Happy anniversary to the Real Diaper Association!

Where do we grow from here?

When Real Diaper Association launched our website six years ago today, we had big dreams of spreading our passion for babies in cloth diapers. We were going to have Real Diaper Circles in every state reaching out to talk to thousands of families face to face to help them learn how easy it is to use simple, reusable cloth diapers.

None of us had any nonprofit experience. What we didn’t realize is: it takes longer than you think it will to build a grassroots organization. It took us a year or so to find our groove.

And, it takes even longer with volunteers squeezing out an hour here and there. Hundreds of volunteers and a dozen board members have given many thousands of hours because they want to see more babies in cloth diapers.

And, it takes even longer on a tight budget. Many hundreds of business and individual donors have supported our work.

We have been fiscally conservative. We don’t do much that costs money, and we don’t spend much money when we do spend.

We have talked since long before our opening about having an Executive Director who could bring cloth diapers to the masses. We saved a small nest egg, but we knew that we didn’t have enough income from donations to sustain an employee long term.

A year and a half ago, we decided to risk success, and we conducted a thorough search for the right candidate to be our paid Executive Director.

We found Heather McNamara.

Since February 2009, Heather has built on the foundation of years of volunteer work. She has accredited many new, active Real Diaper Circle Leaders. She has chaired a joint campaign with the Real Diaper Industry Association to get more cloth diapers into daycare centers. She has created informational and social media campaigns, like the 100% reusable cloth diapers campaign to gather and distribute tips on travel, nighttime diapering, and laundry. She has networked with waste and environmental professionals to find ways that RDA can help them as they help cloth diapers. She has made active connections with cloth diaper businesses, activists, and volunteers. She has overseen fundraisers, like the 2010 photo contest and calendar and our campaign to raise $3,500 in 35 days.

During Heather’s first year job review, she told RDA board members that she has taken on RDA as part of her identity. I tell you this in hopes that you will understand how very lucky you and I and all of us are to have Heather McNamara working for cloth diapers.

We understood that by hiring an employee we risked spending our nest egg. We have managed to stretch our potential six months for an employee to eighteen months so far. Our $3,500 in 35 days campaign is helping us stretch funds further.

It has been worth every penny to take the risk. We no longer have a nest egg, but we have something better. We have a string of successes as Real Diaper Association and our volunteers work to fulfill our mission. We have a board that works through consensus and nonviolent communication. We have more than 100 volunteers currently in training to become Real Diaper Circle Leaders. This charitable organization has survived its infancy and is emerging into its adolescence.

We still need you. We have the solid foundation, the people, and their skills. We still need you to teach others about cloth diapers. We still need you to support the organization with your tax deductible donation.

Please wish Real Diaper Association a happy 6th anniversary today with a donation of any size either through Razoo or directly through PayPal by clicking the “Donate” button to the right.

Lori Taylor is the last of the RDA founders still on the board of directors. She was President of RDA from 2004-2010. Now she has semi-retired to become the Vice Chair and Faithkeeper of the organization.

When working a cloth diaper outreach booth at a fair, people immediately touch the diapers and ask about how they work. After I’ve explained the cloth diaper equation (all diapers need two things – moisture absorbency + moisture resistance) and shown them a few different diapers, they dive into the next question, “so, how exactly do you CARE for the diapers?”, with kind of a little wink/nod on the word “care”. To answer the question, I come prepared. One of our Circle members put together a poster with pictures and captions describing the entire process from taking the diaper off the babe through washing, drying, and restocking, and the visuals are perfect for introducing the cloth diaper laundering process.

The fact is, basic care of simple, reusable cloth diapers is pretty straightforward. However, talk with a group of cloth diaperers long enough, and you’ll find that many have run into some trouble laundering their diapers. There are many variables between diaperers – we’re not all using flats and (optional) wool covers and washing by hand like our grandmothers did. Different diapering materials and how they’re sewn together, a variety of washing machine types and routines, different detergent ingredients and formulations, variations in water type, baby health and skin sensitivities – - all these and more can have an effect on the diapers themselves, requiring each cloth diaperer to find the right combination of diaper and care routine that works best for them.

That said, there is a lot of advice out there amongst the experts. I have learned so much from the other moms in my Real Diaper Circle! Some of them have taken it upon themselves to conduct chemistry experiments in our particular water to help give local advice on detergents. Others generously share their methods for overcoming obstacles. Over the years, I’ve heard MANY tips and tricks for solving diaper care problems, and some of those have been so useful that they’ve become part of my initial introduction to diaper care.

Since many people don’t have such a great support network, the Real Diaper Association continues the 100% Reusable Cloth Diapers campaign, which is intended to help people succeed with reusable cloth diapers in every situation. In each phase of the campaign, the RDA collects advice from the experts (parents!) and compiles it into a tip sheet for people struggling to overcome that obstacle. In the previous phases of the campaign, we’ve helped parents cloth diaper overnight and use cloth diapers while traveling. Now we’d like to help people identify the laundering process that will work for them.

If you’ve been cloth diapering for any amount of time, you’ve probably picked up a trick or two. Please contribute to the campaign by sharing your advice for caring for cloth diapers here. Thanks for your help!!

Looking for advice NOW on laundering your cloth diapers? Visit your local Real Diaper Circle or see what parents are recommending here.

Heather McNamara
Executive Director, Real Diaper Association

Editor’s Introduction: The cloth diaper movement is a big one, and there are a lot of areas to pursue in getting cloth diapers onto more babies.  Recently, momentum has developed around getting hospitals to use cloth diapers on newborns, thus introducing the idea to parents right in their baby’s first days.  It would send a powerful message besides reducing hospital waste.  Some hospitals have voluntarily gone in this direction for financial reasons - less waste means savings for them.  Vilate Thacker, RDA member, has emerged as a leader in this movement and wrote up the post below to update us on how it’s going.

Cloth in Hospitals… is this far fetched? Well honestly, it was less than 50 years ago that it was the norm. 50 years is not that far removed from us mamas now. Only a few generations. We just need to remind hospitals that cloth is better for babies.

Can we do that? Can we get them to see all the trash they are adding to the landfills? I don’t know… but that is our quest. Cloth in Hospitals has a blog and also a fantastic Facebook page titled “We want to see cloth diapers in Hospitals!”

The beginning of this group was small and insignificant really. I was chatting on Twitter with a few friends and said wouldn’t it be nice if we could get more hospitals to use cloth diapers. Well the next day one of the mamas told me that she had made a FB page. LOL! Just like that! Then the other mama was like hey you should promote it with a big giveaway only do it like a telephone game. BUT have the participants call the hospitals. So we posted lots of info for the first week and built up our numbers. The we had a huge giveaway with some amazing sponsors. I make cloth diapers and thought a “diaper mascot” would be fun! So I hurried and whipped out a diaper and got it on a baby and got some amazing pics of it to make a button for our blog and FB page.

Feel free to grab the button and put it on your blog!

I even sell the “Hospital Diaper” through a Nifty Nappy retailer with $2 from every sale going to the Real Diaper Association.

We had amazing participation in our big contest in which people received points for helping the cause (contacting hospitals, spreading the word, etc) and it was fun to read though all the comments. We had so many people contact so many hospitals. We had hospitals that responded that they were interested in looking at literature about it. We even found a few that are already using cloth. This was exciting because we had the chance to ask them a few questions and get some information that can help us in the future.

This is where I need some help though. I don’t know how to proceed. I feel very overwhelmed. I am a WAHM with 6 kids and I feel like I have bitten off more than I can chew… but I know I don’t have to do it alone.  Perhaps some of you RDA supporters might be willing to lend some time / ideas? If we all do a little together we can do a lot!

We need to keep the momentum going.  We need to get people to take the information to the hospitals they called. We need to keep them motivated, and we need to collect all the info in one place. We tried to start a discussion on the FB page where people could post information they had gathered, and a few did, but not nearly enough.

I know I don’t need to preach to you… you are the “choir” so to speak! We know the best choice, but we need to help the hospitals see this. I would love to have you join in the movement and get any idea you might have. You can feel free to email me any time with ideas or suggestion.

What can you do to help get Cloth Diapers back into our Hospitals?

Vilate Thacker, Nifty Nappy, vilate@niftynappy.com

Finding good daycare for your children is hard. You want to find one with a similar approach to caring for your child, experience in handling a broad range of children and problems, and staffed by people you trust to take a major role in your child’s daily life. Hearing Marisa L. Tobey, owner of Ready, Set, Go! Learning Center in Portland, Maine talk about using cloth diapers on the children in her care would definitely sway me towards her center.  She said,

“Teaching children healthy habits is especially important at the age when they’re learning basic life skills. We teach them to compost, recycle, respect nature, eat healthy and organic/local, grow their own food, conserve water and reduce waste. Using cloth diapers in our daycare center is a huge part of practicing what we teach…and we produce so much less waste than other centers. We’re teaching social responsibility.”

Unfortunately, not all daycare providers see cloth diapers quite this way – yet. The Real Diaper Association and the Real Diaper Industry Association have been working on several related activities to facilitate the use of cloth diapers in daycare. A big step is recognizing that there are a lot of daycare providers already using or accepting cloth diapers. Finding those daycares, though, frequently takes a lot of effort – - until now…

The new Cloth-Diaper-Friendly Daycare Directory is now live and ready for you to use!

While RDA received some tips in their 2007 survey about cloth diapers in daycare, the information is old so we need your help in finding cloth-diaper-friendly daycare providers to include in the directory. This directory is ready to fill a major need that we’ve been hearing about at RDA since our founding. But it is absolutely reliant on the public to populate the data and make it as useful as it can be!!!

WE NEED YOUR INFORMATION!

• If your child wears (or wore) cloth diapers in daycare, take a minute to add as much information as you can about that daycare to the directory.
• If you know someone who uses cloth diapers in daycare, go to the directory and click on the Share links at the bottom of the page to send an email or Facebook message to that person asking them to contribute information to the directory.
• If you are a daycare provider who accepts children in cloth diapers – or, better, PROVIDES cloth diapers for the children in your care – BY ALL MEANS, add your information to this directory!
• If you own a diaper service proving cloth diapers to a local daycare provider(s), add their information to the directory, or share the link with them (daycare.realdiaperindustry.org) so they can add themselves.
• If you are merely sympathetic to the cause of cloth diapers in daycare, share the link to the directory (daycare.realdiaperindustry.org) in any way you can.

If you’re looking for a daycare in your area that accepts your cloth diapers and nothing appears in the directory for your area (yet), the joint RDA/RDIA project team published a tip sheet for parents about how to ensure a caretakers’ acceptance and use of cloth diapers for a child in their care. Hopefully, it will result in acceptance of your cloth diapers, and you’ll be able to soon return to the directory to add your provider!

Are you writing a post for the Real Diaper Facts carnival? You should!

And, when you do, consider the fine points of your writing.

The Real Diaper Facts carnival encourages bloggers to use real diaper facts to counter the diaper lies found on the page below.

http://www.pampers.com/en_US/diapers-myths-and-facts

A Note on Blog Post Optimization from a Pro

I see three knots of keyphrases used in the disposable diaper article listed above: 1) the vs comparison, 2) environment, and 3) sustainable diapers.

To anyone who pays attention to cloth diaper keywords, it will be obvious that a copywriter has added the three most common keyword phrases for comparison between single-use, throwaway diapers and reusable, cloth diapers.

• disposable diapers vs cloth diapers
• cloth versus disposable diapers
• disposables versus cloth

A quick analysis shows that the keywords this page has been written for are “environment” (5 times) and “environmental” (2 times) but the code is full of “sustain” (4 times in code) and “sustainable” (just 2 times). The target here is “sustainable diapers.” (They could have improved the page for this phrase, but I have no intention of telling THEM how!) If you use the phrase “sustainable diapers” in your post in a way that is appropriate to content, you can boost the search rank of your post higher than the lies about sustainable diapers on that page.

When you refer to cloth diapers in your post, call them “cloth diapers.” People don’t search for shortened names (“Do you use cloth?”) or nicknames (“Nasty sposies”).

Pay attention to your description. This is the text that will often appear in search engines or when your page is linked, such as when shared on Facebook. Does the description below describe your post? If so, use it. If you don’t know how to add a description to a post, add a plugin like All in One SEO Pack to give you more control.

Are cloth diapers really better for the environment? Learn more about sustainable diapers myths and facts at [insert your blog name here].

Sustainable diapers are the focus. Notice the bad grammar in the description? It’s a little optimization trick.

While you are at it, why not throw in a few more keyphrases when you write about real sustainable diapers. Once you’ve finished your Real Diaper Facts carnival post, keep writing. Write about the waste of one-time use products and a throwaway culture using these keyword phrases.

• disposable diapers in landfills
• disposable diaper waste
• chemicals in disposable diapers

Now get writing! Pour out all that you know about diapers and all of the verified real diaper facts that you can find into a great post on diaper lies and real sustainable diapers.

Lori Taylor
President, Real Diaper Association

Real Diaper Facts carnival

You are cordially invited to a cloth diaper blogging carnival on real sustainable diapers. Open a new post NOW because we’re off to the start immediately.

What are the real diaper facts vs. the diaper lies? To participate in this carnival, create your own version of “Myths and Facts about Sustainable Diapers,” which happens to be the title of a page on the Pampers website.

http://www.pampers.com/en_US/diapers-myths-and-facts

A myth is a traditional, true narrative from a culture’s long-ago golden age, and we don’t need to play that game. So, let’s just talk about lies, lies that are told in pursuit of profit and market domination.

What are the lies told about cloth diapers?
And, what are the truths you tell in answer to those lies?

You are welcome to use Real Diaper Association’s Real Diaper Facts page, What a Waste, or any verified source of information about diapers to support your answers.

Who?

Any cloth diaper blogger is welcome to join in the carnival, even if you only blog about cloth diapers occasionally. If you want to counter the lies, damn lies, and statistics that corporations tell in defense of their products, you are eligible. If you know the difference between “sustainable diapers” and real sustainable diapers, you are eligible.

When?

Linky your post by Thursday, May 20th, 1PM Eastern Time, and your post may be included on the Real Diaper Facts carnival host post on the RDA blog RealDiaperEvents.org.

To Linky your post:

• At the bottom of this post, CLICK “Click to enter here”
• Add your post title and URL to the Linky list
• Grab the code below (more details at the very bottom), and add to the bottom for your Real Diaper Facts post while in HTML mode:

<script src=”http://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=27830″ type=”text/javascript”></script>

Your post will be linked from all of the other Real Diaper Facts posts, and any new posts will be linked on your post. It’s a brilliant McLinky tool.

To publicize the carnival:

• Add the text below to the top of your post

This post is part of the Real Diaper Facts carnival hosted by Real Diaper Events, the official blog of the Real Diaper Association. Participants were asked to write about diaper lies and real diaper facts. See the list at the bottom of this post to read the rest of the carnival entries.

• Or, add the code below to the top of your post

<em>This post is part of the <a href=”http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php” title=”What are the real diaper facts?”>Real Diaper Facts</a> carnival hosted by <a href=”http://www.realdiaperevents.org/” title=”Cloth diaper blog”>Real Diaper Events</a>, the official blog of the <a href=”http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/” title=”Real Diaper Association for cloth diapers”>Real Diaper Association</a>, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to cloth diaper education. Participants were asked to write about diaper lies and real diaper facts. See the list at the bottom of this post to read the rest of the carnival entries.</em>

Then What?

Real Diaper Association may create a permanent page on RealDiaperAssociation.org or WhatAWaste.info to show off your great answers. We will quote you and provide links to your blog for quoted diaper facts and diaper lies.

Where to start?

Here is an example.

Diaper Lie: But I heard that studies show the environmental impact of cloth diapers and disposable diapers is equal.

Real Diaper Facts: Don’t believe it! Read the in-depth What a Waste review of the studies disposable diaper manufacturers use to justify their claims. The real diaper facts are not what is implied by those urging you to use throwaway diapers.
(From “But I Heard. . .” on What a Waste. See more information on “Flawed Impact Studies Review.”)

Now, go write.

Don’t limit yourself to the most obvious diaper lies. Go after them all.

A Couple of Asides

We reserve the right to remove any inappropriate posts from the carnival list.

This Real Diaper carnival is a one-time or perhaps very occasional event. If you just can’t wait and want more cloth diapers and carnivals, check out the regular carnivals held by Cloth Diapering Bloggers.

Marketers (like those at P&G) use several techniques to optimize their posts to make sure that their page appears when someone does a search.  We want OUR posts to appear when people search for “cloth vs. disposable diapers” or “sustainable diapers” – NOT their lies.  Here are some ways to give your post more oomph.

Linky Code

For BLOGGER blogs & blogs that allow Javascript (that includes Wordpress blogs NOT hosted for FREE at Wordpress.com):

<script src=”http://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=27830″ type=”text/javascript”></script>

For free WordPRESS.com hosted blogs or blogs that do NOT allow javascript:

<p><b>Powered by Linky Tools</b></p><p><a target=”_blank” href=”http://www.linkytools.com/basic_list.aspx?id=27830″>Click here</a> to enter your link and view the entire list of entered links…</p>

I opened my local paper (the San Diego Union-Tribune) the other day to find this headline, “Diaper-rash cases spur probe by safety agency.” The Consumer Product Safety Commission has launched an investigation into Pampers’ Dry Max diapers following “complaints of babies and toddlers suffering severe and persistent diaper rashes and blisters that resemble chemical burns.” Of course, Procter & Gamble denies the possibility that its “Dry Max technology” could be the cause. (Side note: I find the use of the word “technology” to be amusing – is the word “chemicals” too harsh-sounding for consumers?)

I’ve recently become aware of the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database, which studies thousands of cosmetic products (soaps, moisturizers, sunscreen, toothpaste, etc) on the market and reports on the safety of each product’s ingredients. The hope is that, with increased awareness about things like neurotoxins and reproductive toxins in our shampoo, consumers will refuse to purchase dangerous products and the entire market will change. Perhaps this investigation by the CPSC will address the dangers of applying chemical-filled diapers to the sensitive skin of babies’ bottoms.

I’m not hopeful the CPSC results will make much difference in the marketplace. There is far too much money in this market, as is apparent in the quick-response damage-control team at P&G responding to the problem by dismissing the arguments of parents whose babies have been hurt and insisting that it’s impossible (!) that their diapers could be causing the problem. Disposable diaper companies have been able to overcome bad publicity – and even scientific study results – in the past*. However, I’m hopeful that the current investigation will cause more parents to reconsider the health threats posed by constant exposure to the chemical in disposable diapers and investigate the possibility of using cloth diapers.

I will continue to use my 100% reusable cloth diapers and avoid the concern altogether. If you, or someone you know, are concerned about disposable diapers, find a local Real Diaper Circle and get support in making the switch to cloth diapers.

Heather McNamara

*including, for example the OSHA “Material Safety Data Sheet on Superabsorbent Polymer” [the chemicals in disposable diapers] stating, “Preexisting skin or breathing disorders may become aggravated through prolonged exposure”. For more information, review the history compiled by Peggy O’Mara in A Tale of Two Diapers in Mothering magazine.)

P.S. Speaking of DryMax, did you see the claims that reducing the size and increasing the absorbency of their disposable diapers can reduce landfill contributions? Sounds like greenwashing to me. Want to reduce waste? 100% reusable cloth diapers.

Have you gotten the latest issue of Mothering magazine yet? It features a HUGE spread on cloth diapering – comprehensive, thorough, and clearly in favor of 100% reusable cloth diapers! Lori Taylor, President of the Board of Directors, and RDA member Angie Gregory, of Mother Herb Diaper Service in Northampton, MA, were quoted in the article. Supplements include a 2-page pictorial explanation of the different type of cloth diapers, a page of troubleshooting advice, a listing of cloth diaper resources on the web, and an excellent article on elimination communication, particularly in conjunction with cloth diapers.

Jennifer Margulis, author of the article, is following up with a week of cloth diaper-themed blog posts at mothering.com. So far she’s written three: “I Heart Cloth Diapers”, “Cloth Diapering 101 or Everything You Need to Know About How to Get Started with Cloth Diapers”, and “Can You Really Travel with Cloth Diapers?” (her answer, like ours, is YES!  Learn more about our efforts to support parents in using cloth diapers on the road here.)

In support of the article, mothering.com has also introduced a series of video resources on cloth diapers and a Q&A Forum related to cloth diapering.  All this follows a long tradition of support for cloth diapers from Mothering magazine, highlights of which include editor Peggy O’Mara’s “A Tale of Two Diapers”, Lindsay Evans’ “Dumping Disposable Diapers”, and “The Politics of Diapers”.  There have been more published, and a number of additional articles and resources available on the site. Many RDA business members also advertise in Mothering magazine, connecting readers to sources they often cannot find locally.

Want to spread the word about cloth diapers? Buy a few copies and give them out to family and friends!

Heather Bradley has been accredited as RDA’s newest Real Diaper Circle Leader in Goldsboro, North Carolina!

The Circle already has an on-base home (at the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base), but is working on an off-base location to serve the local civilian population as well. Heather is also in training to be a La Leche League Leader, and does a lot of local babywearing support as well. She hopes to bring all three together in a common space and time to help spread interest and support across the natural parenting spectrum. With three children that she is homeschooling, Heather is quite busy, but she is also dedicated. When she began cloth diapering, she was completely on her own, knowing no one else using cloth diapers. Being persistent, and convinced that cloth diapers were the right answer from environmental, health, and financial standpoints, she struggled through it, and now wants to share her knowledge so that other people won’t have such a tough time figuring it all out.

If you (or someone you know) are in the local area, check out the Facebook group for the Real Diaper Circle of Wayne County, NC. Join the group to connect with cloth diaperers and find out about upcoming meetings and other local resources!

Congratulations, Heather, and thank you for joining RDA in advocating for 100% reusable cloth diapers!!

If you are interested in helping with cloth diaper advocacy and support in your area, find out more about Real Diaper Circles in this blog post.

If you are looking for local support outside of Wayne County, NC, check out the Real Diaper Association’s local resource directory.

Heather McNamara
Executive Director, Real Diaper Association

The San Diego Real Diaper Circle is awesome! Allow me (its leader) to brag for a moment… This was our third year hosting a cloth diapering booth at the EarthFair, an event that draws upwards of 80,000 people. Each year, I have organized the booth with the help of volunteers. This year, THEY pretty much organized it with the help of ME. Roni managed the entire booth design herself, getting all the materials in place (with the help of her design crew) and managing booth setup AND takedown.


Jenn devoted her considerable graphic design skills and printing contacts to get us a BEAUTIFUL, professional-looking brochure to hand out with basic cloth diapering information and tips about local and online resources. Wendy contacted a variety of manufacturers and retailers who donated diapers and accessories to give away at the booth and sell in our silent auction to cover our expenses (and probably make enough extra to allow us to do some more events this year!). And a number of Circle members came through to fill holes – lending a changing table (Jenny) and a diaper stash for showcasing (Serena), providing gorgeous pictures of their babies in cloth diapers to attract people to the booth (a huge draw!), and, of course, STAFFING the booth!


Sixteen of us put in a couple of hours or more at the booth throughout the day – - including one dad! And thank goodness there were so many of us there – we were kept busy with interested visitors! San Diego granted us one of its perfect days, and I think each of us left both exhausted and really fired up about all the excitement over cloth diapers. Having had two previous EarthFair experiences that were positive, it was somewhat surprising how even MORE enthusiastically-received cloth diapers were this year. It seemed that we talked to more non-parents than usual – all of whom expressed real appreciation for our message, and an intent to spread the word to their family and friends.

I’m still on a high over the whole thing, though that may be due to the fact that my week didn’t end there. My co-leader, Rachel, and another Circle member (Jenni) staffed another booth for us on Earth Day itself at Hewlett-Packard’s fair, getting a lot of interest from the several hundred attendees.

And, of course, the #GetRealDiapers Twitter party that night capped it all off with 1700+ tweets in one hour amongst the 400+ preregistered attendees! There was a lot of fantastic information provided – you can view the transcript of the event here. Prizes were awarded EVERY FOUR MINUTES throughout the hour, including entire diaper stashes for some parents new to cloth diapers. Preregistered attendees were also subsequently provided with discount codes from the sponsors as well as information from the Real Diaper Association to help them realize their commitment to cloth diapers.

Did you take advantage of Earth Week to advocate for cloth diapers? How? We’d love to hear about your experiences!!

Heather McNamara
San Diego Real Diaper Circle Leader
Executive Director, Real Diaper Association