Remember hearing about the Huggies Tweet Pee concept last year? As cloth diapering families, most of you reading this know that a diaper should be changed as soon as it is wet – generally every 2 1/2 hours or more often. Both cloth and disposables can be worn for naps or even 12+ hours at night, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t change baby often during the day.
I know that a post like this is likely to come across as judgmental. I want to begin by saying that the purpose of this post is not to condemn anyone for knowingly or unknowingly purchasing infringing diapers, nor to make myself seem superior. I simply want to raise awareness of this issue. The examples I pictured are just diapers that made me say “hmm.” Unfortunately I don’t know how to know for sure whether a diaper is infringing without asking the creator of the diaper possibly being infringed upon. — Editing to add that the reason I entitled this “intellectual property infringement” rather than “patent infringement” is that it goes beyond patented aspects and includes other intellectual property. In my post about cloth diaper co-ops, I briefly mentioned patent infringement as an issue, but this is not limited to co-op cloth diapers. In fact, any reputable retailer will be cautious about carrying diapers that may be infringing, lest they be held liable. I’m aware that this is still an issue for big retailers such as Amazon, and I don’t know what the answer is, other than to contact them to request removal of each diaper & each seller carrying them.
Cloth diaper co-ops. Like cloth diaper detergents, this discussion can really divide the cloth diaper community. Throughout my journey, I’ve had the pleasure of working with cloth diaper manufacturers, retailers, and cloth diapering families. I’ve become friends with many, and stood beside an old friend of mine as she started her own store. I’ve also been in the position of wanting to cloth diaper, but having limited (that is, essentially none at all) funds to do so. The Real Diaper Association (RDA) is not an industry organization, but an organization to advocate for cloth diapering (I’m a member.) They released a report on how co-ops affect cloth diapering as a whole, not just how it affects one aspect or part of the industry. I want to share my thoughts, as well as some parts of the report that struck a chord for me.
9 years ago today, I was in labor with my first baby. I asked my Mom if she would be willing to write up the story of my own birth for me, and what I found mighty interesting is her comment: “I think the conclusion I’ve come to is that it is so important to assert yourself and do what you think is best for you instead of knuckling under to a doctor’s or society’s pressure.” I sure wish I had asked her about this before I gave birth to my first child. I haven’t shared my daughter’s birth story but to sum it up, I bought the hospital ticket and I got the hospital ride. Her birth was followed up by a med-free hospital birth in 2009, and my third child’s unassisted home birth in 2011.
Guess what? Glitter is for anyone who likes it. This has been a long time coming, but I was motivated to write it thanks to a conversation I overheard.
Maria wants to live in a world where cloth diapers are the norm and moms can make parenting choices without judgement. When she’s not chasing her 18, 14 and 11-year old kids around, you might find her checking out the latest gadgets, organizing something (again) or exercising in the fresh air. Read More »
