Guest blog: Life With a Baby. The Truth About Cloth Diapering

We are starting cooperation with another moms group: Life With a Baby. We all are familiar with this group, as our own Connie has been working hard on organizing fun activities for both Goober Gang and LWAB. They have a great blog with awesome inspirational articles, and they are willing to share some with us.
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When I was pregnant with my first son I started researching cloth diapering.  I wouldn’t consider myself a “tree-hugger” but the thought of it taking 500 years for a disposable diaper to decompose really bothered me.  There were other benefits that interested me too…such as no chemicals on my baby’s precious skin and the huge amounts of money it would save us.

I quickly became overwhelmed by all of the colours, types, patterns, and accessories available.  Did we want to use all-in-ones, pocket diapers, hybrids…the choices were endless!  Not knowing exactly where to start I turned to the only friend I had that cloth diapered and she explained the brand she chose and her system.  I decided I would just copy her method since it worked out so well for her.

So what is our method you ask?  I will tell you what worked for us, this may not work for everyone though.  Instead of spending money on cutesy newborn cloth diapers that Corin would grow out of quickly we decided to use prefolds and covers.  This is one of the cheapest options available and can be used for the entire diapering life of a child but we only used them until he was big enough to fit his next set of diapers.

The next diapers we used were a one-size pocket diaper.  We loved these as they were easy to put on, similar to disposables for our child caregivers, but they had snaps that allowed us to adjust them to fit Corin as he was growing.  He has worn these diapers since 8 weeks old and is still in them today.  We stuff the diapers differently depending on if it’s daytime or nighttime.

The next diapers we used were a one-size pocket diaper.  We loved these as they were easy to put on, similar to disposables for our child caregivers, but they had snaps that allowed us to adjust them to fit Corin as he was growing.  He has worn these diapers since 8 weeks old and is still in them today.  We stuff the diapers differently depending on if it’s daytime or nighttime.

 As far as storing and washing them goes, it is pretty simple.  We have a cheap kitchen garbage pail next to the change table that we put a pail liner in.  When the pail is full with diapers and cloth wipes (usually every 2-3 days) I dump them in the washing machine: warm rinse, hot wash with cloth diaper-safe detergent, cold rinse.  Then the covers get hung to dry and all the rest goes into the dryer.

The question everyone always has though is around poop…how to handle it, doesn’t it clog your washing machine, etc.  Corin was exclusively breastfeed for his first 6 months and since BF poop is water-soluble we could just toss the diapers into the washing machine without a second thought.  Once he started solids we had to scrape/dump the poop into the toilet before we could wash the diapers.  Some people even invest in diaper sprayers to help get the poop into the toilet but we haven’t found that necessary for us.

 I am totally in love with cloth diapering and the money it has saved our family.  I highly recommend them to anyone, don’t be fooled by misinformation…the new generation of cloth diapers are NOT your mother’s cloth diapers!

When I started talking about cloth diapering to my friends and family it was met with a lot of scoffing and joking.  People thought I was crazy and that it was too much work for a first time mom.  They said I would never last.  That sparked the competitive side in me and I thought “I’ll show them”!!  For the past 26.5 months my son has only ever worn cloth diapers…he has never once worn a disposable diaper.  I was so committed to proving all the nay-sayers wrong that I took it to the extreme.

http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php


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About the Author: Gillian Slate is a Doula and working mom to her 2-year-old son Corin and 3 month old, Ronan.  She is also the Community Organizer for Life With a Baby, Windsor. She is a “crunchy” mama who is into homebirth, breastfeeding, baby-led weaning, cloth diapers, delayed vaccinations, extended rear-facing car seats, and babywearing.

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A New LifeStyle

The week I found out I was pregnant I was also just 10 lbs away from my goal weight after being on Weight Watchers for about 7 months. I had lost about 50 lbs and just had a few more to go.  Although I was incredibly happy to know that in a few months I would meet the love of my life, it was a bitter sweet time for me. I was reading all over the internet women can gain anywhere from 15 lbs to 100 lbs while pregnant. Of course, I never thought I would be one of the women to gain more then 25. HA! Could have fooled me. I gained a total of 60 lbs while I was pregnant. I want to say it was all baby, but I think we all know that’s not true! I ate whatever I wanted (except for the  few things I couldn’t stomach or were off limits). I remember my doctor actually telling me at one point that when someone asks me if I would like another cookie, I should gracefully decline. If I had a nickel for every time friends, family, even people I didn’t know would say to me, “are you sure you’re not having twins?” or “she’s going to be one big baby!” I would be well on my way to riches. Needless to say I was determined to get back in shape and get my pre-baby body back, and even lose that last 10lbs I was so close to doing before!

As of August 1, 2012 I have lost a total of 70 lbs and counting. I will be writing a few articles on how I was able to reach my goals and share tips and insights that you may find useful. Please feel free to comment on any tips and tricks you may have, as well as any questions you’d like to ask.

First off I will start by saying I lost about 15lbs when I had Audrina on October 7, 2011. I remember going home and stepping right on the scale (not recommended) just because my curiosity got the better of me. After that day I promised myself I wouldn’t do that again until I was ready and dedicated to getting back in shape. That day didn’t come until January 1, 2012. I know it sounds so cliché to say my New Year’s Resolution was to lose weight, but it was! That day I signed up for Weight Watchers, again, and started my new lifestyle.

Which brings me to what I think is my most important tip, don’t call it a diet, it’s a lifestyle change. There’s just something about the word ‘diet’ that seems to deter people from starting and sticking to a healthy living plan. For me diets seem to be a short-term solution where as this was going to be a new way of living my life and hopefully help my partner to do the same. A lifestyle change doesn’t mean you have to go and throw out every cookie, every chocolate bar, every candy (yup, I have a major sweet tooth) in your house. It just means take the time to make better choices, and to take responsibility of the choices you make.

Don’t give up because you had a ‘bad day’ of splurging or a week of guilty pleasures. Just remember tomorrow’s another day and fresh start. There are definitely days I sit on the couch with a jar or nutella in one hand and a spoon in the other and of course I feel defeated after the first bite; but I never unsubscribed from my program or think that I failed because I’ve eaten all my WW points in one sitting.  I just make sure I a) Go for a walk and b) start fresh the next day with the mindset of “Ok I had a bad day yesterday, but today I’m going to make up for it and it’s going to be a fabulous day!” Believe it or not, I really do give myself that little pep talk, at least now I’m not talking to myself and have my wee baby girl there to smile back as if she’s saying “Way to go Mom!”

If you would like to read more about my new life please visit my blog at http://newmumontheblog.wordpress.com

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Just a little sleep deprived.

I haven't slept a full night in so long I think I'm starting to go loopy. How am I supposed to give my kids the best start in life if I don't have a good start to the day?

When people found out my kids were going to be 2 years apart, a common response was 'you're nuts!'. I'm beginning to think they may have been right.

The sad part is, my baby isn't the problem, it's my toddler! When we were planning our second pregnancy, Liam was just over 1 year old and sleeping through the night. We switched him to a twin bed at 1 1/2 so we could get the crib set up for the baby, and it took months before he got used to it. Just before the baby was born was when Liam started sleeping through the night again. We were so relieved, but then when Lucas was born, Liam started waking up again, out of curiosity and possible regression. Liam has been sleeping through the night for months, now he has just started to become a problem again. He is 2 1/2 now, and the dreams and nightmares have started. He was perfectly comfortable sleeping in the dark until recently, now he won't sleep without the door open and the hallway light on. He also has his last molar coming through which is affecting his sleep.

This is really taking a toll on my well being. Some nights both kids take turns waking me up, and I'm lucky to get a couple hours sleep. It doesn't help that my husband works nights so is not there to help me deal with this. He does let me sleep in on his days off which is really appreciated and necessary.

So my coping mechanisms are: 1. Coffee! I didn't even start drinking coffee until i had my 2nd baby. Now I wish breastfeeding would allow me more than 2 cups a day! 2. My parents. They have been an absolute godsend, taking Liam for sleepovers once a week. I am so lucky to have them.

If only I could afford to have my toddler in daycare, life would be bliss. That sounds awful doesn't it? Some days I just can't find the energy for him!

Mind over matter, right?

How do you find the energy for your kids?

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