Using Flats Already!

Three days hadn't passed since the flats challenge before my daughter had a severe diaper rash.  It was most pitiful because she's able to verbalize her pain now.  I brought her home from church on Wednesday evening and as I pulled her out of the car and she started whining-- "It hurts.  Mommy, diaper hurts!"  I rushed into the house and took the diaper off as fast as I could, quickly holding a cool, baby wipe over the area for a couple of seconds and then applying Grovia's Magic Stick (which hurt her even more as it was being applied.  Then, because she hadn't had a rash during the entire flats week (well, she had a little irritation at one point that disappeared in an hour), I pulled out the flats.  I used my tried and true night-diapering flat solution--a kite fold with a trifold--and then added a wool cover.  The rash had all but disappeared by morning, which was a blessing because it meant I could send Bunny to daycare with pockets and not flats. 

Flats Challenge week has also helped me realize that I like line drying even without the clothesline I so crave.  I haven't sunned my diapers once since cloth diapering--not until the flats challenge when I dragged my drying rack outside because I didn't want to wait the extra time it would take them to dry downstairs.  Once I realized that dragging the rack from the basement to the patio wasn't that bad, I was encouraged to try it again.  So, I dried my pockets--inserts and all--on the rack in the sun yesterday and let me tell you, those inserts never dried so fast! My basement is a pretty dry place because we have a dehumidifier, but it would still take them over 24 hours to be line dried down there.  Outside, with strong sun and some wind, it took about 2.  I was shocked and delightfully surprised.  Now, we are planning on putting up a clothesline soon, but in the meantime, I'm not waiting to sun my diapers until that happens. 

Flats and Handwashing Week: Day 2

With family over, I've found it kind of hectic trying to get all the cooking and cleaning done (that's now multiplied) while doing the flats and hand washing challenge, but it's working well enough.  You can read more about that here, at the Cloth Diaper Blog. 

This morning was the best, though...in that I have a funny story to tell! After frantically running around this morning before leaving for work to clean my dishes, sweep and mop the kitchen floor, make lunch (in the crock pot) and then get some laundry done and the newly dried flats folded, I changed Bunny's diaper.  I put her in a kite fold with pins and no cover--which I've done QUITE frequently before with no problems--to help clear up a bit of redness.  Coupled with Grovia's Magic Stick for diaper rash, it cleared up after just an hour or so, but I put her in a second coverless flat just to be sure.  Then I'm in the kitchen chopping up vegetables and I look on the floor to see something small and brown just under my daughter's feet.

"That's funny!" I thought, assuming it was a chocolate teddy graham,  "I just swept and mopped!" 

I looked closer and realized it was poop.  Yikes! I hadn't put the diaper on her snugly enough and she was dropping a trail of turds behind her everywhere she went! I picked it up in a tissue and threw it away and then ran hastily to her bedroom to change her into a covered flat while my sister walked around the kitchen inspecting for more turds (she found three) gagging all the way.

It was kinda funny.  It's moments like these when I miss fitted diapers because you can wear them coverless without worrying about finding poop all over your house! I can say one thing--I'm so SO glad we don't' have carpeting in our kitchen or living room! This might have been a MUCH longer story if we did.

For more information on the Flats and Hand Washing Challenge, check out this post from Kim Rosas at Dirty Diaper Laundry.  

How I'm Preparing for the Flats and Handwashing Challenge!

Wow, the time is nearly upon us--May 23rd when 300+ of us will spend a week using only flat diapers and handwashing and air drying them.  It's kind of exciting! So how have I prepared?  I've practiced.  I've spent lots of time using different folds on Bunny and trying different combinations both for night time and day.  We've tried a bunch of different covers, and I've even made asked my husband to use them just once or twice (prepped and ready with a trifold in a cover).  I've hand washed them in my tub both in big groups at the end of the day, and one at a time to decide which I like better (I haven't decided).   I've line dried them outside on sunny days and air dried them inside when the weather wasn't the best.  And I've written about them and videotaped them for Diaper Junction's Cloth Diaper Blog.  Ultimately,  I feel totally and completely prepared for this challenge.  What's best is that I've discovered some things about using flats that I really, REALLY like!

1) They're trim so there's less to wash.

2) Handwashing a couple flats a day lets me procrastinate on the rest of my diaper laundry because it doesn't build up as quickly.

3) They're so soft that I find myself wanting to use them more often on Bunny, especially if she's got a rash.

4) Poop doesn't have to be an awful experience under a flat diaper because there are ways to keep it contained.

5) I kind of like folding them!

6) I feel really good about my daughter wearing flats because they're so gentle. 

As the week approaches, I'm finding myself with a bunch of un-anticipated guests coming (which is great) but with so many people around to change Bunny's diaper, I'm going to have to prepare even more by giving them a tutorial on how to use the trifold in a cover.  And just in case someone slips up or has to change a diaper in a stupor of 1am exhaustion,  I'm preparing to hide all the other diapers until the weeks is over. 

Honestly, though.  I can't wait.  I'm excited to do something different, something with a purpose, and to join with 300 other moms that I may never meet in person to discuss yet another parenting decision.  I'm praying that the survey results that come from this challenge can be used to actually help families in need.  Yeah, the flats challenge is a fun activity and all, but helping struggling parents out is the main reason I want to be involved.