So I said I'd post the twins birth story, if you're not interested, just skip it, it might be a tid bit graphic.
I went in the 25th of June to be induced at 38 weeks, 5 days. I had had some minor contractions but nothing major and nothing consistent. I kept trying to decide if I should actually get induced. I really, really wanted to go into labor naturally. But the contractions I was having didn't seem to be going anywhere and I could wait and be in pain for the next week and a half and still not go into labor and be induced. At this point I was really in quite a bit of pain. Like - a LOT! So I decided to go ahead and get induced as scheduled.
I went in at 8:00 am. They checked me in and my main nurse was Laura and the doctor in charge was Doctor Miller. Dallas, Mom and my doula, Lindsay Schneider came with me. The nurses, Laura and (I think) Heather, set me up on the monitors and IV and started the pitocin drip. It started some very mild contractions as they started to increase the drip. I chatted some with everyone and listened to my Hypnobabies and dozed.
I didn't progressing as quickly as I had expected. With both of the boys, I progressed pretty quickly, a couple hours of Pitocin and I was ready to have some babies. Not as quick this time. About noon, the doctor in charge came in to talk with me. Dr. Miller said he understood that I wanted to labor naturally, without an epidural. But he also said that he understood that my main desire was to avoid a cesarean section, and my best bet for that was to get the epidural. He said that since the second baby was currently transverse rather than head down, there was a risk that she would come down breach. If that were to happen, I would need the epidural so that he could do what was nessasary to deliver the second baby. I understood what he was saying, and though I really didn't want to hear it, I knew that he was right. He also said that he wanted to break my water to increase the contractions, as it hadn't broken on its own yet. I told him I had to think about it for a little bit. He said he had to deliver triplets at 1:00 pm and was off at 5:00 pm so I needed to make up my mind soon . I talked with Dallas and Lyndsay and Mom and decided that it really was the best option. I decided to get the epidural first and then have my water broken.
The anesthesiologist came in. Since I wasn't currently in a lot of pain and my previous two epidurals had completely blocked any feeling, I spoke with him and asked that he do a lighter version. He said that was fine and went with about half the normal dose.
When the assisting doctor came in to rupture my membrane, she checked me and could feel the first babies hand by her face. This was a concern, as if I progressed rapidly, she could be in the wrong position to birth easily. The doctor said she wanted to check with Dr. Miller before doing the procedure. It ended up being several hours before Dr. Miller made it back to check on me, about 3:00 pm. By then, the first baby had moved her hand and he went ahead and broke my water.
Now we were on a bit of a time crunch, because Dr. Miller was one of the few doctors who would even attempt a breach delivery if the second baby came down butt first. With most doctors, it would be an automatic c-section. Since he was supposed to go home at 5:00 pm, that only gave me 2 hours to progress completely and be ready to deliver. This apparently wasn't enough time this time.
At five, the next doctor came on, Dr. Hood. She came in to talk to me. I asked what she would do if the second baby came down breach and she said that she would have to do a c-section. She didn't have the experience to do a breach delivery. I was really upset about this, of course.
They were having a lot of trouble monitoring the babies. At the first, it was the second baby who was hard to track, but after they broke my water, the first baby became diffuclt. Dr. Hood said she'd like to do an internal monitor so they could monitor her better. As she was getting ready for that, she checked me and I was almost completely dialated. Dr. Hood had just talked with Dr. Miller who said that he would stick around a little while longer in case I got ready to deliver. So Dr. Hood stretched me and was able to get me complete.
At this point, the epidural had never been raised and I was actually able to feel the need to push, which was pretty cool, considering I'd never had that before!
They got me ready to move to the operating room (all twins deliver in the operating room in case of an emergency c-section) and off we went down the hall. Only one person was able to go with me, so, of course, Dallas went with me. They got him all set up in the white paper outfit and hair net and everything.
Once everything was set up, Dr. Hood told me to start pushing. She had to tell me to "push down, not up" a couple times before I got what to do. (Again, I've never felt any of this before.) After a minute or two of pushing, they had me grab my legs and start pushing. I honestly didn't know that I could reach my legs, but I did. I was a little suprised at how much I felt, considering I had had the epidural. I could feel a lot, and it was rather painful and a lot of work! And a couple minutes more of pushing and Lily Spring Allen was born at 6:23 pm on June 25th. She weighed 7 pounds 1.6 ounces and was 19 inches long. I turned to Dallas and said "I CAN'T do that again! That hurt!" To which he replied something like "Of course you can." And in reality I had no choice!
This is the point the "fun" began. The second baby came down and she did indeed come down breach, which we had been hoping she wouldn't. Dr. Hood was kind enough to go and get Dr. Miller, who had been kind enough to wait over an hour and a half after he was supposed to go home, just in case this happened.
Dr. Miller came in and checked the baby. He had the anesthesiologist increase my epidural. He broke my water, which was apparently under some pressure as it splashed all over. He waited for a bit for the increased epidural to take effect, and reached in and grabbed a foot and pulled the second baby out. So Autumn Rose Allen was born doing the splits at 6:42 pm on June 25th, weighing 6 pounds, 5.8 ounces and was 19 inches long.
I can't say how grateful I am to both Dr. Hood and Dr. Miller. Dr. Hood for delivering Lily and being willing to step aside and let Dr. Miller do his "thing". And Dr. Miller for staying so much later than his shift and being willing to go out of his way to make sure I didn't have a c-section. And for having the experience and confidence to birth Autumn breach. It might not have been the birth I hoped for, but it turned out the best way it possibly could. I have two amazingly healthy babies and all three of us are doing great.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Thing 1 and Thing 2
So, I have apparently been a bit remiss in updating my blog. I have a couple excusses... Twins!! Tomorrow I will try to add their birth story and the interesting developments since then. If the girls will let me.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Cleaning Products: #1 laundry detergent
I try to use as few chemicals in my home as possible. This includes in my laundry room. I have been using home made laundry detergent for about 8 months now and love it. I also don't use fabric softener, but vinegar instead. I started that when I was cloth diapering Austin, as fabric softeners make it harder for materials to absorb water. This goes for towels too.
The laundry detergent recipe that I've been using is from the Duggar family recipes. It's about the 3rd recipe down. It uses a bar of Fels Naptha soap
1 cup of washing soda (not baking soda)
and 1/2 cup of Borax.
And it makes 10 GALLONS of laundry detergent! Since I have a HE front loading machine, I use about 1/4 cup per load, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. I do about a load of laundry or two a day, and the first batch that my mother-in-law was kind enough to make for me lasted me 6 months. I recently had to make another batch. It was super easy. I used a food processor to grate the soap, and the rest was simple!
Finding the ingredients was a bit of a challenge the first time. I've heard that Wal-mart carries washing soda, but I have yet to be in a store that acutally does. Strangely enough, I found that Ace Hardware actually carries all the ingredients, though the store might have to order it, or you can order it online and have it shipped to the store. That way you don't have to pay shipping and handling. Last time I ordered, I got a whole box of Fels Naptha and a crate of 12 washing sodas. Borax I've never had a hard time finding, so I didn't stock up on that.
I have heard that there are "kits" on ebay that will sell you just the ingredients in the amount that you need to make your own. These kits run about $7.50 and make about 5 gallons. Even if you used on of these kits rather than getting the seperate ingredients yourself, that would be about $1.50 per gallon. How does that compare with what you're buying at the store? When I buy the ingredients seperately, I know it's cheaper than that. One bar of Fels Naptha is about $1.30, a 3 1/2 pound box of washing soda is $3.80 and a box almost 4 pounds of Borax is about $6.00. Again, I only need a cup of washing soda and 1/2 cup of Borax. I'm probably spending less than $2.50 for 10 gallons of detergent, so about $0.25 a gallon.
I also have more control of what I put in the detergent. Let's go over the ingredients.
Borax is a naturally accuring mineral, a salt. There is some need for caution with this in your home. While "It is not accutely toxic...a significant dose of the chemical [can]cause sever symptoms or death."
Washing Soda is a sodium salt and is used regularly as a water softener. It can be extracted from the ashes of many plants. It's actually used in cooking, including the dorm room favorite, Ramen Noodles. It is non-toxic.
Fels Naptha soap, there are some concerns about this soap as it it can cause eye and skin irritation. I looked at the Material Safety Data Sheet, or MSDS, which stated that it did not have a significant environmental effect. It also states that there are no known chronic health effects. But I may start looking for a homemade lye soap to use instead.
If I want a scented detergent, I could add essential oil to the mix. I don't since I'm doing kid and baby laundry. But the ability to control what you put in your detergent is comforting to me.
The laundry detergent recipe that I've been using is from the Duggar family recipes. It's about the 3rd recipe down. It uses a bar of Fels Naptha soap
1 cup of washing soda (not baking soda)
and 1/2 cup of Borax.
And it makes 10 GALLONS of laundry detergent! Since I have a HE front loading machine, I use about 1/4 cup per load, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. I do about a load of laundry or two a day, and the first batch that my mother-in-law was kind enough to make for me lasted me 6 months. I recently had to make another batch. It was super easy. I used a food processor to grate the soap, and the rest was simple!
Finding the ingredients was a bit of a challenge the first time. I've heard that Wal-mart carries washing soda, but I have yet to be in a store that acutally does. Strangely enough, I found that Ace Hardware actually carries all the ingredients, though the store might have to order it, or you can order it online and have it shipped to the store. That way you don't have to pay shipping and handling. Last time I ordered, I got a whole box of Fels Naptha and a crate of 12 washing sodas. Borax I've never had a hard time finding, so I didn't stock up on that.
I have heard that there are "kits" on ebay that will sell you just the ingredients in the amount that you need to make your own. These kits run about $7.50 and make about 5 gallons. Even if you used on of these kits rather than getting the seperate ingredients yourself, that would be about $1.50 per gallon. How does that compare with what you're buying at the store? When I buy the ingredients seperately, I know it's cheaper than that. One bar of Fels Naptha is about $1.30, a 3 1/2 pound box of washing soda is $3.80 and a box almost 4 pounds of Borax is about $6.00. Again, I only need a cup of washing soda and 1/2 cup of Borax. I'm probably spending less than $2.50 for 10 gallons of detergent, so about $0.25 a gallon.
I also have more control of what I put in the detergent. Let's go over the ingredients.
Borax is a naturally accuring mineral, a salt. There is some need for caution with this in your home. While "It is not accutely toxic...a significant dose of the chemical [can]cause sever symptoms or death."
Washing Soda is a sodium salt and is used regularly as a water softener. It can be extracted from the ashes of many plants. It's actually used in cooking, including the dorm room favorite, Ramen Noodles. It is non-toxic.
Fels Naptha soap, there are some concerns about this soap as it it can cause eye and skin irritation. I looked at the Material Safety Data Sheet, or MSDS, which stated that it did not have a significant environmental effect. It also states that there are no known chronic health effects. But I may start looking for a homemade lye soap to use instead.
If I want a scented detergent, I could add essential oil to the mix. I don't since I'm doing kid and baby laundry. But the ability to control what you put in your detergent is comforting to me.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Tree-Free Home: #3 Wipe Boards and Laminated Pages
I use wipe boards and dry-erase markers a lot around the house rather than pads of paper. I have a wipe board calendar like this one:
, and another larger wipe board to keep track of things like meals (though that one gets used by the boys more often as a drawing board). The calendar is great, as I can add the next month as I manage to make it through this month. That way I almost always have 4 weeks ahead of me visible on the board. I have things that happen every week, like gymnastics, in permenent marker. Permenant marker will come off if you color over it with dry-erase markers and then wipe it off.
While I generally don't like to have plastic in the house, I do have a couple exceptions. I have a notebook that I keep household stuff in, like additional calendar pages, grocery lists, budgets and stuff. Most of these pages I have laminated, so I can use dry-erase markers on and they can be used repeatedly.
I found my laminator (this one:
) at Wal-mart and got a box of the laminating pouches
there as well.
The grocery lists are one of my better ideas. I made a list of the things that we buy on a reasonably regular basis and then I can just mark the things that I need as I run out of them. I have the list organized according to the store that I usually go to, so it's easy as I shop, and I'm not making multiple trips down the same aisle. I also have one for my food storage. It lists the items that I want to have supplies of and how much I want of each item. As I buy them, I mark off how many I have, as I use them, I erase the marks. This tells me I have so many cans of refried beans and need this many more. Then, when it's on sale, I stock up.
I have household chore lists around the house that are laminated so I can keep track of when stuff was done last. Since we have Heather here, there are three of us doing chores. I don't always remember when someone last changed the sheets or cleaned the carpets or washed the windows. I have blank sheets with each person's name at the top of Daddy and Mommy Do lists that can be added to and wiped off when we finished projects (or given up on them). It helps us have a single place to write everything down, rather than having lots of scraps of paper running around the house. Blank laminated sheets are great for scrap paper. I can figure out how many yards of this fabric I need for that project or how much food I need to feed all the people coming to dinner on Friday.
I have also used the laminator to laminate pages for Autie to practice writing his letters and numbers. Again, they're great because they're reusable. I'll be able to use them for both the boys and the girls, rather than having to print of multiple sheets for each child.
The laminator was a good deal for me as it helps me save LOTS of paper.
, and another larger wipe board to keep track of things like meals (though that one gets used by the boys more often as a drawing board). The calendar is great, as I can add the next month as I manage to make it through this month. That way I almost always have 4 weeks ahead of me visible on the board. I have things that happen every week, like gymnastics, in permenent marker. Permenant marker will come off if you color over it with dry-erase markers and then wipe it off.While I generally don't like to have plastic in the house, I do have a couple exceptions. I have a notebook that I keep household stuff in, like additional calendar pages, grocery lists, budgets and stuff. Most of these pages I have laminated, so I can use dry-erase markers on and they can be used repeatedly.
I found my laminator (this one:
) at Wal-mart and got a box of the laminating pouches there as well.The grocery lists are one of my better ideas. I made a list of the things that we buy on a reasonably regular basis and then I can just mark the things that I need as I run out of them. I have the list organized according to the store that I usually go to, so it's easy as I shop, and I'm not making multiple trips down the same aisle. I also have one for my food storage. It lists the items that I want to have supplies of and how much I want of each item. As I buy them, I mark off how many I have, as I use them, I erase the marks. This tells me I have so many cans of refried beans and need this many more. Then, when it's on sale, I stock up.
I have household chore lists around the house that are laminated so I can keep track of when stuff was done last. Since we have Heather here, there are three of us doing chores. I don't always remember when someone last changed the sheets or cleaned the carpets or washed the windows. I have blank sheets with each person's name at the top of Daddy and Mommy Do lists that can be added to and wiped off when we finished projects (or given up on them). It helps us have a single place to write everything down, rather than having lots of scraps of paper running around the house. Blank laminated sheets are great for scrap paper. I can figure out how many yards of this fabric I need for that project or how much food I need to feed all the people coming to dinner on Friday.
I have also used the laminator to laminate pages for Autie to practice writing his letters and numbers. Again, they're great because they're reusable. I'll be able to use them for both the boys and the girls, rather than having to print of multiple sheets for each child.
The laminator was a good deal for me as it helps me save LOTS of paper.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Disclaimer #2: Ad sense and Amazon ads
So, I've added both Ad-sense ads from Google and will be linking to Amazon ads in some of my posts. I added the Google ads because, while I can't say I'm worried about making money from a blog, I figured, "What could it hurt?" right? Also, when I link to things from Amazon, it's because I am a visual person, I like pictures! I want people to see what I'm talking about, and don't want to "steal" pictures from around the web.
So, hopefully the ads don't detract too much and no one gets offended. If, however, you happen to see something that you like, by all means, click away! Just come back and read some more.
So, hopefully the ads don't detract too much and no one gets offended. If, however, you happen to see something that you like, by all means, click away! Just come back and read some more.
Tree-Free Home: #2 Cloth Napkins
I like to use cloth napkins instead of paper. I like the way they feel so much better, they don't leave a papery mess on little sticky faces and hands, and they're reusable. Besides, they add a nice edge of class to that special mac and cheese you're making for your kids.
Check out these ones at Amazon:
They're even made from recycled cotton.
But heck, at $15 for 4, I bet you could hire someone with a sewing machine to make some for you. Amazon, among other stores, does have cheaper ones. I've even found them at a number of the discount stores for about $1 or $2 per napkin.
I have a number of cloth napkins, but don't seem to use them for fear of staining them. (I know, I know, that's kinda what they're there for!) I want to make some simple ones that I can use with the kids and not worry about spaghetti sauce on them, or whatever the flavor of the day is.
If you're looking at making your own, just about any scraps of cotton or cotton/poly material that you have on hand would probably work, though linen ones are de rigueur. The traditional dinner napkin is 20 inches square, but other regular sizes include 12, 14 and 16 inch squares. For family dinners I'd probably make them even smaller, maybe even as little as 8 to 10 inches square since I'm cleaning small, messy faces. This way it would be less strain on Dear Mother when washing a set each day.
You should be able to make about 12 napkins per yard, more if it's 60 inches wide. And then you can pick and chose colors that match your decor, or hide stains. You know, whichever... :) Here's a website that tells how to make your corners pretty when sewing your napkins.
I might just start out with some flannel material that I already have and just serge the edges and call it good so I can start with something. Pretty much anything you can get your square from, that would other wise go to waste, could be utilized. What about all those old flannel receiving blankets that your kids grew out of in about 2 weeks? Or those old t-shirts would make some soft napkins. I bet cutting some squares from old dress shirts would work well, and you could end up with some interesting, eclectic table settings that way.
The other benefit of cloth napkins is the eventual need I will feel to make a lot of super-cute napkin rings. These will make cute craft projects for the kids or good ways to use some material around the house that was otherwise going to get thrown away.
Still need more benefits? You can teach your children the "correct" way of setting a table. Or, you could teach your kids napkin origami. Who doesn't like to fold stuff up to make swans?
Check out these ones at Amazon:
They're even made from recycled cotton.
But heck, at $15 for 4, I bet you could hire someone with a sewing machine to make some for you. Amazon, among other stores, does have cheaper ones. I've even found them at a number of the discount stores for about $1 or $2 per napkin.
I have a number of cloth napkins, but don't seem to use them for fear of staining them. (I know, I know, that's kinda what they're there for!) I want to make some simple ones that I can use with the kids and not worry about spaghetti sauce on them, or whatever the flavor of the day is.
If you're looking at making your own, just about any scraps of cotton or cotton/poly material that you have on hand would probably work, though linen ones are de rigueur. The traditional dinner napkin is 20 inches square, but other regular sizes include 12, 14 and 16 inch squares. For family dinners I'd probably make them even smaller, maybe even as little as 8 to 10 inches square since I'm cleaning small, messy faces. This way it would be less strain on Dear Mother when washing a set each day.
You should be able to make about 12 napkins per yard, more if it's 60 inches wide. And then you can pick and chose colors that match your decor, or hide stains. You know, whichever... :) Here's a website that tells how to make your corners pretty when sewing your napkins.
I might just start out with some flannel material that I already have and just serge the edges and call it good so I can start with something. Pretty much anything you can get your square from, that would other wise go to waste, could be utilized. What about all those old flannel receiving blankets that your kids grew out of in about 2 weeks? Or those old t-shirts would make some soft napkins. I bet cutting some squares from old dress shirts would work well, and you could end up with some interesting, eclectic table settings that way.
The other benefit of cloth napkins is the eventual need I will feel to make a lot of super-cute napkin rings. These will make cute craft projects for the kids or good ways to use some material around the house that was otherwise going to get thrown away.
Still need more benefits? You can teach your children the "correct" way of setting a table. Or, you could teach your kids napkin origami. Who doesn't like to fold stuff up to make swans?
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tree-Free Home: #1 Cloth Diapers
Another idea I came across that I've been trying to do in my home (with better success before the pregnancy) was a "tree-free home".
I used cloth diapers with Autie for about the first 6 months. Then we moved and were sharing a washer, so the practice kind of died. We didn't do so well with Izzy either. My excuse is that we moved 15 times the year he was born. I plan to go back to it for the twins since we are (hopefully) a little more settled and not living with room-mates. (Sorry, Heather doesn't count as a room-mate. As Big D says, "She's your little slave girl." Good thing she has a sense of humor!)
Not only does it greatly reduce the waste from a home, it saves LOTS of money. The average baby uses about 6,000 (!!) diapers in the first two years of their life. At about $0.25 per diaper, that would be $1,500 each year for two babies. And many moms who cloth diaper say that their children potty train sooner. So less time dealing with poop! Who would complain about that?
I personally prefer the prefolds rather than the all-in-ones (AIO) or pocket diapers. Besides the fact that they're cheaper (About $1.00 per prefold vs. about $15.00 each for the either of the other two), they were just easier for me to use. Even Big D could change a cloth diaper in the same time and with the same yuck factor as a disposable one. Besides, the flat diapers come in handy after the baby is older. They can be used for cleaning rags and they last forever. I still remember my mom having and using them when I was a teenager - as cleaning rags, I swear!! All totalled (I bought preemie prefolds, infant and regular sizes) I invested about $200 in prefolds and probably another $50 between snappies (the bestest thing EVER if you use prefolds) and diaper covers.
So, in just a monetary way, I saved about $500 with Austin, and if I consistently use them with the twins, I'll save about $4,500 (if they potty train at about 3 years old). So, $5,000 savings for maybe $250 invested (plus the soap and water for the washing). And I can still sell the used diapers on ebay for at least some of the money that I've paid for them once the girls are done. I'd say it's a big win. Not even mentioning the 20,000 diapers that DON'T end up filling our land fills.
Not only is there the money issue (seriously, do you need a better reason?? If so, just send me the extra money and give it a try anyways!) there is the fact that it's just way better for little butts and the earth.
We'll start with the "Save the Earth" crowd. Disposable diapers are just that, disposable, thrown away, disposed of. Check out the all-mighty Wiki and look at the debate section [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaper ]. It states: "An estimated 27.4 billion disposable diapers are used each year in the US, resulting in a possible 3.4 million tons of used diapers adding to landfills each year." That's a lotta poop!
Now, honestly, depending on how they are washed and dried, cloth diapers can still cause a strain on Mother Earth. But I have a HE washer, and live in the driest place in the world (maybe not, but it feels like it) so can hang dry the diapers. I use homemade laundry detergent, vinegar as a fabric softener and don't ever bleach my diapers. I'd say I'm being reasonably kind to Mother.
Disposable diapers have all sort of chemicals. Depending on which anti-disposables website you look at, some of the loverly things in diapers will include: polyethylene and polypropylene plastic with bleached paper pulp, AGM (a gelling substance), petrolatum, stearyl alcohol, cellulose tissue, elastic, and perfume.
[ http://www.diaperjungle.com/disposable-diapers-exposed.html ]
These things aren't great for the environment, but they're worse for the delicate skin of our babies tushes. When I was cloth diapering, we almost never had a problem with diaper rash. Yet there are several types of disposable diapers neither of my boys could wear because they would end up with a rash within a couple diaper changes. The best way to cure diaper rash for my kids? Put them in cloth diapers for a couple days. We never had to use the extra diaper creams and butt pastes when we were using cloth. (Again, saving the earth and some $green$)
Besides, there ain't nothing cuter than a baby butt in a cloth diaper!
Even better would be the idea of Elimination Communication. Check out http://www.diaperfreebaby.org/ for more info on that!
Now, before you get the idea that cloth diapering is getting to be pretty common and therefore I'm not too far off main stream, I have to add that I not only use cloth for the kids, but I use it for myself. Instead of the store-bought maxi-pads, I use cloth when I'm menstruating too. Honestly, that hasn't happened too much in the last couple years, but when I'm on the rag, I use rags. Well, not really rags, but mama pads. I've found that they are way more comfortable than the plasticy pads available at the store, I change them about as frequently and some people say they even reduce the cramping and other DMS (during menstrual syndrome) effects that they normally feel using "normal" pads or tampons. I personally can't use tampons, but for those who prefer the not-lining-your-panties type of protection, there are Diva cups
[ www.divacup.com ] Again, better for the earth and better for our bodies.
I used cloth diapers with Autie for about the first 6 months. Then we moved and were sharing a washer, so the practice kind of died. We didn't do so well with Izzy either. My excuse is that we moved 15 times the year he was born. I plan to go back to it for the twins since we are (hopefully) a little more settled and not living with room-mates. (Sorry, Heather doesn't count as a room-mate. As Big D says, "She's your little slave girl." Good thing she has a sense of humor!)
Not only does it greatly reduce the waste from a home, it saves LOTS of money. The average baby uses about 6,000 (!!) diapers in the first two years of their life. At about $0.25 per diaper, that would be $1,500 each year for two babies. And many moms who cloth diaper say that their children potty train sooner. So less time dealing with poop! Who would complain about that?
I personally prefer the prefolds rather than the all-in-ones (AIO) or pocket diapers. Besides the fact that they're cheaper (About $1.00 per prefold vs. about $15.00 each for the either of the other two), they were just easier for me to use. Even Big D could change a cloth diaper in the same time and with the same yuck factor as a disposable one. Besides, the flat diapers come in handy after the baby is older. They can be used for cleaning rags and they last forever. I still remember my mom having and using them when I was a teenager - as cleaning rags, I swear!! All totalled (I bought preemie prefolds, infant and regular sizes) I invested about $200 in prefolds and probably another $50 between snappies (the bestest thing EVER if you use prefolds) and diaper covers.
So, in just a monetary way, I saved about $500 with Austin, and if I consistently use them with the twins, I'll save about $4,500 (if they potty train at about 3 years old). So, $5,000 savings for maybe $250 invested (plus the soap and water for the washing). And I can still sell the used diapers on ebay for at least some of the money that I've paid for them once the girls are done. I'd say it's a big win. Not even mentioning the 20,000 diapers that DON'T end up filling our land fills.
Not only is there the money issue (seriously, do you need a better reason?? If so, just send me the extra money and give it a try anyways!) there is the fact that it's just way better for little butts and the earth.
We'll start with the "Save the Earth" crowd. Disposable diapers are just that, disposable, thrown away, disposed of. Check out the all-mighty Wiki and look at the debate section [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaper ]. It states: "An estimated 27.4 billion disposable diapers are used each year in the US, resulting in a possible 3.4 million tons of used diapers adding to landfills each year." That's a lotta poop!
Now, honestly, depending on how they are washed and dried, cloth diapers can still cause a strain on Mother Earth. But I have a HE washer, and live in the driest place in the world (maybe not, but it feels like it) so can hang dry the diapers. I use homemade laundry detergent, vinegar as a fabric softener and don't ever bleach my diapers. I'd say I'm being reasonably kind to Mother.
Disposable diapers have all sort of chemicals. Depending on which anti-disposables website you look at, some of the loverly things in diapers will include: polyethylene and polypropylene plastic with bleached paper pulp, AGM (a gelling substance), petrolatum, stearyl alcohol, cellulose tissue, elastic, and perfume.
[ http://www.diaperjungle.com/disposable-diapers-exposed.html ]
These things aren't great for the environment, but they're worse for the delicate skin of our babies tushes. When I was cloth diapering, we almost never had a problem with diaper rash. Yet there are several types of disposable diapers neither of my boys could wear because they would end up with a rash within a couple diaper changes. The best way to cure diaper rash for my kids? Put them in cloth diapers for a couple days. We never had to use the extra diaper creams and butt pastes when we were using cloth. (Again, saving the earth and some $green$)
Besides, there ain't nothing cuter than a baby butt in a cloth diaper!
Even better would be the idea of Elimination Communication. Check out http://www.diaperfreebaby.org/ for more info on that!
Now, before you get the idea that cloth diapering is getting to be pretty common and therefore I'm not too far off main stream, I have to add that I not only use cloth for the kids, but I use it for myself. Instead of the store-bought maxi-pads, I use cloth when I'm menstruating too. Honestly, that hasn't happened too much in the last couple years, but when I'm on the rag, I use rags. Well, not really rags, but mama pads. I've found that they are way more comfortable than the plasticy pads available at the store, I change them about as frequently and some people say they even reduce the cramping and other DMS (during menstrual syndrome) effects that they normally feel using "normal" pads or tampons. I personally can't use tampons, but for those who prefer the not-lining-your-panties type of protection, there are Diva cups
[ www.divacup.com ] Again, better for the earth and better for our bodies.
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