One of my favorite readers and her little girl, Charlotte, are considering a cloth diapering adventure. I call it that because that is what it is! The world of cloth is growing and that means the options are growing, too! This is a good things because you can really build a cloth diaper stash completely customized to your lifestyle and needs. I found this excellent chart which compares the different diapering options and even shows visual examples of them. Real diapering is a bit of an investment, but it is one that will surely pay you back in several ways. It doesn't have to be all or nothing, you can slowly build your cloth supply or you can shell out the money all at once. That is totally up to you! Luckily, sites like this one let you try out different diapering systems before choosing just one. Also, Nell's Natural Baby and Mom's Milk Boutique are personal favorites.
Online boards and forums are great tools for research and also to ask questions. That is how I learned!
Happy Diapering :)
Monday, May 17, 2010
LIES! Disposables vs. Cloth
My advocacy of cloth diapering does not just extend to this new green chic movement or the fact that cloth is free of chemicals. It also has to do with respecting the planet and making a conscious effort to reverse some of the damage that our disposable lifestyle is causing. Of course, if every baby was put in cloth diapers then companies like Huggies and Pampers would be in BIG trouble. So, what did Pampers decide to do to avoid competition? They decided to publish a completely mythical and untrue report trying to dispel the truths about real diapering. If you have a blog, please feel free to copy my post or write your own in an effort to end the litany of lies that seem to come from big companies that certainly do not have our children's best interest at heart.
This is what Pampers published, my commentary is in red.
Myth: Cloth diapers are better for my baby.
Fact: Disposable diapers like Pampers were developed to offer babies benefits that cloth diapers could not meet. That goes beyond convenience to helping keep babies' skin dryer and more comfortable by reducing leaks and locking wetness inside the diaper in a way that cloth doesn't. As a result, doctors and parents simply don't see the same level of diaper rash that used to exist before disposable diapers.
This is totally false. I have had leaks and blowouts in disposables, but NEVER in cloth. Furthermore, we have never had any serious diaper rash. In fact, her skin is so healthy because of cloth diapers, I still have 60% left of the tube of butt paste I bought before Olivia was even born. Never has a rash lasted longer than a day. Cloth diapers are made of materials that allow the skin to breathe, and are free of cancerous and irritating chemicals like disposables.
Fact: In October 2008, the United Kingdom's Environment Agency published an update to its 2005 Life Cycle Assessment study on cloth versus disposable diapers. The update confirmed the earlier study's findings that there is no clear winner in terms of environmental impacts between disposable and cloth diapers in the U.K., once all factors such as water, energy, detergent, and disposal are considered.
Myth: Developing countries prove that cloth diapers are better than disposable diapers.
There is no way that cloth diapering impacts the environment in a more negative way than disposable diapers. When considering disposables, you have to think of all the waste that is involved with factories producing millions of these diapers a year around the world. Cloth diapers can be washed in cold water if necessary and hung to dry. Especially now with the prevalence of high-efficiency washers less water is used. Also, homemade laundry detergents can be used to clean diapers so no harmful pollutants are dumped into the water systems. Millions of garbage diapers sit in landfills for years and years. Reusable diapers can be recycled and used as burp rags, wash cloths, and more. They can also be used for several children. Can Pampers do that? I do not think so.
Fact: Our product provides key benefits in terms of skin health, dryness, and even sleep. In China, for example, we've learned that babies and parents are frequently awakened during the night each time the baby soaks the bed, because the baby has no diaper or a very thin piece of cloth. As a result, studies have shown that a disposable diaper can help a baby there get a better night's sleep. In another test, we have also seen less fecal contamination spread around the home using disposables versus cloth or nothing.
Clearly, we have a lot to learn about how to help with basic hygiene needs in countries that have very different access to clean water to wash with, and how to best dispose of products after use. We've also learned about hygiene for older children through our Always feminine care business – where in many parts of the world girls are forced to miss school one week each month during their period because they don't have enough pads or fresh water.
We are working in those regions to better understand what they do with products after use, and how to work with local agencies and other businesses to ensure the best long-term system to manage it.
This logic is so erroneous and nonsensical I do not know even know how to start dissecting it. What in the world are they talking about? See how they tied in another one of their products into this so-called "informative" article? They are using China as an example of why disposable diapers are better, but China is a country that implements elimination communication more often than any Western country (although it is coming into the American natural baby mainstream more often in the recent years). Why in the world are they using China to prove this point??
Myth: Disposable diapers are harmful to the environment.
Fact: All of the component materials in Pampers diapers are gentle to consumers and safe for the environment. Pampers diapers are made of materials that are also frequently used in a wide range of other consumer products. We are committed to continuing to reduce our environmental impact. For example, Pampers has decreased its diaper weight by one-third and packaging weight by two-thirds. And innovative technologies, raw materials, and product design improvements have led to significant reductions in energy, water use, emissions, and waste at our plants. We are working so that our diapers in the future will have less impact on the environment than even today's diapers.
This is not true. Pampers are still made with chemicals and bleach which are worn close to baby's skin but also dumped into our water systems and in landfills. Not only do we have to consider the diapers themselves, but also the packaging of the diapers and production of the different materials used to make them.
Myth: The materials that make up Pampers diapers are depleting our forests.
Fact: The pulp used in our diapers comes from well-managed forests in North America. In some cases, we source our pulp from scrap wood chips from lumber and saw mills. Our pulp suppliers are required to be certified by an independent third party as practicing sustainable forestry. Certification includes standards and criteria for replanting trees, protecting biodiversity, water, air and soil, and for obtaining broad stakeholder input into the forest management plan.
Nothing is more sustainable than something that is reusable. Even if they do come from "well-managed" forests, they are still removing natural resources to create something that is not renewable and will simple wind up being trash several times a day for months and months.
*Stay tuned for more Cloth Diapering 411 posts. I have received a couple of e-mails from readers asking me to do so and I gladly will. Please e-mail me or post a comment with any questions you may have. And if I do not know the answer, I will find it!
This is what Pampers published, my commentary is in red.
Myth: Cloth diapers are better for my baby.
Fact: Disposable diapers like Pampers were developed to offer babies benefits that cloth diapers could not meet. That goes beyond convenience to helping keep babies' skin dryer and more comfortable by reducing leaks and locking wetness inside the diaper in a way that cloth doesn't. As a result, doctors and parents simply don't see the same level of diaper rash that used to exist before disposable diapers.
This is totally false. I have had leaks and blowouts in disposables, but NEVER in cloth. Furthermore, we have never had any serious diaper rash. In fact, her skin is so healthy because of cloth diapers, I still have 60% left of the tube of butt paste I bought before Olivia was even born. Never has a rash lasted longer than a day. Cloth diapers are made of materials that allow the skin to breathe, and are free of cancerous and irritating chemicals like disposables.
Fact: In October 2008, the United Kingdom's Environment Agency published an update to its 2005 Life Cycle Assessment study on cloth versus disposable diapers. The update confirmed the earlier study's findings that there is no clear winner in terms of environmental impacts between disposable and cloth diapers in the U.K., once all factors such as water, energy, detergent, and disposal are considered.
Myth: Developing countries prove that cloth diapers are better than disposable diapers.
There is no way that cloth diapering impacts the environment in a more negative way than disposable diapers. When considering disposables, you have to think of all the waste that is involved with factories producing millions of these diapers a year around the world. Cloth diapers can be washed in cold water if necessary and hung to dry. Especially now with the prevalence of high-efficiency washers less water is used. Also, homemade laundry detergents can be used to clean diapers so no harmful pollutants are dumped into the water systems. Millions of garbage diapers sit in landfills for years and years. Reusable diapers can be recycled and used as burp rags, wash cloths, and more. They can also be used for several children. Can Pampers do that? I do not think so.
Fact: Our product provides key benefits in terms of skin health, dryness, and even sleep. In China, for example, we've learned that babies and parents are frequently awakened during the night each time the baby soaks the bed, because the baby has no diaper or a very thin piece of cloth. As a result, studies have shown that a disposable diaper can help a baby there get a better night's sleep. In another test, we have also seen less fecal contamination spread around the home using disposables versus cloth or nothing.
Clearly, we have a lot to learn about how to help with basic hygiene needs in countries that have very different access to clean water to wash with, and how to best dispose of products after use. We've also learned about hygiene for older children through our Always feminine care business – where in many parts of the world girls are forced to miss school one week each month during their period because they don't have enough pads or fresh water.
We are working in those regions to better understand what they do with products after use, and how to work with local agencies and other businesses to ensure the best long-term system to manage it.
This logic is so erroneous and nonsensical I do not know even know how to start dissecting it. What in the world are they talking about? See how they tied in another one of their products into this so-called "informative" article? They are using China as an example of why disposable diapers are better, but China is a country that implements elimination communication more often than any Western country (although it is coming into the American natural baby mainstream more often in the recent years). Why in the world are they using China to prove this point??
Myth: Disposable diapers are harmful to the environment.
Fact: All of the component materials in Pampers diapers are gentle to consumers and safe for the environment. Pampers diapers are made of materials that are also frequently used in a wide range of other consumer products. We are committed to continuing to reduce our environmental impact. For example, Pampers has decreased its diaper weight by one-third and packaging weight by two-thirds. And innovative technologies, raw materials, and product design improvements have led to significant reductions in energy, water use, emissions, and waste at our plants. We are working so that our diapers in the future will have less impact on the environment than even today's diapers.
This is not true. Pampers are still made with chemicals and bleach which are worn close to baby's skin but also dumped into our water systems and in landfills. Not only do we have to consider the diapers themselves, but also the packaging of the diapers and production of the different materials used to make them.
Myth: The materials that make up Pampers diapers are depleting our forests.
Fact: The pulp used in our diapers comes from well-managed forests in North America. In some cases, we source our pulp from scrap wood chips from lumber and saw mills. Our pulp suppliers are required to be certified by an independent third party as practicing sustainable forestry. Certification includes standards and criteria for replanting trees, protecting biodiversity, water, air and soil, and for obtaining broad stakeholder input into the forest management plan.
Nothing is more sustainable than something that is reusable. Even if they do come from "well-managed" forests, they are still removing natural resources to create something that is not renewable and will simple wind up being trash several times a day for months and months.
*Stay tuned for more Cloth Diapering 411 posts. I have received a couple of e-mails from readers asking me to do so and I gladly will. Please e-mail me or post a comment with any questions you may have. And if I do not know the answer, I will find it!
First Baseball Game
How do you brave a baseball game with an (almost) 7 month old? Easy. Just make sure you babywear, pack snacks, and go with a grandpa that loves to spoil his little princess.
I do wish we had thought of earplugs but we improvised
Petco Park
Stopped at a bar in the East Village before heading home
Adorable Padres hat bought by Grandpa Greg
We had a lot of fun. Olivia napped, snacked, and enjoyed the game. What a great Sunday. GO PADRES!
I do wish we had thought of earplugs but we improvised
Petco Park
Stopped at a bar in the East Village before heading home
Adorable Padres hat bought by Grandpa Greg
We had a lot of fun. Olivia napped, snacked, and enjoyed the game. What a great Sunday. GO PADRES!
Friday, May 14, 2010
About Me
Another mom blogger posted this on her page and I figure, why not? Read on to learn a thing or two about your narrator here at A Little Pea Along...
TWELVE PLACES YOU'VE BEEN:
1. Stockholm, Sweden
2. Paris, France
3. Rome, Italy
4. San Francisco, CA
5. Catalina Island, CA
6. Washington DC
7. Williamsburg, VA
8. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
9. Montreal, Quebec
10. Las Vegas, NV
11. Dallas, TX
12. Steamboat Springs, CO
ELEVEN THINGS ABOUT YOU:
1. I could probably eat sweets for every meal.
2. I have the best parents I know.
3. I am completely, 100% a lefty. (So is Todd)
4. I have never wanted a big, white wedding.
5. When I was little I wanted to be a pediatric oncologist.
6. I would move to France right now if I could.
7. One of my poems was published when I was 13.
8. My grandpa personally knew Che Guevara and Fidel Castro (!!!!)
9. I am not truly scared of anything.
10. I bite my nails and am trying really hard to stop.
11. I knew how to read before I turned 4.
TEN GOOD MUSICAL ARTISTS:
1. The Smiths
2. New Order
3. Radiohead
4. Of Montreal
5. Portishead
6. The Beatles
7. Belle & Sebastian
8. Yann Tiersen
9. Elliott Smith
10. Beach House
NINE FAVORITE FOODS/DRINKS:
1. Red Wine (Australian Syrah)
2. Stella Artois
3. Coffee
4. Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies
5. Vodka
6. Water
7. Truffle fries
8. Goat cheese
9. Shrimp tempura roll
EIGHT THINGS YOU LOVE: (you said things, not people)
1. Music
2. My books
3. Target
4. Cloth diapers
5. Fashion
6. My daughter's face
7. Fuzzy socks
8. Dark French films
SEVEN THINGS YOU WANT:
1. A home in San Francisco, completely paid off
2. A signed 1st edition copy of The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir.
3. A trip for the 3 of us somewhere far away (first-class plane tickets, a different baby carrier for every day of the trip)
4. A trip to Paris with my mom and sister
5. A book deal
6. An original Warhol
7. To keep my family as sweet and happy as it is now forever.
SIX THINGS YOU DO DAILY:
1. Read something
2. Check e-mail
3. Listen to music
4. Drink coffee
5. Brush my teeth
6. Daydream
FIVE THINGS THAT YOU HATE:
1. Drama
2. Bad mainstream music
3. Hateful politicians
4. Ignorance
5. The fact that as I type this millions of children are starving in this world.
FOUR MOVIES YOU LOVE: (four is far too few)
1. Un Homme et Une Femme
2. Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette
3. The Breakfast Club
4. The Royal Tenenbaums
THREE TELEVISION SHOWS YOU WATCH:
1. Breaking Bad
2. Intervention
3. Sex and the City (when it's on and I happen to be watching TV, which is rare)
TWO THINGS YOU SAY OFTEN:
1. I say a lot of things.
2.
ONE PERSON YOU COULD SPEND THE REST OF YOUR LIFE WITH:
1. The man I created my beautiful baby girl with <3
TWELVE PLACES YOU'VE BEEN:
1. Stockholm, Sweden
2. Paris, France
3. Rome, Italy
4. San Francisco, CA
5. Catalina Island, CA
6. Washington DC
7. Williamsburg, VA
8. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
9. Montreal, Quebec
10. Las Vegas, NV
11. Dallas, TX
12. Steamboat Springs, CO
ELEVEN THINGS ABOUT YOU:
1. I could probably eat sweets for every meal.
2. I have the best parents I know.
3. I am completely, 100% a lefty. (So is Todd)
4. I have never wanted a big, white wedding.
5. When I was little I wanted to be a pediatric oncologist.
6. I would move to France right now if I could.
7. One of my poems was published when I was 13.
8. My grandpa personally knew Che Guevara and Fidel Castro (!!!!)
9. I am not truly scared of anything.
10. I bite my nails and am trying really hard to stop.
11. I knew how to read before I turned 4.
TEN GOOD MUSICAL ARTISTS:
1. The Smiths
2. New Order
3. Radiohead
4. Of Montreal
5. Portishead
6. The Beatles
7. Belle & Sebastian
8. Yann Tiersen
9. Elliott Smith
10. Beach House
NINE FAVORITE FOODS/DRINKS:
1. Red Wine (Australian Syrah)
2. Stella Artois
3. Coffee
4. Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies
5. Vodka
6. Water
7. Truffle fries
8. Goat cheese
9. Shrimp tempura roll
EIGHT THINGS YOU LOVE: (you said things, not people)
1. Music
2. My books
3. Target
4. Cloth diapers
5. Fashion
6. My daughter's face
7. Fuzzy socks
8. Dark French films
SEVEN THINGS YOU WANT:
1. A home in San Francisco, completely paid off
2. A signed 1st edition copy of The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir.
3. A trip for the 3 of us somewhere far away (first-class plane tickets, a different baby carrier for every day of the trip)
4. A trip to Paris with my mom and sister
5. A book deal
6. An original Warhol
7. To keep my family as sweet and happy as it is now forever.
SIX THINGS YOU DO DAILY:
1. Read something
2. Check e-mail
3. Listen to music
4. Drink coffee
5. Brush my teeth
6. Daydream
FIVE THINGS THAT YOU HATE:
1. Drama
2. Bad mainstream music
3. Hateful politicians
4. Ignorance
5. The fact that as I type this millions of children are starving in this world.
FOUR MOVIES YOU LOVE: (four is far too few)
1. Un Homme et Une Femme
2. Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette
3. The Breakfast Club
4. The Royal Tenenbaums
THREE TELEVISION SHOWS YOU WATCH:
1. Breaking Bad
2. Intervention
3. Sex and the City (when it's on and I happen to be watching TV, which is rare)
TWO THINGS YOU SAY OFTEN:
1. I say a lot of things.
2.
ONE PERSON YOU COULD SPEND THE REST OF YOUR LIFE WITH:
1. The man I created my beautiful baby girl with <3
Our week so far...
For some reason I feel like this week has been a busy blur. I have not enjoyed my ritualistic morning of coffee and some internet surfing for a while it seems. Monday came around and I hit the ground running! Olivia is still waking up at 4:30am every morning crying. Todd and I are stunned by how punctual she is. As soon as I hear her cry I peek at my cell phone to see the time. Usually I cannot see very well at this hour but I do know that the clock never says 4:29am or 4:31am. Always 4:30am on the dot. I feed her and then she falls asleep until about 7:00am. Yippee. I hope this is some sort of a phase but I will admit my body is so used to crazy sleep patterns.
Sometimes I wonder if perhaps the fact that Olivia is a free soul and does what she pleases is now causing this new sleep habit. We really have no routine. She eats when she wants, I bathe her when I get a chance, and she naps whenever she gets tired. If I notice her getting tired I help her fall asleep and I have noticed an increase in naps throughout the day. We are doing solids but not at the same time every day and not even every day. Maybe once a day, sometimes twice. She still prefers milk and I know that is what her body really needs now so that is fine with me. Around 8:30pm she gets tired and is out by 9:15pm (but this can vary).
The pea's antics are getting more and more fun but also more tiring. She is practically crawling, but she is very sloppy. She gets to where she wants to go but she still needs practice. My favorite thing is when she gets on all fours and starts rocking back and forth. After a minute, she gets momentum and goes faster and faster. I am not sure what it is she is doing but it sure looks funny.
Because of my daughter's newfound neediness I having been wearing her a lot more. I wear her to do laundry, fix myself lunch, or just have a chance to sit and read my e-mail. When I got my first woven wraps I was very intimidated. The first time I tried wearing her on my back, I ended up sweaty and with vomit in my hair. Now, I am pretty good at the whole wrapping thing and can truly say there is no way of wearing her that is more comfortable. Yesterday we went out with one of my best friends and Olivia hung out in the wrap. We went to lunch in Pacific Beach and I wore Olivia in a rucksack carry. I wanted a beer (yes!) so we decided to go to a restaurant/bar with a good happy hour. I loved the stares I got when I walked in with a 6 month old on my back. The pea happily sat next to me in the booth and was in a great mood. Who says you can't have fun when you're a mom?
Sometimes I wonder if perhaps the fact that Olivia is a free soul and does what she pleases is now causing this new sleep habit. We really have no routine. She eats when she wants, I bathe her when I get a chance, and she naps whenever she gets tired. If I notice her getting tired I help her fall asleep and I have noticed an increase in naps throughout the day. We are doing solids but not at the same time every day and not even every day. Maybe once a day, sometimes twice. She still prefers milk and I know that is what her body really needs now so that is fine with me. Around 8:30pm she gets tired and is out by 9:15pm (but this can vary).
The pea's antics are getting more and more fun but also more tiring. She is practically crawling, but she is very sloppy. She gets to where she wants to go but she still needs practice. My favorite thing is when she gets on all fours and starts rocking back and forth. After a minute, she gets momentum and goes faster and faster. I am not sure what it is she is doing but it sure looks funny.
Because of my daughter's newfound neediness I having been wearing her a lot more. I wear her to do laundry, fix myself lunch, or just have a chance to sit and read my e-mail. When I got my first woven wraps I was very intimidated. The first time I tried wearing her on my back, I ended up sweaty and with vomit in my hair. Now, I am pretty good at the whole wrapping thing and can truly say there is no way of wearing her that is more comfortable. Yesterday we went out with one of my best friends and Olivia hung out in the wrap. We went to lunch in Pacific Beach and I wore Olivia in a rucksack carry. I wanted a beer (yes!) so we decided to go to a restaurant/bar with a good happy hour. I loved the stares I got when I walked in with a 6 month old on my back. The pea happily sat next to me in the booth and was in a great mood. Who says you can't have fun when you're a mom?
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
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