The infamous BumGenius. I may be the only person I know who didn’t fall in love with this diaper. I’m pretty sure it’s because of the size of my child. These just didn’t fit him well. He grew out of the [...]]]> BUMGENIUS 3.0
one-size, velro closure, pocket diaper

The infamous BumGenius. I may be the only person I know who didn’t fall in love with this diaper. I’m pretty sure it’s because of the size of my child. These just didn’t fit him well. He grew out of the super fast because of his ridiculous thighs. Other than that, this is a very easy to use diaper. The velcro makes it the most user friendly — great for babysitters or grandparents. They still have some snaps for adjusting the leg hole, but not as many as the Happy Heinys.

I didn’t love the flap that covers the insert opening. It makes for a bit messier clean-up. The velcro also shows wear and tear much more than the snaps. Even though I didn’t use this one a ton, the velcro looks worn. It still has a strong hold though. The inserts are great and I like the snap feature on the larger insert. It allows it to shrink to the size of the small insert, with a “doubled” area in the front–great for boys! The material on the pocket does show stains a bit more than fleece, but still cleans well. This a super trim diaper and cloths do fit better over it.

Retailed at $17.95. I’m selling this for just $5.
Great price if you just want to give cloth diapering a try!

These are so soft–luxury diapers to be sure. The outer minky material is such a treat to have against your baby’s skin. These are for a much trimmer baby than the Happy Heinys. They didn’t fit our [...]]]> BLUEBERRY
one-size, minky w/ terry cloth insert, snap closure, pocket diaper 

These are so soft–luxury diapers to be sure. The outer minky material is such a treat to have against your baby’s skin. These are for a much trimmer baby than the Happy Heinys. They didn’t fit our kiddo that great, but he is quite the exception in size. They have the same adjustable features as the Happy Heinys which takes these from fitting your newborn through potty training. Snaps, again, are in great condition and hold the diaper together nicely. Because of the price, I was expecting a miracle diaper. I had heard these were great for overnight, but found that they are pretty equivalent to the other pockets I’ve used. They work well, but it isn’t anything spectacular. The price is more about style and comfort than going above and beyond other diapers in performance. Still, they are a nice treat. And so cute.

They are lined in terry cloth (which is a bit rougher than the fleece but works well) and come with an insert and a doubler. The diaper and inserts pictured above are yellow, the other (blue/brown polka dot) diaper is white. The yellow one is better at not showing stains. Overall the terry cloth is a bit harder to clean than the fleece found in other diapers, but are still in good condition.

These retailed at $27.95 each. Yikes! I’m happy to sell these for:

$12 per diaper
or
$20 for both

For those of you who are on the fence about cloth diapering, knowing about a diaper sprayer might just push you over the edge into cloth diapering land. Yes, we all have heard about the benefits to the environment, to baby’s bum, to our wallets — but really, who wants to deal [...]]]>

For those of you who are on the fence about cloth diapering, knowing about a diaper sprayer might just push you over the edge into cloth diapering land. Yes, we all have heard about the benefits to the environment, to baby’s bum, to our wallets — but really, who wants to deal with the poop? Am I right? Well, if you have a baby, you have to deal with poop. That’s just a given. Cloth diapering only slightly increases your exposure to the stinky stuff. But, if you throw in a diaper sprayer? Things get much less messy.

The whole idea of cloth diapering is making sure that human waste goes where it was meant to go — into our toilets, not our trash cans. But how do you get the waste off of the diaper and into the toilet? It seems like it should be easy, but things aren’t always as “solid” as you’d like it to be. (I’m trying to spare you from the graphic diapering details, but you know what I mean.) In the olden days, diapers were either sent to a diaper laundering service or “swished” around in the toilet bowl. Services are pretty much obsolete now and swishing is just kind of gross. Enter the diaper sprayer.

We use the BumGenius Diaper Sprayer. It attaches right into the water line going to your toilet and hooks onto the side. Easy to install and easy to use. It has a very powerful spray than quickly removes all particles from your diaper and into the toilet. No swishing, dunking, shaking, or praying that the diaper gets clean. This means no solids end up in your washing machine, keeps stink to a minimum, and reduces staining on the diapers. It’s a win-win-win! We love ours, so I won’t be selling it, but I highly recommend getting one!

These were our main diapers for Parker’s first 18 months. They are AWESOME for chunky babies. I would not recommend them unless you have a baby with big thighs who is on the bigger side of things. Otherwise I’ve heard people have problems with leaks. [...]]]>  HAPPY HEINYS
one-size, snap closure, pocket diapers 

These were our main diapers for Parker’s first 18 months. They are AWESOME for chunky babies. I would not recommend them unless you have a baby with big thighs who is on the bigger side of things. Otherwise I’ve heard people have problems with leaks. Not us! They were great. As you can see, they come in a great variety of colors. The fleece cleans well. We’ve always used a sprayer and Rockin’ Green cloth diaper detergent. The snaps are a little less user friendly but are my preferred closure. They look better over a long period of time and they are baby/toddler proof (i.e., you will not find your baby naked without a diaper after a nap).

Here is what comes with each diaper: the pocket, insert, and doubler. You can easily add additional inserts (for example hemp works great overnight). I love the way this pocket opens at the top, instead of having a flap that comes down. Those of you who have recently diapered a baby know how much solids can travel up the back of a diaper. This design means you won’t be getting your hands dirty when you take out the insert to wash.

As you can see, even after 18 months of use these look pretty darn good! The fleece cleans really well, and the inserts are still in good condition too. I’ve never bleached them, but Happy Heiny’s website says you can bleach every 6 months or so if you want. I haven’t line dried these, but I’m sure putting it in the sun would help with any discoloration.

These one size diapers fit Parker from 8 pounds to 35–just as they are advertised to do. You can see how the snaps have four different positions to change the overall size of the diaper. In the smaller positions the diaper is definitely bulky, but not much more so than any other cloth diaper.

From the first picture you can see we’ve got a LOT of these. 23 to be exact. These retailed at $17.95 when I bought them over two years ago. They are still in great condition. The elastic is good and only one diaper (a black one) has a bit of fabric tearing around a snap. You can still get a lot of life out of these.

I’m going to sell them for $8/diaper
or
$175 if you take the whole bunch 

I never was a sports person, so I don’t know [...]]]> Okay, I’m fairly sure this will be my last post about birth for awhile. There is just so much associated with birth that I’ve wanted to share! Thanks for your patience with me (and hopefully this will be useful to at least some of you).

I never was a sports person, so I don’t know much about coaching. But, I do know that having a support staff in labor is essential to achieving the type of birth experience you want. All of our family is far away, so our coaching staff consisted of Brian and a doula, Becca. Nurses and doctors are also part of the birth experience, but they are more of a variable. You can’t control exactly which doctor or nurse will be on-call during your labor and delivery, but you can control who you bring with you!

Brian and I took a Bradley course (with Lisa Upham of A Baby Naturally) the first time around, so he was well-prepared for what happens during childbirth. Folks, he is an AMAZING coach. You’d think he’d been doing it his whole life. He is attentive, supportive, sweet, encouraging, firm, and never leaves my side. He knows all the activities that will encourage the progression of labor and he pushes me to keep active and to relax. I honestly don’t think I’d have made it unmedicated through either of my births without him.

Secondly, we hired a doula to help give support throughout the birth. Our first doula, Sarah, moved out of the state so we had to find a new one. We were referred to Becca of Labor of Love Doula Services and were so happy with her work! Having a doula provides extra emotional and physical support, as well as a wealth of knowledge about childbirth. She really helped get me over my slow progression of dilation through her experiences with other births. Plus, she was able to give me support while Brian needed to use the bathroom or grab some food. We loved having a doula!

Having support from people you trust plays
such a huge role in labor and delivery!

I don’t mean to brag, but I think I might have the sweetest baby ever. Not only is he adorable, [...]]]> As it turns out, being a second time mom is amazingly easier than a first time one.
I sort of love it.
And boy do I love him.

I don’t mean to brag, but I think I might have the sweetest baby ever. Not only is he adorable, he never cries. He snores, he clicks, he waves his arms around when he’s hungry — but only lets out a yelp when he gets a particularly cold diaper change. He has stolen my heart!

Anyway, some observations from a second time mom:

• Nursing is way easier. And almost enjoyable. I didn’t like it at all the first time, but now it feels way more natural and sweet.
• The changes to your body freak you out way less. The first time you see a sagging stomach, or those stretch marks, or have leaking breasts, or feel like all of your organs are going to fall out when you stand up or sneeze or use the bathroom — it’s terrifying. I remember bawling my eyes out taking a bath, just sure that I would never be the same again. This time, I’m like — no big deal! It’ll change. It’ll get better. I will feel normal again. So what that I’m leaking and feel like a milk machine? It’s temporary and it’s worth it.
• The newborn stage is way more precious. Every time I wake up in the middle of the night I have to gaze at my handsome boy and smother him in kisses. I know how short this time is and I want to appreciate it.
• The mess is a lot less stressful. I remember being so afraid that Parker would spit up or poop on things. I would have little meltdowns every time I had to have a wardrobe change or add more to that pile of laundry. This time? It is what it is. Babies are messy and it’s my job to clean up after them. No big deal.
• It’s easier to take “me” time. I’m really bad at asking for help. This time, if someone offers I’m like “heck yes!” Even if it’s just asking Brian to watch Nolan while I get a bath or read a chapter, I’m more willing to do it because I know it will make all the difference in my sanity. No one is expecting me to raise this child by myself. Accept the help and learn to ask for it.
• I never want to put Nolan down. I remember thinking it was boring to hold a baby all day. Now I relish every chance I get to hold him — those quiet moments when I can just gaze at my baby are rare so I really appreciate them a lot more.
• Watching Parker interact with Nolan makes me so happy. Indescribably so. Parker is definitely pushing my buttons with all the changes he’s going through, but he is so sweet to his brother. It makes me a very proud mama.

That’s it for now, but I am less than two weeks into this gig.
I know there will be so much more to learn.
Any tips from moms who have “been there, done that”?

I experienced “false” or “prodomal” labor for a week and a half [...]]]> For those of you who are interested in this sort of thing, I thought I’d share Nolan’s birth story while it is still fresh in my mind. I’ll try to keep the details to a gory minimum, but afterall, birth isn’t pretty.

I experienced “false” or “prodomal” labor for a week and a half before the real thing started. It was unbelievably frustrating. I would have regular contractions for 3 to 4 hours, only to have them stop completely just as I would start to take them seriously. I felt a whole host of other pre-labor symptoms at the same time. The emotional stress of waiting was really getting to me! I started doing acupuncture to induce labor naturally around 38 weeks. We also did a ton of walking each evening to get things on the move.

Finally, on the morning of January 12th I woke up with regular contractions. They were closer together than the previous false labor, so I hesitantly told Brian, “I think I’m in labor.” They weren’t painful, so he still went to work and we just kept it in the back of our minds. I spent the morning with some friends as planned, but around 11 I noticed that the contractions were getting much closer and I was becoming a bit shaky. Since a snowstorm was in the forecast, I decided it would be good to get home and have Brian there with me.

I got home around 12 and so did Brian. We called our doula and had our good friend Rochelle come over to watch Parker. I had already had an ultrasound and NST appointment schedule for 2:40, so we just figured I’d go to that and find out if this was the real deal. Until the appointment I frantically cleaned the house and got everything packed. We went to the appointment early so I could walk the halls before going in. During the NST we could see that Nolan’s heart rate kept decelerating during contractions. My doctor was concerned, so he said to check in to labor and delivery so I could be monitored for a full hour. I was dilated to 3 cm, so he said this could be it, but there was a 20% chance I’d go home if everything looked normal.

I ended up being monitored closer to 3 hours. The first hour I had to lay down, but after that my awesome nurse encouraged me to walk around with the electronic monitor. By 7 pm my doctor finally came in to check on the progress. Nolan’s heart rate looked fine, but since my contractions were 3 minutes apart, it looked like I’d be staying. I was at 4 cm and during the exam my water broke. We finally allowed ourselves to believe that this was it and we were having a baby boy in the next 24 hours!

The next three hours I was “in the zone”. You have never seen a more cooperative and active laboring woman! I walked, bounced on the ball, changed positions, did all the correct breathing, relaxed fully between contractions — I felt very in control and intentional. The contractions hurt, but were manageable and I just knew we were making good progress.

Everyone felt sure I was close to the pushing stage, so we decided to get another check. I was 4 cm. Absolutely devastated. I fell apart. I literally cried for an hour and said I was giving up. My contractions slowed considerably and I was completely limp, laying on the bed. They gave me some IV fluids to help give me some energy.

Between Brian, our doula, and the nurse I was somehow coaxed into rallying. I unenthusiastically followed orders and walked around the hospital in a daze. A new nurse came in and she encouraged me to try a new position. I was in an immense amount of pain at this point, mainly focused on my hips and tailbone. I couldn’t sit upright or Nolan’s heart rate would drop, but I couldn’t lay down because of the pain. I felt alternately hot and freezing, shaky, and nauseous. I don’t really know how I made it through the next hour, but by the next check (my doctor was threatening pitocin if I hadn’t made progress) I was at 7 cm. So much relief!

I kind of lost track of time after that, but after sometime laboring between the bathroom, the birth ball, and the bed I managed to make it to a “stretchy” 8. I was already having the urge to push, but was constantly reminded not to. The contractions were really close and really powerful (i.e. painful), until there was about a 6 minute lull. My nurse even commented, “wow, it’s nice you’re getting a little break here.” I sat up in the bed and exclaimed, “I HAVE TO PUSH!”

The nurse got really panicky, I think she thought that I wanted to be done so badly that I’d say anything. Much to her surprise, when she checked me she found Nolan’s head, just a push or two away from entering the world. Everyone jumped into action and my doctor barely made it in time. I pushed for about 10 minutes and we met our beautiful baby boy for the first time at 2:19 am, January 13. The cord was wrapped around Nolan’s neck twice, but the doctor was able to unwrap it without difficulty.

Despite the speedy delivery, I had no tears and required no stitches. I delivered the placenta about 5 minutes after the birth. I was bleeding more heavily than they liked, so they did administer some pitocin to stop the bleeding. After Brian cut the cord, I was able to enjoy cuddling with my little man and breastfed for awhile before they checked his stats. He was 8 lbs, 9 oz — after an ultrasound earlier that day had said 8 lbs, 1 oz. At 21 inches long, he was half an inch shorter than Parker, but weighed almost a pound more. Nolan was born at 38 weeks, 5 days gestation.

Recovery has been much faster this time around. We went home from the hospital about 30 hours after delivery. Nolan has taken to breastfeeding like a champ and everything with him just feels so natural. His blood sugars were all normal at birth, so we are officially done with gestational diabetes. The little man and I have incompatible blood types, so there is an increased risk of jaundice. So far so good! Nolan is a little love and hardly ever cries. He is definitely flipped with his sleeping schedule (goes about 3 hours between feedings during the day, but 1- 1.5 hours at night), but that’s to be expected with a newborn. We love our little man!!

Oh, and Parker loves Nolan too. He has adjusted remarkably well and is very zealous about giving hugs and kisses to Nolan. He likes to play peak-a-boo with Nolan and to name all of his body parts. He is especially intrigued by the umbilical stump. My heart swells so much when I have my two boys in my arms or when I see them with their daddy.

What an amazing thing to be a family of four!