I walked in to my 8 month old son's room after maybe 5-7 minutes of letting him cry. I had been taking a much needed shower, while he napped.  He decided to wake up early- just between the rinse and repeat segment of shampoo directions.  I finished hurriedly, knowing that he was a very mobile child and unsure of what he might get himself into should he figure his way out of the crib (he did liberate himself from the crib just a month later!) As I walked into his room, something hit me… thinking back (it’s 4 years later) I can’t remember if the smell or shock from the sight hit first. There he was, in his crib, cloth diaper mostly off, covered in poop! From his head to his toes, from the sheets to the poopy fingerprints on the walls- it was everywhere. I wanted to laugh and cry all at the same time. My little boy’s clever, inquisitive, impatient (mom get in here and change my diaper or I’ll do it myself!) spirit had won out over my carefully planned ‘me time.’ My first thought was ‘arghhhh!’ my second was ‘what did I do wrong here?’ Was his diaper not on right, did I feed him too many plum bits?

Yes, even the cloth diapering moms, the breastfeeding moms, the organic homemade baby food moms, have moments of realization that it's impossible to be in control of every detail and sometimes, poop happens!

I've got lots of mommy friends and we all have different styles of parenting and making choices for our children. The single most freeing piece of wisdom that I’ve' received (and hopefully have been able to share) is what this post is centered around. While we do the best that we can with what we have, it's impossible for it all to go according to plan and sometimes, the plan needs to change.

It wasn’t long after that poopy incident when I was stopped by a weathered, yet beautiful face in the grocery store. She had been watching me with my son and commented on how alert and alive his eyes were. She gently reminded me that I should enjoy him because he’d grown up in a flash. I can still remember her saying, “the toys and dishes will always be there to be picked up and washed, but he won’t always be taking his first steps.” Her words really struck me- those lines on her face gave them authority.

Four years later, I still think about what she said to me. Her words are especially convicting when dinner’s not done, diapers not washed and there just aren’t enough hours in the day. It helps, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot, to be reminded of what matters.

Cloth Diaper Tip for the Day

With the economy as it is many families are looking for cheaper cloth diapering methods, but want something with the simplicity of All In One Diapers. Easy enough! You can create this same level of simplicity with just a bit of post-laundry preparation with simple prefold diapers and cloth diaper wraps.

AIOs are convenient because parents or caregivers can simply grab them and go - without gathering up a cloth diaper, diaper pins, snappi fastener, diaper cover, etc…., right? With a little bit of pre-planning, and a few extra less expensive cloth diaper wraps, you can give yourself the same convenience.

All you need to do is pre-line your diaper covers with prefold diapers straight from the washer and dryer (or line), getting them ready for a quick grab, quick trip, quick diaper change, or for that babysitter or grandparent watching your baby.

Think about it…

Even if you had to purchase one cloth diaper wrap for each of your prefold diapers (which you don’t - the ratio is more like 1 to 3) is still less than the cost of stocking up your cloth diaper stash with All In Ones or Pocket Diapers.

Prefold diapers offer more absorbency right where it’s needed, and because prefolds aren’t permanently sewn between two layers (one being waterproof), it is argued they can be washed more thoroughly.

We think our Prefold Diapers at the Diaper Shop are thicker, softer and more absorbent than the prefolds you can find in your local baby superstore, not only that, but they are cut to fit your cloth diaper wrap perfectly without additional folding down in the front or back.

Prefold diapers laid inside cloth diaper wraps, you will find, are the most economical choice for cloth diapering, especially since they have more than one use; a diaper, a lap pad or burp cloth, a doubler, a pocket diaper insert, and later - when they are worn thin and ragged - you can recycle them as cleaning rags, dust rags, or tossed out in the garage scraps for drying off a freshly washed car.

Check out this article uncovering Pamper's attempt at convincing folks that disposables are healthier for baby's development!

Actually it's not that hard... here's how

 

We've been washing diapers at home for over 5 years now... the result? Healthy bottoms, faster potty training, more money in our wallets and less strain on the environment.... ditch the disposables!

 

Wondering how many diapers you'll need to buy to was at home?

Are You Ready for Some Cloth Diaper Math?

Diaper changes times laundry. More diapers, wash less often. Cloth baby diaper math is that simple.

(# of diaper changes per day)
x
(# of days between washing)
__________________________
(# of diapers you need)

More diapers, wash less often

If you change your newborn baby’s diaper 12 times a day, but you only wash twice a week, you need 3-4 dozen diapers. This may be more diapers than you need. If you schedule more washing into your busy life with a newborn, you will only need about 2 dozen cloth diapers.

age	changes / day	washing	# diapers you need
newborn baby	12	2 times / wk	36 - 48
newborn baby	12	every 2 days	24

 

 

Fewer diapers, wash more often

Once your baby is a bit older, you won’t be changing diapers quite as often. For a crawling baby, 8 changes a day may mean fewer washes for you.

age	changes / day	washing	# diapers you need
crawling baby	8	2 times / wk	24 - 32
crawling baby	8	every 2 days	16 + extras

Very few diapers, wash every day

You can just make cloth diaper washing part of your daily routine. When you wash every day, you need far fewer diapers.

age	changes / day	washing	# diapers you need
newborn baby	12	every day	12 + extras
first steps baby	6	every day	6 + extras

Toddlers need fewer changes

Once your baby is talking, you may hear, “Diaper! Diaper!” Your baby will let you know when it is time to change. A toddler may even tell you before it is time. It’s time for potty training! Even when your toddler tries to get to the toilet each time, you will likely continue to change diapers for a while.

age	changes / day	washing	# diapers you need
toddler	4	2 times / wk	12 - 16

Check out this article on diaper services

So we are just about ready to begin offering our diaper service to Philadlephia. We will begin accepting contracts this week and begin offering service during the first week of November. We are so excited to "open our doors" and look forward to meeting you and your precious little diaper wearers! Thanks for your patience.

Almost! We are set to open our doors this November (we're shooting for the first of the month and hoping for the best). Our prospective client list is growing quickly and we are working hard to ensure we can offer the best possible service.

What are we up to right now? We are narrowing down on a product list (we will offer coton pre-fold diapers), ordering the necessary accessories, communicating with prospecive clients and having lots of fun! Our latest project? A New Customer Survey to help us get to know you and your needs. Thank you for your responses!

We are a brand new company in Philadelphia, and we are currently building this website. If you are interested in a cloth diaper service, and you live in the Philadelphia area, please use the "Sign Up" page to be added to our waiting list. Or feel free to click "Contact Us" to send us a message.

We will have our full service up and running very soon!

Thanks for visiting,

The Philadelphia Diaper Service Team

Hi everyone. This is a blog entry. We are a brand new business in Philadelphia! Sign up for cloth diaper service today.