Archive for June, 2009

Super Soakers!

Yes, I have one too….and I am not talking about squirt guns either!  I am talking about those kids that can fill a diaper so quickly that it seems like no matter what you use, you need a new pair of pants or shorts with every change!  My 2 yr old can drain a Nalgene sippy in 5 seconds flat and overflow her diaper before you even realize it - I swear sometimes the kid pees more than me.   The inserts/doublers that we can’t be without in our house are pretty much anything hemp.  The combos that work best for us are a Happy Heiny hemp stuffins or a Thirsties hemp insert with a microfiber insert on top stuffed in a pocket diaper, or a fitted diaper(we love bamboo fitteds for the added absorbency) with either a thick microfiber insert between the fitted and the cover or a hemp insert laid right inside the fitted and then a good, tight cover. 

For night time, I have found that something with a nice tight elastic around the leg really ensures the liquid isn’t going to escape and soak everything.  This all depends on your child’s build of course, which brand is going to do the job but our new Hugga Buns Ultra Pocket have really great elastic in the legs and would be a great, economical choice when it comes to curbing leakage.

The older a child gets, the harder it is to keep it all in.  I remember back to the days that my daughter would just lay there cooing with her cute little fluffy bum, no wiggling away during a change, no trying to remove her own diaper or squatting down in a droopy diaper and peeing out the leg….ah the nostalgia.  We know its challenging at times and we are here to help.   Have a great day and happy diapering

Posted in cloth diapering, diaper covers, fitted diapers, hugga buns ultra pocket diapers, pocket diaper, thirsties hemp insert | 2 Comments »

New Acquisition – Hugga Buns!

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.

Have a great day everyone!

Posted in Uncategorized, cloth diapering | 3 Comments »

Safe Sunscreen

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 pharmacys 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!

Posted in chemical free lotions, chemical free sunscreen, conservation, environment, free radicals, green living, paba, sunscreen | 1 Comment »

Clothing your Cloth Diapered Child

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!

Posted in baby clothing, cloth diapering, diaper covers, hugga buns ultra pocket diapers, prefold diapers, target kids clothes, thirsties hemp insert, toddler clothing, trim diapers | 3 Comments »