Review: Ah-Dee-Eh-Dee Cloth Diaper

Woah hey! This is my first cloth diaper review. As much as I’ve talked about cloth diapers over on Instagram, I recently realized that I’ve never written a cloth diaper review!

Over the summer, Ah Dee Eh Dee sent me a really cute all-in-one (AIO) diaper to try out with Minerva. I got it prepped right away and this diaper is now a staple in our diaper arsenal. The diaper has stay-dry Alova Suedecloth and the layers are 40% hemp, 30% bamboo, and 30% organic cotton. The diaper fits kids approximately 15-48 pounds. I did let Maxine wear it a couple times to see if it fit her (38ish lbs) and it does fit her!

We tried out the diaper for daytime use first. The diaper had no leaks and held in the destruction that Min decided to do to the diaper (hahaha!) I was shocked that it didn’t come out the diaper because it was a ton of crap. Color me impressed!!

The next time that we used the diaper, it was overnight. Minerva nursed the entire night it seemed and she peed a ton so there was a little leakage and her jammies were damp. The next time we used it overnight, I added a bamboo insert under the layers in the diaper and she did the nurse all night thing again (ugh) and woke up with no leaks! Her jammies weren’t damp at all.

   This diaper has rises on the front to fit many different sized kids. It even was forgiving with Min’s constant pulling the front of her diaper down. She does that with everything!  I look forward to adding more Ah Dee Eh Dee to my collection.

Check out Ah Dee Eh Dee on Facebook and Instagram!

Soul Mate: Doll Carriers

We only have a few warm days left before we have to bundle up to play outside. Maxine decided today would be a great day for her and Minerva to head outside to play.

Maxine suggested that they play with their babies outside, so of course I helped them get their babies uppy back! Maxine chose the Soul Imperial doll buckle carrier. I put the Eclipse Ikat doll meh dai on Minerva. Soul sent them these carriers and they are loved so much around here!

I think Minerva enjoyed having the baby on her back. Especially since she could hold the doll AND all of her chalk at the same time.

Do the children in your life have doll carriers? I’d love to see your pictures! Tag #BrittBrownMarsh on Instagram and Facebook so I can see!

 

This buckle has to be my favorite accent <3

 

 

Slings for All

I got to try out a Wildbird ring sling recently while I was teaching at a babywearing meeting. I was super excited when the meeting attendee brought it over because I was dying to try it out since I heard that our group added it to our library. Usually when teaching in person, I thread the ring sling on so that I can make sure that it does not twist on my back. When I attempted to thread the Wildbird sling, I could not get it back through the rings because there was not enough fabric. Without skipping a beat, I took off the sling and put it on the meeting attendee to  get her situated. What I wanted to do was cry. I was panicking on the inside. I felt so angry and embarrassed that  yet again, a ring sling did not fit me.

Later, I checked the Wildbird website and found that the slings are only 74-77 inches long. That is about a size small/medium. I am a fat* woman with broad shoulders.  My sling size is an extra large (XL). I can work with a long large. I prefer to use a 2XL.  Short one size slings are not  inclusive to the wide range of babywearers in the community.

I did write to Wildbird on their Facebook page and they stated “Hey Brittany! So glad you wrote us, we actually have longer slings in the works. Watch for news soon!” Soon. They do not currently have any longer slings in stock.  In their chatter group, the owner expanded on this statement and blamed growing pains on their inability to make longer slings right away. When asked what length the longer slings would be (after suggestions as well) Wildbird only stated that they would give everyone details soon.  Once again, fat babywearers are an afterthought.

Really, I should have known that their slings would not fit me. Their social media and marketing are filled with thin people wearing their slings. I am sure that some fat wearers can wear Wildbird slings since  not everyone is the same shape, but myself and several other wearers cannot. I truly hope that they do make good on their statement.

There are several companies that do offer long or sized slings. Sleeping Baby Productions, True North Ring Slings, Soul, and Maya Wrap are just a few of the many companies that offer long slings.

Fat me and baby Minerva comfortably in an XL Maya Wrap ring sling

*Fat is the term I use to describe myself because I am fat. I describe fat people as fat. It is not a dirty word. If you are uncomfortable with that, I don’t know what to tell you.

Tutorial: Short Front Cross Carry

Short front cross carry is a poppable carry that can be done with a base -1 to base -4 depending on the wrap you use. This carry can be done with or without a ring. This will demonstrate how to do short front cross carry with a ring.

You will need one  large sling ring (or medium if your wrap is thin) and your wrap to do this. I am using Smitten Lady Bird’s Bluebonnets.