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Sunday, December 27, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Babies (the movie trailer)
Rixa from Stand and Deliver posted this movie trailer on her blog. The trailer promises an interesting story. What a great concept!
Letters to my sister: diapering
So you have decided to use cloth diapers on your future child. Yea!
Not only will you insure healthier and a more comfortable bottom for your baby, but you will save money and reduce your garbage output. Your child WILL have less diaper rash and be more aware of their own bodily functions (helpful for transitioning out of diapers). You won't be beholden to silly cartoons that covertly brainwash your child as you unpack every box of plastic diapers, instead you can choose from colorful, even outfit-coordinating patterns on your diapers.
You know how people are always concerned about blowouts when they hold babies? Well, put your baby in cloth and you won't have that problem. Breastfed babies have runny, yellow poop that plastic diapers can't contain consistently. Cotton fabrics are perfect for soaking up that mess before it can leak out the sides (or up the back!)
Buying enough diapers to begin can be tricky and expensive to do all at once. Seek out friends who have used cloth or ask for specific brands as shower presents. Most people are unfamiliar with the different types of cloth diapers, so you will have to be specific with your requests. Try out different types of diapers. Covers with cotton pre-folds are a good type to start out with, but buy a few new types here and there for fun as time goes by. Certain types of diapers can absorb differently or fit around different body sizes.
Types of diapers:
A newborn baby needs about 5-6 covers and about 10-15 newborn cotton pre-folds (cotton pre-folds are bought in sizes for the age of the baby) The covers are waterproof, the cotton pre-folds can be folded inside the cover in a variety of different manners to heighten absorbency. When the insert is wet, you change the diaper by dropping the soiled cotton insert into a bucket. The cover can be aired out if it is not smelly or dirty. I alternate covers for a few cycles, then throw them into the wash. While I like pre-folds and covers, I like to mix up their use with pocket diapers.
Pre-folds in covers are very absorbent, but the moisture stays right next to the skin. If the skin is not aired out frequently, redness can occur. Pocket diapers can solve this problem by placing a fleece-like layer between your child's skin and their pee. You can use cotton pre-folds or stack a number of micro-fleece inserts inside the pocket (helpful for a morning of errands or nighttime). However, each insert and the pocket cover must be washed at every use.
Both covers can come with Velcro fastenings or snaps. Both types can be handy for adjusting the diaper to your child's growing body. Significant Others, Grammies and babysitters prefer the Velcro, but when it comes time for you to wash, you might like the snaps better. The Velcro tabs tend to stick with other diapers, creating an annoying chain to untangle. The fuzz from stray disposable wipes can also build up and weaken the sticky-ness of the hook and loop.
All In One diapers have all inserts and stuffing sewn inside a cover. I haven't met an AIO diaper I have liked. They take too long to dry and can get smelly.
Washing information:
Newborns poo miconuim for the first few days. They also usually have some sort of a clamp on their umbilical cord site. You want to make sure that you keep the top of the diaper lower then the clamp so that it doesn't irritate the baby. You also may want to lay strips of fabric inside the diaper or soak the diapers between uses as the miconium can stain.
You don't need to worry about separating the poo from the diaper if you are breastfeeding your child. Breastfed baby poo washes out extremely well in the washing machine. Once you add solid food to your child's diet, you will need to begin dunking the diaper into the toilet to separate the poo. If you are regular with changing your child's diaper, you shouldn't need to soak the poopy diaper in the toilet. I don't recommend adding water to your diaper pail. Soaking the dirty diapers all the time creates MUCH smell and can shorten the life of the diaper fibers.
I like to buy used cotton pre-folds. These inserts need to be washed several times before they reach their optimal absorbency. I like to let someone else do that work for me. Otherwise for all other diapers, just wash new diaper once before using it on your child. Dirty diapers should be washed every two to three days. Don't forget to save a few clean diapers to use while the others are washing!
Creating clean cloth diapers:
Step One: Remove soiled diaper from child
Step Two: Separate insert and remove poo if needed
Step Three: Store soiled diaper in dry bucket by toilet or next to washing machine or in traveling water-proof bag (also called a "wet bag".)
Step Four: Assemble load of diapers. At this writing I have two kids in diapers. I will overload the washing machine and create half-cleaned diapers if I wash all diapers together. Therefore I begin with a load of inserts and cloth wipes. With one child, one load of diapers should clean everything.
Step Five: Cold water rinse cycle.
Step Six: Hot water wash cycle with Country Save powder detergent. Do NOT overuse. When washing diapers, it is not about the amount of soap used as too much soap repels moisture.
Step Seven: Cold water wash cycle with NO soap. If your diapers are smelly after cleaning or are leaking, then take a peek into the washing machine during this cycle. You shouldn't see any sudsing at this time.
Step Eight: Dry inserts on high heat
Step Nine: Wash pocket covers and other covers.
Step Ten: Add covers to dryer and lower the heat for an additional cycle. High heat will melt the waterproof-ness and ruin the elastic. I made this mistake! Or you can hang the diapers outside to dry. Sunshine removes any lingering stains.
Step Eleven: Significant Others, Grammies, and babysitters appreciate if they can find a few diapers pre-assembled. Sort and fold diapers as necessary.
Cloth wipes:
I use infant washcloths and handmade wipes to clean bottoms. The handmade wipes have a cotton fabric backed by a velor fabric with the stitching on the outside. I make up a solution of one squirt of baby soap, one chug of olive oil, 4-5 drops of lavender and tea tree oil all added to enough warm water to completely saturate the wipes. After a bit of experimentation and advice from fellow cloth-using moms, I began storing the wet wipes in a wipe warmer. "Prince Lionheart" makes a warmer that has an anti-microbial pad inside that prevents mold and mildew (don't laugh!) North loves the warm wipes. When I travel, I wet a dry wipe under warm water or use a small bottle of the pre-made solution.
Not only are the washing cycles easier, but on poopy messes that might take 6-8 disposable wipes to fully clean, now only take two of the same sized cloth wipes. As I stated before, stray disposable wipes would go through the washing machine and tangle up with the diapers. The cloth wipes can get tossed into the wash without any extra care and come out as clean as can be. What could be simpler?
Justification:
The reasons to use cloth are many. For my own example; I change my children's diaper with every nearly every transition during the day. We leave or arrive back to the house, we diaper. We get ready for a meal or to lay down for a nap, we diaper. We get up from a nap or we get ready to go outside, we diaper. All those clean diapers add up to about 8-10 diapers a day per child. Using size-adjustable cloth diapers priced at about 15 dollars a diaper put my initial costs at $300. AND that's IT. I don't have to replace the diapers unless I ruin one or feel tempted to try another style. The water usage is higher with the washing, but has not significantly raised my water bill.
One hundred and thirty six diapers cost 40 dollars at Target right now. But you can't re-use those diapers. So that pack would only last me 17 days for one child. Therefore, eight packs at 4o dollars a piece would cost me 320 dollars in about five months. In about five months I will have paid (and thrown away) the same amount of money for what could have instead covered my child's bottom for his first two to three years.
In addition to the financial incentives there is a sense of pride. My oldest child helps me sort out the diaper laundry. He helps me move the laundry from the dryer. He creates little piles of wipes, inserts and covers. He recognizes the colors of the different diapers and feels ownership towards his laundry.
Did I mention the waste? Did I mention the non-issue of "sensitive skin" conditions?
But as not to lose sight of reality, you must also be ready to be flexible. When overwhelmed by life transitions, when traveling and without consistent access to a washing machine; these are all times I have used disposable on my children. Life is about being flexible and responsive. You shouldn't have to make excuses.
But cloth diapers are still the best.
Love, Trisha
Not only will you insure healthier and a more comfortable bottom for your baby, but you will save money and reduce your garbage output. Your child WILL have less diaper rash and be more aware of their own bodily functions (helpful for transitioning out of diapers). You won't be beholden to silly cartoons that covertly brainwash your child as you unpack every box of plastic diapers, instead you can choose from colorful, even outfit-coordinating patterns on your diapers.
You know how people are always concerned about blowouts when they hold babies? Well, put your baby in cloth and you won't have that problem. Breastfed babies have runny, yellow poop that plastic diapers can't contain consistently. Cotton fabrics are perfect for soaking up that mess before it can leak out the sides (or up the back!)
Buying enough diapers to begin can be tricky and expensive to do all at once. Seek out friends who have used cloth or ask for specific brands as shower presents. Most people are unfamiliar with the different types of cloth diapers, so you will have to be specific with your requests. Try out different types of diapers. Covers with cotton pre-folds are a good type to start out with, but buy a few new types here and there for fun as time goes by. Certain types of diapers can absorb differently or fit around different body sizes.
Types of diapers:
A newborn baby needs about 5-6 covers and about 10-15 newborn cotton pre-folds (cotton pre-folds are bought in sizes for the age of the baby) The covers are waterproof, the cotton pre-folds can be folded inside the cover in a variety of different manners to heighten absorbency. When the insert is wet, you change the diaper by dropping the soiled cotton insert into a bucket. The cover can be aired out if it is not smelly or dirty. I alternate covers for a few cycles, then throw them into the wash. While I like pre-folds and covers, I like to mix up their use with pocket diapers.
Pre-folds in covers are very absorbent, but the moisture stays right next to the skin. If the skin is not aired out frequently, redness can occur. Pocket diapers can solve this problem by placing a fleece-like layer between your child's skin and their pee. You can use cotton pre-folds or stack a number of micro-fleece inserts inside the pocket (helpful for a morning of errands or nighttime). However, each insert and the pocket cover must be washed at every use.
Both covers can come with Velcro fastenings or snaps. Both types can be handy for adjusting the diaper to your child's growing body. Significant Others, Grammies and babysitters prefer the Velcro, but when it comes time for you to wash, you might like the snaps better. The Velcro tabs tend to stick with other diapers, creating an annoying chain to untangle. The fuzz from stray disposable wipes can also build up and weaken the sticky-ness of the hook and loop.
All In One diapers have all inserts and stuffing sewn inside a cover. I haven't met an AIO diaper I have liked. They take too long to dry and can get smelly.
Washing information:
Newborns poo miconuim for the first few days. They also usually have some sort of a clamp on their umbilical cord site. You want to make sure that you keep the top of the diaper lower then the clamp so that it doesn't irritate the baby. You also may want to lay strips of fabric inside the diaper or soak the diapers between uses as the miconium can stain.
You don't need to worry about separating the poo from the diaper if you are breastfeeding your child. Breastfed baby poo washes out extremely well in the washing machine. Once you add solid food to your child's diet, you will need to begin dunking the diaper into the toilet to separate the poo. If you are regular with changing your child's diaper, you shouldn't need to soak the poopy diaper in the toilet. I don't recommend adding water to your diaper pail. Soaking the dirty diapers all the time creates MUCH smell and can shorten the life of the diaper fibers.
I like to buy used cotton pre-folds. These inserts need to be washed several times before they reach their optimal absorbency. I like to let someone else do that work for me. Otherwise for all other diapers, just wash new diaper once before using it on your child. Dirty diapers should be washed every two to three days. Don't forget to save a few clean diapers to use while the others are washing!
Creating clean cloth diapers:
Step One: Remove soiled diaper from child
Step Two: Separate insert and remove poo if needed
Step Three: Store soiled diaper in dry bucket by toilet or next to washing machine or in traveling water-proof bag (also called a "wet bag".)
Step Four: Assemble load of diapers. At this writing I have two kids in diapers. I will overload the washing machine and create half-cleaned diapers if I wash all diapers together. Therefore I begin with a load of inserts and cloth wipes. With one child, one load of diapers should clean everything.
Step Five: Cold water rinse cycle.
Step Six: Hot water wash cycle with Country Save powder detergent. Do NOT overuse. When washing diapers, it is not about the amount of soap used as too much soap repels moisture.
Step Seven: Cold water wash cycle with NO soap. If your diapers are smelly after cleaning or are leaking, then take a peek into the washing machine during this cycle. You shouldn't see any sudsing at this time.
Step Eight: Dry inserts on high heat
Step Nine: Wash pocket covers and other covers.
Step Ten: Add covers to dryer and lower the heat for an additional cycle. High heat will melt the waterproof-ness and ruin the elastic. I made this mistake! Or you can hang the diapers outside to dry. Sunshine removes any lingering stains.
Step Eleven: Significant Others, Grammies, and babysitters appreciate if they can find a few diapers pre-assembled. Sort and fold diapers as necessary.
Cloth wipes:
I use infant washcloths and handmade wipes to clean bottoms. The handmade wipes have a cotton fabric backed by a velor fabric with the stitching on the outside. I make up a solution of one squirt of baby soap, one chug of olive oil, 4-5 drops of lavender and tea tree oil all added to enough warm water to completely saturate the wipes. After a bit of experimentation and advice from fellow cloth-using moms, I began storing the wet wipes in a wipe warmer. "Prince Lionheart" makes a warmer that has an anti-microbial pad inside that prevents mold and mildew (don't laugh!) North loves the warm wipes. When I travel, I wet a dry wipe under warm water or use a small bottle of the pre-made solution.
Not only are the washing cycles easier, but on poopy messes that might take 6-8 disposable wipes to fully clean, now only take two of the same sized cloth wipes. As I stated before, stray disposable wipes would go through the washing machine and tangle up with the diapers. The cloth wipes can get tossed into the wash without any extra care and come out as clean as can be. What could be simpler?
Justification:
The reasons to use cloth are many. For my own example; I change my children's diaper with every nearly every transition during the day. We leave or arrive back to the house, we diaper. We get ready for a meal or to lay down for a nap, we diaper. We get up from a nap or we get ready to go outside, we diaper. All those clean diapers add up to about 8-10 diapers a day per child. Using size-adjustable cloth diapers priced at about 15 dollars a diaper put my initial costs at $300. AND that's IT. I don't have to replace the diapers unless I ruin one or feel tempted to try another style. The water usage is higher with the washing, but has not significantly raised my water bill.
One hundred and thirty six diapers cost 40 dollars at Target right now. But you can't re-use those diapers. So that pack would only last me 17 days for one child. Therefore, eight packs at 4o dollars a piece would cost me 320 dollars in about five months. In about five months I will have paid (and thrown away) the same amount of money for what could have instead covered my child's bottom for his first two to three years.
In addition to the financial incentives there is a sense of pride. My oldest child helps me sort out the diaper laundry. He helps me move the laundry from the dryer. He creates little piles of wipes, inserts and covers. He recognizes the colors of the different diapers and feels ownership towards his laundry.
Did I mention the waste? Did I mention the non-issue of "sensitive skin" conditions?
But as not to lose sight of reality, you must also be ready to be flexible. When overwhelmed by life transitions, when traveling and without consistent access to a washing machine; these are all times I have used disposable on my children. Life is about being flexible and responsive. You shouldn't have to make excuses.
But cloth diapers are still the best.
Love, Trisha
Thursday, December 3, 2009
A bit of germs
Well, we decided not to travel for Thanksgiving and then my kids became sick the day we were to leave.
Sky started coughing Wednesday night but pulled it together during the day times. As I lay with him on Friday night his cough became labored and wheezy.
I feel so inexperienced with children's illnesses. As a teacher I could call parents as warning symptoms began appearing on their children's faces. And Boom! The kids disappeared from my classroom not to reappear until their runny noses slowed and their fevers had been gone for 24 hours. (For those parents that lied to me: Curses!)
But with my own, and with a young infant, the confidence is not so strong. Every wheeze sounds as if it originates within the lungs and every cough brings visions of red, painful throats. I go back and forth on determining the right time to dose a fever. If the fever is only 100 degrees, should I let it be? If North is restless during the middle of the night, should I just give him the fever suppressant so that he will sleep better?
Having Sky sick this week was mentally tricky. He never had a fever and his deposition was lively and sunny. His cough still lingers, so I feel a slight concern about that. However, he is only 4 months old! I hope the first challenge to his immune system passes well.
Reed has also been gone for most of this week. Both boys have been sleeping in my bed during the nights. I love sharing the big bed with them. North sleeps next to the wall with a glass of water on the windowsill (he takes big gulps of water during the night), I sleep in the middle, and Sky is on the edge (closer to the cool steam mister). We wake up together, North and I talk about our plans for the day and we head downstairs for breakfast. I sleep surer knowing that my kids, though challenged by night coughing and stuffy noses, are close by. I can comfort them during the night without having to leave my own warm nest. And that creates a happy mama; not a grumpy, walking down the hall for the billion-th time grouch.
May this be the worst sickness of the year.
Sky started coughing Wednesday night but pulled it together during the day times. As I lay with him on Friday night his cough became labored and wheezy.
I feel so inexperienced with children's illnesses. As a teacher I could call parents as warning symptoms began appearing on their children's faces. And Boom! The kids disappeared from my classroom not to reappear until their runny noses slowed and their fevers had been gone for 24 hours. (For those parents that lied to me: Curses!)
But with my own, and with a young infant, the confidence is not so strong. Every wheeze sounds as if it originates within the lungs and every cough brings visions of red, painful throats. I go back and forth on determining the right time to dose a fever. If the fever is only 100 degrees, should I let it be? If North is restless during the middle of the night, should I just give him the fever suppressant so that he will sleep better?
Having Sky sick this week was mentally tricky. He never had a fever and his deposition was lively and sunny. His cough still lingers, so I feel a slight concern about that. However, he is only 4 months old! I hope the first challenge to his immune system passes well.
Reed has also been gone for most of this week. Both boys have been sleeping in my bed during the nights. I love sharing the big bed with them. North sleeps next to the wall with a glass of water on the windowsill (he takes big gulps of water during the night), I sleep in the middle, and Sky is on the edge (closer to the cool steam mister). We wake up together, North and I talk about our plans for the day and we head downstairs for breakfast. I sleep surer knowing that my kids, though challenged by night coughing and stuffy noses, are close by. I can comfort them during the night without having to leave my own warm nest. And that creates a happy mama; not a grumpy, walking down the hall for the billion-th time grouch.
May this be the worst sickness of the year.
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