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:

$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.

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:

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!!!

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.

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.

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...

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.

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.