Q & A From LolliDoo Consumers

Question:

I saw your ad in Mothering and was intrigued by the overnight diaper, but could not find the info I needed on your website. I would like to know what exactly makes it good for a heavy wetter. Our current system is NOT working, so I am eager to try something new!
Thank you!!!
Amanda

Response:

Our Overnight eco-pocket diapers are made with 300 weight polar fleece, which is phenomenal for keeping moisture in. When paired with our Organic Absorbency Innies™ (which you can pile up to meet the absorbency needs of your baby)it makes for a very successful nighttime diaper.

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Question:

Would the Overnight eco-pocket™ diaper also work with inserts from other diapers (such as the FuzziBunz inserts I already have)? That could save me a little money.

Sarah

Response:
Our eco-pockets™ are designed to fit with most pocket inserts. We do recommend LolliDoo™ Organic Absorbency Innies™ and cannot guarantee that other brands will work as well with our configuration.

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Comments:

Dear Alison and Melissa,
I loved reading your entire website! I have a 'heavy wetting' 6 month old who is basically sleeping through the night but wakes because of a wet diaper. So, your ad in mothering mag caught my eye. I did just stock up on fuzzi bunz...which I love, other than the fact they don\'t seem to breathe well and we are in a warm climate north of san francisco. I thought I\'d look into getting a few pairs of your overnight covers as a solution. Anyhow - I read your site and was so inspired by both of you and your way of life. We (my husband, sone Drake and I) are trying to live as eco-smart as possible and do all we can to minimize our impact on mother earth. We quit our jobs in SF, moved north to Chico where we could afford to stay at home (me working part time from home and husband full time watching Drake) and be with our son 100% of the time. I take \"Drake breaks\" throughout the day to Breastfeed. We enjoy the bounty of all the farmland around us and eat fresh every day, and puree all of Drake\'s food. We feel very fortunate. Anyhow - just wanted to say hello and I wish you much success with LolliDoo! I will be sure to bookmart your site and share it with all my new-mama friends!
warm regards,
Amy

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Question:
I'm interested in this diaper for my 4 month old, tummy sleeping, heavy wetting son. He still nurses 2-3 times per night - is this a diaper that would be able to keep him dry without changing throughout the course of a 12 hour night, or is changing necessary when nursing that often in t

Response:
Thank you for your interest in LolliDoo™ Diapers. In most cases our Overnight eco-pockets™ will keep a nursing baby dry all night. You shouldn’t have to change your little guy during the night but you may have to play a bit with different amounts of absorbency.

Follow up:
Alison,
Just wanted to write a quick note to let you know that I got my LolliDoo™ overnight yesterday, washed it 4 times like you suggested and put it on my son for the night - it was great! I know you guys are aware of how great your diaper is, but I also figure it can never hurt to hear one more compliment :)....it's the first time he's ever stayed dry in one diaper, while nursing all night long! hopefully, I can start eliminating some of the things I stuffed it with last night (now that I know the diaper works so well), so that it doesn't look like he's wearing a bowling ball around his backside :) it's sooooo nice to know that, now, I'll be able to just go to him in the night and quickly nurse him (instead of changing and nursing) and we can all go back to bed just a little sooner!!

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Question/Comment:

Hi Alison,

We washed our Overnight eco-pockets™ twice in hot and dried them in the dryer. So after reading this I decided to change them half-way through the night to check. My son wearing the fleece skin layer seemed fine. My other son wearing the cotton skin layer (who is also a big-time stomach sleeper) was leaking out the front really badly. Do you have any troubleshooting or advice on the cotton skin layer dipes? Would these not be good for a stomach sleeper?. It leaked from the front top up by his belly button. He sleeps with his knees tucked up under him so gravity in general is working against it not leaking from there. I don't really know the nature of the way fleece works but from what I could see it seemed the cotton was saturated and wicking to the fleece possibly. Grateful for you help! I stuffed it with a rumparooz hemp insert (full size insert) and a microfiber doubler. this is what we stuff other pockets we've used for nighttime. Thanks so much for you help


Response:

Unfortunately I am unfamiliar with those inserts. Might I suggest that you loosen the leg and tighten the waist? Fleece is VERY stretchy and it can be pulled really tight without leaving red marks or hurting your baby. Also – they really need a good 4 washings to shrink up properly with the cotton so it might be just fine as is after another wash.

Two Follow Up Emails:

Hi Alison,

Success with baby #1! I let out the elastic at the legs a little and got a really tight fit around the waist, and no leaks last night! Yay! I'm going to try with baby #2 tonight (I figured I'd go the "divide and conquer" route).

Thanks so much for all of your help; I really appreciate it.

Gratefully,
Kristin

This morning there were two dry babies. Yay! I'm attaching a photo so you can see how happy they were (you'll have to imagine my delight, too, since I'm not in the photo).

Thanks again for all of your help.

Kristin


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Question:

I like the idea of a diaper made with recycled material, but am worried about BPA, phalates, etc from the recycled bottles next to her skin. Can you tell me how these are removed from the material?

Thank you!
Alexandra

Response:

That is a fabulous question and believe it or not – it’s the first time I’ve heard it.

If you’ve been following the current toxic plastic avoidance advice, you know that recycling category #1 (PET) has been considered a safer choice. We know it’s BPA-free, so we just use it once and recycle it.

Plastic beverage bottles sold in the United States are made from a type of plastic known as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Although polyethylene terephthalate (the plastic) and phthalate (the additive) may have similar names, the substances are chemically dissimilar. PET is not considered an orthophthalate, nor does PET require the use of phthalates or other softening additives. (Enneking 2006)

GOOD: Not known to leach any chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer or disrupting hormones

.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/which-plastics-are-safe.html

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Comment:

So! One more washing for both dipes. Loosened the legs and tightened the waist and 10hrs no leaks! Changed my other son around 8+ hours in the fleece skin lolli and dry! Awesome! :) Thanks for your troubleshooting help.

LolliDoo one-size diapers - will they fit your baby?

I have been approached by parents concerned that their child is too big for LolliDoo™ one-size diapers. While I am the first to admit that one size fits most - not all - I can assure you that most is true.

This gorgeous girl wears a size 6 disposable diaper and they are snug on her. She is wearing a LolliDoo™ Classic eco-pocket™ with two Organic Absorbency Innies™. She has a row of snaps at either end of the waist - plenty of room to grow.






Sweet Gabe is brand new in this photo. Again - not a little guy - but you can see how well he fits into his LolliDoo™ Overnight eco-pocket™.

Oh Ike - how we love you so! Here he is during the day with a LolliDoo™ Overnight eco-pocket™ - guess dad wanted to be triple sure that his shoulders didn't get wet.




Here is Ike all grown up with his friend Zeah. Ike and Zeah are wearing LolliDoo™ Classic eco-pockets™. You can see that there is a significant size difference between the two little ones - yet they are wearing the same diaper.



We LOVE your photos. If you'd like to see your baby featured on www.LolliDoo.com - just email alison@ggsillc.com with your favorite LolliDoo™ photo.

For That Price Those Diapers Must Be Made of Gold!

I have heard this a few times and as a former cloth diaper consumer I can relate. In my opinion LolliDoo™ diapers ARE MADE OF GOLD!

Firstly we use as few virgin resources as humanly possible with the technology we have available. Each diaper has a minimum of 8 recycled beverage bottles in them. Saving them from the landfill, re-using our trash and furthermore protecting the virgin resources needed to create brand new fleece. Our cotton is organic and even our stainless steel snaps are made from recycled steel.

See - GOLD!

Moreover - everything we manufacture is domestic. We are paying Americans to work which not only strengthens our economy but we have the peace of mind that all of our suppliers have ethical working conditions. The downside some might say to manufacturing in the States with domestic components is the expense. Yes our textiles cost more then something made in China - yes we are paying our seamstresses a living wage and yes our Overnight diapers are a bit more expensive BUT you get what you pay for.

With LolliDoo™ diapers you not only get a bulletproof overnight solution but when you buy a LolliDoo™ diaper:

~ You are supporting the economy
~ You are advocating for small businesses
~ You are honoring WAHMs (our seamstresses) who are able to make their own schedules to put their families first and therefore also supporting families
~ You are endorsing organic farmers
~ You are getting behind recycling
~ You are sending a message to the disposable diaper companies that they need to step up their game and offer a more sustainable solution
~You are helping to establish a relatively new industry that is almost completely run by moms
~ You are choosing your baby's health over so-called convenience
~ You are saving over 300 pounds of wood, 50 pounds of petroleum feedstocks and 20 pounds of chlorine that are used to produce disposable diapers for one baby EACH YEAR.
~ YOU are BUYING GOLD!

When people insinuate that LolliDoo™ Overnight eco-pockets™ are too costly I like to remind them that not only are you purchasing a diaper that will prevent night time leaks BUT you are supporting, women, the environment, the economy and your child's future.

For more information on LolliDoo™ eco-pockets™ please click here.

Fridge Magnets: Wordless Wednesday : Lollidoo

Fridge Magnets: Wordless Wednesday : Lollidoo Just the cutest little guy rocking a Classic LolliDoo eco-pocket!

Diaper Rashes

What can you do for babies with diaper rash? The first step is identifying the type of rash. Originally I googled photos of different rashes in attempt to post coordinating photos with this post. Unfortunately the photos were all worst case scenarios and I didn't want to scare folks. I am listing some rashes and remedies below - I am NOT a doctor so please check with yours.

A few things to note:

• The diaper rash is usually caused by the feces and if the feces happen to be solids then the risk of the rash is high.
  
• Breast-fed babies are less prone to this infection. A balance of breast milk and semi-solid foods or formula would go a long way in controlling this rash.
• Avoid perfumed baby powders
• If you are cloth diapering - try changing detergents and then strip your diapers. My easy diaper stripping instructions (scroll to the bottom)
• Do not use wipes, lotions, or powders that contain alcohol or fragrance, because this can irritate babies delicate skin and prolong the diaper rash.
• Look at the obvious clues. My daughter Rylee had a horrible diaper rash. She was in pre-folds and a wool cover. After switching out the wool the rash went away. WE had her tested and sure enough she had a lanolin allergy.
  

Rash Remedies for every type of rash

• Air your baby out as much as possible.
• If naked time isn't an option then make sure you are changing diapers as soon as your baby dirties it.
• Calendula cream encourages healing and helps with pain.
• Avoid foods that cause diarrhea and acidic urine.
• Plain old corn starch helps any kind of chafing on your body just pat on dry skin.
• If you are lactating - squirt some breastmilk on the rash. It will be sticky but breastmilk has natural antibiotics that work as well topically as they do orally.
  

Candida aka yeast
If you go to a traditional doctor they will give you an antifungal topical treatment.

Natural Remedy

• Both of you should start taking acidophilus if you are breastfeeding to help get your systems in balance again (and in your case, to prevent thrush on your nipples).
• Also avoid sweets and yeast!
• You can also apply acidophilus directly to your baby's bottom.
• Paint baby's bottom with gentian violet (once a day for 3-4 days), which you can buy from small drugstores. It usually works very well, but is also very messy - it turns everything purple! Also it can irritate the skin so use moderately.

Painful Red Bleeding Rashes
In addition to the rash remedies listed first in this post you can also:

• Use vinegar in the bath water and let the child soak for about 10 minutes - fill tub to waistline, and add 1/4 -1/2 cup white vinegar.
• Just rinse the baby's bottom in the sink at each change instead of using wipes.

When to call a doctor

• If the rash lasts longer then a few days
• If it spreads to other parts of the body - arms, face...
• If your baby is under two months old
• If the rash is getting worse instead of better
• If your baby has a high fever or is lethargic
• If the rash is bleeding, has pus, crusty patches or boils

Note: If you are using a LolliDoo ™ Diaper - you can boil it once in a blue moon to sterilize it. Do not try this with PUL (polyurethane) diapers because you will ruin the PUL.

This is a great article from WebMd for more information

Green Your Baby - My 5 steps to a healthier baby

Several parents have asked me what they can do to keep their babies as healthy and green as possible.

My number one answer is always, "breastfeed".
Not only are giving your baby the healthiest possible start in life but by breastfeeding but you are saving thousands of dollars on formula, bottles and the likes.

The manufacturing of baby formula is energy intensive. The industrial processes release harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Formula is packaged in tin cans - the majority of which are never recycled. Formula requires plastic bottles and nipples - which take anywhere between 200 to 450 years to breakdown.

Read more

Additionally Since many cows in the U.S. are now routinely ingesting synthetic growth hormones to artificially increase their milk production, it stands to reason that these hormones are also getting into the U.S. formulas.

Click here for more information.



Make Organic Baby Food
This is actually quite simple. You don't need all the trays and fancy baby grinders unless you want them. All you need for little babies is a blender and for older babies - a fork.

To make organic brown rice cereal:
1. Cook your organic brown rice according to instructions.
2. Put it in a blender with a little breast milk.
3. When it's the right consistency - feed it to your baby. Easy Cheesy.

To make fruit and veggies
1. Boil the fruit and veggies
2. Blend or smash with a fork.
*Some fruits like bananas don't need to be boiled - just mash the heck out of them.

In my house we feed the babies whatever we are eating - just mashed up. No need to spend money on store bought brands that might have sneaky ingredients in them.

This is a good link for more information.



Use Healthy Sunscreen
Brands of sunscreen that you find in conventional stores typically are full of chemicals. There is no need to lather your baby in a chemical cocktail - here are several brands that are cleaner and safer:

*Badger All Natural Sunscreen

*Soleo Organics Sunscreen

*Kid Kare Biodegradable Sunscreen

And my personal favorite

*Alba Botanica Sunscreen - this is sunscreen made from green tea and my kids can wear it all day long in the pool without burning or needing re-application. Be forewarned - this is a THICK sunscreen.

Click here for a comprehensive guide to sunscreen.

Pay special attention to this "Hall of Shame" list of sunscreens.

I had to sneak a picture of my Doodle Bug in here :)

Cloth Diaper Your Baby
You knew I was going to say that, right? Since I talk about cloth diapers almost exclusively on this blog I'll be short and sweet. Protect your baby's tenderest parts, keep raw sewage out of our landfills and save literally thousands of dollars with cloth diapers. Of course I recommend LolliDoo Diapers :)



Last but not least - stay away from plastic toys, seats and the likes
You really don't need even a fraction of all the baby stuff in stores nowadays. Especially those plastic toys and bouncers. If you do buy them please pay attention to where they are made - things coming over from other countries are sometimes full of chemicals.

This is what I believe you need for a baby:
A sling and/or backpack (check out Sweet Pea Ring Slings)
Diapers
Clothes
Wooden toys
Organic blankets

That's it folks - all the other stuff is just gravy. Even cribs - how many babies do you know that actually sleep in a crib? I can count three - the rest sleep with their parents; where I believe they should be.

I am of the opinion that these five steps are easy, practical and safer for babies.

Want To Win A LolliDoo Overnight eco-pocket?

Want to will an Overnight LolliDoo™ eco-pocket™ cloth diaper?

Here's how:

Here is how you can be the lucky winner:

Post a LolliDoo review on Diaper Swappers and/or Diaper Pin to be entered to win an Overnight eco-pocket.

1 entry Per site - you can enter twice; once for Diaper Swappers and once for Diaper Pin

Post the link on our FaceBook page and we will enter you in the drawing. Contest ends 7-31-10.

Happy posting!