This summer my little family had the pleasure (and pain) of many houseguests. I guess that comes with the territory of having a baby, especially your first.
The first guest stayed for a week - and the visit was much over-extended. First of all, I was upset by the mere fact that I watched this guest sit on the couch and watch television while I cleaned the dishes and tried to eat before my baby cried for food. The guest only offered to hold the baby while I completed the household chores. I wish the guest would have offered to wash the dishes in the sink because I did feed this person during the visit. Also, it seems like common sense! Taking care of a newborn is very busy. I did not ask for this person to clean the dishes and I don't know that it would have mattered in this case. I also told said houseguest that my rule for the baby (to reduce risk for SIDS and other respiratory conditions) was no smoking. The baby is exposed to the chemicals and smoke that linger on a persons clothes. The excuse for not smoking: it is so hard and I've tried. My thoughts: whatever; obviously minimal effort was made if you weren't using electronic cigarettes, trying the patch, or medical interventions such as Wellbutrin or Chantix.
The first houseguest also purchased lottery tickets during the visit. I've made it known how much I hate that tax on the village idiot. The first time was a whatever type of situation, although the $2.00 tickets didn't have a high enough win ratio as compared to guests homestate. The part that angered me about the lottery ticket purchase was the second purchase during the week. We were on our way back from a comic book store and I heard my baby rousing in the back seat and made it a point to say that the baby needs to eat in a few minutes. Apparently, she wanted a newspaper (my mistake thinking this), so I pumped some gas. Little did I know that my child would be screaming in the back seat a few minutes later. This houseguest purchased a paper, snack, cashed in lottery tickets, and purchased new ones. My child screamed in the back seat of a car and refused to take a bottle that I prepared for her. I rushed home and rushed my baby to her room to calm her and feed her. The baby was very tense until just before I went to bed for the night.
The next houseguest was almost an improvement from the second. At least the dishes in the sink were cleaned. A couple of things angered me. One was the guest almost kicking me out of my house to watch the baby. WRONG thing to do. My husband and I were also told by the houseguest how proud this person was of the job that my husband and I were doing with the baby. Thanks. Like I need approval on how to be a parent to a newborn (which isn't that hard... all they do is eat, sleep, and excrete waste for most of the day). Thank goodness for a three day visit and the fact that these visitors do not live within driving distance.
The last houseguest was the most laid back. We smoked salmon, cared for the baby, cooked some delish bombster scallops and even made a trip to Abbots in the Rough. The DH and I subsequently suffered a bout of intoxication from something in our shellfish that night... but I should digress. Things were cleaned (unlike with the first visitor) and I was not told anything that hinted this visitor wanted to give me approval for anything related to my domicile or rearing of a newborn. The only thing bothersome was having to hide breastfeeing. Um, it is natural and my has the kid grown because of my super milk. This visitor followed the three-day rule to a T. Too bad we live so far apart.
All in all, there is an art to handling your visitors. First, lay some ground rules. Trust me, it will make the visit much easier. Then ASK not expect or assume for help. I probably would have suffered a "why?" or something similar from my first visitor. Remember, I just had a baby and need help not a houseguest who expects me to cater to him/her, a newborn, and take care of myself.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
All In on Cloth Diapering!!!
I'm not using your momma's cloth diapers (exclusively)! The world of cloth diapering has changed a lot since I was born roughly 30-ish years ago. The baby was started on pocket diapers this weekend and I hope to have no regrets except for a slight increase in laundry. She's got a couple of brands to start with: Bum Genius (the 4.0 with snaps and artist series with velcro), Fuzzibunz, Swaddlebees, and Kawaii diapers. All of the ones I have selected are the one-size diaper. I also have babykicks prefolds with thirsties duo wrap covers and the Thirsties pocket diaper.
Here's my review so far:
For the least expensive option, go with the Kawaii Diapers. All the pocket diapers have a fleece lining and theirs is the softest. There are 1-2 downfalls, depending on your opinion. In my case, there are two. The first is these are shipped from Western Canada, so either you have to pay for expedited shipping, buy these used, or just wait a while for them to arrive to your house. I think I waited two weeks. The second is a personal preference issue. I use Charlie's Laundry Soap (not a detergent) to clean my clothes. Since purchasing these very cost-efficient diapers, I have realized that I need to keep detergent in the house (using Dreft and Rockin' Green).
The most expensive options are the Swaddlebees and Babykicks prefolds. The Swaddlebees pocket diapers retail for $28.95, which is roughly $8.00 higher than the industry standard. Next, the diaper manufacturer says the inserts are made of organic cotton and bamboo. Bamboo is a name for a synthetic fiber, not the tree consumed by pandas. It is adjustable (like all of the options that I picked) and has cute patterns. Cute patterns and an organic/synthetic blend pad are not enough to make me want to purchase any more than the one that I did for the baby. The next most expensive option is the baby kicks prefolds that can be used with any diaper cover. I just happened to have chosen the Thirsties brand. They are expensive prefolds. In fact, three of these cost as much as 12 OsoCozy trifolds. Why did I spend so much money? I don't know, but I will tell you that I really really really like BabyKick's product. It is a hemp/cotton blend that is super soft and super absorbant. I've used a cotton trifold and found that it becomes soaked with urine very quickly. I cannot testify to the absorbancy of OsoCozy's diaper - just the Babykicks. I would recommend this brand if you wanted the traditional trifold and had no qualms about the cost of the diaper.
The Thirsties pocket diapers are nice for the wee ones. I have heard that babies tend to pull the velcro when they are older and feel that these are good for babies who have yet to figure out the velcro concept. Also, only two sizes are available rather than one large adjustable size. The advantage to the velcro system is a personalized adjustment for the baby. Also, the pocket has two openings to make adjusting the inner pad much easier. The Thirsties brand includes one hemp liner which is great for absorbing all that urine babies tend to make and expel throughout the day!
Now for the two "common" brands: Fuzzibunz and Bum Genius, weighing pros and cons.
First with the cons: I feel that the Fuzzibunz do not grab around the baby's legs even for the weight they are rated for. The website claims that the diaper can be used on babies weighing 7 pounds up to 35 pounds. My child weighs just over 8 right now. I used one that did not leak urine; however, I cannot testify to poop. The other downside is with laundering the diaper. Again, this is one where it is not recommended to use laundry soap but rather use laundry detergent. Bummer... I just don't like having to keep up with different types of washing for the diapers. On the other hand, I can use Charlies Laundry Soap on the Bum Genius diapers!!! I also don't have a problem with poop leaking from these diapers. Oh, I noticed the Kawaii diaper had stool around the leg openings and attribute that to a size thing - I have a tiny baby :)
My personal preference is for the Bum Genius (4.0) brand; however, I am sure that will change. I'm also digging the BabyKicks trifolds with a diaper cover. Both are great with preventing poop from leaking on baby's clothes.
Now... the down-side to cloth diapering is the baby will most likely need to wear clothes that are a size bigger to accomodate the bulk. If you can handle that - then you can handle anything!!! Also, depending on the brand, you may need to purchase some liners just in case you have to use a skin barrier on baby's bottom. Many of the materials are altered when products stick to the surface of the inner fleece. Kushies makes a great product to line diapers with. in My little one does not seem to mind the paper material in her diapers when I apply buttpaste to protect her skin.
Worried about a diaper pail? No worries here as I am using my washer (yup). The tub is filled about half-way with water and a detergent, which this week happens to be Rockin' Green. I'm not happy with the Rockin Green detergent. It does not keep the smell of the stool down and it requires a double-rinse. It does not seem efficient to double-rinse a product when a baby keeps you busy enough. The extra time added to the rinse could be better spent with clothes drying or starting a new load of wash.
Here's my review so far:
For the least expensive option, go with the Kawaii Diapers. All the pocket diapers have a fleece lining and theirs is the softest. There are 1-2 downfalls, depending on your opinion. In my case, there are two. The first is these are shipped from Western Canada, so either you have to pay for expedited shipping, buy these used, or just wait a while for them to arrive to your house. I think I waited two weeks. The second is a personal preference issue. I use Charlie's Laundry Soap (not a detergent) to clean my clothes. Since purchasing these very cost-efficient diapers, I have realized that I need to keep detergent in the house (using Dreft and Rockin' Green).
The most expensive options are the Swaddlebees and Babykicks prefolds. The Swaddlebees pocket diapers retail for $28.95, which is roughly $8.00 higher than the industry standard. Next, the diaper manufacturer says the inserts are made of organic cotton and bamboo. Bamboo is a name for a synthetic fiber, not the tree consumed by pandas. It is adjustable (like all of the options that I picked) and has cute patterns. Cute patterns and an organic/synthetic blend pad are not enough to make me want to purchase any more than the one that I did for the baby. The next most expensive option is the baby kicks prefolds that can be used with any diaper cover. I just happened to have chosen the Thirsties brand. They are expensive prefolds. In fact, three of these cost as much as 12 OsoCozy trifolds. Why did I spend so much money? I don't know, but I will tell you that I really really really like BabyKick's product. It is a hemp/cotton blend that is super soft and super absorbant. I've used a cotton trifold and found that it becomes soaked with urine very quickly. I cannot testify to the absorbancy of OsoCozy's diaper - just the Babykicks. I would recommend this brand if you wanted the traditional trifold and had no qualms about the cost of the diaper.
The Thirsties pocket diapers are nice for the wee ones. I have heard that babies tend to pull the velcro when they are older and feel that these are good for babies who have yet to figure out the velcro concept. Also, only two sizes are available rather than one large adjustable size. The advantage to the velcro system is a personalized adjustment for the baby. Also, the pocket has two openings to make adjusting the inner pad much easier. The Thirsties brand includes one hemp liner which is great for absorbing all that urine babies tend to make and expel throughout the day!
Now for the two "common" brands: Fuzzibunz and Bum Genius, weighing pros and cons.
First with the cons: I feel that the Fuzzibunz do not grab around the baby's legs even for the weight they are rated for. The website claims that the diaper can be used on babies weighing 7 pounds up to 35 pounds. My child weighs just over 8 right now. I used one that did not leak urine; however, I cannot testify to poop. The other downside is with laundering the diaper. Again, this is one where it is not recommended to use laundry soap but rather use laundry detergent. Bummer... I just don't like having to keep up with different types of washing for the diapers. On the other hand, I can use Charlies Laundry Soap on the Bum Genius diapers!!! I also don't have a problem with poop leaking from these diapers. Oh, I noticed the Kawaii diaper had stool around the leg openings and attribute that to a size thing - I have a tiny baby :)
My personal preference is for the Bum Genius (4.0) brand; however, I am sure that will change. I'm also digging the BabyKicks trifolds with a diaper cover. Both are great with preventing poop from leaking on baby's clothes.
Now... the down-side to cloth diapering is the baby will most likely need to wear clothes that are a size bigger to accomodate the bulk. If you can handle that - then you can handle anything!!! Also, depending on the brand, you may need to purchase some liners just in case you have to use a skin barrier on baby's bottom. Many of the materials are altered when products stick to the surface of the inner fleece. Kushies makes a great product to line diapers with. in My little one does not seem to mind the paper material in her diapers when I apply buttpaste to protect her skin.
Worried about a diaper pail? No worries here as I am using my washer (yup). The tub is filled about half-way with water and a detergent, which this week happens to be Rockin' Green. I'm not happy with the Rockin Green detergent. It does not keep the smell of the stool down and it requires a double-rinse. It does not seem efficient to double-rinse a product when a baby keeps you busy enough. The extra time added to the rinse could be better spent with clothes drying or starting a new load of wash.
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