***WARNING! THIS POST CONTAINS AN IMAGE OF REAL BABY POOP*****
Ask other parents what they disliked most about having a newborn and besides the sleepness nights, the next answer is usually “the blow-outs.”
Ask a cloth diapering mother and she will leave the blow-outs off that list and just say “sleepness nights.”
Are cloth diapers really Poop-Splosion free?Yep. Pretty much. As long as they fit correctly and the baby isn’t suffering a bout of diarrhea you will save your adorable outfits from that yellow/orange/green poop!
Cloth Diapers, unlike disposables, have elastic at the back, the legs, and sometimes even the front of the diaper. (some disposables have “elastic” but it still fits loosely) This means the diaper actually fits the baby very well and will contain the poop from leaking up the back or out of the legs!!!
I often hear the excuse from parents not wanting to use cloth diapers that they don’t want to deal with the poop.
I hate to tell them that in fact, they may be dealing with more poop in the newborn phase with disposables than a cloth diapering parent would. My babies have never had an Expoda-Poo (thanks Lisa from Weehuggers!).
Want proof?
This was a Ve-poop-ius of epic proportions! And truthfully, that diaper is 2 years old and the elastic is loose.
The proof is in the pudding. Err… maybe that is a bad analogy considering that photo. I may never eat pudding again now.
So next time your pregnant friend says she is afraid of those up the back poopy disasters, direct her to this photo and tell her that cloth diapers will save all of those pricey baby clothes! Heck, they will even coordinate with them! You can’t beat that!
I was approached by Sprout Change to review their new cloth diaper. I went to the website and looked at pictures and decided I would give it a shot.
Ease of Use ✰✰ Don’t get hung up on the stars too much. This category reflects not only the size changing of a one size diaper, but also how easy it is to put on the baby and take off. To adjust the size of this diaper takes a good amount of time. First, I couldn’t even figure it out. After I emailed the company I was still confused but did as she said. Basically, the legs have slotted elastic to adjust the rise. This can be seen in the Fuzzibunz One Size as well. To change the size you reach into a small hole in the front of the diaper. But how do you adjust the waist?!?! I had a tiny rise and a giant waist. There are only 3 snaps to choose from so it wasn’t going to snap tighter. Instead, you have to reach into the inside of the diaper, into each tab, and find a button and the slotted elastic in there. Getting in there isn’t the easiest thing in the world. I would say only small fingers will do. Daddy hands are out, unless Daddy has delicate tiny hands. Having the size chart I was sent will be handy. If you go by the seat of your pants and guess you might be upset when you have to do it all over again a few minutes later.
Now, once the sizing is DONE and correct, the diaper is easy to put on and off. The point of the complicated sizing is to make everyday changes simpler. Something I can appreciate. Rather than having multiple snap options on the waist, you get none. You have 3 snaps on each hip, one further in and one in line with the top snap. That is your only choice. I hear complaints with snap diapers that it is hard to know where to snap. This takes to guesswork out so even a Dad or caregiver can use a snapping diaper instead of a velcro one. It is an All in Two, and the inserts can be laid in easily and replaced with a new one.
Bang for the Buck✰✰✰ The Sprout Change diaper runs 25.00. This is definitely on the higher end of most cloth diapers. It is a one size that should fit 5-40 pounds, which is a large range. The materials of the insert are organic hemp and cotton. And the diapers are made in the US. This is a plus since many consumers want US made products and organic materials. Each insert is 6.95 and that isa great price for hemp/ cotton combo. Plus it is really soft!
Performance ✰✰✰✰This is the most important part, correct? If a diaper works it will have consumers. Well, the diaper does indeed work well. Once you get it adjusted you are good to go. You can use the prefold trifolded or put the prefold in the stay dry sleeve. The sleeve is an extra step worth taking if your child need a stay dry material, but mine doesn’t. The prefold was soft enough for me. Hemp/ cotton is absorbent so it held the pees in well. It is nice to use the prefold alone because you can fan it out in the back to catch the solid messes more. If you use the sleeve you ar emore at risk for having the mess get more on the cover than the insert.
Fit✰✰✰✰ I really do like diapers that use elastic as their sizing system. It is harder to adjust, but you only need to adjust it 4-6 times in a child’s diapering years. Since the hassle makes everyday diapering easier, this is something I can live with. I did get a very good fit for my son. After shooting the video I had to adjust it one more time and make the rise higher, and that made it just right. I can see this fitting a newborn, but am a little worried the waist doesn’t get large enough for bigger toddlers. I only have one slot on each side left and this is on my skinny man. I have 2 slots left on the rise, however.
Overall- Even though it sounds like I think this diaper is too complicated, I am just giving you a real review and my real experience. Yes, it is hard to get adjusted. Does that mean you shouldn’t buy it? Of course not. Once you get it adjusted you are able to use it very eaily for everyday. I would also think it should be good for daycares, even though most don’t like the snaps, there is only one choice to make for them. I don’t think the fleece sleeve is needed, but some might. And I would like the inside of the diaper to also be a fun color, to make reversing it worthwhile. There are some with dual colors, but would love even more! This diaper elminates ugly snaps in every form, on the waist and on the rise. It give you a very clean look, something everyone should appreciate.
Ease of Use ✰✰✰✰ The Antsy Pants pull on cloth diaper is so super simple to put on and off of your toddler. Since my son can be particularly “antsy” some days these have been awesome to use. I can pull them on him while he is standing or laying down. He never did make a solid mess in them, but if he had I could have also unsnapped it to avoid having the mess be slid down his legs. The only reason I wouldn’t give it a 5 is that to put the insert in (which we didn’t use much) you need to put in in the slot on the inside of the diaper. You have to fold it in a way that fits and then put it in. If you dno’t use the insert and have these more as a trainer then it is definitely a 5 star.
Bang for the Buck✰✰✰✰ The Antsy Pants are a unique item. They work just like pull ups but have the benefit of being reusable and way cute. The diaper runs 25.oo unless you buy them in packs, so you can get them as low as 21.00. I think if you are trying to potty learn or EC your toddler these are worth the price for the convenience. I would like a non waterproof version also so I could tell if we did miss a tinkle. But, I still love these for when we are going for potty only!
Performance ✰✰✰✰ These are perfect for what I think of them for, training They pull up and down easy, they hold a miss without an insert and more than that with the insert. I personally wouldn’t use this as a diaper when I think he is going to be in it for a while. I prefer it when we are using the potty. They will still work for that just fine with the insert.
Fit✰✰✰✰ These fit so cute on my son. I have a red and yellow pair and they look like superman undies. They have a bikini style and cover less of his butt than a diaper. Might not be good if he did have a solid mess in them… and worse for a less than solid mess. I referenced the size chart to choose his size and they fit well.
Overall- I am really happy with this diaper. It has made potty learning easier when we know we are working on it. You can pull some traditional cloth diapers up and down but it isn’t near as easy as this. Plus they look so cute on him I just love it! I wouldn’t buy a ton but I would definitely buy a few more to ease potty time on mommy and toddler.
