-
Hi Guest: Welcome to TRIBE, the online home of TRIBE MAGAZINE. If you'd like to post here, or reply to existing posts on TRIBE, you first have to register. Join us!
The Mom Thread
- Thread starter LeoGirl
- Start date
rubytuesday
TRIBE Member
I know it's been covered but for early days, if you do cloth, I highly suggest fitted diapers with a cover (wool or PUL) on top. Poop will not escape, if you have the patience to snappi or pin prefolds that would work too but L was too wriggly and I was too inept, and if you just trifold with a newborn breastfed baby you're dealing with poopy covers and possibly leaks. On the other hand I think dealing with laundry early on is balls and suggest just getting a monster box of size 1 disposables until baby isn't pooping all day and night and your uterus has stopped bleeding, make a donation to an environmental charity if you feel really guilty about it.
If you want to be fancy you can get Tots Bots Easyfit diapers. Not made in Canada, but made ethically in Scotland. I have 1 and it is pretty neat, if I could afford it I'd get a dozen. They use polyester though. They also make a version for newborns.
Grasshopper™ Diapers: Bamboo All-in-One Diapers with a Fabulous Fit is Canadian and uses a mix of Canadian and US materials.
This lady makes the best wetbags: MFD Wet Bags PTPA Award Winner Space Bound by monkeyfootdesigns, not many in her store right now but she will restock.
And on the baby carrier beat, a new brand not mentioned on here yet is Tula. Similar to the beco butterfly but comes with extenders and an infant insert so more friendly to smaller and bigger babies (I know the butterfly has an infant insert but it's not the same concept). I totally want one even though I do not need one! I'll be tempted to try the toddler size one if L still likes to be worn a lot when he's a bit older.
If you want to be fancy you can get Tots Bots Easyfit diapers. Not made in Canada, but made ethically in Scotland. I have 1 and it is pretty neat, if I could afford it I'd get a dozen. They use polyester though. They also make a version for newborns.
Grasshopper™ Diapers: Bamboo All-in-One Diapers with a Fabulous Fit is Canadian and uses a mix of Canadian and US materials.
This lady makes the best wetbags: MFD Wet Bags PTPA Award Winner Space Bound by monkeyfootdesigns, not many in her store right now but she will restock.
And on the baby carrier beat, a new brand not mentioned on here yet is Tula. Similar to the beco butterfly but comes with extenders and an infant insert so more friendly to smaller and bigger babies (I know the butterfly has an infant insert but it's not the same concept). I totally want one even though I do not need one! I'll be tempted to try the toddler size one if L still likes to be worn a lot when he's a bit older.
Yeah - for newborn we did a different fold with snappis - you are right about leaks. I am jealous of all the options now, but glad cloth diapering is so prevalent now. Even 7 years ago when I was buying for Elissa there wasn't nearly as much choice as now!
Also when they start solids - flushable liners are your best friends!
Also when they start solids - flushable liners are your best friends!
Hi i'm God
TRIBE Member
grumblegirl
TRIBE Member
Holy cow, yes.
I didn't do cloth - Sole parent, without laundry facilities in unit = fuck no, sorry environment. (Can't even get a laundry service in an apartment building in Ottawa!!) - but if I ever have another, I will, now that I have my own washer, but NOT for the first month - 8 weeks. Gah. I would so love to skip those weeks entirely if I ever have another. Someone just put me out, and put the baby on my boob, and wake me up 8 weeks later, please??!!
(Also - I am now feeling far better about having spent almost $300 on a stroller when F was little - especially since we walked EVERYWHERE back then [now, we bike], and having ended up with something like 6 baby carriers.
)
mariazmess
TRIBE Member
Killa, your stroller will really come in handy when the baby is bigger and when you use your carseat -- otherwise, I'm sure you'll be using carriers most of the time to get around the city. Strollers are hella annoying on downtown sidewalks -- you can barely get in anywhere, and you're extremely conscious of everything around you (exhaust fumes, bicycles, bums, etc.) -- I loved having Matteo really close at all times.
Now he weighs 35 pounds. :O Now I love strollers.
Now he weighs 35 pounds. :O Now I love strollers.
grumblegirl
TRIBE Member
Hahahaha. My kid is so scrawny. He also weighs 35 lbs, and he's FOUR (as of yesterday!) He gained a grand total of 3 lbs (yet, 3.75 inches in height!!!) in the last year.
(But he eats constantly, and everything except peppers. Everything.)
geminigirl
TRIBE Member
My cousin actually has the ameda double. She said I can try hers. We grew up very close. She actually used my pump while visiting. We are fine sharing germs!
Thanks so much for the offer.
I do pump for at least 20 minutes per side.
Gerry wouldn't say shit to his parents. It is definitely up to me. I will try to say it in a way that comes across well.
re: cloth-diapering a newborn.
we bought the g diapers starter kit, which gives you 12 newborn sized diaper covers and 6 of the next size up. the kit comes with a bunch of flushable, disposable liners, and then you can purchase extra cloth liners. i got it as a gift, but i think it was around $130. i was only able to use this combination with david until he was about 10 lbs, which only took about a month, so i'm happy i didn't spend too much on cloth diapering my newborn. could have been a major waste of money had he been born just a couple pounds heavier.
we use the tots bots easy fits during the day and a disposable at night. the easy fits are a little more expensive at the outset, but they are super easy to use and to wash. i feel good about our choice every single time i put a diaper on him. but i remember being totally overwhelmed by the choice in cloth diapers, and methods of cloth diapering. it was seriously making me anxious before i had david cause i wanted to make the right choice for us.
we bought the g diapers starter kit, which gives you 12 newborn sized diaper covers and 6 of the next size up. the kit comes with a bunch of flushable, disposable liners, and then you can purchase extra cloth liners. i got it as a gift, but i think it was around $130. i was only able to use this combination with david until he was about 10 lbs, which only took about a month, so i'm happy i didn't spend too much on cloth diapering my newborn. could have been a major waste of money had he been born just a couple pounds heavier.
we use the tots bots easy fits during the day and a disposable at night. the easy fits are a little more expensive at the outset, but they are super easy to use and to wash. i feel good about our choice every single time i put a diaper on him. but i remember being totally overwhelmed by the choice in cloth diapers, and methods of cloth diapering. it was seriously making me anxious before i had david cause i wanted to make the right choice for us.
this is 100% EXACTLY how I feel right now, you could not have said it better. Anxious is the feeling. There are SO many options out there, I don't even know where to start. And what's right for me may not be right for others, but then again, how do I determine what is right for me.
Really good point, mingster.
this is exactly why we ended up not cloth diapering. I was so overwhelmed by everything leading up to having a baby that to manage my anxiety I choose to go the disposable route. The plan was once we got used to having a baby, then we could investigate cloth. Here we are 13 months later and she's still in sposies. BUT now that I do truly feel like I have my parenting legs under me, I would definately go this route for a second kid.
sarahmay I offer a tidbit of advice? Labour/delivery is one area of life where we have to really relinquish control. Your labour may turn out to be 100% different than you planned. From your posts, it sounds like you are 100% sure you will have a natural birth, but baby will come how baby wants to come. I was pretty fixed on the outcome of my labour...I was certain I would have a drug free birth, in a hospital with my midwife, my doula and my husband by my side. Kevin was going to catch her and then she'd nurse for the first time while lying skin to skin with me. So when I ended up with a planned csection, with my midwife, my husband and my OB by side and my doula in the waiting room. She did skin to skin with Kevin and she nursed for the first time an hour after birth in the recovery room. And I was devastated that things didn't go according to my 'plan'. A couple of moms I know had 'birth hopes' not 'birth plans' and this deliberate change of mindset really helped them go into labour, confident, knowing what they wished the outcome to be, but at peace with whatever resulted. I wish I had had this mindset, it might have alleviated alot of my post birth grief.
sarahyeah, it's hard to know what's going to work for you. and you don't want to spend all that money and then not like your choice. i can suggest taking a trip over to diaper-eez on bloor west so you can learn all about the options and take a look at them and then maybe eliminate some?
also, you can buy a few of a couple options if you want to try them out and see how it goes? after feeling that early anxiety, i realized that i am not trapped with my choice. there's lots of time to make a decision later, as you will probably be using disposables for at least a couple weeks at the very start.
I take your advice with a lot of heart. I have a set plan in terms of my birth plan, but I have learnt, throughout this pregnancy, as easy as it has been so far, that I have no control over it. I can control what I eat, how much I exercise, etc... but in terms of the baby, I really have no control.
So I have decided to set my mind in having a home birth, educate myself and truly believe in my capabilities to birth naturally - but I want to make sure I have a plan B and C in case things don't go according to plan.
Truthfully, the most important thing to me is to make sure this child is delivered as healthy and as safe as possible, and if that means home birth, that would be fantastic, but if it doesn't - as long as the result is me holding a healthy vibrant baby boy, either hospital or home, that is all that matters to me at the end.
I am taking it day by day and I deal with things as they come and when they do, I assess my options and make an informed decision and go from there.
For example: I was told I had bacterial vaginosis. Was told that can increase the risk of miscarriage on 2nd trimester, etc... and was told to go on antibiotics.
I have done my research and also from past experiences, I have decided that the risks of NOT taking the pills are less than taking them, so I decided to cure this naturally.
Needless to say, the second swab they took was negative. If it was positive, I may have considered the anti-biotics - but what I am trying to say is, I want to have options and when the time comes, I will deal with it then, whatever that choice may be.
So I have decided to set my mind in having a home birth, educate myself and truly believe in my capabilities to birth naturally - but I want to make sure I have a plan B and C in case things don't go according to plan.
Truthfully, the most important thing to me is to make sure this child is delivered as healthy and as safe as possible, and if that means home birth, that would be fantastic, but if it doesn't - as long as the result is me holding a healthy vibrant baby boy, either hospital or home, that is all that matters to me at the end.
I am taking it day by day and I deal with things as they come and when they do, I assess my options and make an informed decision and go from there.
For example: I was told I had bacterial vaginosis. Was told that can increase the risk of miscarriage on 2nd trimester, etc... and was told to go on antibiotics.
I have done my research and also from past experiences, I have decided that the risks of NOT taking the pills are less than taking them, so I decided to cure this naturally.
Needless to say, the second swab they took was negative. If it was positive, I may have considered the anti-biotics - but what I am trying to say is, I want to have options and when the time comes, I will deal with it then, whatever that choice may be.
Tim actually suggested that to me and I am going to go sometime this weekend or after the long weekend.
It sounds like the most reasonable thing for me to do. I really want to "feel" them, you know? And I have no idea if my baby will be 6 pounds or 9 pounds when he comes out...
Thank you
rubytuesday
TRIBE Member
Yes the liners are so great. I love that cloth diapering is better than it was for our parents and that they keep getting better but it is such a time suck.
Diapers, strollers, carseats, carriers, it is crazy-making.
As a mom of bigger kids (holy cow Elissa is 7!) does that stop or is it a perpetual part of parenting? Does it become what extracurriculars to do or lessons to take?
And Killa I was all set on using only natural fibres but then I decided I like the trimness and absorbency of polyester, bring on the space age! I think a good mix is using pocket covers with hemp or cotton inserts for bigger babies because the microfibre inserts don't wear well and need stripping. But yes you have to feel things for yourself. I loved fitteds with wool covers early on, the wool soakers are just so cute and soft. My bf complained about the bulk and no one but me knew how to care for the wool so I moved away from that, but if it were me, full-time, that would be my choice. These are harder to get a hold of but you might love Sustainablebabyish: sloomb - Welcome. Beautiful fitteds and wool covers. I love the idea of having wool pants overtop of a diaper without any other cover, so simple and cozy. I am big on cozy for babies. : )
How did you cure that naturally?
i haven't had that since my mid 20's, and man thank god for that, but you never know when it'll pop up again and it never hurts to get some tried tested a true home remedies! share your secret.
geminigirl
TRIBE Member
may I offer a tidbit of advice? Labour/delivery is one area of life where we have to really relinquish control. Your labour may turn out to be 100% different than you planned. From your posts, it sounds like you are 100% sure you will have a natural birth, but baby will come how baby wants to come. I was pretty fixed on the outcome of my labour...I was certain I would have a drug free birth, in a hospital with my midwife, my doula and my husband by my side. Kevin was going to catch her and then she'd nurse for the first time while lying skin to skin with me. So when I ended up with a planned csection, with my midwife, my husband and my OB by side and my doula in the waiting room. She did skin to skin with Kevin and she nursed for the first time an hour after birth in the recovery room. And I was devastated that things didn't go according to my 'plan'. A couple of moms I know had 'birth hopes' not 'birth plans' and this deliberate change of mindset really helped them go into labour, confident, knowing what they wished the outcome to be, but at peace with whatever resulted. I wish I had had this mindset, it might have alleviated alot of my post birth grief.
You said what I wanted to..
Labor and delivery has a mind of it's own!
I went into it extremely open to WHATEVER happened. With that, I have zero regrets.
I would have loved to give birth naturally..the pain was beyond my wildest thoughts. Sorry - just being honest.
I must say, I totally plan for a medicated 2nd birth!
geminigirl
TRIBE Member
Me too. I refused to go on anti-biotics unless absolutely necessary. I haven't been on them in over 5 years and believe that is why my immune system is so strong.
My midwife told me to go get this stuff..YOu just ask your pharmacy to order it in if they don't have it. No need for prescription.
Traiter la vaginose bactérienne et rétablir l'équilibre de la flore vaginale - Prevegyne
It cost about $30. Just incase you get it again, this stuff works.
Yup - she'll be 7 in August. Maya is 4. Crazy eh?
There are less choices as they get older, and they start having more input into those choices but it's still crazy. I think it's perpetual - you are always going to worry about making the right choice for your child, whether it's a big or small decision. I think as they get older you do start to realize that not every decision is that big a deal and to make choices based on what works with your parenting style and not what you (or media or other moms) think you are supposed to do.
The extra-curriculars are really the hardest right now - and choosing camps for the summer. Mostly it's trying to find the balance of letting them try out activities and not overscheduling them. If it was up to Elissa she'd do something every day after school LOL, but I want her to have downtime too. We try to leave our weekends as free as possible for family stuff.
This year coming up they seem to be diverging in their interests, no longer can I just put Maya in whatever preschool class is at the same time as Elissa... so there's going to be some figuring out come September!
As an aside to the weight conversation up there.... Elissa at almost 7 weighs 44lbs, perfectly healthy, just my little beanpole
geminigirl
TRIBE Member
Skyparty, seriously go get this stuff. ^
rubytuesday
TRIBE Member
Yup - she'll be 7 in August. Maya is 4. Crazy eh?
There are less choices as they get older, and they start having more input into those choices but it's still crazy. I think it's perpetual - you are always going to worry about making the right choice for your child, whether it's a big or small decision. I think as they get older you do start to realize that not every decision is that big a deal and to make choices based on what works with your parenting style and not what you (or media or other moms) think you are supposed to do.
The extra-curriculars are really the hardest right now - and choosing camps for the summer. Mostly it's trying to find the balance of letting them try out activities and not overscheduling them. If it was up to Elissa she'd do something every day after school LOL, but I want her to have downtime too. We try to leave our weekends as free as possible for family stuff.
This year coming up they seem to be diverging in their interests, no longer can I just put Maya in whatever preschool class is at the same time as Elissa... so there's going to be some figuring out come September!
As an aside to the weight conversation up there.... Elissa at almost 7 weighs 44lbs, perfectly healthy, just my little beanpole
It seems like it can get complicated with 2! My supervisor is very open about how he and his wife share childcare stuff and even a baseball league is a big time commitment and requires a lot of scheduling, and when school and summer stuff collide this time of year it's extra complicated.
Your girls are so sweet and cute! : )
L was a big boy at birth, but is now 21 lbs (he's got to be about 32"), so he's 23rd percentile for weight at 12 months old. And he's fed formula on demand and for a little while I was concerned he was drinking too much, so it seems like he's just a skinny guy, he's very active so I think he burns everything off.
may I offer a tidbit of advice? Labour/delivery is one area of life where we have to really relinquish control. Your labour may turn out to be 100% different than you planned. From your posts, it sounds like you are 100% sure you will have a natural birth, but baby will come how baby wants to come. I was pretty fixed on the outcome of my labour...I was certain I would have a drug free birth, in a hospital with my midwife, my doula and my husband by my side. Kevin was going to catch her and then she'd nurse for the first time while lying skin to skin with me. So when I ended up with a planned csection, with my midwife, my husband and my OB by side and my doula in the waiting room. She did skin to skin with Kevin and she nursed for the first time an hour after birth in the recovery room. And I was devastated that things didn't go according to my 'plan'. A couple of moms I know had 'birth hopes' not 'birth plans' and this deliberate change of mindset really helped them go into labour, confident, knowing what they wished the outcome to be, but at peace with whatever resulted. I wish I had had this mindset, it might have alleviated alot of my post birth grief.
This is so true. Before I gave birth I too had my heart set on a natural childbirth, but I ended up with a medically necessary induction that did not go well. After two days of labor I got an epidural because, fuck! It was rough. At the time I felt guilty but when I look back on it now I am glad I got an epidural and was able to take a nap before my baby came. I felt so loopy from not sleeping for days that the nap I took really made a difference.
I'm still planning on a natural birth for number 2 but that won't be for a long time!
geminigirl
TRIBE Member
^Totally. The little nap I took before pushing time seemed sooo beneficial.
Not to mention, my midwife kinda put her hands *inside* me to stretch things to get her head out. Plus an episiotomy. The thought of all that without meds.:O
Not to mention, my midwife kinda put her hands *inside* me to stretch things to get her head out. Plus an episiotomy. The thought of all that without meds.:O