Welcome to Little Red Parkas


Little Red Parkas,

here to bring resources, guidance and support for mothers of young children as based on a poem from the Bible about a Virtuous Woman.



Looking for the Cloth Diapers from the demo class? check out the "Cloth Diapering" page below.





Friday, December 3, 2010

Focus on Cloth - Pocket Diapers

(a little more info still to come, along with pictures, but here is a start) Just the Facts, ma'am. a quick review from cloth diaper page: Pockets: These diapers consist of a waterproof outer layer (often PUL [poly urethane laminate] fabric) and an inner layer of fleece or suede cloth. Like the style implies, these diapers have a Pocket opening (usually in the back of the diaper) into which you add absorbent insert/s (included when you purchase new) inbetween the outer waterproof layer and the inner fleece/suede cloth layer. When "serviced" the inside fleece/suede does not feel wet, but allows the pee to pass through to the absorbent insert inside the pocket. Inserts are often made of microfiber, a very absorbent material that holds much more liquid that cotton.

Change whole diaper (pocket and insert) when wet, use a new Pocket diaper with insert each time.

*Happy Heiny brand Pocket diapers can be purchased on the Happy Baby Bum website.


Let's break it down - a little more details.


Raves: Pockets are daddy, grandparent, and baby-sitter friendly. They go on similar to a disposable diaper, making them a favorite for many families.


Stay-Dry: Moms love pockets because of the "stay-dry" effect of the fleece or suede. Baby's bum stays feeling dry and happy. While some babys may have a sensitivity to the fleece, most find that the "stay-dry" of the fleece helps keep rashes from popping up. (Babies with a family history of skin sensitivity may have a reaction to fleece or suede...try just buying a couple diapers at first to see if there is any problem...gently used cloth diapers have excellent resale value, try craigslist, ebay or an online diaper site diaperswappers.com [registration required]).


Adjustable Absorbancy: Pockets are also a favorite because you can easily adjust the absorbancy of the diaper based on how many and what type of insert you place inside the pocket. One insert for general, daytime use; two for naps or car trips, and overnight. Many one size pocket diapers include two inserts; a small and a large insert. Use the small for newborn/small settings, the larger insert for medium/large settings. Use both inserts simultaniously for heavy wetters or overnight.


Overnight Solutions: Again, because of the stay-dry feature of pockets, it is a popular choice as an overnight diaper. However, for your older sleep-through-the-night child, both inserts may not be enough. Extra inserts can be used or inserts made of differnet fibers may be purchased. Hemp is very absorbant and is a popular choice. Hemp is a slow absorbing material, whereas microfiber is fast absorbing. If using a combination of inserts, the microfiber inserts should be placed in the diaper so that it is closer to baby with hemp being underneath.


*For my 3 year old, we used a hemp insert sandwiched between two microfiber inserts in order to keep her dry. It was a little bulky, but she was a sleep and did not mind...and she was dry!


How does sizing work? Pockets can be purchased in as SIZED POCKETS, from preemie (from approx. 4lbs) to XL (up to around 45lbs). Many brands also offer ONE SIZE (OS) Pockets. One Size diapers feature snaps up the front of the diaper that snap down to adjust the rise of the diaper. Most have three rows of snaps, (Happy Heinys has four rows) to create the various sizes from (x)small to large.

Washing Pockets


Is that your final answer?


You've made your choice, you've got your pocket diapers.


you're ready to put them on your baby, right?


MAYBE!


First, what type of inserts came, or did you purchase, with your pockets? All cloth diapers should be washed before wearing for cleanliness and to be prepped.


Microfiber (the most common insert included with pockets) will be fine with just a single wash and dry. Detergant is optional for a first wash.


If you purchase natural fiber inserts (cotton, hemp or bamboo) they need to be washed seperately from other diapers to remove the natural oils and make them absorbant. (if you wash with other diapers/inserts, the oils will attatch to them causing them to be less absorbant). These should be washed and dried 5-6 times before use and will keep getting more and more absorbant until around the 10-12 wash. They can also be boiled (provided they do not have any snaps) if you need to prep a small amount of inserts.

Washing Your Pockets. Before washing, you need to remove the inserts from the pocket. While some pockets advertise that the inserts adgitate out while in the washer, I tend to want to pull the inserts out anyway to expose them to the maximum amount water. I believe most moms remove the insert right away when placing the soiled diaper into the wetbag/diaper hamper. I often forget as I only use them for overnight. Removing the insert right before putting the diaper in the washer does not harm the diaper, although it may insult your nose. As will all diapers, if your pocket has a 'Velcro' closure, attatch the wings to the landry tabs to avoid a diaper chain (a literal chaing of diapers that connect to each other's 'velcro' closure while adgitating in the washer or dryer). Snap closures do not require any special prep before landrying.




Focus on Cloth - Intro

When I tried to complile a simple yet informative page on cloth diapers, I quickly realized I could easily make an entire website devoted to explaining the various types of diapers as well as pages and pages of tips and recommendations. While there are many sites out there, it can be difficult to find a good comparison of various styles, the pros and cons of each and so on.
All that to say, I'm going to attempt to focus on each type of cloth diaper over the next several posts and get more indepth with my information.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Lead Me

My husband and I are really moved by this song lately, and I just wanted to share it with you.


Lead Me, by Sanctus Real

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Love - Pass it On

One of our daughter's favorite books is "Love You Forever" by Robert Munsch. Every night, we have to read, or at least sing the song from, Love You Forever. She'll grab my hand and say, "Forever, Mommy, forever?"

And I'll pull her into my lap and read the book and sing the song the mommy sings to her son...

"I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living,
My baby you'll be."

The mommy sings this song everynight to her son...
...when he's a cute little baby,
an active two year old who flushed her watch down the toilet,
a messy 9 year old,
a teenager with strange friends, clothes and music,
and a grown man who moves away to his own home.
It ends with the boy, now a grown man, singing I'll Love You Forever to his own little baby girl.

While it is just a simple little children's book, I love the message it carries.

Tell your child daily (hourly!) that you love them. Whether they are obediant or disobediant, having a good day or bad day, make you smile or make you cry.

Our children face many struggles and challenges in this world. They can be plagued with doubts and fears...don't let them question your love for them.

Children are a gift from the LORD;
they are a reward from him. Psalms 127:3

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

coming up for air

Whew, what a busy few weeks. Touched Twice event went superbly with hundreds of people being helped and lots of moms checking out cloth diapering.
There are a few things in the works:
-giving cloth info to The Crossing Pregnancy Center (I will be available demonstrate cloth diapers to interested moms/-to-be)
-co-ordinating with the Health Department to do a demo
-adding pictures and even 'slide-shows' to the various pages to give a better understanding of the diapers available for display.

As always, feel free to contact me! I'd love to answer any questions you may have!

Friday, August 6, 2010

Cloth Diaper Demo at Touched Twice - Free Clinic Manitowoc

Little Red Parkas will make it's cloth diaper demo debut Sat. Aug 14th at Faith Church on the south side of Manitowoc (map). Past Touched Twice events have seen 600+ people come through the doors to receive free medical screening, eye exams, haircuts, family portraits, groceries and even counseling in various life matters.
Cloth Diapering will be demonstrated near the Child Care Area... which I believe is in the sanctuary.
These are NOT your grandma's diapers...modern cloth diapering has come a long way and I will be there to show you the way! (Hey, I warned you about my personality quirks.) Are you interested in saving up to $800 a year, per child? I'll see you there!

Friday, May 14, 2010

Welcome

Little Red Parkas exsists to offer resources, guidance and support to mothers of young children as based on the Virtuous Woman in Proverbs 31:10-31.