Cloth diaper survey

Children

Owen-34months

Charlotte-coming end of July!!! 

How long have you been cloth diapering?

A little over a year.

Why did you choose to cloth diaper?

We started when we were expecting twins.  We didn't want to spend a fortune on disposable diapers.

What diapers are in your stash? 

BumGenius, FuzziBunz, SunBaby, Happy Flute, Perfect Bum, GroVia, KissaLuvs, Lil Joey's, Kawaii, cool-a-baby, Swaddlebees

Favorite diaper in your stash?
bumGenius 4.0 pocket

Biggest cloth diapering challenge?
Getting rid of the ammonia smell.  Just tried Funk Rock detergent...and I think it finally worked!!

Favorite thing about cloth diapering?
I am not constantly buying disposable diapers, once I have my stash I am good, no more buying diapers. 

Least favorite thing about cloth diapering? 

Traveling, they are bulky and take up a bit of space.

What kind of wipes do you use?

At the moment, flushable, but plan to use cloth wipes with the baby.

 
What is your overnight system?
Hemp inserts and a microfiber inside of a sunbaby, kawaii, or bumgenius (because they have the PUL strip across the belly)

Do you/how do you rinse off your CD before pailing them?

I rinse the diapers in the toilet with a diaper sprayer and a spray pal. 

(HIGHLY recommend the spray pal if you plan to use a diaper sprayer!) 

What kind of pail system do you have?
I simply have a large wet bag inside of a hamper.

What is your wash routine? (how you wash, what detergent/additives, how often, how do you dry?)
I rinse all the diapers as I change them, then they go in the wet bag.  Once I have about 15-20 dirty diapers I throw them in the wash.   I wash in warm water with Rockin Green Soap.  I toss in the dryer on low heat.  

And what one CD item would you purchase if money were no object? 

I would recommend the diaper sprayer and spray pal, as well as having about 30-40 diapers in a stash.   A larger stash means more rotation which means diapers wont wear as quickly and can be used for a longer period of time.  Also means don't have to do laundry daily, (which is nice for unexpected power outages, washing machine malfunctions, and so on.) 

Favorite cloth diaper advice?
Try a couple of different diapers before stocking up on one particular type/brand.  Never know which one you will like best, or which will fit your child best.

 

Another week down

I am another week closer to seeing my precious little girl!  This past Monday I had an appointment with the midwife.  I am finally gaining weight, up 4 lbs from last week.  Still below my pre-pregnancy weight but the midwife was happy to see I am gaining.  She also stated that because everything is going so well in the pregnancy I can go every three weeks rather than every two.  This means that I will have an appointment on the 4th, and then another three weeks after that.  That will put me at the 36 week mark at which point I will start going weekly.  I cannot believe how quickly this pregnancy is going!

Fingers on her forehead, toes touching her eye, and umbilical cord in her mouth. 

Sweet baby girl is still frank breech and hiding behind the anterior placenta.  She still has time to flip around, and I really hope she does!   She is getting big and I cannot believe we are at 30 weeks! 

Owen update

I realized I have not posted any updates on Owen in a while! About a month ago I set up a bedroom for Owen.  It is Cars themed and has a huge McQueen decal by his bed, as well as the other characters around the room. He LOVES sleeping in there.  He calls it the McQueen room.  He brought some tracks into his room and plays trains before bed.  He now goes to bed at around 9-9:15 every night.

In addition I must say how smart he is becoming.  I mean let's face it, he always was smart, but I am amazed daily at the things he says and does.   Today he was playing trains and singing the alphabet song over and over.  When we go out in public I get complimented on how well behaved he is and how well he uses his manners.  And I must agree, he is very well mannered.  It makes me one proud momma!

For Mother's day we went to the pond and went fishing.  This involved fishing, chasing ducks, swinging, slides, the works.

He also loves to be "momma's big helper."  And loves to help do dishes and other chores.

He spends a great deal of time outside now that it is spring.  Splashing in the water is one of his favorite things to do.

With all the excitement of baby girl's arrival approaching Owen cannot help but want to do things for her.  This includes throwing things into the shopping cart and insisting we need to buy it for her.  He also likes to go in her room and look at her clothes.   My MiL asked him the other day where his sister was and he pulled up his shirt and pointed to his belly!  Pretty sure he is just as excited.  He is obsessed with babies and is going to make a great big brother.   And Charlotte is very fortunate to have such a smart big brother to help her learn and develop along the way. 

Mother's Day

2009, my first mother's day.  I was pregnant, but on my way to being a mom.  I was working three jobs and "mom" to two wonderful dogs.  With hubby out of town every week I did not want to sit at home alone, so I worked, all the time. 

 Then Owen came along.  My whole world changed.  I became a stay at home mom and stopped working.  My life revolved around Owen.  And while I miss the social interaction I had while working, I would not change it for the world.

In 2011 I went to Pennsylvania to see my Mom and Gram for mother's day.

Last year I was 15 weeks along with my Mo-Mo twins.  I had no idea that two days later I would lose them. :( 

 The past few years as a mom  has taken me on a ride that I never would have predicted.  I would never have thought that I would be here pregnant with my sixth baby!  I loved everything about being a mom and would not trade it for the world. Every day I look at Owen and think how fortunate I am to have him.  There are many women who are unable to even carry one child, and here I am with one and one on the way.  I love when I go out in public and receive compliments on how well mannered my son is.  And when interacting with him I see all the ways he has grown and how intelligent he is becoming.  It makes me one proud momma. 

To all the moms, and soon to be moms, Happy Mother's Day.  Spend the day with those that made this day possible, I know I will be!  

Nursing surprises

I know I have a few months before I will be nursing, but I have been reading up on it, as well as buying supplies in preparation.  However, I do think that there are a few things that moms to be need to know.  Things nobody told me and even though I took a breastfeeding class was shocked to learn how much was NOT covered in the class. First, I didn't know how hard it would be the first couple weeks. For something so natural it did not come naturally.  I spent the first couple nights in the hospital crying because I was struggling to nurse. I also didn't know about flat and inverted nipples, (which caused us grief in the beginning). I had to use a nipple shield or pump to be able to get DS to latch.   We only used the nipple shield a couple times, and once I learned I could just pump for a minute or two first to get him to latch that is what we did.  I thought it was more painful to use the nipple shield, so I wanted to go without it. I also did not know that for about the first month they want nursed about every 45 minutes, or at least DS needed nursed that often. I didn't know milk comes out of more than one hole, and that they do not all spray in the same direction! I cannot tell you how many times I sprayed Owen in the face with milk.  Took several months before I had it semi under control. I didn't know to wear a nursing bra and nursing pads the first time we had intercourse. (oops!) So when your milk lets down it is because your body releases oxytocin, the same thing that is released when a female orgasms.  Therefore, during intercourse it is important to keep the bra on. I didn't realize how much it would hurt to be full. Your breasts definitely help keep you nursing on schedule.  When your breasts become engorged they become hard as a rock, a very misshaped rock. It is painful and can lead to clogged ducts, so it is important to pump or nurse before you become engorged. I took a breastfeeding class but they didn't go over any of this. I am sure there is more that surprised me I just can't think of it at the moment. What surprised you about nursing?

Cloth Diaper Inserts

There are so many sizes and styles of diapers that I often find myself researching and reading reviews before buying a particular diaper.  However, I never really considered the inserts for the diaper.  I just used whatever came with the diaper.  Until recently.  My toddler has hit that stage where he pees crazy amounts at one time.  Previously we would use two microfiber inserts or whatever inserts came with the diaper.  Well lately Owen would freeze when going pee and I would soon see the pee running down his leg.   After changing his diaper I noticed it is not at all fault of the diaper, the inserts were completely soaked.  So, I started researching for other inserts.  I was about to buy several different brands of hemp and bamboo inserts until I read an amazing review for BabyKicks Premium JoeyBunz Hemp Inserts.   I decided to give them a try.  I only bought three at first and have recently ordered five more.  These are amazing.  They are super trim and SUPER absorbent.  The Premiums are a cotton hemp combination and include two inserts sewn together.  At night I just add a microfiber on top before inserting them into the diaper.  Since Hemp is a little slower at absorbing this prevents it from leaking until it can be absorbed.  I also do the same during the day, but with a booster rather than and insert, this helps keep it trim.  I have had to readjust his pants because the diapers are so trim with the hemp that his pants were falling down.


When I was ordering the JoeyBunz inserts I read that they shrink.  I was thinking maybe a couple centimeters.  And then the inserts came in.  I could not believe how big they were.  I thought I was going to have to fold them to get them to fit in the diaper.  After washing them however, they are not much bigger than the Kawaii One size inserts.  As you can see in the picture, these inserts are made by hand and the lengths vary slightly.

 Washed insert on top of pre-washed insert to show difference in size.
These inserts can come stitched with green or ivory.  

These come as two inserts sewn at one end.

 This is a comparison to show the difference in trimness.  On the left is a pink sunbaby diaper with two microfiber inserts.  In the middle is a pink sunbaby diaper with the JoeyBunz hemp inserts as well as a Kawaii microfiber insert.  On the right is a pink sunbaby diaper with only the Joey Bunz inserts.  

Pretty trim.  :)  

I think I might get a couple other brands just to try them out.  But for now, I am very impressed with their absorbency and how trim they are. 

If you cloth diaper, what kind of inserts do you use? 

I passed!

Today I had my midwife appointment and my glucose test.  I went in drank the sugar water and hung out with Owen in the waiting room for half hour, then the midwife saw me for my appointment.  I have lost two pounds since my last appointment which the midwife was a little concerned about, as I am now 13 pounds under my pre-pregnancy weight.  However, I am growing well so no reason to be too alarmed yet.  The midwife is hoping to see an increase in weight by my next appointment or she is going to request an ultrasound to be sure baby is growing as she should.  Charlotte's heart beat was at 143 bpm and is measuring 29 weeks.

I have a 3D ultrasound coming up, plus now I will be seeing the midwife every two weeks until 36 weeks.  Time is going quick, and thank goodness because I cannot wait to see my little girl!!!