EEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW that smell!!!!

I am going to drop some truth on you guys here.... cloth diapers sometimes get a case of the smells. How will you know when it strikes? It should be easy to detect... An ammonia smell that takes your breath away or a poo smell that no amount of washing can get rid of. If this happens do you know what to do about it? What about how to prevent it in the future?

The cause of these smells is often buildup on the diapers. The buildup can be caused by a number of things: detergent that did not get rinsed out completely, issues with your wash routine or cycle or even diaper creams that are not safe for cloth. If you believe detergent buildup is the culprit there are a couple of fixes. First is to make sure that you are using a detergent approved for cloth diapers- Country Save, Rockin' Green, Thirsties Super Wash and Planet just to name a few. If you are using a mainstream detergent brand make sure it does not have added scents, whiteners, brighteneners etc that can build up on the diapers. When it comes to washing your stash the more basic the detergent the better. You should also be doing an extra rinse (or even two) at the end of your wash cycle to make sure that all the soap is being rinsed away. Another important element is the way in which you wash your diapers. Most experts recommend doing a cold prewash with or without a soak (I soak mine in BioKleen Bac Out overnight to help combat the smellies), then a hot wash with more than enough water. My average diaper wash load of 10-12 covers and inserts is considered a large load. When it comes to cloth diaper washing- the more water the better!

You may need to "strip" your diapers to get the buildup off. One popular method utilizes Dawn dish soap (just the plain blue kind). Just a little squirt (key word being LITTLE.. the more you add the more you will need to rinse)in a hot wash with clean diapers will help remove any built up detergent. RLR Laundry Treatment is another option for stripping diapers to remove buildup. This economical option is available on our website and in the store: http://www.softandcozybaby.com/item_375/RLR-Laundry-Treatment.htm. After you have stripped the diapers you might consider adding Rockin Green Funk Rock to every load. This "ammonia bouncer" is very popular and seem to do the trick for lots of people: http://www.softandcozybaby.com/item_426/Funk-Rock-Ammonia-Bouncer--30-loads.htm.

Another important factor in keeping your diapers smelling fresh is washing at least every 2 to 3 days. Too often I put off doing diaper wash because I have enough to get through but this inevitably causes issues. Think about it.. the longer the wet and dirty diapers sit the harder they are to get clean. When I wash every other day I find that smell is not even a factor anymore.

Are you fighting the good fight against smelly diapers? What has worked for you??

Spontaneous Product Review: purEcosheet

Confession: I love fabric softener and/or dryer sheets. I love the smell. I love the feel of fluffy towels. I think part of my adoration stems from warm, fuzzy memories of my mom giving me clothes straight from the dryer that still smelled like Snuggle :)

Sadly, my love affair with "main stream" dryer sheets and fabric softener had to end when I started cloth diapering my son. Part of it was because I knew that they were bad news for the absorption factor of my stash. The bigger issue was my newly gained knowledge of what is actually in those products. Just a few of the ingredients found in fabric softeners like Downy and Snuggle: alpha-terpineol (causes CNS disorders), benzyl acetate(carcinogen-linked to pancreatic cancer), choloroform(neurotoxic, carcinogenic, anesthetic, ethyl acetate (narcotic), linalool (narcotic). Pretty scary, right?

After learning about the potential poisonous side of fabric softener I went cold turkey. I found that using better detergent like Country Save eliminated some of the static automatically but not completely. I've experimented with Ecover's line of fabric softeners but was not overly impressed. Bayla, our fearless leader here at Soft and Cozy Baby, ordered a product called purEcosheet and I was intrigued.



PurEcosheet bills itself as having "all the advantages of a traditional dryer sheet, with none of the chemicals. The perfume, dye and chemical free way to keep your fabrics soft, natural and free of static". I figure it was worth a shot. Two reusable sheets (good for 100s of loads according to the box) is $14.95 so fairly comparable in price to other options out there. The package gives instruction for how to prep (wash in any load of laundry after their first three uses) and maintenance (wash again every 3 months for best performance). After about a month I can tell you that these really do work! My towels and sheets feel softer and my clothes have less static. I cannot think of a single drawback!

Here are some other great things about purEcosheets:
*unscented
*made in North America
*100% hypoallergenic
*safe for use on infant's sleepwear, cloth diapers, technical fabrics, fine linens and towels
*safe for allergy and eczema and allergy sufferers
*great for baby's sensitive skin
* sold at Soft and Cozy Baby!

Hey Target, What's the deal??

In case you have not heard, a mother was recently harassed in a Target store while she tried to breastfeed her 4 month old baby under the cover of a baby blanket. Initially an employee of the Texas Target informed her that she should nurse in one of the changing rooms. When she declined another employee told her that she could be cited for indecent exposure. Within minutes word must have spread throughout their staff and several other workers walked by to get a peek and shake their head in disapproval. Disapproval of a woman feeding her baby. Apparently these employees were concerned that her public act of breastfeeding would bother her fellow shoppers. How many customers complained? Not one. After this story had garnered national attention (at least among those concerned with breastfeeding and women's right), Target issued a statement saying that “guests who choose to breastfeed in public areas of the store are welcome to do so without being made to feel uncomfortable".

Unfortunately, I did not find this story very shocking. As a mother that breastfed two babies for a total of 35 months between them I had experienced a fair amount of ignorance and ill treatment. A museum employee once approached me while I nursed my son under a nursing cover and told me that I would be more comfortable in the "mom's lounge" in the bathroom? When I walked into the stale air of the restroom I was greeted by a folding chair. I turned right around and assumed my former position and fed my son. I have several stories like this and they all end in me standing my ground and feeding my baby. Many times I was able to nurse my babies while wearing them and no one was the wiser. Who was I hurting??

What disturbed me most about this incident was reading the comments on articles about the story. Grown men and women referring to breastfeeding as "icky" and "inappropriate". That this woman must have wanted to cause a scene because she refused to be relegated to a stall to feed her baby. Others questioned her fitness as a mother for not pumping bottles in anticipation of his hunger. Still more made rude comments about her body (HELLO, she just had a baby four months before!. I was aghast. Do these same people clutch their pearls when they pass a Victoria's Secret? when they watch cable? Can't they understand that this woman was just trying to provide milk to her baby??

Listen, I know that not everyone can or wants to breastfeed. I feel very strongly that "breast is best" but I know that every mother just wants to raise a healthy baby and has to make her own choices. What I do not understand is why all the moms of the world are not enraged at what happened in Target. Why it is okay for corporate America to use images of breasts to sell clothes, beer, cars and so much more but not okay for me to feed my baby? Nursing moms are not trying to expose themselves, to shock people or to cause a commotion- they just want to feed their babies. They do not want to feed them in a dank public restroom or in the broom closet. Why aren't we more concerned with nurturing these moms so that they can feel more comfortable in their role as a mother? Why are breastfeeding moms being harassed in 21st century America??

My sons are 5 and 2. I have no problem with them witnessing a mother nurse their child. I want them to grow up knowing that breasts serve a biological purpose and are not just there to be ogled. If I am ever blessed with a daughter I want her to know the power of her body and all that it is capable of. I want her to breastfeed confidently without feeling as though she is going to be harassed. I want her to feel as though her rights as a woman are upheld.

Review: Nosefrida the Snotsucker

One of the first things you learn to do as a mother is use a bulb syringe to clear out your baby’s nose. Everyone knows about the battle of the bulb syringe! It’s a rite of passage! Fortunately, one of my friends eventually turned me on to the Nosefrida, a Swedish invention that has been used in Europe by pediatricians, nurses, midwives and parents for over 10 years.

The Nosefrida is a simple tapered plastic tube connected to a hose with a mouthpiece. You bite the mouthpiece, insert the tube into a nostril (it is designed so it doesn’t actually enter the nose, but plugs baby’s nostril to get a good suction) and slowly suck in, providing sustained and gentle suction. To keep the suction tube clean and your mind settled, the Nosefrida incorporates a disposable foam filter that keeps the snot and bacteria in the tube and out of your mouth.

I love and trust all things Swedish, so of course I ordered one! Right on cue, my 1-year-old daughter got another cold, so I was able to give the Nosefrida a good workout right away.

And it was excellent! I was able to begin sucking into the tube before approaching my daughter’s nostrils, so I got a good 3-4 seconds of strong, sustained suck before she swatted it away. The clear tube allowed me to see my prize….a gallon of mucus, at least! I had to get the other nostril, so, I started sucking, aimed, and…she let me stick it in her nose without complaint! She welcomed it, in fact, grinning the whole time. Of course it’s funny! Look at what you are doing! Another gallon of mucus retrieved. It was a very pleasant interaction, and I could tell that my daughter felt much better. She has gotten two or three colds since then, and snotsucking has now become a funny game for us.

With a bulb syringe, you have to squeeze, aim, insert deep into the nose, and then get a ½ second of measly suck action if you managed to get it in the right place…and then you have to somehow clean it!

Cleaning the Nosefrida is simple. You just take the hose and filter off and then flush the tube with soap and water. Good as new, with visual confirmation that there are no boogies left. I’m cheap, so I just rinse the filter and use again, but you are supposed to use a fresh filter for each snotsucking session. I do change mine at the end of each illness.

This, along with the Ergo Baby Carrier, BabyLegs and Aden and Anais Swaddle Blankets, is one of my top items for new moms and old moms alike.

NIKKI!

How UnderCover Mama Saved My Baby from Chickenpox!

A few weeks ago I noticed 2 itchy spots on my belly and back. I thought it was mosquito bites but had no idea how they got to my belly! Someone suggested it was poison ivy but again, almost impossible. A couple days later it turned into a blistery rash. As we were going out of town the next day, I decided to go to Patient First being that it was quite uncomfortable and I wanted to make sure it wasn't contagious.

The Doctor at Patient First took one look at it and announced, "That is definitely Shingles."  Shingles?! I thought that's for old people! She said that she's seen a few young people with it lately. So am I contagious? Only if someone comes into direct contact with the lesions. But I am nursing a baby! She said my baby was likely already exposed so there's nothing I can do about it anyway. Someone can contract chickenpox from shingles, but they wouldn't contract shingles. But my 8 mo old nursling has not had the chickenpox or the vaccine, and he's the only one who has been in direct contact with my belly!

Her only advice was to keep it covered, wash my hands, and take an antiviral. I was taken off work for a week as I'm a midwife and don't want to expose my patients - just in case. I called my pediatrician who wasn't concerned. It's not dangerous for a baby at 8 months to get chicken pox.

So we went on our trip as planned. And my baby never got the chicken pox!

I attribute it to my Undercover Mama! I LOVE the Undercover Mama and wear one all the time! It is great because it just hooks to your regular nursing bra and is much cheaper than a nursing tank. I like that it keeps my belly covered while I'm nursing as I wear a lot of T-shirts. I also wear it to sleep because nursing in bed makes for a cold tummy! I think because my Undercover Mama kept my belly covered all the time, my baby was never exposed to the shingles lesion.

Another great benefit of the Undercover Mama!

Lollidoo Overnight EcoPocket to the Rescue!

All moms suffer from lack of sleep and look forward to a time when their little one will sleep through the night without waking. We dream about it, well actually moms who don't get good sleep don't actually get to dream, but we daydream about dreaming...lol

The heartbreak happens when the time comes, baby sleeps through the whole night, the problem? Well the problem is that your cloth diapers can't make it through the whole night without wicking or leaking and there's nothing like a soaked cloth diaper, sheets and onesie to wake a sleeping babe! I know, it's a sad thing, all you want to do is sleep and finally baby wants to sleep, but you need to find an overnight cloth diapering system that works!

That's where the Lollidoo Overnight Ecopocket comes in! Fleece is a really awesome cloth diapering solution for heavy wetter and overnight and that's why Lollidoo has created a pocket diaper for overnight using it! Fleece repels moisture which keeps the wetness inside the diaper, in the inserts where it belongs.

About Lollidoo:
Made in the USA with recycled and organic fibers, LolliDoo cloth diapers are available in a whole host of styles, beginning with our versatile eco-pocket pocket-style cloth diaper with recycled fleece outer and your choice of certified organic cotton skin liner or recycled StayDry skin liner. eco-pocket diapers are available in Classic or Overnight styles in an array of vibrant colors.

The Overnight Ecopocket comes with THREE absorbent innies/inserts.

Visit Soft and Cozy Baby today and check out the Ecopocket by Lollidoo! We promise, you won't regret it!

Guest Author: Julie, the "Cloth Diaper Geek"

You use what kind of diapers??!!

One of the things I love most about cloth diapering (and working at a cloth diaper store) is getting to share my knowledge and passion with others. I love when a fellow mom expresses interest in learning more and gives cloth diapering a try. I get a thrill when a fellow mom notices my son's adorable diaper in the Nordstrom ladies lounge. What better way to spread the word?

That being said, I often run into those that are super skeptical of the whole cloth diaper concept. I hear questions like "You wash that in your washing machine?", "You have to rinse them out?", "You know disposables are so much easier, right??". I wish I knew the perfect way to respond but I am usually at a loss. I generally revert to smiling and conceding that cloth diapering might not be the best choice for everyone... I wish I could express to them how cloth diapering changed the way I look at consumerism, the environment, my budget, my baby's health and so much more!

Have you encountered many nay-sayers?? How do you respond?