Bdiaper Washable, Reusable, Hybrid Cloth Diaper - ECO Friendly, Disposable Nappy Pads @bdiaper hybrid cloth diapers covers, washable cloth  diapers, reusable cloth  diapers, disposable nappy pads, chemical free, rash free healthy nappy pads

Bdiaper Hybrid Cloth Diaper; My Journey To Launching India’s Only Eco-Friendly Diaper!

Hybrid Diapers are simply diapers that are separated into covers and nappy pads. The cover, which can be of different materials, is like the underwear, while the absorbent pad or the “insert”, washable or disposable, is the actual diaper. These diapers sit on the spectrum between a disposable and a cloth diaper, hence the word “hybrid”.

I was attracted to these while diapering my baby, as the cloth took away the guilt of generating excessive waste, and the insert made the diapering process less bulky. I was first exposed to Modern Cloth Diapers; MCDs as they were called (Hybrids being a part of this family) when my child was born in the US. Being a first-time mom of a baby prone to rashes, I kept looking for options outside of the commercial disposables and settled on these.

I moved back to India in 2011 with my ‘stash’ determined to honor my commitment to cloth diapering with the help of the proverbial Indian ‘nanny’. About a few months into settling in I decided these were a great option to bring to India. With that in mind in 2012, I launched India’s 1st and only brand of MCDs, under the brand name Bumchum Diapers.

Bumchum Bdiaper Hybrid Cloth Diaper; My Journey To Launching India’s Only Eco-Friendly Diaper! hybrid cloth diapers covers, washable cloth  diapers, reusable cloth  diapers, disposable nappy pads, chemical free

Sales grew fast with the growth of eCommerce giants and business was great due to lack of competition. However, MCDs took a lot of learning to get right. The one-size-fit-all, types and formats and a load of laundry made these a bit cumbersome. And just when I thought I was used to the process, moving to India threw new challenges my way. Besides the general issues with hard water, soap build-up, the constant parade of nannies made it harder to ‘strip’, soak’ ‘air’ these, along with the other things I needed to do for my child.

MCDs did not work for me in India. I would often deflect back to commercial disposable diapers, initially only while going out and night-time diapering. Eventually throughout the day.

Whilst the convenience of disposables was a hard habit to break, I wasn’t able to deal with the guilt of the amount of trash I generated daily.

The real tug on my conscience was when I was driving by our house once, crossing our area dumpster …and I saw my sons poop soiled diapers strewn on the roads – open and defaced by stray cats and dogs, while 2-3 milking cows rummaged through that for food.

The start of Bdiapers

As I mentioned, I was attracted to hybrids as the idea to reduce and reuse. I wanted to hold on to the convenience of disposables, at the same time break the cycle of exposure to chemicals for my baby. Hybrids were easier to use and learn. With less washing and a better fit than the regular MCDs – these seemed like a great alternative.

However, the ones I used on my babies were not yet convenient – which is when I designed Bdiaper Hybrid Diapers, a cloth cover with disposable inserts; a diaper as close as possible, to a disposable.

While hybrids are simply cloth shells with inserts, Bdiapers was different in that it was designed to be a true ‘hybrid’.

The cloth was ornamental while the actual diaper (i.e.insert) sat in a patented 2-part pouch system that separated the “cloth” from the “diaper”. This helped reduce washing and encourage reuse.

In order to reduce toxic waste, the 1st batch of Bdiapers was sold with imported biodegradable disposables. I believed biodegradable was the answer to my guilt and would encourage green diapering. However, over time I learned that not only was the process of bio-degrading waste in India not properly understood, but our primitive waste management system also did not allow for the need to separate organic and inorganic waste. This aside from the fact that moms weren’t comfortable adding human waste to their kitchen waste while composting.

With the exorbitant pricing of these leading to a smaller audience converting to Hybrids, I started to focus on the design of an insert that was manufactured locally, fit our Bdiaper shells securely, without compromising on absorbency and comfort.

The result was an insert that was made using plant cellulose, free of toxic chemicals, fragrance, chlorine bleach and dyes. These inserts were devoid of any unnecessary trims that did not add value in the buckets of health and convenience.

I believe Bdiapers Hybrid Diaper Covers are the healthiest diapering option currently available in India. Whilst the pouch system allows for the covers to be reused over days without washing, the inserts encourage proper waste disposal, as you need to toss away solids in the toilet bowl before wrapping these in paper, and disposing like any other non-biodegradable separated waste (like a sanitary napkin).

The pouch itself is made from coated fabrics that are waterproof and can be wiped clean. (Or, they also dry in minutes!)

We designed these diapers with matching T-shirts to complete the look. We realized little babies were mostly spending time at home, and in diapers, and thought it would be efficient to make diapers a part of the clothing, versus just an accessory.

In the process of developing the diapers, we also designed several unique accessories to supplement our healthy, eco-friendly diapering journey. Some of these are the safetyB (nonmetal) Silicone Diaper Fasteners, Bdiapers Organic Muslin Newborn Nappies, Bdiapers Soothing Bottom Wash Spray, or the Organic Roll-On Diaper Rash Balm. Each and every product in our collection is unique and designed to be functional, practical, and keeping in mind the convenience of a busy mom.

This is my story and journey into launching Bdiapers. If you are looking for an alternative to disposables and are not yet willing to commit to cloth, I’d urge you to check us out at Bdiapers. We hope you enjoyed my labor of love and give me feedback on what you think; whether you love it or hate it, I’d love to hear from you!
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