Sprout Change?

So what exactly is Sprout Change?

Sprout Change is a reusable diaper system that was born from more than seven years of cloth diapering experience my four children, and trying all kinds of types of diapers, trying to find the perfect diaper that actually fits, is easy to use (especially for a babysitter or grandma!) and is really absorbent, but also reduces the investment that intimidates some from even trying cloth.

I created WillowSprouts in 2005, and we specialized in hemp diapering products. Hemp is an amazing fiber that is so trim, absorbent and easy to use! What's even better is that it is a natural fiber, and has one of the easiest fibers to grow (it doesn't require chemicals, pesticides or fertilizers, is disease resistant and grows super fast). On top of this, hemp makes for ultra trim, long-lasting soft diapers.

Our inserts and prefolds (we still offer them) work great in the diaper covers and pocket diapers that other companies were making, and each one worked for certain things. But it was really hard to find a sitter that could figure out how to use them was frankly, amusing. My husband and I would joke about which contortion we would find on our kids... Would the insert be hanging out the back, or the snaps so loose the diaper fell off when our 3 year old stood up. Would there be wings hanging every which way? Would it be leaking everywhere because someone forgot to stuff the pocket? We didn't usually have someone babysit, but when we did you never knew what to expect.

And then we had our son, Ben. He was born with Downs Syndrome, and we knew he'd be in diapers a lot longer than the average child. We needed a diaper that was going to hold up to the challenge of a heavy wetter (think Niagara Falls) but also fit well, and fast. He hated to lay down to change his diaper (who can blame a toddler for not wanting to lay down?), and changes had to be quick. He didn't fit in most other one-size diapers, and he was still in the weight range that he should. Hook and Loop fasteners just fell apart, or he took them off, and they wore out really fast if someone forgot to use the laundry tabs.  We had enough things going on dealing with health concerns with Ben that adding the complication of washable diapers became a burden... But I was dedicated to reusables. And so the seeds were planted for Sprout Change, without me realizing it.

And now here we are in 2010. Ben's 5 1/2 and still in diapers, although he's so close to potty training. (I can't wait!) Through years of trial and error, two more babies to test out prototypes, Sprout Change was born. We released our reversible diaper cover this past spring, and have updated it recently to be so much easier to adjust the size (think lightning fast) to fit your baby, while he or she is wearing it!

Guess what? Sprout Change still fits our son. With amazingly, unheard of adjustability, our diaper fit our formerly preemie little girl from birth, at less than 5 pounds, and the same diaper works great on our 45+ pound Ben without any leaks!

Here's Ben (well, some of him!) in Sprout Change: