Over the course of the day, ten volunteers (and several experienced visitors) spoke with hundreds of potential cloth-diaperers, answering questions, showing off a wide variety of diapers, and demonstrating various aspects of cloth diaper use and care. Thanks to the generous donations of several local suppliers, we were even able to change a number of babies out of disposables and put them in cloth on the spot! We supplied visitors with general information about cloth diapering (provided by the Real Diaper Association), a copy of the Cloth Diaper Comeback issue of Mothering Magazine, coupons from local retailers, and a San Diego-specific Local Resources Guide.

- Heather McNamara, San Diego Real Diaper Circle Leader, http://sdrealdiapercircle.weebly.com.

- Heather McNamara, San Diego Real Diaper Circle Leader http://sdrealdiapercircle.weebly.com.

“Cloth diapers are easier, cheaper, more convenient, and less wasteful than disposables. Find out why in ‘Dumping Disposable Diapers’ and ‘The ABCs of Going Cloth,’ two complementary articles in the March-April 2008 issue of Mothering magazine that outline how to make a smooth transition to cloth.”

“Join Mothering at the Seattle Green Festival, April 12 & 13th. Visit our booth in the Kids Zone and learn about the practical aspects of cloth diapering from The Real Diaper Association. Subscribe to our print or digital edition at the festival and enter to win a Cloth Diaper Kit.”

Giveline.com is an online store created for the community-minded shopper, offering more than a million bestselling products including books, movies, music, electronics, housewares, gifts and more. Every purchase generates a substantial donation to Real Diaper Association - an amazing average of 16% of store sales, sometimes as high as 33%. Giveline has great products, great service, and great prices - the only difference between Giveline and other major online retailers is that every purchase earns money for our organization. Check it out today, and if you decide to buy, remember that Real Diaper Association will earn significant funds in support of our mission!

Based on the information collected, we will create an action plan. RDA Board member Angelique Mullen is a survey and data analyst. She will be aggregating survey results for Ann. The results of their research, along with the proposed plan, will first be shared with those who participated in the survey. No one’s personal information will be shared, and only Ann and Angelique will have access to the raw data. Together we can make a positive and permanent change!

Please spend 5 minutes to take a cloth diapers in daycare survey now on the RDA website. If you have questions, please contact Ann Maclean. You don’t have to be a member of Real Diaper Association to participate. Feel free to share the survey with others.

1) Be calm. Getting frustrated and worked up doesn’t make it easier.

2) Have plenty of toys handy. Make sure these are toys that the baby doesn’t see or play with very much. You don’t need to have traditional toys, either. Many things can be toys. Lately, our son has found interest in a clean, empty makeup compact, a tennis ball, a set of keys, a bath toy, one of his sister’s plastic animals, and a tube of diaper cream.

3) Use prefolds with caution. Sometimes, getting a prefold on a squirmy baby seems impossible, especially if you are trying to use a Snappi clip or, god forbid, diaper pins. In these circumstances, a good fitted or pocket diaper works wonders. I can sometimes get these on him while he is standing.

4) Sing songs that engage the baby. Right now, our son likes “If You are Happy and You Know it”, ” “Wheels on the Bus”, and “De Colores”.

5) Maintain your sense of humor. Even though it can be frustrating, it is also pretty cute when a naked baby tries to escape during the diaper change, especially if he is laughing.

Maine cloth diaper service Buzzie Bee Diapers (www.buzziebee.com) announces a clothing drive to benefit babies born at a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Haiti.

Haiti has the highest level of maternal mortality in the Americas, with 523 deaths per 100,000 births. Doctors Without Borders (also known as MSF, Medecins Sans Frontieres) established a 60-bed Jude Anne Hospital in 2006 to assist women living in the most violent parts of Haiti’s capital city, who have difficulty accessing appropriate care, in part, because of poverty and violence. Medical care is provided for women with pregnancies presenting dangers to the mother and child, as well as treatment to help prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Emergency obstetric care services are available around the clock.

Buzzie Bee Diapers is collecting new and gently used cloth diapers, newborn onesies, socks, and hats to be sent with a family friend down to Haiti this month. A second donation will be made in April. Initially the request for donated items was made to the diaper service’s current customers. Word spread and several boxes of baby clothes have already been collected. A group of neighbors in Bremen is even knitting newborn hats, using patterns from the book Knitting for Peace. “We’re delighted at the response from our customers and want to open the collection up to the greater community,” says Buzzie Bee owner, Jennifer Temple. “My family has been sending items to Haitian women and babies in well over ten years now. Everything has always been well received and much appreciated.”

For additional information or to make a donation, contact Jennifer Temple at 207-542-0505 or info@buzziebee.com. Pick up is available along Buzzie Bee’s delivery route. Donations may also be dropped off at Buzzie Bee Diapers in Rockland.
Buzzie Bee Diapers opened in the fall of 2005, providing weekly pick up and delivery of freshly laundered cotton diapers, to make cloth diapering more accessible to mid-coast families. The service is currently available from Bremen to Belfast, Rockland to Washington.

www.BuzzieBee.com

They are also interested in families that are concerned about global warming and want to be part of the solution.

What a great opportunity to bring the issue of cloth diapers to a national audience!