Diapering Babyzilla: One size, Two size, or Newborn?

In the interest of answering the age old question "Will that one size diaper fit my ___lbs newborn?" I gave our two one size diapers the good old college try.  We have a BumGenius Freetime and a Happy Heineys pocket diaper, both advertised to fit babies as small as 7lbs.  Since Squirt was 10lbs to start I figured they would perform fairly well.

The two sized systems we had were some Rocket Bottoms Totally Squared (RBTS) size Small made by my Gramma and the Swaddlebees MiniNappi.  We received the TSs a few days after Squirt was born and they fit well from the beginning.  The rise was low enough it didn't bother his umbilical stump even though there wasn't an umbilical snap like his newborn diapers.  The MiniNappis had a higher rise that rubbed his stump, therefore we didn't use them very much until it fell off.  Both had a narrow crotch similar to the Newborn diapers.  This did make it difficult to stuff the Mini Nappi (a pocket diaper), but it wasn't a problem for the RBTS as it had a snap-in insert.

You can see the difference in rise between the RBTS and the Mini Nappi -- the Mini Nappi rubbed the stump which I didn't like.  Both are as trim between the legs as the Newborn though and don't look much bulkier.

I didn't get around to trying out our One Size diapers until week two.  We have a BumGenius Freetime and a Happy Heineys Pocket Diaper.  The Happy Heineys has cross over snaps which allowed for a fairly snug fit.  The BumGenius had velcro which also crossed over, but not as far.  Both gaped slightly at the leg when Squirt was sitting in his bouncer which contributed to some leaks, but his legs chunked up to the point they no longer leaked by 3 weeks.  The One Size diapers sported a wide crotch compared to the two size diapers.  Since the Happy Heineys was a pocket diaper I was able to stuff it with a narrower insert which helped create a trimmer diaper.  They both also had a higher rise which covered the umbilical stump.  I preferred to wait until his stump fell off to start using the One Size diapers.

The BumGenius is substantially wider at the crotch as compared tot he RBTS and the Newborn diaper.  You can also appreciate how the One Size diapers covered his belly button with the rise on the BumGenius the highest of all.  Hello Steve Urkle.

Here's a great illustration of all the diapers side by side.  As you can see even at three weeks the BumGenius looks fairly bulky compared to the newborn diaper.  The Happy Heineys is a little more bulky than the two size diapers, but not by much.  Neither of the One Size diapers leaked past three weeks.

At this point the Newborn diapers were no longer working very well, but the two size diapers and the one size diapers were fitting great.  Squirt had already moved to the middle snap setting on the RBTS and the Mini Nappi by four weeks and the One Size diapers, although still bulky at the crotch, were fitting great.  At this point he was about 12lbs.

In summary, I preferred the two size systems over the one size and the newborn diapers.  They fit well from the beginning without being much bulkier than a newborn sized diaper.  Squirt is now two months old, 13lbs 10oz and he is on the largest rise setting on both the Mini Nappi and the RBTS small.  However, he still has plenty of room to grow at the waist.  At this point they have lasted twice as long as the newborn diapers and I expect them to last another month.

Even though the two size system was my preference, the right one size diaper is a realistic choice from a couple weeks old to potty training for a large baby.  If I had to pick one of our two, I would choose the Happy Heineys OS pocket diaper.  It was fairly trim when stuffed with a smaller insert and the cross over snaps gave a secure fit without wing droop.  Both the bumGenius Freetime and the Happy Heineys also fit my 2 year old 30lb son.  I usually keep one of the one size diapers in our diaper bag for outings since I know they will fit either one of my sons.

Diapering Babyzilla: AIOs

My little boy is 8 weeks old and I'm finally willing to admit he's not a newborn anymore.  Of the different types of diapers we used, my favorites at the beginning were the AIOs, so I'll talk about how long those lasted first.  My son had two different types of AIOs in his stash: Grovia Newborn AIOs and AIOs made from the Rocket Bottoms newborn pattern.  There are two main difference between the Grovia Newborns and the Rocket Bottoms NB.  1.  The Grovia NB has a snap down rise.  2.  The Rocket Bottoms NB has an umbilical snap.

From day one the Rocket Bottoms NB fit the best out of the two AIOs.  The umbilical snap down kept the diaper out of the way of his stump.  I enjoyed quick diaper changes with the Rocket Bottoms NB and they didn't leak as long as they were changed every 3-4 hours.  Plus they were trim which meant his 3mos onesies fit very well.  By about 4wks however the Rocket Bottoms NB were starting to get tight and they leaked almost every time.  There are two snaps side by side on each wing and I think the diaper performed better when we could comfortably snap both on each side.  I finally retired them all by 6wks.

In contrast, I wasn't impressed with the GroVia NB AIO from the beginning.  The top edge rubbed against his umbilical stump so I waited until he was at least 2 weeks old to start using them.  They leaked and I struggled to get a good fit.  You can tell from the photos that we actually tried a tighter fit around the waist and snapping down the rise at 4 wks in comparison to 3wks.  Nothing seemed to change the fact that they needed to be changed every couple hours though.  Regardless they seemed to have a decent fit at 6 weeks old even with the extra room offered by the snap down rise but I retired them anyway due to frequent leaks.

Diapering Babyzilla: Intro

One question I see frequently on cloth diapering forums is "should I invest in a newborn stash if I'm expecting a big baby?".  I pondered the same with my most recent pregnancy.  My first two babies were 8lbs each.  I did not cloth diaper either child from birth -- Peanut was first cloth diapered at 18mos, and Munchkin at a week or two old.  Small gDiapers worked just fine for Munchkin -- a fact I had forgotten in my ooing and ahhing over teeny tiny newborn diapers.  I ultimately decided to dive in and invest in a newborn stash -- after all they might be the only new diapers Squirt gets to wear.

Well our tiny newborn, Squirt AKA Babyzilla, weighed in at 10lbs2oz when he arrived.  I had packed my hospital bag full of teeny newborn cloth diapers and sitting in the delivery room I wasn't so sure they were going to fit.  Good news is that they did!  The following series will hopefully shed some light on the pros and cons of newborn cloth for large babies.  Squirt's newborn stash consists of small gDiapers, Grovia NB AIOs, AI2s and fitteds made using the free Rocket Bottoms NB cloth diaper pattern, newborn/small AI2s made using the Rocket Bottoms Totally Squared pattern, NB quick snap flat wraps, Swaddlebees Mini Nappi, a size small Bummis cover, NB covers made from the Babyville Boutique pattern, a OS Happy Heiny, and a OS Bumgenius Flip.  Some fit great from the start, and some did not.  Follow along and I'll give you the skinny!

"Take only what you need to survive"

or "Holiday travels with small children"

This Christmas we were blessed to be able to go visit my parents.  Unfortunately that involved a 2 hour car ride, navigating a rather large airport, 4 hours in a plane, navigating another large airport, and a second car ride of undetermined length (I fell asleep).  And then we had to go back.  Thank God for tailwinds and non-stops.

Was it fun getting there?  No.  Was it worth it? H-E-double-hockey-sticks yes.

Its a trip we've made a couple times already with at least one child and I like to think we get savvier at airport travel with toddlers each time.  The first time was with Izzy as an infant.  We took her travel system.  Better decisions have since been made.  The last time was with Johnny in my lap, and Izzy in her car seat strapped to a Gogo-Kidz Travelmate.  Getting close.

This time, with a 3 yr old and an almost 2 year old I decided we would not survive the airport without:

• 2 gogo-Kidz Travelmates
• 2 Diono RXTs
• 2 Ergobaby baby carriers
• checking all unnecessary luggage

Why?

1.  Safety.  In large crowded places where my attention is divided I am a firm believer in kid restraints.  Be it a stroller, carseat, or baby carrier if my child is strapped down I know where to find him/her.  The Diono RXT+Travelmate gave us the option of wheeling the kids through the airport strapped to their carseats.  When they got tired of that, or absolutely needed to be held (like Johnny did on the way back), the Ergo allowed us a free set of hands for carrying bags while keeping them secure.

Yes my son is picking his nose.  *sigh*

2.  Ease of boarding.  Take a Diono RXT, attach a Gogo Kidz Travelmate, and cue Handel's Messiah.

The Travelmate makes traveling through the airport with a car seat much easier, but the Diono RXT makes it pure amazing because it is narrow enough to fit down the aisle of the aircraft.  Barely.  We just strapped the kids in, wheeled them to our seats, removed the Travelmate, installed the seat, and sat down.  Last time my husband had to carry our car seat to our seats because it wouldn't fit down the aisle while I navigated our baggage, an almost 2 year old, and a 3 month old to our seats.  I couldn't imagine doing the same x2 car seats.

3.  Hands-free comforting.   Johnny had a meltdown on the way back.  I mean full-blown I'm-going-to-cry-for-20-minutes-and-there-is-nothing-you-can-do-about-it meltdown.  Turns out he's not a huge fan of new experiences he hit his limit just as we joined one of LAX's famously long lines.  First I tried back carry in the Ergo.  He kicked and screamed -- with Hub's help I couldn't even get him strapped in.  I 100% forgot I was pregnant (don't say its never happened to you), plopped him on top of my 28wk bump and strapped him on with the Ergo.  He was still screaming, but at least it wasn't for lack of being held and I still had two hands free for luggage.  I left Johnny strapped in through security which turned out to be a good idea since the TSA absolutely had to check his Mr. Giggles for explosive devices.  Unhitching him to walk through the metal detector might have cued another inconsolable melt down, but thankfully the agent let him stay attached and we passed with flying colors.  And the TSA agent even hand delivered Mr. Giggles right away after proving he was just a stuffed animal.

4.  I don't trust the baggage handlers.  That's a personal problem.  We could have checked our car seats.  In fact Johnny could have sat on a lap.  I figured at 30lbs he would make a pretty nasty projectile in a crash though.  More importantly I like to know our car seats are intact on the other end and safe to use.  Whether they will actually get thrown into the cargo hold like a rugby ball or placed gingerly, I can't shake the thought of the former scenario from my head.

5.  No strollers.  The Ergo is so much easier to travel with than a stroller.  It folds up, we don't have to check it (see above), and its one less bulky item we have to squeeze into the vehicle picking us up on the other end.  Granted my parents have a stroller, but it was nice to know we didn't need one because we had the option of carrying the children in the Ergo.  Our kids walk most places now, but I did end up back carrying Johnny a couple times while we were visiting.

Notes and future improvements:

The Diono RXT + the Travelmate does not fit through the xray machine even though the TSA agents desperately wanted it to.  Requesting a hand check before they even tried manhandling it into the machine made things go smoothly on the way back.  Yes it might have fit if we took off the Travelmate, but having it hand checked was so much easier.

Hubs and I found the release latch for the Travelmate is not simple to operate when we are tired and stressed from travelling.  Practicing ahead of time might have made boarding go more smoothly.

We probably could have left the second Ergo with the industrial strength hair dryer. Hubs used it once the whole trip when Izzy wanted to be carried.

In case you missed it, the Ergo didn't set off the metal detector.  Hallelujah.  I was kind of excited about that.

Security is still a hassle.  Kids don't have to take off their shoes anymore -- hurrah!  But there was still the "take off all coats, belts, shoes, empty those water bottles, pull out the tablet, empty those pockets and pray you're not hiding some microscopic piece of metal" dance.  At least one bag each way had to be hand checked for suspicious items anyway.  We found it best to find a line with a long set of tables and wave people past us as we took our time getting everything binned.

We could not fit the Diono RXTs in Economy class rearfacing.  We tried.  We really wanted to.  It just wasn't going to happen.  If you plan to take an infant on a plane who needs to be rearfacing and plan on sitting said infant in a car seat I would suggest taking a different car seat.

Lastly, muchos gracias to the Delta employee that moved our family + screaming toddler to the front of the baggage check line.  I think the people standing around us in line that could still hear really appreciated it, as did we.

P.S.  For those of you who are wondering, no we didn't travel with cloth.  We had a package of gDiaper flushable inserts and some disposable wipes shipped to my parents house and packed in our carry-on bags enough flushable inserts and disposable wipes to get through the airport and then some.  We left the extras at my parents' house in hopes we will go visit them sometime before Baby potty trains.

Disclaimer:  I have in no way been compensated by Diono, Delta, or Gogo Babyz for this post.  I am a gMum and get regular shipments from gDiapers.  I also have received one free Ergobaby Bundle of Joy from Ergo for review.  The other Ergo carrier we bought ourselves and love :)  These gifts have in no way influenced my opinion of the products made by these companies and all opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Name Change?

Or why you should never name your blog after your kids.

I thought I was very clever when I named this blog.  After all, pretty much everything I do and think about revolves around them, even if it is tangentially.  But then we had to go and throw a wrench in things.

We're due with number three in March and my world will no longer revolve around just two little people.  I could just tack number three's name on to the end but since we have yet to pick a name I am not going to even tempt myself to pick one based on how it makes the title of my blog sound.  So don't be surprised if the title changes to something a little more generic over the next few months.  I'll leave the web address alone for simplicity's sake though ;)