GIVEAWAYS! WIN some Modern Nappies in September

Modern Cloth Nappy Giveaways are a great way to plump your stash in a budget friendly way as you spread the word about environmentally friendly nappies!

Be in the loop for current giveaways!

This is a monthly post that will pop up where you can let others know about current giveaways – as it is nice to share the cloth love around. Karma and all that, if you don’t win, the next best person to win is your friend, and by sharing them around, even more cloth nappy competitions will pop up!

In the comments section below you will see replies about currently open contests, giveaways and lucky draws in which you have the opportunity to WIN a modern cloth nappy!

Visit the site for all the entry details, and good luck!

Here at My Green Nappy, we support modern cloth nappy retailers by a couple of regular giveaways – the 100 Green Promise Nappies Initiative (a seasonal giveaway starting this winter) and by the Green Nappy Kits – a giveaway that relates to participation around My Green Nappy – most posts have a question – answer it, you may be qualifying for a new cloth nappy at the same time!

Pocket Nappies: What Does This mean?

In Search of the Best Cloth Nappies: Pocket Nappies

A pocket nappy – the goal of this article is to clarify for you what the term ‘pocket’ nappy means, and to introduce you to some of the cloth nappy shops who offer these adjustable and quick drying pocket nappies.

These nappy retailers and nappy makers have been asked to describe the pocket nappy for you in their own way, depending on the time thay had available to contribute when I asked; you’ll see quick, concise definitions as well as detailed explanations that reveal more about the composition of the nappy fabrics, materials and designs. I am certain you will discover everything you need to know about them in their brief or detailed descriptions – I did! Once you know, pop over and look at their pocket nappies with your enhanced understanding of the features and benefits of the pocket nappy.

Your Nappy Doula’s explain Pocket Nappies for you in a variety of ways…

Kyra from Bubbalooba:

Pocket nappies have a removable absorbent insert, which helps the nappy dry a lot faster! They do require a tiny bit of extra work, as you need to stuff the nappies after every wash, and remove the insert before washing, but these are my preferred nappy just for the quick drying time.

Rebecca from Bean Sprout Bubba:

An outer waterproof shell sewn to an inner stay-dry liner, with an opening (pocket!) in the front or back of the nappy to slip in some absorbent fabric (insert)

Lara from Extremely Nappies:

Pocket nappies are the best: they tick all the boxes. I won’t use anything else! All I make at Extremely Nappies is pocket nappies. They go on as easy as disposables, as they are the same shape and they fasten with top quality velcro. They have a staydry inner that goes against baby’s bum, so fluids pass through into the middle. In the pocket there are removable absorbent inserts which come out for washing and therefore dry much, much faster than if they were sewn in. On the outside is a layer of breathable, waterproof material, to keep baby’s clothes dry. It’s covered with a funky cotton print so they look good!

I use 2 types of material for absorbent boosters (or inserts): microfiber and bamboo (or hemp). This is a popular combination, here’s why: microfiber soaks up fast, like a sponge, holding 7 times its weight in water, but just as if you sat on a sponge, the water would squeeze out. So it needs another material to hold that water, to lock it in, so to speak. Hemp and bamboo absorb 3 times their weight in water, and don’t release it under compression. They are much trimmer than cotton, so baby’s nappy isn’t too bulky, and they’re environmentally friendly crops, grown without chemicals. They are also anti bacterial and anti fungal. How cool is that?

The legs are elasticised to contain any mess, yet covered with soft microfleece or suedecloth to protect baby’s skin. The velcro ensures the nappies go easy on, easy off, and Extremely Nappies have laundering tabs that let you fold the velcro securely shut, so it won’t snag in the wash. They are also double sided, meaning the velcro tabs can cross over, to fit really tiny waists. The pocket is simply an opening at the back, where you insert the boosters into the shell (stuff the nappy). This is a major design advantage, because you can choose how much absorbency to use. For overnight or older toddlers with big bladders, you can add an extra booster (or any soaking material you like). The great thing about removable boosters is that the nappy dries in 3 parts, which takes several hours, instead of several days.

Extremely Nappies are also One Size Fits All, because if you invest in nappies they should fit to toilet training, without you having to buy bigger ones later. Some pocket nappies have snaps to change adjust “rise” – I found snaps an annoyance on other nappies, so always left them undone (on the biggest setting) and they worked just fine on a newborn. So I designed these without snaps, and they fit from 3.5 kg to 15 kgs- they’ll just look a bit bigger on a tiny baby than a toddler.

Nicole from Krap Katchers:

Pocket Nappies are just that, pockets! You can truly customize the nappy to suit your baby’s needs by stuffing the pocket with however many absorbent inserts desired. Pocket Nappies are also extremely quick drying as you can pull them completely apart and have them ready to go again in no time!

Now you know exactly what a pocket nappy is and the best features and benefits of this style of modern nappies.

To summarise this series of articles about the meaning of the various nappy styles, Amy of WeePantz clarifies the main components of modern nappies, to reassure you that it is actually easy to choose the nappy style that suits your lifestyle, baby and budget:

Essentially, all nappies are comprised of similar components, remembering this helps us to not get confused when looking at new brands or styles of nappies.

The main components of a nappy are:

1. Absorbency (whether it be sewn in on an AIO, Stuffed in a pocket or the entire nappy in a fitted or a flat or a prefold)

2. Waterproofing (covers, PUL layers, woollen soakers etc)

3. Stay Dry Layer (flushable or washable liners, or the microfleece/suedecloth layer in a nappy)

4. Fastening (Velcro, snappis and snaps)

When we remember that, I think its easy to figure out what a nappy needs to have in it, and how we want our nappy system to work. For example if you want it all in one you get an AIO, if you don’t mind attaching stuff, then you can look into other options like pockets, AI2’s, fitteds etc. A parent can decide what is right for them rather than being confused by all the options available.

Thank you to My Green Nappy’s Sponsoring Partners:

The Flash Player and a browser with Javascript support are needed..

If you are just visiting for the first time today, and have found something new in this article, be sure to register & receive My Green Nappy Guide, you’ll be both relieved and excited at the things you will discover!

A question to you about pocket nappies:

Which brands of pocket nappies do you have in your stash?

What do you prefer about pocket nappies?

Have you heard about the Toddler Interpreter?

Do you need a Toddler Interpreter?

Does your tot get frustrated about communicating? Tanties beginning? Perhaps you want to help them to communicate as soon as possible so you can feed that growing mind? Make a connection; feel that thrill of non verbal communication… What if you had simple signs and gestures for safety situations?

Hot! Stop! Gentle!

The Toddler Interpreter is a resource you can explore:

Click to find out more about the Toddler Interpreter resources...

Baby Sign Language

Simple Baby Sign Language can help your baby tell you what they want and when they want it.

Baby Sign Language provides a way for your baby to communicate instead of crying…

Baby Sign Language helps to reduce the frustration of those pre-verbal years – for both you and your baby…

Download your Free Baby Sign Language Chart and get started today!

No prior experience with Sign Language required.

Toddler Interpreter® Baby Sign Language is specifically for 6 to 30 month old babies.

Free Cloth Nappy Information Session in Frankston, Victoria

Darlings Downunder hold regular Cloth Nappy Info Sessions around Melbourne to help people learn a little bit more about cloth, feel more confident in their decisions and grab some bargains too!

Info sessions are FREE and absolutely casual – turn up when it suits you, ask all the questions you like, and then explore, touch and see a huge range of cloth nappies in real life!

The next session is on Saturday 25 September between 10am – 1pm in FRANKSTON at Southern Lights Church Hall, 20 McCormicks Rd, Skye, Frankston.

For further information visit www.darlingsdownunder.com.au or email Fiona and Catherine at admin@darlingsdownunder.com.au.

Nighttime Nappies: What Does This Mean?

In search of the best “Nitey Nite” Nappy!

Nighttime Nappies – the goal of this article is to clarify for you what you need to know about night time nappies, without any doubt, and to introduce you to some of the cloth nappy shops who offer reusable cloth night nappies.

Your Nappy Doula’s explain Reusable Night Nappies for you in a variety of ways…

Rebecca from Bean Sprout Bubba:

A specialised super-absorbent nappy designed for night time use, mainly for babies who sleep through the night, or for big wetters where regular nappies would not have enough absorbency to last the night. These are usually in the fitted nappy style which requires a separate cover (usually wool or fleece) over it, but there are a few nappy makers who make them as all in ones or as pocket nappies.

Lara from Extremely Nappies:

Night Nappies are nappies that can hold 13 hours of wetness. Extremely Nappies are pocket nappies with a waterproof outer shell, so you can customise the absorbency for day or night. They don’t require a cover. As nighttime nappies, they are sold in plain colours with 3 inserts. I use 3 types of material for absorbent boosters (or inserts): microfiber and bamboo (or hemp). This is a popular combination because microfiber soaks up fast, like a sponge, holding 7 times its weight in water, but just as if you sat on a sponge, the water would squeeze out. So it needs another material to hold that water, to lock it in, so to speak. Hemp and bamboo absorb 3 times their weight in water, and don’t release it under compression. Put them together with microfiber, and you have a very absorbent nappy that holds in the fluid despite the pressure of a sleeping child. Hemp and bamboo are also much trimmer than cotton, so baby’s nappy isn’t too bulky, and they’re environmentally friendly crops, grown without chemicals. They are also anti bacterial and anti fungal.

Extremely Nappies have enough room inside the pocket to stuff A LOT of absorbent material, so you can always add more if the need arises. You could buy extra boosters (at $4 each), or stuff the nappies with anything else you like (old hand towels, for instance). The boosters in Extremely Nappies are made for optimal absorbency and faster drying: the thirsty microfiber folds to a pad of 4 layers (and unfolds for fast drying). The bamboo boosters are thick 420gsm fleece in 2 layers, sized to fit the wet zone. The hemp boosters are longer than bamboo, folding to 4 layers, unfolding for fast drying. Using all 3, your cloth night nappy would have a total of 10 layers of absorbent material, working together to suck up wetness and lock it in behind the waterproof PUL. The versatility of a pocket nappy means you can use these night nappies in the day with just 2 boosters, and they’ll be trim fitting.

The legs are elasticised to contain any mess, yet covered with soft microfleece or suedecloth to protect baby’s skin. The velcro ensures the nappies go easy on, easy off, and Extremely Nappies have laundering tabs that let you fold the velcro securely shut, so it won’t snag in the wash. They are also double sided, meaning the velcro tabs can cross over, to fit really tiny waists. Extremely Nappies are also One Size Fits All, because if you invest in nappies they should fit to toilet training, without you having to buy bigger ones later. They fit from 3.5 kg to 15 kgs- they’ll just look a bit bigger on a tiny baby than a toddler.

Nicole of Krap Katchers:

Nighttime nappies designed especially to cater for the longer wear time and to avoid compression leaks that sleep time brings. They also prevent you from having to wash your babies sheets everyday as night nappies last the whole night, not just a couple of hours!

Now you know exactly what a cloth nighttime nappy is and the best features and benefits of this style of modern nappies.

To summarise this series of articles about the meaning of the various nappy styles, Amy of WeePantz clarifies the main components of modern nappies, to reassure you that it is actually easy to choose the nappy style that suits your lifestyle, baby and budget:

Essentially, all nappies are comprised of similar components, remembering this helps us to not get confused when looking at new brands or styles of nappies.

The main components of a nappy are:

1. Absorbency (whether it be sewn in on an AIO, Stuffed in a pocket or the entire nappy in a fitted or a flat or a prefold)

2. Waterproofing (covers, PUL layers, woollen soakers etc)

3. Stay Dry Layer (flushable or washable liners, or the microfleece/suedecloth layer in a nappy)

4. Fastening (Velcro, snappis and snaps)

When we remember that, I think its easy to figure out what a nappy needs to have in it, and how we want our nappy system to work. For example if you want it all in one you get an AIO, if you don’t mind attaching stuff, then you can look into other options like pockets, AI2’s, fitteds etc. A parent can decide what is right for them rather than being confused by all the options available.

Thank you to My Green Nappy’s Sponsoring Partners:

The Flash Player and a browser with Javascript support are needed..

If you are just visiting for the first time today, and have found something new in this article, be sure to register & receive My Green Nappy Guide, you’ll be both relieved and excited at the things you will discover!

A question to you about your search for the best Nighty Nite Nappy:

Which brands of nighttime nappies are the BEST cloth night nappies?

What features or materials do you prefer in cloth night nappies?

Modern Cloth Mini Trend #8: Nappy Cakes!

Nappy Cakes are the yummiest cakes you will never eat – but you can devour them with your eyes in this Modern Cloth Mini Trend!

I’ve been collecting nappy cake images for a while now to show you a wide range of nappy cake styles and makers. These are popular gifts for baby showers and new arrival gifts. They combine cloth or (often) disposable nappies with other useful or pretty baby items as an attractive and eye-catching gift idea.

You’ll find nappy cakes come in ‘tiers’ of one, two, three or four, all presented prettily, even made personal with baby’s name.

Let’s have a look at a range of baby cakes; the images will take you to the online shop where they or a similar nappy cake is available.

 

- MODERN CLOTH MINI TRENDS -
What’s popular, fashionable and trending in the world of modern cloth? Modern Cloth Mini Trends regularly explores a different area. You’ll see One-Of-A-Kind (IOAK) ‘Show off’ nappies, workhorse and stash filler nappies. Plus you’ll see other types of modern cloth – for a visual overview of Aussie and Kiwi WAHM’s.
See More Modern Cloth Mini Trends…

A question for you about these Beautiful Nappy Cakes:

What would you like to receive in a nappy cake?

Greenwashing Alert! Deceptively Disposable Nappies?

“Disposable Nappies” – as we know, they aren’t – they sit around in landfill for decades, and more.

What is greenwashing, and does it get applied to disposable nappies?

In a society that’s increasingly aware of its own negative impact on the natural world, it’s no surprise corporations compete for consumer approval by promoting themselves as environmentally friendly or green. Such promotions might be as simple as sprinkling product packaging with leafy logos or as involved as publicizing investments in emerging technologies. Organizations spend billions of dollars each year in an attempt to convince consumers that their operations have a minimal impact on the environment. But can you believe the claims? How much environmental marketing is simply greenwashing?

For today’s topic we’ve asked our Nappy WAHM’s about the perceptions of the general public when it comes to disposable nappies and the green movement. “Green washing” is alive and well, and the myths quickly permeate general knowledge, but are often just a case of creative advertising and clever marketing, not environmental care at all…

I’m pleased to have contributions from many friends of My Green Nappy included in this article. We have Emma from Brindabella Baby, Melinda from Avanappy, Mel from Little Para Pants, Louise from Scamps Boutique, Eva from Oz Baby Trends, Inge from Earth Kidz, Cassandra from New Age Nappies, Annette from Iish Fly, Michelle from Issy Bear Nappies, Alisha from Baby Safari, Cindy from Ticklefish Tots, Ashley from Cheeky Creations, Carli from MiniLaLa, Tracey from Flattery, Bec from Baby Chilli,  Julie from Cloth For Comfort, Chris from Baby Bullfrogs, Kate from Nappy Days, Michelle from Sustainable Hemp Products, and Karen from Baby Blossom.

Greenwashing as a term was originally related to a hotel chain that made claims about being eco-friendly in the way their towels were washed, yet it was found to be nothing more than a promotional ploy!  According to Wikipaedia:

The term is generally used when significantly more money or time has been spent advertising being green (that is, operating with consideration for the environment), rather than spending resources on environmentally sound practices.

Let’s see what they have to say:

“What’s 1 aspect of using disposable nappies that you find is often ‘green washed’ in the minds of the general public?”

Emma of Brindabella Baby:

“It’s OK because they make biodegradable disposables now.” Green wash – most people don’t use biodegradables. Of those who do, most use the ones readily available in supermarkets that are only 70% biodegradable – so there’s still a large quantity of nappy not breaking down in landfill. And even if you use a 100% biodegradable nappy, it won’t break down in landfill if it’s in a non-biodegradable plastic bag.

Melinda of Avanappy:

The chemical makeup of the absorbency layers.

I keep hearing about the study that found cloth nappies use more water than disposables.  I think the study was assuming that you’re always washing your full stash at the same time.  I don’t know about anyone else, but the only time that’s ever happened here was before my son was born and he wasn’t wearing any yet!

Eva of Oz Baby Trends:

Eco Disposable brands. They still take a long time break down and only then under the right conditions. No matter how eco-friendly they might be (compared to normal disposables), they are still contributing to our disposable culture.

Inge of Earth Kidz:

That they are breathable. Duh, try putting plastic underwear on yourself!

Cassandra of New Age Nappies:

No worse than cloth re water use etc.

Annette of Iish Fly:

That using disposable saves on water in Australia’s arid environment. I find a baby in nappies tends to add an extra 2 loads a week, which in a front loader is around an extra 40-60 L a week, which is less than 1% of the average households water consumption. Another aspect  it promotes is that “It is ok to send hazardous body waste to landfill!”

Michelle of Issy Bear Nappies:

The words ‘eco-friendly‘.’

Cindy from Ticklefish Tots:

Well, no mention of the hundreds of years a disposable nappy takes to break down is certainly one thing …. Do you think companies who thrive from the sale of disposable nappies would stay in business if they publicised the fact that their product was not as eco-friendly as they would have us believe?

Carli from MiniLaLa:

Lots of people argue that cloth nappies use so much water, without realising how much water (amongst other things) goes into the production of disposables.

Tracey from Flattery:

There was a study done into the environmental impact of disposables/cloth (they came out on par with each other) the thing that frustrates me is that this study was carried out when cloth nappies were terry cloth squares – that required soaking in napisan (which is not used for nappies now) and water usage was based on pre-soaking and water guzzling top loaders and electricity usage included drying in a dryer not on the line!

Bec from Baby Chilli:

The amount of water it takes to make disposable nappies, plus of course the crude oil, trees and plastic consumption that goes into each and every disposable nappy.

Julie from Cloth For Comfort:

I have found speaking with hundreds of people in my experience at the markets, one aspect which is ‘green washed’ is the amount of water used in the making of disposable nappies compared to cloth. I can understand this from the point of view of those who have not had any education regarding modern cloth nappies as the clever disposable nappy marketing campaigns can insinuate that less water is used in the making of disposable nappies.

Although this is true for only one nappy, it is much more when you add up the thousands of disposable nappies used for each child compared to the environmentally sustainable crops such as bamboo which is commonly used in modern cloth nappies and also the water it takes to wash and clean the nappies too!

Chris from Baby Bullfrogs:

Just how toxic the chemicals are that are used in them – blerghh!

Kate from Nappy Days:

That disposables are actually really good for the environment and that parents need to be more worried about spending time with their baby instead of doing mountains of washing.

Alisha of Baby Safari:

They think they are saving water by using them, the don’t think of the water that has been used to manufacture the nappies.

Michelle from Sustainable Hemp Products:

Marketing not focusing on the negatives like landfill and pollution problems and chemical usage in manufacture.

Karen from Baby Blossom:

Disposable are biodegradable. Although many parts of a disposable may be, wrap it in plastic and put it in landfill.

It still takes hundreds of years to break down.

Thank you to My Green Nappy’s Sponsoring Partners:

The Flash Player and a browser with Javascript support are needed..

If you are just visiting for the first time today, and have found something new in this article, be sure to register & receive My Green Nappy Guide, you’ll be both relieved and excited at the things you will discover!

3 Recommended Resources about Greenwashing and reducing the impact of using disposables :

1. Greenwatch: All you need to know about Greenwashing.
2. “The Six Sins of Greenwashing.”
3. Make your eco disposables more environmentally friendly by emptying them.

- Your Nappy Doulas -

This is part of a regular series of articles that offer you an insight into the beliefs, concerns, knowledge and wisdom of mums making and selling modern cloth nappies in Australia and New Zealand.

Discover More from Your Nappy Doulas…

A question to you about the not so modern phenomenon called Greenwashing:

What is an example of  ’greenwashing’ that gets you going in any area of advertising?

You might even check out The Greenwashing Index and share it around, or simply get a feel for how we are being misled in our concern for the environment…

Winter Green Promise Nappy Certificates

Each winner of a Green Promise Nappy receives a certificate featuring their nappy and it’s kind sponsor. Our hope is that this certificate stays with the nappy when it moves to a new home – whether this is another baby in the family, a friend’s baby, or if it is sold on the secondhand cloth nappy market.

I have this gallery here also so that the sponsors can easily obtain a copy of the certificate to add to their blog, recording their involvement in this cloth nappying initiative.

- Charndra

P.S You can join to play in the next Green Promise Nappy Giveaway at anytime.

You can sponsor a Green Promise Nappy. Any family friendly site in Australia and New Zealand can be a sponsor of one of these special nappy ambassadors!

The Spring Giveaway begins in October, and runs for 6 weeks from the first of October!

 

Meet Our Guest: Bumbino

Let’s meet Yoland, the proud owner of Bumbino:

Hello. My name is Yoland. I live in the hills near Perth. I became a mum when I was in my twenties and again recently in my forties. It makes life very interesting (weird and wonderful) doing the baby thing again..after 20 years….

About Bumbino Nappies:

Twenty years ago cloth nappies were used in maternity hospitals and were “the norm”. My first two babies were therefore cloth babies by natural course of events.
So much has changed in the years between babies. I intended to use mainly cloth and occasional disposables with my new little guy but that didn’t last long. Each and every disposable nappy messed too much with my mind! After a few weeks we gave the disposables away altogether and carried on happily using cloth exclusively.

Bumbino Nappies evolved from my unexplained addiction to Modern Cloth Nappies and my recently rekindled love of fabric and sewing.
As well as collecting a great stash of various brands of cloth nappies and examining their best and worst features, I experimented from early days with many many creations of my own with view to creating a well designed and functional nappy.

Features of Bumbino Modern Cloth Nappies: Click to look closer.

Bumbino Nappies feature adjustable elastic in the leg and waist casings. This feature was inspired by the fact that several nappies in our stash were rendered useless simply because the elastic was too loose or too tight ( usually too tight). I was also keen on a “one size” nappy that could be eased into a smaller or larger shape, could be fine-tuned for fit at the waist and leg and did not have sizing studs and sockets showing on the front of the nappy

We are currently working as a home based business and our nappies and designer wetbags are made by my sister and myself. We have been operational since February 2010. We are currently exploring options for contracting out some of our sewing but hope to keep our product entirely Australian made.

Our Planet Matters!

I am increasingly conscious about the amount of waste we produce and the need to consider the use of more sustainable products and habits. I favour products that are not waste laden and are sustainable in their production and disposal. Cloth nappies fit that description and are the obvious choice for green babies!

When you visit www.Bumbino.com.au, make sure you have a look at:

1. The link to our Bumbino Ebay store where our products are displayed pending the futher development of our own site. Copy and paste the Ebay shop address into your browser to view Bumbino Nappies and More…..
2. My email address info@bumbino.com.au: I welcome any inquiries or feedback regarding our products. We can of course supply products direct to you if you do not wish to purchase through Ebay (most of our business is done directly with our customers)
3. The pic of my little man and his cousin in the hills of Perth ( in their Bumbino nappies…of course!)..

3 of my favourite sites are:

1. Green Beans Australia for nappy making fabrics and supplies. Reliable and speedy service.

2. www.spoonflower.com for custom designed and custom printed cotton fabric.

3. Sneaking in two here…for fabrics www.millerfabrics.com in USA and in Australia www.funkyfabrix.com.au for gorgeous designer cotton prints.

Let’s talk more!

I think it is great we can meet and support an emerging Aussie cloth nappy maker! Lots of manufacturers begin trading via Ebay and similar online trading sites which allow you to set up your own online shop to get exposure and develop and expand awareness of your uniqueness. What looks good to you in the Bumbino range?