gathering up all the stuff. . .

I'm starting to gather supplies for baby and pulled out the bottle of homemade baby wipe solution. I made this right before Sadie--when I was on a crazy brain/pre-baby freak out and all I could do was research cloth diapers and get up at 5 AM every morning and sew baby wipes like a mad woman. Seriously. I didn't really do anything like this pre-Delia. I'm sure I had other issues (I have blocked them out.) and I'm not even going to talk about my crazy pre-baby brain right now, ahem.

Pulling out this pile, I get almost weepy, which seems to be my constant state nowadays. I am so happy I made all these wipes (about 30) almost 5 years ago, how ever early in the morning it was. The wipe solution is the best. I have used not only the wipes but the same cloth diapers for both girls and the same covers too. (This was after a bit of trial and error, but after we found the perfect diaper/cover combo, we even shared the covers with friends back and forth with multiple babies.) Washing the wipes is super simple-just throw them in the diaper pail and wash them with the cloth diapers. I need to make a few more wipes (where do they disappear to?) and a fresh wipe solution and then we are all set. Then I just need a dirty baby bottom, which will come soon enough.

The wipes are just a single layer of flannel surged with a rolled hem. I made nursing pads the same way, but with 3 layers of flannel. (Thank you old flannel sheet for providing for all of this.) You don't need a serger though, just a small tight zig-zag would work. If you don't have a serger, for the nursing pads I would trace a circle on a square of flannel, add 2 more layers behind it, zig-zag, and THEN cut out close to the edge, to avoid swearing at the shifting flannel while you sew.

The wipe solution recipe I use is:

3 cups cups water
1/8 cup olive oil
4 drops tea tree oil
8 drops lavender oil (not for baby boys, it can affect hormones)
1 tablespoon baby shampoo (I use Dr. Bronners Unscented Baby Liquid Soap or California Baby Liquid Soap)

Pour into a spray bottle and shake. I don't use this until baby is older, just water for a few months, but then when I need it, it's ready to go. It lasts a long time, in fact, it goes bad before you can use it all-you can tell when it smells "off" which seems like it takes months and months, or even longer.

There are a ton more wipe recipes here too, ones that look good for diaper rash, etc. And on the topic of homemade body stuff-check out Nikkishell's great cloth pad post over at Sew Green.

Comments

[Annika]

Do you ever use wool soaker covers? Bummis are my favorite wrap cover, too, but I am planning to start knitting like a madwoman so that we can avoid having the boy in too much plastic this summer.

[Qalballah]

I love all your eco tips. Seriously helpful.

xx

[liz]

thanks for the recipe!
we also used the prefold and bummis and loved them, and plan to use them for baby#2, coming soon.
for the wipes, same thing again - egde finsihed flannel squares. i can't remember what solution i used (maybe just oil + water) but i would pre-wet them and keep them in a warmer.
you just brought back a lot of diaper memories! and even better, a renewed motivation to drag all those diapering things out of the basement and take inventory!

[Nicole]

Interesting stuff! Great tips...

I too am due (with my second) and have been making things like crazy. This guy is coming at any second. I keep telling myself he isn't here yet because I haven't crafted something important. Like the big brother tee that I finished last night or the wall hangings the night before. On to wipes I go...

Good luck with your brood!!!

[Mama Urchin]

You are so much better than me with the cloth diapers and wipes. I bet everyone is getting excited that baby chicken is coming soon.

[sarahjane]

I'd never heard that about using lavender on boys. Do you remember where you read this? I just use water, tea tree oil, and lavender, but I think a little extra soap would help.

[Kassia]

I know about the lavender (I've read this all over the place recently), but I've also been reading about how tea tree oil is in the same category. Doesn't leave much for a wipe solution! I'm still not sure what I'm going to do.

Have you thought about making some of your own diapers this time around? There are so many neat patterns out there. I've been going crazy with all the fabric options, patterns, etc. lately.

(If I remember correctly, we have the same due date, so I know what you're going through right now.) We just started pulling things together too - what a difference from the first child where I was ready to go months in advance!

[Wendy]

You've made me so sentimental this morning - thinking about my first and how I would sit in his nursery those last few weeks folding and refolding all his clothes. Moving things around until they were just so. My girls were adopted and I found myself doing the same things those few weeks before our flight to go get them.

Thanks for the good morning smile.

[Amber]

Oh, I wish I would have seen this when my kids were little! And I can relate to that pre-baby brain...

[Libby]

I love cloth diapers too! The wipes recipe is the same that I use. I make it up in my wipe warmer and just plop the wipes in the warmer with the pre-made liquid. It is so handy, even for my older girls ages 3 and 6. When ever they have messy hands or faces...we all have easy access to a yummy smelling, warm wipe! BTW, I am so happy/excited to know that you are getting close to your due date. I am a Bradley instructor and just love being around pregnant mamas! Hope you post your birth story!

[Sara L]

Love your blog! I use exactly the same cloth dipe combo, but the size medium covers I've been using on the older one are starting to really go in the elastic, and the velcro as well. Don't think they will last through the new baby. OH, and I also heard that it is tea tree oil that you shouldn't use on boys. My husband banned it in our entire house. Does anyone have a reliable source for this info?

[ginny]

it cracks me up how excited we all are to talk about diapers! when i read this post i was all excited that someone else loves the same diaper/cover combo as me :) my baby is only 9 weeks and we are just getting into the swing of full time cloth diapers (i dot a lot of disposables as baby shower gifts). i am curious though, do you spray the wipe solution on the baby or the wipe?? i know it is a silly question but i have never heard of making it into a spray.
xo
g

[Patti]

I remember being moved to tears by puppy chow commercials. Those hormones! :)

[kerflop]

Our faithful bummis and prefolds have seen us through three kids and I'm sure they'll make it for any more I might be cajoled into having.

I'm lazy though, wipes solution = water here. I confess to getting weepy over the flannel wipes I sewed for my first too and I'm not even pregnant.

[Josie]

The question is, will you be putting lavender oil in or not ? Good luck with all your baby preparations.

[Susan Ramey Cleveland]

I had no idea that people still use cloth diapers. I used the same ones for both my babies too. Had to wash them every day or so. Didn't have diaper service. Just me.

[Mary]

Awwww! We're moving out of baby wipes (gotta love potty training) but I think the wash and wipes would make a great baby gift. Thanks for the recipe and instructions.

[amy k.]

some answers:

regarding the lavender oil, and tea tree oil too, I was sent this article which has some info:
http://www.healthscout.com/news/
1/601428/main.html

sorry for the cut and paste on the link-

and I have tried wool covers, l love them, but my girls don't and I just spray right on the dirty bottom!

[KT]

Dirty baby bums- so sweet even though in the moment, not always.I never even knew you could make your own wipes- I mean of course, I just never knew!

[Lisa]

I'm with YOU KT. It seems so practical. I'm just not sure I'd have the stomach to clean the things... especially after a really bad poo.

[Gillian]

I hope this isn't too long of a comment, but I thought it was important to get out there. This is a letter to the Editor of the New England Journal of Medicine about the whole Tea tree/Lavender issue.

I am pretty quick to decide not to use something if it may be dangerous, but in this instance I would say if you stick with a good essential oil in a glass bottle I wouldn't worry about it at all. This seems to be one of those instances where the media took a flawed study and blew it way out of proportion.

I don't know the other two authors of the letter, but Aviva Romm is an amazing herbalist and midwife of over 20 years. She is also the author of Naturally Healthy Babies and Children which, as an herbalist and midwife, and especially as a mama, is one of my favorite books
_____

Dear Editors:

The article by Henley, 1 raises many questions.

Product names were not provided, nor were ingredients adequately characterized. Did the authors contact manufacturers to report concerns or ask about constituents? Herbal product variability, adulteration and contamination have been widely reported 2, 3, as have discrepancies between labels and contents4. Products in plastic containers may contain phthalates, known endocrine disruptors5. What was actually in the products cited in this report?

None of the hormonal testing showed abnormal results, except patient 2 who had elevated testosterone and DHEA levels. Neither ultrasound examination nor needle biopsies were reported, nor were subsequent weight changes reported. Is it possible that the patients' gynecomastia reflected another pathophysiologic process which resolved spontaneously?

Traditional use and clinical trials have not suggested estrogenic effects of tea tree or lavender oil. Are occupational exposures to these oils associated with estrogenic symptoms? In vitro testing alone is not adequate grounds for indicting traditionally used products, nor for raising the kind of public fear generated by this publication.

We eagerly await the authors' response and future studies.

Kathi J Kemper, MD, MPH
Caryl J Guth Chair for Holistic and Integrative Medicine
Professor, Pediatrics and Public Health Sciences
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Chair, provisional Section for Complementary, Holistic and Integrative Medicine, American Academy of Family Medicine

Aviva J Romm, CNM
President, American Herbalist Guild
Yale School of Medicine, 2009

Paula Gardiner, MD, MPH
Osher Institute
Harvard Medical School

1. Henley DL, N; Korach, KS; Bloch, CA. Prepubertal gynecomastia linked to lavender and tea tree oils. N Engl J Med. 2007;365(5):479-485.
2. Homer LE, Leach DN, Lea D, Slade Lee L, Henry RJ, Baverstock PR. Natural variation in the essential oil content of Melaleuca alternifolia Cheel (Myrtaceae). Biochem Syst Ecol. Apr 1 2000;28(4):367-382.
3. Keane FM, Munn SE, du Vivier AW, Taylor NF, Higgins EM. Analysis of Chinese herbal creams prescribed for dermatological conditions. Bmj. Feb 27 1999;318(7183):563-564.
4. Garrard J, Harms S, Eberly LE, Matiak A. Variations in product choices of frequently purchased herbs: caveat emptor. Arch Intern Med. Oct 27 2003;163(19):2290-2295.
5. Schettler T. Human exposure to phthalates via consumer products. Int J Androl. Feb 2006;29(1):134-139; discussion 181-135.

[Sharon]

Your comments over the "crazy brain/baby-freak-out" made me laugh because I went through the exact same thing with my first 4 years ago--sniff! Anyway, I had two BINDERS--one for CLOTH DIAPERS and for EVERYTHING ELSE BABY-RELATED. I went insane with internet research. My family saw the binders and thought I was insane, they still talk about it. I don't want to go on about cloth diapers (because we all know it can be a HUGE discussion), but I used a very similar formulation for my babies--I just simplified it to water, Dr. Bronner's soap and tea tree oil. I didn't even measure, just squirt, squirt, drop, and soak the wipes, VOILA!

[Heide]

We switched a month or so ago from disposables to gDiapers (flushable inserts/cloth diapers) for our 9-mo-old, and have been trying to figure out what to do about eliminating/minimizing disposable wipes... I found the Kissaluvs solution, so I just ordered some of that a few days ago. When it runs out, though, I'll just try your recipe. I don't know why I didn't think to just Google for homemade solutions?? Mommy-brain is a funny thing, sometimes I am so on top of my game, and sometimes I am SO NOT!

[Beth]

Thank you for this post. I am glad to find out I was not alone in my freak out stage. I made all of Emma's diapers, wipes etc. I have a "wipe" recipe formula somewhere at home that I still use. I actually bought wipes, kept the plastic box and folded up my homeade ones to store in there. As a matter of fact, Emma took her homemade wipe formula and her wipes with her to soccer camp this week. She used it "after" they practiced so she would feel cool and refreshed! So, 5 1/2 years later, still making it even with no baby in the house!

[Regina]

Love your website, am a frequent visitor. Just had to comment about the lavender oil part. I completely agree with Gillian's comment and appreciate her input. The study done was very erroneous. The conclusion was based on only three cases all in Colorado. These oils have been used for ages in baby products as well as bath and body products with no other issues arising. Many many other factors may have played into these cases (pesticides, chemicals, hormones in foods, etc) I personally would have no problem using lavender on my boys.

On another note, I applaud you for your use of cloth diapers!
Happiness to you and your babes!

[Cottage Magpie]

I wish I would have had all this information when Rocket Boy was born (3.5 years ago). I tried to use cloth diapers but I didn't know what I was doing and every time I tried to put them on, I'd just be all, "there is no way this is going to work" and take them off again. I regret every disposable I used but I didn't have the information I needed. Next kid, absolutely! ~A :-)

[di]

Thankyou so much...
..for offering some reassurance that pre-baby/crazy brain freak out is normal.
..for letting me know that I'm not the only one crying at the drop of a hat.
..for blogging about exactly the things I was thinking of making with some flanelette scraps.
..for the links, tips and recipe.

Good luck with your own last minute preparations, and I wish you all the best for the birth!

Di

[kate]

I'm not having a baby just yet but thanks for the awesome info! I love to hear goo dideas other people have on this subject!

[Bettina]

Here in Denmark, there were some discussion a while back about using tea tree oil for babies and small kids; it contains organic solvents, and as such can be harming for little children. The danish EPA discurages using the tea tree oil on babies because it can cause allergies.

Bettina in Denmark

[molly]

hello? flannel wipes that are washable?! where have I been! I love this idea and can't wait to try it with my new babe.

[Jennifer]

I made all our diapers, and bought cheap cotton washcloths for wipes. We have a laundry room on our main floor and use the washer for a changing table, and there's a sink right there, so we have always used just plain water.

For me, I like the terry cloth of washcloths, because it's got more "grab" than flannel. Or maybe I'm just using too cheap of flannel.

Anyway, it's always refreshing to see admired women using cloth. Rock on.

[knittingiris]

Hey! I remember those very same days searching for baby wipe recipes. Those were some of my very first internet searches, I think, only at the library back then. I used the same recipe for wipes, too, except, uh-oh, I used the lavender for both of the boys. Oh well. Too late now. I think I substitued home-made calendula oil for the olive oil, and I never used the spray bottle., instead pouring the mixture over a half-roll of paper towel in the perfect sized cylindrical Rubbermaid container. Found that idea online somewhere, too. My breadknife was destroyed from all of those years sawing rolls of paper towels in half. I think that was something along the same lines as that other no-no: using your good sewing scissors for cutting paper.

[Melonie K. (Workerette.com)]

This is excellent info; thanks so much for posting all of it (and to your commenters as well)! I had hoped to start out with cloth diapers and chlorine-free disposables, but we're now moving just a few weeks after my son is due. I've decided it would be smartest to use the disposables until we get settled in new housing - who knows how long it'll be before I can unpack the washer and dryer? (Okay, so the washer is the essential part, I could line dry!)
I'm glad to hear this info about lavender, and the refuting of it as well. I hadn't planned to use lavender on my son just because to me it's more a "girl" thing for me and my daughter. Silly, I know, but this was an interesting sidenote for me.

[Alison]

We've been using home made wipes with Pia, but we leave out the soap/shampoo and they work a treat. We also use Almond Oil, but would avoid that if there is a history of severe nut allergies. So much nicer on skin, and I really don't like the idea of any sorts of chemicals on babies skin (or mine). You can also add some calendula if you know your baby gets nappy rash easily.

And seriously great baby site in Little Fashion Gallery - love the Sirch Rocking Horse

[Allegra]

Thanks for the great tips! i am due in mid-Sept and will definintely be referring back to this post often in the months to come!

[Keri]

My son was allergic to THE ENTIRE WORLD when he was little and therefore had really bad excema (or however the heck you spell it - he's 7 and is over it now thank goodness!). Anyway, someone told us how to make homemade wipes and it was WONDERFUL. My formula only used water, a tiny bit of baby oil, and a little baby shampoo. And I was not very environmentally safe and used folded up paper towels in an old store-bought diaper wipe box. This was great for daycare - and cheap!!! I wonder why it never occurred to me to use cloth instead of paper towels (at least at home)? DUH!!!