Cloth Diapers

Good afternoon!

Right now Dave and I are relaxing before we go play disc golf with Dave's parents and then have dinner. Okay, they're playing and I'm going to be tending to Dillinger since my wrists still pop out of place at times from what I'm sure is relaxin-induced carpal tunnel. It's not as bad as when I was pregnant, but sometimes I literally cannot pick up my baby without having to pop my wrists back into place lol!

One of my parenting goals has always been to cloth diaper. My good friend and fellow mama, Amanda, cloth diapered her daughter and it truly inspired me. The diaper patterns were adorable and the environmentally friendly aspect attracted me. Many friends and family members applaud me for even wanting to try cloth, as there is extra work that goes into it. However, it's not that much more difficult once a good wash routine is in place.

What I like about cloth diapering:

1. The cleaning aspect of them is fairly simple for me so far. Some people may struggle at first to find a good cleaning routine, especially if they have to adjust their wash to their hard or soft water issues. You can always call Stephanie at Grassroots Baby Store or her employees for any questions related to cloth diapering, as they cloth diapered and teach courses on cloth diapering at the store. I went to one of these FREE courses and it made me less anxious. https://www.grassrootsbabystore.com/

If you're exclusively breastfeeding, you don't even have to scrape or wash the poo into the toilet as it is water-soluble. Just toss it into the washer (trust me, this will not ruin your machine or cause your future loads to be dirty) on a hot pre-wash with detergent and then do a final warm or hot wash with detergent. You can wash your cloth with your normal clothes as well, which is what I have been doing. I have not noticed any foul odors or ill effects because of this. If you notice odors, something is wrong. I use Seventh Generation's unscented detergent, but many moms use Tide it seems. If you use a vegetable-based, natural detergent, you may have to use more detergent than what is called for in regards to normal laundry to thoroughly clean your diapers. If you're not exclusively breastfeeding and are formula feeding or have introduced solids, you have to scrape as much of the poo off as you can before you toss it into the wash. You can use a diaper sprayer or some parents have used a designated spatula to do this. In general, you don't want to let your soiled diapers sit for more than 2 days. I toss mine into a Thirsties brand reusable diaper pail liner that is inside of a medium trash can and once it's time to wash, you can throw the liner in as well.

You can dry your diapers in the dryer or hang dry them. If the poo has left stains, you can sun them on a clothes line. Many people talk about bleaching and soaking their diapers overnight, but this can damage your diapers if you do this often. You really should only bleach your diapers if your baby has had a yeast infection or if you buy diapers from strangers, as you don't know what their babies may have had.

2.  The cost factor. In total, I have over 50 cloth diapers, dozens of inserts, and a few wet bags that I was gifted or I purchased from Fort Wayne garage sale sites,  Grassroots Baby Store, Wish.com, and Picklefroggies, a private  seller on Etsy.com. There are many brands, so I would not buy all one brand for your stash before your loved one gets here, as some people do like a certain brands more than others. I have various brands, some of which I don't even know what they are! I spent around $300 for my diapers total, thanks to buying used and the wonderful gifts from Amanda and my doula, Ashley. Grassroots Baby Store has a cloth diaper re-sale frequently, so you can buy used from there as well if you don't like the idea of traveling the city buying diapers like I did. Buying new cloth diapers may seem intimidating. I mean, $25 for one diaper?! But remember, you can use that $25 diaper for multiple years and multiple children if they are cared for properly. Many moms that I met through buying diapers on Facebook garage sale sites say that they've spent over $1,000.00 on cloth diapers because they become addicted to buying every color and pattern. So sometimes it's only as cost-effective as you make it.

Just from when Dillinger was born until today (not even 1 whole month), we have purchased 5 packages of diapers and it has cost us around $113.00 for newborn disposables. That is horrifying to me and I will definitely be buying newborn cloth diapers for our next baby. 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/picklefroggies
https://www.wish.com/

3. The fact that cloth diapers do not have harsh chemicals in them.

4. Cloth diapers are environmentally friendly and do not end up in our landfill.

5. Babies with cloth diapers are sometimes more easily potty trained, from what other mothers have told me.

6. Babies who are cloth diapered usually get diaper rashes less frequently. Note: If a cloth diapered baby does get diaper rash, you must use diaper rash creams that are cloth diaper friendly. You can Google search this. Some creams may cause a barrier to the cloth and cause leaks.

7. Cloth diapers are cute! Yes, Honest Company diapers are beautifully designed, but no one has time for $13.99 for a package my son will piss through in 2 days. You can purchase custom-made cloth diapers, cloth diapers that match pretty much any theme that you desire, and cloth diapers that come in any color of the rainbow.

8. Depending on the condition of your cloth diapers, you can re-sell them, which you definitely cannot do with disposables.

9. Cloth diapers can be as simple or as complex as you want them to be. There are many types of cloth diapers such as covers and flats, which could be used with old-fashioned safety pins or modern Snappis and Boingos, or all-in-one's which are used just like disposables.

10. Cloth diapered babies are said to have fewer "blowouts."

So far cloth diapering has been slow going since Dillinger's thighs are so skinny. We've had him in cloth 5 times now. After we use up this last package of disposables in a few days, we're just making the leap to completely cloth because I can't stand the thought of spending more money on eventual trash when I have perfectly good diapers in his nursery. I can't wait to continue on this journey!

Dill in a Diaper Rite pocket diaper

Best,

Lauren

Another Year Has Passed

Hello there!

Tomorrow is my birthday and I am now 25 years of age. I am excited about aging another year and I am immensely thankful for the past year. and all that it has taught me.

In the past year: Dave and I spent our honeymoon in Portland, Oregon, I celebrated 3 years of dating and 1 year of marriage to my amazing partner in crime,  became pregnant with and had Dillinger, celebrated 2 years at my job, gained another niece (Juniper Lynn), and simply made tons of memories with friends and family.

I don't really have any plans for my birthday and I honestly haven't even thought much about it. I may try to grab a coffee or go walk around Target since Dillinger has literally just wanted to be on the breast 24/7 it seems, even when he's sleeping. I don't mind it though because I know he needs me and for the next 8.5 weeks, that's all I need to do is meet his needs.

In completion of this post, I just want to make a bucket list of 25 things that I want to accomplish by my next birthday...

1. Go to Indianapolis to visit family and friends and to go to Trader Joe's
2. Successfully breastfeed/pump for at least 6 months
3. Successfully breastfeed/pump for 1 year
4. Successfully cloth diaper for 1 year
5. Try as many new beers as I can to make up for lost time while pregnant ;) (Yes, you can drink alcohol and breastfeed as long as you do not feel the effects of the alcohol. Note moms: If you DO feel the effects, DO NOT pump and dump. Save that milk for a milk bath, which is great for baby's skin). http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/lifestyle/alcohol/
6. Go camping (maybe Hocking Hills Ohio, as I've never been and it's breathtaking)
7. Exercise more as a family i.e. going on walks and playing disc golf
8. Fix up the house
9. Rid my house and life of even more unnecessary clutter and belongings.
10. Potentially get a second dachshund around Dillinger's 1st birthday. This is a huge IF though, because taking care of 1 cat and 1 dachshund right now is enough.
11. Blog more
12. Continue growing as a professional social worker by attending lunch and learns and trainings
13. Take advantage of our back porches more i.e. drink morning coffee, get-togethers with friends and family, and decorating them to make them more cozy.
14. Visit Jenna and Jake in Chicago
15. Make a shadow box for Dillinger with his hospital items and other memorabilia
16. Go to the drive-in movie theatre in Huntington more often
17. Read more personally and read to Dillinger daily
18. Take advantage of the library, as I have not been to the library outside of work in many years
19. Continue supporting local instead of large chains. Sometimes I think "Oh, I want Starbucks!" and then I take a step back and remember Firefly, Old Crown, Conjure, Fortezza, etc. and I pick one of them. It's so easy to go to those big names and forget about the shoppes that need our consistent love and support!
20. Meal plan and stick to a grocery list better (That's how you know I'm going to be 25 years old lmao).
21. Attend the local farmer's markets for produce and meats, when feasible
22. Try to survive the first year of working full time and being a mom without having a total meltdown. I am dreading that first day back, ya'll.
23. Continue making DIY toiletries and cleaning products, when possible. I've been slacking.  (If you want a list of products, let me know in a DM with your email address).
24. Get a tattoo for Dillinger
25. Do yoga more often to better my mental and physical health

Cheers,

Lauren

Parenthood

Hello all! It's been many, many moons since I have created a blog post. A few people have suggested that I write about my experiences, so I figured I would give it a go.

Many of you may have seen the jist of my birth story on social media, but if you haven't, here it is...

On 07/05/2017 I began having contractions at 2:00AM, which lasted until 2:00AM on 07/06/2017. They began coming 5 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute, and this happened for over 1 hour. That was my sign to go to the hospital. I felt terrible calling my doula, Ashley, so early in the morning to let her know!

Dave and I arrived at the hospital at 3:30AM and the hospital seemed quite slow. I was put into triage, where a nurse checked my cervix. I was 4cm, so they kept me. I chose to wear my own clothing- a black skirt and black nursing bra from Target. We lucked out and got one of two rooms that has a jacuzzi tub and a "sky light," which was a faux ceiling window with tree decals on it. Our doula, Ashley, arrived soon after. After around an hour of walking the halls of the labor and delivery wing, we went to the room and I labored on a yoga ball for quite some time, which was incredibly effective in progressing my labor and intensifying my contractions. I quickly went to 7, almost 8cm when the nurse checked me next.

I decided to get into the jacuzzi tub because I did not want to waste the perk of having that room. The tub felt nice, but I did not feel as though my contractions were intensifying. After a short while, I got out and returned to my trusty yoga ball.

A few hours later, the nurse came to check me and my cervix was at 9cm and I was completely thinned. My water broke during this exam and the nurse told me she could feel Dillinger's hair. For some reason, that made me so elated that I sobbed for a long while. Just knowing he definitely had hair was amazing! At 9cm, I briefly tried using nitrous oxide for pain management, but I was having difficulty focusing my breath on the mask that came with the gas and it wasn't strong enough to manage the pain, so I quit. I honestly did not think about an epidural once and I am so lucky to not have even thought about nitrous until 9cm. Ashley used some essential oils on my hips, as the pressure was horrible.

 I quickly transitioned to 9.5cm, with a slight "lip", so per Ashley's recommendations, I got onto my side and labored with a peanut ball, which is a peanut-shaped exercise ball. Laboring on the side was intense and helped me transition to 10cm quickly. At 10cm, I began feeling severe pressure that made me feel scared beyond belief. I was sitting on the hospital bed and began to panic. I looked at Dave and told him that I was scared over and over. I told him that I know why people say that they "can't do it" even though I was fully aware that I had to do it! Dave and Ashley were so encouraging and supportive during this terrifying time. The most horrifying fact was that there was no turning back and I did not know what it was going to be like. My mantra during labor was, "Loose jaw, soft cervix," which reminded me to make low, deep moans instead of high-pitched screams. Dave had to remind me of this a few times towards the end, as the pressure was excruciating.

Finally, I started to feel immense pressure in my lower back and felt the urge to bear down and push. I started to panic and exclaimed, "He's going to come out of me!" A nurse came in to check me and she said I was at 10cm. It was time for me to push. I did not want to deliver Dillinger on my back because I wanted gravity to be my friend in hopefully preventing a perineal tear. However, at that point I do not think that I could have repositioned myself even if I wanted to. The nurse was very patient and said she would help me if I wanted to change positions, but Dave told me that Dillinger was so close and that I should deliver on my back. Pushing was horrifying and painful beyond belief. Yes...you do go to the restroom while pushing, but I honestly had no shame or weird feelings about it. A 7.5lb baby was pushing on my bowels, yo! It was a total surrendering moment, as my body was pushing without me trying at some points. Dave said he could see my stomach contact and push down on the baby. After a few minutes, maybe 10-15 minutes, Dillinger was here!

After Dillinger was born I asked, "Did my perineum tear?!" in an exhausted haze. The midwife said that she did not know yet. They found that I had an internal abrasion and a clot from my placenta was still inside of me. The midwife had to put her hand inside of me and use her other hand on the outside of my stomach to losen the clot and get it out. That was probably more painful than the birth and I was screaming during this process. I needed internal stitches, but I could barely feel the shot she used to numb the area. Luckily, I did not suffer any perineal tearing, but no one tells you how absolutely swollen your vaginal area becomes after pushing out a baby! They tell you no tampons/sex/douches/etc. for 6 weeks post-partum, but for the first week I don't even think anything could be inserted anyhow lmao!

After Dillinger was born, they let the umbilical cord stop pulsating before clamping the cord. I made sure to ask the midwife to let it stop pulsating and she jokingly said, "As long as it's before he enters Kindergarten." Dave was able to cut the cord, which was so special. They put him on my chest and his tiny little head started rooting to begin feeding. It was difficult at first, but he did eventually latch. Dillinger weighed 7.5lbs and was 21 and 1/4 inches long. He was born at 1:09PM on 07/06/2017.

The nurse asked me to make sure I tried to pee before 3:00PM. I did not feel the urge to pee, but right around 3:00PM, I said that I wanted to try. Ashley helped me up and to the bathroom. Ashley called the nurse asking her to come help me with toileting. While on the toilet I began to feel dizzy, my ears began ringing, and my vision went black. The nurse arrived minutes later and asked if I was going to pass out. I said that I thought I was, so she pulled the emergency cord and nurses rushed in. They gave me ammonia to smell to help me perk back up and got me back into bed. Dave said that he became nervous, as I bled out a lot when the midwife was addressing the clot in my uterus, and he didn't want to lose me. I didn't get into my post-partum room until after 4:00PM.

Overall, my labor was exactly what I had hoped for and I am so amazed at how fast and smoothly it went. I attribute part of it to raspberry leaf tea and date fruit, as I was consuming tons of them to help tone my cervix. I also attribute my positive mental attitude to my amazing support team of Dave and Ashley, who helped me every step of the way. Labor made me love Dave in a whole new way...and I will forever appreciate him for all he did before, during, and after labor.

Other musings about post-partum life...

Your breastmilk may come in quickly and you may mistake engorgement for utter failure at breastfeeding. Luckily the lactation consultants were helpful! I asked for the lactation consultant every shift, so take advantage of that in-hospital assistance! After birth, go to breastfeeding support groups if you are continuing to struggle! I plan on going to a La Leche League group next month just to get more information.

Your baby may drink amniotic fluid before being born, which may lead to them spitting up clear fluids by the gallon, it seems. This will freak you out and you will not sleep the first night for fear that your baby will aspirate and die in their bassinet. The nurse just told us to slightly prop him on his side and use an aspirator to remove any liquid, which did not ease my worried mind.

You will literally not sleep. It's been nearly 3 weeks and I don't know how I'm alive.

Your hormones will probably go 0 to 100 realllll quick. I have never cried so much and so often in my life. Every thought about Dillinger and Dave, good or bad, made me bawl like a baby. And the thought of Dave going back to work was heart-wrenching.

You will probably still cry a ton after your hormones calm down because you have no idea what you're doing, to be honest.

Meal prep, make padsicles, clean your house thoroughly before you go into labor, save your pennies, and literally make plans to not have plans the first month of your baby's life.

If you're breastfeeding, you are to feed "on demand." You will probably be feeding every 2 hours and feeds can last 30+ minutes at times, so you will literally be your baby's sidekick, which has been so beautiful...but time-consuming. Dillinger is almost 3 weeks old and he (just last night after fighting sleep for what seemed like forever) started feeding every 3 hours on his own. On the flip-side, there have been a few hours today where he did not want off of my breast and when he awoke from falling asleep on the breast, all he wanted to do was return to the breast. Just listen to your babe for the first few weeks if you can!

My world

XOXO,
Lauren