New bumGenius Prints

Today we received our batch of the brand spanking new prints from bumGenius, and they are lush! Part of the Genius series these are called Irwin and Maathai

Irwin is a gorgeous almost camo type design with animals in bright colours. It is named after Steve Irwin the austrailian wildlife expert.

Maathai is name after the Kenyan environmentalist and is a very pretty floral design on a pink background.

The new bumgenius prints are very limited edition and only available in the best selling bg V4 and only in snap closure. They do not replace the ever popular Albert or Lovelace prints.

What do you think?

The New BumGenius Elemental Compared to the BumGenius Freetime

Yesterday we highlighted the new bumGenius elemental nappy and compared it to the old elemental nappy {which used to be called bumGenius organic}. Today, we are looking at the new elemental compared to the Freetime nappy.

So, to start with both of these nappies are bumGenius - a name synonymous with quality, reliable cloth nappies,  and both are all in one. All in one cloth nappies are just that, they are simple to use and need nothing else. They are most like a disposable and therefore very 'dad' and nursery friendly. In the past all in ones were not favoured as they were just not seen as reliable and took an age to dry. BumGenius have smashed away these assertions though, manufacturing not one but two fantastic all in one cloth nappy options, that are reliable, and quick drying!

Both the Freetime and the new Elemental are, like all of the bumGenius nappy ranges, onesize doing from 8-35lbs+. The new elemental has an extra give in its rise compared to its old elemental, which was often cited as a short rised nappy. This will suit parents of tall toddlers. You can see below the freetime {in clementine, the new elemental in mirror}, that the new elemental has a very slightly longer rise than the freetime, but not much in it.

Looking at the inside of these two fantastic cloth nappies, is where we can see the real differences. The obvious one is material. The Freetime has a stay dry layer on top of microfibre, whislt the elemental has six layers of organic cotton. Both have their uses and some people prefer stay dry, some organic. I think the organic will have the edge on absorbency, but it will be great to get some user feedback on this. 

A small aside, the Freetime can be used after just one wash, whilst the organic needs 10 washes to strip out natural oils and come to full absorbency.

The Freetime has two flaps sewn in at either end, that can be adjusted in a multiple of ways. The new elemental, like the old one, has one continuous flap sewn in at both ends. I think a number of people might have been suprised by this and expected the new elemental to look more like the freetime, however with organic cotton that pattern would just not work. I can see it scrunching up and needing to be ironed to go flat and in place! But maybe I am wrong and maybe bumGenius have another trick up their sleeves... who knows!

The Freetimes flaps can be pulled out, which allows for quick drying. Underneath there is an additional layer of stay dry microfibre. This underneath layer was in the old elemental but is missing from the new elemental, and this is why the new one dries so much more quickly. 

 
In terms of trimness, both the freetime and the old elemental had a reputable for being nice and slim and snug fitting. These side profile shot shows just how slim this new elemental design is, it is amazing!  The top one is on toddler setting, and the bottom photo on small setting, where you can really see the difference!

The Freetime nappies comes in a choice of hook & loop or snaps, whilst the elemental just comes in snaps. The reason for this is the natural oils in organic nappies can cause significant issues with hook & loop. Never wash new hemp or organic nappies or boosters with hook & loop nappies, until they have been washed at least 10 times.

Overall these are both two great nappies and I think anybody would be happy with either one of them. If you prefer stay dry nappies, go for the Freetime. If you prefer super super slim or natural fibres, go for the Elemental. Or go for both if you just love cloth nappies!!

To win an Elemental, just tell us below which nappy you prefer, Freetime or Elemental, and why? 

The winner pulled at random is Jennifer Rafferty - well done Jennifer. To claim your prize email care @ babame.com

The New bumGenius Elemental Nappy

BumGenius have updated their fantastic elemental {previously called bumGenius organic} with a new and improved design.

The blurb from bumgenius is:
 

With the highlights being:

Highlights

• Absorbent layers attached to waterproof outer layer.
• One step cloth diaper - no stuffing!
• Two rows of snaps ensure a trim, bumGenius fit everytime!
• Ultra-absorbent, certified organic cotton inner.
• Gentle leg elastic contains the mess!

But I guess what everyone wants to know is, how has it changed? Well here at Baba Me we were lucky enough to get our hands om some stock early so have had a chance to check this nappy out. WOW we are impressed.

The original organic nappy was much loved because of its slimness and its super absorbency. However, it was a slow drying nappy and some people felt that if not tucked into the sides, the organic on the edges might wick, so you had to be careful to ensure it was tucked in.

In terms of improvement, they have managed to make this nappy even slimmer!!!! Yep, unbelievable. I think this must be about the slimmest organic nappy on the market. I have taken a few comparison shots so you can see the difference between the old and new bumGenius elemental.

The old style is in zinnia, the new in mirror : 

You can see from this that the new one is quite a bit wider in the crotch area. As you open up the nappy you can see this even more, the organic cotton is much wider:

Here you can see the main difference. The new elemental has the folds of cotton much wider and taken all the way to the top of the nappy, whereas before the folds started about an inch in at each end. The new folds have six layers of organic cotton.

However, it does not have the base layer of organic cotton. This means a couple of things. It is much much much slimmer. It is much much quicker drying! And the organic now no longer peeps over at the legs so less chance of wicking by overhaning cotton.

For additional absornbency it is now much easier to put extra boosters underneath the folds of the organic cotton. I recommend the Hemp Babies Little Weeds as a perfect fit, you can see it tucked in on the bottom picture and it fits like a dream:

So in terms of slimess, in there much of a difference? YES!!! Someone, those genius' at bumGenius have managed to make a super slim cloth nappy, EVEN TRIMMER! Heres a couple of comparison shots from various angles, its most notable on newborn setting.

In terms of the inside, I much prefer the new style. It has a lot more play and more space for customisable absorbency

Overall I love the amendments bumGenius have made. I think the new elemental is going to be a very popular cloth nappy. It is super slim and much quicker drying.

To win one, let us know your thoughts on the new bumGenius elemental below!

Congratulations Rosie Stringer you have won an elemental! To claim it just email care @ babame.com

Did you bloom in pregnancy?

Yesterday in our shop I had the delight of talking with a mom expecting her 5th child. To say she looked magnificent would have put it mildly. She was eight months pregnant on no.5, and looked stunning. The good news was that on baby no.5 she was converting from disposable nappies to cloth nappies, and came to us as the cloth nappy experts. I am happy to report that she left delighted with her choice of bumGenius freetimes, in such an array of funky colours! She topped of her purchases with armfuls, and I mean armfuls of CJs butter samples - she went for one in every flavour!

This lovely lady, hello if you are reading!,  got me thinking about how some people just bloom in pregnancy. Research suggests that  at some point in pregnancy, it’s estimated that you’ll leave behind your mood swings and morning sickness and bloom into a ravishing creature with glowing skin and thick, shiny hair.

There’s no doubt that loads of hormonal changes in pregnancy make some women look and feel absolutely wonderful, especially in the middle months of pregnancy. Lots of extra blood capillaries are produced and this helps make the skin and hair shine. This is not, however, the case for everyone. The same hormonal changes can also cause spots, greasy hair and tiredness, especially early on. So if you do bloom in pregnancy, just sit back and enjoy it!

Everyone knows that endorphins are the ‘happy hormones’ that are released when you do exercise, making you look and feel better. The good news is that they kick in during pregnancy to help you cope with pain and stress, particularly in birth, so your body is producing these naturally. Don’t forget about the exercise though - try some yoga, swimming or Pilates.

Everybody talks about the ‘pregnancy glow’ that kicks in at some point, often during the second trimester, when erratic hormone levels settle and high levels of oestrogen course through your body. The increased metabolism and circulation which are created by these pregnancy hormones nourish both your skin and hair. You’ll find that your nails will grow faster than you can manicure them and your hair will be thicker and more lustrous than it has ever been.

Many women really love their hair during pregnancy, saying it looks thicker and glossier. This is because of the high levels of progesterone, which are coursing through your body at this time, causing the follicles to go into a ‘resting’ phase which reduces the amount of hair that drops out when you wash it. It does this by reducing the levels of the hormone dihydrotestosterne (DHT), which is responsible for hair loss. (Three months after you give birth, however, your progesterone levels will drop again and your old hair will start falling out again to make way for new ones.)

Each of my four pregnancies has been different and whilst I never bloomed as magnificently as the lovely mama yesterday, I did bloom in the 2nd trimester. That was my favourite part of pregnancy and I loved every moment of it, and enjoying new maternity clothes. Off course it was not long before I turned into a beached whale and needed a crane to move me.

Did you bloom in pregnancy?