Often times a cloth diapering mother will worry, perhaps excessively, over red marks left behind by cloth diapers.  I want to relieve all of those mothers of their fears right now- red marks left behind by elastic is usually fine and not painful for the baby!  I say usually because there are some cases that it is a sign of bad fit or pain but that will be discussed later.

Red marks on my arms left by clothing

Think back to all of the times you have removed your socks, bra, skinny jeans, or bracelets- were there indentations and red marks left behind?  The tighter the article of clothing and the longer you have worn them the deeper or redder the marks, yes?  9 times out of 10 the marks were pain free, am I right?  Speaking from personal experience I have had a few square inches left by an intricate bracelet on my arm and, although the pattern was dark red and deep, I felt no pain.  Models are not allowed to wear clothes, especially underwear or bras, before runway shows because there would be red marks.  Red marks+fancy gowns= not sexy.

In the cloth diaper world  ”red marks” is a dirty word.  “Oh, that diaper left red marks on my son!  I stopped using them.”

I don’t want to sound like I am discrediting a parent’s judgement making ability.  If you as a parent believe the marks are causing pain then you need to trust that instinct.  However, there are different types of red marks that I will explain further in case you need help deciding.

If the red mark very dark (almost like a blood bruise), is very deep (especially deep and thin), looks like it is caused by rubbing or chaffing, leaves bruises, or in severe cases has caused blood or blisters, then obviously the diaper is too tight and those are not OK.

I have been snapping photos of red marks as they arose with my son Everett for several months.  Luckily we don’t see many “bad” marks but it has happened.  Below are some examples and my opinion on their severity.

This Red Mark is Normal and Totally Painless

Notice the color and depth of these red marks above. The color is pinkish and the marks don’t appear to be deep at all. The marks were left by elastic around the back and legs. Everett was in a chunkier phase when this was taken a few months ago.

Dark, rub marks left on legs

In the case of the red marks left above the diaper was rubbing just enough to chafe right in the elastic area. The legs were too tight in this case and I would (unfortunately) assume this mark to have been painful for my son.  The photo isn’t the best but in person it was obvious that it was not a typical indentation and was part indent part chafe.

red marks left by snaps

Other causes of red marks/indentations can be caused by snaps.  Above is an example of exposed snaps (a pet peeve of mine) that left red marks on Everett.  In this case they don’t appear to be painful since these were the female ends but the marks were pronounced.  Exposed MALE (the socket is facing outward) snaps are a major concern and would definitely cause discomfort and pain so beware of this issue.  In some cases babies grow wider in the waist and male snaps are left undone which might dig into their skin.

If you are looking for a cloth diaper that is less likely to leave red marks there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Most important is just having a good fit.  Some diapers run smaller in the thighs than others, even a “One Size” diaper.  If your baby has extra chunky legs you might want to investigate the potential diapers you are interested in.  One way is to read reviews; one place is my database- ClothDiaperFinder.com.
• The width of the elastic is important.  Just like with snow shoes, the principal of spreading the the pressure applies to cloth diapers as well.  The thinner the elastic the more likely a red mark will be left.  Wider elastics will be less likely to leave a painful red mark.  I once tested a diaper with such thin elastic it looked like my son had been cut all the way around his leg!
• Look for alternatives to leg cuff styles.  Some covers made from Fleece and Wool will use cuffs instead of elastic.  A hybrid option is the BabyKicks 3g which has a fleece gusset.
• Diapers that size up or down via the leg elastic would be easiest to adjust to get a looser fit that is less likely to cause painful red marks.
• Encased elastic is more likely to leave red marks than un-encased elastic.  Ruffled/Gathered elastic can also leave red marks but I’ve yet to have any deep/dark red marks from them.  In my Cloth Diaper Finder in the details window you can learn which type of elastic each diaper has.

@KimRosas it bothers him, but I just can’t see how it’s comfortable. It’s our backup diaper bag cover.
— Kelly Shelton (@KellyFShelton) March 22, 2012

@KimRosas I have a few #clothdiapers covers that leave red marks. They bother me, but they don’t seem to bother my little guy.
— erinann (@babywearingblog) March 22, 2012

@KimRosas My kids don’t get them from dipes since I use prefolds & wool covers, but from clothes if light& go away easily not a big deal — Jo Jo and Bella (@jojoandbella) March 22, 2012

@KimRosas I usually don’t mind them but put fitted & @ThirstiesInc cover on for night & guess it was too tight. left bruises on her legs — OneTomorrowataTime (@acshaver) March 22, 2012

@KimRosas I’ve never noticed anything more than what might be left by socks.It has never been an issue for us.
— Eco-Friendly Family (@EFFBlog) March 22, 2012

@KimRosas Don’t care as long as Baby doesn’t care…and he doesn’t.
— Sarita Li Johnson (@SaritaLiJohnson) March 22, 2012

@KimRosas I care. I think red marks R an indication of diaper being 2 tight or irritating the skin. I want baby 2 B comfortable & happy!
— Every Morning (@numercies) March 22, 2012

@KimRosas Red marks didn’t bug me, but now DS will rub his legs and say “ow” when I take the dipe off.He doesn’t complain while it’s on.
— Maria (@chgdiapers) March 22, 2012

(In this case I would also argue that the baby is feeling the same thing an adult would after taking off the article of clothing that left the mark: I feel a loss of the item and remember it being there. It is an odd sensation- not quite itchy, not really painful, and hard for a baby to explain.)

@KimRosas I care. I think red marks R an indication of diaper being 2 tight or irritating the skin. I want baby 2 B comfortable & happy! — Every Morning (@numercies) March 22, 2012

@KimRosas I only care about red marks if it seems to bother baby. Even socks can leave red marks; doesn’t always mean they’re too tight. — Johanna Scott (@SBuxMommy_VA) March 22, 2012

@KimRosas I care if they are DEEP red marks! But just seeing them because something was against their skin I don’t mind. #clothdiapers
— Jenny (@JennyMcClamroch) March 22, 2012

@KimRosas I care if it is an overnight. I use Goodmamas and no probs. Day dipes only stay on 2ish hours. #clothdiapers
— Lauren Ridge (@theridgefamily) March 22, 2012

***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.

Where to buy:

The Willow Store

A diaper was sent for free for the purposes of this review.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own and not influence by the sponsor.

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.