Diapering the *really* big baby {review + giveaway}

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When Jude was a newborn, I threw logic out the window and joined the Flats and Handwashing Challenge. It made little to no sense to sign on for a totally new-to-me style of diapering in those busy, early weeks, but somehow, I felt like it was the right thing to do. So I did. I learned a handful of folds and began to appreciate the simplicity and flexibility of the flats.

Little did I know at the time that six months later on, I’d be almost exclusively using flats with my baby boy. Why? Because he’s huge.

At six months of age, Jude weighs in at 30 lbs. He’s also 30 inches long. Let that soak in for just a moment: my infant is the size of the average 2 year-old.

As any cloth diapering Momma knows, the toddler years bring some unique challenges. Each brand has its own rise height, making fits vary wildly. Many diapers that claim to fit “up to 35 lbs.” are known to be on the small side, rendering them all but useless by the time you’re inching closer to potty training. Others can handle the weight, but are cut for wider bodies, or trimmer ones … it’s a whole lot of research and a whole lot of hit or miss to find the solution that keeps your bigger baby in cloth.

Jude is currently outgrowing the very same fitted diapers Simon wore right up until that magical day when, at 24 months, he started to use the toilet. I still have 18 months of cloth ahead of us. What to do?

Flats.

With flats, I control the rise. I control the cut across the bum, the placement of the bulk of the absorbency, the cross of the tabs up front. It’s all about what I do with that wonderful little square of cloth, and as the mother of a budding Samson, I love it.
The main issue I’ve had with flats is total absorbency. As Jude has gotten older and his output has kept pace with his input, I’ve taken to sliding a hemp doubler in to the front of a kite-folded cotton flat. Not terribly long ago, that wasn’t quite cutting it, so I took the advice offered by other flat-using Mommas and began folding two cotton flats together. Problem solved … but the increase in bulk made pinning a bit of a wrestling match.

I started to wonder if maybe it was time to add a new fabric to the flat arsenal for those times when cotton was just not enough. I was truly blessed to find Christina and her WAHM Green Apple Taffy flats at Fruit of the Womb Diapers.

Before I even get around to talking about the diapers, let me say that Christina is a Momma after my own heart. She had an issue in her own parenting (leaky diapers) and she went about solving it with the skills God gave her. She’s a careful seamstress, has a creative eye, and is a joy to work with. She clearly loves her husband and her whole brood of kids. But above all that … she’s a passionate Christ-follower. In fact, if you order from FoTW, expect a dose of encouragement folded in to your package. Christina is a gem.

But do the diapers work, Heather?

Yes. And then some.

Green Apple Taffy flats are made from organic bamboo baby looped terry, a thirsty, squishy fabric with a gentle give. Folding these squares is a somewhat new experience even to experienced flat users, as the fabric seems to slink and glide around on itself. Diapering the baby is a little different, too. The touch of spandex means you can draw the fabric tighter, ensuring a blow-out proof fit. That spandex even means you can use smaller folds than you might otherwise; increasing absorbency in important areas and prolonging the fit pretty much indefinitely, in my opinion.

The best part? That bamboo lasts. I was shocked at how dry Jude seemed at the usual 2 hour change mark, so I tried extending it to see how long it would take to really soak. (It’s a game we cloth diapering moms play. Deal.) Lo and behold, this is a flat I can use overnight, with just the addition of a trim hemp or bamboo doubler and a wool cover.

Yes. A flat. Overnight. I’m as stunned as you are.

Green Apple Taffy flats are available in three sizes: 18×18, 23×23, and 28×28. If I had any shrinkage after washing, it was so minimal as to not be noticed. Prices range from $7-13, making this more expensive than straight cotton, but falling pretty much in line with every other stretchy/terry/specialty flat I have found. You can choose the serged edge thread, and package of one dozen come with free covers and snappis to get you up and running. (Although I have found that pins work better for me than snappis with this fabric.)

There’s nothing I dislike about this diaper. Nothing. Add to that the fact that every purchase supports a Christian family, and you’ve got my favorite all-time diaper. Hands-down.

Fruit of the Womb Diapers is offering a 25% discount on Christmas prints (covers) November 27-30. A new, site-wide code will then be released. You can also enter to win a Green Apple Taffy Flat of your own below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway