Comparison : Alva 4.0 and 3.0

Hello there mommies!

Since I've been getting a lot of inquiries about the difference between the two versions of Alva, I figured I'd do a picture comparison to help you decide better. :)

First stop: The Appearance

Err. Nothing much on the outside if you ask me. But Alva 3.0 does have more design options than 4.0. :)

A little difference on the front snaps. Alva 4.0 has colorful snaps. When Bob first saw it, he said "Okay to sa mga oldies, may color basis sila kung san dapat isnap". Makes sense, right? 

Here's where the real comparison begins: the inner layer of the nappies. 

As you can see, Alva 4.0 has double gussets, which (based on the feedback that I get from other mommies), have greater leak prevention than ordinary 3.0. Moms who breastfeed swear by 4.0's over 3.0's.

One more thing about 4.0's is that there are two 'pathways' (lol) for the insert. There's a flap and then another opening on top, which makes stuffing inserts easier for most mommies.

4.0 also has a snap for the insert, a plus for convenience. There's no misplacing of inserts here! :)

I personally think that you wouldn't go wrong with any of these two. It's a matter of preference nalang. Some moms like 4.0, others prefer 3.0. But quality wise, it's both two thumbs up. :)

Exclusive Deal for GcashAmex Virtual Card Holders!

Hello Mommies!

I'm very happy to announce that we are a featured local merchant at Globe's newest product, Gcash Amex Virtual Card! It's basically a prepaid virtual card that is linked to your Gcash Mobile Wallet. You can use this to shop conveniently online from local shops and even international sites! :) To know more about the product, please click here. 

Here are the discounts you can get from the shop and steps on how to claim it:

OFFER#1

Yep! You've read it right! That's 300-peso savings just for you! To avail of this promo, simply add to cart four (4) Alva 3.0 Cloth Diapers of your choice then input the following code on the field for the coupon code:

FREEDIAPER(FIRST 6 DIGITS OF YOUR Gcash AMEX CARD)

ex: FREEDIAPER123456

* Make sure that your order total is 1,200 so you can get the discount. One order transaction = one free nappy. 

* Select the credit card transaction, select AMEX and use your virtual card. 

Offer #2:

Use the discount code: GLOBE(FIRST 6 DIGITS OF YOUR VIRTUAL CARD) ex. GLOBE123456

Happy Shopping Mommies!! :)

Hello, Next 9!

We love Next9 nappies! I think more than half of Nathan's stash are of Next9 diapers -- puro denim and blue pa! :)

I love that it's very nicely done, and that none of my next9 nappies have delaminated over continued use. The plains are lovely and the prints are cute. Nathan's always on denim when at home, and his pictures really look good ah. :)

Aside from cuteness, of course, it's a plus that it really fits well on Nathan. I think that's what we really look for in a cloth diaper diba, that it fits well coz when it does, you're sure that there's no leaks (or maybe, magkaron man, minsan lang.)

It's such a joy that I'm now a reseller of the nappies, starstruck pa ko at first when I talked to Jen (who's very accommodating!) and when she said I could resell, ang saya lang! Hehehe! 

Anyway, I hope you get to like Next9 nappies as much as we do. :)

Tip-Tap Shoes!

I'm so happy to announce that Baby Nate's Shop is now an authorized reseller of Tip-Tap shoes! :)

We super love these shoes! Even Nathan's pedia liked it because of the rubber soles. She reminded us how important the rubber soles are especially during the learning to walk stage.

It's such an honor to be reselling these shoes, well maybe because I'm such a huge fan. :)

New Uploads!

Hello there!

I have uploaded new items on our Facebook and Multiply sites. Drop by and take a look! :)

For an extra 10 raffle points...

Comment below and tell us what products you want to see in our shop. Just a quick survey for us to know the items we will add on our online shop. :)

Thanks for participating!

Trusted Seller

Good morning!

Working while the little baby sleeps in his Mei Tai. Close enough to kiss! 

Switching to cloth? Here's a few tips:

When we started on cloth diapers, I only had 3 pieces on rotation. I reasoned we'll  just have to try it first. Akala ko ata nun, joke lang ang pagiging waterproof nila. Hehehe! But when we tried and discovered it really is waterproof, plus so easy to use, we were so happy! 

I had to wash every after use, but since it was made of bamboo, it takes a little while for it to dry. Three cloth diapers aren't enough and we had to use disposables every night, still. When my next batch of orders came, I realized we could slowly do away with disposables na. So we decided not to buy any more, iwas temptation narin. I didn't have a formula on how many I would need to go full time, although I have read that I need at least 20 for me to be able to wash every other day. When I reached 15 pockets, I already got the hang of it. My formula then was, "add according to the needs of Nathan." 

Anyway, back to the purpose of this blog post, here are some things I think is necessary when you start on cloth diapers:

• Enough cloth diapers - How many, you ask? For me, choose a cloth diaper system and then try a few pieces first. Remember that we have a lot of cloth diaper systems now, we are so far from the traditional cloth + pins diaper already. We now have hybrids, AI2, AIO, covers, pockets, pre-folds, etc. (I promise to do a separate blog post on this soon). I decided to stay with pockets because I find it easier to use and a lot cheaper since I can  buy china and local ones. 



Not our stash of cloth diapers. Wish ko lang! :)

• Get a Cloth Diaper Safe Laundry Detergent - For cloth diapers to work best, they need extra love and attention. Haha! Choose a detergent that has no enzymes. Meaning, stay away from those that says "bleaching", "with softeners" etc. Locally available cloth diaper detergents are Cycles and Smart Steps. We use Cycles. There's also Charlie's Soap (we have this in our store!) Why do you need cloth diaper safe detergents? It's because ordinary detergents that offer 'softening', whitening etc, leaves a film on your cloth diaper. Frequently using these detergents may cause build-up on your CD's and may cause leaking problems in the future. But don't worry, you just need to strip CD's when this happens. (Note to self: separate blog post on stripping)

• A Laundry Pail - if you plan on washing cloth diapers every other day, of course you'll need something to store it to. We use an ordinary trash bin (Don't forget to put proper label on the cover so people will not mistake it for a real trash can, speaking from experience of course.) I chose the one you can step on. Ours is something like this:

I say these are the 'basic' things you need in order to get started. Once you get the hang of it, I'm sure you'll discover a lot more things. Some use cloth wipes, a DIY fleece liner, DIY inserts, etc. But for now, with these three, I think you're going to be just fine.

Remember, baby steps. Whether you're doing Cloth diapers full time or you're just starting out, the great thing is that you're able to help the environment already! And making the conscious decision to try it out is awesome already, so don't put so much pressure on yourself. I repeat, you're going to be just fine. :)

Are you a cloth-nappying Mom already? What tips can you share for newbies? Post away! :)

A Closer Look on Beilesen Cloth Diaper

We tried this brand just a few days ago, I was a little hesitant at first, it being a velcro/aplix type of closure. My little boy has learned how to undo this since he was 7 months old. Something about the sound makes him giddy. :)

Anyway, so here's a few pictures of Beilesen:

The outer covering is your usual PUL fabric (same as other china brands)

The aplix closure.

It comes with two inserts. The outermost layer is suede cloth that helps baby's bum feel dry. The diaper's lining is also of suede cloth. Personally, I like suede cloth diapers (we have Alva), coz I noticed that it's less prone to stains.

Here's a closer look on the microfiber/suede inserts.

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It has a flap that helps secure the insert in place. That's the nice thing about this diaper, at least for me. It works like a hybrid diaper. You can either put the inserts on top of the diaper cover (so that if the pee/poop doesn't reach the nappy cover, you can just replace the inserts and reuse the cover), or you can use it as a traditional pocket diaper and put the inserts inside.

I have to say, it takes a wee bit of an extra effort to stuff the inserts inside. :)

The Beilesen nappy on top of our Next9 diaper. You can already see how trim the crotch area is compared to other nappies. More comparison below:

On top of our Babywizard Nappy. 

On top of Alva.

We've been using it for days already, and I must say no leaks yet as of today. We love the trimness, we love the fit. Although since it's aplix closure, I can only use it with shorts on Nathan. So that takes away the cuteness factor of the diaper. Haha! But performance wise, we love it. 

How to Wash: Detergents

I think the most important thing you should know about cloth diapers is that they don't need the following:

• Bleach
• Fabric softeners - putting softeners on your cloth diaper will greatly affect its absorbency. 
• Other enzymes advertised on ordinary detergents.

So if you see these three on your laundry detergent, do yourself a favor and don't use it on your nappies. :) The good news is that there are available detergents that are cloth diaper friendly, such as:

• Cycles -  This was the first detergent that we tried with Nathan's diapers. I like it, no fuss and it does what it has to do -- clean the nappies. I like the smell too! I also use it when washing his clothes.
• Charlie's Soap - Bob had the shock of his life when I told him we have to buy a detergent that costs around 700 pesos for a tub. The real shocker is that if you do the math, it turns out that it's really cheaper than what we even use for our clothes. You need just a teeny tiny amount of Charlie's soap to clean a load of nappies.
• Smart Steps - this is available on most supermarkets. I say it's okay, but I'd still choose Cycles or Charlies over it. Some mommies said it's a bit harsh on the bum. 

So far, those three are the ones we've tried and had positive results. Just remember no bleach, no fabric softeners and you'll be good to go. :)

How harmful are disposable diapers to your baby and the environment?

A child needs 6000-10,000 disposable diapers prior to toilet training. Soiled diapers are usually tosses into household, hospital or roadside garbage.

In the US alone, 18 billion diapers end up in landfills every year, adding 5 million tones of untreated human waste to the soil.

Each diaper can take up to 500 years to decompose. Almost 30 percent of each diaper consists of non-biodegradable products such as absorbent vinyl layers, elastics, Velcro, absorbent gelling material in addition to plastic packaging.

As many as 100 viruses can survive in solid diapers for up to two weeks including live polio virus excreted by recent-vaccinated babies. The germs constitute a potential hazard to sanitation workers and garbage handlers.

A US environmental Protection Agency scientist concluded that rodents and vectors pose a health hazard if human waste is mixed with garbage.

The American Public Health Association and American Academy of Pediatrics have advised parents that 'faecal material and urine should not be allowed to be co-mingled and disposed of as regular trash and thereby contaminate ground water and spread disease.

There is no safe way to dispose of single-use diaper. Flushing them down the toilet cause 95 percent of clogged sewer lines in the US and create 43,000 tonnes of extra sludge per year.

Each baby in single-use diapers consumes 4.5 trees (for making paper used in diapers) and puts two tones of solid waste into our environment (based on 2 years in diapers).

Disposables pose safely concerns for babies, who can pull these diapers apart and choke on plastic and pieces of lining.

Many doctors claim there is a rise in infections, especially in baby girls, as parents tend to change single-use diapers much less often than cloth diapers.

Studies by a leading US manufacturer of disposables show the incidence of diaper rash increases from 7.1 percent to 61 percent with the increased use of their products. The reasons for more rashes include infrequent changes, allergies to chemicals, bacteria and ammonium form accumulated urine and faeces.

More than 60 percent babies 4-15 months old in the US get diaper rash at least twice in two months. In tropical countries such as India, the incidence of rash will be more.

Sodium polyacrylate is the chemical that makes disposables super-absorbent - it can absorb up to 100 times its weight in water. It can stick to baby's genitals, cause allergic reactions, and when injected into rats caused hemorrhage, cardiovascular failure and death! In the US, this chemical was removed from tampons in 1985 when it was linked to toxic shock syndrome.

Dioxin is a by-product of the paper-bleaching process used in manufacturing disposable diapers and is the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals. It causes effects like birth defects and liver disease in laboratory animals.



Source: http://www.greendiary.com/entry/how-harmful-are-disposable-diapers-to-your-baby-and-the-environment/

Why Choose Cloth Diapers?

I've known cloth diapers since Nathan was a month old. At that time, the only thing keeping me from buying it is that it costs 1,000 pesos for 3 pcs of cloth diaper. I thought it was too much to shell out for cloth diapers.

I was wrong.

On Nathan's 2nd month, he started getting really bad rashes on his bum. We tried brand after brand of disposables but nothing seemed to work for him. I wasn't sold on putting diaper rash cream every nappy change, so I researched on cloth diapers -- again.

I ordered my first three nappies from bamboodappy. It's made from bamboo and the absorbency was really good. I was ecstatic! It didn't seep from the diaper to the bedsheet, and we were more conscious of changing Nathan's diaper every 2-3 hours.

But of course, three cloth nappies are not enough. So I ordered new stocks, this time from Next9 and I was surprised at how good it worked for us. I ordered some more pairs from Alva and yes, perfect fit as well. We have a total of 18 cloth diapers by the second week. Uh-oh, I thought. How can I explain this to hubby?

The thing is, we were actually feeling the benefit of cloth diapers on our first month of using it that the price didn't really matter anymore. In fact, we didn't have the need to buy disposables anymore, and that's a huge monthly savings for us. Pre-cloth diaper, we would consume 2 big packs of diapers costing around 800 pesos at the minimum. 

Nathan's rashes were gone, I think it helped so much that the fabric is breathable PUL, and that there's no harmful chemicals touching his skin. I really won't dwell on it here but one search on google about "Harmful chemicals in disposable diapers" and I'm sure it will make you cringe too.

One thing I learned about cloth diapers is that it's not as hard as you think it is. Before, I thought -- what about the water consumption? The effort I need to exert to wash the nappies? How about poop? 

Amazingly though, our water bill didn't come up. It helped that we do a pre-rinse of the diaper and then wash it together with Nathan's clothes. The effort needed about washing nappies? Not a big deal either. Thank Samsung for washing machines. :) Poop? Surprisingly, not a problem at all! We just spray the pooped nappy with water and then flush the poop down the toilet. As easy as that!

I really suggest that you give it a try first before crossing it off your list. It can be a little intimidating at first but once you get the hang of it, it's really as easy as a-b-c.