Monday, January 30, 2012
Still Waiting
So I did go in this morning to get my blood test done for my HCG count, and apparently, my numbers are actually going down.
My OB still doesn't seem to sure about me miscarrying because my numbers are going down--but slowly, then again my numbers should have quintupled by now. So I'm getting ANOTHER blood test done on Thursday.
I've already told my husband this...it's not the fact that I may be still miscarrying, its because I have to wait so long just to make sure that I completely am. I'm am so confused, I don't know what's going on anymore. I just want to know what's physically going on with my body, work through it and move on with my life.
I still have some pregnancy symptoms, so either I'm imagining the symptoms or I still really am pregnant. The biggest sign of a miscarriage in early pregnancy is the loss of the symptoms.
I haven't had anymore cramping, and just a little spotting here and there. I haven't passed anything that resembles a baby, I'm not running a fever from a natural miscarriage.
So here we are again, still waiting, I just have to keep on praying for a peace of mind and I try to keep myself busy so that I don't think about it and emotionally break down all the time.
I still have that small hope that Ben and I will go into an ultrasound room and see a perfectly healthy beating heart on the screen. I haven't had one since the ER, but my OB said that depending on my numbers and what my body is doing she may schedule an ultrasound for me. She does find it a little odd that I haven't passed the baby and that I'm still having preggo symptoms and the cramping and bleeding is overall improving.
Yes, I am prepared for the worse, but I have always been a hopeful person. I have that little voice telling me that everything is going to be OK. I don't know what that means either but I guess that we'll just have to wait and see...again...sigh.
Love,
Jess
Sunday, January 29, 2012
The Waiting Game-almost over
So I know that I skipped Saturday, I really don't know why I did, I didn't have anything going on all day. Well there really wasn't much to record anyway.
So yesterday, the 29th, nothing was new, very little cramping and I was spotting and bleeding off and on all day. Last night, Ben was able to find a babysitter for Josiah and got out of the house with our friends. We went to Silverton and ate dinner at this bar that Nicole suggested and she said that it was just awesome. :) Haha, well she was right, I probably had the best burger in my life there, and the fries were stupendous too! After that we went bowling, I had a really great time. Just what I needed to get my mind off this. They know our story and they were nice enough to not mention it or make it awkward. After bowling we headed on back to Salem, went to another bar, and I just finally said to Ben "I'm tired and I'm ready to go home." I think that everyone else was too, but nobody wanted to say anything. ;)
Went home and did our normal nightly talk with the husband and passed out! Good times!
This morning getting ready for church I saw some spotting on my pad, but not much at all and had no cramping.
Went through all of service feeling very nauseous and so tired that I would've fell asleep during Matt's sermon easily if I was sitting closer to the back. I kinda got passively aggressive at Ben for not only sitting so close to the front, but sitting in the middle. So in case I really needed to head to the bathroom for a quick throw-up, it would be really obvious and definitely a distraction for most to see someone tripping over people's feet trying to get to the Lu on time. I was OK for the whole service besides that little nauseous issue.
When we got home, I noticed that I only spotted VERY little and had no cramps during service, instead now that I think about it, it's been all pregnancy symptoms this whole morning.
Nausea
Fatigue
Back pain
Tiny Bladder-I gotta pee like every 2 hours it seems.
Breast Tenderness
Weight Gain-Since this is my 2nd pregnancy, I can't seem to button my favorite jeans already. :/
Headache
Little poppy/gassy feelings in tummy-which makes me nauseous
Blind-I have to wear my glasses just to see anything again.
Sensitive gums-bleeding while brushing/flossing my teeth(only happens when preggo with me)
Hungry-Even after my breakfast of champions of a large bowl of oatmeal with strawberries and a banana, small glass of milk and a small decaf coffee from Starbucks.
I had all these with Josiah in my 1st trimester, but not nearly as intense.
Things are looking up! Doesn't sound like it, lol.(Actually looks like I'm sick) ;) But you all know what I mean.
Cravings so far? Kiwi! and a large heated CC cookie with a large glass of milk! yum!
After getting Josiah down for a nap, I had a huge headache and was so tired that not even 10 minutes after taking Tylenol I was passed out on the couch.
I just woke up around 3pm and now I'm writing this to tell you that my boobs hurt! Like, I was carrying Josiah up the stairs from his bedroom and it hurt to carry him because of the slight pressure he was putting on one of them. Ouch! I'm super hungry too, and I think that I'm going to bake the lasagna that I have saved in the freezer for a good day. Well, it's one of those days!
We are going to find out tomorrow to see if my numbers have changed. Hopefully it looks good, cause from what I'm experiencing, with the way my body is reacting it seems to be really looking good.
So after my blood has been taken, I'll find out an hour later in what I need to do. The OB that I've been seeing has been so sweet, she seems very understanding and doesn't like to use medical intervention as much as other Dr.s. If I am a high risk, which she did mention that there is a chance, then I'll probably stick with her.
I thank God for the peace that he has given me, and the love that is poured out from my wonderful, supportive friends.
Love you all!
Jess
Friday, January 27, 2012
Friday - my goal? To be positive.
Josiah kept waking up last night, I think that the little man has a cold, he's got snot running down his nose like crazy. While he was waking up every 3-4 hours, i was parched dry from the lack of water. Drank a large glass of water and finally got back to sleep.
January 27th - @10:30am woke up this morning around 8:30am to the light bleeding and light cramping again, seems like my body can't make up its mind. Just put Josiah down for a nap, and now he's being a little bit of a challenge. He's tired and grouchy but being stubborn to sleep at the same time. As soon as he's asleep, gonna hop into the shower and get my day started.
12:00pm-I just wanted to put this in here before i forget. After getting out of the shower this morning i discovered red patches on my face--blemishes! Never in my life have I ever had skin problems with my face! So weird!
10:00pm-When Ben got home @3:30, I laid Josiah down for a quick nap and we had dinner together around 5pm, then Josiah woke up around 5:30 and Ben wanted to go to the Verizon Store to get some things worked out with our phones. It was nice to get out for even just that hour to walk around. Even though it was just the mall, which we go to a lot when its chilly, it's a nice change of scenery compared to my home which I see every day.
Now Ben and I are in bed together, doing our separate things before we start our daily conversations and prayers.
Bodily status- Light bleeding and light cramping all day till we went walking. Now its just regular spotting with no cramping again. I've really upped my water intake lately, and I think that's really helping with my cramping. Other than that, no new changes, the waiting game is what's difficult cause I don't know what's going to happen next.
Love,
Jess
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Taking it day by day.
January 25th- after dinner, and watching yet another movie with Ben again. I started to have a great peace about me, no negativity arose in my mind and I was--well--happy. :) Not only that but, right now (@9:30pm) I'm starting to feel my normal pregnant self again, along with all the little weird pops in my belly. I am still bleeding, but it is only like a light period now, also, no cramps. :)
Things are starting to look up at this present time, I guess we'll see in the following days.
January 26th- 9am getting Josiah up and eating breakfast together. My pad this morning had a little blood on it, seems more like a light period still, I have just a few cramps here and there and they are mild. I feel energized this morning, I was able to get all laundry folded and put away by 11:30am and started another load. I was fatigue due to being pregnant before and a little upset due to my current symptoms, so I'm not sure where the energy is coming from. I haven't really noticed pregnancy symptoms, except for a touch of nausea, and I'm still hungry all the time.
At least I've got my little man keeping me company, he's been really keeping me very well distracted. :)
1:30pm-For lunch I'm eating a baked potato again! I had one for dinner last night. The starchy spud just sounds super good right now. Load it up with all natural low-fat sour cream, tillamook cheese, cook up some of Trader Joe's yummy turkey bacon with it, I am a happy camper. I gotta remember to keep up on my greens though, maybe a salad with dinner
I'm still feeling OK, no new changes, just cramping here and there and still a little bleeding.
Bodily status? I have some very mild cramping, and now the bleeding has turned to light pink spotting. :) Hopefully it stays like this if not better. Funny how things can change within several hours.
This will be my last post for today, Ben is off playing ping pong till 9 at the Senior Center and Josiah is already down for the night. Time for me to grab myself something to eat and head downstairs to watch whatever Hulu shows I can find. Good night all, keep us in your prayers as you know that we aren't out of the "Danger Zone" yet.
Love,
Jess
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
What doesn't kill me, makes me Stronger.
I was really debating with myself whether to post this or not, because I don't want the drama, or the odd looks. But then again, maybe I can reach out to other mommies out there, they can understand me, and I them. I am confident that my blog followers will be supporters and not give me the "look" of pity.(You ladies understand).
Everyone is unique and special in their own way.
Here's my story.
We found out that we are/were pregnant on January 7th, we couldn't be happier. :)
I'm not going to lie, this pregnancy has been so hard. It brings tears to my eyes just to think that mothers have gone through this more than once. I just never thought that it would be "normal" me to go through a difficult first trimester.
Warning:Delicate Details
It all started on Monday, January 23rd, in the afternoon I had some brown spotting in my underwear. I thought nothing of it because I knew that this was normal. I have been having some moderate cramping which they are a little more than mild but a less than a menstrual period cramp. Everything seemed very normal to me, after my shower I put on a pad just to be on the safe side. About an hour later I went to go and check on my progress and my pad was covered in blood with some dime size clots, the cramping increased after i went to the bathroom. I told Ben that if the next pad looks like that in the next hour that we would go to the ER.
Well, sad to say that we did end up going in to the ER, we waited for about 3 hours to finally get in and get an internal ultrasound. Most the 3 hours time passed from me getting my vitals checked every hour and getting 2 blood tests, the reason being that the first blood test was inconclusive. Needles don't bug me much at all, so giving blood is like getting a flu shot to me. Quick, easy and painless.
When we finally got a room, we still waited for about 30minutes to see the Dr, and the another 30 min or so just to get into an u/s room. First we got an abdominal u/s, which I knew that we weren't going to see anything, even being at what I thought was 6 weeks, no expert would be able to see anything. The tech then told me that I apparently have a VERY tilted uterus. Basically just makes it a lot harder to get a good u/s picture of my baby, even when she did an internal, it was very uncomfortable and slightly painful. A tilted uterus is one of the likely causes for that, I'm not worried because these things correct themselves around 8-10 weeks when your baby is bigger. While she was digging up in there, there was a lot of things for Ben and I to look at, in which both of us talked after the u/s and both of us thought that we may have seen a little tiny heart beating away. I think that the u/s tech didn't want to get our hopes up, so she didn't say anything.
After all that, we got to go back to our room to wait to have the Dr. talk to us. Eating snacks and talking with my husband was a nice way to let the time pass. She finally came in to talk to us and told me that she thinks that my numbers are off(which I don't know why, I keep very good track of my cycles) and that I'm more likely at 4 weeks with my HCG being a number of 900. Ok, I knew that was pretty normal, but she still wanted me to do a follow up appointment in 2 days to see if my levels have risen. We got home around 10, Ben went to go pick up Josiah while I went to bed.
January 24th-Ben went to work, I was still bleeding like a medium flow period, still cramping moderately.
I took 2 tylenol to help me nap while Josiah was, I was still tired, still having pregnancy symptoms. I did pass something that looked like tissue, but I wasn't exactly sure. Honestly, I don't really want to know what it was. I just know that it wasn't a blood clot. I know the difference between the two.
January 25th-Still bleeding and still cramping, still have pregnancy symptoms. I went in at 11 am to have more blood tests done, then had a little visit with the OBGYN, she talked about the possibility of a miscarriage, which I prayed and was prepared for the worse. The tests weren't going to have results until an hour, so she sent us home. I was so happy to hear that, all I wanted was to be in the comfort of my own home with my husband and be lazy with him all day. He is so wonderful to stick with me through this.
At about 1:30pm, she called, she said that since Monday night my HCG numbers had only risen to 1200, which they expect more of number closer to 1800+. I don't really know what that means, but she is having me come in again on Monday the 30th to do yet another blood test. I may or may not have completely miscarried by then but the waiting is hard. I've been praying and just asking God for a peace of mind, that whatever happens its all for the good of his glory. I am prepared and I feel OK about this, these things just happen and I'm just grateful that this didn't happen while I was farther along. Ben and I already had names picked our for a boy or a girl which does make it difficult to think that this baby may not be here in September.
Keep us in your prayers as we go through this. It is hard but will make me a stronger person and makes me who I am. Thank you all for your love,prayers and support, I will keep an update at what happens day by day the best I can.
Love,
Jess
Everyone is unique and special in their own way.
Here's my story.
We found out that we are/were pregnant on January 7th, we couldn't be happier. :)
I'm not going to lie, this pregnancy has been so hard. It brings tears to my eyes just to think that mothers have gone through this more than once. I just never thought that it would be "normal" me to go through a difficult first trimester.
Warning:Delicate Details
It all started on Monday, January 23rd, in the afternoon I had some brown spotting in my underwear. I thought nothing of it because I knew that this was normal. I have been having some moderate cramping which they are a little more than mild but a less than a menstrual period cramp. Everything seemed very normal to me, after my shower I put on a pad just to be on the safe side. About an hour later I went to go and check on my progress and my pad was covered in blood with some dime size clots, the cramping increased after i went to the bathroom. I told Ben that if the next pad looks like that in the next hour that we would go to the ER.
Well, sad to say that we did end up going in to the ER, we waited for about 3 hours to finally get in and get an internal ultrasound. Most the 3 hours time passed from me getting my vitals checked every hour and getting 2 blood tests, the reason being that the first blood test was inconclusive. Needles don't bug me much at all, so giving blood is like getting a flu shot to me. Quick, easy and painless.
When we finally got a room, we still waited for about 30minutes to see the Dr, and the another 30 min or so just to get into an u/s room. First we got an abdominal u/s, which I knew that we weren't going to see anything, even being at what I thought was 6 weeks, no expert would be able to see anything. The tech then told me that I apparently have a VERY tilted uterus. Basically just makes it a lot harder to get a good u/s picture of my baby, even when she did an internal, it was very uncomfortable and slightly painful. A tilted uterus is one of the likely causes for that, I'm not worried because these things correct themselves around 8-10 weeks when your baby is bigger. While she was digging up in there, there was a lot of things for Ben and I to look at, in which both of us talked after the u/s and both of us thought that we may have seen a little tiny heart beating away. I think that the u/s tech didn't want to get our hopes up, so she didn't say anything.
After all that, we got to go back to our room to wait to have the Dr. talk to us. Eating snacks and talking with my husband was a nice way to let the time pass. She finally came in to talk to us and told me that she thinks that my numbers are off(which I don't know why, I keep very good track of my cycles) and that I'm more likely at 4 weeks with my HCG being a number of 900. Ok, I knew that was pretty normal, but she still wanted me to do a follow up appointment in 2 days to see if my levels have risen. We got home around 10, Ben went to go pick up Josiah while I went to bed.
January 24th-Ben went to work, I was still bleeding like a medium flow period, still cramping moderately.
I took 2 tylenol to help me nap while Josiah was, I was still tired, still having pregnancy symptoms. I did pass something that looked like tissue, but I wasn't exactly sure. Honestly, I don't really want to know what it was. I just know that it wasn't a blood clot. I know the difference between the two.
January 25th-Still bleeding and still cramping, still have pregnancy symptoms. I went in at 11 am to have more blood tests done, then had a little visit with the OBGYN, she talked about the possibility of a miscarriage, which I prayed and was prepared for the worse. The tests weren't going to have results until an hour, so she sent us home. I was so happy to hear that, all I wanted was to be in the comfort of my own home with my husband and be lazy with him all day. He is so wonderful to stick with me through this.
At about 1:30pm, she called, she said that since Monday night my HCG numbers had only risen to 1200, which they expect more of number closer to 1800+. I don't really know what that means, but she is having me come in again on Monday the 30th to do yet another blood test. I may or may not have completely miscarried by then but the waiting is hard. I've been praying and just asking God for a peace of mind, that whatever happens its all for the good of his glory. I am prepared and I feel OK about this, these things just happen and I'm just grateful that this didn't happen while I was farther along. Ben and I already had names picked our for a boy or a girl which does make it difficult to think that this baby may not be here in September.
Keep us in your prayers as we go through this. It is hard but will make me a stronger person and makes me who I am. Thank you all for your love,prayers and support, I will keep an update at what happens day by day the best I can.
Love,
Jess
 |
| I took this 2 days before my supposed missed period. No question here! |
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Cloth vs. Disposables-Summary
The choice between the different types of diapers available is a matter of personal preference while taking into consideration all of the topics discussed in my previous blog posts. There really is no one best type of diaper that is good for every baby.
Deciding to use cloth or disposable diapers depends on your lifestyle, personal preference, finances and your concern for the environment.
The choice that is right for you and your baby may be different from the one that's right for your friend and her baby. The best thing to do is know the advantages and disadvantages between cloth and disposable diapers, talk with your doctor, discuss it with your wife or husband and make a decision on what you think is best for your baby. Whichever diaper you decide on now, you may find that your baby develops diaper rash more frequently later or has some type of allergic reaction. This could be sensitivity to your choice. If this occurs, don't fight it, just switch. Try a different type of diaper, a different brand or go from cloth to paper or vice versa. If your baby ever shows signs of having a reaction to a diaper you should always notify your doctor. The reaction you might be seeing could just be a small rash, but it could be a more severe allergic reaction. Your doctor can tell you exactly what it is and what you should do.
I hope that this helps some of you parents out there to know what the options are, maybe you'll be less intimidated by cloth diapering. It's come along way from when our Grandmothers did it, and their mothers before them and so on. Take a leap of faith on yourself and give it a try, it could be the right thing for you and your family.
With Love,
Jess
Deciding to use cloth or disposable diapers depends on your lifestyle, personal preference, finances and your concern for the environment.
The choice that is right for you and your baby may be different from the one that's right for your friend and her baby. The best thing to do is know the advantages and disadvantages between cloth and disposable diapers, talk with your doctor, discuss it with your wife or husband and make a decision on what you think is best for your baby. Whichever diaper you decide on now, you may find that your baby develops diaper rash more frequently later or has some type of allergic reaction. This could be sensitivity to your choice. If this occurs, don't fight it, just switch. Try a different type of diaper, a different brand or go from cloth to paper or vice versa. If your baby ever shows signs of having a reaction to a diaper you should always notify your doctor. The reaction you might be seeing could just be a small rash, but it could be a more severe allergic reaction. Your doctor can tell you exactly what it is and what you should do.
I hope that this helps some of you parents out there to know what the options are, maybe you'll be less intimidated by cloth diapering. It's come along way from when our Grandmothers did it, and their mothers before them and so on. Take a leap of faith on yourself and give it a try, it could be the right thing for you and your family.
With Love,
Jess
Friday, January 6, 2012
Cloth vs. Disposables-Convenience
We all want to make our lives easier with a baby.
With all the things that you put into your diaper bag the last thing you want to do is trudge around extra wet diapers.
You'd really think that disposables would win this argument, just wrap up the pee/poo and throw it away, right?!
I know of quite a few mommies that take along disposables when they are out and about and use cloth at home. I also use this method for now, since we still have some to get rid of we do use them when we are out shopping, running errands on vacation etc. When we finally run out, we won't be purchasing anymore disposables at all.
Disposable diapers are more convenient when traveling because you can just throw the dirty diapers away without carrying them around for washing. Disposables also require fewer changes because of the super absorbent materials; but taking into consideration the increased risks of rash and the extra impact on the environment, your decision should be made with much thought.
With all the things that you put into your diaper bag the last thing you want to do is trudge around extra wet diapers.
You'd really think that disposables would win this argument, just wrap up the pee/poo and throw it away, right?!
I know of quite a few mommies that take along disposables when they are out and about and use cloth at home. I also use this method for now, since we still have some to get rid of we do use them when we are out shopping, running errands on vacation etc. When we finally run out, we won't be purchasing anymore disposables at all.
With all the newer styles of cloth diapers that are on the market, disposable diapers are not much more convenient that cloth diapers.
The new multiple layer, Velcro fastening cloth diapers are just as easy to put on and take off as disposables. Cloth diapers do not really need to be presoaked, or even rinsed out. Flushable liners can be used with cloth diapers that let you lift the soiled liner off the cloth and flush the liner and the poo down the toilet. If you don’t use liners, you can just dump the older baby’s solids down the toilet.
Cloth diapers usually only add about 2 extra loads of laundry a week to your schedule.
Disposable diapers are more convenient when traveling because you can just throw the dirty diapers away without carrying them around for washing. Disposables also require fewer changes because of the super absorbent materials; but taking into consideration the increased risks of rash and the extra impact on the environment, your decision should be made with much thought.
For cloth diaper carrying they offer a large selection of wet/dry bags; this bag would contain all the pee/poo in the bag and not get on your diaper bag or purse also it helps with smells and is water proof. When you get home just wash it with all your other diapers, easy peasy!
Don't be scared about taking cloth diapers with you and besides, when you're in the changing room with your baby all the moms will be jealous of the cute little bum that your baby has, :) and who knows, maybe you'll be an inspiration to them! This has happened to me once, I haven't seen the mom after that occurance but she did tell me that she would love to give CD a try! yay!
With love,
Jess
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Cloth vs. Disposables-Envioronment
This debate in particular is a good one. No matter how you look at it, something is going to waste.
Disposables sit in a landfill and wait to be decomposed, and cloth uses a lot of water for cleaning and sanitizing of the diapers. Which is better though for our Mother Earth? Here's what I've found on this subject.
Disposables sit in a landfill and wait to be decomposed, and cloth uses a lot of water for cleaning and sanitizing of the diapers. Which is better though for our Mother Earth? Here's what I've found on this subject.
Which causes the most Harm?
It is estimated that roughly 5 million tons of untreated waste and a total of 2 billion tons of urine, feces, plastic and paper are added to landfills annually. It takes around 80,000 pounds of plastic and over 200,000 trees a year to manufacture the disposable diapers for American babies alone. Although some disposables are said to be "biodegradable"; in order for these diapers to decompose, they must be exposed to air (oxygen) and sun. Since this is highly unlikely, it can take several hundred years for the decomposition of disposables to take place, with some of the plastic material never decomposing. Think of all those diapers that are still at the very bottom of the "freshly" used diapers. Way past what our parents were using on us, are still there, decomposing!
The untreated waste placed in landfills by dirty disposable diapers is also a possible danger to contaminating ground water. Also, I noticed on some disposable packaging they want you to dump your baby's poo in the toilet just like with the cloth diapers. Any type of feces and blood is not allowed to be in landfills. Taking the easy way out and just wrapping up the poo in with the diaper is suppose to be a big no-no! I didn't know this, and I'm sure most of you didn't either!
However, pro-disposable advocates say that cleaning cloth diapers uses more energy and contributes to the load on sanitary sewer systems and potential water pollution. This view really makes no sense if you think about it. The amount of water used per week to wash cloth diapers at home is about the same amount consumed by an adult flushing the toilet four or five times daily for a week. Also, the greater amount of water and energy being used by diaper service companies to wash large amounts of cloth diapers multiple times; the per diaper impact on energy and water supplies is actually less than home washing.
Finally, when flushing solids from a cloth diaper down the toilet and washing the diapers in a washing machine, the contaminated, dirty water from both toilet and washing machine go into the sewer systems where they are properly treated at wastewater plants. This treated wastewater is much more environmentally friendly than dumping untreated soiled disposable diapers into a landfill.
Some people also complain about the energy costs of the dryer, and how much that you are spending in electricity, so with my solution and what many other moms do, try to line dry your diapers. I do this with all my diapers, except with my Kushies brand AIOs, with those I line dry overnight and if they are still damp in the morning I throw them into the dryer for about 10-20min and they are dry; but most the time if I have enough diapers to use till then I just wait till they are completely dry. Line drying can also make the life of your cloth diapers last longer, and the sun acts as a natural whitener and a organic disinfectant. Since living in Oregon, we get more rain and clouds than sun it seems, so I actually have a drying rack that I bought at IKEA for only $10, and bought little plastic clothespin type things which I got more than I need for 99cents. I keep that in my bedroom for now and keep it semi near the heater so that they will dry quicker. I love it and has worked out perfectly for us so far!
The work load of laundry doesn't bug me at all and it isn't a burden to do the extra step in be a green mom. I actually enjoy doing laundry, and like the quiet time in hanging up every piece of bottom wear. I highly suggest stay-at-home mommies(or daddies) to give it a shot. Besides if you plan on having another baby in the future, you'll already have most of your collection ready for a newborn. You may have to purchase a few smaller diapers in the beginning, but most babies can fit into one size diapers after they are a month old or so. I'm really excited to try and grow my family a little more, just so that I can have the excuse to buy the super little diapers. :) But we'll see!.
With love,
Jess
Some people also complain about the energy costs of the dryer, and how much that you are spending in electricity, so with my solution and what many other moms do, try to line dry your diapers. I do this with all my diapers, except with my Kushies brand AIOs, with those I line dry overnight and if they are still damp in the morning I throw them into the dryer for about 10-20min and they are dry; but most the time if I have enough diapers to use till then I just wait till they are completely dry. Line drying can also make the life of your cloth diapers last longer, and the sun acts as a natural whitener and a organic disinfectant. Since living in Oregon, we get more rain and clouds than sun it seems, so I actually have a drying rack that I bought at IKEA for only $10, and bought little plastic clothespin type things which I got more than I need for 99cents. I keep that in my bedroom for now and keep it semi near the heater so that they will dry quicker. I love it and has worked out perfectly for us so far!
The work load of laundry doesn't bug me at all and it isn't a burden to do the extra step in be a green mom. I actually enjoy doing laundry, and like the quiet time in hanging up every piece of bottom wear. I highly suggest stay-at-home mommies(or daddies) to give it a shot. Besides if you plan on having another baby in the future, you'll already have most of your collection ready for a newborn. You may have to purchase a few smaller diapers in the beginning, but most babies can fit into one size diapers after they are a month old or so. I'm really excited to try and grow my family a little more, just so that I can have the excuse to buy the super little diapers. :) But we'll see!.
With love,
Jess
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Cloth vs. Disposables-$Cost$
No matter which way you go, cloth or disposables, it can be expensive. So basically it just depends on how you want to spend.
For the disposables that my husband and I used to buy, they were the regular Huggies brand diaper that you would get at the Costco warehouse. We only got the Huggies brand if we had a coupon, and if not we would settle for the store brand that they sold(Kirkland). Which I ending up not being happy with at all!
About every other diaper change(or two), my baby would have a leak, and if it wasn't a leak it was a diaper rash. I got so frustrated with the extra laundry from my son's peed on clothes, and we didn't really buy many of his outfits back then, so we had very few and I would just reuse the same jeans if they weren't soiled. With the chilly fall/winter months we constantly had to keep pants on him and I was running out of pants to put on because he peed on most of them. I ended up putting on his pjs that he wore the night before that weren't soiled(yet).
But anyway, back to topic.
We would spend about $40 on disposable diapers that would last us a month(give or take). I haven't even counted how much we paid for diapers when he was a newborn but that would probably increase a bit. Add baby wipes on top of that and can be even more expensive if you don't buy in bulk.
So about $600-$800? That's in just a year...just think how much more you would spend after the first year of his/her life. By the time that your child is potty trained, you'll probably spend close to $2,000, if he/she is completely done with diapers by the age of 2 1/2 years. Think of all the things that could be spend with that extra $$.
Cloth diapers on the other hand have different expenses. In this case, most of your money will most likely go to your water bill and electricity with as much hot water as you may want to use to properly clean your baby's diaper.
I've heard of mothers spending about $1,000 on just the diapers and inserts alone, which i thought at the time was a little ridiculous, but very easy to do! One of the main points of this is to save $$! So be aware that even with all the super cute ruffle bums, and fancy prints, try not to spend more than you would on disposables.
There are many ways of using cloth diapers, ways that you can save money instead of spend it. Too many for me to explain so I'll just tell ya'll what I do that is so far cost effective.
EBAY! I have a weakness for bidding, I must confess, but I'm proud to say that all my purchased diapers except for 2 have came from ebay dealers. Definitely something to check out.
It's OK to use used diapers! Just be sure to wash and SANITIZE well! I personally don't purchase used diapers because if I can't inspect a used item , I'm usually not happy with it.
Try outdated-new diapers, they are still trying to get rid of the ones that they have! They are coming out with a lot of new designs and so many different kinds to choose from. So you can get a Fuzzibunz perfect fit diaper(comes with the s,m,l sizes) for cheaper than the normal retail price because they came out with a os diaper. Bumgeious has a 4.0 now, so look over at the 3.0. Sun baby brand is a diaper that I really like and on eBay they sell for under $10 a piece which includes the shipping.
Little accessories are a different matter, laundry soap, diaper pail, cloth wipes, wipe solution and many more. What do I do with most of these?
Cloth diaper soap-DIY! Click here to try this recipe that I personally use. I already had all the ingredients on hand because I already make my own laundry soap.
Diaper Pail-Try a trash can with a lid. You can also purchase washable diaper liners that are waterproof, right now because of finances I just use a plastic trash bag until it gets a hole in it and I sprinkle a little baking soda for odor control.
Cloth baby Wipes-Try to make your own out of simple flannel, or cut up one of those many flannel baby blankets that you probably got 20 of at your baby shower.
Bum Solution-DIY! This site has MANY options to fit your baby bums needs.
In the end, depending on your diapering preferences, it is possible to go cheap and green. Just look what's out there and try the different styles. Set a goal for yourself and spend only maybe a little a month and gradually build up your collection. Look around and find the cheapest place to buy certain diapers. Sites like Cotton Babies, Kellys Closet, and even Diapers.com. Google it!
From simple prefold diaper and cover to a AIO(all in one) you can choose how much you spend on your collection. Take your time in finding the perfect diaper that fits your needs.:)
With love,
Jess
With love,
Jess
Cloth vs. Disposables-Skin and Health
What is the better diaper? Well I guess that depend on how you look at it...
With love.
There are pros and cons to BOTH of these, and with my research and study on this subject we recently switched solely to cloth diapers. We still have a few disposables left from when I bought them awhile back, but my husband and I have agreed that we will not be buying anymore disposables. I am glad that he is in this process with me too, supporting me and I have even ordered some cloth diapers with the Velcro tabs just so that it's easier for him and the grandmas to change my very wiggly son.
However, I prefer snaps just because I believe that the do last longer and don't stick to everything else in the wash if the tabs come undone. Also, my almost 11 month old seems to like to take his diaper off recently, and he can't undo the snaps at all.
So anyway, here is my study on diapers...
Skin and Health Concerns
One of my biggest concerns as a parent is to keep my baby's skin dry, healthy and free from diaper rash. Which surprisingly a lot of thing can cause a diaper rash.
Some concerns about disposable diapers have been about dyes, sodium polyacrylate (the super absorbent gel), and dioxin, which is a by-product of bleaching paper. Sodium polyacrylate has been linked in the past to toxic shock syndrome, allergic reactions and is very harmful and potentially lethal to pets. Some dyes and dioxin according to the Environmental Protection Agency is known to cause damage to the central nervous system, kidneys, and liver. The Food & Drug Administration has received reports that fragrances in disposables caused headaches, dizziness and rashes. Problems reported to the Consumer Protection Agency regarding disposables include, chemical burns, noxious chemical and insecticide odors, babies pulling disposables apart and putting pieces of plastic into their noses and mouth, choking on tab papers and linings, plastic melting onto the skin, and ink staining the skin. Plastic tabs can also tear skin if the diaper is not properly put on the baby. My son had the easiest time pulling off his diaper and all the little beads or whatever get everywhere! They say on the package that its nontoxic but just thinking that apart of that has his urine on it and he probably ate some of it made me sick.
So, let me ask you this, would you want your baby's bottom touching that?
Don't freak out though, cloth diapers have their issues as well because they can also cause rashes! By not changing their diaper enough or not properly cleaning and sanitizing after becoming soiled. Things like ammonia burn is caused by build up of detergent in the diaper if not properly washed and/or stripped regularly.
Don't freak out though, cloth diapers have their issues as well because they can also cause rashes! By not changing their diaper enough or not properly cleaning and sanitizing after becoming soiled. Things like ammonia burn is caused by build up of detergent in the diaper if not properly washed and/or stripped regularly.
It is all a matter of personal preference, how your baby is reacting to a particular diaper and how you feel about other factors that come into play when deciding between cloth and disposables.
The best way to prevent diaper rash is to change diapers, cloth or disposable, frequently. While disposable diapers can hold large quantities of urine, this slight wetness is still against your baby’s skin, which can lead to rashes. Cloth diapers should be changed every time your baby wets and then the diaper should be properly cleaned so all bacteria that may be in the cloth is killed.
So far I have my winnings on the cloth diaper, I like love the fact that I can control what goes on my son's bottom and not have all those other chemicals that can potentially harm him.
Hearing of a disposable diaper KILLING a baby is VERY uncommon and I have never heard such a thing, but still what would you want touching the sensitive soft skin of your precious little angel?
With love.
-Jess
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