Cloth diaper goes a long way

We have been advocating the use of cloth diapers for slightly more than a year now. In fact, we have been using cloth diapers on our girl, presently 20 month old, since she turned 3 months. We made the switch then as she has very sensitive skin, and tends to have buttock redness when she use disposable diapers as per normal usage. The common remedy we learned and practiced was to apply diaper rash cream on the affected areas. With research and experimentation, we found that cloth diapers are more gentle for our girl, and solved her skin problems. We did not have to apply any more diaper cream, but we did use California Baby organic cream to moisturize the skin 1-2 times a day. We have to admit it is a lot of work, especially since the diapers have to be washed. But, we know it is better for our baby. Also, the diapers can be recycled for her siblings in future, and so we can save some money then. And knowing our efforts help to save the environment is always consoling.

Besides advocating, we used our knowledge to design and manufacture our own cloth diapers, branding it as SgBum. It is interesting to note many people are reluctant to use cloth diapers, not even wanting to try. These include some of our close friends as well. We respect individual's preference. It is also interesting to note more people are asking about the use of cloth diapers, often testing out with one, and later purchasing a package which is more economical. The trend seems to suggest education outreach and peer reviews helps to advance the message about the benefits of cloth diapers. To end this short blog, I like to end with the message that cloth diaper goes a long way.

Is diaper rash cream necessary for baby bum?

Treading cautiously on the thin rope between Right & Wrong or Black & White, I am inclined to think that diaper rash cream may not be necessary if preventive and precautionary measures are taken to prevent diaper rashes from occurring. You may argue that this is obvious. I thought so too, but after some introspective reflection and feedback gathering, I think there is a need to make this a topic for discussion. Diaper rash develops because the baby bum fails to "air". Often, the cause can be traced to poor ventilation of the diaper or too much moisture in the diaper. Imagine wrapping a portion of your skin tightly under clear plastics for several hours. Or soak your skin under water for several hours. It is not hard to image why the bum develops rashes as a sign of "complaint".

On a lighter note, if we adopt the practice as shown in the picture, we should eradicate the issue entirely.

In cosmopolitan cities like ours, such practice is perhaps out-dated and "unsightly". But the overlooked fact is that solution lays in "airing" the bum. If you are conscientious in changing the baby's diapers frequently to keep the bum dry and if you buy quality diapers which have good breath-ability, I am certain that you will not be looking to buy your next tube of diaper rash cream. This certainty stems from my experience with my little one. Give it a try :)

Before concluding, I must mention that if your baby already has existing skin problems on the bum, you should seek the doctor's advice.

Happy Mother's Day

Today is Mother's Day. Now that I have a 16 month old baby, I can appreciate the hardships mothers have to endure. I salute all mothers and dedicates this blog to you.

Recently, my family did a road trip to the United States, which includes a visit to the Monterey Bay aquarium. The mystics of the oceans never failed to fascinate me, though this was not my first visit to the aquarium. Life forms in the oceans are so varied and colorful, with each playing a minute yet important part in the ecological system.

Colors of Life

Starfish

Jellyfish

We are also pleasantly surprised to discover the Moon Jellies have patterns very similar to four-leaf clover which symbolizes faith, hope, love and luck and brings good luck to the finder. We hope they bring good luck to you :)

Once again, Happy Mother's Day!

Will you use cloth diapers or disposable diapers for long-distance travels?

*Picture Source: iStockphoto

These days, we travel away from home frequently for work or holiday purposes. The basis of this discussion is that the baby goes with you. For convenience, we tend to prefer disposable diapers. To be honest, we do that as well. To minimize diaper rash, we choose premium disposable diapers over the more economical ones. Even so, when our baby wear the disposables for extended period of time, swelling and redness as signs of skin irritations develop at the buttock, and we have to apply diaper rash cream to calm the skin. We do not face such problems with cloth diapers. So, when we travel, we always bring disposables and cloth diapers. In the day, we alternate between disposables and cloth diapers. At night, we always use cloth diapers. That way, we have been quite successful in minimizing skin irritation to the baby.

Recently, we have the chance to catch up with a few parents. So, we took this opportunity to do a little survey on this topic. Not surprisingly, the parents agree with our method, with some already doing so. We would like to hear from more parents on you deal with the issue. Please send your thoughts to support@sgbum.com.

Tutorial: How to Make Cloth Pocket Diapers out of Old T-Shirts!

We all know that we do not need to be chefs in order to be food connoisseurs. Likewise, we do not need to know how to make cloth diapers in order to use them. In fact, city-dwellers often prefer to buy as they get better quality and leak-proof diapers, as well as save time. Even so, I am sure many of us (sometimes) do think about how a cloth diaper is made when we hold one in our hands.

Samantha, from Reviews@AnotherTeenMom did a terrific video to show how you can use an old T-shirt to make into a cloth diaper. Embedded is her YouTube video. She has a webpage on the same topic. Do send her (and us) your feedbacks if you do try to make your own cloth diapers. We love to hear about your experiences.



Hopefully, when we next hold another cloth diaper in our hands, we can make a more informed judgment about its quality (materials, sewing, design) and the economic value of that diaper.

Why should I use cloth diapers?

  Today marks International Women's Day. We celebrate today with all women.

On this symbolic day, it is perhaps justified to discuss about the use of cloth diapers. A quick search on Google will bring you many referenced and cited articles on this topic. I will reference a few for the interested. Under the FAQ section on SgBum website, you will also find quantitative reasons for using cloth diapers.

We advocate the use cloth diapers as we believe that they are good for our baby. When we had our baby, we tried muslins, disposables and cloth diapers. We were receptive to trying new products as long as they are good for our baby. As we discover, there is no black-and-white distinctions between these products. At the end of the day, it depends on the efforts, time and cost to the parents. Some parents dreaded the thoughts of washing diapers, do not mind paying more for better disposables, and the formula works for them. Others emphasized on economics or the environments, and have their own formulae. By formula, I mean mix and match of disposable and cloth diaper use. For us, the well-being of the baby is the most important factor. We also want to lead a more ecologically sustainable life-style. And we want to save on the diaper cost. For these beliefs, it seems cloth diaper is the clear winner, and that is why we advocate the use of cloth diapers, and we hope to educate more people to use them.

To wrap on this discussion, individual preferences dictate the "use" or "no-use" of cloth diapers. If you do decide to use cloth diapers, you will find that it is better for the well-being of your baby, it is better for the environment and it saves you money. Of course, there are many cloth diaper brands out in the market. As long as you choose quality cloth diapers, the statement should hold true for you, just as it has for us.

References
(1) Real Diaper Association
Article: http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php

(2) The New Parents' Guide
Article: http://www.thenewparentsguide.com/diapers.htm

(3) Adoption.com
Article: http://library.adoption.com/articles/why-use-cloth-diapers.html

Diaper covers for day use

Have you already invested in one or two dozens muslins on your newborn baby?

Muslins are great for newborns, but as the baby grows, we typically chuck the muslins away and switch to diapers. This need not be the case. You can invest in 2-3 diaper covers, and use these muslins as inserts in the day. The diaper cover is a leak-free outer covering with aplix fastening. The duration of wear depends on the size and age of the baby, but each wear should be good for 2-3 hours. The diaper cover can be reused several times before washing. To reuse, remove the soiled insert, and place a new muslin. As a general housekeeping rule for hygiene purpose, we recommend that used diaper covers should be washed daily.

If you do decide to use diaper covers, it is important that you change the insert every 2-3 hours or when the insert is very wet as the insert directly contacts the baby's skin. Many parents have found out that these diaper covers are great for day-time use. Why not give it a thought?

Sarah, 14 months old