It never ceases to amaze me how much of an issue breastfeeding is!

I just came across two news articles today about breastfeeding flash mobs:
http://healthland.time.com/2011/12/27/the-nurse-in-why-breast-feeding-moms-are-mad-at-target/

http://www.thedailyactivist.com/civil-rights-breastfeeding-flash-mob/

I’m glad that these flash mobs and breastfeeding sit-ins create media exposure about breastfeeding. Hopefully these events will lead to greater acceptance in our society towards breastfeeding. But I’m continually surprised every time I hear about an incident that causes people to stage a sit-in in the first place!

We are mammals.
Mammal babies drink mother’s milk.

I realize we’re the only mammals that sexualize breasts, but people need to get over it. I think the sound of a screaming baby is more bothersome than seeing a flash of skin from part of woman’s breast, and wouldn’t most shoppers prefer not having to hear a hungry baby cry? When a woman is breastfeeding, you usually don’t see her nipple or areola because it is in the baby’s mouth and blocked from view by the baby’s face. The parts that you do see are the same parts that are exposed when a woman wears a revealing top or a bikini. And I don’t think women get asked to leave department stores for wearing low cut blouses do they?

I am an advocate for breastfeeding and I encourage and support it. At my store, my staff and I breastfeed our babies while we’re at work! I wish I could invite those people who complain to come to my store and let them see what goes on here – they would be so shocked!
We have a nice comfy breastfeeding chair for customers in the middle of the store, not hidden away in the back room. (If a breastfeeding mother would prefer to sit in privacy in the back room, that is her choice as well.)
We want to demonstrate that breastfeeding is a part of normal daily life and that we are a business that encourages and supports breastfeeding moms to feel comfortable!

Because breastfeeding is a normal part of being a mother and a baby, I really don’t understand what the big deal is. I think it’s fantastic that women are uniting and staging “nurse-ins” to bring awareness to the issue! But I hope when my daughter becomes a mother in 20-30 years that by then our society will have progressed to a point where we won’t have to do these types of events anymore because they will no longer be necessary.

In the meantime we will have to continue to educate our society about what is natural for mammal mothers and mammal babies to do! The issue shouldn’t even be about what makes people comfortable or uncomfortable. Who cares if it makes people uncomfortable. It is much more basic as that. It is what we as mammals are created to do and it’s natural. End of story.

If you want to help us make breastfeeding completely normal and accepted, stay tuned for breastfeeding events that we hold throughout the year at Sweetheart Diapers & More!

The Diaper Bag:

First of all, make sure that your diaper bag is large enough. Cloth diapers are bulkier than disposable diapers and many diaper bags on the market are targeted towards disposable diapers. That’s why I started selling the Mrs. Smith Tempo diaper bags at Sweetheart Diapers & More.This is what it looks like:

Mrs. Smith Diaper Bag "Tempo"

This is the bag that I use, and I have it in blue. I can actually fit everything I need inside it. You can also adjust the straps so it can either be a messenger bag or a back pack. The thing I like about this bag the most is the DRAWER. I think it is so cool! The drawer divides the bag into a bottom and a top so that things don’t get lost in the bottom of your bag – brilliant!

If you prefer something more hip, Ju Ju Be diaper bags are gorgeous. We sell the Ju Ju Be “Be All” diaper bag, which is worth every cent in quality material and workmanship.

Ju Ju Be "Be All" Diaper Bag

The two main differences between cloth diapering and disposable diapering when you’re out are:

1. You will bring the soiled cloth diaper back home with you instead of throwing it in the garbage
2. You need to re-pack your diaper bag frequently because you’re using the same diapers over and over again

Therefore, one of the most important things you need is a waterproof tote bag for the soiled diapers. Plastic bags aren’t a good solution because you will constantly be throwing out plastic bags. What you want to use is a “wet bag”.

Wet Bags are specifically designed for toting cloth diapers – they are waterproof and machine washable so you can use them over and over again.

Bummis Fabulous Wet Bag

Here is the complete check list of what I pack inside my diaper bag:

The Packing Checklist:

• 1-2 outfit changes for baby
• Wipes: I keep GAIA biodegradable bamboo wipes in my diaper bag. I use cloth wipes at home, but prefer the disposable ones for when I’m out because they are more convenient for toting. The GAIA wipes are not as good as cloth wipes but they are much better than traditional disposable wipes for the environment and for baby’s skin, making them a decent compromise for using a disposable products. You can read more about them here.
• Change pad: I love the FuzziBunz change pad. Most diaper bags come with a change pad, but they aren’t usually very nice. The FuzziBunz change pad has soft fleece on one side and PUL on the other side so nothing leaks through if it gets wet, like when baby decides to pee everywhere during a diaper change!
• Waterproof tote bag: I use a Fabulous Wet Bag size medium which is the perfect size for several diapers. This is the most popular style and size of wet bag that we sell at Sweetheart Diapers & More. It completely keeps out odours because it closes with a zipper, and is fully waterproof so even sopping wet diapers won’t leak through. And you can toss it into the laundry with your cloth diapers.
• several cloth diapers: the amount depends on how long I plan to be out, plus 2 extras for just in case
• 2 or 3 prefolds: besides the diapers for putting on the baby, I like to have a couple extra prefolds for wiping a poopy bum or catching pee during the change
• Plastic bag: This is because sometimes there is no garbage handy when you’re changing the baby and then I can just use the plastic bag as a garbage.

If you have any questions about cloth diapering, contact us at Sweetheart Diapers & More: 519-800-3963 / info@sweetheartdiapers.com

Do you have any tips you’d like to share with us for cloth diapering on the go? Please add a comment!