A Compendium of All Knowledge Related to the Rearing of Offspring

Things we love, vol. 2: diapering

If there is one thing in which I've become more fluent than I ever imagined or wanted, it is diapering. Yes, the gerund, because it goes way beyond mere diapers. The world of cloth diapers is strange, wonderful, creative, and offbeat. All with a veneer of green do-goodery. Just the way I like it.

First, a note about the myriad diaper styles out there (and you thought cloth diapering was all about big napkins and safety pins). We've used three basic styles. We started out with fitted diapers, because d.w. found a boatload of Mother-ease at a garage sale for like 40 bucks:

They are made of either cotton or hemp (hemp holds more, so it gets a big thumbs-up from me) and require a diaper cover. Most diaper covers are waterproof PUL, but I prefer wool. Yes, wool. Surprisingly, it doesn't wick urine. Even more surprisingly, it doesn't smell. Well, that's not entirely true. You know it's time to for a change when the baby smells like a wet sheep. Pretty good system. By far, my favorite is the Wallypop cover, which is very trim, well made, and (for us) local:

Most of the diapers we've used (and pretty much all the ones we've really liked) have been pocket diapers, which add a bit of convenience because you don't have to wrestle a separate cover onto a wiggly baby. A second saved is a second earned. You just slide an absorbent insert in between the outer and inner layers of fabric, and you're ready to go. Inserts are most commonly made from microfiber, but again I'm partial to hemp because it is crazy absorbent and a lot less bulky. We use these ones.

And let me tell you, the variety of pocket diapers is astonishing.

Animal prints? Hell yeah.

Here, and I never thought I would ever say this, are the diapers I really like. These aren't even all the ones I've used...just the ones I like best. Yeah. And please forgive some of the ridiculous names. I don't get it either.

Green Acre Designs. These are the current faves at chez zygote. They come in awesome colors, they're well made, and most importantly they only have two snaps on each side. That's 33% fewer snaps, for a 33% reduction in stress at diaper change time. Chins just got a fleece one, and it's pretty awesome. You know, for a urine receptacle.

Preston's Pants. I love these, but maybe it's because the one we have has frogs embroidered on the bum. Oh, and it's minky. Who wouldn't want minky underpants? Seriously, this kid is living large. And she does a lot of custom made and embroidered ones, which infinitely expands the possibilities. But no, they aren't actually THAT waterproof:

Baby Kangas. These are among my favorites for one reason: unlike every single other diaper I have seen (and I've seen more than I would ever like to admit), the "pocket" is in the front, and it has a zipper on it. Why is that a big deal, you ask? One word: blowout. That's right, no more shit-smeared hands when you go to remove the insert after an...episode. Brilliant. Why has no one else figured this out again? Chins' favorite when he sits down in the evening with a little Henry James:

Wallypop. Mentioned before for her awesome covers, mentioned again for her pocket diapers. Really trim, which is important with a beefily-thighed boy like ours.

Happy Hempys. We use these at night, because they are a pocket fitted diaper, meaning they use an insert and have a cover. No more puddles in the bed when I wake up in the morning. Hooray!

And lest you think diapering is just about the diapers, I haven't even gotten to all the diapering accoutrement: wipes, wipe solutions, sprayers, etc. But I'll leave all that for a future post. I think we have enough to digest (no pun intended) here already.

Things we love, vol. 1: babywearing

There are many, many, many benefits to babywearing, and I would be a fool to try to list them all here. But here is the big one for a lazy fella like me: it is often so much less of a pain in the ass than dragging around a stroller. A carrier, wrap, sling, or mei tai is smaller, lighter, and more maneuverable than any stroller out there, even compared to those $10 umbrella strollers that in my opinion are the best strollers you can buy. Actually, I think I'll think outside the babywearing box and add the one we have to the list below.

And in case you're wondering, we also use the stroller all the time because Chins loves it, even if some of the more militantly attached parents don't think he should. Fear not if your baby doesn't immediately take to being worn. Chins hated it until he was big enough to hold his head up and look around, because he's always hated being confined. Every kid is different, after all. But here is what has worked for us:

The Ergobaby carrier. We love this thing. Love it, love it, love it. It's much less intimidating than a wrap, but not so intensely constructed as a Baby Bjorn. It can be worn on the front or the back, by either d.w. or me. It barely needs to be adjusted between users, even though she is 5'4" and little, and I am 6'0" and not very little. It's a little bit of babywearing magic.

The Moby Wrap. We used this one a lot until Chins was 3 or 4 months old, when he got up to 15 pounds or so. After that, the mercifully stretchy material started working against us, and he would end up near your knees after awhile. The Moby is great for a newborn, because he and his floppy head stay nicely tucked in, where you can feel your heart melting for all the happy baby gurgles going on. It is, admittedly, really intimidating at first to get the wrapping just right, but it really does become second nature after a few times. Not something to worry about, in my experience.

The mei tai. A style of carrier, rather than a brand, consisting of a wide fabric panel with fabric straps at the corners for tying around the waist and shoulders. I really liked the one we used, although it was rotated out of service when we bought the Ergo (which is basically a mei tai with buckles). Mei tai's are great because they are straightforward, simply constructed, and easy to use. There are also a lot to choose from, made by a variety of small-scale operations. We bought ours locally in Des Moines from The Stork Wearhouse, and it was made by another local wahm, Sarah of Wallypop.

And finally, as promised:

The basic el cheapo umbrella stroller. Small, lightweight, maneuverable, and dirt cheap. It's the anti-travel-system, and that's what I love about it. When I don't feel like carrying around a 26-pound one-year-old, I just stick the boy in the stroller, stick the Ergo in the little hanging net on the back of the stroller, and away we go. And besides, he likes looking around at his world, you know?
 

the inaugural post

Welcome, one and all to the newest addition to the zygote daddy universe, A Compendium of All Knowledge Related to the Rearing of Offspring. This will serve as a resource for, well, all knowledge related to the rearing of offspring.

More specifically, it is a place for me to mention all those things that make parenthood easier, livelier, greener, and more enjoyable than it might be stuck in a cave, having to scavenge beetles for the little one.