I visited my sister's new home this summer. Gave her the big stroller and a suitcase full of baby clothes, the bottle sterilizer full of bottles and a baby toy.
Then we went downstairs and all hell broke loose. Not even in the last step, I got a strong scent of a cleaning product. I figured it would go away, it didn't. Spent the whole evening with a headache and stomachache, coughing and silently crying while Frozen was displayed on her TV. Once over, I went back upstairs to sanity thinking I was out of danger.
But no, even though I requested to sleep there, she brought sheets and pillow cases and I realized the source of my problems: laundry detergent. I was forced to sleep in a cold night with nothing but a polyester blanket that was used as box sheet, cover sheet AND blanket itself, for me and the 2 boys.On top of that, I had to use my diaper bag as a pillow (you never know when cloth diapers will fulfill vital functions) and the night was a cold one, very.
Funny thing is, nobody else noticed. My mom could not perceive it, and obviously my sister and husband couldn't either. That led me to investigate why I was so bothered by certain smells, to the point of despair, and that I, in fact, have taken several decisions in life based upon my intolerance to fragrances.
And, believe it or not, cloth diapering was one of them. When I had my first boy, I had diaper issues from the start, and it didn't help that they were expensive, so I bought the cheapest available, and those were heavily perfumed (and even the expensive ones bothered me).
So, when Tiny Guy came in, after opening a brand new bag of Luvs, I realized it was never going to happen. Managed to find a cheap brand that did not have perfume, but definitely opted for cloth at one point, to get rid of the perfumes altogether.
I couldn't believe what it did to the house. Not only did the nasty smell of plastic and perfume go away, but the poop too, since I had to rinse them rightaway, and would wash every day back then, the overall smell inside was my prefered one: nothing. I did have ammonia problems later on, but that is not as annoying as perfume for someone with my sensitivities (and was solved relatively fast).
I know a lot of people do not talk about that factor as a deciding one, but it is another advantage I needed to raise babies and not to die on the intent. If you have fragrance intolerance (commonly and erroneously known as perfume allergies), this might be an option for when you need diapers around.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Have I Become a Breast-feeding Nazi?
One of my best friends is pregnant, single and scared.
I've been talking to her through her process and tried to let her know that she is a suitable mother, despite the fact that she keeps complaining and saying that motherhood is not what she was born to do (I don't think anybody does, but specifically for her, I never thought she was going to stay childless forever)
But within all our conversations, I've found myself pushing her into breast-feeding. I've been very insistent with it and, even though she says she'll "try", she's not convinced at all. Says it's not her "hit".
And then I realized I was becoming one of those Nazi mothers that want to impose her own ways into others. And for women that work full time and think the best place for a baby is daycare, it can push you away from them and you can end up being of little to no help.
Then I sat and wondered why I was being so pushy. I have never told her "it's the best for the baby" or "you would be a bad mother if you didn't". I'm more for the "it's best for you" and "the baby would be fine anyway, but breast just makes everything so much easier".
But the fact is, yes, I have gone way above the Mexican standards with my kids, mostly for convenience and practicality, but I do believe it's the best for the baby. And that's when my own life comes into play, that's what I'm really trying to keep them from: baby me.
I was born in the most artificial environment that there is. Evicted 10 days before due date for no medical reason other than ensuring "no labor would occur" and having been deemed "perfectly healthy", I couldn't have brought more problems to my mother if I had tried.
And it all started with the breasts. I latched, I ate, there was milk. Too bad milk was just too much and my feeding needs were 10 days behind. As a result, my mom acquired Mastitis and got very, very sick. OF course, being a doctor, it never occurred to her to seek help, to manually remove the milk (she tried a nasty pump that would stimulate her even more and not get a drop out) or to feed me on demand instead of a rigid 3 hour schedule. It was 1970s Mexico and natural mothering was for poor country unsophisticated women.
What happened afterwards was a series of unfortunate events from which I barely survived, and not without lifelong consequences.
My mom got antibiotics, I was given a bottle and started giving back whatever came in. Yep, turns out I am one of those babies that were intolerant to cow's milk protein. Since we're talking about way before hydrolyzed formulas, somebody suggested soy. Well, it stayed in, so our adventure began. 2 months into it, it was clear that I was not gaining any weight, I had severe respiratory problems and I needed to be moved to a cleaner city. Still had to wait 4 months for that to happen (my mom had to keep working while my dad got his first paycheck).
The series of illnesses and diseases that happened in that period, and the 8 months afterwards is so big that I cannot name them all, but apparently, I don't need a lot of vaccination: I'm already immune (well, I had a measles shot, and got the disease the next week). Viral and bacterial infections became the norm, and within 6 months after birth, I had only gained one pound. I survived on having been a "big healthy baby" from the start. My immune system was so weak that germs had just targeted me and made my body their favorite habitat.
Then another doctor recommended ultra-pasteurized milk, which was new at that time, and it stayed in. Finally I started to gain some strength and weight, but infections did not stop for another 6 months. Turning 1 year of age, and after 6 months of breathing better and getting real food, I started to be a normal child for the first time. But I wasn't growing and my energy levels were still low. I would go to daycare, come back and sleep all afternoon and evening. Wake up, have dinner and sleep again.
2 years later, my father nailed it. A TSH test was done and a diagnosis became evident. My thyroid had stopped working. Of course, knowing the problem leads to treat it, and thanks to a magical pill I have become a healthy adult, with enough energy to deal even with 2 little monsters and a sick husband, work at home and even wash diapers. But at a high cost. I've been taking medications all my life, and it will stop the day I die.
It was much later on in life that I found out there is a huge link between soy and thyroid diseases, and there was even a study correlating soy fed babies with early hypothyroidism (that several sources say it was not conducted properly). My parents always told me it had been one of the multiple infections I had had. But even if that was the culprit, why did the germs not attack other organs, or why other organs resisted attacks better? Yes, I had a genetic disposition, but it was supposed to happen when I turned 40, not before I turned 1.
My parents feel that I blame them for it. How could I? They have taken care of me always, even now. I have no resentment whatsoever for them, specially since I know she tried. I still question the doctor's call to have a programmed c.section at 38 weeks when I was obviously not ready to come out, but that was common practice with a prior c.sec. Maybe that's why I waited until 41 weeks to evict Tiny Guy from the womb.
Certainly, there are several options now for intolerant babies that do not involve soy, which has been discouraged. My dad recommends rice milk before hydrolyzed, it is cheaper and healthier. But it is no breast or comes close to it. There are no antibodies, no allergy protection, no micro-exposure to allergens, no cannabinoids, no oligo-saccharides to help the intestinal flora grow.
Maybe that explains my pushiness. I don't want other babies and mothers to go through what my mom and I went and have gone. Not all diseases can be avoided, not all situations can be prevented. But breast does reduce the probability of them happening in your own kids, so, for easiness, for convenience, for fashion or for fun, give breasts a try.
I've been talking to her through her process and tried to let her know that she is a suitable mother, despite the fact that she keeps complaining and saying that motherhood is not what she was born to do (I don't think anybody does, but specifically for her, I never thought she was going to stay childless forever)
But within all our conversations, I've found myself pushing her into breast-feeding. I've been very insistent with it and, even though she says she'll "try", she's not convinced at all. Says it's not her "hit".
And then I realized I was becoming one of those Nazi mothers that want to impose her own ways into others. And for women that work full time and think the best place for a baby is daycare, it can push you away from them and you can end up being of little to no help.
Then I sat and wondered why I was being so pushy. I have never told her "it's the best for the baby" or "you would be a bad mother if you didn't". I'm more for the "it's best for you" and "the baby would be fine anyway, but breast just makes everything so much easier".
But the fact is, yes, I have gone way above the Mexican standards with my kids, mostly for convenience and practicality, but I do believe it's the best for the baby. And that's when my own life comes into play, that's what I'm really trying to keep them from: baby me.
I was born in the most artificial environment that there is. Evicted 10 days before due date for no medical reason other than ensuring "no labor would occur" and having been deemed "perfectly healthy", I couldn't have brought more problems to my mother if I had tried.
And it all started with the breasts. I latched, I ate, there was milk. Too bad milk was just too much and my feeding needs were 10 days behind. As a result, my mom acquired Mastitis and got very, very sick. OF course, being a doctor, it never occurred to her to seek help, to manually remove the milk (she tried a nasty pump that would stimulate her even more and not get a drop out) or to feed me on demand instead of a rigid 3 hour schedule. It was 1970s Mexico and natural mothering was for poor country unsophisticated women.
What happened afterwards was a series of unfortunate events from which I barely survived, and not without lifelong consequences.
My mom got antibiotics, I was given a bottle and started giving back whatever came in. Yep, turns out I am one of those babies that were intolerant to cow's milk protein. Since we're talking about way before hydrolyzed formulas, somebody suggested soy. Well, it stayed in, so our adventure began. 2 months into it, it was clear that I was not gaining any weight, I had severe respiratory problems and I needed to be moved to a cleaner city. Still had to wait 4 months for that to happen (my mom had to keep working while my dad got his first paycheck).
The series of illnesses and diseases that happened in that period, and the 8 months afterwards is so big that I cannot name them all, but apparently, I don't need a lot of vaccination: I'm already immune (well, I had a measles shot, and got the disease the next week). Viral and bacterial infections became the norm, and within 6 months after birth, I had only gained one pound. I survived on having been a "big healthy baby" from the start. My immune system was so weak that germs had just targeted me and made my body their favorite habitat.
Then another doctor recommended ultra-pasteurized milk, which was new at that time, and it stayed in. Finally I started to gain some strength and weight, but infections did not stop for another 6 months. Turning 1 year of age, and after 6 months of breathing better and getting real food, I started to be a normal child for the first time. But I wasn't growing and my energy levels were still low. I would go to daycare, come back and sleep all afternoon and evening. Wake up, have dinner and sleep again.
2 years later, my father nailed it. A TSH test was done and a diagnosis became evident. My thyroid had stopped working. Of course, knowing the problem leads to treat it, and thanks to a magical pill I have become a healthy adult, with enough energy to deal even with 2 little monsters and a sick husband, work at home and even wash diapers. But at a high cost. I've been taking medications all my life, and it will stop the day I die.
It was much later on in life that I found out there is a huge link between soy and thyroid diseases, and there was even a study correlating soy fed babies with early hypothyroidism (that several sources say it was not conducted properly). My parents always told me it had been one of the multiple infections I had had. But even if that was the culprit, why did the germs not attack other organs, or why other organs resisted attacks better? Yes, I had a genetic disposition, but it was supposed to happen when I turned 40, not before I turned 1.
My parents feel that I blame them for it. How could I? They have taken care of me always, even now. I have no resentment whatsoever for them, specially since I know she tried. I still question the doctor's call to have a programmed c.section at 38 weeks when I was obviously not ready to come out, but that was common practice with a prior c.sec. Maybe that's why I waited until 41 weeks to evict Tiny Guy from the womb.
Certainly, there are several options now for intolerant babies that do not involve soy, which has been discouraged. My dad recommends rice milk before hydrolyzed, it is cheaper and healthier. But it is no breast or comes close to it. There are no antibodies, no allergy protection, no micro-exposure to allergens, no cannabinoids, no oligo-saccharides to help the intestinal flora grow.
Maybe that explains my pushiness. I don't want other babies and mothers to go through what my mom and I went and have gone. Not all diseases can be avoided, not all situations can be prevented. But breast does reduce the probability of them happening in your own kids, so, for easiness, for convenience, for fashion or for fun, give breasts a try.
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Flats and Handwashing Challenge 2014 Day 7 #notoveryet
Today is officially the last day of the challenge, but the deal is not over, you see, it includes tonight's diapering and then hand washing those, which can occur either tomorrow or even Monday, so it still feels like I'm only half way through
. Yet today is the last day of posting about the challenge in DDL and conclusions need to be made.
Well, I'd say the most important thing is that I'm still learning different approaches to footwashing. It works great with both boys in the bathtub, my husband's bath chair helps tremendously, and I may even consider doing it for other items. My biggest limitation is the space I have for hanging.
I also learned a lot by checking on the Facebook group, which has become a small community on its own. Found out that dollar plungers are a waste of money, that I could fold the flats ahead of time, that tye dye diapers look extraordinarily cute and that a challenge becomes easier by the day if you have a backup in the form of amazing moms jumping in to help.
I also learned different ways to use rags for diapering purposes and the advantages and disadvantages over big squares of fabric, commonly used as flats (receiving blankets, flour sack towels, etc.), and how cheap a mom could get diapering material by just getting scraps from seamstresses, fabric stores or even ebay.
If Tiny Guy is not potty trained yet by next year, my next goal will be to use non PUL covers, which is still my biggest fear, since I would have never made the switch without those.
No. I love my system, I love my AIOs, my prefolds, my minky FB, cotton/bamboo and cotton/hemp inserts. I know I can use liners for stay dry, so that wouldn't be a problem if I switched, but I have a nice routine for washing, haven't had rash or stinky problems for a long time and a wonderful tiny washer that I miss when being away. But, I'll certainly consider using the drags as doublers, since they wash well and dry fast. And I may do more footwashing, as long as I don't have to wring the clothes and I toss them in the spin dryer, it can even help me catch up on back laundry later on.
Not yet, laundry basket is still full. I started to see a little progress yesterday, but I did finish the back diapers until Tuesday, and I still will footwash today and tomorrow, so my goal of clearing the laundry basket can still be achieved. I am very limited by the space to dry clothes, and weather has not helped this week, but we'll see on Tuesday where we're standing.
I had only 3 minor leaks and all could have been prevented. I had much more leaks a day using disposables, so that would not be a reason for not considering it. As for vacation backup, I may think about it, depends on the situation. But I don't think it is affordable to buy a full stash of flats for going on vacation instead of an $8 disposable bag.
. Yet today is the last day of posting about the challenge in DDL and conclusions need to be made.
WHAT DID I LEARN?
Well, I'd say the most important thing is that I'm still learning different approaches to footwashing. It works great with both boys in the bathtub, my husband's bath chair helps tremendously, and I may even consider doing it for other items. My biggest limitation is the space I have for hanging.
I also learned a lot by checking on the Facebook group, which has become a small community on its own. Found out that dollar plungers are a waste of money, that I could fold the flats ahead of time, that tye dye diapers look extraordinarily cute and that a challenge becomes easier by the day if you have a backup in the form of amazing moms jumping in to help.I also learned different ways to use rags for diapering purposes and the advantages and disadvantages over big squares of fabric, commonly used as flats (receiving blankets, flour sack towels, etc.), and how cheap a mom could get diapering material by just getting scraps from seamstresses, fabric stores or even ebay.
If Tiny Guy is not potty trained yet by next year, my next goal will be to use non PUL covers, which is still my biggest fear, since I would have never made the switch without those.
WILL I SWITCH TO FLATS?
No. I love my system, I love my AIOs, my prefolds, my minky FB, cotton/bamboo and cotton/hemp inserts. I know I can use liners for stay dry, so that wouldn't be a problem if I switched, but I have a nice routine for washing, haven't had rash or stinky problems for a long time and a wonderful tiny washer that I miss when being away. But, I'll certainly consider using the drags as doublers, since they wash well and dry fast. And I may do more footwashing, as long as I don't have to wring the clothes and I toss them in the spin dryer, it can even help me catch up on back laundry later on.
DID I ACHIEVE MY GOAL?
Not yet, laundry basket is still full. I started to see a little progress yesterday, but I did finish the back diapers until Tuesday, and I still will footwash today and tomorrow, so my goal of clearing the laundry basket can still be achieved. I am very limited by the space to dry clothes, and weather has not helped this week, but we'll see on Tuesday where we're standing.
IS IT DOABLE?
That, in an on itself, is a silly question. Our grandmothers did it, some of our mothers as well, and in several other parts of the world it is still done. It would be more practical if access to water was easier, if women were thinking outside of the box and the rules and used whatever they found to diaper the child, if we just didn't care that much for clothing or accidents. Had I known what I know now, I may have used cloth with my first child, even without a washer.I had only 3 minor leaks and all could have been prevented. I had much more leaks a day using disposables, so that would not be a reason for not considering it. As for vacation backup, I may think about it, depends on the situation. But I don't think it is affordable to buy a full stash of flats for going on vacation instead of an $8 disposable bag.
Friday, May 16, 2014
Flats and Handwashing Challenge 2014 Day 6 - Honoring Eva
Eva works for my parents. She has done so for more than 20 years. She is uneducated but very smart and extremely hardworking.
When we met her, she had just given birth to her 9th child!! I know I shouldn't be surprised, since my dad has 11 siblings, but it was a different era in Mexico when he grew up, and his dad could afford a cook, 3 nannies and 2 or 3 cleaning ladies. Eva, on the other hand, was raising her family mostly by herself, with an abusive and alcoholic husband that would only provide what would be now about $20 a week.
So, for her, cloth diapering, more specifically flats and handwashing was not a choice, or a week's challenge: it was the only way of diapering. And she would do that after a full day's work, with more than one baby at a time.
The thing is, it never occurred to me how women would diaper their children in Mexico until I went to the mountains and stayed in one of the typical country native communities: poverty like US has never seen. And why do I say the US has never seen it? because even when they didn't have money, their clothes were wasted down and a lot of times they would go without shoes, the basic food is always available, and they live in small houses made with bricks and wood, with tin roofs.
Being there, I saw babies crawling, undiapered. If they peed, they would just get into the floor and absorbed there. I felt these people were totally free from the burden that city people has to face.
But that's not Eva's background. She is from the city, and poverty is way tougher. When I went last year to visit my folks, she was only too happy to help with my diapering duties. She says her daughters won't do it, they are just using disposables for their little ones and spending fortunes on it. She says they are lazy, but I can't blame them.
Washing diapers for a week in a tiny apartment, when they are only rags, when neighbors won't be spying to see if I have a spot, and doing it in the shower with little helpers that take it as a game doesn't seem like a burden, or even a challenge, when you realize that, for some, that is not a choice, but the norm.
When we met her, she had just given birth to her 9th child!! I know I shouldn't be surprised, since my dad has 11 siblings, but it was a different era in Mexico when he grew up, and his dad could afford a cook, 3 nannies and 2 or 3 cleaning ladies. Eva, on the other hand, was raising her family mostly by herself, with an abusive and alcoholic husband that would only provide what would be now about $20 a week.
So, for her, cloth diapering, more specifically flats and handwashing was not a choice, or a week's challenge: it was the only way of diapering. And she would do that after a full day's work, with more than one baby at a time.
The thing is, it never occurred to me how women would diaper their children in Mexico until I went to the mountains and stayed in one of the typical country native communities: poverty like US has never seen. And why do I say the US has never seen it? because even when they didn't have money, their clothes were wasted down and a lot of times they would go without shoes, the basic food is always available, and they live in small houses made with bricks and wood, with tin roofs.
Being there, I saw babies crawling, undiapered. If they peed, they would just get into the floor and absorbed there. I felt these people were totally free from the burden that city people has to face.
But that's not Eva's background. She is from the city, and poverty is way tougher. When I went last year to visit my folks, she was only too happy to help with my diapering duties. She says her daughters won't do it, they are just using disposables for their little ones and spending fortunes on it. She says they are lazy, but I can't blame them.
Washing diapers for a week in a tiny apartment, when they are only rags, when neighbors won't be spying to see if I have a spot, and doing it in the shower with little helpers that take it as a game doesn't seem like a burden, or even a challenge, when you realize that, for some, that is not a choice, but the norm.
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Flats and Handwashing Challenge 2014 - Day 5 No folds for me!!
Seems to me, and so did last year, that I am alone in this enterprise. While I see moms all enthusiastic about the challenge and showing off bums covered with tye dye designs and rocking t-shirts,I literally did not prepare, did not even attempt to use a T-shirt, am as lazy as it gets and did not stop using my highly convenient covers (and pockets a lot of the time).
I learned something very valuable for my sake last year:
I am not good at folding!
So, for today's post and folds, I can safely say: there aren't any. If I was using regular flats, even T-shirts, it would at least require padfolding, which is not as bad and was highly used last year in my T-shirts and Handwashing in a utility sink challenge.
But this year, in my "Sleeves and other rags and Footwashing Challenge", the kicker comes in: I don't have to fold!!!!
As you can see in this last year's pic for the challenge, I am only so happy that I am in this
situation. Another thing I was thinking about yesterday is that one of my weirdo quirks is not liking to change the baby like the usual lying down.
Almost always you will find me changing a diaper while Tiny Guy is standing. I don't have space for a changing station and I have to bend down to do it in a bed or a couch, so it's easier to slap a new one while he is coming to see me, or while he is sitting on my lap. This week, I've found myself doing it a lot, and of course, it's not my favorite part. Usually, the diaper is ready with the desired amount of pieces lying on a cover or already stuffed into a pocket, if I had to be doing origami magic on top of that, and have a squirmy toddler to deal with, I would have dropped out on Sunday noon.
So, does lying on top of another work? yep, only one leak and I should have changed the diaper sooner yesterday morning. No poop in the diapers as of yet (Yay for EC!!!)
I learned something very valuable for my sake last year:
I am not good at folding!
So, for today's post and folds, I can safely say: there aren't any. If I was using regular flats, even T-shirts, it would at least require padfolding, which is not as bad and was highly used last year in my T-shirts and Handwashing in a utility sink challenge.
But this year, in my "Sleeves and other rags and Footwashing Challenge", the kicker comes in: I don't have to fold!!!!
As you can see in this last year's pic for the challenge, I am only so happy that I am in this
situation. Another thing I was thinking about yesterday is that one of my weirdo quirks is not liking to change the baby like the usual lying down.Almost always you will find me changing a diaper while Tiny Guy is standing. I don't have space for a changing station and I have to bend down to do it in a bed or a couch, so it's easier to slap a new one while he is coming to see me, or while he is sitting on my lap. This week, I've found myself doing it a lot, and of course, it's not my favorite part. Usually, the diaper is ready with the desired amount of pieces lying on a cover or already stuffed into a pocket, if I had to be doing origami magic on top of that, and have a squirmy toddler to deal with, I would have dropped out on Sunday noon.
So, does lying on top of another work? yep, only one leak and I should have changed the diaper sooner yesterday morning. No poop in the diapers as of yet (Yay for EC!!!)
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Flats and Handwashing Challenge 2014 Day 4 #footwashingrocks
I think, for some of us, the challenge should be called "Flats and Footwashing Challenge"
So, for the casual reader learning about cloth diapers, or laundering in general, I took this week as a chance to test my abilities at such a task: doing laundry with my feet.
After all, feet create the best wine, so, why not washing the best diapers?
First time I knew about this technique was due to another blogging mom, who did all her laundry in a small appartment without any equipment.
The technique is very simple: you turn your bathtub into a washing drum and your feet into agitators. That's it. Of course, since you get very wet, a bath comes with the package.
What I was not counting on, and I should have, is a couple of little helpers. Well, inf fact, a Tiny one. Apparently having small pieces of fabric inside the bathtub is just as fun as having rubber duckies, and he's old enough to be aware of water and not to try drinking it or lying face down, so I've allowed him to come in. What does he do? he plays! (and subsequently, agitates, hehe).
So, for the "washing" part, I start like any other shower, filling the washer with water, setting up a load, and having the water hot at that point, jumping in, the only difference is that I empty the wet bag first. Easy enough?
Tiny Guy follows and we do the usual shower routine, but I stop the drain, so the tub gets filled with the water I use for showering. After some 3 or 4 minutes of bath, I reach out for my Zote soap inside its baby sock and turn the handheld shower into "massage" mode, aiming it at the soap. Suds immediately start appearing in the surface of our little pool. Tiny Guy loves that. Bath continues as usual, but I constantly remind myself to "Stump my feet and mov'it to the beat". Tiny Guy is at this point doing the heaviest work (a.k.a. having fun!).
At some point, I pull up the drain stopper and start finishing the bath for both of us. Reach a towel and get out. Tiny Guy keeps playing and I have to stay there until the water is gone. Then comes the tough part. I try picking up all the pieces and placing them on top of the bath chair, but Tiny Guy keeps pulling them down, so I turn on the cold water and aim the shower towards 4 or 5 pieces, rinse them directly and wring them. They are very small, so that takes me no time. I go to the drying rack and hang them.
I do that 2 or 3 times until Tiny Guy has decided to finally come out, I wrap him in a towel and leave the rest of the pieces inside the washer (only as a bucket) soaking in water, for later rinse and wringing.
Now, that's when we get into trouble. Yesterday, I had left the remaining flats (mostly sleeves cut down from t-shirt) inside the washer that had been full with the bathroom mat. Came in the morning to do the rinsing and wringing and Tiny Guy followed. He started tossing them back in the bathtub, I started picking them up. This cycle continued until I simply lifted him and sat him on top of the washer. Little Guy came in, liked the idea, and climbed to sit besides his little brother. So this is what I had in front of me while rinsing and wringing:
So, for the casual reader learning about cloth diapers, or laundering in general, I took this week as a chance to test my abilities at such a task: doing laundry with my feet.
After all, feet create the best wine, so, why not washing the best diapers?
MY FOOTWASHING ROUTINE
First time I knew about this technique was due to another blogging mom, who did all her laundry in a small appartment without any equipment.
The technique is very simple: you turn your bathtub into a washing drum and your feet into agitators. That's it. Of course, since you get very wet, a bath comes with the package.
What I was not counting on, and I should have, is a couple of little helpers. Well, inf fact, a Tiny one. Apparently having small pieces of fabric inside the bathtub is just as fun as having rubber duckies, and he's old enough to be aware of water and not to try drinking it or lying face down, so I've allowed him to come in. What does he do? he plays! (and subsequently, agitates, hehe).
So, for the "washing" part, I start like any other shower, filling the washer with water, setting up a load, and having the water hot at that point, jumping in, the only difference is that I empty the wet bag first. Easy enough?
Tiny Guy follows and we do the usual shower routine, but I stop the drain, so the tub gets filled with the water I use for showering. After some 3 or 4 minutes of bath, I reach out for my Zote soap inside its baby sock and turn the handheld shower into "massage" mode, aiming it at the soap. Suds immediately start appearing in the surface of our little pool. Tiny Guy loves that. Bath continues as usual, but I constantly remind myself to "Stump my feet and mov'it to the beat". Tiny Guy is at this point doing the heaviest work (a.k.a. having fun!).
At some point, I pull up the drain stopper and start finishing the bath for both of us. Reach a towel and get out. Tiny Guy keeps playing and I have to stay there until the water is gone. Then comes the tough part. I try picking up all the pieces and placing them on top of the bath chair, but Tiny Guy keeps pulling them down, so I turn on the cold water and aim the shower towards 4 or 5 pieces, rinse them directly and wring them. They are very small, so that takes me no time. I go to the drying rack and hang them.
I do that 2 or 3 times until Tiny Guy has decided to finally come out, I wrap him in a towel and leave the rest of the pieces inside the washer (only as a bucket) soaking in water, for later rinse and wringing.
Now, that's when we get into trouble. Yesterday, I had left the remaining flats (mostly sleeves cut down from t-shirt) inside the washer that had been full with the bathroom mat. Came in the morning to do the rinsing and wringing and Tiny Guy followed. He started tossing them back in the bathtub, I started picking them up. This cycle continued until I simply lifted him and sat him on top of the washer. Little Guy came in, liked the idea, and climbed to sit besides his little brother. So this is what I had in front of me while rinsing and wringing:
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Flats and Handwashing Challenge 2014 - Day 3
Today is an open topic, so I will talk about the principal component of this week's stash:
My husband is a rare entity, he's literally one in a million and it is easy to see why my prior relationships didn't last: those men (good people, all of them) were not him. ´
Among his countless singularities is the fact that, when he is home, he likes being extremely comfortable, and for some reasons, wearing sleeves does not enter into that category. Having been single for decades, he took it upon himself to cut the sleeves of old cotton T-shirts and turn them into "sleeveless T-shirts" (isn't that name super creative?).
Lately, we didn't even bother to get "old" ones. After he got sick, and overwhelmed with laundry piles and clothes gone to the laundromat for weeks at a time, I bought him several new T's and they became sleeveles from the go. All those cut out sleeves went into a "rag bag" inside a closet, to use for cleaning and such. And this week, they are being used as inserts.
I've never used regular flats, since we're living on a very limited budget and even an extra spending of 10 or 20 bucks can get me into trouble. and we had the same situation last year, so I used very very old sleeveless T-shirts, which are a little more rectangular than the typical square. But here's a comparison table between those two:
As to which one I prefer, if I had more space, a utility sink and an outside rack for sunning, definitely I would go for the shirts (even though last year my hands suffered a lot during the challenge). But being in an apartment without such privileges, specially the space, makes the whole flat situation extremely hard, specially with Tiny Guy grabbing wet diapers constantly and tossing them in a wet environment.
Being able to wash the diapers while taking a shower and then rinsing and wringing them in less than 10 seconds each, plus being so small that I can hang them to dry in different spaces, makes the ordeal actually doable. On the other hand, it takes a lot of little squares for every change, and I already finished the entire bag, fortunately, they dry fast.
THE CUT SLEEVE
My husband is a rare entity, he's literally one in a million and it is easy to see why my prior relationships didn't last: those men (good people, all of them) were not him. ´
Among his countless singularities is the fact that, when he is home, he likes being extremely comfortable, and for some reasons, wearing sleeves does not enter into that category. Having been single for decades, he took it upon himself to cut the sleeves of old cotton T-shirts and turn them into "sleeveless T-shirts" (isn't that name super creative?).
Lately, we didn't even bother to get "old" ones. After he got sick, and overwhelmed with laundry piles and clothes gone to the laundromat for weeks at a time, I bought him several new T's and they became sleeveles from the go. All those cut out sleeves went into a "rag bag" inside a closet, to use for cleaning and such. And this week, they are being used as inserts.
I've never used regular flats, since we're living on a very limited budget and even an extra spending of 10 or 20 bucks can get me into trouble. and we had the same situation last year, so I used very very old sleeveless T-shirts, which are a little more rectangular than the typical square. But here's a comparison table between those two:
| SHIRT | SLEEVE | |
| Size | Huge | Tiny |
| Pieces per change | One | 4-6 |
| Wringing time | 1 min | 4 sec |
| Drying time | ~18 hrs | ~8 hrs |
| Trimness | Disposable-like | Falling pants |
| Easiness | needs PHD | Hubby friendly |
| Cover versatility | All types(and coverless) | Needs cover to hold and fasten |
| Folding options | Several | None |
As to which one I prefer, if I had more space, a utility sink and an outside rack for sunning, definitely I would go for the shirts (even though last year my hands suffered a lot during the challenge). But being in an apartment without such privileges, specially the space, makes the whole flat situation extremely hard, specially with Tiny Guy grabbing wet diapers constantly and tossing them in a wet environment.
Being able to wash the diapers while taking a shower and then rinsing and wringing them in less than 10 seconds each, plus being so small that I can hang them to dry in different spaces, makes the ordeal actually doable. On the other hand, it takes a lot of little squares for every change, and I already finished the entire bag, fortunately, they dry fast.
Monday, May 12, 2014
Flats and Handwashing Challenge 2014 - Day 2
Today's topic is cost. At the beginning, I thought it would be an easy one, since the amount of extra money that I'm spending for the challenge is as low as it can get:
Since all I'm using as flats are old rags from a couple of bags we had in the closet, I'm using the same detergent and mostly covers that I already had (and some pockets), there was no need to rush to the store.
That is, in part, because this is sort of a training. You see, about 18 months ago, we were hit by a hurricane. And it was bad.
I was still using disposables, but with a couple of boys, one of them a newborn, I panicked and did some panick shopping: diapers. It only took me about 40 minutes to pay, yes, the lines were that long, and I was lucky.
Fortunately we only lost power for a couple of hours, but friends and family were trapped for days on end, without power and, in some cases, even without water. Transportation was halted, gas was scarce and for a few days not even the Subway was running.
Now I know I don't need to go panick shopping for diapers in such situation. I can diaper this guys (well, guy know) in any circumstance, without the need to go out.
But let's get back to the basics. Why, then, is it not as simple to do the math?
Because, I'm still using detergent, and I'm still using PUL covers. I may not have bought them for this purpose, but I wouldn't be doing the challenge without them.
Most of my covers (12) are Real Nappies. Eventhough they are sized, I have used them since Tiny Guy was literally tiny, and I used them with Little Guy even after he turned 3 and needed overnight diapering. Got them on Amazon for $40 a six pack. If I survive with only using 6, that would be a very good investment. But there's a reason I have 12: I use one cover per diaper change.
I don't think I'll be using more than 12, for sure. Now, the soap, I'm using Zote, which costs $1.19 at the 99c store, if I need to buy a new one at the end of the week, I would add that to the money spent, but I doubt it.
Finally, the water and gas. Well, guess what? I don't get billed for water, hot or cold (NYC regulation for appartment buildings).
So, I guess the cheapest you can go if you are not good at sewing and cutting, or can't find fleece or plain simple don't like it, is $40 for a six pack of covers.
$0.00
Since all I'm using as flats are old rags from a couple of bags we had in the closet, I'm using the same detergent and mostly covers that I already had (and some pockets), there was no need to rush to the store.
That is, in part, because this is sort of a training. You see, about 18 months ago, we were hit by a hurricane. And it was bad.
I was still using disposables, but with a couple of boys, one of them a newborn, I panicked and did some panick shopping: diapers. It only took me about 40 minutes to pay, yes, the lines were that long, and I was lucky.
Fortunately we only lost power for a couple of hours, but friends and family were trapped for days on end, without power and, in some cases, even without water. Transportation was halted, gas was scarce and for a few days not even the Subway was running.
Now I know I don't need to go panick shopping for diapers in such situation. I can diaper this guys (well, guy know) in any circumstance, without the need to go out.
But let's get back to the basics. Why, then, is it not as simple to do the math?
Because, I'm still using detergent, and I'm still using PUL covers. I may not have bought them for this purpose, but I wouldn't be doing the challenge without them.
Most of my covers (12) are Real Nappies. Eventhough they are sized, I have used them since Tiny Guy was literally tiny, and I used them with Little Guy even after he turned 3 and needed overnight diapering. Got them on Amazon for $40 a six pack. If I survive with only using 6, that would be a very good investment. But there's a reason I have 12: I use one cover per diaper change.
I don't think I'll be using more than 12, for sure. Now, the soap, I'm using Zote, which costs $1.19 at the 99c store, if I need to buy a new one at the end of the week, I would add that to the money spent, but I doubt it.
Finally, the water and gas. Well, guess what? I don't get billed for water, hot or cold (NYC regulation for appartment buildings).
So, I guess the cheapest you can go if you are not good at sewing and cutting, or can't find fleece or plain simple don't like it, is $40 for a six pack of covers.
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Flats and Handwashing Challenge 2014 - Day 1
Well, I bit the bait again.
I'm doing this year DDL's challenge. And I'll try to do posts every day instead of one huge one like last year.
Today's topic is a very complicated one:
As last year, I had a million reasons for not signing up. I'm not as active as I was in the cloth diapering online community, I'm home in NYC in a small appartment and I'm 2-3 weeks late in laundry since my clandestine machine only washes 6 -7 pounds at a time.
On top of that, I have arthritis, so hand operated machines are out of the questions, they would result in severe pain in my shoulders really fast. On top of that, I'm broke.
So, besides some self pride, I have one, and only one reason for doing this: I need to catch up with laundry. If I don't use inserts for a week and wash the diapers outside of the washer, I may be able to lower the monster down.
Just like last year, I did not prepare, but instead of using old sleeveless t-shirts, I'm using discarded rags. We have a couple of bags that I dug out of the closet, old sheets, pants, sleeves, etc. I can't afford to use shirts because of the delay in the laundry, every single one is either used, wet or being used at the moment.
And I'm using my stash of covers and pockets, maybe even the snappis. Some reusable liners are there as well.
I'll do the stomping method and give a little extra exercise to my legs, and will see what happens if my boys sneak into the shower. Use Zote soap, which is what I use all the time for diapers, and see where I land.
So far, after 2 changes, I have half a wet bag full of wet rags, placed on 10 layer pads, one on top of another, inside a cover or a pocket....
Let the games begin!!!
I'm doing this year DDL's challenge. And I'll try to do posts every day instead of one huge one like last year.
Today's topic is a very complicated one:
WHY!!!!
As last year, I had a million reasons for not signing up. I'm not as active as I was in the cloth diapering online community, I'm home in NYC in a small appartment and I'm 2-3 weeks late in laundry since my clandestine machine only washes 6 -7 pounds at a time.
On top of that, I have arthritis, so hand operated machines are out of the questions, they would result in severe pain in my shoulders really fast. On top of that, I'm broke.
So, besides some self pride, I have one, and only one reason for doing this: I need to catch up with laundry. If I don't use inserts for a week and wash the diapers outside of the washer, I may be able to lower the monster down.
Just like last year, I did not prepare, but instead of using old sleeveless t-shirts, I'm using discarded rags. We have a couple of bags that I dug out of the closet, old sheets, pants, sleeves, etc. I can't afford to use shirts because of the delay in the laundry, every single one is either used, wet or being used at the moment.
And I'm using my stash of covers and pockets, maybe even the snappis. Some reusable liners are there as well.
I'll do the stomping method and give a little extra exercise to my legs, and will see what happens if my boys sneak into the shower. Use Zote soap, which is what I use all the time for diapers, and see where I land.
So far, after 2 changes, I have half a wet bag full of wet rags, placed on 10 layer pads, one on top of another, inside a cover or a pocket....
Let the games begin!!!
Friday, May 9, 2014
The Hosing Technique: No More Wiping!
There's something I never got used to and I'm not sure I ever will: wiping babies.
I remember when Little Guy was a baby, nothing was more dreaded than changing a messy explosion, specially if it had climbed all over the back. It required a ritual that included undressing the baby in prone position and cleaning his back first, in which half a box of baby wipes would be spent.
And I never liked those things. They smelled funny, they were too thin and they were always too wet.
But one day, and forgive me if I have talked about this event in the past, Little Guy's explosion was so epic that it went over all his exersaucer. The diaper (disposable) was covered in and out. I needed help.
Between my husband and I, we got our 6 month-old monster and, me holding his hands and him his feet, we transported the little poopy ball directly to the bathtub, deattached the shower, set it up in water massage and "hosed him down".
I could not believe what I was seeing!! It took so little time and effort! I mean, we still had to deal with the prior mess, but the baby cleaning was fast and effective, and our hands were clean!!
Ever since that day, we opted for the hosing for big messes. My usage of baby wipes started to decrease, to the point that, when Tiny Guy was born, I still had about 5 bags for re-filling in the baby cabinet.
Eventually, when he was about 18 months and loved to rip off his diapers, we switched to pull-ups. That made it even easier to just put him standing on his dad's bath chair, take the diaper there, toss whatever we could in the toilet and the rest in the garbage, and hose him down. We got it down to a science.
I practically forgot what it was to clean babies with messy diapers, despite the fact that Little Guy was not potty trained when Tiny Guy was born. Then the whole nightmare re-started and I got out my remaining 5 bags of baby wipes, and of course, had to buy more of those.
Then I switched to cloth diapers, which made the endavour easier and less smelly, but the kicker was using wash clothes as wipes, since they would remain in the diaper and just be washed with everything else, it was easier, and I only needed one to clean the whole area. Once Tiny Guy was able to stand on his own, to the shower we go!!!
So, if Tiny Guy happens to poop when we're out and about, which he hardly ever does, he may get a traditional change with a wash cloth, but otherwise, his butt is extremly grateful for the prompt and efficient cleaning it gets on a poopy basis.
I remember when Little Guy was a baby, nothing was more dreaded than changing a messy explosion, specially if it had climbed all over the back. It required a ritual that included undressing the baby in prone position and cleaning his back first, in which half a box of baby wipes would be spent.
And I never liked those things. They smelled funny, they were too thin and they were always too wet.
But one day, and forgive me if I have talked about this event in the past, Little Guy's explosion was so epic that it went over all his exersaucer. The diaper (disposable) was covered in and out. I needed help.
Between my husband and I, we got our 6 month-old monster and, me holding his hands and him his feet, we transported the little poopy ball directly to the bathtub, deattached the shower, set it up in water massage and "hosed him down".
I could not believe what I was seeing!! It took so little time and effort! I mean, we still had to deal with the prior mess, but the baby cleaning was fast and effective, and our hands were clean!!
Ever since that day, we opted for the hosing for big messes. My usage of baby wipes started to decrease, to the point that, when Tiny Guy was born, I still had about 5 bags for re-filling in the baby cabinet.
Eventually, when he was about 18 months and loved to rip off his diapers, we switched to pull-ups. That made it even easier to just put him standing on his dad's bath chair, take the diaper there, toss whatever we could in the toilet and the rest in the garbage, and hose him down. We got it down to a science.
I practically forgot what it was to clean babies with messy diapers, despite the fact that Little Guy was not potty trained when Tiny Guy was born. Then the whole nightmare re-started and I got out my remaining 5 bags of baby wipes, and of course, had to buy more of those.
Then I switched to cloth diapers, which made the endavour easier and less smelly, but the kicker was using wash clothes as wipes, since they would remain in the diaper and just be washed with everything else, it was easier, and I only needed one to clean the whole area. Once Tiny Guy was able to stand on his own, to the shower we go!!!
So, if Tiny Guy happens to poop when we're out and about, which he hardly ever does, he may get a traditional change with a wash cloth, but otherwise, his butt is extremly grateful for the prompt and efficient cleaning it gets on a poopy basis.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Why is it so Easy? 2 Simple Words: Attachment Parenting
Lately I've seen several posts from different sources quoting how hard raising kids is. The "no breaks and no vacation time", the "not sleep, not eat, not rest" rules do not seem to apply to me.
Every time I see someone saying that "the baby never sleeps", I go back to the brief week I had that situation. Co-sleeping took care of it. Not only have my babies slept all night since they were born, I am also able to put them to sleep if I need a nap. Little Guy is 4 and has an amazing ability to put himself to sleep whenever he thinks it's appropiate.
Every time I see someone complaining about feeding the baby, I get puzzled. I never do that. I never prepared food for Little Guy. His main source of nutrients came from breast milk, and then I would cook for the 3 of us and serve only 2 plates, he would come to me and ask me to share with him. He is in good height and weight right now, drinks about a little of plain water a day and eats with us, now in his own plate. He is also able to go to the kitchen and get snacks and even helps me with the cooking.. Tiny Guy is in the tasting stage still, upon request, he gets to eat whatever is in my plate, for the next 6 months or so, breast milk will keep taking care of his main nutritional needs. I don't have messes or wasted food and my boys are used to having their meals in a family environment in which the 4 of us are included.
Every time I see people complaining about painting in the walls I get puzzled. We never provided paining material to Little Guy when he was in an age to do so. He now knows the purpose of using paper and spends a good amount of time drawing in recycled envelopes from spam snail mail, as well as a magnetig board and an etch-a-sketch. My walls have minimum marks from his early years.
Every time I see complaints about supermarket outings I get puzzled. These people do not know about carriers, toddler carts and just doing it since they are little. Little Guy helps me a lot and never disappears from my sight. Tiny Guy is confined inside the carrier until he learns to stay close too.
Are my kids perfect? Hehe, no. They do throw tantrums and have a very destructive nature. But we get along and keep learning from each other every day. I just try to make things as easy for me on a day to day basis. It works. I have many things to stress about, but my kids' basic needs are not one of those.
Every time I see someone saying that "the baby never sleeps", I go back to the brief week I had that situation. Co-sleeping took care of it. Not only have my babies slept all night since they were born, I am also able to put them to sleep if I need a nap. Little Guy is 4 and has an amazing ability to put himself to sleep whenever he thinks it's appropiate.
Every time I see someone complaining about feeding the baby, I get puzzled. I never do that. I never prepared food for Little Guy. His main source of nutrients came from breast milk, and then I would cook for the 3 of us and serve only 2 plates, he would come to me and ask me to share with him. He is in good height and weight right now, drinks about a little of plain water a day and eats with us, now in his own plate. He is also able to go to the kitchen and get snacks and even helps me with the cooking.. Tiny Guy is in the tasting stage still, upon request, he gets to eat whatever is in my plate, for the next 6 months or so, breast milk will keep taking care of his main nutritional needs. I don't have messes or wasted food and my boys are used to having their meals in a family environment in which the 4 of us are included.
Every time I see people complaining about painting in the walls I get puzzled. We never provided paining material to Little Guy when he was in an age to do so. He now knows the purpose of using paper and spends a good amount of time drawing in recycled envelopes from spam snail mail, as well as a magnetig board and an etch-a-sketch. My walls have minimum marks from his early years.
Every time I see complaints about supermarket outings I get puzzled. These people do not know about carriers, toddler carts and just doing it since they are little. Little Guy helps me a lot and never disappears from my sight. Tiny Guy is confined inside the carrier until he learns to stay close too.
Are my kids perfect? Hehe, no. They do throw tantrums and have a very destructive nature. But we get along and keep learning from each other every day. I just try to make things as easy for me on a day to day basis. It works. I have many things to stress about, but my kids' basic needs are not one of those.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Getting Intimmate with my Old Friend - The MoonCup
And.... it finally happened.
After 27 months (not counting post-partum bleeding), my period is back. What occurred yesterday morning after I went to the bathroom and found out my preferred contraceptive method had expired was to be expected: me yelling around all over the place, unable to find my MoonCup.
It is understandable that my husband had moved it around, since it had not been used for a very long, long time. More even that he found it immediately and calmed me down. Of course I was frightened. The idea of driving 450 miles with a foreign object between my legs was not appalling. Fortunately, that was not to be the case.
Using a menstrual cup is in every way better than any other alternative, but that does not imply it is free from complications, frustration and red spots. Have you heard of the womens' club that claims they can't wait to have their period so that they get to use their cups? Well, I'm not a member. Still, it went from living in panic for 7 days to a 4 day inconvenience.
I remember when my sister got married. She asked me to bring tampons on my diaper bag and give them later to her matron of honor, since she was in charge of the bride's bag. I told her a menstrual cup would be one of my wedding presents, she turned and said NO. Fine, she spent her whole wedding day in panic hoping her dress wouldn't be stained. If you'd rather suffer with tampons and pads than get a little blood on your fingers, don't bother to get one.
But let's put it in simple terms:
The Good:
Shorter periods with less colics. Cups have succion and it helps. A lot. Zero rashes and zero dryness. Zero risk of toxic shock, cheaper in the long term.
The Bad:
It does not seal perfectly, leaks may occur. Putting it in and out can be irritating. Has a learning curve.
The Ugly:
You'll get your fingers in and they'll get dirty.
Advice:
Do not cut the lower stem. Try it first and if it bothers you, start cutting very small pieces. Some women will prefer it without stem at all, but others will need it for removal, you won't know how you want it until you try first. I definitely need the stem there, it is about half the original size.
The vacuum created can be a problem for removal. I know that Lunette users squeeze the cup to break the succion. That does not work with the MoonCup (believe me, I've tried). I introduce my middle finger and pull the edge down, the thing is, no matter how you do it, the succion cup will not be removed by just pulling it, as your experience with other objects can demonstrate.
Boil it after you're done with your period. Takes 10 minutes and it gives you peace of mind that next time it will be ready for usage.
Remember, you need to check it once in a while, don't forget there's something down there...
After 27 months (not counting post-partum bleeding), my period is back. What occurred yesterday morning after I went to the bathroom and found out my preferred contraceptive method had expired was to be expected: me yelling around all over the place, unable to find my MoonCup.
It is understandable that my husband had moved it around, since it had not been used for a very long, long time. More even that he found it immediately and calmed me down. Of course I was frightened. The idea of driving 450 miles with a foreign object between my legs was not appalling. Fortunately, that was not to be the case.
Using a menstrual cup is in every way better than any other alternative, but that does not imply it is free from complications, frustration and red spots. Have you heard of the womens' club that claims they can't wait to have their period so that they get to use their cups? Well, I'm not a member. Still, it went from living in panic for 7 days to a 4 day inconvenience.
I remember when my sister got married. She asked me to bring tampons on my diaper bag and give them later to her matron of honor, since she was in charge of the bride's bag. I told her a menstrual cup would be one of my wedding presents, she turned and said NO. Fine, she spent her whole wedding day in panic hoping her dress wouldn't be stained. If you'd rather suffer with tampons and pads than get a little blood on your fingers, don't bother to get one.
But let's put it in simple terms:
The Good:
Shorter periods with less colics. Cups have succion and it helps. A lot. Zero rashes and zero dryness. Zero risk of toxic shock, cheaper in the long term.
The Bad:
It does not seal perfectly, leaks may occur. Putting it in and out can be irritating. Has a learning curve.
The Ugly:
You'll get your fingers in and they'll get dirty.
Advice:
Do not cut the lower stem. Try it first and if it bothers you, start cutting very small pieces. Some women will prefer it without stem at all, but others will need it for removal, you won't know how you want it until you try first. I definitely need the stem there, it is about half the original size.
The vacuum created can be a problem for removal. I know that Lunette users squeeze the cup to break the succion. That does not work with the MoonCup (believe me, I've tried). I introduce my middle finger and pull the edge down, the thing is, no matter how you do it, the succion cup will not be removed by just pulling it, as your experience with other objects can demonstrate.
Boil it after you're done with your period. Takes 10 minutes and it gives you peace of mind that next time it will be ready for usage.
Remember, you need to check it once in a while, don't forget there's something down there...
Sunday, March 9, 2014
The Contradictions of EC
Tiny Guy has been in Cupid mode for the past couple of weeks. It may be due to a small rash he had on his bum or just plain simple he just likes it that way. Since he is very determined and skillful, no matter what I put on top of the diaper to keep it in place, he gets rid of everything.
So I decided to take advantage of the occasion and try a little Elimination Communication, saving a few laundry loads or spacing them more.
Once, he just got rid of his diaper and ran to the bathroom, I placed him on the bathtub and voilá, pee came right away. Such a piece of luck, however, only has come on a couple of occasions.
The funny thing is, despite these little pees here and there, Tiny Guy is going through almost 10 diapers a day, so my laundry relief has become a constant battle to beat the monster.
Hoping he will stop now that the rash is almost gone. It's been a very eventful week, and I'll keep trying to do a little EC here and there if he keeps on his fresh trend in the near future.
So I decided to take advantage of the occasion and try a little Elimination Communication, saving a few laundry loads or spacing them more.
Once, he just got rid of his diaper and ran to the bathroom, I placed him on the bathtub and voilá, pee came right away. Such a piece of luck, however, only has come on a couple of occasions.
The funny thing is, despite these little pees here and there, Tiny Guy is going through almost 10 diapers a day, so my laundry relief has become a constant battle to beat the monster.
Hoping he will stop now that the rash is almost gone. It's been a very eventful week, and I'll keep trying to do a little EC here and there if he keeps on his fresh trend in the near future.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Brands that I Don't Like
Did you ever turn out to the sky and ask, can something get worse?
Usually the answer will be having a dog walk by and urinate on you.
After a very painful night in which Tiny Guy would wake up every half an hour with a runny nose, finally we got a little rest with him sleeping on top of me. All of a sudden, I felt warm and wet on my waist.......
Yep, the Flip had failed again. I barely use covers and if I do, they usually are Real Nappies because the Flips have a much lower quality and terrible design.
Which brings me to the question: which brands I really can't stand?
You guessed right: The most famous of all, Bumgenius and all its aliases.
Mainly it is the very poor design that never fits right what bothers me so much, or the butterfly taps, the deal is that I have 2 Flips and a Freetime and only use them when the stash is mostly dirty.
But what then makes them a good diaper and such a famous one?
They are a great company. They manufacture in the US and select materials carefully. Which is why I was very surprised to see the Flips so badly terminated, or maybe because my other covers are better in every possible way.
But then I got a Freetime for free. Same problem with design. It is the only one of all my diapers that is breaking apart, that never fits right and that I hate spraying.
Should you buy them? Be my guest. I am one of the few people that are not impressed and have seen great reviews from honest moms.
What other brand can't I stand?
Kissaluvs.
Very poor design. Last very little, and if you don't have a dryer, forget it, you will get cardboard.
I should have returned those.
why do I write this?
Many retailers give you a 30 day guarantee, in which you can return the diapers that you don't like. I contacted them with the Kissaluvs and they suggested several things. I did not follow my instincts and decided to give them a second chance. Bad choice.
If you don't like a diaper, return it immediately, don't try to see if it works. There are several other brands out there that you will love. Believe me, I didn't get that bad feeling or disgruntled face with Real Nappies, Blueberries or Fuzzibunz.
Usually the answer will be having a dog walk by and urinate on you.
After a very painful night in which Tiny Guy would wake up every half an hour with a runny nose, finally we got a little rest with him sleeping on top of me. All of a sudden, I felt warm and wet on my waist.......
Yep, the Flip had failed again. I barely use covers and if I do, they usually are Real Nappies because the Flips have a much lower quality and terrible design.
Which brings me to the question: which brands I really can't stand?
You guessed right: The most famous of all, Bumgenius and all its aliases.
Mainly it is the very poor design that never fits right what bothers me so much, or the butterfly taps, the deal is that I have 2 Flips and a Freetime and only use them when the stash is mostly dirty.
But what then makes them a good diaper and such a famous one?
They are a great company. They manufacture in the US and select materials carefully. Which is why I was very surprised to see the Flips so badly terminated, or maybe because my other covers are better in every possible way.
But then I got a Freetime for free. Same problem with design. It is the only one of all my diapers that is breaking apart, that never fits right and that I hate spraying.
Should you buy them? Be my guest. I am one of the few people that are not impressed and have seen great reviews from honest moms.
What other brand can't I stand?
Kissaluvs.
Very poor design. Last very little, and if you don't have a dryer, forget it, you will get cardboard.
I should have returned those.
why do I write this?
Many retailers give you a 30 day guarantee, in which you can return the diapers that you don't like. I contacted them with the Kissaluvs and they suggested several things. I did not follow my instincts and decided to give them a second chance. Bad choice.
If you don't like a diaper, return it immediately, don't try to see if it works. There are several other brands out there that you will love. Believe me, I didn't get that bad feeling or disgruntled face with Real Nappies, Blueberries or Fuzzibunz.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Washing Diapers in a Twin Tub Panda Washer
I've seen several inquiries and google searches about washing cloth diapers in a Twin Tub Panda, I'm no expert, but have been doing this for a year, changing routines, adapting to new situations and battling ammonia, so I'll see if I can answer your doubts to the best of my abilities.
Is it possible to wash diapers in a Twin Tub portable washer?
Yes. It takes more time than doing it on a regular and you have to do it more frequently, but it can be done.
How often should diapers be washed?
Depends on the number of diapers being used and the age of the machine. When it was newer, I could wash 10-12 diapers at a time, which allowed me to go for a couple of days without them accumulating if I had only one child in diapers (I had 2 for several months). Since it has been losing power due to barring and over use (and abuse), I do 7-8 diapers now, so I can wash twice every three days.
Should I spin the diapers inbetween rinses?
I do, just like in a regular machine, because it gets rid of more soap and more ammonia, but if you have good results skipping that step, good for you. This machine is extremely flexible, you control the time, the ammount of water and how many times you wash and rinse, there is no automatic cycle you have to adapt to.
Do diapers come dry out of the spinner?
No. But they dry much faster when you hang them than coming out of a regular washer. Polyester fabrics come almost ready, it takes a couple of hours, natural fibers are usually dry overnight, depending on humidity conditions.
Can I use a different detergent for my regular clothes?
Yes, I do that all the time, just give a rinse to the tub before you start filling it up.
Can I drain the water in the bathtub, will it overflow?
Yes, you can. It fills about 1/5 of the bathtub when you drain and it empties out in a couple of minutes. It is much safer than draining in the bathroom sink and pumping water in the drainage.
Do diapers get ammonia when washing them in a small portable setting?
Like any other devise, they might. In order to wash the ammonia buildup away, you need a combo of temperature, detergent and time washing. I use a ton of soap, hot water and 12 minutes in the wash and that keeps it down. I actually have an easier time dealing with ammonia with the Panda than with a regular Maytag.
Will my diapers get stained?
They might, I get less stains than in a regular washer, but if they do, I just hang them by the window and they are good as new after 2 or 3 washes (stains do not affect the diaper's funcionality).
What do I do if the washer starts walking?
Your spin drier is out of balance, open it and reaccomodate the clothes on top, trying to put them evenly and flat.
I like my puffy prefolds, can I get puff in the spin drier?
No, you need an air based drier for that. Time also helps, sometimes prefolds I haven't used in weeks appear fluffy later on.
How long does it take to get the diapers clean?
50 min to an hour according to my routine. About 2/3 of the time, the machine is doing its job by itself, no need to stay and babysit.
Can I leave the tub filling and come back later?
Yes, the machine has a hole on top that keeps the water draining into the inner tub and out, so it won't overflow (you still need to save water).
Can I leave the tub draining and come back later?
Yes, but there is no timer in the draining pump, so I wouldn't recommend leaving it on for an undetermined period of time.
Can I leave the washer and/or the spinner working and come back later?
Absolutely!
Will my diapers get damaged if washed in the Panda?
I've been using diapers for more than a year in a very limited stash. The Fuzibunz look good as new and so do the Tots Bots and the Blueberries. The Grovias do look wasted in the leg elastics, but I bought those used already.
How many times should I wash/rinse in the tub to get them clean?
As many as you seem appropiate. I do 4 (3 min hot rinse - 12 min hot wash - 5 min hot rinse - 3 minute cold rinse) and do not spin between 1 and 2. That's the equivalent to 2 cycles in a regular washing machine but with hotter water.
Can I use Dawn or Oxyclean in the Panda?
I do. Much safer to use Dawn in a Panda than in a regular washer.
Do diapers get moldy if left inside the spinner?
Depends on how long, the only times I have had mold issues the diapers were inside a bag damp for several hours, it was only the Grovias. I would still recommend not leaving them overnight in the spinner (no problem with leaving them soaking in the big tub).
I hope this helps, feel free to ask more.
Yes. It takes more time than doing it on a regular and you have to do it more frequently, but it can be done.
How often should diapers be washed?
Depends on the number of diapers being used and the age of the machine. When it was newer, I could wash 10-12 diapers at a time, which allowed me to go for a couple of days without them accumulating if I had only one child in diapers (I had 2 for several months). Since it has been losing power due to barring and over use (and abuse), I do 7-8 diapers now, so I can wash twice every three days.
Should I spin the diapers inbetween rinses?
I do, just like in a regular machine, because it gets rid of more soap and more ammonia, but if you have good results skipping that step, good for you. This machine is extremely flexible, you control the time, the ammount of water and how many times you wash and rinse, there is no automatic cycle you have to adapt to.
Do diapers come dry out of the spinner?
No. But they dry much faster when you hang them than coming out of a regular washer. Polyester fabrics come almost ready, it takes a couple of hours, natural fibers are usually dry overnight, depending on humidity conditions.
Can I use a different detergent for my regular clothes?
Yes, I do that all the time, just give a rinse to the tub before you start filling it up.
Can I drain the water in the bathtub, will it overflow?
Yes, you can. It fills about 1/5 of the bathtub when you drain and it empties out in a couple of minutes. It is much safer than draining in the bathroom sink and pumping water in the drainage.
Do diapers get ammonia when washing them in a small portable setting?
Like any other devise, they might. In order to wash the ammonia buildup away, you need a combo of temperature, detergent and time washing. I use a ton of soap, hot water and 12 minutes in the wash and that keeps it down. I actually have an easier time dealing with ammonia with the Panda than with a regular Maytag.
Will my diapers get stained?
They might, I get less stains than in a regular washer, but if they do, I just hang them by the window and they are good as new after 2 or 3 washes (stains do not affect the diaper's funcionality).
What do I do if the washer starts walking?Your spin drier is out of balance, open it and reaccomodate the clothes on top, trying to put them evenly and flat.
I like my puffy prefolds, can I get puff in the spin drier?
No, you need an air based drier for that. Time also helps, sometimes prefolds I haven't used in weeks appear fluffy later on.
How long does it take to get the diapers clean?
50 min to an hour according to my routine. About 2/3 of the time, the machine is doing its job by itself, no need to stay and babysit.
Can I leave the tub filling and come back later?
Yes, the machine has a hole on top that keeps the water draining into the inner tub and out, so it won't overflow (you still need to save water).
Can I leave the tub draining and come back later?
Yes, but there is no timer in the draining pump, so I wouldn't recommend leaving it on for an undetermined period of time.
Can I leave the washer and/or the spinner working and come back later?
Absolutely!
Will my diapers get damaged if washed in the Panda?I've been using diapers for more than a year in a very limited stash. The Fuzibunz look good as new and so do the Tots Bots and the Blueberries. The Grovias do look wasted in the leg elastics, but I bought those used already.
How many times should I wash/rinse in the tub to get them clean?
As many as you seem appropiate. I do 4 (3 min hot rinse - 12 min hot wash - 5 min hot rinse - 3 minute cold rinse) and do not spin between 1 and 2. That's the equivalent to 2 cycles in a regular washing machine but with hotter water.
Can I use Dawn or Oxyclean in the Panda?
I do. Much safer to use Dawn in a Panda than in a regular washer.
Do diapers get moldy if left inside the spinner?
Depends on how long, the only times I have had mold issues the diapers were inside a bag damp for several hours, it was only the Grovias. I would still recommend not leaving them overnight in the spinner (no problem with leaving them soaking in the big tub).
I hope this helps, feel free to ask more.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Different Brands for Different Situations
Over the past year, I've used cloth diapers almost exclusively. I got different brands at different times and they have more than paid for themselves at this point.
I have different brands and my stash is definitely small but varied. Anyway, this is a comparison of what I have and what works better for different situations.
I have Blueberry Econappi, Simplex and prefolds. Grovia AIO, Bumgenius Freetime, Tots Bots AIO, Fuzzibunz OS Elite, Flip OS Covers, Real Nappies covers, Flip organic inserts, Unbranded prefolds and Kissaluvs hemp fitteds.
The Confy One.
My favorites are Fuzzibunz. They have the best fit, they always look perfect, they dry fast and there's always one ready to use. I generally grab the diaper and a couple of inserts and in 10 seconds stuff it, it takes me no time to put it on and the three snaps on each side and waist adjustment make them a total winner.
My second choice is Blueberry Econappi. Not as fantastic fit as the Elites and not as dry due to being all natural, but the bamboo inserts last longer and are less bulky, I just love those diapers.
The Outsider
Econappi most likely will be my diaper to go, and Grovia AIO will be my diaper on the bag. Fuzzibunz tend to have compression leaks in the car and the inserts don't last as long because they are polyester. Econappi will last longer. Grovias are the least bulky, great for tight pants and for bringing in my tiny purse or in the baby carrier, just in case Tiny Guy needs a change and the ordeal is longer than 3 hours.
The Daddy-doer
This one is tricky. If they are ready, the Fuzzibunz are the best choice, and he always put them right. Also a great choice is a prefold in Real Nappies covers, since they are velcro, there is no room for making mistakes, and he doesn't mind that they are not a pocket or an AIO.
The Daddy Impromptu
If there's nothing prepared ahead of time, the Freetime is the one that I've seen best placed on Tiny Guy from all the AIO for a person that doesn't know what he's doing. The snaps are the easiest to put and press and the 2 flaps are easy enough to figure out.
The Trim One
Grovia AIO. Period. I don't think disposables would look as trim, even before the gel fills up.
The Night Cruiser
Trifolded prefolds "girl mode" as inserts of an Econappi. My boys are not heavy wetters, several things and combos work for night time, but that one is the best of them all. Rash free and durable.
The Cutest Print
Tots Bots New York. The only diaper I have bought because the print was just perfect for a baby boy.
The Baby Model
On my sister's wedding day, the photographer went to the house for the dressing part, she saw the baby and started taking shots of him. He was wearing a prefold with a snappi. I immediately went and changed him. Grovia AIO was my first choice in the rush.
The Baby Proof
Fuzzibunz Elite. Why, I don't know, but Tiny Guy has yet to take that one off. He has disposed of every other one.
The Staywet
Blueberry Simplex OS. If it is not wet with urine, it is wet with water. It takes so long to dry and my stash is so short, that it spends more than two thirds of the time wet.
The Staydry
Tots Bots AIO is the dryest. It takes a couple of hours after the spinner and it does not need stuffing.
The Explosion Container
Believe it or not, Grovia AIO has contained every single explosion, even when it doesn't last that long for regular wetting (I change it within an hour). None other holds such an honor (although explosion leaks are very rare in general).
The Leak Proof
Freetime has so far proven to be beyond leaks and in a class of its own on that regard.
The Rash Free
Fuzzibunz Elite and Tots Bots are my to go every time Tiny Guy gets a rash, they disappear by themselves with daily baths and
I have different brands and my stash is definitely small but varied. Anyway, this is a comparison of what I have and what works better for different situations.
I have Blueberry Econappi, Simplex and prefolds. Grovia AIO, Bumgenius Freetime, Tots Bots AIO, Fuzzibunz OS Elite, Flip OS Covers, Real Nappies covers, Flip organic inserts, Unbranded prefolds and Kissaluvs hemp fitteds.
The Confy One.
My favorites are Fuzzibunz. They have the best fit, they always look perfect, they dry fast and there's always one ready to use. I generally grab the diaper and a couple of inserts and in 10 seconds stuff it, it takes me no time to put it on and the three snaps on each side and waist adjustment make them a total winner.
My second choice is Blueberry Econappi. Not as fantastic fit as the Elites and not as dry due to being all natural, but the bamboo inserts last longer and are less bulky, I just love those diapers.
The Outsider
Econappi most likely will be my diaper to go, and Grovia AIO will be my diaper on the bag. Fuzzibunz tend to have compression leaks in the car and the inserts don't last as long because they are polyester. Econappi will last longer. Grovias are the least bulky, great for tight pants and for bringing in my tiny purse or in the baby carrier, just in case Tiny Guy needs a change and the ordeal is longer than 3 hours.
The Daddy-doer
This one is tricky. If they are ready, the Fuzzibunz are the best choice, and he always put them right. Also a great choice is a prefold in Real Nappies covers, since they are velcro, there is no room for making mistakes, and he doesn't mind that they are not a pocket or an AIO.
The Daddy Impromptu
If there's nothing prepared ahead of time, the Freetime is the one that I've seen best placed on Tiny Guy from all the AIO for a person that doesn't know what he's doing. The snaps are the easiest to put and press and the 2 flaps are easy enough to figure out.
The Trim One
Grovia AIO. Period. I don't think disposables would look as trim, even before the gel fills up.
The Night Cruiser
Trifolded prefolds "girl mode" as inserts of an Econappi. My boys are not heavy wetters, several things and combos work for night time, but that one is the best of them all. Rash free and durable.
The Cutest Print
Tots Bots New York. The only diaper I have bought because the print was just perfect for a baby boy.
The Baby Model
On my sister's wedding day, the photographer went to the house for the dressing part, she saw the baby and started taking shots of him. He was wearing a prefold with a snappi. I immediately went and changed him. Grovia AIO was my first choice in the rush.
The Baby Proof
Fuzzibunz Elite. Why, I don't know, but Tiny Guy has yet to take that one off. He has disposed of every other one.
The Staywet
Blueberry Simplex OS. If it is not wet with urine, it is wet with water. It takes so long to dry and my stash is so short, that it spends more than two thirds of the time wet.
The Staydry
Tots Bots AIO is the dryest. It takes a couple of hours after the spinner and it does not need stuffing.
The Explosion Container
Believe it or not, Grovia AIO has contained every single explosion, even when it doesn't last that long for regular wetting (I change it within an hour). None other holds such an honor (although explosion leaks are very rare in general).
The Leak Proof
Freetime has so far proven to be beyond leaks and in a class of its own on that regard.
The Rash Free
Fuzzibunz Elite and Tots Bots are my to go every time Tiny Guy gets a rash, they disappear by themselves with daily baths and
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Overcoming the Stink Monster of the Uncovered
The only item I got with my first order of diapers a year ago was a small wetbag. I was washing every day with 2 boys and a tiny bag. Eventually I got another 2 (one of them a little bigger) and closed my non diaper budget.
I was very aware that a dirty diaper had to go in a place that would keep it safe and sound until washing time, and the smell away. My 3 wetbags have seen a lot of washes and traveled all over the place.
But when I started having stinky problems, realized 2 things:
1) My dirty diapers were smelling through the wet bags, creating a smelly monster that I didn't have space to place.
2) Being in a closed area without much air to breathe was not helping the ammonia wrecking when getting wet.
So, whatever was the motive or the discussion, I started dumping the dirty diapers in the dirty clothes hamper, with all the dirty clothes, dirty towels and dirty sheets. Result: less stink.
By no means the stink monster disappeared, but the dirty clothes are much better at hiding the 2 day old urine than the wet bags with one miserable layer of PUL, and even in my second home, where the hard water makes it more difficult to clean, the overall smell is almost negligible compared to the stay away from me wet bag.
I still use them, they are great for outings and travelling, but for inside the house, nothing like dirty clothes to keep the smell at ease.
Oh, the dirty clothes have not expreienced any change once they are clean, they have my favorite scent when out and dry: nothing.
I was very aware that a dirty diaper had to go in a place that would keep it safe and sound until washing time, and the smell away. My 3 wetbags have seen a lot of washes and traveled all over the place.
But when I started having stinky problems, realized 2 things:
1) My dirty diapers were smelling through the wet bags, creating a smelly monster that I didn't have space to place.
2) Being in a closed area without much air to breathe was not helping the ammonia wrecking when getting wet.
So, whatever was the motive or the discussion, I started dumping the dirty diapers in the dirty clothes hamper, with all the dirty clothes, dirty towels and dirty sheets. Result: less stink.
By no means the stink monster disappeared, but the dirty clothes are much better at hiding the 2 day old urine than the wet bags with one miserable layer of PUL, and even in my second home, where the hard water makes it more difficult to clean, the overall smell is almost negligible compared to the stay away from me wet bag.
I still use them, they are great for outings and travelling, but for inside the house, nothing like dirty clothes to keep the smell at ease.
Oh, the dirty clothes have not expreienced any change once they are clean, they have my favorite scent when out and dry: nothing.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
The Ugly Pocketling II
I have a clean freash ready to use orange Fuzzibunz Elite OS in my hand. 48 hours ago that was not the case. After looking at it and feeling it, I must say Thereson Dupuy deserves a monumnet, cause I don't know what other diaper would be like that after what it went through (Grovia AIOs definitely wouldn't).
But let me go back a little bit. I know it will sound gross to you, but among all the little things I've done to accomplish my no-stink life is the no wet bag. You heard it right, I don't use a bag, a pail or any other device to shield the diapers from the outside world. I throw them in the dirty laundry or place them on top of the hanging rack. Sure they smell if you approach too much, but otherwise, the overall odour in the house is safe to breath.
However, poop complicates this arrangement. If there's a poopy diaper (which, thanks to bf, doesn't happen on a daily basis), it gets sprayed with the hand held shower into the toilet and further into the sink until there's practically nothing but stains left. Of course, I'm left with a very dripping diaper that can't go anywhere but a wet bag and a tub. Sometimes I just leave it in the sink and do a load of diapers right after, but anothers, well, it goes into a wet bag and then a hanging tub in the bathroom wall. It hides it pretty well.
As you can imagine, I think I hid it too well, so much that next time I washed diapers, I totally forgot there was a poopy hidden one. And the next time, and... I can't recall.
One day it stroke me I hadn't seen the orange FB for a while. My stash is so varied in color and so small, it's easy to notice when a diaper is missing. And it hit me: I could look inside the white tub. Yep. There was a wet bag there. It was late at night, so I decided to do something next morning.
I took the bag and plain emptied it directly in the washer with another load. Then I left it soaking in Murphy's oil soap. Got it washed with another load of clothes again (I didn't care about detergents or fragances, just wanted the diaper clean!). Rinsed, spinned, I put it in the sun. Inserts, wet bag and all.
Next day: a clean diaper!!! Of course I needed to strip the oil soap, but there were no signs of mold anywhere, or any other residuals of any kind. I tossed it with the regular diaper wash (which includes a couple of drops of Dawn in the rinse cycle) and it was good to go and smeling like a clean diaper smell: nothing.
So, if you happen to forget a dripping diaper, please, make sure it's a Fuzzibunz!
But let me go back a little bit. I know it will sound gross to you, but among all the little things I've done to accomplish my no-stink life is the no wet bag. You heard it right, I don't use a bag, a pail or any other device to shield the diapers from the outside world. I throw them in the dirty laundry or place them on top of the hanging rack. Sure they smell if you approach too much, but otherwise, the overall odour in the house is safe to breath.
However, poop complicates this arrangement. If there's a poopy diaper (which, thanks to bf, doesn't happen on a daily basis), it gets sprayed with the hand held shower into the toilet and further into the sink until there's practically nothing but stains left. Of course, I'm left with a very dripping diaper that can't go anywhere but a wet bag and a tub. Sometimes I just leave it in the sink and do a load of diapers right after, but anothers, well, it goes into a wet bag and then a hanging tub in the bathroom wall. It hides it pretty well.
As you can imagine, I think I hid it too well, so much that next time I washed diapers, I totally forgot there was a poopy hidden one. And the next time, and... I can't recall.
One day it stroke me I hadn't seen the orange FB for a while. My stash is so varied in color and so small, it's easy to notice when a diaper is missing. And it hit me: I could look inside the white tub. Yep. There was a wet bag there. It was late at night, so I decided to do something next morning.
I took the bag and plain emptied it directly in the washer with another load. Then I left it soaking in Murphy's oil soap. Got it washed with another load of clothes again (I didn't care about detergents or fragances, just wanted the diaper clean!). Rinsed, spinned, I put it in the sun. Inserts, wet bag and all.
Next day: a clean diaper!!! Of course I needed to strip the oil soap, but there were no signs of mold anywhere, or any other residuals of any kind. I tossed it with the regular diaper wash (which includes a couple of drops of Dawn in the rinse cycle) and it was good to go and smeling like a clean diaper smell: nothing.
So, if you happen to forget a dripping diaper, please, make sure it's a Fuzzibunz!
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Fears, Rules and Detergents
Like most moms, I bought my fluff and wanted to do everything right. That included the religious washing routine that required a special detergent.
My first choice was All Free and Clear. Later on I saw that the cloth diapering community had mixed results on it. Some approved it but not as the best, some completely trashed it. It was a pain trying to keep the build up down, but the reason I gave up on it was that it wasn't getting the job done. Great for poop stains, but not so fantastic for urine removal.
I switched to ECOS, since it was relatively cheap and "all natural". Remember what I said about All and the stains? well, that's why I missed it. Not only did it not remove stains, it was so gentle on the diapers that it left the ammonia there, just in case the diaper would be too stressed out with the chemical reaction.
In the meantime, I spent some 10 weeks of the hot season out of here. Near Lake Erie, I asked before hand what detergent worked nice in the area, the answer was Tiny Bubbles, so I rushed to buy it so that it would be waiting for me when we arrived. It was my first time with a cd specific detergent!
Too bad it doesn't clean. I couldn't stand the smell, even when it was supposed to be perfume free, having to dilute it in hot water was a pain and Little Guy started having rashes within a week.
Fortunately, the Flats and Handwashing challenge came, and for washing my t-shirts I used a bar soap. It didn't work great either, but survived the 7 days. Came back home one week later.
After that, I went to see my folks in Mexico and walked throuhg all Walmart trying to find a perfume free detergent - not such luck. So, when asking my mom what she used to wash baby clothes, she said Zote
Of course, Zote has been around since way before I can remember. It is a bar soap, and every house in Mexico, regardless of having a washer or not, has a bar at hand. I did not want to spend time grinding it though, but happened to find a washer friendly version in flakes. OK, I guessed I would strip my diapers when I came back.
2 weeks later, I couldn't believe it. Certaintly it wasn't great for the stains (sun helped with those), but all the ammonia smell had completely dissapeared. I was slightly bothered by the perfume, but no rashes and no stinkies at all!
I came back and started using ECOS again. The amount of boosters was unbelievable. I was adding baking soda, Dawn, Castile soap and Hidrogen peroxide to the mix and still no results. Stink had come back in a week.
Back in the lake, I found Eco Nuts in the coop and decided to give them a try. Stinkies decreased, much better than Tiny Bubbles, but terrible with stains. I'll keep them there for sure, but I'm not convinced that they work for everything as they claim.
Back here, I remembered I had a small piece of Zote that my uncle gave to me in our Christmas trip to Texas. Couldn't hurt to try.
So, since my washer is so primitive and I fill the tub with my hand held shower hose, I just put the Zote piece below it and allowed whatever it released into the mix. The results were immediate.
I had finally found a way to wash my diapers without spending tons of money ($2 a bar) without buildup and without theneed of boosters. I've been using it for 2 months without a problem. In fact, I'm using it for all my laundry, leaving ECOS only for backup.
This was the epiphany: "Detergent buildup is easy to remove, ammonia is not". Truth is, most of us are so scared about our investment being ruined and warranties being voided, that we forget the most important function o fa detergent: to clean.
Later in the Cloth Diaper Support Group I'm enrolled, a lot of requests for help have appeared. Ammonia is a big monster, one you need your best arsenal to fight. Sometimes, that arsenal implies breaking the sacred rules. A lot of moms just plain and simple go with Tide. Others use tons of hot water and some more use more detergent than the mandated, bleach or even boil them. Remember, the most important thing is to keep the baby safe and rash free, not to keep your diapers with a valid warranty.
Sometimes we need to look back and see what our moms did, and this is what they did in Mexico to wash flats. This soap is so good that Mexicans are not wondering around the grocery store trying to figure out the best detergent for their babies. Sometimes, what has always been done is what works best.
I don't know if I'll keep using it, but so far, it has the least amount of buildup and usage with the highest efficiency. Suds are mostly gone after the first rinse, by the second, the smell (that is strong, have to admit) is gone.
I put the soap inside a baby sock and just toss it with the wash in hot water. couldn't be happier with the results.
My first choice was All Free and Clear. Later on I saw that the cloth diapering community had mixed results on it. Some approved it but not as the best, some completely trashed it. It was a pain trying to keep the build up down, but the reason I gave up on it was that it wasn't getting the job done. Great for poop stains, but not so fantastic for urine removal.
I switched to ECOS, since it was relatively cheap and "all natural". Remember what I said about All and the stains? well, that's why I missed it. Not only did it not remove stains, it was so gentle on the diapers that it left the ammonia there, just in case the diaper would be too stressed out with the chemical reaction.
In the meantime, I spent some 10 weeks of the hot season out of here. Near Lake Erie, I asked before hand what detergent worked nice in the area, the answer was Tiny Bubbles, so I rushed to buy it so that it would be waiting for me when we arrived. It was my first time with a cd specific detergent!
Too bad it doesn't clean. I couldn't stand the smell, even when it was supposed to be perfume free, having to dilute it in hot water was a pain and Little Guy started having rashes within a week.
Fortunately, the Flats and Handwashing challenge came, and for washing my t-shirts I used a bar soap. It didn't work great either, but survived the 7 days. Came back home one week later.
After that, I went to see my folks in Mexico and walked throuhg all Walmart trying to find a perfume free detergent - not such luck. So, when asking my mom what she used to wash baby clothes, she said Zote
Of course, Zote has been around since way before I can remember. It is a bar soap, and every house in Mexico, regardless of having a washer or not, has a bar at hand. I did not want to spend time grinding it though, but happened to find a washer friendly version in flakes. OK, I guessed I would strip my diapers when I came back.
2 weeks later, I couldn't believe it. Certaintly it wasn't great for the stains (sun helped with those), but all the ammonia smell had completely dissapeared. I was slightly bothered by the perfume, but no rashes and no stinkies at all!
I came back and started using ECOS again. The amount of boosters was unbelievable. I was adding baking soda, Dawn, Castile soap and Hidrogen peroxide to the mix and still no results. Stink had come back in a week.
Back in the lake, I found Eco Nuts in the coop and decided to give them a try. Stinkies decreased, much better than Tiny Bubbles, but terrible with stains. I'll keep them there for sure, but I'm not convinced that they work for everything as they claim.
Back here, I remembered I had a small piece of Zote that my uncle gave to me in our Christmas trip to Texas. Couldn't hurt to try.
So, since my washer is so primitive and I fill the tub with my hand held shower hose, I just put the Zote piece below it and allowed whatever it released into the mix. The results were immediate.
I had finally found a way to wash my diapers without spending tons of money ($2 a bar) without buildup and without theneed of boosters. I've been using it for 2 months without a problem. In fact, I'm using it for all my laundry, leaving ECOS only for backup.
This was the epiphany: "Detergent buildup is easy to remove, ammonia is not". Truth is, most of us are so scared about our investment being ruined and warranties being voided, that we forget the most important function o fa detergent: to clean.
Later in the Cloth Diaper Support Group I'm enrolled, a lot of requests for help have appeared. Ammonia is a big monster, one you need your best arsenal to fight. Sometimes, that arsenal implies breaking the sacred rules. A lot of moms just plain and simple go with Tide. Others use tons of hot water and some more use more detergent than the mandated, bleach or even boil them. Remember, the most important thing is to keep the baby safe and rash free, not to keep your diapers with a valid warranty.
Sometimes we need to look back and see what our moms did, and this is what they did in Mexico to wash flats. This soap is so good that Mexicans are not wondering around the grocery store trying to figure out the best detergent for their babies. Sometimes, what has always been done is what works best.
I don't know if I'll keep using it, but so far, it has the least amount of buildup and usage with the highest efficiency. Suds are mostly gone after the first rinse, by the second, the smell (that is strong, have to admit) is gone.
I put the soap inside a baby sock and just toss it with the wash in hot water. couldn't be happier with the results.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Breast Feeding Myths in Mexico
I did an express trip to Mexico for a family event. Took Tiny Guy only, leaving Little Guy with his Daddy, along with tons of snacks and easy food (organic and all that).
Tiny Guy was just fantastic, there's nothing I would ask for in a 1 yearold during a 4 day 3000 mile trip. Not only he slept during flights, ate well and held on even with a huge airport hold and an 8 hour delay, but during the party and the after party he was all smiles, from arm to arm, smiling at everyone and keeping his cool self, I think he was happy of not having a big brother taking his toys away.
Anyway, I got the same question over and over again: why is he so good? with all the variables: what drug did you give him, how come he's so smiley, is he always like this.....
But as soon as they heard the answer, which was always the same: BREAST MILK, their tone would change and the fear face would replace the happy face.Had my answer been "morphine" or "extasis", their faces would have softened up a tiny bit. Why are they so weary of the only food made specially for the baby by our own bodies?
Anyway, extended breast feeding in Mexico is declining fast after a decent period, here are some of the cultural barriers that we as Mexican moms have to face on a daily basis:
Tiny Guy was just fantastic, there's nothing I would ask for in a 1 yearold during a 4 day 3000 mile trip. Not only he slept during flights, ate well and held on even with a huge airport hold and an 8 hour delay, but during the party and the after party he was all smiles, from arm to arm, smiling at everyone and keeping his cool self, I think he was happy of not having a big brother taking his toys away.
Anyway, I got the same question over and over again: why is he so good? with all the variables: what drug did you give him, how come he's so smiley, is he always like this.....
But as soon as they heard the answer, which was always the same: BREAST MILK, their tone would change and the fear face would replace the happy face.Had my answer been "morphine" or "extasis", their faces would have softened up a tiny bit. Why are they so weary of the only food made specially for the baby by our own bodies?
Anyway, extended breast feeding in Mexico is declining fast after a decent period, here are some of the cultural barriers that we as Mexican moms have to face on a daily basis:
- The baby will bite you - My mom has a brother 2 years younger. She tells me that she remembers her mom feeding him and requesting to be breast fed as well, her mom told her that the breast was only for teethless babies, so she was satisfied with the answer and never requested it again. On several occasions I've seen friends afraid of older babies biting you and that seems to be enough of a reason for stopping. True or false? Neither. Babies bite when they get their new teeth. It took me a couple of sad faces and complaints to teach him how to feed without biting. They are fast learners and believing that they would bite on an every day basis underestimates them.
- Production fades in 3 to 4 months - I loved that one. It was not prejudice knowing the babies biggest source of food, it was just amazement that it could be done. No, production does not automatically go away in a few months. A mother was court ordered to stop breast feeding her 6 yearold child. As long as it is required and no other factors come to place, production will continue.
- If you breast feed, the baby won't eat anything else - That one was given by 2 different uncles. Seems like they think babies that are breast fed don't eat anything else. Again, some mothers may do that, but that's neither the rule nor the general practice. Exclusive breast feeding may go longer than formula fed babies, but by the time they hit their first birthday, most of them are eating all kinds of foods.
Truth is, not everybody is able or willing to do it. Truth is babies can grow happy and healthy being bottle fed. But this type of myths is not helping the situation
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