Fluffation

Tail Feathers FUSION AIO

2008-05-07T13:23:00.005-05:00

It has come to my attention that I haven't reviewed Tail Feathers FUSION since the baby was born. My original review doesn't include my real-world experience.

Cost: The FUSION diapers are a good deal. They're still only $19.50 each, a good price for an AIO. They're cheaper than Flip 'n' Fly, and a bit more expensive than Thirsties pocket AIO.

Absorbency: They're not as absorbent as Flip 'n' Fly pocket AIOs, but that is not a problem. The FUSION has microfiber sewn onto the back of the microfleece inner. It doesn't feel like a lot of absorbency, but it's plenty adequate. If you want to use these at night, you can add some hemp inserts. Sometimes I stick a small hemp doubler inside the pocket, but generally we don't bother. The microfiber really is enough.

Trimness: They're trim. There's some poofiness to them, which leaves lots of room to add as much stuffing as you like. Without extra stuffing, these diapers fit very well into the diaper bag. The poofiness also gives them a wide range of fit, as there's lots of stretch in the elastic.

Dry time: super quick. The pocket opening lets the microfiber dry even faster than it otherwise would.

Leakproof: average.

Sizing: These TFDs come in two sizes: S/M (small to medium) and M/L (medium to large). Custom sizes are available on request. The fit range on each size is very broad. My three-year-old can squeeze into a S/M when she tries. The M/L were perfectly usable on Lindita before four months. You could pretty much go from 3 months to potty training on one size, the smaller if you have smallish kids and the larger if you have little porkers like mine.

Customer service: wonderful, of course. Jamie makes these and she is careful in her selection of materials and snap colors. (I'm a sucker for coordinating, varied snap colors.)

Jamie has lots of patterned PUL available. Evelyn loves the Diego PUL so much that she wouldn't let her baby sister wear it. We bought her another Diego FUSION in M/L for Christmas, even though she's long since potty trained. She likes it. The FUSION diapers are thin enough that they make decent trainers too.

TFD Fusions are sold on Hyena Cart. The biggest negative to the shopping experience is that all the photos, including available fabrics, are on photobucket. That's blocked from work. The customs description is fairly intimidating, too. I find it easier when a customs description refers back to a web site with sizing, fabric, and option details. But don't let that stop you from buying these diapers -- they're a great choice.

Nana's favorite diaper

2008-03-04T15:31:00.003-06:00

Nana does almost all the diaper laundry and nearly half of the diaper changes in our house. She is more interested in fast and easy, and less interested in bright colors and embroidery. Which diaper is her favorite?

It is the bumGenius AIO from Cotton Babies. This is the ultimate in simple and easy. It is a basic all-in-one diaper with an internal soaker, a stay-dry inner, a waterproof PUL outer, and front velcro closure. The velcro tabs have a stretchy piece on them, so the diapers feel more like a disposable one when you put them on the baby. This is a plus for babysitters and daycare providers. The velcro tabs are rounded at the end, so no poky scratchy corners to fold up. They're also narrower than the soft receiving strip of velcro, so no scratchy edges hanging off. They cross over for skinny babies. (That means one velcro tab can stick to the back of the other tab.) The velcro is a good stickiness too, not too strong like the Blueberries.

The stay-dry suedecloth lining works very well; we have a hard time telling whether she's wet even when we stick a finger in the diaper. Sometimes it seems like she's just a little sweaty in there, and this feels the same as a wet diaper. We can tell by the weight of the diaper that it has absorbed a lot of pee. The bG AIOs are absorbent enough but dry in just one dryer cycle, the optimal level of absorbency.

Negatives? Well, the laundry tabs are a little harder to use because of the stretchy section. The velcro tabs have to fold a little farther back into the diaper. They only come in five different colors. This means I won't buy more than five in a size, because heaven forbid I have two identical diapers.

For customer service, I've always been happy with Cotton Babies. They're local, so packages arrive super-quickly. They have a delightful little resale store, and there host diaper yard sales a few times a year where I can sell diapers. Jenn, the owner, is a Java programmer like me! She and her husband programmed their own site, and it is a good one.

Three Spiffy Fitteds

2008-02-27T14:27:00.007-06:00

I've postponed writing on this blog because I don't have time to take and upload pictures, but it's time to write anyway. I'm adding pictures as I get them uploaded. Here is Lindita around 4 months old, learning to roll over in Stinky Couture:

Today we have three similar fitted diapers to compare and contrast: Holden's Landing, Hillbilly Bunny, and Stinky Couture. All three have a similar fit. The leg-to-waist ratio is a little small for Little Miss Thunder Thighs, but that's every diaper. All are well-made, high-end fitted diapers. All are size medium.

Holden's Landing was a semi-custom slot on Hyenacart. It cost $28 including shipping. This diaper is made of organic bamboo velour. I chose the colors, turquoise outer and purple inner. It is side-snap, and the snaps, except for the front caps, are white. Normally her soaker is external, but I asked for an internal soaker. The velour on this diaper is amazingly soft. It is Lindita's softest diaper. See my previous post (with pictures) about it. Now that I've used it, I find the fit to be trim and the absorbency good. The rise is fairly high for a medium. The dry time is long, but that's because of the internal soaker. The legs are turned (but not topstitched). There's one negative: the elastic in the back of the diaper is unusually thick. It feels like it makes quite a lump under her little back. That's the main reason I don't reach for this diaper first, even though the velour is luscious. That softness has not been affected by repeated washings.

Hillbilly Bunny is also velour, but cotton this time. Soft, but not nearly as soft as the bamboo velour. I purchased this one at Diaperware for $25 plus shipping. I like the look of it because it's dip-dyed half purple and half green, very striking. However, the snap sockets are white. This looks particularly sad because it's a front-snap diaper. There are two rows of snaps, just like a side-snap diaper, but the sockets are on the front, detracting from the bright green velour. It looks just like a side-snap diaper, making it easy for husbandito to put it on backwards. The interior is white velour, with a soaker sewn in at the back. This soaker flap means faster drying but requires more attention at changing time. It's tricky to line up the soaker; it wants to stick out, like the diaper is sticking its tongue out at me. The fit is trim with a high rise. It barely fits Miss Chunkso at the thighs, but is a little loose at the waist. I don't reach for this one often, mostly because of the soaker tongue.

We've saved the best for last. The Stinky Couture fitted is my favorite. I reach for it whenever it's clean. A lot of it has to do with the print: little fuzzy monsters saying "ooga booga!"

It also has matching green snaps and sockets. It also has a pretty tag sewn on the outside.

A lot also has to do with the warm fuzzies I got from the most amazing customer service yet -- and that's saying a lot in the WAHM diaper market! This diaper was purchased at HyenaCart for $34 including shipping. Yes, that's a lot for a fitted, and I had to stalk a bit to get it. It arrived quickly, but I was discouraged to find that it had no internal soaker, but rather an external, lay-in soaker and doubler. See that diaper in the photo.

A few days later, Daphne, the diaper's creator, emailed to ask whether I liked the diaper. In a burst of honesty (not rare), I told her that I was planning to sell it, since lay-in soakers don't work for us. I was amazed when Daphne offered to make a replacement for me with an internal soaker, at no additional charge. Sweet! I sent the diaper back to her, and a few days later an "ooga booga" diaper with internal soaker and lay-in doubler arrived at my door. It is just what I wanted. I don't use the velour-topped doubler, preferring the simplicity of a one-piece diaper. There's plenty of absorbency. The dry time is good, usually just one cycle. The fit is trim, with a rise not quite as high as the others. The legs are turned and topstitched. Maybe I'm biased because this diaper is my favorite, but I like the fit on Stinky Couture best. It looks and feels like a designer diaper.

In conclusion, Stinky Couture wins the prize. Even though it was the most expensive, it was worth the money. The other two weren't cheap either, and aren't favorites. However, they're all good diapers, so if you see some for sale at a price you like, snap them up.

Medium Long

2008-02-15T15:13:00.004-06:00

Medium Long is a strange size. It's about as big as a medium, except it's as long as a large. The rise is higher than a regular medium, but the diaper is not much wider. Many diaper makers offer this size.

Linda, at 4 months, is outgrowing the medium size. She can wear larges now, but Medium Long fit her beautifully. We have some medium long diapers in Fly Baby AIOs and in Flutterby Baby Very Baby AIOs. The Very Baby AIO Medium Longs are an especially beautiful fit. They fit Linda at three months, and they fit Evelyn now at three years.

The Flutterby Baby AIOs are only $17 in this size. Embroidery is available for about $7 each, depending on the design. That's a great deal for a custom diaper by a very experienced, well-reviewed WAHM. They cost more if you go for a quick-dry soaker or a material other than birdseye, but the default internal birdseye soaker is my favorite. It's easy, it dries quickly, and it's plenty absorbent. They come with a doubler too, but I never use it. These are easy, pretty, affordable, handmade diapers.

Here's the fit of the Very Baby AIOs on Lindita right around 4 months of age:

How to Better your Boppy

2008-01-25T16:06:00.001-06:00

If you like your Boppy, a cover like this could take it from a nursing pillow to a living room accent. I have one cover from Baa Baa Black Sheep already, and have been stalking for another. This one is now on its way to me.

Betsy's covers are fabulous. Mine fits as well as the cover the Boppy came with. They're easier to get on, if anything. The fleece side is soft, and the patterned side is gorgeous. The trim is attractive. The covers wash and dry well. If you have a Boppy or are buying one as a present, a cover like this is a fabulous accessory.

Baa Baa Black Sheep is part of the Lemon Tree Lane congo on HyenaCart. Congos are groups of WAHMs who band together and list their items in one HyenaCart store. When you go to look at one mom's merchandise, you see lots of others'. Good for impulse buying. Congos often stock on a regular day of the week. They often have themes or collaborations as part of a stocking. This adds to the fun.

Fly Baby Flip 'n' Fly AIOs

2007-12-26T16:56:00.000-06:00

I've reviewed these Fly Baby stuffable AIOs before, but now I have more information. I've given up on finding time to get pictures online, and will post info on diapers anyway before this blog gets totally stale.

Fit: nice. They're fat, because the attached soaker is more material than I usually stuff in a pocket. The smalls fit Lindita for almost two months (to about 12 lb), and mediums fit pretty well before she outgrew the smalls.

Absorbency: plenty. We haven't reached the end of it. I can't imagine needing to stuff it with additional material.

Convenience: high. Pull the attached insert halfway out (by the tag, no need to touch pee-filled material) before putting in the laundry, and they'll flip themselves inside out in the washer.

Cuteness: good. Amber shares my predilection for patterned fleece inners with solid PUL outers, and she picks out cuter combinations than I could. Snaps are colored when appropriate.

Containment: good. No poop has escaped.

Drying time: good. We had some trouble with them not flipping themselves inside out in the wash. Amber suggested setting the water to a faster agitation and to a lower fill setting, like the real size of the load. I had been setting the water setting higher, to give the diapers extra rinse water. These suggestions worked; the diapers now flip themselves inside out. Drying time is now about the same as other AIOs with attached external soakers.

These are favorites at my house. Nana and Husbandito both like them. They also impress friends with their cleverness. They're like pockets minus the matching-up-the-insert step. Me gustan.

Arm's Reach Cosleeper

2007-12-19T17:30:00.000-06:00

When you want to keep the baby close at night, but are nervous about letting the baby sleep in your own bed, consider a cosleeper. It is somewhere in between.

Take a pack & play with bassinet attachment, strap it to the edge of the bed, and then cut off the side of the bassinet that is against the bed until the bassinet's wall is only as high as the mattress. The result would be like the Arm's Reach Cosleeper. The baby's mattress is about three inches below the parents' mattress, with no wall blocking the mom's view of the baby.

I like the cosleeper. It is handy. It has some flaws, though, and it won't help everyone. Most of the time it is too much trouble to bother moving the baby to the cosleeper after she nurses in the bed. Usually she sleeps next to me. However, when my husband comes to bed and we want some space to cuddle, it's handy to move the baby to the cosleeper. We can reach over to pat her or check her diaper without sitting up or reaching over a barrier. Clean diapers inhabit a portion of the cosleeper, ready for use in the night. The cosleeper is a useful extension of our bed.

What does the cosleeper not do well? It is not a pack 'n' play, that's for sure! Ours is the Original Arm's Reach Cosleeper, full size and not height-adjustable. It is technically convertible to a bassinet and a play yard. It is supposed to be portable - ha! I'm not carrying it. That thing is heavy. You can turn the cosleeper into a bassinet and move it to another room, but I wouldn't plan on moving it back and forth.

Initial setup of the cosleeper particularly difficult, more difficult than assembling the crib. It does not set up and tear down nearly as easily as a pack 'n' play. Initial setup is especially difficult because the anchor that straps it to the bed needs to go under the big bed's mattress. The anchor is a plastic square attached to a strap; the strap goes under the mattress and the plastic square goes against the side of the bed opposite the cosleeper, holding the cosleeper tight against the bed. This prevents a baby from squeezing between the cosleeper and the bed.

The mattress is similar to any other pack 'n' play mattress: thin and hard. Crib mattresses are pretty hard, too, so this is not a big disadvantage; it's a safety feature. Some people complain that the cosleepers are ugly. Ours includes the long liner for greater aesthetic appeal. The liner is a pain to wash (which we do very rarely, like once per child) and covers up the handy pockets on the outside of the cosleeper, but it's prettier.

I like the cosleeper. It's a good place for the baby to sleep sometimes, and it holds diapers, wipes, extra blankets, etc. right at bedside. They're pretty expensive, though -- about $200 for the one we have. A pack 'n' play is a lot cheaper and more versatile, but the cosleeper is tops for its main purpose: keeping the baby right next to you without keeping the baby in your bed.

Colic remedies

2007-11-14T13:33:00.000-06:00

Linda is occasionally a colicky baby. One day she cried from 3pm - 11pm with short breaks while being carried around just so. Last night she cried from 9pm until noon today except when being carried or rocked just so. (The Moby wrap was invaluable.) Eric stayed up with her from 10 - 1, and I stayed up with her the rest of the night. Not fun. We'll be taking her to the chiropractor this afternoon.

Last time she was colicky we purchased a variety of homeopathic colic remedies. What worked that day was homeopathic Carbo Vegitalis (stick the little balls in her mouth) and papaya enzymes (chewables crushed and dissolved in water). The papaya helps with stomach acidity, which is a problem when she burps. She needs to burp to get the gas out, but it hurts her when she does.

This time the Carbo Veg and papaya weren't doing it. Cocyntal by Boiron seemed to help; she was calmer after taking that. I like that one because it comes in little single-dose tubes. Just pop off a tube, twist of the top, and squirt it into her crying mouth. These are tremendously easier to use than gripe water that must be administered with a dropper. They're also portable, so this is the remedy in our diaper bag.

Hyland's colic tablets haven't helped her yet, and they always make her mad when we stick them in her mouth.

After being up since 1 am and carrying a baby around all morning, it was time for the big guns. I got out the dropper, shook the bottle, measured, and squirted in a dose of Colic Calm. Poof, my sweet baby is back. She didn't even complain about the liquid squirted into her cheek - she seemed to enjoy it. Amazing. She is now sitting calmly, looking around. This is fantastic! That bottle was worth its $27 with shipping for this afternoon alone.

Why did we wait so long to try the Colic Calm? The stuff is black. It gives her black spit and black puke (if she pukes) and blackish green poop. I worry about it staining our clothing, and I'm wearing a favorite white shirt. It looks creepy when her lips and tongue are black for hours afterward. But it's a lot better than a mouth open wide screaming!

Like all homeopathics, it works perfectly sometimes and other times does nothing at all. Today, it was so awesome that I'm immediately posting about it. It was so awesome that she's letting me sit down and post about it. Now if only it could make an excellent cup of coffee appear out of nowhere.

New Baby

2007-10-20T11:27:00.001-05:00

Our new baby is here! We have a girl, Linda. She was eight and a half pounds at birth, and she fit into all the tiny diapers. She's a chunky-thighed baby like her sister. She has a bigger bladder, though. She didn't pee for alomost a day after she was born, but when she did pee, whoa! Look out.

Measurements at almost 2 weeks old: 15" waist; 12" hips; 7.5" thigh; 10" rise. Newborn babies have totally different fit requirements from older babies. Fat-in-the-crotch is not a disadvantage when their legs naturally curl up. Newborns don't straighten their legs much. All that curling up makes side snap diapers more awkward than they are later. The diapers that have only one snap work the best, because the distance between the top of the leg and the top of the diaper is less. This makes them fit to the hip measurement instead of the waist. Newborns have a big belly and then their hips, butt, and legs are tiny in proportion.

My favorite newborn combination: Kind Hearted Women (KHW) small, Muttaqin newborn, or Kissaluv 0 under a Righteous Baby FLAM wool cover. The cover is side-snap with just one snap. The three fitteds are roughly equivalent. The Kissaluv has fewer snap settings, and the snaps are reversed (the poky parts are on the front of the diaper instead of the wings). The KHW come with doublers, which we don't use because I'm too lazy. The Muttaqin are slightly larger than the KHW but the snap arrangement is the same. Right now (5 weeks) we're still using the Muttaqins, barely, but the KHW are in the closet.

The pictures are dark because the baby doesn't like the flash. Turn up the brightness on your monitor, maybe. Here she is at 7 days old in a Muttaqin:

At four days old in the FLAM cover:

Of course I have oodles more diapers to review in detail after using them. Of course I have very very little computer time, home with two girls and trying to get enough sleep. Keep checking back. It'll come! As a preview, right now my favorite fitteds are Fluffymail Size 1s under Luxe wool or Mudpie Babies PUL.

Holden's Landing Bamboo Velour

2007-10-07T12:20:00.000-05:00

This is a semicustom fitted diaper from Holden's Landing. I chose the size, colors, and soaker style. The bamboo velour inner and outer are hand-dyed and butter soft.

Usually she makes these with a snap-in soaker in a third color of velour. I requested an internal soaker.

It is disappointing that the snap sockets are all white; for a $28 fitted, I could hope for matching snap sockets. Still, custom-dyed bamboo velour is an expensive feature. This diaper has no tag on it. I've already forgotten whether it's a small or a medium. It could be either, by the sizing. It has a very high rise. The front is smooth, no elastic, and the back has a fairly thick elastic in it. Legs are turned, not serged, for a very trim fit in the crotch. The defining feature, though, is the incredibly soft bamboo velour. I wish you could feel it.

Preston's Pants Surprise

2007-10-07T12:08:00.000-05:00

This diaper was purchased for me as part of the Great Diaper Exchange on Babycenter's diapering forum. The mom who picked it out did a great job finding something I haven't tried before. It is different and neat and has a panda on the bum!

It's a front-snap pocket diaper, with fleece inner and outer, and PUL inside for waterproofing. The pocket opening is at the back. It didn't come with an insert, so I've stuffed it with a FLAM contour for now. The interior is black, and all snaps are hidden.

The snap configuration is different. For one, it has an umbilical snapdown. I haven't seen one of those on a small pocket diaper yet. For another, it closes with three snaps. It looks like this will give some more flexibility in getting the fit right. We'll have to see; the cabbage patch doll wasn't the best test subject. I love how the snap sockets are colored so that they're black with red in the middle, coordinating with the panda and apple on the back.

I'm excited to try this one on the new baby.

Berry Plush Minky Diapers

2007-10-05T16:30:00.000-05:00

Berry Plush Minky AIO diapers, from Jam Tots. These have been around longer than Blueberry diapers. The uber-softness of the minky makes people love them. They also have a good fit. The size small above is a little big on the Cabbage Patch doll, but she's such a cooperative model.

See the snap arrangement? It's a little different, with the nonparallel rows of snaps, and I like the way it makes the diapers fit on the baby. Unfortunately they're all white.

This is an AI2, not a true AIO. The shell can be used separately, and you can purchase extra snap-in soakers for it. The soaker snaps in with two snaps in the back. (Word is that newer M and L diapers have snaps in the front, too. I'd like that.)

The soaker has two flaps that fold out, making it quick-dry. I find it difficult to get the flaps to stay in under the rest of the soaker; it's unclear exactly how they're supposed to go. No biggie; really any way will work.

These diapers get good reviews. People who like AI2s like them a lot, for fit and leakproofness. We have a large blue one that we used a few times on Evelyn, and it's a great show-off diaper, with its incredibly soft prettiness. The only negative (for me) is assembly. I like some of the pretty color options available, and that they're sometimes available with embroidery. Berry Plush are around $26 each, but you can save money by purchasing extra soakers for $8 each and reusing the shells. Jam Tots is a Canadian seller, and Berry Plush are also available at other retailers, such as Diaperware.

Cloth Diapers On the Go

2007-10-03T14:42:00.000-05:00

At home, all your clean diapers fit nicely in a drawer or basket. The dirty ones have a home in the handy diaper pail, conveniently located next to the changing station. But what about when you're out and about? Diaper bags are sized for disposables, not cloth, and who wants to carry dirty diapers home?

On the other hand, out and about is a great time to cloth diaper, because then you get to show off the diapers to the other mothers in the restroom. And for those dirties, there are beautiful handmade wet bags.

Now for the challenge of fitting a suitable number of cloth diapers in the diaper bag. My solution to this is: Daisy Doodles "Bikini Bottoms" All-in-twos (AI2s). These are the trimmest diapers around, and they're cute. Lots of them fit in the diaper bag, and they don't take up much room in the wet bag on the way home, either.

Featured in these photos are two Daisy Doodles: a PUL AI2 and a Wool-in-two (WI2). See how trim they are? They fit more like bikini underwear than a diaper. The picture below shoes the long wings with four sets of snaps, giving them a wide range of fit. These are also available with front aplix closure.

Inside the diapers, see the snap-in soakers. (They're also available as lay-in soakers.) They snap in with two snaps in the back. The front of the soaker flops around, and should be tucked carefully inside the outer after the diaper is on the baby. The key feature of this design is that the soaker can be snapped out and replaced with a clean one after a pee. This means that in your diaper bag, you can carry extra soakers, and they take up even less space than another AI2.
The AI2 below is pictured with the shell next to its soaker, an extra soaker, and a Daisy Doodles doubler. The doubler fits inside the soaker, between the two layers of absorbent material.

Soakers are available made of microfiber or hemp. They're topped in stay-dry microfleece or suedecloth. Above, the soaker is hemp. Below, see a microfiber soaker.

I like to carry at least two shells and a couple extra soakers around in the diaper bag. I switch back and forth between the shells at changes, giving the just-worn shell a chance to dry out between uses. As the soakers do not have elastic at the legs, every poop is certain to dirty the shell. The lack of elastic on the soaker is part of what makes them fit so well in the diaper bag.

The Daisy Doodle WI2 (the solid purple one in the photos) is a rarity, but it is my favorite. The PUL AI2s leak pretty quickly; it's important to change them shortly after a pee. This is a price of their extreme trimness. The wool shell gives more time. However, if the baby poops in it, the shell of the AI2 must be washed, and this is more trouble with wool. Christa made this WI2 for me as a special request.

There's another advantage to the AI2-with-extra-soaker system here: they're affordable. A PUL AI2 costs $16-$19; extra soakers are less than $5 each. For five out-and-about diapers, that works out to about $64 (which qualifies for free shipping). Choose your colors on your custom order, and Christa usually ships them within a few weeks. Incidentally, the shell without a soaker snapped into it makes a good swim diaper.

Backpack and Backpack

2007-10-02T10:36:00.000-05:00

What to obsess about when cloth diapers and baby carriers are all purchased? How about diaper bags! I'm a fan of multiple diaper bags: a mama needs a small, light one for quick trips; a medium-sized one for medium-sized trips; and a backpack for real walking.

This is the Jujube Be Right Back in Sienna Swirl, modeled by my husband. We've been using it for a few weeks for my daughter. There are pockets for everything, and it's a fabulous diaper bag, although heavy. For a potty-trained two-year-old, it's serious overkill. So...

This is the Jujube MiniBe in Sienna Swirl. It holds my daughter's change of clothes nicely, along with some bandaids and a few wipes. There's a small pouch in the top to use as a wet bag for the dirties. Best of all, she can carry it herself!

When you know what you want

2007-10-01T17:23:00.001-05:00

When you know exactly what you want, but not where to find it, the diapering forums can help. My best friend wanted a denim diaper like one of mine, with a jean pocket on the back. Mine was a HyenaCart find from years ago, not something readily available. Not a problem - I know where to go! I posted an ISO (In Search Of) thread on DiaperSwappers with a detailed description of what I wanted: a medium AIO made of denim with a pocket on the back, like from an old pair of jeans. Within a few hours, a WAHM sent me a private message (PM) offering to make the diaper for me. Within two days, the diaper was paid for (via PayPal), sewn, and on its way to my friend!

My friend is completely thrilled. It's exactly what she wanted, and she loves the belt loops that Meagan (the WAHM) added as a finishing touch. And did I mention that she only charged $14 including shipping? $14 is a very low price for an AIO, even without shipping included! If you want some custom AIOs with velcro and internal soakers, send a message to chloecat at DiaperSwappers, or email Meagan. If you want something else, and don't know where to find it, post on the forums. I used this same method last year to acquire some Sesame Street diapers when my daughter wanted to wear Big Bird all the time. It's a great way to find exactly what you want.

Minky Training Pants

2007-10-01T14:13:00.000-05:00

After cloth diapers, cloth trainers. Of course there's a dizzying variety of these available, too. Cloth trainers are less bulky and less absorbent than cloth diapers, and they can be pulled up and down. Some have snaps on the hip, for easier removal, but clever toddlers may realize that those are really diapers. We prefer trainers without snaps. We also like trainers with patterns or colors that appeal to Evelyn, because then she'll wear them. Evelyn chose the zebra print herself.

These trainers come from Blueberry Diapers. The inner and outer material is minky, super duper soft. In between is microfiber. These trainers are more absorbent than any others we've tried; they're the only ones worth wearing at night. They still leak with a big pee, but they absorb enough that the bedsheets are a bit wet instead of soaked in pee.

The colors and patterns available are stunning, and of course the minky is stunningly soft on the inside and outside. They're waterproof (until they're full), but not breathable. They get very sweaty inside with exercise.

The blue pair is a size small, and the zebra is a size medium. There's a big difference in sizing here. The small is a little snug on Evelyn's legs. The medium looks huge on her. In these photos, Evelyn is two and a half, 36" tall and 28 lb.

Overall, we like these trainers, but I'm not fond of ordering from Blueberry Diapers. The trainers are $19 each, which is a little high, but I expect to pay more for minky. Of greater concern is Blueberry's customer service, which by all accounts is poor. When we ordered the zebra trainers, a package shipped immediately... with a zebra cover in it. It did come with a return label, which was very useful, since it was completely the wrong item. Weeks later, the correct item arrived, without a return label or any other paper. It is quite a contrast from the personal service and concern I'm used to when purchasing diapers.

WAHM Customer Service

2007-09-26T18:31:00.000-05:00

The sweetest fluffymail arrived today from Sweet Seats. This is a WAHM (okay, really she's a work-at-home-grandma) store at HyenaCart. This transaction epitomized the kind of service we love from individual creators.
Within an hour of purchasing this item, Jacque emailed me to thank me for my order and to let me know it would ship the same day. Two days later (USPS priority), it's here. When I open the package, it contains

a handwritten thank-you card, a bonus crocheted dishcloth, and the set I ordered, very prettily wrapped in tissue paper and tied with the same yarn used in the dishcloth. The card advises me to wash the dishcloth before use. Now this is fluffy mail.

The newborn longie set is gorgeous. This picture does not do the colors justice; they're quite a bit brighter than they look.

Here's the description from HyenaCart:

Adorable crocheted longies, and matching felted moccasins, in the "Blauer Reiter" 100Purewool Merino colorway, trimmed in "Pimenton" 100Purewool Merino, are paired with a whimsical, hand-painted, 100% Cotton, Gerber lap-tee in size newborn. Due to the felting, the mocs do not have much stretch, so a tie was added. They measure 3.5" along the sole, and are 2" wide. Perfect for your new baby, and so soft! The longies have a drawstring closure, extra high rise, and crotch gusset. Measurements at rest are: waist 15", rise 16", thigh 8", inseam 6". Washed and lanolinized in Lansinoh, so ready to ship and wear!"

The little shoes are adorable. I hold one up to my belly when my baby presses a foot out, and worry that if he or she stays in much longer they'll be too small.

The longies are incredibly soft. It is hard to believe they're wool. The crocheted stitches are tight -- these are sure to be leakproof. I love that they're already lanolized.

This whole set is a great deal at $43.50 (plus $4.60 priority shipping). Comparable sets with better-known names go for $100 or more. The next time I'm looking for longies, I will look at Sweet Seats.

Starbunz Carrot AIO

2007-09-25T04:52:00.000-05:00

This is one of Evelyn's diapers, a large Starbunz AIO that looks like a carrot. She wore it from about six months to over a year -- it would still fit her. The AIO is fleece on the outside and the inside. The inside has a lay-in fleece-topped soaker.

The AIO is technically front snap, but the two rows of snaps are on the wing, just like a side-snap diaper. There are only three sets of snap sockets, closely spaced. Yet the diaper fits well, on my baby and on other babies who've tried it.

This AIO proved a good nighttime diaper, as it holds a lot of pee and does not leak. It is one of the bulkiest AIOs I've ever owned, though. You'd better size up on pants if you want to put anything over it. I also dislike matching up the two pieces. (We had a cute chameleon one, but sold it for this reason.) Starbunz makes some very cute AIOs, so they're great for running around pantless. They make pocket versions of the same diapers, as well. If cuteness and leakproofness are your goals, and trimness is not, these are good diapers for you.

Brace the belly

2007-09-24T18:58:00.000-05:00

This is one of the essential tools for pregnancy: a supportive band to go under the belly and help out those strained abdominal muscles. Wearing this brace helps with abdominal separation (diastasis), back pain, and posture. Wear it during exercise and when standing or walking for long periods. Wear it as tight as you can get it. It's a good idea.

I highly recommend the Loving Comfort postpartum belt. It is available at Babies R Us and on Amazon for about $25. No, it isn't pretty, but wear it under your clothes. The key feature of this band is that the scratchy half of the velcro will stick anywhere on the band, not just on the patch of soft velcro at the end. Other bands (Medela, for instance) have a narrow landing strip for the velcro, severely restricting their usefulness. With the Loving Comfort band, the ends can overlap as much as needed, and the top part can be looser than the bottom half while you're pregnant.

Of course, it's also useful postpartum. Wearing this band helps your belly to shrink faster and your abdominal muscles to heal better. It helps with the permanent pooch as well as the temporary one.

For sizing, I wear a medium all through pregnancy and postpartum. (I'm a size 6.) When in doubt, choose the larger size, because it will still work even if it's longer than optimal. It is even possible to hook two bands together.

More newborn fluff

2007-09-24T18:39:00.000-05:00

This post is a shameless showoff one, as I've already posted about Kindhearted Women newborn diapers. Here are three more that arrived today:

What beautiful colors! It is too bad that the snap sockets are all white. The diapers are velour except for the yellow. The diapers are adorable and lovely and I like them all!

Seriously hyena

2007-09-22T08:28:00.000-05:00

This is an El Bee fitted diaper:

These are seriously hyena, meaning that it is very hard to buy a new one before they sell out. Laura, the mother who makes them, is recovering from leukemia. These were hard to get before she got sick, and there's plenty of pent-up demand.

What's so exciting about them? El Bees are probably the trimmest fitted diaper out there. They're simple and elegant. They're very carefully constructed; the least little stitching inconsistency gets them declared a second (which still sells for about $30). I love the scalloped stitching around the edges. The elastic edging on these is different from most diapers. It's very smooth, not bunchy-uppy at all. El Bees are known for fitting very well, surprising for a one-row front-snap diaper. Here it is at the largest snap setting:

And here is the interior. The super-trim soaker is internal, but a nifty matching doubler is provided.

and here's the back, how charming:

Laura made this El Bee for me after I won a drawing of all participants in a poll. What a fantastic prize! It's a size large, organic cotton with organic cotton velour inside. Evelyn only wore it a few times before she potty trained.

A weekend's loot

2007-09-19T15:52:00.000-05:00

Here are a few items that arrived over the weekend. I'm not ready to review them in more detail before using them, but need something to post about. The pictures aren't the greatest, as the digital camera did finally bite the bullet. The video camera takes still photos, but not as well.

This is a Luxe Baby wool pull-up cover. Very sweet and cute, and fairly hyena. $34 on HyenaCart -- lately she's put enough of these wool covers up for sale that stalking wasn't necessary.

These are Happy Tushies wet bags. They have a cotton print outside, PUL inside, and a zipper at the top to hold in wetness. My favorite feature is the snapping handle on the corner. We use that to attach the bag to the outside of the diaper bag when it gets full. These bags are a size large, and I'm wishing I'd ordered one or both in Medium, as they're generously sized. They'll hold half a dozen fat diapers easily. They're a little heavy, for an empty bag, and would be lighter and more compact in a smaller size. These larges are $17 each.

Dream-Eze AIO from Montana Diaper Store: this one is technically a tester. The site says, "Based on tester feedback the only major change to these diapers will be the elastic. The final production diapers will have wider elastic for a more gentle fit." These look like they'll have a trim fit over a fairly wide range, and the outer PUL is a cool shiny texture. They can't be my favorite, though, because of the name. Here's the inside:

The soaker has two petals, both sewn in at the back. There is no stay-dry layer; it's only organic cotton inside. The tester was only $10.50, what a deal.

Tykie Diapers (and lots of wipes)

2007-09-18T14:24:00.000-05:00

This lovely custom order arrived over the weekend:

That's two small fitted diapers, four sets of six wipes each, and a bonus set of four wipes. Just look at those carrots!

These were made by Ann at Tykie Diapers. She does a wonderful job on custom orders, and I always enjoy her diapers. Let's take a closer look at them.

These are side-snap fitted diapers. The snaps and snap sockets are color-coordinated. The edges are serged. This particular diaper is organic velour inside and out, yummy soft. Of course, there are carrots embroidered on the butt! For Ann's embroidery, she doesn't have a set of designs on her page. Instead, you tell her what you want, and she finds patterns for you to choose from -- great ones!

The inside of the diaper is organic velour, too. Snaps are hidden. The soaker snaps in with one snap. I forgot to ask her to sew it in for me this time. My favorite part about ordering from Ann is how flexible she is with her pattern: she'll sew the soaker in six different ways on request. Look closely at the snap-in soaker. There is a carrot stitched into it! This is a fantastic detail, and makes it easy to match the soaker to the diaper after washing (in case the green snap isn't enough).

Now let's talk about the wipes! These are my favorite cloth wipes. They're oval, about the size of your hand or a little bigger, soft organic cotton on one side, and fabulous prints on the other. I like to keep six-packs of them on hand for gifts. Even for moms who don't cloth diaper, they make awesome baby washcloths, far softer and nicer than anything at the store.

Tykie fitteds are affordable, at $11.50 - $18.50 depending on size. She also makes covers and AI2s, which I haven't tried. Embroidery is about $6 more, an excellent price. She has diapers in stock, but I always go for the "Custom for you" department.

Hannas

2007-09-17T05:41:00.000-05:00

Finding clothes to fit correctly over cloth diapers can be challenging. Even the trimmest cloth diapers are a bit bulkier than disposables. Onesies are often too short, pants are too slim in the butt, and dresses look funny on boys.

To deal with this, some moms simply size up. This works well on most stretchy clothing. Some WAHMs make clothing as well as diapers, and these are of course sized for cloth. (I recommend Lucy's Hope Chest.) Finally, there are a few brands of children's clothing that consistently work well with cloth diapers. Zutano is one, and Hanna Andersson is another.

Hanna clothes are all soft and stretchy. Many meet organic standards or those of Oko-Tex, another ecological certification process. They fit for a long time. They're cute without being too cutesy. And best of all, many of them have matching items in my size!

Evelyn and the new baby will have a matching outfit with this dress and romper. There's a women's dress to match it, too, but it won't fit me now, and won't work for nursing. I do wish their dresses were nursing-friendly.

Here is a sweet little outfit for the new baby:

The kimono top is umbilical-cord-friendly and cloth-diaper friendly. Notice the shape of the pants: all butt, hardly any legs. There's plenty of room in there for a well-stuffed diaper. On the right are matching socks.

Hanna's prices are not as friendly as the clothing. I almost always wait for a sale. In this case I am frustrated, because several of the things I purchased on sale last week are on a better sale today. Grrr. But what can you do? Wait too long, and they'll be out of stock in the desired size.

Kindhearted Women Layette

2007-09-17T05:25:00.000-05:00

When pregnant with Evelyn, I read that Kindhearted Women diapers were some of the best for newborns. My stalking skills were poor, however, and I never found one for sale. This time I have acquired two, both within sets of baby clothes.

The first set has a little kimono top, pants, and a small fitted diaper. The second set has a T-shirt, pants, and a small fitted diaper. One diaper here is at its largest snap setting, the second at its smallest with the umbilical snapdown. The snap arrangement here is similar to Muttaqin and Kissaluvs.

The diaper has a built-in soaker and a lay-in doubler. Both are topped with very soft velour; the doubler is hand-dyed. The doubler is so soft, and such a nice general contour shape, that it may find its way into my drawer after the baby outgrows it.

The KHW small fitteds are $16.50 - $18.50 each. The clothing sets here were a good deal, at under $30 each. The little outfits are delightful, especially the kimono top. It is difficult sometimes to find cute T-shirts, as babies these days mostly wear onesies. Onesies are not ideal for cloth diapers. In a way it is silly to have a fitted diaper (which will be under a cover) matching the baby's outfit, but it makes me happy.

There's embroidery, and then there's Embroidery

2007-09-13T13:50:00.000-05:00

Fluffymail are a classic hyena diaper. They're very well made and well designed, and people want to buy more than the creators want to make. The prices are high ($26 for an AIO) but not insanely high (like Fussybutt, $48 for a fitted). If you catch a custom or semi-custom slot, then you can choose to have it embroidered. Embroidery is $1 per 1000 stitches in the design. This is a common pricing strategy, but many WAHMs charge less. The embroidery designs in Fluffymail's selection range from $5 (few) to $50, with most of the good ones around $20. That's in addition to the cost of the diaper.

Here's why it is worth it:

The back of this diaper is smooth, and the embroidery is a step above the embroidery on many of my other diapers. It is hard to tell the difference from the photograph, but holding this diaper, and holding others, the difference is clear. The ladies at Fluffymail are good at this.

For completeness, here's the rest of the diaper. This is a First Class Baby (FCB) style, which means it is side snap. The snap covers are blue, but the sockets are white. Inside, the diaper is lined with fleece, with a quick-dry soaker sewn in the back. The included doubler (not shown) fits under the tongue soaker. Note that the snaps are not hidden on the interior of the diaper. This surprises me. My theory is that these diapers have been popular since before hidden snaps became the standard.

Tail Feathers FUSION

2007-09-12T06:29:00.001-05:00

Since I thought the Fly Baby AIOs were so cool, I had to try a FUSION from Tail Feathers Diapers. These also combine the pocket and AIO ideas. Check out the lovely diaper Rachel made for me:

I picked gray PUL because neutral colors look good on babies, and because I've looked for gray at other WAHM sites and not found it. Rachel suggested the delightful striped microfleece. The best part is the snaps, which are all mix-and-match colors that coordinate with the interior.

That's what the diaper looks like turned inside out. See the built-in microfiber layer on the inside of the pocket. The Flip'n'Fly has this layer AND a built-in insert. The FUSION has only the microfiber layer. Treated as an AIO, it is trim, with limited absorbency. If more absorbency is preferred, stick an insert into the pocket.

This is a more flexible diaper than the Flip'n'Fly, and more affordable (under $20 with shipping). For more absorbency, though, the FUSION will require assembly with a separate insert. Turnaround on this custom was blindingly fast (faster than in-stock shipping at plenty of places). I'll let you know more after we get to try it on a baby bigger than Evelyn's doll.

Mudpie Babies

2007-09-11T22:09:00.000-05:00

Here's my custom order from Mudpie Babies, one fitted diaper and two covers. (I wanted an AIO or two, but their AIOs have snap-in soakers, so they're disqualified. Tiffani didn't have time at the moment to customize the pattern for me. It's always worth asking.) My favorite is a small side-snap cover in the most awesome diaper fabric I have ever seen: armadillos!

Somehow, my husband managed to snap the small cover onto her, after she pleaded. Evelyn chose the fabric for the fitted diaper: Dora the Explorer. Not gender neutral, but she loves it, so we can blame her for the baby wearing pink. The inner on this diaper is very nice, soft velour with two quick-dry soaker flaps, one sewn in the front and one in the back.

Note the matching snap sockets and hidden snap interiors.

The final item in this custom order is a medium side-aplix cover. Side aplix is an unusual arrangement; we'll see how we like it several months from now when the baby is in mediums. It'll probably confuse my husband. He picked out the alien embroidery.

These diapers are $16-$19 for a fitted, perfectly reasonable for the quality. Embroidery is by the number of stitches, more expensive than some. She offers a very wide selection of embroidery designs.

Stash Pics: medium

2007-09-10T15:58:00.000-05:00

Deep in Evelyn's closet, the larger diaper sizes are stored. (Her closet goes back under the attic stairs, and a dragon lurks at the end.) Here are photos of the two boxes of medium diapers, including also some one-size and some Size 1 of two-size systems.

Mostly size 1 fitteds: Fluffymail (6), Fly Baby AIO medium, Clothmopolitan (2), Cuddlebuns one-size, Righteous Baby FLAG

More fitteds: Muttaqin 3-step-rise one-size (2), Ecobaby one-size, Fluffymail size 1 (2), Fussybutt, Clothmopolitan, Righteous Baby FLAG

AIOs and pockets: Blueberry one-size minky pocket, Righteous Baby shell set, Snap-EZ pocket, bumGenius one-size pocket, Clothmopolitan "sweetie pie" AIO, Muttaqin 3-step-rise one-size AIO

The first row is medium fitteds: Simon's Custom Cloth, Tykie, Little Beetle size 2, Hillbilly Bunny, Firefly (2), unknown, Cherry Bomb Baby
The second row is medium AIOs and AI2s: Fuzzi Bunz, Valor Kids, Lucy's Hope Chest, unknown, Sugarbums (2), Full Moon Baby Gear

Mostly covers: Sugar Peas, unknown (4), Imse Vimse, Simons Custom Cloth fitted, Tykie fitted, Little Beetle wool soaker shorts, Valor Kids wool pants, Fuzbaby "kiwi" wool AI2.

Not pictured are a few more wool covers (Righteous Baby shell set, Wooly Wonder from Flutterby Baby). Also not pictured are the diapers received since then, such as the Very Baby AIOs described below.

Very Baby

2007-09-08T16:01:00.000-05:00

Today, Evelyn assisted in the diaper photography. Pictured are some embroidered Very Baby AIOs. Five were laid out; three made it into the photograph. Later, she modeled some of the diapers. Her baby doll helped with the small ones.

Very Baby AIOs are made by multiple WAHMs who license the pattern. One of the best is Sunshine at Flutterby Baby. For this beautiful selection of fluff, I snagged a custom order slot for four diapers, and an in-stock Sock Monkey AIO, from the Flutterby Baby store at HyenaCart. These AIOs have aplix closure with a crossover tab.

Flutterby Baby offers a choice of soaker styles, and all diapers come with doublers. The basic soaker is internal, made of birdseye. An alternative is a quick-dry soaker of hemp or birdseye, sewn in at the back, and this can be topped with velour or microfleece. Generally, I prefer internal soakers, although the quick-dry soakers are handy for sticking the doublers under.

Before Evelyn was born, I bought her a Very Baby AIO in size XS. She may have worn it once, but she was born too big for it. A small newborn would fit delightfully in it. For comparison, four sizes of Very Baby are photographed: extra small, small, medium, and medium-long. For scale, the Baby Bjorn Little Potty is visible. (Everybody has one of those, right?) Purple is extra-small; Sock Monkey (yellow) and Flying Dragon (turquoise) are small; Biohazard (black) is a medium; and Armadillo (sage) and Phoenix (seaspray) are medium-long. At 2, Evelyn fits into the medium-longs pretty well, with the waist about as wide as it goes. She can technically wear the medium, even backwards, as she insisted on posing in the biohazard diaper.

These diapers have a reputation for fitting well and not leaking. They're very easy to use; Evelyn diapered the doll herself. They're priced reasonably, at $14 - $18 (depending on size) plus up to $5 for soaker options. FlutterbyBaby's embroidery prices are very reasonable; most designs are $7. The options listed on her site seem limited, but that doesn't matter - I asked for something special (armadillo), and Sunshine found a great design for me. She also pointed me to two different embroidery design sites and gave me the option of everything there that would fit on the back of a diaper. I found Biohazard on one and Phoenix on another. I expect these to have good resale value someday, since they're a well-regarded brand, by a well-regarded WAHM, and unique.

Stash Pics: newborn and S

2007-09-07T11:21:00.000-05:00

Here's the status of the itty-bitty-baby diaper stash so far. These are all newborn or small size, except the SOS which are one-size. The top drawer of the changing table holds fitteds and covers, and the bottom drawer holds AIOs.

Including fitteds: SOS (5), Little Beetle, Firefly, unknown WAHM, Panda Pants, Rousers Trousers (2), Sugar Peas, Tykie, GMAR, Bijou Baby Gear, Kissaluvs (3), Hidden Pearl Creations, Lucy's Hope Chest, Righteous Baby FLAMs (2), Muttaqin (2) , Kindhearted Women.
Covers: Imse Vimse, Stacinator fleece, BSWW, Valor Kids, Muttaqin one-size.

Missing from this picture are the newborn wool covers: Bijou Baby Gear, Righteous Baby, Warm Heart Woolies, Aristocrat, Stacinator, Fussybutt (a medium that was washed into an XXS)

AIOs, AI2s, and pockets: Very Baby by FlutterbyBaby (XS and S), Berry Plush, Blueberry, BumGenius (XS and S), Chunky Monkey, Fly Baby (2), Tail Feathers Diapers, Panda Pants, Sugar Peas, Snoogie Snaps (2), Muttaqin, GAD, SugarBums, FCB

Anybody want a review of a particular one?

SOS

2007-09-06T12:25:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite newborn dipes on Evelyn was a one-size fitted diaper. Most one-size diapers do not fit newborns well, but these do. (She was a fairly large newborn, 8lb 11 oz.) These fit her all the way through the fast-growth infant stage, which was great. As other diapers made their way into the drawer and quickly out again, outgrown, this one stayed around. Once her size stabilized, we found side-snap diapers fit better, but for that quick growth stage, this was a favorite.

SOS stands for Suzie's One Size, from Christensen Creations. These are a two-step-rise one-size diaper.

Here, the top diaper is at the largest setting, and the bottom diaper is at the smallest setting. The top diaper has been washed, while the bottom one has not. SOS diapers tend to come in fancy prints, and it can be hard to find gender-neutral ones. They have internal soakers, and mine are lined with velour on the inner. This makes them soft and simple. Another great feature is the way that they snap together at the small setting, as illustrated below.

Here, the spotted diaper is open, and you can see how the front is folded down, then folded in and secured with snaps. This is SOS's trick for fitting smaller babies. I can do this fold-down-and-snap part when they come out of the wash, and then if someone else puts the diaper on her later, he is not confused by too many available snap sockets.

SOS have a good absorbency with a decent drying time, for an internal-soaker diaper. They can be ordered with a matching doubler for larger babies. Stockings are irregular, so you may have to check back several times to find one you like available. (Here's a shortcut to instock SOS diapers.) They aren't cheap either, at $24 with the organic velour inners. That's high for a fitted, but then, they'll fit through two or three sizes. It's that flexibility that makes them worth it.

Chunky Monkey: embroidery for the masses!

2007-09-05T06:24:00.000-05:00

Lucky me, lucky you: the camera is back!

A custom embroidered Chunky Monkey AIO + T-shirt set arrived today. Oh it is so cute! Since we don't know what name to put on it yet, it says "Surprise."

The AIO has a nice internal soaker and microfleece inner. Very simple, very easy, very all-in-one.

The closure is velcro, with a crossover. I love how the brand name is embroidered on the front.

This set is a custom order completed in less than two weeks -- fast! And most amazingly of all, the price was $27.50 for both pieces. This is by far the best price I've seen on an embroidered AIO: only $18.50! That's with a design and a name! Most AIOs sell for that much or more with no embroidery. And no wait!

Run over to Chunky Monkey Diapers and order yours. Her site is not the slickest, but at these prices, it doesn't need to be. Don't be afraid to choose an embroidery design from the site she references, embroiderydk. The selection is large, although poorly organized -- use the search. I can't imagine her prices will stay this low, and the wait list this short, for long.

No pictures today

2007-09-04T10:44:00.000-05:00

The digital camera is broken! It won't turn on! Tragedies, tragedies. This means all the beautiful diapers I've been waiting on are going to arrive tonight, when I won't be able to take any pictures.

Yesterday some Little Beetles arrived from Better For Babies. That is one of my favorite sites to order from.

Among them are some darling wool panties for Evelyn. They're orange with a Little Beetle ladybug logo on the front. The wool soaks up small leaks and keeps them off her skin. They're self-cleaning, requiring hand washing only every two weeks. They look darling on her! I tried to take a picture... argh.

Righteous Baby Fitteds

2007-08-31T11:47:00.000-05:00

Righteous Baby fitted diapers are called FLAGs and FLAMs. FLAG is for "Fits Like A Glove," and they come in two sizes. FLAMs are newborn diapers; they "Fit Like A Mitten." Here are my new FLAMs:

Oh, look at that cute appliqué on the butt! You can tell these haven't been washed yet, because the edge of the appliqué will fray after washing. That's intentional. The purple one is a little girly, but I couldn't resist it. These newborn fitteds are attractively priced at $13.50, when you're lucky enough to find them in stock.

Here, one is snapped at the smallest setting, and the other at the largest setting. FLAMs are front-snap with just one snap on each wing. The inside of this diaper is bamboo fleece with bamboo velour on the quick-dry soaker, sewn in at the front.

The larger sizes, FLAGs, are side-snap fitteds. They have two rows of snaps, the bottom row with three sockets and the top row with four. This makes for a better fit than two even rows. Pictured is a new Size 1 FLAG, snapped to the largest setting. The soaker style is the same as the FLAMs'.

I like Righteous Baby diapers; the fitteds are well made and have no assembly required. What I really love are the shell sets, though. I'll post about those another time. If you're interested in these diapers, check her home page to see whether she's currently accepting custom orders.

Muttaqin Baby

2007-08-29T19:34:00.000-05:00

These are Muttaqin Baby newborn fitted diapers. They're highly regarded, and it is easy to see why. They're small and snuggly, with umbilical snapdowns (to prevent the diaper from rubbing the umbilical stump) for the newest babies. They also have a two-step adjustable rise, so they'll fit the baby through a range of growth. The two-step rise is implemented with two rows of snap sockets; you can use either one. The above photo shows one snapped at the smallest setting, with the umbilical snapdown activated, and another at the largest setting.

This newborn diaper closes with only one snap on either side. Larger diapers use two snaps on each side. Here are two Muttaqin one-size diapers, with a three-step rise. One is at the smallest setting, and another at the largest setting. Talk about a big range of fit!

This photo shows how, when the diaper is at its smallest setting, the top two rows of snaps are folded in to make a shorter diaper.

All my Muttaqin fitteds have internal soakers, with soft velour inners. Most Muttaqin fitteds above newborn size these days have trifold snap-in soakers instead, making for a faster drying time. I don't like those because they require assembly. We have a three-step-rise AIO with the trifold snap-in soaker, and it's too much trouble.

Muttaqin diapers are popular and sell out quickly, especially the newborn sizes. The snap sockets, as you can see, are all white. They'd be much prettier if they were colored to match the diaper, but with as many sockets as each diaper contains, that would be expensive.

Flip 'n' Fly

2007-08-27T19:06:00.001-05:00

The Flybaby Flip 'n' Fly AIO is my newest clever diaper to try. Check out the cow jumping over the moon diaper with matching T-shirt.

The diaper is a hybrid of a pocket and AIO: it's a pocket with the insert attached. Here's the interior:

The idea is that it turns itself inside out in the wash, so you don't have to pull the insert all the way out. Then when you're folding laundry, you turn it right-side out again. You don't have to look for an insert and stuff it in. However, you can add more absorbency if you like, just like a pocket. Here it is inside-out:

The sewn-in insert is thick enough that it seems unlikely I'd want to add more. It is microfiber on top of hemp. This pleases me; my favorite stuffing for a nighttime pocket diaper is a microfiber insert on top of a hemp doubler. The microfiber absorbs water faster than the hemp, while the hemp absorbs a large volume of water. There's a bonus layer of microfiber on the inside of the AIO, too. All this makes for a pretty thick diaper.

I'm impressed with this diaper, so I visited her store and found a few more in stock. I bought a small in yellow with transportation inner and a medium in brown with cow inner. These are adorable -- I love solid PUL outers with patterned microfleece inners. The solid PUL is more waterproof than most patterns, and the patterned inner give the diaper personality.

The small has three snaps in each row, and the medium has four. The medium looks like it will have an excellent range of fit. The snap sockets on "Cow jumping over the moon" are black to match the diaper, while the other two have white sockets. The snaps are hidden on the inside, so that the plastic does not touch baby's skin. That is common on a good diaper. The price on these is less friendly than on pocket diapers: $23 for the small and $24 for the medium, plus shipping.

After we use these for a few weeks, I'll let you know how they work for us. The price is a little high, but the design is impressive. I've also ordered a Tail Feathers Diapers FUSION diaper, which is the same idea of a pocket with sewn-in insert. That one was a little cheaper (under $20 with shipping), so we'll see whether it has the same attention to detail as the Flip 'n' Fly AIO.

Fluffymail Giraffes

2007-08-26T14:53:00.000-05:00

This is the new baby's first hyena fluff. It was purchased a few months ago, and the shirt has been worn by Evelyn (2) and her friend Nora (3). It's amazing the tiny clothes those girls can cram themselves into.

This is a Size 0 First Class Baby Traditional All-In-One from Fluffymail, embroidered with a giraffe, and paired with a matching embroidered T-shirt. Soooo cute. Fluffymail diapers are hyena, meaning that they typically sell out as soon as they are stocked.

The First Class Baby (FCB) diapers are side-snap. The traditional All-in-ones (AIOs) have a quick-dry soaker sewn in at the back. The inside is covered with velour. The outside is PUL. These have a reputation as a great-fitting diaper.

Here is a top-down view of the interior, with the snaps at their largest setting:

You can see the elastic at the front and back. You can also see that the snap sockets are all white, while the snap covers are yellow. I prefer when they're all colorful, but most diapers have white sockets.

This is a darling set that I paid way too much money for. Evelyn likes it, though, and the baby will look fantastic in it. The other day Evelyn and I were discussing how she'd help with the baby. "I will get a diaper," she offered. "The giraffe diaper."

What a baby needs

2007-08-24T14:04:00.000-05:00

Pregnant women often ask each other: "What do I really need to buy before baby comes?

Answer: a carseat.

Everything else is optional. Heck, if you're giving birth at home, you can even postpone buying the carseat.

This blog is dedicated to all that optional stuff, because so much of it is so darn useful... or so darn cute.