So what's the buzz?

There's been a lot of talk of these "new Easy Fits" lately- what's so great about the new style? And, what's changed? This was a great diaper- why'd they mess with it??

The previous Tots Bots Easy Fit design was soft, trim, and had great prints. The bamboo absorbent layer next to baby gave parents a natural-fibers option with the convenience of an all-in-one. So what could possible be better about the new style?

• Absorbent inner - In the new Easy Fit design, the bamboo+microfiber inner has been replaced with super-soft MINKY. Bamboo tended to stain, and, when hung dry, bamboo got a stiff, "crunchy" feeling, like most natural fibers. Microfiber can cause stink issues as well. The minky fabric loses the natural-fibers advantage, but cleans easily, dries quickly, and is equally trim and absorbent as the previous design. Plus, it's SO SOFT.
• Stay-dry fleece - When the absorbent part of a diaper is up against the baby, with no stay-dry layer in between, the baby feels wet. While this is great for some stages (potty training!) it's less good in other instances (sleeping through the night!) The Easy Fit with bamboo had no stay-dry layer, so the babies felt wet. The new Easy Fit comes with a fleece liner that came optionally be used between the baby and the  diaper, keeping Baby drier.
• SNAPS! - The Easy Fit has excellent hook-and-loop- I have been so, so impressed with this closure. Some people just prefer snaps, though, and the old design didn't provide that option. Snaps are now available! And, even better, the snaps match the color of the diaper, and so does the hook-and-loop, giving the front of the diaper a very clean appearance. How cool is that?
• Prints - The previous prints were great, but parents are just melting over the cute fairy tale prints they're being replaced with! Three Little Pigs, Chicken Little, Hansel and Gretel, The Enormous Turnip, and Jack and the Beanstalk are bright, fun, and perfect for your babies' behinds. The Jubilee limited edition series reminds us of the UK heritage of these diapers- Tots Bots is based in Scotland, and the diapers are manufactured there.

We still have some of the old style left- so if you like the old Easy Fit prints or are looking for an all-in-one with natural fibers against your baby's skin, snatch up our remaining stock, since we can't order any more! If you want to try out the Easy Fit with new improvements, though- we have the new prints in stock with the minky style, and hope to have the solid colors in the near future. Buy a whole stash- 12 or more- and get $1 off each diaper. A great deal for a great diaper!

The Enormous Turnip

Because I know I'm going to get this question all the time in the coming months...



 This Russian fairy tale isn't known very well in the US, but is a cute, simple story of a family working together to harvest an overgrown turnip. Our friends in Scotland were inspired by the story and included the story in one of the new Tots Bots Easy Fit prints!

 COMING SOON!

On Diapers & Daycare

Cloth diapers are not just for home! Registered daycares will use cloth diapers, too! Even for working moms and dads, cloth diapering can be a way to reduce your trash and lighten your budget. There's a misconception, even among daycare owners that cloth diapers are not legally allowed to be used in regulated facilities. Cloth diapers and even cloth wipes are allowed! While the daycare teacher will have to alter their routine a little bit, cloth can be just as easy to use as disposables.

I've copied the applicable regulations below. In summary:

• You'll need to bring a day's worth of diapers every day to the center, and take home the dirty diapers every day. 
• If you use a two-piece diaper system, with a cover and insert, the cover may not be reused at daycare, so you'll need enough covers to provide one for every diaper change while your child is at the center.
• Your daycare will provide a diaper pail, but you'll want to bring them wet bags for transporting the diapers.
• Some sort of "deodorizing solution" needs to be used in the diaper pail. I recommend providing this to the daycare facility, so you know they won't use something that's not safe to wash with your diapers. Try our Rockin' Green Shake It Up! Pail Freshener for an easy solution.

Here's the specific regulations in Indiana:

470 IAC 3-4.7-96 Cloth diapers
Authority: IC 12-13-5-3
Affected: IC 12-17.2-4
Sec. 96.
(a) Staff shall use a deodorizing solution or granules in diaper containers.
(b) Staff shall clean and disinfect diaper containers when emptied.
(c) Caregivers shall handle cloth diapers furnished by the center as follows:

(1) Waterproof diaper covers must be provided.
(2) Caregivers shall use a fresh, clean diaper cover with each diaper change.
(3) Caregivers shall keep the diapers and diaper covers in tightly covered containers between pick-ups.
(4) A commercial laundry service shall launder the diapers and the diaper covers.

(d) Caregivers shall handle cloth diapers furnished by the parents as follows:

(1) The diapers shall be kept separate from diapers used for other children.
(2) Waterproof diaper covers must be provided.
(3) Caregivers shall use a fresh, clean diaper cover with each diaper change.
(4) Caregivers shall place the soiled diapers in a plastic bag, store them through the day in a tightly covered container, and return the diapers to the parent daily.
(5) Caregivers shall keep the diaper covers in tightly covered containers or plastic bags and return them to the parent daily.

(e) The center shall provide washable, plastic lined, tightly covered containers for soiled cloth diapers and linens.
(f) Containers shall be conveniently located for caregivers, but inaccessible to children.
(Division of Family and Children; 470 IAC 3-4.7-96; filed Aug 11, 2003, 3:00 p.m.: 27 IR 146)

Most of our families who use daycare will use a pocket diaper or all-in-one diaper for the simplicity of the daytime caregivers. At home, they may use prefolds and covers, to have a more economical choice. Here's a list of tips from Fuzzibunz on talking to your daycare about cloth.

We're trying to compile a list of local daycares that are cloth-diaper friendly- let us know about yours!

Sized vs One-Size Diapers

When some parents first lay eyes on a one-size diaper, the whole thing and look overwhelming. The 3x3 grid of snaps on the front, plus the row of snaps around the waist, can make for upwards of 25 snaps on the front.


How on earth would a parent be able to figure all that out during a bleary-eyed, middle of the night diaper change? Thankfully, one-size-fits-all products aren't that hard to figure out- but they do have pros and cons when compared to comparable sized products.

Fit

When we talk about the "fit" of a cloth diaper, we're looking for the way the diaper hugs the legs and waist. Is it too tight and leave red marks? Does it gap, allowing poo to escape? A poorly fitting diaper is frustrating (and messy!). Different brands of diapers fit in different ways, but, generally, sized diapers will fit better at any particular size, since they're made for the baby of that particular size. This is more obviously true at very small and very large sizes. Although one-size products advertise they fit from 8 to 35 pounds, often a sized cover is needed until the baby reaches 10 or 12 pounds. Some toddlers will outgrow the rise of a one-size diaper before 35 pounds, too- but many potty train before this point.

Trimness

As far as sized and one-size covers go, one isn't really more trim than another- it's what's inside the covers that make them bulky! One size inserts tend to be bulkier on smaller babies (since they're designed to work for toddlers, too). Same goes for one-sized all-in-ones- the absorbent layer is overkill for a younger baby, so there's more "fluff" than necessary. Sized all-in-ones, like the bumGenius newborn AIO, are much trimmer, since they have just enough absorbency for the child's size. Using the appropriate size prefold or hemp insert in a cover affects the trimness as well.

Ease of Use

The one-size covers, while intimidating with all the snaps on the front, really aren't terribly hard to use. Once the rise is set correctly for the baby, no changes need to be made to the snaps until the baby's ready to move to the next size. Sized products are ready to go- no settings necessary!

Durability

The length of time these diapers will be used will affect their lifespan, and durability over multiple children. A one-size diaper will be used on one child for around two and a half years- birth to potty training. After one child, the diaper may be worn out. A sized cover will be used for a much shorter span of time, so will last through more children or be in better shape to resell when it is no longer needed.

Cost

One-size and sized products tend to fall in the same price ranges, so, for each diaper or cover, there's not a huge difference. The economic difference comes when looking at how many diapers you'll have to buy over the child's birth-to-potty-training years. For a one-size product, you'll theoretically only need one cover, while you'll need 2-4 sized covers for the same time period. (Some parents choose to skip the Newborn size if they have a large newborn, and some children potty train before hitting the Large size.) When taking into account multiple children, though, the costs tend to be about the same.

The decision on whether to go with one-size or sized diapers really comes down to preference. If you truly want to cloth diaper from birth, we do recommend getting newborn-sized covers or all-in-ones, since one-size diapers don't fit skinny newborn legs particularly well. After the newborn stage, consider the above pros and cons, and pick what works best for your family!

Toasty Baby at the Indy Kids Sale!

Once upon a time (about a year and a half ago), I bought my very first diapers. I was at a consignment sale with a friend, and rustled through the small selection in the cloth diaper bin at the sale, and came away with a few contour diapers, a few Snappis, and a couple diapers that appeared like they might be homemade, and I wasn't sure if they were fitteds or fleece covers. Oh my, how far I've come since then!

The consignment sale I was attending was the Indy Kids Consignment Sale, held twice a year at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds. I was able to attend the presale as an expectant mom, and it was crazy! The energy, the crowds, and the enthusiasm for the sale blew me away! I returned later in the weekend with my mom on Saturday when everything was half-priced, and we managed to get great deals on a huge bag of clothes for the first baby in the family!

When trying to find an event for Toasty Baby to partner with, to get the word out about cloth diapers locally, the IKC Sale was the first place I thought of. So many moms look forward to this sale every year- I knew this would be the place to connect with local families. The year the sale runs March 8-10- check out their Shopping Tips page for the hours..

Want to be one of the first to check out the IKC Sale? We've graciously been offered a pair of presale passes to give away for our fans, to attend the sale on March 7 before it is open to the public! The drawing for the giveaway will be open through Friday. Enter below!

Even if you don't win, stop by our booth at the sale and say hi, sign up for a free Cloth Diapering 101 class, or pick up some new diapers! We'd love to meet you!

All or Nothing? 'Sposie confessions

Does cloth diapering have to be an all or nothing affair? Not at all!

Most families who choose to cloth diaper do so for a combination of reasons- trying to save money, produce less trash, and expose their child to fewer chemicals. Disposables seem to be the antithesis of these goals, so why would a cloth-diapering family ever reach for the 'sposies?

Babysitters
Pocket diapers and all-in-ones seem to be "babysitter-proof," but when you don't have time to explain to the teenager what to do with poop, or overwhelm Great-Aunt Edna with something new, disposables are forgivable. (Confession: even our Toasty Baby's grandma refused to use cloth when he was a little baby, even going so far as to buy her own 'sposies to use at her house! We gave in because we were thankful for the free babysitting.)

Travel
When our baby went on his first-ever plane ride right after he turned 1, we weren't keen on checking a bag just for the diapers while we were away (and paying to check a bag of dirty diapers on the way back!). We packed a few disposables and bought a pack while we were at our destination, and left the diapers we didn't use with a family member with a toddler, who would be able to use them. Every time I travel, I cringe at the cost and smell of disposables, though!

Sickness
We just finished weathering a chicken pox infection at our house! We were unsure as to whether cloth or disposables were better on the spots as they healed on his bottom. We went back and forth, and finally decided the disposable diapers were lighter weight and used them for just a couple days. As the trash started to pile up, I was glad he got better! During diaper rashes, disposables can be a good choice if you have to slather on conventional diaper cream and don't have a disposable liner or fleece liner to protect your diapers.

Behind on laundry
This is doesn't happen too often, but when we reach for the last prefold and haven't started diaper laundry yet, I kind of panic. We'll end up using one or two disposables while the washer and dryer finish the cycles and we can get everything clean and dry again. Even the pros get behind on laundry!

Whatever the reason, it's OK to do both cloth and disposable diapering in the same family. Do what works for you and your family and situation. Every cloth diaper you use saves a 'sposie from the trash and saves you money- whether you're using cloth full time, all the time or just changing 3 cloth diapers a day.

The Myth of the "Daddy Diaper"

Sleeping against Daddy
in a Bummis SuperBrite and prefold

Around Toasty Baby, we don't say "Daddy diaper".

We'll say "Grandma diaper", "Daycare diaper" and "Babysitter diaper", but NOT "Daddy diaper". Why?

First, there's the philosophical reason. Dads are 100% parents, and we don't want downplay their 100% capability of caring for their children. Dads are just as smart as moms. There's no reason they can't use prefolds or snap closures just as well as Mom can. Diapering is a basic baby-care task, and to imply that Dad isn't capable or willing is kind of insulting.

Then there's our personal-experience reason. In the Toasty Baby household, for the first year of our baby's life, it was Dad who changed most the diapers. Josh stayed home as a full-time dad with Elliott while Joanna continues to work as a software engineer. In our house, there were no "Daddy diapers"!

When we first went through the Cloth Diaper 101 class, I (Joanna) had done lots of research about cloth diapers. I had talked to friends who used all sorts of diapering systems. I warned Josh- the prefolds and covers system is the most economical, but may be too hard to use, so it's up to you. You'll be changing the most diapers, so you get the final say. After the class, the first comment Josh made was, "Prefolds don't look that hard!" (and they aren't!) That was the last time I underestimated a father. The few pocket diapers we have are reserved for Grandmas and babysitters, who aren't full-time caregivers, so don't have the same motivation to deal with prefolds.

Daddies do diapers, too! Let's not insult them by downplaying their parenting abilities.

If you happen by the Fishers store on a weekday, you'll get to meet Josh, the Dad of Toasty Baby. He's a rare, heroic breed of stay-at-home, cloth-diapering dad. :) Ask him about it!

Friday Fun - Philosotoddler

So, apparently this cute, quizzical-looking toddler is a thing now. This meme has spread on Buzzfeed, reddit & Slacktory and I'm just now seeing it- I thought I'd add a few more to the mix, cloth-diaper style.

Make your own and link to them in the comments or on our wall! What's your philosophical toddler wondering about?

About the diaper pail

This is a simple accessory, almost forgotten among all the other choices to be made for the new baby. A diaper pail? That's easy right? As a matter of fact, Yes, it is!

Once upon a time, in the olden days, cloth diapers were soaked in a "wet pail"- a diaper pail with water, that kept the diapers wet until laundry day. We don't recommend There are multiple downsides to this:

• A pail full of water in the nursery is a possible drowning hazard for a curious baby, or, at the very least, a huge-mess hazard
• A pail full of water and wet diapers is heavy, making the trek to the laundry room harder (and more likely to spill).
• Soaking the diapers in water mixed with urine can amplify stains and smells, as well as break down the materials of modern diapers and covers.
• Diapers left soaking wet can mildew or mold more easily.

To me, the wet-pail system just has a major yuck factor. So, "dry pail" it is! What do you need to look for in a diaper pail?

• A closing lid - This will not only deter babies or pets from pulling out the contents, it will keep smells from emanating from the pail and most importantly, keep air from hitting the wet diapers. Poop may seem like it smells bad, but it's not a big deal, trust me. When you deal with a smelly diaper pail, the stench that will knock you off your feet is the ammonia smell, which comes from urine being exposed to air. A swinging lid won't cut it- get something that shuts.
• A step pedal - when you've got a dirty diaper in one hand, and are trying to hold a wiggly baby on the changing table with the other, you'll understand the need for this feature. A hands-free mechanism of some sort to open the diaper pail is very helpful.
• Size -You need something that will hold 2-3 days worth of diapers. A 13-gallon size kitchen trash can has worked well for our needs. Really simple.

Inside your diaper pail, you'll need a wet bag big enough to hold all the diapers between the laundry cycles. The large, XL, or XXL diaper pail liners work well for this. (It's not a bad idea to have two of these pail liners, so you still have somewhere to put your diapers while the other pail liner is in the wash.) On laundry day, tote the pail liner full of dirty diapers to the washing machine, dump the diapers in, throw the pail liner in, too, and start your wash routine. Mess-free!

What if my diaper pail stinks?

First, make sure it meets all the above criteria, and make sure you're doing laundry every 3 days. Diapers that sit too long will stink, period. If you're still having trouble, add some baking soda, tea tree oil, or specially-formulated diaper pail freshener to your pail to keep things smelling fresh. All these things are safe to use with your diapers.

What about the special diaper pails at the baby store?

They're cute. They keep the stink down really well. They're fine. I have a few caveats, though. The little hole a disposable diaper is supposed to fit through? Your cloth diaper might not fit. The can might not hold enough diapers to get you between washings. Also, you'll want to make sure the model you choose will accommodate a wet bag. You don't want to have to be locked into buying their specific brand of trash bags when it's easy enough to wash a reusable pail liner with your diapers.

What solution has worked for you?

Swimming with Baby

This baby needs a swim diaper.

Spring breaks are fast approaching and I've already seen swimsuits popping up in stores. As you plan for a family vacation this year, or just a trip to the local pool, you're going to need a swim diaper!

Disposable swim diapers are a product that parents complain about, without fail. They're expensive, and, unless you're going swimming with your baby all the time, you probably won't get through a whole package during a summer. What a waste! Even parents that use disposables most the time consider reusable swim diapers.

What's a swim diaper?
The purpose of a swim diaper is NOT to absorb wetness- if it did, it would get totally saturated once a baby climbed into the pool! The only goal of a swim diaper is to contain messes- to keep poop out of the pool (and save you the embarrassment of being the cause of the pool evacuation!) Because no insert is needed, swim diapers tend to be trimmer and closer-fitting than most cloth diapers and covers. This trimness, especially around the legs and waist, is what contains the mess- so, if in doubt, buy the smaller size. Your baby can just wear the diaper in the water, or it can be worn under a swimsuit.

Why not just use a normal diaper cover?
The chlorine in the pool will damage the waterproof layer (polyurethane laminate - PUL) of your normal diaper covers. You really want the diaper covers in your normal rotation to stay waterproof! Swim diapers use a coated nylon instead of PUL, which will hold up to pool chemicals.

Savannah models the Swimmi on a Caribbean beach

How do I clean a swim diaper?
If the swim diaper is just wet from being in the water, you can hang it dry to use for your next water adventure! If it gets dirty but your baby is exclusively breastfed, wash on medium heat with your diaper laundry. If it gets soiled, dispose of the poo in a toilet. If you're on vacation and can't do laundry, the inner part of these diapers is a polyester mesh that's easy to wipe and clean, so you'll be able to do so by hand in a sink, if necessary.

One more note...
This may be obvious to more experienced parents, but... when getting the family ready for a day at the beach or pool, you can get the big kids dressed in their swimsuits at home, but don't put the baby in her swim diaper until you get the locker room! There's nothing in the swim diaper to absorb accidents in the carseat on the way there, and we wouldn't want you to end up with a mess! Same goes for the trip home- change her back into a normal cloth diaper before packing everyone up.

Happy splashing!

Starting a Stash

The cost of disposable diapers adds up over your child's toddler years, but the initial price to start a stash of cloth diapers can appear steep.

How many diapers do you actually need?
Newborns need to be changed every 1.5-2.5 hours, so expect to go through 10-12 diapers every day for the first couple months. If you plan on doing diaper laundry every 2-3 days, this works out to having about 30 diapers on hand. As Baby gets older, he can be changed a little less often, so you can plan on having about 24 diapers for larger sizes. If you're using a diaper that needs a cover, plan on having one cover for every 4 diapers.

Twenty-four? Thirty? That sounds like a lot.
Let's do the math. If you buy all pocket diapers- BumGenius is a popular choice at $17.95 each- the entire stash from almost-birth until potty-training will cost you somewhere in the neighborhood of $450 or $500. That seems like a lot of money to spend on stuff your baby's just going to poop in, but it's less on what you'd spend on disposable diapers just during your child's first year!

If you choose to use prefolds and covers, you'll need 24-30 prefolds and 6-8 covers. This diapering system has a smaller upfront cost, under $175, for 30 prefolds and 8 Flip covers, which would be more than enough to get started.

Other options are out there- sized covers, fitted diapers, all-in-ones, organic and alternative materials- that will affect the upfront cost of your stash. No one says you have to buy it all at once, either! Growing your stash a little at a time is a great way to figure out what works best for your family. As a bonus, the money you spend on diapers now is an investment- these diapers and covers will last for future children, making diapering this baby's siblings almost free!

The Washing Question

The #1 question I get when someone is looking into using cloth diapers is "How do you clean them?" (followed quickly by, "But what about poop in my washing machine??") Unfortunately, the answer to the first question is "It depends!" What are the factors a washing routine depends on?

• Your washing machine - A high-efficiency washer will use less soap than a conventional washer with an agitator. It will also use less water, so may require more rinses.
• Your water - Hard water and soft water can effect how soap and soil rinses out of fabrics. Special detergent formulas have been created to mitigate some of these differences- check out Rockin' Green Hard Rock for hard water and Soft Rock for soft water or sensitive skin.
• Your detergent - Some detergents are not appropriate for washing diapers- see this (very thorough) list for an idea of where your detergent stands. Specially-formulated cloth diaper detergent like Rockin' Green is the easiest solution, but not the only way to wash your diapers. When using conventional detergent, only 1/4 of the recommended amount should be used, but if using a specially-formulated cloth diaper detergent, package directions should be followed.
• Your diapers - Different materials are easier to clean than others. Prefolds can take a beating, be washed in very hot water, are easy to strip if needed, and are generally the easiest to care for. Some families report microfiber is hard to clean, and tends to hold onto odors until you've figured out the right washing routine for your water & washing machine. The elastic and PUL used to make the diapers and covers is durable, but doesn't hold up to constant bleaching or other really harsh chemicals or hot drying. Unbleached prefolds & bamboo need to be washed up to 10 times before they reach full absorbency. Most wool covers have to be hand-washed.

The basic routine that we follow is this, in our top-loading HE washer, with mostly prefolds & covers: Rinse the diapers, using the "Rinse and Spin" cycle without the "Spin". Wash with 1/4 the recommended detergent amount on the 'Heavy Duty' cycle, selecting the options for 'Prewash' and 'Extra Rinse'. When that's done, throw the prefolds & inserts in the dryer, and hang the covers & pocket diaper shells to dry.

* As for "poop in the washing machine"- even if you don't use cloth diapers, newborn poop will end up in your washing machine! (and on your pants, and on your crib sheets, and on countless onesies... babies are surprisingly messy!) Thankfully, breastfed baby poop washes out of diapers with no problem. Easy! When solids are introduced, the poop needs to go in the toilet, and a diaper sprayer is a very handy tool for that. Believe it or not, poop is really not that big of a deal.

But don't take my word for it! Check out the manufacturer sites: Flip and Econobum official recommendations, and Bummis' simple instructions and handy detergent list.

Introducing...

Hi!

 Josh and Joanna Burress here.

 We're the new owners of Toasty Baby, Indianapolis' only local cloth diaper shop. Before our son was born at the end of 2010, we knew we wanted to avoid the waste and chemicals in disposable diapers as well as the ongoing cost through our son's toddler years. We've been sold on cloth diapers ever since. The cute factor is a huge bonus, too, of course!

When the opportunity to be involved in Toasty Baby came about we jumped on it. We believe in shopping local, and Toasty Baby is Indianapolis' only cloth diaper store. There's something to be said for being able to meet the owners of a store, touch the products, ask questions face to face, and be a part of a like-minded community of parents. While we do have an online store and ship anywhere in the US, our focus is local- being a resource to our community, helping parents make healthy, frugal, and natural choices for their family.

We want to meet you, and invite you to be a part of this community with us. We don't have all the answers- admittedly, we're still new parents, too, and many of you are further along on this journey- but we look forward to sharing what we do know and learning together. Come by and introduce yourself! We can't wait to meet you.