Day 4

Forecast: high of 86, low of 46 degrees. Sunny. Black flies are out.

Day 4 #flatschallenge2021 prompt:

what’s working for you?

A few things are working for me right now. 1. It’s sunny. 2. My peri bottles. 3. The tiny potty

First, a quick rant: This year’s Flats Challenge is all about spreading the word about cloth diapering, and less about trying to prove a point about the ability to diaper a baby with few resources. Which is a relief in my opinion, because it seems folks with the least resources are always getting told what to do and getting blamed for polluting the planet, among other problems of the world. The problems with traditional philanthropy are a topic for another rant altogether. The reality is that disposable diapers are a new invention, and in our current capitalist society this invention is poised to make money and not necessarily be in the best interest of human evolution or the environment. It dominates the stage presented as the only choice for families. How can we blame folks for using disposables when they’re the only familiar option? Before disposable diapers, there was cloth and early potty training. Now such things are considered not only fringe, but harder than disposable diapers. In this spirit I am participating in the Flats Challenge with my 7 month old who uses a combo of flats and a tiny potty. For a brief timeline on the history of disposable diapers (and the money making scheme it is): https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2008/04/brief-history-disposable-diaper/

Back to the prompt...1.Its sunny, and that means I can hang my dirty diapers in the sun to dry before their first wash, and that my flats dry very quickly and get the additional cleansing rays of the sun. Not to mention the smell of sun dried cloth! That’s just not an option for us here in the winter, although is inspiration enough to want a greenhouse.

2. In prepping for the babe’s arrival I came across a few Mammas using peri bottles in their diaper stash. As a first time Mamma myself, I had no idea what a peri bottle was. For those of you who don’t know, It’s literally just a soft plastic bottle with a squirt top, like the water bottle I used when I played soccer as a kid. The hospital, or in my case our Homebirth midwife, gives them to you to use instead of toilet paper after you give birth. Somehow I ended up with a few. I usually use them to wet our cloth muslin #greenmountaindiaper wipes at diaper changes, however what’s been working for me this week is also using them to spray the tiny potty as I dump it out. Works great, keeps the potty clean for the next use.

2. The #tinyundies #godiaperfree tiny potty is my unsung hero this Flats Challenge. I am using so few flats this week I would feel a little guilty taking part in the challenge if it weren’t for the new approach to the challenge this year. To me it’s all about sharing novel alternatives to disposables, and this is working for us. I was skeptical, and nervous it would be too much work, but the rewards are great. The babe really seems happy to be able to communicate his needs. Yesterday I only used four flats, including his two night diapers, it was awesome. No poo diapers. Totally makes Handwashing not feel like a major chore.

this is it: https://tinyundies.com/collections/potties/products/mini-potty-version-two

Diaper washing status: surplus of clean, folded, flats on hand. Two night diapers in the wet bag, four dirty flats from yesterday hanging on the line, seven clean flats hanging on the line.