sew them together into an "all-in-one" diaper. They are just like a disposable except you wash them instead of throwing them away.
- Pocket Diaper: Take a diaper cover and sew stay dry fleece to the inside (yes if you put water on this fleece it will run through and the fleece will remain feeling dry - AMAZING!) with a "pocket"opening to put an insert (the absorbency part of the diaper) into the pocket so only the fleece is touching baby. That is confusing...think of a pillowcase as the pocket diaper and the pillow as the insert.
- All-In-Two Diaper: A diaper cover with snaps on the inside for an insert to snap into. You can reuse the cover and snap in clean inserts.
Washing - yuck! Actually not! Actually really quite easy. Your washing machine does all the work - now is the time to thank your wonderful washing machine for saving you tons of money! After doing this routine several times it will become second nature! - Dump solids into toilet and put used diaper into dry diaper pail (if baby is solely breastfed skip this step or use a biodegradable liner and either flush or discard).
- After 2-3 days dump soiled diapers into washing machine (this is the most work you will do when washing your diapers and it lasts only about 10 seconds!)
- Cold water light wash cycle with no detergent (rinsing all the "stuff" down the drain where it belongs and leaving diapers ready to wash).
- Hot water wash (highest water level, longer cycle) with 3/4 the amount of detergent you would normally use (the Imagine brand likes Tide Original).
- Extra rinse cycle at any temp.
- Tumble or line dry
- DONE! Now was that so bad?!
*No bleach, softeners, homemade detergents or diaper creams without a barrier as these will "coat" your cloth diapers and make them not absorb.
Imagine a brand that has been created for YOU! We do not want to simply tell you Imagine is the best, easiest, most affordable, highest quality, etc. We DO believe this but too many just use these words and don't tell you why or how they are different. Imagine is different. We have simplified the options, created diapers that work, and have done it at an insanely affordable price.
How is the price SO LOW? Imagine is a brand made especially for Nicki's Diapers allowing us to pass the savings directly to you.
No matter who you are, we have thought about YOU! - Imagine a family that is BUSY. We get it, you want to use cloth diapers but you don't have the time or energy to research the hundreds of brands and go through the trial and error period. There is so much to learn about raising a child and your brain is on overload.Imagine is for you! They are cloth diapers created by an expert that has done all the research PLUS trial & error for you and created a brand with all the best qualities. We simply and concisely explain what cloth diapers are, how to use them, and how to choose the best system for your family.
- Imagine a family that needs to SAVE MONEY. Let's face it, times are tough and raising a baby can be expensive. Imagine is for you! Not only can you save a ton of money using any type of cloth diaper over disposable diapers but Imagine saves even MORE money. Imagine is cloth diapers and baby products created at an affordable price without sacrificing the quality and fit. Each product has been carefully designed and re-designed to make it the very best while keeping the cost economical.
- Imagine a family that wants the very BEST FOR YOUR BABY. We have all read the parenting books and have received an endless amount of parenting advice so we are not here to give more. Imagine is for you! The highest quality materials have been used to make our products great. We have several diapering options so you can choose the best for your family.
- Imagine a family that wants to MAKE A CHANGE (no pun intended). It is no secret our environment needs our help. Imagine is for you! Using cloth diapers can help reduce your environmental impact. Yes, using cloth diapers uses more water because you are washing them however water is a RENEWABLE resource that is properly filtered into specially designed treatment plants. Using cloth diapers WILL reduce what you put in the landfills, which are not renewable. It is unknown how long disposable diapers will take to decompose in a landfill and anyone who has had a baby knows dirty disposable diapers can take up A LOT of space. Simply put, our world is running out of landfill space and we need to do something about it NOW for our children.
- Imagine a family that wants OPTIONS. We understand every family is different.Imagine is for you! This is why Imagine is a brand and not a product. The Imagine brand was developed to give you an option on what type of cloth diaper works best for your family. Our goal is to offer your family options while taking away the overwhelming feeling too many options can cause. This is one of the number one reasons families who research cloth diapers do not end up cloth diapering their babies. We recognize it is a delicate balance between needing options and having too many options that confuse you.
- Imagine a family that LOVES STYLE. Babies are cute. We want to dress out babies in cute things. Imagine is for you! Cloth diapers are cute!! We use bold, fun colors that are sure to make heads turn. You don't have to sacrifice color and style for affordability and function.
If you love the idea of the Imagine Products and want to try them for yourself, enter to win 3 Imagine One-Size Pocket Diapers in your choice of color and closure!
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, November 16th!
How do you enter to win? (Each worth 1 entry per day unless otherwise stated) - 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 Best Bottom Diapers, 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, or @planetwise in a facebook post (1 entry for each tag)
- 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 1/1/11 and 11/15/11. Include your order number in your entry.
- Tell us why you chose to cloth diaper your little one!
GOOD LUCK!!
When I first heard about the new Imagine covers and pocket diapers, I was honestly skeptical. The prices seemed so low that I was expecting the quality to suffer. I am so excited to be wrong!
The first thing I noticed when laying hands on these diapers is that they are not cheap and flimsy -- quite the opposite. They are well-made, with good stitching and very high quality snaps, hook & loop, and fleece. The colors are vibrant and the PUL looks and feels more durable than others I've seen. I was impressed before I even tried them on my kids.
Imagine One Size Diaper Covers
I tried out the covers over a Flip stay-dry insert and over an Imagine prefold (large organic) fastened with a Snappi and also just trifolded inside the cover. The fit was GREAT. My kids are currently about 28lbs and 41lbs, and it actually fit both of them very well. The fabric is stretchy enough to get a good snug fit, and the double leg gussets provide gentle stretch to prevent red marks. The fit was trim and held in wetness and mess very well. I especially like the laundry tab -- it is softer than most I've felt but it holds the tab very well! These quickly became my favorite covers.
Imagine One Size Pocket Diapers
The pocket diapers come with a free one-size microfiber insert. Again, the fit on both my boys was fantastic. I had no wing droop, and the fleece around the pocket opening didn't try to sneak up out the back of the diaper. The insert itself was very plush and I found it absorbent enough for my tastes. The fleece is soft and I have seen no pilling. My mother-in-law even commented about how nice they were, and she hates cloth diapers!
Overall I would (and do) recommend these diapers to anyone. The price is an absolute steal, and the diapers are just fantastic. I am thrilled that Nicki's Diapers exclusively carries a line of diapers and accessories that is better than anything I could "imagine."
|
|
