What to do with Too Small Disposables

Due to several lost battles in the rash war, I had to give up on nighttime cloth diapering.

But my inventory of disposables was 2 bags of size twos and one single pull-up.

Then I wondered: could and should I use those little baby disposables on my big toddler?? mmm... wouldn't hurt to try....

So I went ahead and placed the small diaper inside a Real Nappies cover, just placed it all open on top, like an insert. Next morning, there was a lake around Little Guy, but his rash was much better (I may add we're using antibiotic and antifungal ointments). The diaper was completely full though.

Second night, I placed a prefold in bikini fold on top of the cover, so that it would catch the urine once the diaper was full. Total Success!! His rash is rapidly disappearing and he woke up dry as a grain of sand in the desert.

That gives me a relief. Tiny Guy was going to outgrow those diapers soon and I was going to be stuck with them taking space, now I know I can use them anytime I need a disposable for whatever reason.

He is taking a nap and I made a different experiment. I'm using a pocket with a trifolded prefold inside, covering the mini disposable. Wish us luck!

The Tag

When I found out there was a little bean on the way, I didn't mentally prepare myself to it, I didn't start shopping and I didn't make a plan.

I assumed the deal was done, I had seen plenty of babies in my family and taken care of them. I knew what they needed and it seemed to be only one way to do things. I also was pretty broke and trying to get only the basic things. I kept making my list smaller and realized how many things babies don't actually need.

Then Little Guy came. He twisted my world around in 2 days and made me realize I was going to do things my way, and not my family's. He wouldn't sleep in his bassinet, and I started co-sleeping just because I needed to rest and it was the only way. I felt bad, I felt I was spoiling my kid for life. Then I got across the famous (and infamous) dr Sears' Baby Book and that opened a whole new world for me. I saw the "cult" inclination on it and tried not to fall for it, but found there were different ways of approaching parenthood and that what I felt was right was what counted.

But I also discovered the other side of the coin. A group of moms that do things the other way and try to claim that theirs is the only one. They will snob you if you don't co-sleep, don't breastfeed til they children are 5, and don't wear your baby. And I found there's a war between these 2 types of parents and that they will urge you to take a side, and tag yourself.

So, what's my tag? I think I belong a little more to the co-sleeping extended breastfeeding cloth diapering  type, but I do have a deep respect to moms tagged in the other spectrum, and to any mom that manages to rise any human being into a healthy respectful adult, regardless of the method.

But more than being tagged in that group for all the "benefits" of doing things the way I'm doing it, I should be tagged into the "easy lazy mom" group. I do things the way I do because it makes my life easier. Taking care of a baby in any situation will turn your life around, and we always try to rest and have breaks. So no, I don't co-sleep because of the great bond, I don't cloth diaper because of the ecology and I don't breast-feed because of the antibodies. I do those things because they are the easy choices according to my own situation and my own lifestyle.

So I may need less things than other moms, or more, to that effect. Realistically, all babies need is food, love, a place to sleep and a way of dealing with their mess. So feel free to buy all the extra stuff because it makes your life easier and because it's awfully cute. I won't tell you what to buy or not, I will only tell my experience with the stuff I have. (Oh, yeah, you didn't need my approval in the first place)

Being a parent is a learning process that never ends, my best advice: enjoy the ride.