Having two little girls is still such a surprise to me, I was the only little girl in my family aside from a beloved cousin living on the opposite end of the coast who would visit every few years and send refrigerator size boxes of luxe hand me downs that made up basically my entire wardrobe. Autumn is still very young, but I see Harper appraising her and choosing to be gentle and kind to her every day, watching her face for reactions and bringing her toys and blankets. I know they won’t always get along so well, but Harper has always been quite particular about who receives her affections, often refusing a request for a hug or kiss or farewell and choosing to play aloof. I don’t begrudge her this personality quirk, it makes the attention she does offer that much more meaningful. And Autumn is given it in spades. I have never witnessed a sister who is more attentive and loving and sweet towards her new playmate. Even when I tell her for the tenth time that day that I can’t nurse her that moment because it’s Autumn’s turn, she may balk but she never gets upset with Autumn, she never tries to push her away. There doesn’t seem to be a jealous bone in her body. It may not last, but I am relishing this connection they have while it exists.  

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Today you may have noticed I don’t have a diaper review for you. I have a nappy review! This is a rarity in ‘the states’ but I am so incredibly tickled I have a proper nappy from Europe to tell you about. These gorgeous cloth pocket nappies are carefully crafted and definitely an eye catcher. I’ve received more compliments and questions when my girls wear this nappy then I have with any diaper they’ve worn before.

[typography font=”Crafty Girls” size=”24″ size_format=”px”]Ease of Use✩✩✩✩✩[/typography] These pockets are designed with an envelope enclosure at the front so adding inserts is simple, and removing inserts when the nappy is soiled is tidier since with any luck the mess is not at the front of the nappy. One feature I noticed with these is that the hem is carefully finished with a neat tightly serged edge. Many pocket diapers that feature a front opening will just leave a cut microfleece edge which over time can become worn and also seems more prone to ride up, the Milovia does not have this issue thanks to the designer going the extra mile with this feature. It also boasts a PUL backing on the interior of the microfleece at the top of the diaper. This is a huge benefit as it means that your child can enjoy the softness of the microfleece against their skin all the way up (many diapers will use a strip of PUL here instead, which can be a little rough on extremely sensitive skin) while still protecting against leaks (especially compression leaks for tummy sleepers).

[typography font=”Crafty Girls” size=”24″ size_format=”px”]Bang for the Buck✩✩✩✩[/typography] For the longest time these nappies were not available in the U.S. and fans were forced to track down a UK retailer who was willing to internationally ship and the customer was left with exorbitant shipping charges. This drove the price of a single cloth diaper way up from a consumer standpoint. Despite this concern Milovia still has quite the following here, so much so that they just announced last week their first American retailer! http://www.squigglybugsllc.com/ is now offering Milovia nappies for sale. You can select a microfleece interior like I am reviewing here or a Coolmax interior if you prefer. With this new retailer, Milovia is also now offering their inserts included with the nappies! Previously fans would purchase the pocket then separately purchase a small, medium, or large insert (or sometimes a combination of two for ultimate absorbency). With this new package option you will automatically receive both a small and a medium insert. The entire package comes out to $34 which is still on the high side for a pocket diaper, however it is significantly lower than customers have paid in the past, and I think it is well worth the price to have at least one of these unique beauties in your stash.

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[typography font=”Crafty Girls” size=”24″ size_format=”px”]Performance ✩✩✩✩✩[/typography] Milovia nappies are made entirely of Polish fabrics created specifically for use on children. The PUL is strong and even after getting in a fight with some errant hook and loop tape in the washing machine (the laundry tab on one of my other cloth diapers is evidently not doing so well) the fabric is still unmarred and gorgeous. We haven’t had any accidents in this nappy as of yet, which is saying something because this is apparently the diaper that relieves any constipation my children may feel, every time I put it on them they soil it. The microfleece is very good about resisting staining and rinses easily. The inserts are labeled as microfiber but they are not like any microfiber I have ever seen before. These are very thick, pillowy, soft and ribbed, and something about them reminds me of mattresses. They come with a couple simple seams dividing the filling into sections which makes it easy to fold them when needed. The material does tend to get pilly in the wash (not losing material as far as I can tell, but I see miniscule lint balls stuck to the pad, possibly from other garments sticking to the ribbed material) but that is purely cosmetic. I haven’t used this diaper for a very long time (though it has been in very heavy rotation over the past month) so maybe some long term fans can shed some light on this, but I have a suspicion these plush inserts will not “deflate” the way microfiber inserts we are familiar with tend to thin out and lose absorbency.

[typography font=”Crafty Girls” size=”24″ size_format=”px”]Fit ✩✩✩✩[/typography] This one size nappy offers a three snap rise and includes a small and medium insert. When I first received it I was able to use just the medium insert on my younger baby, and now I find using both inserts works best for our family. Both my girls are extremely heavy wetters so you may find just one insert works fine for you. With both inserts included I find the diaper to have a bit more bulk to it, but it doesn’t bother me. If it did I would probably look into purchasing a large insert from Milovia (hopefully Squiggly Bugs will add it to their site soon). I’m very impressed by the generously sized back elastic which manages to contain my off the growth charts (five month old) infant’s messes without leaving red marks on her skin.

[typography font=”Crafty Girls” size=”24″ size_format=”px”]Overall:[/typography] These nappies come in charming, unique, and attention getting prints. I’m more than a little obsessed with the incredible feather print I received, and the quality of the materials is pretty plain to see. While these are on the higher end of the spectrum price wise, I do think these are a great addition to a well rounded stash, and they are now easier than ever to order. For my friends who exclusively use covers (with flats, prefolds, fitteds, etc) be sure and check in with Milovia about finding a UK retailer as they are now offering covers on their website (maybe if you ask nicely, Squiggly Bugs may look into carrying the covers, too)! I noticed a lot of you asking about covers when Kim posted a picture of this nappy the day it arrived, so I figured it was worth mentioning. I’m really happy with this one, I’ll continue to reach for it as long as it is clean and ready to be worn.

[typography font=”Crafty Girls” size=”24″ size_format=”px”]Where to Buy:[/typography]

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