Show Transcription

Bailey Bouwman  00:03

 Danielle is a cloth diaper creator on the web. And you’re going to learn more about her story in the next little segment. So let’s avoid beating to the punch. And we’ll wrap up in the end. Who are you? What are you Where do you live? You are mom

Danielle, @TheGreennMamma  01:43

 sounds good. Yeah, I’m Danielle. Um, I started my Instagram @TheGreenMamma just to kind of promote you know, holistic living, healthy living. And one of those being, you know, sustainability and my passion for cloth diapering. I have two little ones my son my older son is three and Judah here is just about his 10 weeks.

Bailey Bouwman  02:11

 Oh, wow.

Danielle, @TheGreennMamma  02:12

Really little Um, and so I am just kind of right now just trying to get by

Bailey Bouwman  02:21

Are they both in diapers right now?

Danielle, @TheGreennMamma  02:22

Ethan my oldest son is out of diapers. Fortunately, I did kind of a combo of elimination communication with my cloth diapering. So I feel like the two of those really helped like steamroll the process. So I got him potty trained by the second birthday, which was awesome. Yeah, I mean, we did you know, nighttime diapers for a while and then just kind of like pulled it from there and did the best that we could to get rid of those. And it’s been pretty good so far. It’s really nice not having to worry about someone else’s bladder functions. Yes, absolutely. And it was like a slow, a slow process of just like really taking your time to eliminate diaper time. And that nighttime one is one that you just have to like,

Bailey Bouwman  03:12

there’s not much you can do about the nighttime one. Like that’s just like, waiting for them to be physically emotionally ready. So why did you start cloth diapering? Let’s roll it back. Like what is your three years ago? Why did you decide to call diaper with your first son?

Danielle, @TheGreennMamma  03:28

Yeah, so I I knew that I wanted to do whatever I could for the earth, you know, like whatever I could to lessen my my trash. And I just I knew I wanted to do it. And then I had a lot of support because I had my mom who cloth diaper knee. So that made a big difference in my ability I think to like, say this is possible like I can do this. And so it kind of just started I started I got really obsessive with researching it during my pregnancy. I couldn’t I was living at my parents house at the time. So I think like my nesting of not being able to like make a nursery turned into research and development. All my research so much research. Yeah, so I just did like a crazy amount of research. And the more I researched it the more I was like okay, I’ve got to do this this is this is going to be something I have to do so your parents,

Bailey Bouwman  04:28

your mom cloth diapers, it was just kind of what was gonna happen and you crazy research that did you learn about EC back then three years ago? How did you how did elimination communication were continuous story and then to your cloth diaper journey. I’m nosy on that one.

Danielle, @TheGreennMamma  04:42

Yeah, so I I was in a mom’s group that was there was like a woman asking about cloth diapering. And, you know, I I was like, jumped on that like, Oh, I’m here to help you like anyone that wants to talk about diapering you just have all over it. So I i commented on it and another woman commented and was like, you should start, you should look into eliminate elimination communication. And the first time I read it, I was like, that’s a little. That’s a little intense. And she didn’t get any feedback on it. And I was like, yeah, that was a, that was a big suggestion there. And then I spent some time kind of looking into it. And I was like, Oh, it’s not really as crazy as I was thinking you’re just really like, watching your child and being like, being absorbed in their, their signs and their routines. And I feel like with being a cloth diapering parent, you are a little bit more in tune in some ways, just to my reason that I felt like that was like, I didn’t want my diaper to leak and ruin our outfit for the day. So I felt like I was always like a little more in tune, like, okay, changing my diapers, more than other parents, I noticed a lot of that. So anyways, back to eliminate. I just figured I’m gonna try it. So when he would do this, that my son would be older son would do the signs of like, I have to go number two, I would just put him on the potty. And he started we started doing that at like six months. And it was really easy just to do that one thing like, poopy face on the potty. He was a little harder. But I started following this woman who is like, that’s her full career now and, and, and I just started trying to do as much as I could. And then I think I’m gonna try to start a little earlier with with him and see how it goes. We’ll see maybe I can be out of diapers even sooner. I mean, that’s like, kind of a struggle because

Bailey Bouwman  06:39

it is hard on both ends. Yeah, when I started cloth diapering, like five years ago, it definitely was not a conversation. And it’s you’re seeing more and more people suggesting in recommending it. It’s so interesting, and it definitely gets picked up. I think, by the cloth diapering community we are. My son was so sensitive to peeing. So that’s why I’m always curious about it. Because like, anytime he peed, he would get cranky, and I’d have to change his diaper right away. So I would go through so many diapers and it’s like, maybe that would have been a great thing for our dynamic in our household. Right? Yep,

Danielle, @TheGreennMamma  07:12

totally. I that’s like this one to pee. Like, I’m like, it’s, he’s he’s wet because he does not want to be wet.

Bailey Bouwman  07:20

No, he doesn’t want to be wet. He doesn’t want to be wet into disposable. Like, he just didn’t like being wet. Didn’t matter. I was like, Oh, I wonder if this would have helped. And so elimination communication is definitely less weird. And it’s not like it’s not as extremist as you think it is, either. Absolutely. A lot of you probably did you do like a hybrid model of embracing it in your family?

Danielle, @TheGreennMamma  07:42

Yeah, yeah, I just did super super basic with it. Like just when I thought he was in a poop I put them on the potty. And that was it. And the more I researched it, the more I was like, okay, when he gets a little older or even I could now if I wanted to, but I’m having parties and rooms and just like every time you take off the diaper have a routine of just like put on the party. She recommended making a noise like or whatever your you know, your thing is, and so I was like I think I’m just gonna I think I’m going to incorporate that a little bit more at home rather than on the go is a little a little tough but just at home if I could try to like getting to an earlier routine of it.

Bailey Bouwman  08:21

Awesomewas so cool. I know it was I came across that in your feed when I was scrolling we’re talking about go diaper free. And she’s a great resource elimination

Danielle, @TheGreennMamma  08:31

It’s all free I mean, she’s so much free information beyond like she has a course and stuff like so much information. Yeah.

Bailey Bouwman  08:40

Did you What did your stash look like? What do you qualify for with what those what kind of diapers Did you get drawn to and what works for your family?

Danielle, @TheGreennMamma  08:49

So I getting started and literally knowing no one I mean my that did it to to ask questions to my mom did like you know the pins on us and he used she uses issues of cloth diaper service, which is actually still around in my area.

Bailey Bouwman  09:06

Oh wow awesome.

Danielle, @TheGreennMamma  09:08

It’s crazy. I can’t believe they’re still Yeah, it’s amazing. Um, so she didn’t really know anything about all the new lingo so I did a lot of research and just started buying like one of every kind and I almost feel like it’s kind of like a rabbit hole of like, it’s cool now because I know but now but like this you know trying this brand this brand this brand and I what I ended up really liking was FuzziBunz, which I think they’re,

Bailey Bouwman  09:39

they’re out of business now.

Danielle, @TheGreennMamma  09:40

 Yeah, and I like attacked their website when they were going out. Which was sad because I really liked their their stuff. They’re like they had like special sizes. So they had like a small you know, instead of like a one size, they had a small a medium, large, extra large etc. And it’s just Cuz I asked my husband I was like what is your of our stash? what’s what’s your favorite? And he’s like are really like these weapons. He doesn’t know the name of anything. But I really like these ones and they’re there. They just have a snap on the bottom and the top and they’re there. They call them perfect sizes and we both really liked those for some reason. Now they didn’t have they never had like prints and stuff that I was really in love with. I really liked nor nor nurseries. I like all her aesthetic. Oh yeah. Great aesthetic. Yeah, really cute. If I if I had could afford buying more I’d be really interested in trying like, I think it’s grovia the betta that was about us. Yeah. Those look dreamy. I would love that. But But I have a little of everything. I have some GroVia I have bumGenius that I got from Target gift cards online. So

Bailey Bouwman  10:54

funny to hear you talk about size diapers, I was just like such a throwback. Because they’re not really I don’t think that anybody’s really like filled in Fuzzibunz niche on the small, medium large sizing when you see like the size one and size two, but we definitely don’t. Because I don’t know if I’ve met many people who have experienced that kind of system, let alone enjoy it. So yeah, everything is a little different for every family.

Danielle, @TheGreennMamma  11:27

Absolutely, absolutely. I I don’t know, they are something that we love just because they’re so simple to put on, or what it was, but it is it is like now that they’re gone. I can’t really recommend you know, like, I can’t recommend it or talk about it. Because like you said, I don’t think it’s really a

Bailey Bouwman  11:46

no, no, no, I’m like trying to think about who would you recommend instead and I can’t there’s nothing that’s quite like a fuzzy bonds. And she had a pat and and she was like one of the oh geez to this industry. So

Danielle, @TheGreennMamma  11:58

I know her on Shark Tank. And I was like, Oh my gosh, I have to record this episode. And now she’s gone. And it’s so sad. And I tried to say that, like promote that with like, because I do I do a cloth diapering cloth class. They started at my I started them at my midwifery where I had my first son and I so I teach an essential oil class there and all the moms somehow would come up and I was like, wow, there’s a lot of people who really want to do this, but don’t have any resource. So I started doing a class there. And it was really cool to see how many people want to do it. They just didn’t have the support. And I found you early on in my journey of this. And what I really liked about your page was, which is what I kind of share in my classes is like this is not one size fits all. And it’s about figuring it out for you and your family. So I was just really excited to see your your approach on that. Because it’s a trippy little world out there. cloth diapering has changed so much.

Bailey Bouwman  13:04

So okay, talk to me about your courses. So you’re partnered with a midwife in town to support?

Danielle, @TheGreennMamma  13:12

Yes, so like a whole midwifery. It’s in Long Beach, California. And so basically, it was a it’s a class for the public, so anyone could come and you know, before this, they were in person. Because my thing with wanting to do this was like, I just wanted to touch a diaper. Like I wanted to see one of my hands and touch it. But I could not find any stores that had them. Like it was all online, and it was all reviews. And then you would like you would find a style. And then you would review it. And then you’d find, you know, a version and a brand. And it was like you could you know, like there’s only there’s so much information.

Bailey Bouwman  13:52

So somebody got just the package the other day to review and I’m like, it’s just

Danielle, @TheGreennMamma  13:57

it’s so much information

Bailey Bouwman  14:00

to like put out there and simplify it. But a conversation, a theme that’s really come up I think in the last few recordings that I’ve done has been to like go back to some guerrilla marketing, some grassroots marketing with cloth diapering. And so that’s why I’m curious. So did you just like approach somebody? Or did someone approach you? Yeah, and doing your course. Like, I think it’s so fantastic that you’re just like, and a reminder that we’re all experts, like, you don’t have to be anybody special. Nothing special, but like, yeah, have you there’s no course or training that says like you have to do first before you can teach a course on cloth diapering you can just be like, Hey, I know this.

Danielle, @TheGreennMamma  14:40

Yeah, kind of help you out. Right. Totally. Yeah. So I, I had these moms coming and talking about it, and my other class there and I, I just was like thinking about it thinking about it, and I wanted to pitch it, but I was a little nervous. And finally I just, you know, I built a relationship with them over time.

Danielle, @TheGreennMamma  14:58

 So I finally just pitched the idea. They’re like, Hey, would you would you? I just think this would work in with, with what you’re offering? What are your thoughts on that? And she came back right away, it was like, I love it. That’s great. Let’s do it. So I started out doing it really cheap. I mean, $15 a class, after doing it a couple times, and spending, you know, it’s like, I’m trying to get as much information as I can, it’s usually about two hours. And after two hours, I was like, Okay, this was like, you know, I need to, I’m spending a lot of time here. So I up my price a little bit, and not even that much to $30 for the class, which really isn’t that much. If I’m thinking back when I was wanting help, you know, um, and my, my big thing was, like, I just want moms to be able to touch these diapers and feel them and see them and have that experience because I wanted that so badly. And they won’t be stuck buying, like one of every time a diaper and then figuring out what they like. So um, yeah, I pitched it.

Danielle, @TheGreennMamma  15:58

And they, they were into it. And it’s been really good. I’m surprised like, there’s constantly a flux of moms coming in. And they post it on their bulletin board. And the moms are like, hey, I want to try this. And my big thing is, I always am like, I’m here for you after like, you’re going to start this and it’s going to be crazy. Just Just call me after, you know, like, don’t be afraid to talk to me after. And I was really hopeful that I could put you as a resource like your book, especially. Because it sounds like we have similar viewpoints of cloth diapering.

Bailey Bouwman  16:35

I love that, like you’re doing this like little course that I feel like I should pick your brain, I might have to send you an email, maybe we can like a little guest post about like how you’ve done it and how maybe a mom could pitch it to another midwife across the country as something super grassroots. So you can because there’s something about local moms connecting to local moms, like, as much as I love being a resource around the world. I love it. When people are able to like forge I can’t, like I’m getting tapped out. I’m getting burnt out like I’m only one person and there’s so many questions and emails. And that’s what we can do as a community is we can all support each other in our own little communities and get things kind of going. When I talked with Elskbar . They she calls them Blegrams that totally wrong. But they’re like, Yeah, a little like, they come for tea. And they have like, a little meeting with other moms and they show diverse and it’s, it’s kind of like the same idea. You can do courses and you can do casual things. I know like a pandemic, though, has really, like, impacted how we do things. But it’s fantastic. It’s, it’s Yeah,

Danielle, @TheGreennMamma  17:39

yeah. I mean, I’ve been doing on the wall online, and they are fine. Like it’s nice to do online, because then more people can come from all over. But but that missing piece

Bailey Bouwman  17:48

of getting to actually understand and elastic or I can kind of show it online, 

Bailey Bouwman  17:55

Okay, so I also have on here is I wanted a one question that we haven’t talked about in my stories this week. We were talking I was talking about post partum. Or I was talking about cloth pads. And I saw on your Instagram that you use cloth pads and postpartum? Yes. You talk to me about that experience. Why did you choose to use cloth pads postpartum? And how did that work for you? I had a lot of questions about that.

Danielle, @TheGreennMamma  18:17

I was watching I was watching yours very into it. So I I don’t really I can’t honestly tell you where it all started. But I think that I must have saw someone you know, mention it and and thought like, Oh, I want to try that out and oh postpartum you know, those pads. They like, you know, physical pads that they drove me crazy. It was so hard for me, though. They’re like he was constantly getting sticky, like the sticker pad. And I just was like this. And I went through so many and I’m over here washing my diapers. And I was like, there has to be something different. And once I bought I bought a pack of Charlie Bananas. And I was like, these are amazing. Oh my gosh, and doing cloth diapers. It’s so easy. Like, I throw them in my cloth diaper bag. Like there’s no extra. There’s no extra effort. So I I started buying some more. And I was like, what I really liked about your stories was that I made the mistake of buying I bought some on Etsy and they didn’t have the pole on the bottom. And I was like, Oh my gosh, what is going on with this? Like this is this is not working. And I was like, it took me a while to figure out like, oh, there’s something missing here. Like it’s just fabric it’s like fabric on fabric.

Bailey Bouwman  19:46

I mean some people who have lighter flows, I guess or maybe their flow is a little different, I guess have success but I really need Yeah, I really need the PUL or a fleece layer or something in there. That like is water repellent. doesn’t soak through.

Danielle, @TheGreennMamma  20:01

Mm hmm. So So I and I really liked I wanted to support an xe mom but I just there was like the the the quality of my Charlie banana ones I was like there’s they just don’t

Bailey Bouwman  20:13

Oh, that’s interesting. I’ll check those out. Actually, I did a recording with get Gail from Charlie banana. And she was talking about that product lineup you’ll have to listen came about kind of naturally and she was saying The fun thing about pads or cloth pad lineup is that a lot of moms are introducing them to their young girls who are then like having babies now and starting to be curious about cloth. And it’s like this beautiful cycle. I saw you creating postpartum pads chuckles though in cloth, which, obvious, but I also didn’t see one of those moments that you were like, of course, of course, you could do that. Tell me about your postpartum padsciles Let’s share that dollar. Yeah,

Danielle, @TheGreennMamma  20:57

so that was part of the the postpartum game was like realizing how amazing those were. I was like, you know what this time around, I was like, you know, I think I can do it with my all my cloth pads. And so basically, I just do a mixture of witchhazel. And you could do like a little bit of Aloe Vera. I I like if I have a plant handy, I would like to do that. But I just always feel I don’t know, I haven’t done a good like Aloe Vera. And then I do a little bit of lavender scent oil and frankincense essential oil and mix it all in and then just pour it all over and freeze them in a bowl. So the bowl kind of creates that shape for you. Good tip, yes. Because without that you’re like opening them and they’re like, really rigid. And what I learned with those two, if you don’t have that pole, you get really wet, like, you know, like, making their leak because you you’re filling them with moisture. So I had my like se ones on there. And I’m like, I was just like sitting on the couch, though sitting on the couch. And I like had a puddle and I was like what. And then I realized like, Okay, I need to be I need to make sure I’m using like my my quality ones with a with a liner of some sort. And it was just so simple. Like it was seriously so simple. I had pads, disposable pads, and my midwives left me I went through those with, you know, using my cloth pads. And then I never bought any that whole postpartum experience where I felt like I spent so much money with my first and was so uncomfortable and hated them. And I kept trying different ones and I couldn’t find what I liked. And it was it was a game changer. And I I have a whole slide on them in my classes. And I bring them to my classes because I know it’s another thing you just have to see it and know that it’s like

Bailey Bouwman  22:46

I’m on if you are cloth diapering from newborn day is like you’re already doing the same lot of laundry,

Danielle, @TheGreennMamma  22:52

you’re doing it just you’re doing a little bit of an investment but just make the little investment and then you haven’t forever and I I have enough now that it’s like, every period, I go through them all wash them and they’re ready for the next cycle.

Bailey Bouwman  23:07

I don’t have to worry about the store, which was something that always panicked me. And that I guess in a pandemic would be also panicky, like there were periods over the course of the year where like, you weren’t really going to the stores at all. It was just nice things that were just nice to have. You know, nice so nice to not be worried. not worried about Yeah, and they last forever. Like I don’t I have my oldest ones are like cat and they’re maybe starting to kind of finally start looking. Like, my like, my emotion is something I mean, I do still use them cuz they’re just cloth and you’re just catching period blood. Yeah, there’s no reason I need to be fancy. Just gotta be good. Yeah. You have been such like a wealth of information. It’s so cool to see what other cloth diaper parents are doing. Where can people find you? I was just snooping your Instagram, and you have so much incredible information here. Like if you guys go find her Instagram and you keep scrolling. There’s so much you.

Danielle, @TheGreennMamma  24:05

Yeah, so I’ve just that’s what I’ve been building first. And I you know, I’m working on a website. It’s it’s I created it and it’s, it’s, you know, something I’m like, taking my time with especially being like a new mom again. But I’m hopeful. Oh, yeah, I’m, like, have all that information in one place to where I can expand on it and you know, like provide a little bit more than just an Instagram post. That’s the hope but um, no Instagrams, my my.