Written by Stacy Karen, Contributing Writer

Essential oils make home remedies quick and easy to prepare. With a select few on hand you will be able to create all manner of healing products and all-natural cleaning supplies.

When it comes to using essential oils with infants and babies, it can be daunting (and should be approached with caution). I have often wondered how much to use, or if certain oils were safe for young ones. After all, essential oils are extremely concentrated and powerful substances.

The following are some simple guidelines and recipes that I hope will be helpful to you.

Which Essential Oils are Safe for Babies?

In The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy, Valerie Ann Worwood recommends the following essential oils:

For infants, zero to two months of age:

Chamomile, Roman and German
Lavender
Yarrow
Dill

For babies, two to six months of age:

The above, plus Mandarin and Neroli.

For babies, six to twelve months of age:

The above plus Calendula, Grapefruit, and Tea Tree.

(A few others are also recommended for these ages, but none that I have used myself.)

What to look for in an Essential Oil

It is important to get the best quality oil possible. Make sure it is 100% pure essential oil and not a massage or perfume oil.

Many bottles of essential oil display the words: therapeutic grade. However, since there are no official standards for essential oils, buying one that states it is therapeutic grade does not a guarantee that the oil is actually good quality.

Knowing the source is the best way to ensure that the oil you buy is high quality.

Do a little research whenever possible.  It is usually safer to buy organic essential oils since there are some official standards for using that term (although it's still not a guarantee).

One company I have been very impressed with is Young Living. They readily share information about their sources and methods.

Cautions

It is very important to use caution when beginning to use essential oils with a baby. Essential oils are very strong, so be sure to use a light hand; only one or two drops need to be mixed with water for diffusing or oil for massage.

A few points to remember:

• Do not place undiluted essential oil close to baby's face.
• Never used undiluted essential oil directly on baby’s skin (it can burn and cause irritation).
• Never use undiluted essential oil in a diffuser (the scent will be too strong).
• Never ingest an essential oil.

When in doubt, don't. It's better to be safe than sorry. Test remedies containing essential oils on a small area of skin to see if any reaction may occur.

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How to Use Essential Oils with Babies

Two of the easiest and most effective ways to use essential oils with babies are:

1. Diffuse essential oil in a diffuser or oil burner so it disperses through the air and is inhaled.
2. Mix essential oil with a carrier oil to create a massage/body oil for baby which will penetrate the skin.

The general guidelines are as follows:

To Diffuse Essential Oils for Baby

Add one drop of essential oil to two teaspoons of water and add to diffuser.

To Make a Massage Oil for Baby

Add one or two drops of essential oil to two tablespoons of sweet almond oil and blend. Use this mixture to give baby a relaxing massage.

Once baby is over two months old, essential oils may be increased to three to five drops per two tablespoons of oil.

A few other helpful remedies:

Bedtime Massage Oil - Using the method above, blend one drop of lavender or chamomile essential oil with two tablespoons of carrier oil.

Diaper Rash - Add one drop German Chamomile essential oil and one drop Lavender essential oil to a pint of warm water. Store in a clean jar. Dip a cotton ball into the mixture and use to wipe baby's bottom.

Homemade Calendula Salve with lavender oil is also excellent for treating diaper rash.

Herbal Baby Powder is also useful in keeping babies bottom dry while bringing the healing power of herbs to the affected area.

Colic - Diffuse one drop lavender and two drops peppermint in an oil burner filled with water.

Severe Colic - Add one drop of dill essential oil to one tablespoon of sweet almond oil. Stir to blend. Use this massage oil to rub baby's tummy gently. Also rub oil on baby's back with circular motions. (This recipe was found in The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy).

To Soothe and Calm - Add a drop of lavender or chamomile essential oil to a cotton ball and place inside your shirt. Hold baby and rock next to you. They will smell the scent as they are comforted by your warm body.

Safe Surface Cleaner - Add eight drops of mandarin essential oil and one cup of water to a spray bottle. Use this mixture to wipe down surfaces in baby's room.

Further reading:

Using Essential Oils with Babies and Children

Essential Oil Care for Babies and Children

Natural, Homemade Baby Care

Have you used essential oils with any of your babies? If so, what are your favorite remedies?

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

• Basic Necessities for a New Baby
• Homemade teething cookies for baby
• Herbs for the Fussy Baby
• A Year of Herbs: Pregnancy and the Use of Essential Oils, Part 2

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Written by Natalie Klejwa, Contributing Writer

I'm not a child expert or anything. I've had a few babies. I've learned over the years that there is a lot of paraphernalia out there you could purchase or register for to get ready for your new family member, but most of it is completely unnecessary and a total waste of money.

This is my list of the good stuff that I have not regretted purchasing, and some of it I have only recently discovered. I wish I had read a list like this when I was starting out. I'm certain it would have saved me money, headache, and clutter.

Getting Ready for Mama

You need a few things to get through those first few weeks of nurturing a newborn! Here are the basic necessities for Mama:

• Lansinoh Lanolin This is the only thing that solves the cracked, bleeding nipples problem of a nursing mama in those first couple of weeks. The nurses will tell you that you won't have cracked, bleeding nipples if you "nurse right".   I'm fairly certain that's a lie. You very likely will, and for two weeks it will be toe-curling pain. But...just because it hurts to nurse the first couple weeks doesn't mean your nipples have to crack and bleed too. Just apply it to your nipples after every feeding. When I faithfully use lanolin, I avoid a lot of extra trouble. You really don't need it after the first month...but save it for the next baby!

• Wool Nursing Pads Don't bother with disposables. They are crackly and uncomfortable. (Who wants to put paper next to their breasts?) I used cotton pads for several babies, and it was better than disposable...but now I'm turned on to all wool pads. They are expensive, but you only need two pair, one to wear and one to wash, and they will last for all your babies. They soak up a lot of milk, are warm, naturally anti-bacterial, and very comfortable.

• Setting Their Hope in God by Andrew Case This is the book I use every day when I pray for my children. It is simply Scripture written into powerful prayers. Diapering them, feeding them, rocking them to sleep, stimulating their brains...all good things. But the most important time you will spend each day is the time you pray for them. If you want to raise young adults who follow hard after Christ...you'll need the power of God at work in their lives. Start praying now. It will change your own life too! (The Kindle version is only $.99!!)

Image by Caitlinator

Getting Ready For Baby

• White Noise Machine This seriously helps babies sleep better and longer. Think about it. They are used to the white noise inside your womb, and then all of a sudden they're exposed to the total quietness of large, empty spaces. Sudden noises can be very startling and unsettling. If you can make the transition from the womb to the world more seamless, you will be doing yourself and your baby a huge favor. In our home, our rambunctious kids make enough "white noise" to suffice during the daytime. But at night, both Baby and Mama sleep better with the sound of our white noise machine. A loud fan will also do the trick.
  

• Aden & Anais Cotton Muslin Swaddle Wraps Once I discovered these little lovelies, I threw out my hundreds of flannel receiving blankets I had collected over the years. These wraps are stretchy, light, and offer a bundled "feel" while still allowing the limbs to move slightly...as if they are in the womb. Because they are light material, they won't overheat your baby. I found three to be plenty, but I do laundry every day when I have a new baby. If you don't have much laundry in your life, you may find that you need a few more for those times when your newborn spits up and has blow outs on them. As I recall, this is a daily occurrence in the life of a newborn.

• Hanna Andersson Night Night Baby Sleepers Other than 10 white, onesie t-shirts, you don't really need any other clothes. I usually buy mine used on Ebay...but my babies have LIVED in these for the first year of their lives. They are soft, comfortable sleepers and adorable, cozy play suits all in one. This brand is by far superior to any other brand I've tried. The zippers are so much better than snaps as far as ease of diaper changing, getting on and off. I don't recommend buying things with snaps or buttons unless you are looking for things to do with your time. (Clothes with collars are also troublesome on a baby.) The cotton is super soft, high quality, and lasts for several babies. Other brands get holes in them or wear through...are thin...too fitted...etc. You can try to save money by going with an inferior product (believe me, I've gone that route more times than I care to remember), but you will end up paying the same price in the long run.

• Cloth Diaper Stash I realize not everyone is a cloth diaper mama.  That's OK.  I adore cloth diapers, and have had a lot of fun trying different kinds, but I've really settled on Bum Genius as my favorite brand.  I loved using the all-in-one pockets for a few years.  Now I'm using the Bum Genius All-In-One Elemental Organic with snaps.  It took a while to get used to the snaps concept, but now I like not messing with pockets and velcro.  I've found 15 to be the perfect number to last for two days.  You have to wash them every 48 hours anyway, so there's no need to be storing more than that.  These will not work for newborns.  I've just used disposable for those newborn days, but I did break down and buy 12 Fuzzi Buns x-small pocket dipes for this next baby while he/she is in the newborn stage.  Mainly because the right cloth diapers handle those newborn blowouts (you know...the ones that go all the way up the back and out the top...somewhat like a volcano?) more gracefully than disposables.

• Ergo Baby Carrier Everyone has their preference when it comes to these. There are some wonderful carriers to choose from!  I would not go with a cheap brand unless you want to ruin your back. Might as well get a high quality carrier, use it for all your babies, and be happy. I'm not as excited about the Ergo for the newborn stage, so for my next baby I'm planning to try a Moby Wrap for those first couple of months. I bought mine from Simply Nurtured (owner, Courtney Dunkin, in a contributor here!)

• Bouncer Seat.  You can't NOT have one of these. If you are trying to save money...skip the swing and just get the bouncer. (Some of them are actually a bouncer/swing in one!) I really like the vibrating bouncers...they usually put a fussy baby to sleep in a pinch. (Wish they made them for big people...)

• Lullaby CDs My personal favorites are An Angel In My Arms by Pearl and Serene, Hidden in My Heart: A Lullaby Journey Through Scripture 1 and 2, Bedtime Prayers: Lullabies and Peaceful Worship by Twila Paris, and Sleep Sound in Jesus by Michael Card.

Image by em 140

Planning for a Growing Baby

• Activity Jumper  I use this from about 4 months until my babies are almost 2! They love to jump in it...and it is a great place to put them when you are doing family devotions with the older kids...or when you want to "contain" them for a period of time (maybe when you are making dinner...)

• Gym Little babies LOVE these. They learn to reach, pull, bat, and grab. You can get cheap ones with no bells and whistles and just add your own toys to them with some links. I use mine every day from the time my babies are about 1 month until they are old enough to crawl away.

• Pack and Play We've gone through three of these over the course of 8 children, mainly because we use them every day until our children are into their toddler years. They are great for travel, playtime, visiting relatives, etc. We even use them as a toddler bed if our toddler type isn't quite ready to transition to a bigger bed when the new baby comes home. HERE is a link to a nice, big square sized one. I'm expecting our ninth baby in a couple of months, and since we are in need of replacing our older, very rickety model, we're planning to get the Graco Modern Pack-N-Play Playard with Changer and Bassinet.  I like to "hole up" in my room with a new baby for a few weeks, and because my current youngest will only be 21 months old and still in need of using our crib in the nursery, this model will enable me to have a changing table and "bassinet" in my room with me...with the added bonus of a future pack and play...all in one.

• Play Yard This is similar to a pack and play, but provides a much larger play space. Once my babies are crawling, this goes up in our family room. It enables the kids to play with the baby in an enclosed area, ensuring that the baby will not crawl off and get into danger. We put this up outside, at the beach, etc. It is one of those contraptions that we definitely could NOT live without. Right now, we have our old pack and play in the play room downstairs so our 19 month old can play "with" the other kids and be safe, while the Play Yard is currently upstairs in the family room where he is safely contained when the kids and family are up in that area.

While there are countless other fun looking, necessary sounding gizmos and gadgets all designed to collect your money and supposedly bring you and your baby happiness, I've found these to be the indispensable items that we use on a daily basis in our home.

You may have noticed a lot of things...like baby bathtubs and baby towels, bumbo seats and nursing pillows...are missing.  I've just found those to be more of a hassle than a help, and storing all the equipment can be tricky if you live in a small space.

Keep it simple on your budget, your storage space, and your sanity, and just enjoy that miraculous bundle of sweetness straight from heaven!

What are your "necessities" for a new baby?

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I know that this is going to be a very popular giveaway, and there's no question why! Cloth diapering is obviously important among my readers (as it is to me), and you love having the opportunity to win cloth diaper products and find new places to shop.

What makes cloth diapering so popular and so important?

1. Cost. There's no doubt that using cloth saves money.
2. Environmental stewardship. I'm a firm believer in cutting down our waste as much as possible, and using cloth diapers is a simple way to do just that.
3. Baby's health. Conventional diapers are filled with various chemical substances, some more toxic than others. Having these on our precious little one's bottoms all day long, especially once they're wet, just doesn't seem like a good idea to me.
4. Ease. Today's cloth diapers are NOT your grandmother's cloth diapers. They're easy to use, easy to wash, and oh so cute!

Sweet Little Blessings has been a sponsor here at Keeper of the Home multiple times and their online store is just such a good fit for all of you naturally-minded mamas:

• Huge selection of your favorite cloth-diapering products, including one-size pocket diapers, all-in-ones, fitted diapers, diaper covers, prefolds and flats, newborn diapers, inserts and doublers, and accessories like wet bags.
• All of the most popular brands, like FuzziBunz, BumGenius, Thirsties, Happy Heiny's, Motherease, Bummis and Imse Vimse.
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Written by Erin Odom, Contributing Writer

Last year this time, I prided myself on the fact that my 2 year old had never had a full-blown ear infection.

A strong proponent of breastfeeding and having nursed her until she was almost 2, I just knew my milk had protected her from ever really getting sick.

And I just knew it would protect my newborn as well.

I never imagined how sick my new baby would be most of the winter and into the spring.

And ear infections? She had several.

Avoiding Antibiotics

When I became a mother, I was surprised at how often my friends' babies were on antibiotics for ear infections.

My first ear infection ever was when I was 24. I was living 12 hours away from my mama--and I cried like a baby wishing she were there to comfort me!

When my second daughter was diagnosed with her first ear infection at only a few months old, I was surprised yet determined to treat the infection holistically. She had already endured several months of yeast infections, so I knew her little gut health was off, and I didn't want to introduce antibiotics into her system.

Determining the Cause

There are typically three causes of ear infections: bacterial (which, theoretically, antibiotics will help), viral (which antibiotics will not help) and allergen-induced (which are remedied when the allergens are removed).

The problem is that it’s difficult for many doctors to actually diagnose the cause of most ear infections. Unless there are signs of a virus or symptoms of an allergy, they may prescribe antibiotics.

Thankfully, my daughters’ pediatrician is integrative and was willing to work with us on alternative remedies—especially since it was pretty obvious her infections were viral.

Image by clappstar

Holistic Healing of Ear Infections

Under her direction and the direction of our chiropractor, here are several remedies we tried:

1. Colloidal Silver Drops: Colloidal Silver is an immunity booster and natural antibiotic. We usually put 2 drops in each ear 2 times per day during an infection.

2. Garlic Oil Drops: Garlic has many antibacterial properties. We purchased our garlic oil at our local natural health store, but you could easily make your own. Like colloidal silver, we would put 2 drops in each ear 2 times per day. We actually rotated with the colloidal silver, for 8 drops total per day.

3. Chiropractic Care: During the birthing process, neck vertebrae can become misaligned, which can affect the eustachian tube. This may lead to fluid buildup and cause ear infections. Regular chiropractic adjustments can help realign those tiny spines and prevent recurrent ear infections.

4. Lymphatic Massage: At the advice of my massage therapist friend, I massaged the lymph nodes under my baby's ear--in a downward motion. KerryAnn, of Cooking Traditional Foods, says: "I have the type that will make you want to bang your head on the wall, but if I do the massage 4-6 times a day, my ears stay clear and don't hurt."

5. Breast Milk: Squirting drops of breast milk in infected ears can also speed up the healing process. I used this method the least—simply because I did not pump very frequently. (And manually expressing into her ears was a little awkward!)

Image by simmbarb

A Lesson in Humility

Did the above remedies work for my daughter? Well, yes…and no.

She ended up having three or four infections total, which, although it surprised me, my chiropractor insisted was not a lot for a child who had had RSV. In fact, she told me she had some patients who had upwards of 12 infections just last winter!

In the end, although her infections cleared, my baby’s doctor and chiropractor both felt she had glue ear, a sticky build-up of fluid behind the ear drum--that will not drain on its own.

Her doctor suggested that she see an ENT and have a hearing test.

She failed the test. The “glue” was hindering her hearing, which could potentially set her up for speech delays—or even lifelong hearing loss.

“I rarely ever say this, but you might consider getting tubes put in her ears,” her chiropractor told me.

Tubes?! I thought. Not my daughter! I’m a natural mama! She’s not having tubes put in her ears!

But after much research, prayer and talks with her doctors and chiropractor, we felt it was best.

And it was definitely a lesson in humility for me.

I’ve learned I can—and should—try natural remedies first. But, in the end, conventional treatments have their place as well. At that point, I was not willing to risk permanent hearing loss or speech delays for a 5 minute procedure that solved the problem.

Am I glad she had tubes put in her ears? Yes, I think she needed them.

But I’m also glad I tried every other remedy I knew of up until her procedure—and I avoided who-knows-how-many rounds of antibiotics.

The truth is—her infections cleared on their own. When the ENT exited surgery, he said her ears looked great. All he had to do was drain the glue.

What are your holistic remedies for healing ear infections?

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Written by Courtney, Contributing Writer

The warm summer evenings are turning into cool autumn nights. Your children’s closets are probably all set for fall weather, an organization project most of us like to do before the start of the new school year and long before the weather starts to cool down. Where we live, the weather is just getting chilly after a long and mostly warm month of September.

My children are turning in their short-sleeved pajamas for warm and cozy long-sleeved and one-piece sleepwear. I love snuggling up with my pajama-clad babies before bedtime, reading a good book or telling stories. And when it’s time to say goodnight, they look so comfy and peaceful tucked into bed with a warm blanket.

Toxins in Sleepwear

Our choice of sleepwear is an important one, considering the amount of time our children spend in slumber. Unfortunately, most pajamas are doused with chemical flame retardants that pose a major health risk to our little ones. It’s tempting to want to dress our babies in soft and fuzzy fleece pajamas, but we certainly don’t want the toxic chemicals that come with them.

These days, we must be cautious with what we expose our children to. Our world has turned from nature as a source of everything from food and medicine to clothing, and everything in between. Our man-made alternatives offer benefits in many situations, but there’s no doubt they come with a cost to the environment, and ultimately to our health.

What Can We Do About It?

It’s hard to remove all the toxins from our children’s environment, but choosing safe sleepwear is one easy step we can take to reduce their exposure.

Brominated flame retardant chemicals are added to sleepwear primarily due to the combustible nature of the synthetic fabrics most pajamas are made of. The majority of children's pajamas are polyester, which is most often made from petroleum. The flame resistance is an extra step needed to counteract the flammable nature of these man-made fabrics, but this additional manufacturing process only “fixes” one bad idea with another.

Many mothers are alarmed at this dangerous manufacturing practice that puts our children in harm’s way during what should be the safest part of their day. Two common solutions to this problem are to wash the chemicals out of the clothing by doing the opposite of what the “to retain flame resistance” laundering instructions say and to push for a regulatory ban of these chemicals in children’s sleepwear altogether.

Both of these attempts to avoid these chemicals are faulty. The solution to toxic flame retardants is not found in laundering or lobbying. The solution is simply to purchase sleepwear made of natural fibers.

Washing out the flame retardants through using soap instead of detergent and running them through multiple cycles in an attempt to remove the chemicals is a bad idea for several reasons. Pushing for regulations to remove these chemicals altogether leads to the same problems.

1. Some fabrics are made from fibers in which flame retardants have been chemically bonded.  Requirements governing the use of flame retardants would likely not apply to fabric in which the chemicals have been bonded to the fibers before being made into fabric. And while laundering may remove flame retardants added to fabrics, it will not remove flame retardant chemicals that are chemically bonded to the fibers.
2. Flame retardants are added to fabrics that are highly combustible, so taking away that protection, as dangerous as it is, poses a fire hazard in the event your child comes across something that could ignite, such as a candle or fireplace. Also, in the event of a house fire, these fabrics will ignite much more quickly and from further distances, reducing the amount of time you have to safely exit the home.
3. If it is possible to completely remove the fire resistant chemicals, your child is still sleeping in a synthetic fabric, often that which was derived from petroleum. While some man-made fabrics are much safer than others, it's still a good idea to stick with natural fibers.

What to Consider When Shopping for Pajamas

Shopping for pajamas can be complicated due to the fire resistance requirements and the clever ways around them. The fact that the majority of children’s sleepwear is made of synthetic fabrics makes our selections even more limited! My mom buys pajamas for each of my children  every winter. My children look forward to this tradition and are excited to slip into them on Christmas Eve.

However, shopping for them drives my mom crazy. Because most pajamas are fuzzy polyester and labeling can be confusing at times, she’ll sometimes call me with questions about what to avoid and what is safe. These are a few shopping tips I’ve learned over the years:

1. Check the label for fabric composition. Opt for natural fabrics like cotton or wool and avoid synthetics such as polyester and nylon. ( Most cotton is free of flame retardant chemicals, but some cotton pajamas are treated.)

2. Always avoid sleepwear labeled: “To retain fame resistance” or Flame resistant fabric”

3. Look these labels instead:

“For child’s safety, garment should fit snugly. This garment is not flame resistant.  Loose fitting garment is more likely to catch fire.” or simply “Wear snug-fitting, not flame resistant” This is the gold-standard in pajama shopping. This indicates that the fabric is not inherently flame-resistant and has not been chemically treated. It is a good idea to follow the “snug-fitting rule” since loose fitting clothing captures air between the fabric and the child and ignites much easier when exposed to a flame. This also reduces the risk of suffocation in younger babies.

“Not intended for sleepwear” This seems to be common with cotton/poly blend thermal underwear and loose fitting flannel bottoms. My children sometimes where these for pajamas and I’m okay with the small amount of polyester, probably used for its wicking ability.

4. Sleepwear for newborns and babies up to 9 months don't follow the same rules. Sleepwear for babies under 9 months are not necessarily required to be flame resistant or to carry any labeling. Sleepwear for babies may still contain fabric made of chemically-treated fibers, so avoid synthetic fabrics altogether.

My favorite sleepwear for infants is simply a cotton tee or side snap shirt with a wool diaper cover over cloth. Swaddling a baby dressed simply like this makes for restful sleep and easy diaper changes…no unzipping/unsnapping and pulling legs in and out of pants or one piece outfits!

5. When purchasing fabric to make your own sleepwear, choose natural fabrics and be prudent about examining the label for any mention of flame resistance or chemical treatment. Often, 100% flannels, especially those with baby/toddler prints, will carry the warning “Not intended for sleepwear”. Flannel is more loose-fitting than other types of cotton fabrics, so the warning must be present to indicate that it doesn’t meet requirements for sleepwear. I think flannel is a fine option, particularly for older children.

I wouldn't be opposed to using a plush or fuzzy synthetic when making pajamas for older children, as long as it isn't inherently flame resistant (bonded chemicals) or treated with flame retardants, but I do try to limit the use of man-made fabrics in clothing and blankets and I always choose natural fabrics for babies.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the specific requirements for children’s sleepwear, you can most likely find your country’s requirements online. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s regulations are found here.

This week at my blog, I will be discussing some of the other ways to reduce our children’s exposure to flame retardant chemicals, which are found in mattresses and bedding, car seats and other baby gear, and household furnishings.

Is this an issue that you were aware of? What, if anything, are you currently doing to avoid flame retardant chemicals in your children's sleepwear?

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Guest Post Written by Erin Odom

After Keeper of the Home’s recent series on cloth diapers, you may finally be thinking: Hey, I CAN do this! She makes cloth diapering seem so EASY!

But have the upfront costs of modern cloth diapers frustrated you?

I’ve been there.

And I found a solution.

Image by chahad

My Story

It wasn’t long after the birth of my second daughter when I realized my family would barely be able to afford diapers for both our children, since our 2-year-old wasn't potty trained. It was the perfect time to suggest cloth diapers to my husband.

He agreed that we could try them—but our compromise was that I would seek out modern cloth diapers , like pocket diapers.

So I happily set out to researching modern cloth diapers.

And I quickly became frustrated. The brand my one cloth diapering friend recommended cost $20 per diaper.

I realized I would have to spend money (money we didn’t have) to save money, and it just didn’t make sense.

The Cloth Diaper Foundation

I set out to find a way—any way—my family could afford the start-up costs of cloth diapering. My search led me to The Cloth Diaper Foundation.

The premise of the non-profit organization is to provide diaper loans to parents who cannot afford the start-up costs of cloth diapers. The program is open up to anyone living within the continental United States who meets certain income qualifications.

Once your application is processed (including paperwork with your child’s birth certificate and recent pay stubs), The Cloth Diaper Foundation will loan out 12 diapers per child for the cost of shipping. My family received 24 diapers—12 for each of our girls.

Sometimes the foundation will send new diapers, but they mostly send out gently-used diapers. They rely solely on donations from cloth diaper companies and individuals who want to spread “cloth love” to other mamas.

The goal of the program is that parents will use the diapers CDF loans out while slowly building their own stashes, as their income allows. Parents will then return the diapers to  CDF.

The CDF is currently in the process of transferring their location from Texas to California, so they are closed for applications, but they hope to re-open sometime in August.

Giving diapers, Giving Hope

As more people are finding out about CDF, other organizations like it are popping up all over North America.

Giving Diapers, Giving Hope started in early 2011 as another diaper-lending organization for low-income families. Cloth diapering mom Kristen McCarthy began the program after losing her job and house and finding herself in a tough financial situation.

“I started to think, what WOULD other people do if they were in a similar situation and DIDN’T cloth diaper? How would they diaper their children?” Kristen says on the Giving Diapers, Giving Hope website.

Like CDF, the program is open to anyone within the continental United States. Applicants must meet certain income requirements and pay for the shipping of the diapers. Recipients must return their diapers at the end of their loan.

Local Diaper Lending Programs

The Cloth Diaper Foundation and Giving Diapers, Giving Hope operate on a national level, but many other communities offer smaller programs to local families in need.

Former CDF recipient Cara DeCoito recently founded Kaw Valley Cloth, a diaper lending program in her Lawrence, Kansas community.

Sweet Cheeks Diaper Kits is a North Carolina non-profit that makes, collects and distributes cloth diapering supplies in their area. Each kit contains everything a parent needs to cloth diaper one child full-time, including a diaper pail, handmade T-shirt diapers, donated brand name diapers and covers, handmade wipes, a spray bottle, detergent, diaper cream, stay-dry liners AND on-going support!

Volunteers from the community get together for a Diaper Derby each month, where they recycle old T-shirts to make the fitted T-shirt diapers for the kits.

Image by Liz

But how do I build my own stash cheaply?

The point of a cloth diaper loan is to allow you to cloth diaper full-time while slowly building your own stash.

There are ways to build a stash of modern cloth diapers cheaply:

• Buy used from cloth diaper companies, Craigslist, DiaperSwappers, your local Mommies Network, from Facebook trading and selling sites, etc. (Just exercise caution when you don’t personally know the seller!)

• Check out Re-Diaper. This company sells some gently-used diapers as well as new diapers for a lower price than some other stores. They also offer a small diaper assistance program.

• Make your own. Cotton Babies has an excellent tutorial on making your own cloth diapers—even if you don’t know how to sew!

• Buy second-quality new diapers. Many companies will sell their slightly imperfect diapers for a fraction of the retail price. I bought several Bum Genius diapers for $8, and they work perfectly!

• Buy off-brands. The bulk of my stash are Kawaii brand diapers, which cost about half the price of name-brand diapers. I have found them to hold up as well (or better!) than my more expensive diapers.

• Are you a missionary? Cotton Babies offers a grant program for missionary families, providing gently-used (and sometimes new!) cloth diapers.

• Remember: You don’t need EVERYTHING. Stephanie demonstrated in her video last week that you can “swish” poopy diapers; a diaper sprayer isn’t necessary. You can make your own stay-dry liners out of fleece remnants. You can use baby washcloths instead of buying pricey cloth wipes. If you get the diapers, you can be creative with the rest.

Image by moohaha

A Challenge for YOU!

If you have a low income, I hope this post has given you HOPE that there IS a way to afford the start-up costs of cloth diapering.

But what if you aren’t low-income? What if you already have all you need to cloth diaper your babies? What if your babies are already grown?

I want to leave you with a challenge. Why not give to The Cloth Diaper Foundation; Giving Diapers, Giving Hope; or another diaper lending organization?

You can donate your gently-used diapers, new diapers or even monetarily.

Many mamas want to cloth diaper their babies and think that they can’t.

Maybe you can help them out?

Or maybe…just maybe, God is leading you to take it a step further and start your own diaper lending program in your local community. The organizations I listed can only service so many families.

I was unable to locate any diaper lending programs in Canada. Does anyone know of one? Maybe a Keeper of the Home reader can start one?

How did you afford the start-up costs of cloth? Do you know of any other diaper lending programs? What are your ideas to afford the start-up costs of cloth?

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This post marks the end of our short, but hopefully helpful, series on dispelling some myths about why cloth diapering is actually easier than you think.

I asked you for your cloth diapering questions, and you really let me have it! I couldn't answer every single question, but I tried my best to make sure that all of the various topics were addressed, so here goes nothing...

Q. So, my question is: what detergent do you use? Do you use this for all your laundry? I have been making my own detergent for a while and would like to continue doing so when we are doing cloth, but don't want to hurt the integrity of the diapers.

Shannon

A. I have two detergents that I use regularly. One is Country Save and the other is Biokleen Free & Clear Powder. I prefer Country Save for my diapers, and like Biokleen better for clothes, but I don't usually bother buying two different detergents so I just use them both interchangeably on all of my laundry. They're both quite cost effective (Country Save is cheapest) and I buy them in large boxes from Azure Standard, a natural foods co-op. Both brands are quite popular and if not carried by your local grocery store, you should easily be able to get them from any natural foods store or online (Amazon, Soap.com, etc.).

I think it's very important to use detergents that are safe for your diapers. The very best resource that I know of in this regard is the Cloth Diaper Detergent Chart at Diaper Jungle. It lists every detergent imaginable, giving it a rating out of 4, an approximate cost-per-load, and any specific things to note about that particular detergent.

Q. Intrigued, but to be honest, still not sold on it. Why not?

• my weak stomach. Though the washable bag option helps that one.

• my limited time. For now, I'll need to go back to work (teaching high school) a short 6 weeks after baby arrives. I'm not convinced I'd have the time. But this will be my firstborn, so maybe its because I'm unsure how ANY routines will go.

• the price up front.

Connie Z

A. I think you would definitely prefer the washable bag option. Another purchase to consider would be a diaper sprayer that attaches to the toilet to make even easier work of cleaning #2 diapers.

As for the time and price, considering that you will be working full time, why not consider partially using cloth diapers as a compromise? You wouldn't need to purchase nearly as many (maybe start with more like 4-8 diapers). You could use disposables while baby is being cared for by someone else, or perhaps at night, and use disposables during afternoon/evenings and on the weekends when you're home. This would keep the washing work much more minimal. It would still save you money and allow you to reduce your waste significantly as well.

Hemp soakers or inserts (these particular ones are Swaddlebees)

Q. 3 kids and 5 years of cloth diapering and I've never felt it to be a hassle, just part of daily life. I do find they hit an age where I have to use a disposable over night, they just seem to leak out of the cloth diapers. What do you use to overnight your kids?

Marci

A. For overnight, I use pocket diapers with doubled up inserts. When I was using only one insert, I had leaking problems. So I began using two inserts (microfiber) and that was better, but not perfect. Then I switched to one hemp insert layered with one microfiber insert (I put the hemp as the bottom layer, because I find the microfiber softer), and this seems to be the best combination I have personally used and the one that gives them the least rashes.

I also had several other questions about leaking, especially at night, and for older babies who are heavy wetters. I'm sure other readers have some fantastic and different suggestions for this problem, so please share in the comments!

Q. I know that disposables are more expensive in the long run, but it's a big expense up front to get the diapers and wipes for cloth. I guess I'm just worried that I'll spend a couple hundred dollars and then discover that it doesn't work out for us, or that I've picked the wrong kind of diaper. I wish I knew someone close by who did it. That might help me get up the courage to try it!

Teish

A. Here are a few of the answers from the comments on the original post, which I thought were very helpful:

Mom of 4: A lot of diaper stores let you do trials, which is an awesome way to test various diapers and see how convenient cloth really is.

Nola: Most places allow you to buy only a few diapers or a few different kinds. Eg. you could buy one prefold, cover and snappi, one pocket, one all in one, and one fitted (the cover from the prefold would work with this) or more than that if you want, and try it... and then if you didn't want them, you could probably resell them since they'd hardly be used. You can just use a plastic bag or ziploc while out until you want to invest in a wet bag, and you can just use any garbage can with a lid for a diaper pail (and then reuse it later if you decide not to do cloth).

My thoughts: Another thing that might really help you is to read through the diaper reviews at The Diaper Pin. This is a fantastic site with really thorough reviews on practically every cloth diapering product out there, and the reviews are very honest, helpful ones from regular moms (who even tell you how long they've been cloth diapering). I have often used it while trying to make purchasing decisions.

A Bummis diaper cover (my definite favorite when it comes to covers!)

Q. We are on the fence here. Want to go for it, but all my friends who have tried it have all complained about leaks, hard time finding the right detergent, sour smells, and limiting activities, later potty training, etc. What do you think about these issues.

RG

A. My answers:

• Leaks: This is why I choose only excellent quality covers or pocket diapers. Don't use cheap covers like Kushies or plastic pants. They leaked for me incessantly. Bummis or Motherease are much better and gave me very few leaks. Always check that every part of the diaper is properly tucked in and covered by the cover or tucked into the pocket's outer layer (around the legs, by the tummy, above the bum, etc.). These are the key areas where leaks happen. And, change more frequently. The nice thing about cloth is that you're not counting dollars down the drain each time you do a diaper change.
• Detergent: Use the link above to source out some good possible detergents. If you have hard or soft water, check out something more suited to your situation, like Rockin Green's unique formulas.
• Smells: If you've found a good detergent and are washing properly, you shouldn't have smell issues. To avoid this with diaper pails/bags, keep in your laundry room if you prefer (that's where I keep mine). Use homemade air freshener to keep things fresher. If a particular diaper is super stinky, wash that next load sooner than later. Use a good wet bag to keep your diaper bag free of stink. Also, drying diapers out in the sun helps to keep the stink away, too!
• Limiting activities: I have never found that cloth diapering limited what I do, whether it's going out, taking long drives, having sitters, etc. The only time we don't use cloth is for long vacations when we will not be staying with family and that's only once or twice a year at most.
• Potty Training: I have not found cloth diapering to make much of a different in potty training, either on the early or late side. My first trained early, my second late, my third will probably be average. I do know that many moms have attested to earlier training (as opposed to later). I honestly think it's more about the particular child than about the type of diaper you use, but that's just my opinion.

Q. We are currently in a rental and have limited access to a washer and dryer. Given that, I think we probably can't do cloth diapering since it is so dependent on having easy access to a washer and dryer. I'd love to hear ideas to get around this since I do believe cloth is definitely better!!

Annie

A. It does definitely help to have easy access to a washer and dryer, but you may be able to compromise. One idea is to ask your landlords if you can split up your laundry days throughout the week. Our tenants wanted to cloth diaper, so we talked about it and I gave them additional access to the machines on Wednesdays (instead of only weekends as was our previous arrangement), so they could do diaper laundry twice a week.

If that isn't a possibility, you could think about doing one mid-week trip to a laundromat. Yes, it's a bit of cost, but if you only do half of your diapers this way it might not be that bad. Or, you could consider doing cloth only Wednesday-Saturday so that you can wash those diapers on the weekend when you have access (or adapt this to your particular situation), and use disposables or something like gDiapers the rest of the week.

Any other ideas from those with limited machine access?

Image source

Q. A lot of you are mentioning that with cloth there aren't leaks.... It is true that I don't have any poop blow outs with my cloth diapers (I use Fuzzi Bunz), but for some reason, my son often gets wet clothes when wearing cloth and I have to change his clothes. He is 4 months old. For this reason I use Disposables when I am out. Does anyone have any tips on keeping your baby's clothes dry when using a Fuzzi Bunz cloth diaper. Am I doing the snaps too tight?

Lydia

A. You might just be changing less often when you're out (this is easy to do- I often catch myself going longer between changes just because I'm otherwise occupied while I'm out). Or you might want to try using double inserts for outings or long car rides. Especially when they're very young and exclusively breastfed, they pee so frequently that you probably need to be changing a solid 6-8 or more times per day. And some kids are simply heavier wetters than others and need more frequent changes.

You should also double check that the inner part of the diaper is tucked properly inside the outer cover in all of the main "leaky" areas: around the legs, by the tummy, above the bum. All the places where the insides of the diaper can creep above the outside cover and the wetness can wick onto the fabric of their clothing. Double check that you have a snug fit in those areas and that no cloth (only cover) is touching his clothes.

Lastly, every once in a while diapers begin to repel a bit and start leaking. This doesn't happen often (unless, of course, you are using a detergent that just isn't working with your diapers), but if it starts to happen frequently, it might be worth stripping your diapers and see if that helps.

Q. I have some FuzziBunz that I used with my youngest during potting training. If I had used them when mine were infants, how would I handle a poopy diaper? I could replace the insert but there is still poop on the inside of the diaper. I don't understand how the inserts are more helpful seeing as most infant diapers are poopy. I would really like some insight into the actual steps in dealing with wet or poopy diapers. Do you toss the whole wet bag in to the laundry open or zipped up?

Laura

A. When babies are small, you just toss the poopy diaper straight into the pail and then wash. No rinsing needed at all. You only need to start dumping poop or rinsing diapers once you get to solid poops.

But, you won't be able to pull out and replace only the insert. Generally, that is only for diapers like Flip or GrowVia. With a diaper like a FuzziBunz pocket, you'll have to wash the whole thing each time.

Also, for those using diapers with inserts, there is no need to actually remove the insert from the diaper before laundering. I previously thought that I had to and so I would sit there shaking them out, needlessly. Now I just toss the diaper, insert and all, straight in the pail and then in the wash.

If you're using a wet bag, you will want to unzip it and dump it's contents into the wash, so that the diapers can freely move around, otherwise the inserts won't come out and the diapers won't get clean enough.

Q. One thing I wonder though is washing the soiled diapers along with other clothes... how many fecal particles are getting on the other clothes or in the washer? I think I read somewhere to clean your washer once a month by pouring a cup of bleach in and washing an empty load. This will help sanitize it. What are your thoughts on this?

Ann

A. I personally don't worry about fecal particles. I always dump solid poo in the toilet, and give less "solid" ones a good swish to get most of the yuckies off before washing.

Since I always do a rinse cycle first, I would say that the majority of fecal matter rinses away before I even do my hot wash. With the second, full, hot cycle, anything remaining is rinsed away and sanitized because of the hot water and the detergent that I use in this cycle. I don't notice anything dirty left in the machine after this second cycle and it smells fresh as well.

If it really bothered you, I think it's reasonable to consider doing an empty cycle once a month, perhaps with a more natural bleach product or something like Biokleen's BacOut, to give the washer a really good clean and set your mind at ease.

An extensive cloth diaper stash!

Image by niftysmith

Q. I think your numbers are very conservative for disposables costs -- but HIGH on the cloth side. (i.e. further proving your point) -- showing that even with the most luxurious cloth diapers, you are still saving money! I've gotten most of my diapers as gifts (baby shower) or homemade (from flannel receiving blankets) or second-hand (passed on to me, as my original cloth diapers from 8 years ago are all worn out now). Sure, they aren't as fancy/convenient, but it has meant very, very little out-of-pocket! :)

Tammy L

A. I agree, my numbers are exactly as you said-- conservative for disposables, and high for cloth. I actually did that on purpose. I didn't want to have a bunch of people telling me that disposables cost less than what I had calculated (even though I know that many people spend more than the numbers I used and there are still some super-shoppers who spend even less).

I also wanted to show how, even with higher cloth diapers numbers than is necessary (because yes, you can do it so much cheaper than the numbers that I quoted!), the cloth STILL wins out as cheaper. Does that make sense? I wanted to make it a worst case scenario and have the cloth still be the obvious winner!

Q. OK, I'm going to ask my question. When you say you swirl the diaper in the toilet and then drop it into the pail, do you drag the pail into the bathroom with you, do you have an extra pail in the bathroom, or do you bring it back to the changing area and drop it in the pail (and if so, how do you keep it from dripping all the way back)?

Bekah

A. Basically, yes, I drag the pail into the bathroom (I keep it in my very nearby laundry room, but I know others who keep it right in the bathroom). I lift the pail up right next to the toilet so there's no leaking.

And now, allow me to demonstrate (yes, really-- blogging is a shameless job, you know!):

Q. Do you really end up with a pail full of wet cloth waiting for a whole load? Or do you let them sit for a while before washing them out?

Beccachan

A. I really do end up with a pail full (usually) of cloth diapers by the time I wash them. Sometimes, it won't be quite full but I will wash anyways because I don't like to go longer than 3 days.

Now, it's not really a "full" load in the sense that a load of clothes would be. I usually only only a small load setting or at most, a medium setting. Never the large setting that I use for clothes, towels, etc.

An inside look at a wet bag

Image from Leslie's Boutique (they make gorgeous wet bags!)

Q. But I have some fears and questions. How does the wet bag hold in the smell? What fabric is it made of that can do that? I've heard that even diaper pails with plastic bags can get smelly. My worst fear is having a house that smells like poo and not even knowing it. (I want my friends to love visiting!)

Laura

A. Wet bags are made of PUL, a water-resistant fabric. They usually have at least two layers, so the stink has to travel farther to get out and it can't leak out. They are not perfectly stink-proof (nothing is), but I find that it stinks less than a pail (but, I still use the cheap pail I bought 6 years ago, because the "green" girl in me just won't let me get rid of it!).

My main solutions to diaper pail/bag stink are:

• Go no more than 3 days between washes (and with a wet bag, you will always just toss this in and wash it at the same time)
• Use a dry pail, rather than soaking diapers in water.
• Keep it somewhere other than a frequently-used room (mine is in my laundry room)
• When it does start to smell a bit (usually, though, the smell is a direct result of opening it to toss a diaper in, not from the smell just naturally seeping out), use a simple homemade air freshener. I keep a bottle in my downstairs bathroom, which is where I swish my diapers and close enough to my laundry room that I can use it in there when needed. I will spray both inside the diaper pail and in the air around it.

Real Moms Talk Diapers

I had been hoping to share with you some of the reasons why other moms choose to cloth diaper, and also some of their best tips for diapering... but, this post had so many great questions to be answered that it is already long enough!

You can read all 79 of them on the Keeper of the Home Facebook page (this is a direct link to the answers). There are so many excellent answers and helpful thoughts in there.

Your Turn to Weigh In

I've done a lot of talking just now, but I know that there are so many knowledgable and experienced cloth diapering moms out there, who can help to answer some of these great questions.

I would love to hear your thoughts or tips for any of the questions above!

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This post was originally published over a year ago, but I continue to find questions on feeding babies and introducing solids in my inbox, so I thought that this was worth re-posting. And with another year to see how Johanna has responded to this style of feeding, I can say with even more certainty that this approach has helped her to develop into an easy-going, independent and un-picky eater. Hooray!

When I had my first baby, I was strangely eager to feed her "real" food. I couldn't wait to break out those baby spoons, to start grinding up food in my blender and moving in to that next stage of babyhood. I began when she was around 5 1/2 months old, a reasonable age I figured. I even drew up a lovely Type A chart for my fridge, to record her every bite, her reaction to each food, and how many days I waited before the next introduction.

My darling girl, however, had different plans. Her reaction to the food? Yawn... ho, hum. What's all the fuss about solids, mama? More milk, please!

A bit dismayed and confused, I backed off for a while. I continued to hesitantly offer a bit of food over the course of the next several months, and though she took it from time to time, she didn't truly care or seem to need it until she was more like 9 or 10 months.

Fast forward two and a half years. Now I had a little guy who began to approach that magical age of six months. I decide to play it a bit more relaxed this time, going far beyond 6 months to ensure that his gut is ready to handle and digest food. At around 7 or 8 months, I began to oh-so-slowly introduce my homemade babyfoods, one at a time. Success! He loves it, he's ready for it, and I didn't stress myself out by trying too early.

Then, while pregnant with my third this past spring, I read something that shook me up just a little bit more: Real Food for Mother and Baby, by Nina Planck.

Being the careful, cautious mother that I am, I had always made my baby's meals with whole, nourishing foods. I slowly introduced them, one by one, working from smooth purees to gradually chunkier combinations. I thought I had it all figured out.

Enter Nina's casual yet common sense approach. So long as it's "real" food (that is, foods that are old, traditional, whole, and were eaten by our great-grandparents), allow baby to eat it without fuss, without comment, without pureeing, without stress. Could it really be so simple?

Bless the babies of experimental moms like me. They get to be the guinea pigs of all our brilliant (and not-so-brilliant) ideas. Thankfully, Johanna is a pretty chill third child, and her mama has gone from being a bit of a basket case to a rather easy-going, relaxed, "sure, why not?" kind of mom.

Image by xlordashx

Here are my oh-so-brilliant and oh-so-precise methods for feeding my darling girl:

1. Wait until she's good and old. I had visions of 8 or 9 months, but this particular child seemed ready at about 7 1/2. I went with the flow. In the meantime, I gave her nothing but lots of warm, delightful, nourishing, always-available breastmilk for as long as I could.

2. Cook regular meals for the rest of the family.

3. Find something in those meals that seems to be safe for baby (ie. soft enough to gum, nothing that might cause a choking hazard, no grains until baby's digestive system is a little more mature around a year old). My first picks? Ground beef and liver, lightly cooked egg yolk, boiled sweet potato, steamed cauliflower or broccoli with butter, ripe banana, soft avocado chunks.

4. Break into small-ish pieces (note the precision) with your fingers. Put baby in a chair or on your lap. A bib is nice.

5. Allow baby to go for it.

6. Sweep floor thoroughly (this is in bold, because yes, it is necessary).

7. Repeat the next day.

Here's what I didn't do:

• Record what I fed her.
• Puree anything. At all. The closest I've come is to use a fork to lightly mash something. And she had some homemade applesauce because my older children were eating some.
• Use a spoon or a bowl.
• Wait several days between each new food introduction.
• Worry about how much she did or didn't eat.

The result? A happy baby who has not rejected a single thing I've offered her, including a myriad of different vegetables and liver. A happy mama who is able to sit and eat her own dinner with both of her hands, and who has saved herself the time and effort of preparing ice cube trays full of baby food.

Image by chimothy27

But What About...

Food allergies and sensitivities

A main reason that babies have reactions to foods is because they are fed too early. Babies that are given solids before six months (and many are fed as early as 3-5 months) do not have digestive systems that are capable of completely breaking down foods. Instead they have a "open gut" which means that particles of food (usually food proteins that their systems are not able to fully digest) make it through microscopic holes in the gut lining and into the blood stream. There, these particles create an allergic reaction, as the body treats them like foreign invaders.

By putting off solids until at least 6 months and longer if possible, the risk of food sensitivities greatly decreases. At this point baby is creating more of their own digestive enzymes and the "open gut" has matured and closed up.

Of course, if you already have severe allergies in the families (dairy, gluten, peanuts, etc.) then it would be wise and prudent to avoid these foods for as long as possible, and then only offer them in a very controlled and careful way the first few times to be able to observe any reaction to them.

Getting enough food

One of the things that I love most about this method of feeding is that it keeps breastfeeding as a priority and the main focus of baby's diet. So long as mom is offering the breast often and ensuring that her own diet/beverages are sufficient to keep up an ample milk supply for a larger baby, this solves the problem of whether the baby gets enough to eat. Baby will gradually begin to eat more and more of what they are offered (and begin to request more as well) as their needs and appetite grow.

Until my babies are around a year old, I offer breastmilk before I offer food. I don't make this an absolute firm rule, nor do I decide to not let them have food at lunch because I haven't been able to sit down and nurse them yet. It's simply a mindset of breastmilk being their primary food, and solids being secondary. This gradually shifts as baby grows bigger and becomes more and more interested in and capable of eating solids. The shift occurs naturally, I've found, if I let it happen that way.

But my baby is hungry before six months old...

I hate to say this, because it sounds insensitive or judgmental, and that is absolutely not how I want it to come across. But, when moms tell me this my first thought is that they may simply may not be making breastfeeding the priority.

(And I KNOW that there are absolutely exceptions to this and the occasional mom who just really, really struggles with her milk supply no matter what she tries, so please know that there is no criticism at all if you are one of those moms. I applaud your efforts to breastfeed in spite of difficulties!)

It takes a LOT to feed a growing baby. A lot. I eat and drink non-stop all day long, in order to continue to breastfeed my 8 1/2 mth old daughter (who is a bit of a roly-poly, chunky monkey, which equals a healthy baby). I feed her usually 1-3 times between 7pm-7am, and then another 4-6 times throughout the day. That's a lot of milk and I would be lying to say that it's effortless on a mama's part to keep making enough milk to satisfy a hungry, growing baby.

In my experience with my three babies, it takes commitment on my part. 100% commitment to maintaining as much milk as my little one needs means that I nurse more often, I don't try to force them to sleep through the night if they still need the milk, I add extra nursing sessions if my supply wanes, and I snack and sip continually. Yes, it's a bit more effort, but it's well, well worth it.

Can baby handle foods that aren't pureed?

From my experience and what I've read, yes, most babies can. There will be the odd baby that struggles with some of the chunkier textures or has a stronger gag reflex. In those cases, just calmly observe and make a decision that only you as the parent can make. If it doesn't work for your baby, then do something different. It's as simple as that.

I've linked to some excellent posts below, both of which address the choking and texture issues, which I think you will find helpful. They also get into many more of the specific details and reasoning behind this method of feeding babies. It is referred to in many different ways, including Baby-Led Solids or Baby-Led Weaning (referring to the entire process of weaning a baby from exclusive breastfeeding to solids to weaning from the breast). Both posts link to some other useful articles and books as well.

Feeding Baby Naturally: What, When & How

Baby Essentials That Aren't, Part 7: Baby Food

Real Food for Mother and Baby: The Fertility Diet, Eating for Two, and Baby's First Foods(the book that started it all, for me at least)

Has anyone tried this approach to feeding their baby? What has your experience been like?

Image by Charlotte Speaks

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Last week, I began to dispel some commonly held myths about cloth diapering.

I began with two of the biggest myths, that cloth diapering is more expensive and that it is more disgusting. The reader response was fantastic and I think that you will find the comments section extremely valuable to take a read through.

{As well, the cloth diapering $75 gift certificate giveaway is still going for a few more days... go get entered!}

Today I want to continue on with three more myths, that cloth diapering is more time consuming, more inconvenient, and only for hippies. Au contraire, my friends!

Cloth diapering isn't more time consuming

Over the years, I have found that cloth diapering fits more and more seamlessly in with my regular routines and I hardly even notice that I'm doing it.

Here is the time that I consistently spend on cloth diapering my little ones (yes, I still have one in diapers full time, and one at night time only):

• Regular diaper changes and then putting that diaper in the pail. Every day or two, I add on maybe 2-3 minutes to do a toilet "swish" with a poopy diaper. (But, I don't have to spend extra time messing with a Diaper Genie, or taking garbage bags out to the trash)
• My wash routine consists of throwing the load into a rinse cycle (no detergent), then turning that cycle into a hot wash cycle (with detergent). It takes me about 5 minutes total, to set up both loads and give my pail a quick rinse. I do this 2-3 times a week, so maybe 15 minutes a week in total.
• Hanging my diapers to dry takes about 5 minutes or less, again 2-3 times per week. So we're talking 30 minutes weekly (absolute maximum) for my wash and dry routine.
• I don't fold or carefully put away my diapers. I dump all the diapers and inserts into a large basket, and the cloth wipes into a small one beside it. That's it. It's the easiest load of laundry I do!

No, doing laundry won't become your life.

When babies are very small, it is slightly more time consuming but hardly. The tasks are still the same, but you might do laundry more often (which happens anyways with a newborn).

I have found that because each component I mentioned is such a simple and quick task in and of itself, I can easily throw on a load while I wait on the phone on hold, or when I have 2 minutes before we need to run out the door, or when I'm waiting for a child to finish going to the bathroom or getting their shoes on.

As with any other common mothering tasks, all of these little things just become part and parcel of our daily and weekly routines. I have never felt cloth diapering to add a burdensome weight onto my schedule. Even when I was diapering my third baby as a newborn (with the extra wash that entails) and caring for two other young children, it still felt like the least of my worries

Cloth diapering isn't more inconvenient

When my firstborn was a baby, I held off on cloth diapering during outings for quite a long time, continuing to use disposables for going to church, to a friend's house, to the grocery store, etc.

I'm not sure why I thought it would be more difficult, but I did. When I finally got over it and gave it a try, I was thoroughly relieved to find that it was no more trouble than anything else.

So long as I brought the necessary diapers with me, and a bag of some sort for bringing them home with me, it was just as easy as doing a disposable change. Sometimes easier because I didn't have to seek out an appropriate garbage for disposing of the diaper (ever been to a home without children where they couldn't fathom what to do with a dirty diaper, so you ended up carrying it home anyways?).

I found this adorable wet bag at Etsy shop Snuggy Baby (lots of other great designs, too!)

A few ways to make cloth diapering even more convenient:

• I used to use a ziploc bag way back in the day, but now I use a zippered, washable wet bag which I love. It gets tossed in the wash and keeps my diaper bag totally free of stink.
• As I mentioned in the last post, rather than a diaper pail that needs the occasional scrub, try using a larger washable hanging wet bag which simply gets added in to your diaper wash.
• Use pocket diapers, which do up with either snaps or velcro very similarly to a disposable diaper. I've taught my babysitter to use them, my hubby doesn't mind, and the grandparents haven't found them complicated either. Additionally, if you pre-stuff (add the insert) before you leave the house, you just tuck the one piece into your bag, rather than dealing with a separate diaper and cover while you're out.

Image by Radio Saigon

Cloth diapering isn't for hippies only

I suppose it depends on your definition of hippie. In my opinion, I am far from a "hippie", despite all of my natural leanings. I live in a middle-class suburb, drive a minivan, use a cell phone and a MacBook, do not own a long flowing flowered skirt, have only 2 piercings and shoulder length hair, and I can't stand Bob Dylan.

That said, I do buy plenty of traditional, wholesome and naturally-raised food, as seasonal and local as possible. I keep my home free of toxins in my cleaners and in my beauty care routine. I do my best to reduce waste. I have an organic garden in my backyard (but no chickens or goats... yet). I cloth diaper my babies because I think it's gentler on them, the earth and my budget.

Living more sustainably isn't an option that's relegated to hippies any longer.

Green is the new black, and though I started this natural-living blog as somewhat of a lone ranger, these days everyone from big-city yuppies to high school kids to small town folk to my grandma are starting to learn that natural and sustainable living is for everyone.

Cloth diapering has really expanded to a wide-variety of people, far beyond the stereotypes that we might think of. And with the wide range of options available for cloth diapering, there's something for everyone:

• Hybrids like gDiapers (part reusable, part disposable) for those wanting something more ecological yet not prepared to go all the way with cloth
• Pocket diapers and all-in-one diapers that function and fit very similarly to disposables- super easy for dads, babysitters, grandparents, everyone.
• Traditional cloth diapers like fitteds with covers, or even simple prefolds with covers. Cheaper to buy and more like what mom or grandma used to use.
• Truly sustainable diapers made with textiles like organic hemp, bamboo and wool, 100% natural for baby's skin and for the earth.

Come clean, fellow hippies (just kidding!), do you find cloth diapering more inconvenient or time consuming?

For those not sold yet, I would love to hear your questions and concerns about cloth diapering, which I will do my best to answer in next week's post!

Top image by simplyla. Image of old-fashioned scrub board by CedarBendDrive.

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Note: Giveaway has now ended. Winner will be announced shortly.

Considering the popularity of the cloth diapering series that I began on Monday, where I am dispelling common myths about cloth diapering and sharing just how easy it really is, this should prove to be a very popular giveaway as well!

Sweet Little Blessings is a one-stop online cloth diapering store, selling everything from fitted diapers and covers, pocket diapers, one-size systems, prefold and flat diapers, inserts and doublers, wet bags and pails, swim diapers, training pants and other accessories.

Organic cotton prefold diapers

It is also run by a very experienced SAHM mom... of 12. I think she knows a thing or two about diapering! She is happy to answer questions (and what a wealth of knowledge she would be), and seeks to have every order ready to ship out within 24 hours.

They carry all of the most popular brands, including FuzziBunz, bumGenius, Bummis, Thirsties, Rumparooz, Knickernappies, Happy Heinys, GrowVia, Bottombumpers, Mother Ease, Imse Vimse, Baby Kicks and more. As a cloth diaper addict myself (only those who have experienced this can truly understand how addictive it really can become), I felt like a kid in a candy store eyeing all the goodies.

Hanging diaper "pails" that get tossed in the wash!

Except that I'm not the one who gets to have the fun... today all the cloth diaper love goes straight out to one of my readers!

I have one $75 gift certificate for Sweet Little Blessings to give away (which includes free shipping)

Here's how to get entered:

(Please leave each entry as a separate comment)

1. Check out Sweet Little Blessings and tell me what you would spend your $75 on!

2. Subscribe to Keeper of the Home by RSS feed or by email (and be entered to win our monthly email subscriber-only giveaways!).

3. Share about this giveaway through your blog or favorite social media, or follow Keeper of the Home on Facebook or Twitter.

4. Grab an extra entry by signing up for Sweet Little Blessings email mailing list.

Giveaway has now ended. Thanks, everyone!

Disclosure: This giveaway was generously sponsored by Sweet Little Blessings. All opinions expressed are entirely my own, as always.

Additionally, Sweet Little Blessings has offered a coupon code good for all of my readers to receive 10% off any order over $60 from now until 7/24/11. Use the code JULYSALE at checkout to get your discount!

All images are of various products available at Sweet Little Blessings.

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• Plan to Eat: Simple meal planning. Your recipes. Monthly planner. Grocery lists.