Please Help!!!

In the past, I have written reviews on cloth diapers and shared some of my very strange mind with you.  Just imagine what my wife has to deal with on a daily basis!  Now I need some help from you, the real experts on Cloth Diapers.

I am having writers block when it comes to figuring out an issue that my oldest son is having.  I can't come up with a solution.  Please, please help and I promise I will blog more about things that make me laugh.

Here we go.  My son, now almost 2, is getting a rash after almost every poop and after most pees.  I am not sure where it is coming from or why.  We have switched foods, we have washed and stripped the diapers 7 ways from Sunday (or I read through at least the first 20 or so Google results and tried most) and the only thing that keeps his rash away is DISPOSABLE DIAPERS.

Now, I am not going to give up on Cloth.  I REALLY HATE that he is in disposables almost 80% of the day now.  I am just stuck and need help.

Here is my promise to you.......if you can help me figure out what is going on with my diapers (and please feel free to call me out on things, I am not ashamed if I am doing something wrong), I will give you advice on how to keep the following from happening to your kid.  It's kind of important, so the faster you can help me, the faster I can help your kids...... :)

This happened on Halloween morning at about 5:00 am.  I still jump thinking about it.

Thanks for reading!  Don't forget to like me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter!  You'll get the inside scoop on me and my family.

Stay tuned....

The Diapering Daddy

For Dad's (Men) Only

Alright, we're going to talk about cars, trucks, football, and building things.  Let's start with cars....actually, let's start with NASCAR!  Are you excited for Talldega?  I know I am.  Jimmie Johnson's on top right now, but can he hold onto it?  

Is she gone yet?  You know, your wife.  I figure after reading that, she has completely lost interest and has already moved on to the next Bloggy Moms blog.  That is exactly what I wanted.  Now that it's just us guys, I have a few things I want to talk about.  I am concerned about a few conversations that I've had over the past few months in regards to Cloth Diapering.  

But before I go into that, I want to show you a few things.  These are things that  should appeal to our gender.  When we see things like this, we get excited.  We start to growl, spit and hit things.  It makes us want to trade in our grocery-getter and buy something with outrageously large and impractical tires, or something with 2 wheels.  I know this because I just asked my wife if we could get a Jeep or motorcycle after looking for these pics online.

Without further adieu, I present to you the following pictures.  Think about them, think about how proud you are to be a  man.  Think about how tough we really are.  Think about it!!!

Do I hear Tim the Tool Man Taylor growling "MORE POWER"?

I know there's nothing wrong with the minivan, but you're feeling the urge to do something.

This isn't dirt, oil and grime, this is pure beauty!  This is pure masculinity.  THIS IS OUR MAKEUP!

You're feeling it, aren't you?  Male pride, you want to find the closest guy and smack his butt and say "Good Game" even though you may not even know him.  You're ready to suit up this Monday and take your rightful spot on the Bears O-Line and give Cutler the protection he needs.  You're ready to quit your job and write a blog about being a man.  Let's all crack open a beer and sit in the garage and talk about random stuff until midnight while staring at the bicycle you've been meaning to fix since spring.  This is pure unadulterated male testosterone!  Do you feel it?

Good, now that we're all puffed up, shoulders back chest out and head held high I have a bone to pick with you.  Why is it that we love all things dirty, messy and smelly but when it comes to this.....

....I've heard what I can only describe as a grown man acting like a NANCY!  How can we be so tough about everything else that is dirty and muddy and messy, but when it comes to a dirty diaper we turn into that girl from high school who complains about how disgusting she looks because of her split ends.  You know, she scrunches up her nose and waves her hands in front of her face rapidly while squealing out "EWWWWWWWW".  I don't even know what a split end is, but what I do know is that I've seen my fair share of men who have acted just like this when I bring up cloth diapering.

Seriously dudes, MAN UP.  It's poop.  I know you know what it is, I know you've touched it before, I know that you've done it before.  So what's so school girlishly disgusting about it?  How is cleaning a dirty diaper any different than washing your hands after your #2 after a night of drinking and Taco Bell.  You know exactly what I'm talking about.

So for the sake of all of us, if your wife suggests using Cloth Diapers...or if you are using Cloth Diapers and you've never volunteered to help clean them.  Don't be afraid of it.  It's not going to bite you, and if it did, that would be awesome!  Be a man!  You're wife is going to find it extremely attractive, especially if you do it without making a fuss about it.  

SO, MAN UP - USE CLOTH DIAPERS - AND STOP WHINING ABOUT IT!  

There, I feel better now.  I hope I didn't offend anyone, but it's something I had to get off my chest.  

Thanks for reading!  Don't forget to like me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter!  You'll get the inside scoop on me and my family.

Stay tuned....

Where is the Strangest Place You've...

In a vehicle:  It is strange, but extremely accessible and easy once you figure out the best place.

We started in the back seat of our Chevy Trailblazer.  I was reluctant to the first time, but we really needed to take care of it so we improvised and used the back seat.  It was easy for about 18 months because we only had one car seat back there.  Once Ian came, his car seat took up the rest of the back seat so we moved to the front seat.  This is not as easy, the seat is angled and it can get a little frustrating.  Ultimately, we found that the best place is the tailgate of our SUV.  It is a flat surface and there is plenty of room to spread out (if we move the strollers out of the way).  I'm not sure if a trunk would work as good as a tailgate, does anyone have any experience that?

Get your mind out of the gutter!

On a beach:  Watch out for sand and sun!

We took the family to our favorite beach a few weeks ago - New Buffalo, MI.  Even at the beach you have to take care of things, so we did.  Right there, in front of everyone!  The issues with the beach is the sand and sun.  You know, sand gets everywhere ....even when you're careful!  It's unavoidable, you're gonna get sand in places where the sun don't shine.  And, speaking of the sun, there is truth to skin being sensitive to the sun.  Even with shade and sunscreen, there was a bad burn on that sensitive skin.  It only lasted a few days, but we felt horrible.
Still thinking about it, huh? 

At a mall: C'mon, you've all though about it.

The last time Lindsey and I were at the outdoor mall we found ourselves too far from a bathroom and our car, so we decided to take care of it right where we were.  On a bench, outside, in front of everyone.  What made it even more strange was that there was a farmers market going on about 50 yards from the bench we were on.  Sure, a lot of people were curious about what was going on.  But ultimately, I think we didn't disturb too many people.  The problem with benches is that they don't have a lot of room.  Sure, they're long but they aren't that wide.  If this comes up at a mall again, I think we'll just move to the bathroom.
C'mon, you should know by now...

On the floor: This makes just about anywhere fair game.

What better place then right below you?  We've used the floor at just about every house we've been to.  It is especially convenient when there is something on TV you really don't want to miss...like televised sports, a good action movie, or your favorite TV show.  The floor can seem strange to those who haven't done it before.  And then, there are those people who get concerned when you don't put down protection.  I've been doing this on the floor for a while now, and I've only made a mess one or two times...and I clean up after myself.  So the floor can be strange if you're in front of others, but still a good option.
You're getting closer!

Of course, on a bed: It is where you spend a large portion of your life

This goes without saying.  It is probably the easiest, safest and least strange place.  It's the place that I'm guessing everyone with a kid has tried at least once.  It doesn't have to be your bed, I find one of my friends' bed a little nicer because it is up higher and hurts my back less than our bed does.  The only thing I'd recommend if you do decide to use your friends' bed, is to get permission first.  How embarrassing would it be if they walked in on you?  Take my advice, ask first!  Unless, of course, you are house sitting or they aren't home.  Then by all means, try out all the beds to see which one you like the best.
Did you figure it out yet?

These are all strange in one way or another.  But for me, the strangest place I have ever had to do it was in an....

Airplane Bathroom: Yes ladies and gentlemen, I have done it at 30,000 feet!

I couldn't wait to try this.  You hear all the time how small it is in there and how uncomfortable it was. I wanted to know for sure.  So, when we were flying to FL to visit my parents last November, it happened!  The first bathroom we tried was at the back of the plane and it was a bad choice, the flight attendants actually said that the bathroom in the front of the plane is much better.  They knew exactly what was going to happen...so it must be a lot more common than you think.  In hindsight, I think it was a bad choice.  I had no room to move around, my elbows banged on the walls and I'm sure the people heard all the commotion.  There really wasn't much room.  But hey, at least I can say I tried!

Yep, that's a pretty good list if I do say so myself.  I'd love to hear from all of you (and your friends - so please have them read this blog), where the strangest place you ever did it was.  I'll send the person with the strangest place a $10 gift card to Starbucks (haven't tried there yet)!

This should clear the air...
Oh yeah, one last thing.  Don't forget to bring extra bags that are air tight.  The last think you want is for everyone to smell what you've just taken care of. Dirty diapers can smell pretty disgusting.

....What did you think I was talking about?

Thanks for reading!  Don't forget to like me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter!

Stay Tuned!

The Diapering Daddy

What Do Cloth Diapers And The NFL Have In Common?

Alright ladies, pull up an extra chair next to your computer and call your husband over.  Tell him that you can finally explain how cloth diapers work.  Who knows, maybe you'll even be able to convince him that changing diapers is fun because of this revolutionary way to explain diapers and how they work.  

Or better yet, once he comes over you can tell him that you finally understand what each position on a defensive line does.  That may really get his juices moving!  ;-)  You see, with this chart I have easily explained to the football illiterate what a defensive line is and does and to the diaper illiterate what all of the components of a diaper do.  

This is just in time for football too, I watched my first Bears game of the season last night....although I did lose interest pretty quickly because it is pre-season.  For those of you that don't know....these games don't really mean anything.  It was strange to see Peyton Manning in a Bronco's Jersey...!

Back to the game changing chart I have come up with.  With the exception of the 2 Safety Positions, this chart is pretty accurate in my mind.  Why?  Good question!  Most of the time you don't double up on the doubler (you don't typically have 2 doublers in a diaper - but you always want 2 Safety's in football), but you never know...I have a heavy wetter and have been know to triple up the soaker pads.

Here's a breakdown of the positions/features starting from the Middle Linebacker/Soaker Pad:

• Middle Linebacker / Soaker Pad
• Middle Linebacker
• commonly leads the team in tackles
• leader of the defense - without him, defense fails
• Soaker Pad
• commonly leads all of the diaper components in absorption
• catches almost all liquid - without it, diaper fails
• Tackle / Soft Inner Lining
• Tackle
• Makes sure the ball carrier doesn't get up field
• Soft Inner Lining
• Makes sure solid waste stays put
• Defensive End / Leg Gusset
• Defensive End
• Makes sure that the ball carrier stays within the defense
• Leg Gusset
• Makes sure that the solid and liquid waste stays inside the diaper
• Outside Linebacker / Velcro or Snap Closure
• Outside Linebacker
• Outside containment - keeps everyone contained where they need to be
• Velcro or Snap Closure
• Outside Containment  - Keeps all components contained where they need to be
• Cornerback / Waterproof Outer Lining
• Cornerback
• Defend against the pass
• Waterproof Outer Lining
• Defend diaper against leaking
• Safety / Doubler
• Safety
• Last line of defense in a play, if a play gets away from defense
• Douber
• Last line of defense in a diaper, if a diaper gets too full

There you have it.  I hope this helps my fellow gender  understand just a little bit more about how a diaper works and why they are so intricate.  AND I hope I have helped the female gender understand just a little bit more about how a defensive line works in football.  

I have done a great service to the world with this, I know it and my ego is getting bigger by the minute!  Seriously though, if you have questions, comments, editions, or subtractions to this please let me know.  I love hearing from you.  

Please don't forget to follow me on Twitter @DiaperingDaddy and "Like" me on Facebook, just search for The Diapering Dad.

Thanks for reading....stay tuned!

Dan - The Diapering Daddy

diaperingdaddy@gmail.com

I Have a Confession...

Let's be real for just a minute.  I know that I am all about Cloth Diapers and how they save us money, are good for the environment and baby...I get it, I really do.  The issue that Lindsey and I ran into every time we put Nate down for the night - we not only had to wash his we diaper the next day, but we also had to wash his wet cloths, the crib sheets, his blankets and stuffed animals and we had to wipe down the mattress.  We tried everything....we doubled, we tripled, we aimed his squirt gun up, down, left, right...any which way and nothing worked.

Well....almost nothing...

You see, we did find a solution to the issue.  It is something that I am embarrassed about, but I don't think that we're the only ones out there, or at least I hope we aren't.  We use disposables at night, and haven't had one issue since making that switch over a year ago.  Every morning, the diaper weight about a million pounds and it's all pee pee.

Phew, I feel better now.  I honestly don't think that there is a solution out there for Nate, if there is, I haven't found it or I've already tried it and it doesn't work.  I'd love to get some feedback from the Cloth Diaper community.  Am I alone out there going disposable at night?  That means I'm using less that 400 disposables a year...that's not that bad.

Thanks for listening to me!  More to come, so you'd better stay tuned!

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14 Months....what was I thinking?

To all of my faithful followers, all 19 of you.  I know that I promised the world to you when it came to diapers.  I know that you have been clicking refresh on my site for more than a year now....you feel like the bride left at the altar, the guy stood up for a blind date, the kid who has waited for a diaper change for way too long.   For that I am sincerely sorry!

I could give you excuses, but we all know that excuses are like diapers.... they're full of crap.  So I'm just going to pretend like it was my intention all along to not post for over a year.

Ian, Lindsey and Nathan

Good, now that we've moved past that I can talk about diapers for 2 kids......!  Yup, our first son is now 18 months old and we're going to start with cloths on our 1 month old in about a week (once we get through all of the free disposables we received).

I am going to share with you what's worked with cloth diapering over the past year, what hasn't and how we've had to modify our theory on using cloth diapers.  Don't get me wrong, I love it and we use them for all but 1 diaper change a day.  We can also take what we've learned and use that with our new son, Ian.

It was quite nostalgic the other day when I put Ian in his first cloth diaper, we used a Chinese prefold with a Thirsties cover. Oh how did I miss the days of infant poop!  Yes, really, I did.  It is so much easier to take care of then toddler turds.  For one, Ian is only eating breast milk so he is very consistent in his movements.  Nathan, on the other hand eats anything he can get his hands on which makes for a cornucopia of poop.  From size, color, shape and smell you never know what to expect.  It's like Christmas....only with poop!

Speaking of that, I happened upon this very informative chart that will help us identify the types of stool our children have.  Which type do you prefer?

I thought the following picture was also appropriate given that I am a dude and most of the time you hear about girly things like diaper cakes and whatnot.  So, if any of you ever decide to through a baby shower for a friend....don't forget about the husband.

The Blowout Blog: A Debate of Doo Doo Pooportions

What diapers handle blow-outs better: CLOTH or DISPOSABLE?

I'm sure by now, we've all seen this commercial. I've heard some pretty interesting comments about it from several people, including my mother. And like her, I am a little bit grossed out by watching this. At first, yes, it is very funny. But then you realize exactly what's filling those diapers...then, you think back to the last blowout you had to clean up....then you remember all the poop everywhere. You had to clean poop from nooks and crannies that you never even knew existed on your little bundle of joy. Then, and only then, do you think about this commercial and maybe get just a little bit queasy!

Since I am a CD'er 99% of the time*, I'm not sure how well these Luvs actually work and I don't want to purchase them for fear that the chemicals in them may just suck the life out of my son making him baby jerky. OK, that probably won't happen but have you ever really wondered what kind of magic chemicals go into absorbing THAT much poo and pee??? I'm not real comfortable putting that next to my baby's skin.

*To clarify on my disposable usage, we use the ones that are given to us for vacations and longer stays away from home and if we have to purchase them we buy the expensive natural kind...which aren't that good at catching blow-outs in our experience.

Back to Blowouts... Lindsey and I use several different brands/styles of CD's and here's a list from best to worst on how well they've worked for us (knowing that all babies are different, these results are from our experience):

1. 
   
   FuzziBunz One Size


2. 
   
   BumGenius 3.0 Fitted (Small so far)


3. 
   
   Tots Bots EASY FIT One Piece One Size Pocket Diaper


4. 
   
   BumGenius 4.0 One Size


5. 
   
   Prefolds with Thirsties Diaper Covers


6. 
   
   GroVia All In One

Again, let me say that these are from our experience and with our baby's poop and pee. You may or may not have had similar experiences. The one that really confuses us is the GroVia, we're not sure why it's not holding in as well???? We've stripped the diaper, we've asked for help at the local CD store, we've tried everything. I don't want to put all the blame on the diaper, so we'll take some of the blame (the same goes for the prefolds and covers....I'm sure we're doing something incorrect). With that being said, this is our list. Take it or leave it, but please comment on it!!! :)

Of all the diapers you use, how would you rank them? I'm curious to know if there are any similarities or differences? For one, Nathan poops off to the side most of the time and on rare occasion, it wraps all the way around the front above his manhood. Another is I am not sure how tight to make the diaper. I feel bad when it pushes in on his stomach too hard. But again, what experience do you have?

Oh yeah, I almost forgot about disposable diapers. If I had to rank them, I'd put them right along with the prefolds and diaper covers. When Nate has a blowout there always seems to be poop coming out of the legs or up the back. We've not seen that with the FB's yet (knock on wood). Like I said earlier, we haven't tried the new Luvs so I can't give you a completely fair assessment of disposables. But I still don't think they'd be a match for the FB's.

One thing we have done with our diapers is add in hemp inserts. This has been a huge help in the battle against blowout. The hemp, although slow at absorbing, in combination with another insert (microfiber, cotton, etc) proves to help with keeping the mess at hand. Yes, it adds some extra weight and bulk, but not nearly as much as doubling up on the inserts. We found a great deal on 10 of them used on eBay! If you use cloth and don't have hemp....get some! If you don't use cloth....start to!

Please, please, please commend on this post. I'd really like to know what is working and what isn't for other people. I also want to know if anyone has any suggestions on the GroVia....it can't be that bad, can it?

As always, thanks for reading!

Dan the Diapering Dad!