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Many of our customers have expressed their sadness at the discontinuation of the Perfect Size FuzziBunz diaper. Some say that they truly do offer the “perfect fit:” trim and slim and easy to pop on and off. And we share your sadness, and agree that they were a great product, but there is a reason why the Perfect Size aren’t selling anywhere near as well as our new First Year Adjustable diapers (which are now our best-selling diaper!).

Our First Year Adjustable diapers are designed to fit children from about 6 - 24 pounds, or approximately newborn - 18 months. This means that you are able to size the diapers to the equivalents of our Newborn Perfect Size, Small Perfect Size, and the smaller end of our Medium Perfect Size diapers! This also means that it will save you a lot of money since you don’t have to keep sizing up like you would need to with our Perfect Size diapers.

The First Year Adjustable diapers are nice and trim in the crotch - no more spread-eagle babies who can’t close their legs due to a bulky diaper! This also offers more flexibility to the kiddos who are starting to move and groove. They have the same super soft interior fleece, sturdy PUL, and strong snaps that the Perfect Size diapers do, with the added benefit of fitting your baby perfectly at multiple stages and sizes.

Our Adjustable diapers are the most customizable multi-size diapers in the industry, 3-times more to be exact! This is due to our Fantastic Elastic® system. The waist and leg elastics are fully adjustable to give your child the most perfect fit for his or her individual body type. This means security and protection against leaks. They are also fully removable so that when the elastics finally wear out, you don’t have to throw the whole diaper away or spend frustrating amounts of time ripping seams and sewing new elastics in! Simply take the old elastics out, put fresh ones in, and your diaper comes back to springy, well-fitting life!

Every child is different in many ways, and this includes potty habits! Some kids trickle here and there throughout the day, while others flood their diapers all in one “go.” So when using cloth diapers, it’s important to pay attention to this as you may need to adjust your system accordingly.

When dealing with heavy wetters, especially overnight, absorbency and fit are key to a successful cloth diapering experience. Figuring out which materials to use, in what combination, and when, can make all the difference in whether or not you end up with leaks.

Let’s be clear on one thing: Leaks can happen anywhere, and at any time. They are the number one complaint among cloth diaper users of any brand and any type, but just about any chronic leaking issue can be remedied with a few adjustments.

So let’s talk absorbency. This is one of the most important aspects of leak-free cloth diapering, and one that is often overlooked when dealing with it. Just because a particular cloth diaper comes with one particular insert, that doesn’t always mean that it’s going to work for your child. Let’s take a look at the most common materials used for absorbency, and how each one functions:

Microfiber - This is perhaps the most popular material making up a good majority of cloth diaper inserts. A synthetic fiber, microfiber is very “thirsty” and is also known to absorb quickly. It is known to last longer than natural fibers like hemp or bamboo, which is a plus because aside from potentially being able to use the same inserts through multiple children, it is also non-biodegradable so the longer you can use it, the better. The downsides of microfiber is that it is prone to compression leaking, and can also hang on to odors and build-up, often resulting in repelling and leaking issues.

Cotton - Fairly inexpensive and very absorbent. You can find cotton absorbency in the form of cheap prefolds and flats, and also with flour sack towels which have become a popular insert option. Cotton is much less prone to compression leaks than microfiber (which is honestly probably the worst offender). Cons include a slower drying time, and - if not organic - is usually grown in pesticides and/or fertilizers.

Hemp - Probably absorbs the most liquid out of all natural fibers. It is highly sustainable due to how fast it grows, and without the need of pesticides or other chemicals. Cons are that even though it is highly absorbent, it is slow to absorb so hemp tends to work best when combined with other fibers or with another insert (also known as “doubling”). It also has the potential to hang on to odors similar to microfiber. Unprocessed hemp is usually very crunchy when dried on the line so if this irks you, you may want to dry in the dryer.

Bamboo - This is another very absorbent material that can be grown quickly without chemicals, but must be highly processed in order to turn bamboo fibers into usable fabric so in the end, it isn’t a truly “natural” material (though still more natural than microfiber). Bamboo is also less likely to hold on to odors the way hemp and microfiber can, and stays softer than hemp when dried. Bamboo makes a great overnight solution, especially when using a bamboo flannel or fleece insert.

When trying to figure out what inserts are best to use for your child, pay attention to their “potty language.” How long can you usually leave the diaper on before it needs to be changed? If you can go for a few hours, then your child most likely has fewer bowel movements throughout the day and tends to pee in trickles instead of gushes. For daytime use, one insert is probably enough, and any of the above materials can likely be used.

If you only get an hour (or less) out of a diaper before it is soaked, then you’ve probably got a heavy wetter on your hands and will need to adjust the absorbency accordingly. For daytime use, bamboo would be a great choice, especially in the form of bamboo velour or fleece, or blended with another material such as hemp or cotton. I have heard that bamboo charcoal inserts work very well, but I do not have personal experience with these so I can’t give my recommendation. It would be something to check out though if you have a heavy wetter!

You may want to consider doubling up your inserts for super soakers. For instance, placing a fast-absorbing insert such as bamboo over a slower-absorbing insert such as hemp can be a great combo for heavy wetters as the initial gush of urine will become mostly absorbed by the bamboo, and then the excess can roll off the bamboo and get captured by the hemp underneath. This is also a great option for overnights when diaper changes may be fewer and farther-between.

*TIP: If you are regularly getting wicking through the waist or leg seams in your diaper, try drying them on high heat one time (do not do this regularly) and/or use a little waterproof sealant (a.k.a. Seam sealer) such as Atsko Permanent Water Guard. If you use the water guard, we recommend spraying some into a cup or bowl and then “painting” it on with a small paintbrush for a cleaner, more precise application.

Let’s also look at the placement of the absorbency. While you can usually get away with simply laying an insert flat inside of your diaper and being done with it, sometimes you may actually need to place more absorbency in a specific spot (known as the “wet zone”) if you’re seeing a pattern in where your child tends to soak their diaper the most. For boys, it’s important to always point the penis down when putting a diaper on so that they don’t end up leaking out of the top front of the diaper. Boys usually need more absorbency in the front of the diaper, while girls tend to need more absorbency in the middle of the insert. So for a boy, for instance, you may find that folding the front part of the insert over once to give extra layers will work better than a flat insert.

Lastly, always make sure that the diaper fits well. You want a good, snug fit with no gapping or sagging. Check the leg openings and waist area to make sure that these areas are tight, but not so tight that they are leaving painful-looking marks on your child’s body. Light red marks are normal, just like the markings you get on your legs when you remove your socks, or around your waist when you remove your jeans. Check with your diaper brand’s sizing guide to ensure you are adjusting according to their recommended settings, and then you can readjust if necessary.

Hopefully these tips help make your cloth diapering experience a bit easier! Do you have a heavy wetter? If you’ve found your perfect absorbency match, what is it?

When you find yourself “in the family way,” many women suddenly worry about their diets and whether or not what they normally eat will nurture a healthy pregnancy and - more importantly - a healthy baby.

Even before conception occurs, what you eat can vastly effect your fertility, and can also have an impact on the severity and the likelihood of succumbing to unpleasant early pregnancy symptoms. So what are some of the best foods to consume before pregnancy and during? Here is my list:

• Magnesium - I know this isn’t directly a food, but it is such an important supplement that I had to include it in this list. Magnesium regulates muscle and nerve functions, balances stress hormones, encourages the healthy formation of teeth and bones, and - if taken for a minimum of 6 months before conception - can actually reduce or eliminate morning sickness!. It is a mineral which has been thought to be lacking in almost 70% of the world’s population due to unhealthy eating habits and the over-consumption of coffee and alcohol.

Foods that are high in magnesium include dark leafy greens, avocados, seeds and nuts, dried fruit, bananas, and...... Dark chocolate! Depending on your lifestyle and personal needs, you may want to consider taking a real magnesium supplement. I take Natural Calm Magnesium powder mixed in water or juice because it is easy to take, it tastes good, and it works very well.

• Fresh, organic produce. Fruits and veggies should make up a good portion of any human’s diet, but the quality of the produce being consumed will make a huge difference in the amount of vitamins and nutrients your body is actually receiving. The majority of commercially grown produce gets coated in pesticides which can not only poison your body, but can actually remove nutrients from your system, creating deficiencies where there were none before. Visiting local farms and heading to your farmer’s market can be great options if you are concerned about the higher up-front cost of organic foods (food for thought: paying slightly higher prices for pure, high-quality food can save you thousands in hospital bills for illness!). Also, more and more discount stores like Walmart have started offering more organic options, so that would be a great place to look as well.

For easier digestion, cooking/roasting your veggies and fruits (Warmed pears? Fried honey bananas? Yes please!) is recommended, and can help your body to more easily absorb all of the wonderful nutrients each food has to offer.

• Whole milk dairy (raw if available and if you are comfortable consuming it.) There is a dangerous rumor circulating that low-fat diets are the healthiest. This is absolutely untrue and can cause a myriad of complications if consumed on a regular basis. The human body at any age needs healthy fats for proper cell structure, for helping to absorb vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, and for creating energy stores. Whole-milk yogurt can offer a wonderful array of live cultures that promotes good gut health and smooth digestion. Just make sure you are buying yogurt that does not contain a lot of added sugars or the benefits will be greatly diminished.

• Bone Broths - I love making bone broth from the carcasses of pasture-raised chickens. Not only is it healing and soothing to the digestive track (and can help with morning sickness), but it is also chock full of proteins and minerals that enhance your body’s natural functions. “Glycine also supports digestion and the secretion of gastric acids. Proline, especially when paired with vitamin C, supports good skin health.  Bone broths are also rich in gelatin which may support skin health.  Gelatin also supports digestive health which is why it plays a critical role in the GAPS Diet. And, lastly, if you’ve ever wondering why chicken soup is good for a cold, there’s science behind that, too. Chicken broth inhibits neutrophil migration; that is, it helps mitigate the side effects of colds, flus and upper respiratory infections.” I’d say those reasons are as good as any to start making bone broth a regular part of your diet, whether you’re pregnant or not!

• Animal meat and fats from pasture-raised livestock. This includes grass-fed beef (add liver 1 - 2 times per week if you can stomach it), pork, and poultry; eggs from pasture-raised hens; and though it is not an animal, wild-caught oily fish such as salmon. These are all incredible sources of healthy fats and proteins.

In addition to the above-mentioned foods, there are various vitamins and minerals that you want to make sure you are receiving. Vitamin D is extremely important, and is best absorbed and utilized by the body when taken together with Magnesium and ARA (Arachnidonic Acid). Do NOT take Vitamin D by itself if you are not also getting balanced amounts of ARA as this can cause issues such as hemorrhaging at birth. The best way to take Vitamin D (as a pure food source) is to consume a Cod Liver Oil and High Vitamin Butter Oil blend (or you can take them separately, but at the same time and in proper dosages). Please do more research on this before taking, especially if you are already pregnant.

While it’s best to completely avoid junk food, processed flours and sugars, coffee, caffeine, etc... what’s the fun in that? Balance is key, and if you can commit to a healthy diet most of the time, some less-than-healthy food is fine on occasion. I tend to follow the 80/20 rule: 80% of the time, I eat a very clean diet. The other 20% (or less), I indulge in whatever I want.

The short and sweet version of this article is this: Nourish yourself with high-quality, clean foods and you will encourage a healthy body and a healthy baby. Do this as much as you can, and don’t stress out over the times when your diet is less than optimal. In the world as it is today, sometimes we have to do the best we can with what we have available to us.

These are beautiful and very real desires and the addition of a new baby is a joyous and amazing experience. That being said, there are some things that will never be the same after you welcome a new baby into your life, and it’s good to be prepared to accept these changes so that you don’t end up overwhelmed (as much) after the fact.

• Alone time. I don’t know about you, but I need a lot of solitude. I’m an empath, an introvert, and highly sensitive on top of that, so my capacity for noise and commotion and constant interaction is not as great as most peoples’. Unless you have a really good support system in place before, during, and after your baby arrives, you may find yourself trying to figure out how to take care of your needs and get that time alone to recharge and rejuvenate. When your baby is a newborn it may be more challenging to get very much alone time simply because newborns need your attention more during this time than they will at other points, but this does not mean that you can’t still get away for a moment. 

• Ask your partner, a friend, or a family member if they can watch your baby while you take a long bath or shower. Or go for a walk, work on a creative project, sleep… Whatever it is that you need or want to do by yourself, DO IT. Taking time for yourself every day, even if it’s only for 20 minutes, will do wonders for your energy and your sense of health and well-being.

• Your routine. Now, this will vary from person to person, of course. Some of us (like me) aren’t very good at routines and schedules, but for many others it is important to create a flow to our days. With a child, however, be prepared to flip that routine upside-down. You will now be in a position where your schedule revolves around your child first and foremost. You will need to accommodate their waking/sleeping times, feeding times, play times, activity times, appointments, etc etc etc. This does not have to be difficult, it just takes a bit of flexibility on your part. And speaking of flexibility, don’t become obsessed with sticking to a particular schedule if it isn’t feeling good to you. Being able to flow and keep what works while dropping what doesn’t will make for a happier you, resulting in a happier kiddo.

• SLEEEEEEEEEEP!!!!!!! Oh, how I love to sleep. And yet, when you throw a kid into the mix, sleep becomes a distant, beautiful, bittersweet memory. Be prepared to wake multiple times throughout the night and get up early the next morning simply because you have a child and they love to watch Mommy turn into a zombie (except most Mombies want coffee, not brains). Okay so perhaps I am mildly exaggerating, but you have to expect that tiny little creatures whose bellies are small and bowels are plentiful are going to need to nourish themselves frequently. This is why when someone suggests napping when your baby naps, you should squeal and hug them for giving you permission to rest instead of scoffing at their audacity to suggest that you should put housework aside for an hour or two in exchange for taking care of yourself. Seriously.

• Your sex life. Obviously for the first 6 weeks or so after giving birth, you probably aren’t going to be able to (or WANT to) have sex. But after…. Between your lack of sleep and your lack of privacy, finding the time or desire to have sex may present somewhat of a challenge. But this could be the perfect opportunity to get creative! Aside from asking someone to babysit your child so you and your partner can do the deed without the risk of being interrupted by a crying, screaming, giggling, whispering, knocking, singing, and/or peeping child, here are some other ideas for ya:
  • Find a new spot to do it. This was a must for my husband and I because we co-slept with both of our kids. And I laughed my butt off the time I saw a t-shirt that said “Co-sleepers do it on the kitchen floor” because that has SO happened before! Usually it’s the couch though. Or in the spare bedroom. Anyway, you get the picture. Find somewhere else. Not only will it solve the issue of where to do it if you co-sleep, but even if you don’t co-sleep it can add a little excitement to your love life!
  • Try to schedule intimacy around the times when you know your child is supposed to be asleep. Did you catch how I put in the “supposed to be” bit? Remember how I talked about being flexible with your schedule? Yeah. Sometimes you may end up interrupted, but I found that for the most part we always managed to do what we wanted to do if we started right after our kids fell asleep.
  • I don’t have any other suggestions. Take it where and when you can get it!

• Your sanity. You must answer the same questions multiple times a day. You must explain why your child has to put clothes on when leaving the house. You must explain why your child may not color on the walls. You must explain where babies come from, why Aunt Phyllis has a mustache, and why daddy’s underwear has a pocket in it.

You will clean up more than a thousand messes. Maybe more than a million! You will have to remind your child(ren) to wash their hands, blow their nose, clean up their blocks (especially after you step on them for the 8^th time), put the milk away, hang up their coat, stop hitting the dog, stop slamming the door, and for the love of Pete stop stuffing blueberries up your nostrils!!!!!

Whereas you may have been an intelligent, intellectual, social butterfly before, you may now find yourself struggling to ask the cashier if she can make change for $1 (so your kids can get a Sticky Wacky Hand out of the little red vending machines by the exit doors). No, you’re not going to become unintelligent. You just might become unintelligible.

Talking to a baby/toddler/young person all day long really does a number on your mental state, especially if you don’t make time to visit with adults regularly. So make the time!!!

I hope you take this list with a grain of salt. There is some truth to every point, of course, but this was meant to be more humorous than frightening. One thing is true though for all of the above though.. Once you have a child, you have to MAKE THE TIME to make it work!!!