Review: Generic Diapers (Bosomi, Petpet etc)

Having a baby is really expensive. Yes, more expensive than a 1 week HK vacation, or even a 2 week Boracay escapade. So, the least I can do to squeeze in our budget is to choose products which are good but would still allow us to save some money. 

After I gave birth, we took home Prokids diapers from the hospital. It was part of the package. It worked well - no leaks, no rashes for baby, and good sizing for a newborn. After we ran out of it though, my husband had a hard time looking for it at SM Supermarket. They don't have stocks of newborn sizes so he bought Mamypoko. Mamypoko was better! I mean, we did not have to change it during the night - better absorption, no leaks as well, did not cause rashes and also good in size. The thing though it is effin expensive! So, my mom tried looking for newborn sizes from Mercury Drug. She got pampers and EQ. Pampers was alright but it was also costly, EQ on the other hand was affordable and fits my newborn baby really well - better than others. I thought, "Oh hey, the EQ brand could work" - but after using it for a day, I realized - NO IT WOULD NOT. It leaked miserably! I have a newborn and it leaks! I mean, how many cc of liquid could she only pee and yet this thing could not hold it? After which, I started looking for reviews online regarding diapers. I came around Calvin's Hub which had a post regarding Bosomi (generic) diapers and where they were able to get it. It is around Boni Serrano Avenue and Crame which is around 15 minutes from our home. It used to have the "Limcon Construction" signage. Now though, it is Savers Up. I asked my brother to drop by and buy me 1 pack of diapers to try out. They sold him a pack of Petpet diapers in small size as all newborn stocks were apparently bought before he came.

Petpet Diapers (from Primero website)

Petpet diapers had a small sizing - their small size was the same as the newborn size of EQ. It was then 130/pack (30pcs/pack). So that's Php4.33/pc! Imagine the difference from the ff:

• Pampers NB: Php220/pack (24pcs) = P9.16/pc
• EQ NB: Php140/pack (22pcs) = P6.36/pc
• Mamypoko NB: Php305/pack (30pcs) = P10.16/pc
• Prokids NB: Php375/pack (48pcs) = P7.8/pc

Petpet Newborn-Small Rating: 3.8/5 

• Cost: 5/5
• Absorption: 3/5
• Sizing:4/5
• Design: 3/5
• Texture: 4/5

I gave it 3.8/5 because really, it is cost effective and it served its purpose without making my baby have rashes. Newborns poop all the time, so they do not really require long-haul diapers. During our baby's first 3 months she poops 3-5/day. So really, you'd change them all the time anyway there's no point of having the best absorption nappy.

There are days though when the shop would have Bosomi on stock so I'd buy those. The price is almost similar (difference of 20-30 cents/pc). I like Bosomi more as its sizing is more generous and it has the wetness indicator which Petpet does not have. Eventually though, I prefered buying only Bosomi or Babioniq (almost the same as Bosomi) as Petpet was only good until she was 5 months - after she started eating solid foods and was drinking around 7-8oz of milk, Petpet cannot hold her pee anymore and leaked all the time! Sab is now 8 months old (70 cm;  7kg) and the medium size still fits her well but we still change her nappies before we go to sleep. I tried Large size on her but it was still too big.

Babioniq (Medium)

Bosomi (Large)

Bosomi Diapers / Babioniq Diapers Rating: 4.5/5

• Cost: 5/5 (P5.35/pc - Medium; P5.75/pc - Large)
• Absorption: 3.5/5 (can hold up to 6 hrs)
• Sizing: 5/5
• Design: 5/5 (They both have different designs per size!)
• Texture: 4/5
• ++Wetness Indicator

Aside from Petpet, Bosomi and Babioniq, I have also tried the following generic diapers:

1. Zoo Diapers - I did not like the tape which gets ruined easily
2. New Cutie - has looneytoons design and has a wetness indicator but is always out of stock (was only able to buy once)
3. Baby Love - Almost the same as Petpet even with the sizing

Just two weeks ago, I also started cloth diapers on her (I wanted to try how long these cloth diapers can hold). I still interchange it with disposables though as these are more convenient especially when she poops. I'm still in the transition phase and will soon give a review of the cloth diapers I have.

Goodnight for now!

Joanni

What most mothers won't tell about motherhood

http://mops.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/motherhood.jpg

1. Everyone almost says that it is painful to go in labor yet all of those pain fade once you see your baby.

My reality: I delivered through Cesarian Section. I did not feel anything but I can barely move. I did not see my baby for like a day after a gave birth. While it was warming to see my baby after, really, it did not make me able to remove all my body ache.

2. Majority of mothers say that having a baby is pure joy.

My reality: NO. NO. NO. I am not saying that I was not happy about having Sab. I am, but having a baby does not exactly translate to "pure joy". They CRY. A LOT. To the point that you get weak from not having any sleep, from not having time to eat, from not having to see and hear anything besides the echo of her crying face. She was a cry baby until she was 4-months old. We made her sleep in our chests so that we could get sleep as well. We were not able to take her (or ourselves) to the mall as she cried so much inside the car (or any dark place). We slept with the lights open. On her 5th month though, she started sleeping in the bed, and on her 6th, she slept straight through the night :)

3. Everyone is an advocate of breastfeeding and if you don't breastfeed, your a bad mother!

My reality: Breastfeeding was a pain for me - not that it was painful to make her suck my breast - it required me to be awake even on time when I could be asleep. First, it does not fill her compare to formula. Second, even on times during the day where someone else could take her, I would still need to be awake to breastfeed her. True, breast milk is best for baby. It is also cheaper than formula. But after a loooooooonnnngggg night, all I really wanted then was to sleep. I did not even bother eating. I just really wanted to sleep.

Having a baby has its highs and lows. There are a lot of joy, but it also requires a lot of sacrifices. It is not easy. Most mothers conceal their pain as they are afraid to be labeled as a "bad mother". For me, being true is not being bad. For me, over caring is bad. Neglecting yourself is bad.