Great Cloth Diaper Change Sacramento

Great Cloth Diaper Change Sacramento

           

             

What is the Great Cloth Diaper Change (GCDC)?

The purpose of the GCDC is to bring awareness to the benefits of cloth diapers. It takes place around the world. In 2012, 256 locations in 15 countries held simultaneous events to break the world records for the most reusable cloth diapers changes simultaneous. This means that some events took place at 2am. (I couldn’t imagine changing a diaper at 2am now that Emma isn’t a newborn.) This year, things will be a little different. Instead of all the changes happening at the same time, all the changes will take place at 11am local time; this means the change will roll around the world.

Where is the event taking place?

Safetyville • (916) 366-7233 • 3909 Bradshaw Rd Sacramento, CA 95827

The event is on Saturday, April 20th, from 10am to noon. The change takes place promptly at 11am.

How can I participate in the event?

Admission to the event is free! All you need to do is register for the event through Eventbrite.
You will need to print your admission ticket and bring it with you to the event.

What is going to happen at Sacramento’s event?

 Kissed by the Moon is hosting the Sacramento Great Cloth Diaper Change. The first 25 families will receive goody bags. There will also be different vendors at the event. There will be demonstrations including wool, babywearing, and more. There are activities for the kids including face painting. A professional photographer will be documenting the event. In addition, toddlers and older children attending with their family can bring a ball or bike to play with at the kid friendly facility. Please remember helmets for your kids if they will be riding their bikes. The change will occur promptly at 11:00am. Once the change is done, there will be a diaper swap and giveaways. Prizes include a JuJueBe bag, Boba, Little Fancy Pants, Bummis, Bumgenius items, and more!

One of the things I’m looking forward to is in addition to the babywearing demo, a few of us have volunteered to bring different carriers for people to try and test. I’ll probably have Emma in the Boba 3g, but I’m bringing my mei tei with me, so I can let people try that one, or if they want to try the Boba, I can switch her to the other carrier.

Here is Sacramento’s schedule (taken from the Kissed by the Moon website):

10-10:30- arrival

Please make sure to get here early enough so that we aren't rushing to get everyone registered. Last year it took a bit of time to do this process and we need to change the babies at 11am sharp!

10:45 - Pictures

We are going to take some group pictures - we’ll have one of us holding up the diapers we plan on changing the babies into, as well as some more! After the change we will take one of us holding our babies in cloth!

11 am - Changing time

We will have someone timing us and recording how long the change lasted, as well as an official counting how many people participated. Please bring a mat and/or blanket to change your baby on. No pictures will be taken during the change.

11:15 - Raffles

We have a lot of prizes to give away!

11:30-12 - Cloth diaper swap

Bring any diapers (new or used) that you would like to trade with other moms or donate to the local cloth diaper bank!

Hey, this sounds great, but I don’t leave near Sacramento. What can I do?

That’s the beauty of this event. There are events taking place all over the world. There is a list of participating events on the Great Cloth Diaper Change website. Once you find your event, register and attend. It’s that easy.

Look for my post after the event. I will be documenting the event in Sacramento and writing about it!

Types of Cloth Diapers: UPDATED

Types of Cloth Diapers

Flats

Flat cloth diapers are the classic cotton square which is folded to fit baby, and secured with a fastener. These can also be folded certain ways and placed inside a cover. This option doesn't require a fastener. These are the style of diaper most thought of when people mention cloth diapers. They're what your grandma used. I personally love these for certain situations. They're great when I need to handwash and hang to dry. This means they're great for traveling and camping. I haven't tried traveling or camping yet, but I will. They're also the least expensive option, so if you're on a budget these are something to look into. They are not waterproof, so you will need a waterproof cover over them.

Prefolds

Prefolds are a variation of the flat diaper. They are similar in size and material. The difference is prefolds have extra layers in the middle panel for additional absorbency. Since they are thicker than flats, they require a little more drying time, but are still great options of traveling and hand washing. Like flats, they're not waterproof, so you will need a waterproof cover over them. They can either be folded and placed in a cover, or folded to fit around lo and then secured with a fastener.

Both flats and prefolds can be custom sized by folding them, so you can get a trimmer fit. They are also great for newborns because they are less expensive than other options and you get a trimmer fit for your nb with these versus other types of diapers.

Fitteds

Fitteds are cloth diapers that have snaps or velcro that fasten around baby. They're generally made out of the same material as flats and prefolds. The entire diaper is absorbent cloth. They are not waterproof and will need a cover to keep prevent leaking through and onto clothing.

Covers

Covers are made of waterproof material generally PUL. They go over the top of flats, prefolds and fitteds in order to prevent leaking onto clothing. They fasten with either snaps or velcro. The cover is meant to be used multiple times before washing.

All in Ones (AIOs)

AIOs are the most similar to disposables. The inner layer is an absorbent cloth or fleece and the outer layer is waterproof, most commonly PUL. The downside to these diapers are that they take longer to dry and are generally more expensive than other options. They are the easiest to use IMO because they simply snap or velcro onto lo and don't require anything additional to use them.

Pockets

Pockets are similar to AIOs. They snap or velcro around baby like a disposable. The difference between AIOs and pockets is that the pocket diaper has a pocket in the lining where you stuff in an insert. After the diaper comes off, you pull out the insert before washing and then restuff the insert after washing. These are one of my favorites because you can customize absorbency by adding additional inserts or using more absorbent insert material (bamboo and hemp are more absorbent than microfiber).

All in Twos (AI2)

AI2 diapers are cloth shells and cloth inserts that you lay inside the shell. You change the insert and reuse the shell a few times before washing it.

Hybrids

Hybrid is an all in two with the option to use a disposable or flushable insert. Both Hybrids and AI2s are meant to be able to use the shell a couple of times before washing.

Accessories

Diaper Pails

You have two options for how to store dirty diapers between washings. You can either choose a wet pail or a dry pail. I use a dry pail because it's easier and I don't like the idea of a bucket of standing water sitting in my bathroom.

Wet Pail-this is also known as "soaking the diapers". You stores dirty cloth diapers in water until you're ready to wash them. In addition to water, you can add baking soda, white vinegar, essential oils, and other additives in their cloth diaper pail to reduce odor and staining. Never soak in bleach or detergent because this causes diapers to breakdown faster.

Dry Pail-you store dirty cloth diapers in a completely dry pail, most often a large kitchen trash can. I have a 13 gallon trash can with flip lid. You use a pail liner and dump all the diapers in the washing machine along with the pail liner on wash day.

Pail Liners

Pail liners are made of PUL and are essentially a reusable trash bag that you store diapers in until wash day. When you're ready to wash diapers, you dump the contents of the bag along with the bag into the wash. Since the pail liner is made of PUL, it is best not to dry it in the dryer and better to hang dry. (I'll talk more about washing and dryer cloth diapers and accessories in an upcoming post).

Wet Bags

Wet bags are bags that you put wet/dirty diapers in when you're out and about. They're made of PUL and can be washed with diapers. They come in a variety of sizes and designs. Some fit in your diaper bags and others are too large for diaper bags and need to be carried separately (this will depend on the size of diaper bag).

Wet/Dry Bags

A wet/dry bag has two parts. One to store dry clothes and diapers and the other to store dirty/wet diapers and clothes.

Diaper Sprayers

A diaper sprayer attaches to the plumbing on your toilet to allow you to rinse debris (aka "poo") off your diapers and into the toilet. If you formula feed and/or your LO eats solids, you will need to remove as much poo off your diapers as you can before washing them to avoid staining. Breast milk poo is water soluble, so you does not need to rinsed before washing, because it will dissolve in water and won't end up in your washing machine. There are lots of options on the market. I still EBF, so I haven't tried any of them yet, but I will give an honest review as soon as I do. Another option some people elect is to use their shower sprayer. This is great if your toilet is close to your shower and your shower head nozzle can reach the toilet. You can also use a small bucket in the shower/tub and rinse with the shower nozzle, then dump the contents of the bucket into the toilet. The options using the shower head will save you money, but might be less convenient.

Flushable/Disposable Liners

An alternative to diaper sprayers is a flushable/disposable liner. This are biodegradeable and lay in the diaper to catch the poo. They're a good option if you're out of the house and won't be able to spray, if you don't want to deal with spraying, and to help decrease staining. You can also use them to catch the majority of EBF poo if you choose to.

Fasteners

Fasteners are used to keep flats and prefolds in place around your LO. There are many options on the market.

Snappies-are made of a stretchy polyurethane, with grippers similar to ace bandage closures to hold the diaper in place.

Pins-are the first thing most people think of when you mention cloth. They're basically a safety pin for cloth diapers. You use two per diaper and fasten them like you would a safety pin.

Boingos-are the newest fastener on the market and they only option I have tried so far. They come in fun colors and a cute star design. You just hook on one side of the diaper, pull and grip on the diaper. These come in sets of two and you will need to use both to fastener the diaper.
Look for my Boingo review in a few weeks. I will post pictures with my review

Getting Started

The number of diapers you need depends on how often you're going to wash laundry. I wash every two days. This is a list of things I recommend to help you get started based on washing every two days. You can adjust and add more if you wash less frequently.

24 diaper changes (12 a day average, less as your child gets older)
2 nighttime diapers (not necessary for NB b/c you change them at every feeding anyway)
2 fasteners (if you're using flats or prefolds)
6 covers (if you're using flats, prefolds or fitteds)
Diaper pail
2 pail liners (you can get away with 1, but it's easier to have one to use while one is being washed)
2 wet bags
CD safe diaper cream (more on this in an upcoming post)
Wipes (either disposable or cloth)
Wipe solution (if using cloth wipes)
CD safe detergent (more on this soon)
Grapefruit seed extract or tea tree oil (liquid form; more on this later)

Optional items:
Doublers
Disposable liners

Cloth Diaper Introduction

Why Cloth? Why this Blog?

Why Cloth?

I decided on cloth for many reasons. First, I wanted to save money. Second, I didn't want to add to landfills. Seriously, parents/caregivers spend thousands of dollars on trash every year.

Why This Blog?

When I started research cloth and asking questions, people thought I was crazy for even thinking about cloth. I was so confused and so overwhelmed. After months of research, I decide cloth was the way to go. I also decided that after I wasn't completely overwhelmed being a new mom, I would start a blog walking people through cloth one step at a time.

Basically, I have a few months of research and a little first hand experience under my belt and I'm bringing you on this adventure with me.

My Promise to You.

I will post a couple times a month and walk you through my cloth diaper journey. I will post pictures of different types of diapers, accessories and other CD related products. I will give you an honest review of products based on my personal experience. I will answer questions when I can and I'll be truthful when I don't know the answer, but will hopefully be able to point you in the right direction.

My next step.

My next post will give you an overview of the types of diapers available and the basic items you will need to get started.