Maine Cloth Diaper Company

Come on over to our new Blog!

2009-07-08T18:22:00.001-07:00

Don't forget to head on over to our new blog on our website:

http://www.maineclothdiaper.com/blog

See you all soon :)

New Acquisition - Hugga Buns!

2009-06-22T17:48:00.000-07:00

You heard it here, Maine Cloth Diaper Co. recently purchased a great company, Hugga Buns. The main product is a great pocket diaper, that comes in a rainbow of colors and either a tri-folded cotton/bamboo or hemp insert - super absorbent! This diaper is a really high quality product that one cannot see from the current product photos, you have to hold it in your own hands. The inside is super soft and the leg elastic is not going to let any messes escape! Additionally, with the super absorbent tri-fold insert the diaper is really trim and fits great.

We bought this company from the designer/creator of the diaper who put a lot of time and love into the product and we are very proud to now have it as part of the MCDC family. We want everyone to try one/some so we are offering them at a great price: $12.95 - they can be purchased either right here or at http://www.huggabuns.com.

Safe Sunscreens

2009-06-22T16:34:00.000-07:00

Now that they sun is shining bright, even here in Maine, its important to know exactly what is in the suntan lotions you are putting on your youngsters. Most of those super-sized, inexpensive bottles of “kids” lotions that you find at most large chain pharmacies are not suitable for use on anyone’s skin! They contain harmful chemicals that are used to generate free radicals as well as estrogenic enhancing chemicals which are listed in the ingredients as benzophenones, paba, paba esters and cinnamates (just to name a few).

Our California Baby lotions pride themselves in the following:

*Contains organic and sustainably grown ingredients
*No Octyl Methoxycinnamate or other chemical sunscreens
*No fragrance or scent masking agents
*UVA/UVB broad-spectrum protection
*PABA free
*Water resistant
*Non-chemical sunscreen
*Sheer finish
*Non-invasive formula, hypoallergenic
*Non-staining

Sunscreen chemicals aren’t only harmful to children, but teens and adults as well. You can google “estrogenic enhancers” if you want to read about the dangers yourself!

We also carry Mama Rose’s Natural SunBlocker which is SPF 30 and is all natural, chemical free and water resistant. We love it!

Both are great, healthy options for sun protection for the WHOLE FAMILY! Have a great day, and happy diapering!

We have a New Blog!

2009-06-22T16:29:00.000-07:00

Come on over and join us on our website for our new blog. In an attempt to streamline our site and try to have everything in one place where everyone can find us, we are moving to a new Wordpress Blog at: http://maineclothdiaper.com/blog/ - there is also a link on the left hand side of the homepage in case you forget!

I am going to post my next couple entries in both places to give everyone time to change their bookmarks. Come on over and comment :)

Clothing your Cloth Diapered Child

2009-06-02T13:26:00.000-07:00

No matter how trim your cloth diapers are, there is little chance they will ever be as trim as a disposable - close, but a bit bulkier. The trimest options that come to mind would probably be a pocket diaper stuffed with hemp - of our selection I would say the Hugga Buns Ultra pocket diaper and the Thirsties hemp insert, either that or maybe the BumGenius AIO without a doubler. Those of us that use extra doublers, or large prefolds and covers are used to that cute padded bum! I have gotten questions about the development of a baby's hips with that added bulk between the legs pushing them apart more, this is a myth and there is simply no truth to it. Your baby's hips will develop just fine! What do you think babies wore before the invention of the disposable diaper anyway?

People often ask us if the added bulk under clothing makes shopping more challenging. With my daughter, I don't really think its been that much of an issue, except maybe with onesies which we really only used for the first few months given that she was born in January and I was trying to keep her warm! I don't think she ever wore the 0-3 month and only wore the 3-6 month for a very short time - I learned quickly to size up. They also make a snap extender for onesies since its really the crotch and bum area that needs the extra room when your babe wears cloth. I don't have personal experience using them, but have heard rave reviews. With sleepers and other stretchy cotton items usually worn by newborns, there is usually plenty of extra room for the cloth.

Now that my daughter is older (2 1/2) and in the 80-90th percentile for both height and weight, I generally only buy pants with some element of stretch - there are actually few things I have founds that don't stretch to some degree. If your child is very slender it probably won't even be an issue as I have plenty of friends with slender children that wear jeans and cords over their cloth with no problem. There is such a large variety of options available for children's clothes these days - I find Target carries the best fitting stretch bottoms with great variety of colors and prints. Our family has been using cloth from day one, so for us its a no-brainer. We do have to remind people around birthdays and holidays that gifts of bottoms do need to be stretchy as we do have a little extra padding in that area! If you are changing over from disposable to cloth, there is a chance you may find a few of your child's tighter items with no give to be too snug - a small price to pay - you will definitely save more money in the long run!

I love to see a cute little padded cloth bum - there is nothing wrong with a little added "booty"!

Have a great week everyone and happy diapering!

The Swim Diaper Myth...

2009-05-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

Warm weather is finally here!!! (in New England that is) We have a long haul through late fall, winter and most of spring before we get a break in the cold and snow :) I thought I would talk about swim diapers, a thing of mystery and often a pain in the....well you know!

The typical disposable swim diapers that most parents turn to and even are sold at most public pools are similar to a regular disposable diaper minus the absorbent gel and the outer waterproofing layer. The myth is that these diapers keep pee out of the water - WRONG! I have had moms ask me about my daughters Kushie's cloth swim diaper dozens of times. We have talked about how expensive the disposable swim diapers are and how often they change them. They want to see how the cloth swim diaper works and its so simple! The problem comes up when they see that its just the outer layer and the inner mesh. They are astounded that there is nothing absorbent because they don't realize just how little their disposables hold. Basically they all are designed to hold just poo.

The other question I keep hearing from cloth moms is, what to stuff the swim diaper with? The simple answer....NOTHING! As I said before, they are designed to contain messes, everything else, water AND pee should pass right through. If not, it could pose a potential drowning hazard. If the diaper were to fill with liquid it could weigh the child down or if it were to fill with air it could force the child's head under the water while floating their behind to the surface.

The lesson here is this....even if you don't cloth diaper, cloth swim diapers are SO easy to use and can save lots of money and waste! They are sold online at our store as well as in many retail establishments, give them a try :) And as alway, happy diapering!

Not Your Mother's Cloth Diapers!

2009-05-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

Often we get mother/daughter customers coming into the store asking for info and exploring possibilities. The opinions vary - some are all for it, telling stories of their own experiences, others are more negative, giving examples of why the new mother will need that extra time (all what, 20 mins a week?) that it takes to do the extra washes. Back about 25-30 yrs ago, when disposable diapers were really beginning to enter the mainstream, they were thought of as a new “freedom” for women, somewhat comparable the bra burning era!

Most mothers’ impressions of cloth are that of diaper pins, pull on pants and wet pails and while some of us still employ these things, we know there are more modern, easy ways to CD as well as safer alternatives to the wet pail. Most cloth diaper manufacturers these days actually specify that a DRY pail be used, explaining that keeping diapers in a wet pail is not only dangerous for children (as a drowning hazard) but also not good for the diapers, they break down faster and the elastics and snaps wear out sooner as well. It often takes quite some discussions to explain to grandmothers-to-be that cloth diapering is a great option and there are so many new ways that things have been made easier and quicker for the modern - often more so than the parents themselves. They are amazed at the different types available – AIOs, pockets, fitteds, one-size diaper, the modern side fastening cover…..too many to remember! We just try and keep it as simple as possible to reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed. Its easy we tell them, and for those of you that love to cloth diaper, you know its true.

So at this time of year where we have just honored our mothers, old and new – try and laugh about those small disagreements! I am reminded of some of the struggles of differing opinions that I have had with my own mother on the subject of child rearing – so funny to think about and great memories I will carry with me.

Debunking Seventh Generation's "Big Green Lies"

2009-04-30T17:25:00.000-07:00

As environmentalists, we look at companies like 7th generations with admiration, right? While we have tried to cut down on paper towel use, or gotten rid of the need altogether, have contemplated family cloth, stopped using harsh chemical cleaners, clothes and dish detergents and OF COURSE stopped using disposable diapers - we look at 7th generation as one of the best alternatives, the people that make the "greenest" versions of those things we try so hard not to use! Well......brace yourself - it appears that they are beginning to act like the "Big" business they are becoming.

In their new set of short shows called "Big Green Lies" - 7th Gen attempts to debunk typical green myths - most recently cloth vs. disposable. You can see the segment here. Way to try and over-simplify things, huh? Did they fail to realize that most of us wash our own diapers and that if you use additive free detergent you don't have to rinse the diapers over and over and over....and you certainly do not have to use bleach or even the clothes dryer for that matter if you like to use the clothesline. There are so many different factors that they completely ignore, yet being who they are and assuming the roll of "green authority" lots of people will just watch this and take it as the end all of answers.

Although their diapers are bleach free and lack many of the harmful chemicals that mainstream diapers contain, they didn't mention that when telling people to stop over-thinking the decision because it was 50/50. They also neglected to talk about how disposables can also lock in body heat, raising the temperature of the scrotum which is being studied as a contributing factor of male infertility.

What it really just boils down to for me and lots of other educated moms who have chosen cloth for their kids is this: In the US, 27.4 billion disposable diapers go into the landfill each year - these diapers are estimated to take between 250 and 500 YEARS to decompose...but we really don't know for sure, do we? There were no disposables diapers around 250 years ago, which means that ALL the disposables that have ever been made are STILL breaking down....somewhere in a huge pile of trash.

Shame on you Seventh Generation.

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T15:37:00.000-07:00

So we know opinions about the environment, carbon footprint and green living really run the gammet these days. More than in the past especially, since these thing are more popular subjects and more people are aware of the effects of their lifestyles, people are trying to make better decisions for the future of the planet.

Most of the moms I am friends with are generally more environmentally friendly than the average bear on some level, some more so than others. For example, a new mom friend that I have recently made since moving, is quite the *activist* - she is the person honking at the cars and shouting when she sees young children not in their car seat, she will stop a mom in public to show her how to adjust the her baby's car seat straps or her Ergo or a better/more effective way to tie her Moby. Just recently we got into a great "sandbox" discussion about cloth vs. disposable (we were literally in the sandbox!) Oddly enough, there was one other mom there who was an avid cloth diaperer (we suspected it....and she confirmed later in the conversation.) The other adults were a young lady and her partner - they had a 3 yr old boy still in diapers and an older lady, who we assumed was the grandma - she had a 3-ish yr old little girl who may have been potty trained and another on her back in a very nice sling.

My activist friend very smoothly struck up the conversation as a result of the young mom asking if her daughter was still in diapers and my friend telling her that she had just recently potty trained at around 2.5 yrs. The young mom was very impressed which prompted us to launch into our "Cloth diapered kids potty train earlier speech". I love the questions! "What do you do with the poop?" "Do you have to use bleach?" "Does it make your washing machine stinky?" "Do you really save a lot of money?"

I don't think we convinced her, necessarily, but made her think! The boyfriend ran when he heard the word "WASH" *heeheehee*, but she listened, and the older woman smiled and nodded. Our cloth diapering ally piped in a few times - overall a success!

Just a little food for thought for all you "closet" cloth lovers out there - and those who have yet to come into the light! Especially this being the week we all celebrate Mother Earth and communities try and clean her up a bit. Tell someone about cloth! Tell them how easy it is, how healthy it is for the child and if need be, tell them it really is the hip thing to do! Oh and as always.....Happy Diapering!

Cloth diapering on a dime....when money is tight!

2009-04-07T16:38:00.000-07:00

Everyone has their own set of reasons for cloth diapering their kiddies, including but not limited to - environmental conservation, cutting back on chemical exposure, vanity and increasingly ever-popular SAVING MONEY!! Over the life of a child, cloth diapering can save thousands upon thousands of dollars, and as many of us can attest to, every penny counts. As a seasoned cloth diapering parent will tell you, there are so many routes one can go when building a cloth diaper stash for either a new baby or as a switchover from disposables. I am going to talk about the most frugal ways that families can cloth diaper on a bare bones budget.

Having many mom and dad friends myself, I can say their personalities and skill sets vary as much as one can imagine and while it would be great to have the skills to sew up your own stash of diapers, many of us just don’t have the time or the sewing experience. For those of us who don’t want to go that route, our best friend in the frugal cloth diapering world would have to be the cotton prefold! They are by far the budget diaperer’s best choice. For around $70 you can have 3 dozen infant size unbleached Indian cotton prefolds which is right around the amount that one would need to successfully diaper a newborn, washing a load of diapers twice a week (give or take of course – as a child gets older the number of diaper you need decreases as a general rule).

Paired with the prefold, one will need some type of cover ranging from wool, to plastic or vinyl – the least expensive being the old fashion Gerber rubber pants that many of our own mothers used diapering us and our siblings (which now have a softer lined leg casing and are chlorine free!) These are a simple pull on style with elastic waist and legs and come in 5 sizes from 8-35 lbs. One step up in my opinion in both ease and cost would be the Prorap wrap style covers with either snap or aplix – they add another element of ease in that they are more like the basic design of disposable diapers where you fasten them on either side with the child laying down without the help of pins or a Snappi to close the prefold since the cover holds it tightly in place when fastened correctly. We recommend having a minimum of 4 covers, depending on your washing preference. When my daughter (now 2) was a small infant I got along fine with 3-4 covers which I rotated hanging on a hook over my changing table (we didn’t go out much). When one either became soiled or very smelly, I would take it into the bathroom and wash it out in the sink with a tiny squirt of soap, wring it out in a hand towel and hang it over my shower to dry. Simple as that – if it was very dirty I might let it soak or even throw it in the diaper pail with the prefolds to go in the washer. Of course the more covers you have, the less you wash – many people like having 6-8 covers allowing them to be washed right in with the prefolds every time.

Other add-ons that are helpful, but not required:
• A small water resistant bag for outings (or you can use a grocery bag, but these are so cute!)
• Wipe solution and flannel/fleece squares (this will save a ton of money in the long run)
• Washable liner bags for the pail (I recommend 2, one in the wash, one in the pail)
• Some type of doubler (micro fiber is usually sufficient for a smaller child, while something more absorbent like hemp or bamboo is better for older children or heavy wetters). I would use the doublers for night diapering or if I was taking a longer car ride and hoped the baby would sleep the whole way without wetting through the clothes onto the car seat cover :)

We have some ready made systems available that make this whole process effortless. Our basic MCDC infant, baby and toddler packages include the prefolds, covers, wipes, solution and bag. We also have an ultra basic preemie package which is simply the preemie prefolds and the preemie covers. Lastly we have the mother of all packages which will take you from birth to potty training - our MCDC Complete package. Of course these are all customizable and we encourage you to contact us if you would like to build your own package or have questions or concerns.

Oh and as always…happy diapering!

One Size Fuzzi Bunz are in Stock!

2009-02-23T06:17:00.000-08:00

Get them while they are hot! Click here to check out the *NEW* one-size Fuzzi Bunz pocket diaper.

If anyone has any qustions about fit, adjustment or anything else, please call or email us!

Thanks and happy diapering!

Fuzzi Bunz One Size!

2009-01-30T09:20:00.000-08:00

We have some exciting news to announce and wanted to hop on straight away in the hopes that you are hearing it from us first!! Fuzzi Bunz have come out with a new One Size Pocket – yes the answer to all our die-hard FB fans’ prayers! We put our orders in this month and hope to have them in stock mid-February….so stay tuned. Now a little about the long awaited diaper.

Fuzzi Bunz have always been set apart from the rest in that their design does not mirror any other pocket diaper and these new one-sized diapers are no less original. With most ones-size diapers, there are 3 distinct snap-down sizes – not with the new Fuzzi Bunz OS. Through adjustable leg elastics and the 4 adjustable waist sizes you get 10 different sizes in one diaper rather than the typical 3 – WOW.

We anticipate these being VERY popular and are only allowed a small order for this first run BUT have been promised monthly stocking as well as changes and tweaks to the diaper in the first 3-5 months. If you miss out on these during February, we will have more in March and April and so forth until they feel they have perfected the design and begin their normal production. We will definitely let all our blog readers know the minute the diapers are available for sale in our store and on-line orders so stay tuned. Below is a little chart showing the new design and how it works.

Oh and happy diapering :)

More on SALE!

2008-11-19T11:43:00.000-08:00

We have a few more great sale items - we didn't want anyone to miss anything.

1. Pocket Change Pocket Diapers ONLY $13.00 ea.

2. Order 12 or more Bumgenius 3.0 Pocket Diapers and get a pair of FREE BabyLegs! (Make note in the comments which BabyLegs patterns you prefer or don't want.)

**New BG colors are in stock, ready to ship and just adorable too!**

As always, we offer free shipping on orders over $75 within the contiguous U.S.

Happy shopping :)

The Washing Dilema

2008-11-12T13:12:00.000-08:00

After reading around on the various boards and having lots of customer questions, we thought it would be good to address washing instructions as well as issues that people often have keeping their cloth diapers clean AND residue free – the later probably being the most difficult, but oh so important. The instructions that we include with each purchase at our store include these very important points:

• Try to wash every 2-3 days
• Set the washer on the highest water level (usually large load on most washers)
• Wash 10-15 diapers at a time
• Do an initial cold rinse with no detergent – then a full hot wash with 1/3 the normal amount of detergent – then follow that with one last extra cold rinse

In the final rinse cycle, people often like to add something - a splash of vinegar (we don’t recommend this for people with hard water) or even a couple drops of tea tree oil, for its disinfecting properties and fresh scent. Adding a bit of baking soda to the hot wash along with the detergent also helps to release soap buildup as well. As for drying, it really varies depending on the diaper. Obviously, the less you use a clothes drier, the longer your diapers will last regardless of their type. Diapers with PUL lining (that is the waterproofing inside of covers, pockets and usually AIOs) should be dried on hot about once a month even if you don’t on a regular basis as this helps re-seal any cracks or holes that occur as part of normal wear. Other than that you should refer to each diaper’s separate instruction to see which ones recommend drying and which recommend hanging.

We get requests for detergent brands from customers all the time. At our retail store we sell this – and it is what most of our employees use, since it’s locally made right here in Maine. The most important things to look for in a diaper detergent is actually the absence of these ingredients (which is more difficult that you would think to figure out just from reading the labels on the detergent containers!) - the following ingredients will leave buildup on your diapers and over time their absorbency and often their quality will decrease exponentially.

• Artificial brighteners, whiteners and softeners
• Enzymes
• Artificial scents
• Pure soap

This chart is actually a great resource. It contains just about every detergent on the market and rates it based on the presence of all these ingredients as well as a few other things.

There are so many things that we have heard customers and friends tell us about their personal perils with cloth diapering. I thought I would pick a few and talk about them – that is, typical mistakes people make.

1. Using fabric softener or sheets: This is a really bad idea! These products stick to your diapers and essentially prevent them from absorbing wetness. Also, I recommend not using them on your regular laundry as well as they tend to build up on the insides of the washer and drier and then are deposited on the diapers. Before you wash your first diaper, if you have used softeners in the past, give the insides of your machines a good wipe with a cloth and a bit of white vinegar just be on the safe side.

2. Washing other things such as rags with your diapers: A lot of things like cleaning product and certain types of spills contain oils and residue that can be deposited on your diapers during washing and drying and will decrease or prevent absorbency. We recommend washing just your diapers by themselves – I have heard people ask about washing cloth wipes with a solution that is part oil – personally we have not had not any issues with this, our wipes go right in the pail and then in the washer along with the diapers. Of course if you feel like you put an excessive amount of oil in your solution then that might be something to take into consideration.

3. Using rash creams with fleece, suede cloth and microfiber: It is so hard to avoid this sometimes – I can’t say I haven’t done it but will warn that it is very difficult to remove from these fibers. What we recommend would be either a paper liner or when your babe has a rash that requires cream, use prefolds. These can be boiled if the cream doesn’t come out in a couple of hot washes and the natural fibers are so much easier to clean.

Lastly we thought it important to talk about residue removal or what most people call “stripping” the diapers. Depending on your water type and the quality of your detergent, you may need to do this anywhere from twice a month to every other. The best method that we have found is using about a tablespoon of plain old blue Dawn original dish liquid. Add this to your normal hot wash instead of your normal detergent and then follow up with as many rinses as it takes before you don’t see bubbles. This will vary – soft water will take more rinsing, hard water less. The other way that many people strip their diapers is to just do a couple hot washes in a row with no detergent, you will need to experiment with this as each person’s situation differs slightly.

These points really just touch the surface of issues and questions people have. We welcome any other questions or comments right here on the blog, by email or by phone (1-866-586-MCDC). Thanks – and happy diapering!

Fall Sale Items

2008-11-11T12:10:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! We are working on a new article, but I thought I would hop on real quick today to tell you all about some new sale items we have up.

1. Bravado Nursing Bras now ONLY $20 (reg. $39.99)

2. Magic-Alls AIO now ONLY $11.50 (reg. $17.99)

3. California Baby Sunscreen now ONLY $9.00 (reg. $17.99)

4. Thirsties V1 Covers now ONLY $8.50 (reg. $11.25)

5. Baby Beehinds One-Size Fitted Diaper now ONLY $19.99 each (reg. $22.50)

Those are just a few examples....visit our Sale page to see the rest!

Also we have several new products in stock!

1. All New Version 2 Thirsties Diaper Covers $10.95

2. Thirsties Hemp/Cotton Inserts 2-pack $7.75

3. Bumgenius One-Size Pockets in new vibrant colors! (zinnia, clementine, moonbeam and ribbit) $17.95

4. Bumgenius Diaper Sprayer $39.95

Again, that is just a sample of the new products we have added. Check out our NEW products page to see the rest.

Oh and stay tuned in the next few days for a great article about care and washing of cloth diapers. And as always, happy diapering!

It's "almost fall"

2008-09-11T08:44:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone and greetings from Maine! We have a few things going on this month and an exciting new product to introduce (I will save the best for last).

Firstly we are running a sale on summer products, some are up to 50% off the original price. This includes some organic summer clothes as well as those awesome California Baby products that I talked about a couple posts ago. It’s a great time to stock up on them for next year too even if the sun isn’t still shining where you live. Our second sale is on both the Thirsties AIO Pockets (version 1) and the Magic-All AIOs. They are $13.50 each and are great diapers ESPECIALLY for that low price. We are almost out of mediums so hurry and get them while they are hot! Our last sale is a special 5% off any order of $50 or more. Just use the coupon code – almostfall (expires September 15, 2008).

The next order of business is the happenings on our site. As some may have noticed, we had been experiencing some technical difficulties several times last month which forced us to change providers and servers and all that technical stuff…so if you are surfing around and have any problems or have any questions PLEASE contact us and ask/let us know – either by phone (1-866-586-MCDC) or email. We are also making changes to help everyone find things better and make the process more streamline and quicker (because we all need a little extra time in the day!)

Lastly our most exciting announcement is that we have added Fuzzi Bunz to our store! These are the new improved version that fits so well and people just love them. Everyone should try some, they really are great – comfortable, great fitting, self containing and you can you stuff them so full for bulletproof nighttime dryness or stuff with just the microfiber insert that is included for a trim daytime option.

As usual we look forward to hearing from everyone, let us know what you like, what you don’t, what you wish we had and any challenges we might be able to help you out with – oh and happy diapering :)

Decisions, decisions...One-Size vs. Sized Diapers

2008-08-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

One of the most popular things that people looking into using cloth on their kids ask us is the pros and cons of sized diapers (sm ,med, lg) vs. a one-size/os variety (e.g. , Bumgenius, Baby Beehinds, Happy Heinys). The idea of only having to buy one set of diapers is not only ideal from a convenience standpoint but certainly from a financial standpoint. We have lots of parents that come to the store with the intention of buying 18-20 os diapers and then recycling them through 2-3 or more kids, which may not be realistic. This seems like a perfect plan before thinking about some of the factors that we want to point out below.

There are several factors that influence that life of a cloth diaper. The most important thing would be your washing routine. If you read the directions for washing on most of our diapers, they say something similar to – wash on hot with a mild, additive free detergent, follow up with a cold rinse and then either tumble dry low or hang to dry (some people like to do an initial cold rinse to help with stains as well). The detergent is very important and if you need recommendations, please ask. Also, depending on your lifestyle and the size of your diaper stash, it may not always be feasible to hang your diapers to dry each and every time. Even if you plan on line drying, also plan on having to use the dryer every once in awhile when you are in a rush! The last factor is the actual number of diapers you have which obviously directly influences the number of times you have to wash your diapers per week which in turn will influence how long they last. For example - a dozen os pocket diapers that are washed every 1.5-2 days for 2 yrs are going to wear out twice as fast than if you had 2 dozen diapers and washed just twice a week (on average that is the difference between 100 and 200 trips through the washer per year).

The next thing to consider is the actual diapering needs of infants v. toddlers. As seasoned parents can attest to, the older the child, generally, the less diaper changes needed. In those early infant weeks and months, when babe is likely needing changing all the time, you will certainly go through twice as many diapers as say a 10-12 month old child. The need to change so often starts spacing out substantially as the child gets older - especially when solids are introduced. We generally recommend 2-3 dozen diapers for a newborn (or more if you don’t like to wash as often), this would be way more than one would necessarily need for an older child – this certainly lends itself to thinking that it might make the most sense to have a separate nb/sm stash of 2-3 dozen diapers and then moving up to a smaller stash of meds when the babe grows out of the smaller collection. This also would allow families of multiple and different aged children to cycle through the sizes – especially if you plan on having several children and using cloth on all of them. The wear on one set of os diapers through 2 or more children is going to be quite substantial and you could be disappointed when they begin to wear out earlier than you had hoped. Although you will most likely get quite a bit of wear out of an os diaper, it may not be feasible to expect any piece of cloth to withstand being washed every other day for upwards of 2 years. Another thing to consider is the resale value. There is a good market for well taken care of, but used cloth diapers – so if you do end up with more in a particular size than you need or if they still have some life in them once your own kids are done with them, you quite possibly could recoup some of your investment.

If you do choose to have a stash consisting mainly of os diapers, you want to make sure that it is large enough that you only wash a couple times a week and really properly care for them to extend their life. Our recommendation is that if you know you want to have 2 or more children, sized diapers may be your better choice – 2-3 dozen nb/sm, 1-2 dozen meds and some kiddies don’t even need large as they potty train before they grow out of the meds. If you are having your children close together, having 6-12 os diapers added to the mix might be good for outings and to streamline a little bit and make the diaper bag easier to tote around! Its important to make sure your expectations for any wear product is realistic – we want to make sure that everyone finds the type of diaper that will suit their family. We welcome any questions - here on the blog, by email or stopping into our retail boutique. We also have several other helpful articles at the bottom of our home page http://www.maineclothdiapercompany.com/. Thanks for reading and happy diapering :)

Beach Bum Babies

2008-07-10T15:53:00.000-07:00

Happy summer from Maine! Yes we actually have summer up here, for those of you that think otherwise :) We have some exciting new products available for your summer activities, including supplies for the beach and our new Sckoon organic cotton outfits for baby!! I have heard more and more mothers on mainstream boards talking about what is most effective on their babies bums while they swim. The disposable swim diapers sag even though they are not supposed to hold water and you end up changing them so often that a trip to the pool or beach can be very costly in a “sposie” world. More and more mothers that don’t normally cloth diaper are turning to washable swim diapers. Our Kushies swim diapers are awesome, they fit snugly in the leg with extra gussets and both velcros and ties up in the front with no gaps so that nothing “gets out”….if you know what I mean! Perhaps this is going to be the vehicle for spreading the cloth diapering word to the masses - wouldn’t that be great? Think of the environmental impact of even a 20% reduction in diaper waste. Also in our Summer Fun section we have some great products from California Baby - SPF 30 sunscreen lotion, bug repellant and then an awesome repellant/sunscreen combo lotion which saves so much time and hassle - especially with wiggly toddlers. We love this CB combo lotion for our kiddos because it is all natural and made with essential oils - its also waterproof. We also carry a variety of other CB products.

We are excited to show off our new store and expanded products - so stop in if you are in the area or visit us at http://www.maineclothdiaper.com/. Bring the kiddies in to play and we can talk fluff! We are happy to answer any questions you might have either in person, by phone or email and wish everyone happy diapering!

Reflections on 2007, Changes in 2008

2007-12-31T03:43:00.000-08:00

It has been a great year for MCDC! We would like to thank all of our customers!

We have a new addition to our family, Hanna Genevieve. She arrived the autumn dawn of October 9th and has added great joy to our lives. Our other children, Kaden and Audrey are very happy to have a new baby sister. Shortly following her birth, we moved into a larger retail space. It is located in the same building, next door to the smaller cozy space we once occupied. This has allowed us to expand our inventory and offer more products to our customers! We have also extended our store hours to accomodate our customers. We have also added more WAHM products from our local talented mom's. We continue to carry wonderful products from Woolly Bottoms - Recycled Wool Soakers and Half-Moon Baby Slings. We have added Blue Bird Baby outfits. These are super cute and the pants provide a custom fit to go over cloth diapers. We also have added a new line from LizzieDoo's. She has provided us with some adorable Jester Hats, Recycled "Flower Pot" Hats and soft-soled baby shoes. We also plan to add some of her beautiful smocks. These mom's continue to astound me with their talent!

Some brief changes that will occur in 2008 are: new Maine-Made wooden toys will be added to our store. We are planning some new diaper package deals, including "ready made" packages in our retail location. We also have the latest and greatest diapering products. We are going to have some cloth diaper and baby-related classes. Any suggestions for this coming year are welcome! We want to provide our customers with a convenient and accomodating store for our customers to get their natural and quality baby products.

All our best to your families and a Happy New Year!

New products...

2007-07-02T03:42:00.001-07:00

We have several new products arriving that I am very excited to carry in my store. Here are a few of them:

*Thirsties Fab Fitted Diapers - new, trim fit and fun colors

*Dream-Eze Organic Fitted Diapers- Super absorbent and AFFORDABLE organic diaper.

*LoveyBums Sherpa Fitted Diapers and Wool Covers (in retail store only). These are super absorbent, fun colors and excellent, soft wool covers.

...and one more...Stay Tuned for our latest product line.

If you are looking for an excellent more breathable cover for summertime, I would either recommend wool (yes, wool-it breathes better than the PUL covers) or the Sckoon Cotton Cover. My friend recently "tested" the Sckoon Cotton cover for waterproof-ness and it works like a charm. It is her favorite cover right now! It is super light-weight, washes well and is cool on baby.

Enjoy these wonderful summer days and if you plan to visit the coast of Maine we would love to see you in our retail establishment in Damariscotta, Maine (located close to Boothbay Harbor).

Happy Diapering!

Announcing new RDA Meeting

2007-02-10T08:32:00.000-08:00

I would like to announce our new Real Diaper Association Circle will start on March 16th at the Skidompha Library Children's Room in Damariscotta, ME at 9:30 am. The meeting will be a brief introduction to RDA and cloth diapers in general-different styles and options available in today's ever-growing cloth diaper market. I will be co-facilitating the meeting with fellow RDA Business Member, Jennifer of Buzzie Bee Diapers, cloth diaper service and supplies (Rockland, ME). We plan to alternate monthly meetings between The Skidompha Library in Damariscotta and The Bookland Cafe in Rockland. The meetings will be held on the second Friday of each month.

The Real Diaper Association is a non-profit organization advocating cloth diapers. More information can be obtained here: www.realdiaperassociation.org . I became a member and leader 2 years ago and I think this group has wonderful potential to help people learn more about cloth from experienced members and leaders. All are welcome to attend the meeting- it is free of charge. Bring a friend and learn or help others learn more about the cloth diapering community.

Please contact me at christy@maineclothdiaper.com for more details.

What is the best diapering system?

2007-01-17T07:33:00.000-08:00

I frequently have customers ask me, "What is the best diapering system? What would you choose?" This question is hard to answer, because I feel diapering systems are such a subjective choice. First, I usually find out what are the reasons a person is cloth diapering, i.e. cost, environmental, health, convenience. This helps a little when choosing a system. Obviously if you are doing it more for the health and environmental reasons and not so much for cost, most of these individuals are interested in a more natural system-organics and wool. A lot of people will also ask, "What is the easiest and most convenient?" I look at this in a couple of different ways. A lot of individuals believe prefold diapers are "easier" because of the simplicity and versatility they offer. Others believe pocket diapers are the "easiest and most convenient", because there is no folding of the diapers (which is actually VERY simple). Pocket diapers do require you to stuff the insert, which some may find to be not convenient and others like the convenience of having the diaper all ready to go before putting it on baby. I guess the bottom line is, we all interpret meanings of words in different ways and what I may think is a convenient diaper, another may not. I can offer suggestions and explain the pro's and con's of each diapering systems, but a diapering system really comes down to personal choice.

I personally like a variety of diapers in my "system". Wierd as it is, I get bored with the same type of diapers and I feel a mix of diapers works well. Each type works better for different reasons, absorbency, convenience, night-time, etc. I like pocket diapers for night-time and on the go. I also like All in Ones for on the go. Both of these diapers typically offer a trim fit. I prefer prefolds because of their simplicity, absorbency, trim fit and cost-and you can ALWAYS use prefolds for several purposes-diaper, stuffing a pocket diaper, doubler, and my new favorite-my kiddo's spills on the floor (SUPER absorbent!). I like fitted diapers for their absorbency for night time and ease of use when a baby is going "cover-less".

Some individuals like a consistent system, to keep all the diapers the same type. And that's fine, too. I would suggest trying a few different types and seeing what you like best. You can always sell or donate the diapers you decide you don't like as well. A great place to sell diapers is on the forums at www.diaperpin.com . When in doubt, give me a call and we can discuss your options. I think it is sometimes easier to discuss the options and help sort it all out rather than spending hours (as I did) trying to figure it all out online. Cloth diapering is simple and easy!

My new blog!!!

2006-12-08T03:31:00.000-08:00

Wow, my first blog...
I woke up this morning and it snowed last night! I guess winter is well on it's way. My kids will be very excited when they get up!

I plan to post ideas on cloth diapering, parenting, environmental issues and life in general. I am going to send this blog to test and I will write more later...

Stay Tuned...