Meg vs. Babies: Cloth Diapering, four months later

I have been meaning to do a follow-up post on my blog about my experience so far for anyone who is interested, and as a friend recently asked me about how things have gone, I'll use mostly what I wrote to her:

So far the Alva diapers have been as good as I could expect. First off, I have still been using disposables overnight, in part because we still had a lot of disposables left and in part because I was wary of changing things up at night time. So I can really only speak for the daytime from experience. I also keep disposables in my diaper bag for use when we are out and about, just because it is more compact, and we had them anyway. Also, I ordered 20 but they sent me 22 diapers, but then on the two darker blue diapers the elastic on the back got loose after the first couple of washes. So it was kind of a wash there, but maybe avoid that color? I thought it was odd that it was just those two. I would have contacted the company to get them replaced, but since they were extra from what I ordered anyway, I didn't.

The Alvas have worked pretty perfectly for my 2-year old up until we started potty training this week, and really only leak if I forget to change him for too long, even with only one insert inside. As long as I remember to do it every 3 hours if I haven't noticed a stink or wet diaper before then, we are good. John even forgot to change him into a disposable one night, and even though he woke up pretty soggy it didn't get out onto the bed, so if I were to double up the inserts we might even manage night time with him. 

I have had some leaking issues with my little guy at nap time (now 7 1/2 months, started when he was about 4 months). Most of the problem comes from the wet part of the diaper making contact with his clothes and then moisture wicking out. I started rolling the top of the diaper in to keep any of the interior fabric from touching his clothes, and that has reduced the leaking significantly. I know some brands have more of the PUL waterproof fabric around the top to prevent this very thing, but I figure I am getting what I paid for. I also started doubling up my inserts pretty much all the time, putting one microfiber insert closest to the baby and a bamboo insert behind that, since the microfiber soaks up more but the bamboo is more resistant to leaking fluid back out when it is compressed. I probably don't need to, but it really doesn't create any more work for me, so I figured, why not? He has also had less leaking now that he is rolling around and doesn't always stay sleeping flat on his back. 

The cloth diapers also contain the crazy baby poop explosions much better than disposables. I have only had one time when Luke exploded out onto his clothes since we started, as opposed to at least one every other day--he likes to save it up, and explode all at once. I'm sure you wanted to know that =).

Before we potty trained our big guy, each kiddo had 10 of the diapers dedicated for him, and I washed them every other night, so they were going through no more than about or five a day (granted, that doesn't include nighttime). But I think as a newborn they would have needed 8-10 diapers per day.

I did use disposable viscose liners for my 2-year-old. You really don't need them until after baby starts solids, since the runny yellow poop will just come out in the wash. And it also depends on the baby and what they eat. Our 7-month-old doesn't really need them because his poo is of the consistency that it plops right out of the diaper and doesn't leave much mess. But that wasn't the case with our big guy, so they basically functioned as a filter to keep poo from sticking to the diaper where it is tougher to clean it off. More often than not I could just lift/dump the liner with poo into the toilet and not do any additional washing on the diaper before tossing it into the diaper pail.

Okay, I think that is pretty much everything. If anyone cares, feel free to ask any questions and I can elaborate (although I think you already know much more about my kids' poop than you ever wanted!).

Meg vs. The Bath: Cheapskate baby seat.

I was getting kind of tired of doing two separate baths for the big boys and the baby, but those baby bath seats are all $30 and up! I saw this one on Amazon, and thought, "That looks like a $40 glorified inner tube."

So I improvised.

$1 at Walmart last summer. It worked pretty well as long as someone was holding the tube for stability.

Later I found the baby boat I got on clearance at the end of the season a couple of summers ago, so he can sit in that pretty much unassisted. It is nice to plop all three boys in the bath where they are contained so I can clean the bathroom. They even do me the favor of dumping the water all over the floor so I have to mop...

Meg vs. Babies: Cloth Diapers and DIY Cloth Wipes

I have thought on and off about trying cloth diapering ever since we had our first boy. And now that we are on number three and the diapers keep piling up, I finally decided I needed to go for it. It haunted me that we paid so much, threw so much out, and didn't have something sustainable in case of an emergency.

Thankfully, cloth diapers aren't what they used to be. After looking all over for affordable used cloth diapers on Craigslist and elsewhere, I found Alva Baby, which is a Chinese pocket diaper manufacturer (I know, bad American. But I am a poor American, so this is what I can do). Their new diapers are cheaper than almost any used ones I could find here in the bay area, and they had pretty decent reviews. For about $135, I got 20 diapers (they actually ended up sending me 22 for some reason), 40 inserts (20 that came with the diapers, and another 20 more heavy duty liners with bamboo), a roll of liners, and a wet bag for the diaper pail.

They arrived after about a week, and I washed all the covers and inserts with bumGenius Diaper Detergent that I ordered from Amazon (washed the bamboo ones seperately 3 times in hot water to prep them), and was ready to try them on the boys. Since they have snaps to adjust the size, I can use the same batch for both of my boys in diapers.

I was worried about Mr. 2-year-old being resistant to switching up his Huggies, but he thought these bad boys were pretty fancy.

Then I got to thinking, "Why should I keep buying wipes, too?" So I pulled out my stash of flannel receiving blankets, most of which I received as gifts but haven't used because I have big babies and can't keep a good swaddle with them. I cut three of them up into squares (16 squares per blanket), and folded them tissue-style so they would pop out of my wipes container. Here's a quick how-to on that in case you're curious.

1. Lay out a square, like so:

2. Lay another square overlapping half of the first.

3. Fold the first over the second, like so:

4. Lay down a third where the first one was.

5. Fold the second one over the third one (see where this is going?).

6. Repeat until you get a stack like this:

I put a stack of 48 wipes (three blankets' worth) into an extra wipes container, and then went to work on some wipes solution.

I had pinned this solution a long time ago, but on reviewing it, it seemed like it used a LOT of soap for the amount of water it required. Plus in includes baby oil in it, and I read mixed reviews online about whether you should use baby oil with cloth diapers. I also read reviews from people who said just to use water and forget about adding anything. So I took my own approach, boiled two cups of water, added a squirt of the baby wash I had on hand (I think Johnson & Johnson's shea butter something-or-other), and dumped all over my lovely new wipes. Done!

Note: Due to gravity, more solution will sink to the bottom of the stack, making the bottom wipes soggy and the top wipes dry. I would just flip your stack over once a day to redistribute the solution. I do this with my store-bought disposable wipes on occasion as well.

So far they work fine, and it is kind of nice to have something sturdier than my regular wipes between me and whatever mess I am cleaning up (even if I am then throwing it in a laundry bag instead of the trash).

*Update: I realized after a couple of washes that these wipes would fray, since they are flannel (duh, for anyone who sews regularly; I sew not-so-regularly). So as I have pulled them out of the dryer I have been doing a quick zigzag stitch around the edges to prevent more fraying. Otherwise, a few weeks in and I am still happy with them!

One day in, and I would say that the cloth diapers are only marginally more work than disposables (granted, I haven't washed a load yet, but I have a machine that will do all that work for me!). And here is my take on the eww factor: If you are on your first baby and still kind of grossed out by poo, this can seem a little gross, since you may have to do some rinsing (like for my 4-month-old), and you have to pull wet inserts out of covers, dump big poos into the toilet (for my 2-year-old), etc. But after three boys and potty training, the poo part doesn't really bother me, and it is no grosser than cleaning out the training potty we used for my oldest (seriously, for some reason poop is so much grosser in that little potty than in the diaper. Not sure why.). The cloth diapers have done better at containing the newborn poop (we had a blowout pretty much every time he pooped before), which means that I don't have as many clothes to scrub and soak. And the liners in my 2-year-old's diaper minimize the poo interaction there. But to make things easier, I got this Diaper Sprayer on Amazon for $15 (though it looks like it has gone up in price since then), and am planning to hook it up today.

If I change my mind about this whole cloth diapering thing after a couple of weeks I will let you know, but so far I am pretty happy with it!

Meg vs. Labor: What to Pack

Since I am somewhat out of commission on the project front, there will be some baby posts on the horizon. I know I posted this list already, but now that we were surprised with an early arrival, I can more confidently say that I am satisfied with my packing list. So here it is again, and I'll do some explaining this time.

When it comes to the hospital, I am all about comfort and very little about frills. I am grateful for the great care I have received during and after my deliveries, but I can't help but hate the hospital, and want to be there the least amount of time possible. 

So here's a quick rundown of my list:

Clothing: I am the type that is happy to stay in the hospital garb until just before it's time to go home; there is always someone coming around wanting to poke or check or what-have-you, and it's just more convenient to stay in the gown. Not to mention that things are a little messy and uncomfortable after having a baby (thus the granny panties); why would I want to take that laundry home? 

That said, I still brought some grungy clothes in case I ended up being stuck in the hospital for longer than my 2-day average and got too sick of the gown. I also pack a nursing camisole to wear under the gown (as much fun as it would be to accidentally flash my hospital visitors, I have decided it's better to avoid it).

I threw in an extra tee and shorts for the hubs in case he wanted it, but he ended up coming home to put the big boys to bed and showering and changing then. But if you are having your first baby and your hubby is planning to stay with you the whole time, be kind and pack him a change.

I tend to go by the same philosophy with baby clothes as with my own; I have kept my boys in the little hospital shirts and blankies during their stays. However, with my second our room was really chilly, so this time I brought a long-sleeved onesie and an extra sleeper just in case. Luckily that wasn't a problem at this hospital. I also toss in a set of mittens in case baby gets to scratching his face, and of course everyone needs an outfit to wear home.

Toiletries: Just the basics here; I am not going to be painting my toenails right after pushing out a baby. Chapstick, deodorant, shower stuff if you are picky (if not, the hospital will have shampoo, soap, etc.), and most definitely a toothbrush and toothpaste. And bring pads you like; the hospital may provide tolerable ones, or may provide weird, awkward ones that you can't stand. (I heart the stayfree overnights with wings. Because the internet wanted to know that about me.) I also try to force myself to put on makeup, since people are always snapping pictures, so that goes in the bag as well. And hair ties are a must for getting hair out of the way during labor. Some people prefer a headband, but I have a giant head so bands don't stay put for me.

And again, be kind and pack stuff for Daddy as well (chances are, he won't be packing anything for himself).

Nursing Supplies: I think I may do another post on my product recommendations for nursing, but at the very least I would pick up some lanolin cream to combat the impending soreness. I personally have really dry, sensitive skin, and am destined for painful cracks, so I have a few extra products on my list: nursing shells to keep anything from touching me (ouch!), and Polysporin (like Neosporin, but better for sensitive skin) to prevent any topical infections (had one with the last baby, and it wasn't fun). You probably won't need the nursing pads since it's unlikely for your milk to come in before you get home, but they don't take up too much room just in case you have a longer stay or you have lots of milk come early (mine has come faster with each baby).

Bedding: Not strictly necessary, as the hospital has pillows and blankets for the asking, but nice to have, especially if you are picky about pillows. Since I went into labor surprisingly early, I hadn't put anything in the car, and we didn't miss them much.

Other baby supplies: The hospital should provide most everything, but there are a few of my own things I like to have on hand:

• Pacifiers other than the Soothie, in case baby likes it better. Also, some hospitals have anti-paci policy for nursing babies, so it's nice to have your own and not have to beg the judgy nurse for one. 
• Two of our hospitals provided dry wipes you had to wet in the sink. Kind of a pain, so I pack my own wipes.
• I am still completely incapable of getting a good swaddle with a dinky flannel receiving blanket. So I bring a nice stretchy swaddling blanket, since all my babies have loved a good swaddle. Some people swear by the Aiden & Anais muslin ones. I am too cheap to buy them, so I just picked out the stretchiest blanket from my stash of shower gifts. 
• Pump and bottle. this one is somewhat unique to us; cleft lip & palate runs in our family, and our first had a cleft, so I keep some feeding supplies in my bag just in case. Your hospital will have the necessary supplies if you end up needing them, but I like to have my own that I am used to.

Sibling stuff: This can be a tough time for big sibs, so having something special for them when they come to the hospital is nice. I was hoping to get some kits together with things for them and things for them to give to the baby, but didn't get that far. My mom saved the day and put together some gift bags "from the baby" for them to open, and they were thrilled.

Electronics: I think most of this stuff is self-explanatory. They help to keep in touch and stave off claustrophobia.

Car seat: Put it in your car a few weeks early, and make sure you know how it works.

Questions or comments or better ideas? Please share! I hope that this is helpful to someone!

P.S. Feel free to swipe and print my list if it suits your fancy!

Meg vs. The Baby: He's Winning...

... and that's okay by me.

Meet Baby Brother, who made his appearance September 14 via c-section. I may not be doing any big projects for a while. Maybe I'll post about how my mom took over my house and is even painting my doors! 

Meg vs. The Baby: The laundry begins...

Tuesday: Pull out the infant car seat, wash the cover.

Wednesday: Pull out and wash the newborn and 3-month baby clothes.

I thought, "We have way too many baby clothes!" Then I remembered how many outfits a newborn can go through in a day. And how many outfits I will often go through in a day. So I went all out today; might as well get this laundry party started.

Meg vs. The Baby: Hospital Packing List 1.0

So I realized that today's goal of entirely packing my hospital bag was unreasonable. For some reason I thought that, this being the third time and all, it would be easy to throw my bag together. I neglected to take into account mommy brain, and the fact that, by the time labor and childbirth were done, my hospital bag did not make it into the long-term memory part of my brain. So I pinned a few lists on Pinterest, took what I had already, and tried to remember what I wished I had and hadn't brought with me before. I always think it's dumb to drag a bunch of unnecessary things to the hospital, but then I can always think of tons of things that I might like to have with me. Anyhow, here is my list so far:

Okay, what did I forget? I know I will think of a few more things. The pump & bottle are just in case this little guy has a cleft (they run in our family, so I try to be prepared, even though the ultrasound looks good and we don't think he has one). Once I finalize my list, maybe I'll explain a little more what I pack for anyone who is looking for a first-timer list.