Ironically, I am NOT Made in the USA

We have been getting lots of questions lately regarding which of our brands are Made in the USA. Almost all of them are with a few big exceptions.  The very popular Mother-ease, Aristocrat and Bummis diapers and covers are all made way up north in Canada.  Imse Vimse (fun fact: Imse Vimse means “Itty Bitty” in Swedish) is a Swedish brand and Snappis, like the amazing World Cup we all just witnessed, come from South Africa.

Here is a list of some of our absolute favorite diapers, covers and accessories proudly Made in the USA.

But I am!

All Together

Baby Kicks

Drybees

FussyButt

Happy Heinys

Happy Tushies

Kissaluvs

Leslie’s Boutique

Mommy’s Touch

Rocky Mountain

Sheepish Grins

Stacinator

Swaddlebees

Thirsties

Wahmarama

Wahmies

Am I the Tie That Binds?

I was all set to site down and write a blog post about swim diapers. After the “Poo in the Pool” fiasco of Memorial Day during which our local pool was closed for an hour, in 90 plus degree weather, due to an unfortunate disposable swim diaper that did not work, I was fired up and ready to write. Just buy a reusuable swim diaper. Imse Vimse are good. They work. They don’t inconvenience your neighbors. They are cheaper in the long run and better for the environment. Plus, they are cute! I had it all planned out. Then, I sat down and read the Sunday NYT Styles section…..

In the Sunday NYT section, tucked away behind an article on the gorgeous, classy Iman, the Gore’s marriage implosion, and the tall lady from Glee marrying a woman from my alma mater, was an article about a French Intellectual (their term, not mine) who opines that some of the tools of motherhood that I espouse, cloth diapers, breastfeeding, natural childbirth, are just chains that are keeping women from achieving their full potential. Elisabeth Badinter, as she outlines in Conflict: The Woman and the Mother (Le Conflit: la femme et la mere) believes that the advances of modern times, disposable diapers, the plastic (now BPA-free glass) bottle and epidurals which were designed to help free women and keep them independent and liberated are being discarded in favor of greener, more eco-friendly, and she would say, harder choices. Choices that are rolling back years of feminist advances in favor of a lifestyle that chains women to motherhood.

So, as you can see, not what I wanted to read on a happy, peaceful, Sunday morning. Mommy Wars a la Francais. Unlike the US based Mommy Wars which seem to focus mostly on the Working Mom vs. Stay at Home Mom dynamic, this was all about the movement toward a greener, cleaner lifestyle. She classifies the heightened eco-awareness amongst many of today’s moms (and dads!) as just a passing fad and one, that left unchecked, is going to derail decades of advances for women.

After I got over my initial anger and frustration at what I believe to be this woman’s limited point of view, I guess I understood a bit of what she was saying. Yes, women are making different choices than perhaps their mothers would have made. I can see how the women who blazed the trail for working women (moms or not) would be upset or frustrated that so many who follow are choosing different paths and perhaps not fully appreciating their struggles and sacrifices. But, isn’t this okay? Isnt the beauty of where we are in society that it is okay that we have a choice? Bottles might allow women to return to work sooner but breastfeeding is cheaper and easier for many (not all, as my own experience would attest). Cloth diapers are better for the environment and our pocket books. So many live their lives in a medicated state, isn’t it okay and rather cool that some (once again, not all, as my crash C-section would attest) choose to experience a major life event drug free and clear? Why are these things bad?

I do agree somewhat with one point she makes. That we, as a society, have idealized what the “perfect” mom does (cloth, breastfeed for 12 months or more, natural childbirth) and those who opt to not do these things or, even worse, try and cannot succeed in doing these things are left feeling like a failure. As if they did not check off all the “Good Mommy” boxes and are not as dedicated as the moms who do. So, what do you think? Are women who choose cloth and breastfeeding and natural childbirth rolling back decades of feminist advances? By making these choices are we reducing our freedom and limiting our professional options? Are the women who choose to not incorporate these elements into their parenting portfolio “Imperfect?” Or, in the end, is the “Perfect” mom one who loves her child and does the best she can in her own individual way taking into account her own, individual circumstances?

No BPA or toxins in me!

Interesting article article from the Environmental Working Group about BPA toxins and newborns. A recent study detected an astounding 287 toxic chemicals in newborn cord blood including mercury, fire retardants, pesticides and Teflon chemicals. Of these chemicals, 180 are known to cause cancer, 217 are toxic to brain and nervous systems and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal developments in animal tests. Experts believe rising rates of birth defects, asthma, neuro-developmental disorders and other serious diseases in U.S. children are resulting from these early chemical exposures.

BPA is one of the world’s highest production-volume chemicals and is widely used in the production of:
- Plastic water bottles
- Plastic gallon milk bottles
- Plastic microwavable plates, overware and utensils
- Tooth sealants
- Canned foods and soda cans
- Baby toys, bottles, pacifiers and sippy cups

So, what can you do? Mercola suggests the following:
- Buy and eat organic
- Eat wild-caught and not farm-raised fish
- Eat whole foods and not processed foods
- Use glass rather than plastic food storage containers
- Have your tap water tested and install a water filter if necessary
- Use natural cleaning products
- Use natural toiletry products. Northern Essence is one of our favorites for our kids.
- Avoid using artificial air fresheners, dryer sheets, fabric softeners
- Replace Teflon with ceramic or glass cookware
- Search out and use toxin-free alternatives in all aspects of your home and life (cloth diapers, reusable menstrual products, non-toxic paints and floor coverings.)
- Replace your vinyl shower curtain

Good luck making as many of these changes as possible. Every little bit helps in keeping you and your family healthy.

Another Top 5 List!  I LOVE them.  This one will be all about Accessories.  There are so many options with cloth diapers and everyone has their own thoughts on what you MUST have and what you can do without. This is my list of my favorite accessories.

Northern Essence Diaper Rash Salve

Northern Essence Diaper Rash Salve

I LOVE this stuff.  So do all of my customers. I often have customers buy 5 or 6 tubes of Diaper Salve at once.  This wonderful product from one of our favorite WAHM companies, Northern Essence, is simply out of this world.  The Diaper Salves contain only all natural ingredients and no petroleum or lanolin to clog up cloth diapers.  They come in both sensitive skin as well as normal formula.  I especially love that it comes in both a twist up tube as well as a tub.  I loved tossing a small tube in my diaper bag to have for when we were on the move and kept a tub at home next to the changing table.  This is a simply wonderful product.  LOVE it!

Snappi

Where would I be without my Snappis? They are simply ingenious.  In my newborn diaper days I used a lot of prefolds.  I had skinny tiny little children and simply nothing else would work but a carefully folded (I often joke that I was an Origami Master in those days) prefold attached with a Snappi.  I tried pins at first during the super early newborn days.   However, I kept getting stuck with the pin or I couldn’t find them at 3am and I heard about Snappis and tried them and have never looked back.  They are these

Snappis

great little rubber “T” shaped fasteners with grips on each of the three ends.  The grips attach to the loose weave of a prefold or terry diaper and it is all so very, very easy.  The best part is that they come in a rainbow of colors and are so inexpensive that you can load up on each one and color coordinate with your covers.

Wool Buddies

I use a lot of wool.  I found that wool covers worked best for overnights with my kids.  We also live in Minnesota so we wear a ton of wool as well for a huge portion of the year.  Sweater, socks, scarves, mittens….Wool buddies are these terrific scented little balls of goodness that lanolize my wool.  I used to use them only for my covers but now that my kids are growing and becoming more active outdoors in the winter months, I use them on hats, sweaters and mittens as well.  All I have to do is plop one of  in a sink full of luke warm water. Once it disolves, I soak my wool items and let it lanolize! This is the easiest way to get your wool waterproof.  With three very active little boys, I need easy.

Imse Vimse Liners

I like to travel.  To the store, to the park, to the cabin, to China.  I need to get out and go!  We are bringing up our children to share our wunderlust as well.  Not wanting to stop CDing while we are off on our adventures (hey, going to Target with three toddlers IS an adventure), we often turn to Imse Vimse liners.  These flushable liners can be used between the diaper and the baby’s skin, letting moisture pass through to the diaper while preventing solids to soak into the diaper, which will take the mess out of washing your cloth diapers. Just flush away the mess, and spend more time with your baby instead of finding a laundromat at the beach. These bio-degradable flushable liners are an all natural paper product; they are unbleached and biodegradable which I love.  I have spoken to some moms who also use IV liners when they need to use diaper rash cream on their child.  Some creams can mess with the absorbency of the diaper.  With the liner, that is no longer a concern as it provides a useful barrier.

Northern Essence Foaming Wipe Solution

Foaming Wipes Solution from Northern Essence

Another Northern Essence product.  What can I say, I am hooked.  They really are THAT good.  The foaming wipes solution is an all natural, gentle solution to clean up a baby during diaper changes.  It comes in large bottles for the changing table and a smaller on the go bottle for the diaper bag.  Similar to the Diaper Salve it comes in both normal formula and Tea Tree Oil/Lavender-free for those kids with more sensitive skin.  Wonderul stuff.

So, that is my list.  What are your favorite Cloth Diaper Accessories?

Thirsties Cover

Thirsties Duo Wrap in Mango

The Thirsties cover is a modern day classic.  Simple, economical, sturdy and reliable.  It comes it dozens of wonderful colors and just doesn’t fail.  They are very easy to care for and just go on forever.  They work with all the different types of diapers in my stash…flats, prefolds, fitteds. Now, with the new Duo-Wrap by Thirsties they are an even better deal.  The adjustable rise allows the diapers to stay in rotation twice as long.  Your baby will not grow out of these for a ages.

Aristocrats

Aristocrat Wool Cover

What can you say about the Aristocrat Wool Cover other than it is the gold standard of wool covers.  I is the perfect natural fiber for diaper covers.  It is anti-microbial, breathable and absorbs up to 1/3 of its weight in liquid before it begins to feel wet.  Properly lanolized, this cover just does not leak.  Wonderful for overnights, an Aristocrat is also terrific for daytime.  Want to a add a bit of whimsy to your cover?  Dye it.  Kool-Aid is my preferred type of dye but any will do.  The Aristo must be part of every cloth diapering parent’s stash.  A tad more expensive, certainly, but well worth every penny.

The Imse Vimse Wool Cover

Imse Vimse Wool Cover

I love the entire Imse Vimse line.  Premium diapers materials coupled with excellent craftsmanship make this Swedish line one of my all time favorites.  The Imse Vimse wool cover gives all the protection of wool but in a wrap format.  A hybrid of the Aristo and Thirsties in many ways.  Wonderful leak proof protection, breathable, simple to get on and off.  A perfect cover.

The Mother-ease Cover

Mother-ease Air Flow Cover

The Air-Flow Snap Cover is a wonderful product by Mother-ease, a name we already associate with high-quality cloth diapers.  The Air-Flow has a marvelous system of snaps that allows for air ventilation keeping the temperature down and reducing the risk of bacteria build up in the cover.  When coupled with a Mother-ease one size or Sandy diaper, this provides a leak-proof diapering system.  I especially love the new Eco-themed prints.

The Kozy Wool Soaker

Kozy Designs Wool Soaker

I love my Kozy Wool Soakers.  They are fun, vibrantly colored wool covers that do not sacrifice absorbency despite their cute styles.  They come in a range of sizes from soakers, to shorties to longies.  Hand knit out of 100% Merino wool, these are wonderful day time wool covers for your baby.

Jungle print trainer...Imse Vimse

We have been having a lot of conversations about cloth training pants lately.  So many of our customers and friends have been taking advantage of  the warm days of summer to work on potty learning for their children.  In our conversations, it has become clear that there really isn’t a one size fits all approach to cloth trainers.  It is our opinion that there are two types of training pants.  The first is for the potty learning child and provide a little bit extra in terms of protection than underwear but are nowhere close to being diapers.  We believe there is another category which are more similar to the Pull Ups used in the disposable world.  These training pants are much more similar to diapers in terms of their absorbency and are great for children with special needs or for overnights on children who have potty trained during the daytime hours.   We believe these different products serve two related, but separate, purposes and can’t really be easily exchanged one for the other.

Imse Vimse makes a excellent training pant that is firmly in the first category.  I LOVE the Imse Vimse pant (but then again, I LOVE everything Imse Vimse…it is just an extremely well-made brand).  They are made with three layers of very absorbent terry and one layer of PUL.  This combo makes them very absorbent when small accidents happen.  The Imse Vimse trainers do allow the child to feel wetness.  They do NOT wick away the moisture.  Allowing a child to feel wetness aids in potty learning as the child feels a bit of discomfort and therefore knows to go to the bathroom.  They are ALL organic and come in just terrific patterns such as jungle and farm animal.  I especially like the fact that they have multiple size options.  One of my twins was long and skinny and the other was tall and “robust.”  The different size options allowed me to find the perfect size for my child.  The fit was trim, just like real underwear, and worked great under their clothes.  I just feel these are excellent training pants for the daytime potty learner.

Adam at the Lake

I am a disposable diaper user. For many reasons, it is what works best for our family. So, being accustomed to buying the Little Swimmers Disposable Swim Diapers, I was a tad unsure about trying out the Imse Vimse reusable swim diaper. Those fears are gone. The Imse Vimse rocks (plus, it is fun to say). The diaper has snug fitting leg holes which means nothing gets out. Much safer for the swimming pool this way. We don’t have to be the one that closes the pool for flash chlorination due to a escaped “floater.” In fact, our local swimming pool now requires the reusable swim diapers as the disposable kind just are not doing the job. The diaper does not puff up like the Stay Puff Marshmallow guy once my son entered the water giving him a “Bubble Butt.” It stayed sleek and trim throughout his swimming time. We swim a lot in the lakes around our home and it was very easy to rinse the sand right out of this diaper. It dries in a flash so it could be reused again the same day after our son napped. The super cute print eliminated the need for an additional bathing suit on top of the diaper. Finally, the cost can’t be beat. One diaper cost about $13 and can be used throughout the summer. Each little swimmer costs about $.75 and they can’t be reused. I made up the cost of this diaper over one long weekend at the cabin.