Snap Side Pocket Style Training Pants

Coming soon to bubbybums.com: snap side training pants in pocket style. These pants have waterproof PUL outer fabric and are lined with polyester suede cloth (stool tends to fall off of suedecloth easily). There is a pocket in the back for stuffing the trainer with absorbent inserts. They will come with two inserts: a two layer insert and a three layer insert. The inserts are made from absorbent microfiber terry and should not be used directly against the skin. You can use both inserts at nap/night time for increased absorbency. Additional inserts will sell separately.

Photos of the inner lining and inserts:

Bubbybums Cloth Diapers

Many of today's cloth diapers have polyester linings...and there's nothing wrong with that. We carry those as well. Polyester fleece and suedecloth are moisture wicking fabrics. When I began my parenting journey with cloth diapers, fabrics used then included cotton birdseye and cotton flannel. My oldest son wore cotton flannel contoured diapers which fit into waterproof diaper covers. He never had a diaper rash and I don't recall problems with leaking. It was that positive experience which led me to use both cotton and polyester in these cloth diapers.

The outer layer is waterproof PUL, and the lining fabric is 100% natural cotton french terry with a cute frog print. Velcro tabs close these fitted solid color diapers. The inner layers of the diaper consists of both absorbent polyester microfiber and cotton flannel for a win-win combination.

The cotton velour diaper (below) has a printed PUL outer layer and cotton/poly (80% cotton, 20% polyester) lining with layers of absorbent microfiber terry in the soaker zone. These are fitted diapers with velcro closure. Extra absorbency can be obtained by adding additional soaker pads (the one in the photo is our bamboo terry soaker pad which can be placed against baby's skin, unlike microfiber pads).

New Prints in Our Cloth Training Pants

I was able to pick up new printed cloth training pants. The sewing contractor mixed up our lining fabric so these may be lined with white cotton flannel, white woven cotton, or our usual white cotton knit fabric. Either way, this will not affect the absorbency. Take a peek at these cute cloth training pants!

Side Opening Waterproof Training Pants

Coming soon...side snap waterproof training pants. Perfect for beginning toilet learners as they still provide easy up and down, yet have snaps on the sides in case of a yucky mess. The other purpose would be for a child who still has not achieved night time dryness. In that case, they can be used with soaker pads for trainers (narrower than diaper soaker pads) for extra absorbency. They will be available at the end of September 2012 in solid colors (blue, bubblegum pink, and violet) in sizes 2T, 3T, and 4T.

Toilet Training Resistance

What do you do with a two year old who is bright enough to identify random alphabets; knows all shapes; tells you when they've "pooped" but absolutely refuses to use the potty? You wait. When sitting on the potty chair, she will push up with her arms, elbows locked, and swing her legs to the side, supporting her weight on her arms. That's great if I were training her for the Olympics. She'll sit for 15 minutes and do absolutely nothing then "tee tee" immediately after being diapered. Feeling wet in cloth training pants...that's not a bother to her. Someone suggested that I try an adaptor type seat that sits on the toilet seat. That resulted in tears and immediate protests.

Having gone down the toilet training path a time or two, I know this is one of those things that I have absolutely no control over. So what do I do? I put the toilet seat thingy back in it's bag. For now, I'll just wait on her for a bit and try again. One day it will happen and if you are going through toilet training resistance, the same will be true for you!

The Cost Savings of Cloth Training Pants and More

• Do cloth training pants really save money?

Yes they do. How much savings depends on the length of time it takes to complete toilet training. We all know that cloth training pants are better for the environment, but lets consider the following scenario:
Say it takes little Hortense six months to toilet train from start to finish. You find disposable training pants on sale for $15.99 for a package of 44. Little Hortense uses 3-4 per day. Over a six month period, you will spend $265 for disposable training pants. On the other hand, if you go with cloth and purchase 10 pair of BubbyBums cloth training pants, 3 pair of waterproof training pants, and a 5 pack of booster pads for extra absorbency, you will spend a total of $86.95. That's a savings of $178!

Three years later and you're toilet training Hortense's little sister, Moonlove, reusing those hand-me-down training pants...unbeatable savings over disposables.

• But what about the "ick" factor?

If you are a cloth diaper veteran, you know all about it and have adjusted by now. If your child wore disposable diapers, it's not that bad. For poop accidents, just shake the soiled training pants into the toilet to remove the soil. Rinse well in cold water, then launder as usual.  For the sticky stuff, it would be best to invest in a diaper sprayer. Back in the bad old days, all you could do was dunk them up and down in the toilet until it was all off. Sprayers make it so much easier and the yuck factor decreases exponentially.

• Do children who wear cloth training pants train faster than their disposable wearing peers?

Possibly. It really depends on the child. Some children do not like the feeling of being wet and soiled which hastens the process for them. Then there are other children who could be sopping wet and keep on playing. I've experienced both extremes.

• Do girls train faster than boys?

Nope! It's all individual.

• Will I survive toilet training?

Yes and you will have some glorious tales to tell afterwards! Be patient and consistent. No punishment for accidents. This is one area where you as a parent have no control. Hang in there....just like poop, it does pass!

Sizing of BubbyBums Training Pants and Other News

I am frequently asked about the sizing of my training pants in comparison to a well known national brand. My pants are cut slightly larger. I am going to update product descriptions so that information is included. I've recently added some additional products to the website. We now carry cloth diapers: both fitted and adjustable pocket diapers. In addition we carry bamboo soaker pads for the pocket diapers.

Today, I added soaker pads for training pants. "Huh?" I'm sure you're wondering what I'm talking about. Let me explain: regular soaker pads are wider, and longer. Though they could be used in training pants, the fit would be rather bulky. These pads and narrower, 3 ply instead of 4, and contoured to fit better. Why would you want to use a soaker pad in training pants? A good example is a child who is new to toilet training and has accidents that go beyond the absorbency of a trainer.
Take a look...

What else is new on the website? Pretty woven ribbon headbands for girls, shoes, and more. If you haven't visited us for a while. Come on in! We don't bite, but we'll provide you with good customer service and great products. Want to save even more? Check out our facebook page for a 25% off a $75 minimum purchase. Orders of $49 or more automatically qualify for free ground shipping in the continental USA.

Ruffled Cloth Training Pants

Available now.

18 Month Size/1T Cloth Training Pants Added!

Cloth Training Pants in size 1T/18 months now available at www.bubbybums.com Take a look!

Boxer style cloth training pants

Boxer style cotton training pants have now been added to the site. I'm looking forward to drawing a winner of our contest later today.

Hot Pants!

Making cloth training pants has been a trial and error process. I sketched my own patterns and have made numerous corrections. Now, I have finally got a great pattern for my waterproof daytime pants. I've made a few pair in size 2T and will now adjust my 3T and 4T patterns. I made these from printed PUL, which costs a little more than the solid colors...but it's so cute. I had actually contracted out some sewing of my cloth pants so I could devote time to adjusting my waterproof patterns, but that process has been a huge learning experience...and frustrating too. Anyhow, I am excited to present these pants and look forward to adding 3T and 4T pants soon. My goal continues to be to produce quality cloth training pants at an affordable price.

The drawing for the $25 gift certicate will take place at 5 p.m. (CST) on May 31st. Stay tuned...

Toilet Training Tips

I am sure that you can find toilet training advice anywhere: your mom, the pediatrician, Aunt Know-it-all, and now I'm adding my two cents. OK, with inflation, that's 18.7 cents.

1. Make sure the child is developmentally ready. For most children this does not occur before the age of two years. If your child cannot say "potty/tee-tee/poop" or whatever words you chose, it's not a good time to train. Some people will routinely place a child on a potty every two hours and say the child is toilet trained, but they aren't. The caregiver is trained. Sure, some well-intentioned friend will tell you that little snookums completely toilet trained at 15 months, but that isn't the norm. I know there's a new trend now, EC or elimination communication, I have no experience in this area, so I will not address that.
2. Strike while the iron is hot: Focus on those moments where you can have almost guaranteed success. What do I mean by that? If your tot wakes up from his nap dry or he is dry first thing in the morning, have him/her use the potty. She will surely "go" and you can clap, hoot, and celebrate this success.
3. Remember who is in control...and mom/dad, it's not you. Only your child can control elimination...or not. If you meet with resistance, back off. Toilet training is no time for discipline and losing your patience. This will only delay the process and it's not healthy for either one of you.
4. Be consistent. Once you start toilet training, follow through. No diapers on Monday then toilet training on Tuesday.
5. Praise, praise, praise!