Mailbox Mondays 11/8/10

Every Monday I will answer user submitted questions. They don't have to be about cloth diapering! I'll always answer questions via email, but if you would like your question to be answered in a Mailbox Mondays post, send an email with the subject "Mailbox Mondays" to Maria at change-diapers dot com.

Naomi says:

Hey Maria,

Talk to me(us) about hemp vs. bamboo. Any recommendations of brands for a hemp or bamboo insert?

Overnight diapers for my 3 year old are getting pretty bulky. I usually sandwich a terry hemp doubler between two microfiber inserts in a generic pocket. That usually does the trick, but I've only got two of the hemp guys and when I'm out, I stuff the poor pockets to the gills with microfiber (3 inserts or 2 inserts with a mf towel). While dd doesn't seem to care about the bulk, it gets hard to stuff and when family sees her overnight diaper it is pretty comical.

I don't mind bulk, but am wondering which material to try and get inserts of. I've heard a lot about wool covers, but right now can only afford to stay with my pockets for overnight and just get a couple used inserts.

Great question!  I've been fortunate in that several of the diapers I've purchased/reviewed came with natural fiber inserts, and they are definitely top notch for nighttime diapering.

In no particular order, first is the insert that came with my Babykicks Bumboo Pocket Diaper.  This is 55% hemp and 45% cotton.  Babykicks also sells Joey Bunz, Joey Bunz Premium (both sized) and doublers separately.  (There should be some in the CSN giveaway in the Merry Fluffy Christmas event!)  

My Amp Duo Diaper came with a 2-layer hemp insert, as well as a bamboo insert.  The inserts look like a smallish prefold that you trifold, and they also come in 3-layer hemp, as well as organic cotton.
 

My Blueberry Minky was one I bought after only cloth diapering for about a month, and it was my first experience with a microfiber/hemp combo.  It's a one size insert that snaps down to different sizes, and a 3-pack retails separately for $19.95.
 

 
These doublers were kind of random.  They were loose in the package with the Blueberry diapers I bought last year.  I believe they are organic cotton and bamboo doublers but I'm not entirely sure.  I use both of them at night.  I have 4 night time diapers in my rotation right now.  My Guerilla Fluff Utilitarian with a Mobums Wool Interlock Night Night Soaker, a Dypes by Dixon Sweet Slumber fleece pocket stuffed with the superdo, and two Bumgenius 3.0 pockets, one stuffed with a microfiber insert and one of the random hemp/cotton doublers, the other stuffed with the loopydo with the second random doubler in between.
 

 
Speaking of which, I wholeheartedly recommend the Knickernappies Superdo and Loopydo inserts.  I purchased these out of utter desperation when my son was soaking every insert I had, and I was creating a monster leg gap by putting 3 inserts in a pocket.  They really are rather pricey at $7.50 for a loopydo and $12.95 for a superdo, but I think they are worth it.  I tried to be cheap and buy the large size for my son's medium diapers, but they are quite bulky folded over.  I love the microfiber/hemp combo because the microfiber whisks the moisture away from my son's skin, and the hemp locks it away. 

OK, I feel like a paper towel commercial.  Really though, if you are looking for a solution for a heavy wetter, I highly recommend them.  The only problem I have with them is that they can become quite stinky.  When I notice that, I wash (inserts only) with about 1/4 cup of bleach, then rinse rinse rinse until the water is clean and the inserts don't smell like bleach anymore!
 
If I had the money to spend, I'd love to have more superdo/loopydo inserts.  I've been wanting to buy some mediums for a while but I've been trying to stick to the budget!

These are just the inserts I own, there are of course lots of other natural fiber inserts/prefolds out there!

So how about the rest of you?  Do you have a favorite natural fiber insert?

PLUMP Diapers AI2 Review & Giveaway (CLOSED 10/28)

PLUMP Diapers are made by WAHM Kassi.  Now that I've gotten my hands on a PLUMP, you're going to have to listen to me gush about another amazing WAHM.

My son has never shown interest in a diaper before.  He snatched this from me as soon as I got it out of the package!



I know Ooga Booga fabric seems to be "love it" or "hate it.  I love the monsters, but I've never cared for any of the fabrics.  When they were supposed to be printing a turquoise on brown ooga fabric, I was poised to buy some from a fabric co-op so I could have a custom diaper made.  Unfortunately, they didn't end up printing the brown.  When Kassi agreed to allow me to review for her, I was just happy to get to try a PLUMP.  I was really excited when she said she wanted to make me a custom!  So, I chose the Turquoise ooga Cotton Velour (CV) with a minky inner.  I asked for gender neutral snaps and I was so surprised to see adorable OOGA snaps!!

The craftsmanship is just incredible.

PLUMPs do have 10 jillion snaps (OK so 4 on each wing) which makes me feel a little short of breath (LOL).  In the end, I cheated and only closed the outer and inner most snaps on each wing and it worked just fine.  The good thing about having so many snaps, is that it gives you so many options; you'll never find yourself needing a snap where there isn't one.  Kassi will include hip snap covers upon request (50 cents per pair), so soft fabric (rather than a snap) will touch your baby's skin once the outer most snaps (hip snaps) are no longer needed.

This PLUMP all-in two (AI2) is one-size via a "fold down" rise.  What makes it unique is that it actually snaps into place.  So, you don't have to try to hold it down on a wiggly baby while simultaneously trying to snap the wings.

Here it is on the small setting:

Here is the small setting, measured folded and stretched:



Large folded and stretched:



My diaper has a minky inner, and petal style soakers that snap together.  The layers are (deep breath!): Minky/Organic Bamboo Fleece (OBF)/ZORB/OBF and OBF/ZORB/OBF/Cotton Velour (CV).  Minky touches baby's skin, with 8 layers of absorbency in the soakers!

 

It also has this spiffy laundry snap, which allows you to hang the diaper with no clothes pins!

If you're new around these-here parts, you don't already know that my son is a little peanut.  He's 17 months old (or he will be on Saturday) and he's about 18.5 pounds and 30 inches.  Here he is wearing the large (unfolded rise) setting:

 I was able to put the diaper on him, on the small setting, while he was wiggling around on my lap, upside down.  So much for my fear of all the snaps, huh?  I win, snaps, I win!
 

One thing that I love about this diaper is that I don't have to fold the soakers!  Even on the small setting, just pull them up over baby, close the diaper, and you're done.  They don't hang out of the diaper!  When I was looking over the diaper when I first got it, the soakers seemed thick, and I wondered how it would work.  It wasn't until I put it on him that I realized they are sized such that they don't need to be folded.  So, you get all the absorbency without all the folding, and the diaper is no more "plump" (hee hee) than others!





We have used this diaper several times and we've never had a leak, including fruit/fruit juice induced (and gag-inducing) messes.  The one-size diapers are estimated to fit 10-35 pounds.



All-in-twos retail for about $18-$21; fitteds about $16-$19.  You can find PLUMP Diapers on Hyenacart, as well as the Cuties With Cloth Booties Congo and the Bliss Congo.  Kassi also makes incredible, one-of-a-kind diapers like this Sun/moon Minky AI2 and this Oh Christmas Tree Diaper (which kind of makes me want M&Ms).  She also makes embellished diapers, like this Bat AI2, this blue snowflake diaper and this red snowflake diaper.

Giveaway: PLUMP Diapers is offering some lucky stiff a custom PLUMP. You can choose an AI2, Fitted or Pocket tester in your choice of fabric.  (Does not include pieced or one of a kind diapers, hard to find or premium fabric.)  Please notice PLUMP's note: "Ours is a non-smoking home.  We do have pets.  They don't smoke either."


Here's how to enter: All entries go in the form.  Feel free to express your fluff envy in the comments, but comments don't count as entries.  Mandatory entries include name, email address and your favorite PLUMP item (available or sold) from the PLUMP store, the Cuties With Cloth Booties Congo or the Bliss Congo.  You may take advantage of the bonus entry for "liking" PLUMP on Facebook.  I highly recommend it, especially since she has a 10% discount code just for Facebook fans right now, and offers discounts to her fans from time to time!


I will accept entries until Thursday, October 28th 2010 at 9 P.M. Eastern.  I will select a winner using random.org's true random number generator and notify him/her by email.  Winner has 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is chosen.  View my giveaway rules page for complete details.  This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

Entries as of October 28th, 2010 at 9:00 P.M.: 284

FTC Compliance: I received the pictured diaper at no charge, in order to write this review.  I was not compensated for this post, I was not requested or required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

AMP Duo Diaper Review & Giveaway (10/12)

My first sponsored review/giveaway for my "A Year of Fluff" Event is the AMP duo Pocket Diaper.  AMP Diapers is a Canadian company that makes sized pocket, AIO and AI2 diapers, inserts, boosters and the great one-size duo diaper I reviewed.

The Duo Diaper is a one-size diaper (via a snap down rise).  It has a PUL outer and stay dry fleece inner.

The inserts come in two layer hemp, three layer hemp (for naps and bedtime), as well as bamboo and cotton fleece.

The Duo Diaper has a nice, wide, easy to stuff pocket.

and snap closure.

The One-Size diaper is estimated to fit babies from 7-35 pounds.

Here it is on the small setting, as well as stretched:

Medium and stretched:

Large and stretched:

I received a bamboo insert, and a two layer hemp insert.  The inserts are color coded by their stitching so it's easy to remember which is which.

What makes this a "Duo Diaper" is that you can use it with the insert stuffed inside the pocket, or lay it on top and use it as an all-in-two.  As long as the fleece isn't damp or soiled, re-use the shell with a fresh insert.

It's no secret that pocket diapers with a stay dry inner are my favorite, so that's how I used it.  I prepped the inserts just a few times before the first use, and they have continued to gain absorbency as I use them.  The AMP is neither the trimmest nor the bulkiest diaper I have, but the diaper fits well and absorbs like crazy; no leaks!  The diaper retails for $18.95 from Snooty Booty Diapers.  A 2-layer hemp insert in lieu of microfiber adds about $4.50 to the cost, $5.95 if purchased separately.

Giveaway: Amp diapers is sending a Duo Diaper and hemp insert to one lucky blog reader!

Here's how to enter: All entries go in the form below.  Feel free to leave a comment about the post, or simply to remind yourself that you entered however, comments will not be counted as entries Mandatory entries include name, email address and your favorite AMP Diaper color (there are tons!)  You may "like" AMP Diapers on Facebook and/or follow AMP Diapers on Twitter for bonus entries.  This post will be updated daily (or so) with the # of entries received, for those of you who like to know your odds.

I will accept entries until Tuesday, October 12th 2010 at 9 P.M. Eastern.  I will select a winner using random.org's true random number generator and notify him/her by email.  Winner has 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is chosen.  View my giveaway rules page for complete details.  This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

Entries as of October 12th, 2010 at 9:00 P.M.: 315



FTC Compliance: I was provided with a review product at no charge; I was not compensated for this post.  All opinions are my own.