Recently there was a humongous uproar over a very small segment about Cloth Diapers vs Disposables which aired on CBS’s Eye on Parenting segment.  The reporter, Natali Morris, and her “expert” pediatrician went over the diapering options.  It was clear that disposable diapers were the winner for these two, with nary a mention of the modern cloth diapers available.  There was more talk of pins and prefolds with a brief “but there are diapers with velcro and snaps available” line at the end.  Frankly this whole thing seems poorly researched and a little rushed.  You can view this report here: CBS Eye on Parenting

Well….. cloth diaper users are actually pretty techy (there are only a million cloth diaper blogs, myself included) and we picked up on this report very quickly.  I actually get ALL the cloth diaper news delivered to my email with an alert.  If you write about cloth, I know it!  Unfortunately, the response was overwhelmingly venomous.  Yes, some commenters on the story simply informed the reporter that there are modern diapers and that the report was a little one sided, but the majority of comments were personal attacks on the reporter and the pediatrician in the feature.  There are 370 comments and counting on the original report.

I was very disappointed in this.  I have always known the cloth diaper community to be supportive and kind.  This was an ugly side that I wasn’t proud of.  You always catch more flies with honey!

Regardless, Natali did hear our cry and decided to challenge herself.  She made the decision to try modern cloth diapers for 30 days, on her own terms. Her husband and nanny would not have to use them if they didn’t want, but she would.

Immediately the enterprising cloth diaper makers got on the horn and sent packages of diapers for Natali to try.  She received Softbums, Rumparooz, Fuzzibunz, Rockin Green, and so on.  If nothing else Natali was able to accrue an impressive stash in a matter of days for nothing.  Talk about the money savings involved with cloth diapers!  She was so gung-ho she actually has to start over because she didn’t have everything she needed.

Natali gave it an honest to goodness try with us as her audience, there for the good and bad.  I was watching from the sidelines and rooting her on.  If she failed, we failed.  Cloth would receive another bad write up.  If she converted, we won!  There would be good press for modern cloth diapers from a major news outlet!

Natali traveled with cloth. Her husband even got involved.  I think by far my favorite part of this experiment was seeing the honest and genuine reaction to cloth diapers her husband gave on his webcast show “Daddy on Board.”  In his cloth diaper episode he talks about noticing that cloth didn’t shrivel up his little guy’s balls (what a guy thing to notice, but a valid point and great reason to use cloth, no chemicals!).  He also explained the toggle on a Softbums like a man.  But the best segment came when he talked about his wife watching diaper tutorials.  She told him that she thought a piece of the diaper was missing.  She was confused.  Where was the white strip she saw in the video?!  Well….. that white strip was simply a cloth wipe placed over the baby’s privates.  I loled.  Only an honest to god cloth diaper virgin would get in a tizzy over this.  It was so true and honest and real.  As cloth a cloth veteran this is something I would have never thought of.

Finally, the anticipated follow-up of the 30 Day Challenge aired, which you can view here. Tereson Dupuy, inventor of the modern cloth diaper (Fuzzibunz, the first pocket diaper) flew to NYC to help.  Together, Natali and Tereson discussed MODERN options.  If you want an idea of what went on to get this production together, Tereson posted a note on her Facebook page here.

She showed a Bummis cover with a prefold (this part was confusing because the explanation made it sound like a prefold WAS a cover, but then they briefly showed the inside and then explained a bit better), next came the gorgeous Artist Series bumGenius! Elemental as an example of an All in One, then a G Diaper for the hybrid option, then a Fuzzibunz Pocket diaper.  They also touch on laundering (they showed Rockin’ Green as a diaper detergent) and disposable of the solid waste.

The good news is that Natali is a convert!  She loves cloth diapers now.

I am extremely happy with how things went. Cloth diapers received great publicity.  A few options were presented and explained briefly in a simple way.  Natali is right, researching cloth diapers when you have never seen one or known anyone who uses them, is extremely overwhelming.  I was drowning information 2.5 years ago when I started my journey too.  Every site says something different, especially when it comes to washing.  There is just no easy solution.

Thanks Natali for ignoring the negative and focusing on the message of cloth diapers and their benefits.   I wish you continued success and look forward to your reviews of the cloth diapers you have tried so far on Mommy Beta.

To see all of her posts from the 30 Day Challenge:

http://mommybeta.squarespace.com/blogs/2010/11/5/cloth-diapering-challenge-i-accept.html

http://mommybeta.squarespace.com/blogs/2010/11/11/cloth-diaper-challenge-do-over.html

http://mommybeta.squarespace.com/blogs/2010/11/15/cloth-diaper-challenge-hits-the-road.html

http://mommybeta.squarespace.com/blogs/2010/11/23/cloth-diaper-challenge-update.html

The news has been dismal lately.  Every single day I see a new attack on breastfeeding. I haven’t addressed any so far because there have been plenty of other bloggers out there doing it for me.  Today was my breaking point.

Attacking breastfeeding suddenly became the thing to do.  Perhaps the attention that Kim Kardashian received for her tweet regarding nursing in public as “gross” made another “celebrity” think this was her chance to grab the spotlight for a moment.

Img: Hollywood Grind

But because this “celebrity” is Adrianne Curry (I use celebrity in quotes for a reason) she has to go further than the word gross.  In fact, if you go through her tweets she compares breastfeeding to “pooping, peeing’ masturbating, and cunnilingus”  She goes on to say “But to each their own”  This qualifier doesn’t make what was said acceptable.  That is like saying “I don’t like *insert ethnicity here*, but to each their own.”

She admitted she would get blasted for it on Twitter.  And she got some comments, though due to her caliber of followers, most cheered her on and added their own graphic metaphors for what breastfeeding in public is like.

Adrianne also admits that she was not breastfed and was told by some doctor she can’t breastfeed because she has implants. Second opinion?  Because most mothers with implants have gone on to successfully nurse their babies, including Kendra Wilkinson.

Obviously society failed Adrianne, who has had zero exposure to breastfeeding in her life.  And her persona is based upon her appearance.  Her life is wrapped up in looking good and having nice tits.  If her audience saw her nursing her baby they might not associate those breasts with sexy so much as they see them for their intended purpose.

A part of me understands how some women like Adrianne, and the author of the hotly debated article “I Formula Fed.  So What?’” have come to the conclusion that breastfeeding is “creepy.”  I myself, as a teen’ swore I would never breastfeed because these knockers were for entertainment purposes only.  Becoming an adult changed my mind.  I realized that is what they are there for.  I grew up.  I didn’t need an ad campaign to show me breastfeeding is normal. But some people do and I am grateful for groups like Best for Babes because they will change things for the better.

I am still at a loss how a mother like Kathryn Blundell can still deny the maternal instinct to breastfeed.  Even those who choose to formula for work/ supply/ etc issues usually try, and will admit breastfeeding is the thing they should do if they could.  Adrianne, on the other hand, has not yet experienced motherhood or the way it can change you.  While there is no excuse for blasting breastfeeding, especially in such a vile and public way, we can only hope she will change her mind one day and that her opinion doesn’t rub off on the impressionable youth.

I’d love to hear your thoughts!  Have you always wanted to breastfeed?  Did you ever think it was “gross?”  What changed your mind?

Since posting about Pampers Dry Max causing rashes on April 12 the media at large has jumped on board.  Heather from RDA has called the troops to contact their own local media outlets to get coverage about the dangers of Pampers and to take this opportunity to promote cloth diapers.  I hope you will join us in this endeavor.

Meanwhile, plenty of local and national news networks have already covered the story.  Here is a selection of links if you would like to see what is being said and done about Pampers Dry Max.  Even if you think my posts have an agenda or are biased (which they do since I am pro-cloth, however the truth remains there is a faulty product here) perhaps reading these stories will change your mind.

NBC Connecticut

CBS 2 Chicago

KSFY ABC South Dakota

WBZ

The Daily Herald

MSNBC (Reuters)

There has also been some blog coverage.

ZRecs (They are performing their own evaluation of the product)

StollerDerby wrote about Pampers back in January.  Possibly the earliest mention.

Consumerist (one of my favorite blogs to read)

And finally, if you really want to know what parents are thinking, hit the messageboards!  Moms across the globe are sharing their personal experiences with Dry Max, good and bad.

BabyCenter Debate Forum

If you have a great story you have read about Pampers and want to share it, link it in the comments.  Additionally, if you can, please contact your local news networks about Pampers.  be sure to add that cloth diapers have no chemicals!

In case you missed it, this morning Sara Snow, Green Living Expert, appeared on Good Morning America to talk about how to green your baby’s diapers.  She broke it down into “green’ greener’ greenest” as far as diapering options go.

She discussed chlorine free disposables (the green option), which while they might be slightly better as far as the chemicals within go, are no better for the environment.

Next, the “greener” option, were hybrid systems.  She highlighted G Diapers and Flip.  (Here is a video comparing G Diapers to Gro Baby, and my video review of the Flip system.)

Bum Genius 3.0

The “greenest” option is of course cloth diapers.  On the set she had Bum Genius, which she announced she plans to use with her baby.  Unfortunately, she was cut short due to time and hardly got to talk about the cloth diapers!  She was able to briefly mention a diaper sprayer and getting rid of the solid waste.

I was pretty happy with the representation of cloth diapers, and even more happy by the discussion of the chemicals contained in disposables.  The host said he was shocked by how many chemicals were in them and said it was scary stuff!  Bravo!

If you want to watch the segment and read the write up about how to green your baby’s diaper on ABC News, follow this link.

I just love it when cloth diapers get media attention!

Folks, I dropped the ball on Fluffy Mama this week. The time flew and by the time I thought to send off the questions to the next person it was Friday! So instead I am going to give you a sneak peak of things to come.

First, Monday will be the video review of the Fuzzibunz One Size AND a giveaway for a FB OS sponsored by Go Green Baby Co.! You don’t want to miss the chance to win this diaper, it is fabulous!

Want to know some of the diapers that will be getting reviewed in the near future? Well, I will tell you. In no particular order: Snap EZ Pocket with Fleece, Monkey Doodles fitted, Gro Baby with snaps, Soft Bums AI2, Kiwi Pie OS fitted, Cheeky Diapers OS cover, Lollidoo, the Bambino Mio Nappy system, and many wool covers for All About Wool Week in late September. Many of these diapers will have a corresponding giveaway as well.

The 3rd Week in September I will be in Las Vegas attending the ABC Kids Expo. I will get to see the new diaper from Cotton Babies, Econobums, first hand. I will also get to see the new ♥2♥ from Ergo, which is still a mystery but I have my own theories. That week I have an information series planned on Cloth Diapers which will include posts like “How to Dive into Cloth Diapering Without Drowning” and “The Scoop on Poop.” When time allows I will be posting fun updates from ABC. AND, follow my twitter to get live tweets from the show about the newest baby items!

October will include Babywearing Week. All about the many different styles of carriers and how best to use them. Pssst.… one lucky reader is going to win a Hands Free System from Ergo (carrier, front pouch, and backpack) I am sooo jealous!

And, I am in the process of starting a new website dedicated solely to reviews and giveaways. I still want to do cloth diaper giveaways on this site, but I want to keep DDL more about content. So, very soon I will have a new site just for that. Stay tuned!