ALL About Diapering!!!

When it comes to diapers, there are A LOT of options... the first major decision needs to be Cloth or Disposable. This is my first child and my husband I like to travel so we decided to go the disposable route, mainly because its easy. Both options have pros and cons, what every parent mainly tries  to avoid is Diaper Dermatitis (Diaper Rash) that is caused by over hydration of the skin, urine and feces irritants, friction against the skin, and high skin PH levels. Odio & Thaman (2014) state that disposable diapers give better PH levels than cloth diapers because of the absorbency. Diaper dermatitis is more common in infants 6 -12mo. that are weaning off of breast milk and begin to consume solid foods. I plan to also use disposable wipes and cloth wipes. I have a two story home, 4 stories if you count our garage and rooftop patio, so we will use the disposable wipes when we are traveling, out and about, and upstairs in the nursery and the cloth wipes when we are downstairs in the living room/kitchen.  

Cloth Diapering

Cloth diapering and laundering is a lot of work, and there are companies in major cities that can take care of that for you. Here are some companies in Southern California that will help get you on track for cloth diapering, be sure to check out their yelp reviews and google reviews:

Pish Posh Diaper Co. (San Diego, CA)
Simple Diaper Service (San Diego, CA)
Pannolino OC Diaper Service (Orange County, CA)
Blessed Bums (Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, CA)

If you aren't wanting to go the service route and would rather launder your cloth diapers yourself, this is what you will need:

1. Minimum 24 Diaper Changes (Laundry 2-3 Days) - Many styles to choose from
2. Wet Bags (For Dirty Diapers)
3. Diaper Pail & Diaper Pail Liner
4. Cloth Wipes (24) & Solution 
5. Non Toxic Washing Detergent (Stay away from Bleach and Chemicals)
6. Cloth Diaper Sprayer &/or Disposable Liners

Purchase Cloth Diapers and Covers Here:
TGN: The Green Nursery - Risk Free Cloth Diaper Trial Program, Earn Rewards, Great Videos

Disposable Diapering

When it comes to the environment, I know I am adding on to the waste... so when I decided to go disposable, I started searching for a brand that was eco friendly and wouldn't have harmful chemicals. I decided to purchase a mixture of Bambo & Pampers Pure. I will try both, as every baby is different. 
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Bambo Nature is a company from Denmark. Randomly, my husband and I just visited Denmark  and the country is very ECO friendly; everything is recycled, water is usually filled from tap and the city is very bike friendly and clean! Pampers Pure is a PG company, obviously a very well known brand in the U.S.; be sure to sign up for the Pampers rewards program. 

BAMBO : ​Super soft and highly absorbent, perfect for both day and nighttime use. Our diapers are produced with sustainable manufacturing processes, while ensuring they are free of harmful chemicals and perfumes to minimize the risk of allergies and diaper rash. Bambo Nature diapers have earned the Danish Asthma/Allergy certification, the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, are Dermatologically-tested and FSC-certified. Our diapers are certified free of all known allergens or substances classified as locally irritating, sensitizing, carcinogenic, or mutagenic. Bambo Nature has been called the “best buy for disposable diapers” by ethicalconsumer.org

PAMPERS PURE : Pampers Pure Protection diapers help protect your baby’s skin with 0% chlorine bleaching and 100% Pampers protection. They are made without chlorine bleaching, fragrance parabens, latex*, and EU 26 allergens. Crafted with premium cotton, soft plant-based fibers, and other thoughtfully selected materials–they’re clinically proven hypoallergenic for your baby’s delicate skin. Pampers Pure Protection diapers are made with 100% certified renewable electricity and sustainably sourced wood pulp. ​​

Stock piling on Disposable Diapers

​A baby will roughly go through an average of 8 diapers a day, which equates to 2920 diapers!!! Baby diaper sizes are usually determined by baby's weight. There are many factors that can contribute to babies weight: Bottle Fed, Breast Fed, Genetics, Gender, and Activity Level. Lets break down the average baby, the World Health Organization (WHO) released an international growth standard statistical distribution in 2006, which describes the growth of children ages 0 to 59 months living in environments believed to support what WHO researchers view as optimal growth of children in six countries throughout the world, including the U.S. The distribution shows how infants and young children grow under these conditions, rather than how they grow in environments that may not support optimal growth. I'll break down the 2, 50, 98 percentile Ranges for Boys & Girls based on the two charts. 

I am having a girl, and I am going to stock pile and register for diapers based on the 50% percentile range using Bambo & Pampers Pure Sizes. I also want to make sure I never run out of diapers and will probably change my baby more often as I am a first time mom. I estimate I will use 3,420 diapers my first year!!! WOW! Below is the chart I used to estimate how many diapers I will need each month. For the first year diapers are going to cost an estimate of $1250. 

Cloth Wipes

​For Cloth Wipes, I decided to purchase the BabyGoal Reusable Wipes which are made from 100% bamboo that fit perfectly in the Prince Lionheart Warmies Wipe Warmer, you can use plain water or use the homemade solution I plan to use that I put in the Medline 8oz. Bottles. 

PH Balanced Cloth Wipe Solution (Skin PH Level 5.5):

• 6 oz Boiled Water / 2 Camomile Tea Bags (6 - 7 PH)
• 1 Tbsp. Sweet Almond Oil (4.5 - 5 PH)
• 1 Tbsp. Puracy Baby Wash (5.5 - 6 PH)
• 1.5 oz of Aloe Vera Juice (5.5 PH)

In the Medline bottle, add aloe vera juice, baby wash, and almond oil, and top off with cooled camomile tea use the solution to wet the cloth wipes in the wipe warmer. 

Disposable Wipes 

Along with many options for disposable diapers are the wipes... I first chose the wipe warmer,  then did some research as to what wipe with least amount of chemicals, the popular Water Wipes are great but I didn't like how rough they were. I chose to go with Bloom Baby Wipes because they are thick, soft, and hypoallergenic. The ingredients in the baby wipes are:  Purified Water, Olus Oil, Glycerin, Lauryl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-2-Dipolyhydroxysterate, Glyceryl Oleate, Dicaprylyl Cabonate, Sympytum Officinale(Comfrey) Extract, Olea Euopea Fruit(Olive) Oil, Phenoxyethanol, and Potassium Sorbate.

Diaper Pail 

The Ubbi Diaper Pail will go in the nursery, no special bags are needed, so we plan on using Glad 8 gallon scented trash bags to mask the smell as well as use biodegradable scented poop bags we can also use for our French Bulldog Jack. . The pail can hold up to 50 newborn diapers and locks in the smell as its made of steel so the odor cannot be absorbed. For the downstairs changing area next to the pack n' play quick connect in our living room, I went with a smaller diaper pail, Tommee Tippee Diaper Pail Starter Set it holds up to 18 diapers and is small and compact. 

Diaper Rash Cream / Ointment

As every baby is different I went with two kinds of ointment, Burts Bees Baby Bee Rash Ointment for when a rash occurs, it contains 40% Zinc Oxide that blocks moisture. For the everyday preventative ointment, I went with an all natural ointment from Earth Mama Diaper Balm. I don't want to touch the sticky ointment, so investing in a Baby Bum Diaper Cream Brush will be helpful as well. Baby powder has been linked to cancer and can be harmful if breathed in, so it is recommended that baby power isn't used. 

Changing Pad

There are lots of changing pads and covers, I work in technology and have a smart home that I decided to splurge and go high tech with the Hatch Baby Grow Smart Changing Pad & Scale. The pad is made with foam and is easy to clean. You can track your babies weight in between doctor visits which is helpful for breast feeding to know if the baby is getting enough since its hard to know how much breast milk you are developing and it works with Alexa! 
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References:

Odio, M., & Thaman, L. (2014, November 17). Diapering, Diaper Technology, and Diaper Area Skin Health. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/pde.12501

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